Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Today's real heroes : The inspiring and encouraging story of a father's extraordinary love for his son (Team Hoyt - Dick and Rick Hoyt with video)











Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by my combined Word-Filled Wednesday and Thankful Thursday post. It's been very long time since I last participated in these because I have been unable to blog actively.

♥ Today, God fills my heart with praise and thanksgiving when a friend shared with me this very encouraging video of a father's love for his son. It reminded me of our Heavenly Father's love for wretched sinners like us.

♥ I thank God that He loved us and He demonstrated His love for us by giving His only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us, to redeem us from the condemnation of sin and give us life here and eternal life.

♥ I thank God that by His grace, we can live a meaningful and productive life despite whatever limitations or infirmities.

♥ I thank God that He provides people around us who love us and takes care of us. Thanks for each and every one of you for your visits and encouragements.


Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8


God's precious promises to in through all the trials in this life:

My grace is sufficient for thee (you):
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9

Please take a moment to watch this inspiring true story of two very remarkable men :

* Rick Hoyt, a 46 years old man born a spastic quadriplegic, cerebral palsy, non-speaking person but achieved independence and inclusion in community activities, sports, school and the workplace, and is a graduate of Boston University; and

* his father, Dick Hoyt, a 66 years old elderly man, who loved his son dearly and determined to raise him up as "normally" as possible. Dick pushed and pulled his son across the country and over hundreds of finish lines. When Dick runs, Rick is in a wheelchair that Dick is pushing. When Dick cycles, Rick is in the seat-pod from his wheelchair, attached to the front of the bike. When Dick swims, Rick is in a small but heavy, firmly stabilized boat being pulled by Dick.

An inspiring and encouraging story of a father's extraordinary love for his son.




Read more about them on their website : http://www.teamhoyt.com/index.html

Other real-life testimony or inspirational story of people with extraordinary courage :

* No Arms, No Legs, No Worries : Victory in God's grace, the story of Nick Vujicic (video)

* In celebration of being alive

Thanks again for stopping. Take care and have a blessed day!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Political Verses: National Poetry Month Prizes


In addition to giving away poetry books as prizes during National Poetry Month at Wild Rose Reader, I’ll be giving away books of light verse at my other solo blog—Political Verses.
Here are the books you’ll have a chance of winning if you comment at any of my posts at Political Verses during the Month of April.

American Wits: An Anthology of Light Verse
(American Poets Project)

The Best of Ogden Nash
Edited by Linell Nash Smith

The Underwear Salesman and Other Jobs for Better or Verse
Written by J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Serge Bloch


Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verse
Written by J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Simon Bartram

The World’s Greatest: Poems
Written by J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Keith Graves


You can read my review of the book in this Wild Rose Reader post: The World's Greatest: Poems--A Book Review

NOTE: If you comment/have commented at any of my March posts at Political Verses you could win the following book :

Deciding the Next Decider: The 2008 Presidential Race in Rhyme
Written by Calvin Trillin


You can read my Wild Rose Reader post about this book here.


Here are links to my most recent posts at Political Verses:

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Pens v Rangers

The Blueshirts are coming into town today. YUCK. Any team that willingly allows IFSHA™ wear its sweater not once but twice! needs to get a good pummeling.

All right, here are the numbers as we head into today's matchup:
#TEAMGPWLOTLPTS
6Pittsburgh Penguins754027888
7New York Rangers753927987

Our Boys will want to put some more distance between these figures today with a win in regulation, but the Rangers will see today as an opportunity to leap-frog over us in the standings. Whatever happens, one thing is certain - make sure you take your heart medicine before you settle into your favorite chair for this one. No doubt this is going to be one intense game.

But I'm not worried. NHL top point scorers Siddo (#3) and Geno (#1) will let them know what's up. I only hope Siddo has a 5 point game so he can move back into the #2 spot. :)

DO IT x 5

I'll leave you with an interesting fact I just discovered. So everyone knows that A-hOle™ is an elite goal scorer, right? Well, I'm not sure how many of you realized that his shot percentage is actually quite low. (Even I might be able to score 50 goals if I took 500 shots on goal. Haha, okay, probably not! But you get my point.) Anyhoo, it wasn't a surprise to see that A-hOle™'s current shot percentage (11.0%) is lower than Geno's (12.3%) and Siddo's (13.4%), but it shocked the HECK out of me to see who's leading the league right now with the best shot percentage: ex-Pen and Pittsburgh native son Ryan Malone (21.4%)!

Way to go, Bugsy!

GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Warming?

1) A Berkeley professor dares to debunk the popular wisdom about the future of energy.


IMO the rationale for energy conservation should simply be, "we do not have unlimited source of energy (at least, before we can efficiently convert/store solar energy, to a level on par with what chlorophyll does)". Global warming mongering is like predicting China's GDP/cap will surpass that of US in 15 years -- simple straight line projection ignoring any non-linear effects/secondary corrections.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Things to Do If You Are a Pencil: A Original List Poem


A long-awaited package arrived at my house a week ago yesterday. It was a box of poetry books. Actually, it was a box of twenty-five copies of one title: Falling Down the Page: A Book of List Poems—an anthology edited by Georgia Heard and published by Roaring Brook Press.



One might wonder why I ordered so many copies of Falling Down the Page. Well, one of MY poems—Things to Do If You Are a Pencil— is included in the book. Things to Do If You Are a Pencil is my second poem to be published in a children’s book. I’m planning to give away copies of Falling Down the Page to members of my family, the three young girls who live across the street, the elementary school where I once worked as a teacher and librarian—and as a prize during National Poetry Month from Wild Rose Reader.

I’m ecstatic that Georgia Heard selected one of my poems for inclusion in this wonderful anthology—and elated to see MY name listed on the back cover along with the names of some of my favorite poets: J. Patrick Lewis, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jane Yolen, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Marilyn Singer, Patricia Hubbell, Kristine O’Connell George, and Bobbi Katz.


Here's an excerpt from the first poem in the anthology--Eileen Spinelli's Good-byes:


It's really hard

to say good-bye

to twinkling beach,

and golden sky,

to castles rising

from the sand,

to Annie's caramel

popcorn stand.

Here’s a link to a page at Amazon.com that has a link to Eileen Spinelli’s Good-Byes. (Just click on the word Excerpt.)

And here’s my poem:


Things to Do If You Are a Pencil

Be sharp.

Wear a slick yellow suit

and a pink top hat.

Tap your toes on the tabletop,

listen for the right rhythm,

then dance a poem

across the page.

FYI: I have written an entire collection of “things to do” poems. It’s still unpublished—like the rest of my poetry collections. Previously, I posted one of the poems from Things to Do at Wild Rose Reader. Here it is again:

Things to Do If You Want to be a Snowflake
(For Robert Mercer)
Fashion yourself:

a bit of lace,

crystalline,

spun in space

of silken ice,

silvery,

fine—

YOU

C R E A T E

your

own

design.


I want to express my heartfelt thanks to my friend Janet Wong. She is the person who put me in touch with Georgia Heard. Janet suggested that I send Georgia some list poems for an anthology she was compiling. Janet, an award-winning children’s poet, has given me lots of encouragement and advice. She has been a wonderful supporter of my poetry writing. Thank you, Janet! It means so much to have someone like you rooting for me.


********************


At Political Verses, I have another original poem entitled Rush and the Pussy-Cat. It’s a Limbaughyme that’s a parody of Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussy-Cat.

At Blue Rose Girls, I have a post about Magnetic Poetry and a poem I composed using one of the kits at the magnetic Poetry site. (Thanks to Cloudscome for her Magnetic Poetry post last Friday.)

Julie Larios has the Poetry Friday Roundup at The Drift Record.

Coping Skills for Bipolar Disorder (manic-depressive illness) mania / manic depressed

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Thank God for sustaining and strengthening me daily. I am still experiencing fatigue and tiredness. Looking to our Lord daily and continuing to learn to pace myself. Been doing exercise regularly and cut down on some activities.

I am not able to do active blogging but hope to post some helpful resources that can encourage and help you and my readers. I do missed all of you very much and you are in my thoughts and prayers! Thanks again for your visits and encouragements.

I found a helpful article on Coping Skills for Bipolar Disorder and thought it might be useful to you and some of my readers.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

From my personal experiences, I have found that it is important to accept the reality of my condition, to learn to understand the limitations as well as the advantages of it, to learn to manage it and live a productive life, by the grace of God, through all the resources that are available.

I am thankful to God that since my diagnosis, He has provided me with many helps and resources to many my condition and my condition is under better control. He is enabling me to live a meaningful and productive life despite various limitations of my condition. I look forward to each day that I can walk with God and serve Him, and His people.

The following article is taken from the website of Bipolar Focus:

Coping Skills for Bipolar Disorder
Step-by-Step Coping:
  1. Find a good doctor
  2. Become an expert
  3. Manage your illness



    • mood charting - what it is and why it's helpful
    • managing medications
    • a healthy lifestyle helps recovery
  4. Plan for a crisis
  5. Find a community



    • United States Support Organizations
    • Online Support Groups and Newsgroups
    • International Support Organizations
  6. Practical matters - work, school, and federal aid issues
  7. Other Resources - coping with mania, depression, and life with bipolar disorder
When we give lists of symptoms and medications for people with bipolar disorder, the entire thing can seem disarmingly simple. But anyone who has been there knows that there is nothing simple about accepting and living with a chronic illness, and it's just as important to address the emotional and practical issues of bipolar as it is to know the diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines. Those with other chronic diseases like diabetes, cystic fibrosis, or multiple sclerosis go through a similar process of grieving, accepting, learning, and adapting - and through this, begin healing and recovery.
A helpful outline to guide a healing and recovery journey is described in the acronym TEAR:
T = to accept the reality of loss. There are things that will be different after a diagnosis of bipolar, and it's important to recognize these things rather than denying or hiding them.
E = experience the pain of the loss. You are allowed to grieve what you feel has been lost with the onset of this disease, both from your own life and the lives of others. You are allowed to mourn previous goals and aspirations that must be altered to this new reality.
A = adjust to the new environment without what was lost. Whatever was lost with your diagnosis doesn't constitute the whole of your person. The core of you is still the same, and knowing about your illness now allows you to re-adapt to this new context of life.
R = reinvest in the new reality. Explore, create, engage, and live as the person you are, managing your own life and your illness as part of that life.
Below are some articles and resources that we hope will help you in your own life.
1) Find a good doctor.
Even if you already have your diagnosis, your doctor will be your ally and partner in treatment and recovery. It's important to have a doctor you can speak openly with, who will listen to you as an equal and acknowledge your expertise on your own body, who will offer helpful suggestions and be invested in your recovery. Below are some resources on what to look for in a good psychiatrist and/or health care provider, and how to find one in your area.
2) Become an Expert.
Putting a name to what used to be a vague collection of debilitating symptoms puts you in control. Knowing your disease as intimately as you can gives you the tools to manage it effectively, rather than it managing you. It can also make your situation seem much less frightening when you can understand and recognize what is happening in your own body. Here are some resources to get you started.
3) Manage your Illness - mood charting and meds.
One of the best coping strategies, suggested by professionals and patients alike, is using a mood chart to track your own episodes and symptoms. A mood chart can be a preventative tool to help identify early warning signs for relapse, a record for physicians and family to help assess the efficacy of different medications and treatments, and a therapeutic tool to organize a person's daily routine and improve awareness of the illness.
The simplest method of mood charting is rating your mood (at the same time each day) on a scale of 1-10, with one being very depressed and ten being absolutely elated. A good place to keep a record is on a wall calendar or in a daily diary. Other methods involve more elaborate charts, and a more detailed rating scale (see the links below). Some people work better with graphs, others with numbers, others with writing lists of words or paragraphs to describe their feelings. The overall goal of the charts is to have a reliable and consistent record of how greatly your moods flucuate over a period of time, so develop the method that is easiest for you to achieve this goal.
  • Mood charting resources:



    • The Mood Diary - gives an explanation of how to use the mood chart, and has a blank and a completed example available for downloading (pdf files).
    • A Mood Chart System - a patient describes how he developed a personal system that worked for him, including examples.
    • Mood Charting for Children - the Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation provides examples and resources for charting your child's moods, and eventually helping him/her to track it themselves.
Another excellent coping strategy is learning how to manage your medications effectively. The first thing to do is know about what you are taking - ask your psychiatrist what symptoms your medication is treating, how long it might take to work, how much and how often you should take it, what you should do if you miss a dose, what side effects you might have and what you can do about them, and anything else that is on your mind. Keep track of your own medication information - names, dosages, how it makes you feel, what symptoms it makes better or worse - in a journal or diary. Having this information will help both you and your doctor find the medication regimen that works the best for you, and allow you to adjust it effectively as needed.
It can be an extremely frustrating trial-and-error process to finally find a medication that works for you. Please be patient and give the medications adequate time to do their job. Most people won't feel better right away - it can take four to six weeks for a drug to get into your system and start noticeably helping. In the meantime, you can help yourself by trying some of the suggestions on this page, or finding a support group to help you through difficult times. By all means work with your psychiatrist to switch medications if you are unhappy with your current one; however, try to be realistic about what medications can and can't do, and consider the relative benefits of staying on one versus trying to adjust to a brand-new one.
Simplify your medications as much as possible by putting them in separated daily pill boxes (you can purchase pill organizers with seven separate compartments, one for each day of the week), taking them at the same time each day, or taking them with a daily vitamin pill or something else that you do religiously. If you have a lot of trouble remembering, ask family members/roommates to help, or ask your doctor about the possibility of switching to long-acting injectable medications instead of pills.

Help your medication do their job by keeping healthy habits in your daily life.
4) Plan For a Crisis
Your mood charts (see above) will help you recognize what particular symptoms or behaviors tend to precede a manic or a depressive episode. Having a plan ready for relapse situations will help you get the care you need, and make sure other practical matters are taken care of, even if you are in a place where you can't effectively make decisions. One of the most difficult aspects of bipolar to deal with is the seductiveness of mania - many people don't seek help during a manic episode because they are feeling on top of the world. However, even though they can't recognize it, they still present a danger to themselves or others via reckless acts, excessive spending, uncontrollable behavior, etc.
You can take some precautionary steps while you are stable to help get through a crisis situation as smoothly as possible. Put the following information (along with anything else that might be helpful) into a "crisis plan" folder, and distribute it to your doctor, your family members, and other trusted people who can help you.
  • Make a list of people you trust (close family members, friends in the area, etc) who know about your disease and are willing to help you. Have their names and phone numbers together on a "crisis alert list"
  • List the names and contact info of your psychiatrist, general practitioner, case worker, or any other professional that helps you manage your illness.
  • Write out the particular signs that indicate a manic or a depressive episode, to help others recognize when you need help. (See some of the early warning signs compiled by bipolarsurvivor.com to use as a guide in making your list).
  • Make another list of all your medications, what dose you take, and what side effects you experience. Note any medications you are allergic to or do not want to take under whatever circumstances.
  • Leave directions for the care of your house, your pets, your plants, etc., in case you are hospitalized.
  • Write down your insurance plan information
  • Leave the names and numbers of family members and/or employers that need to be contacted in case of an emergency or an extended hospital stay.
  • Leave any detailed instructions of what kind of care you do and do not want to recieve if you are unable to make your own decisions (the legal document for this is called a psychiatric advanced directive).
5) Find a Community
Having a supportive community is important for anyone, but particularly for someone dealing with a chronic illness. A support group of friends and peers can relate to what you go through like no one else can, offer support or a sympathetic ear, and give practical advice and solutions for difficulties as they come up. For the times when you are not feeling particularly social, an online discussion group or chatroom is a great option to keep yourself connected with others.
National U.S. support groups for people who have mood disorders:
Online Support Community:
International Support Organizations:
6) Practical Matters - work, school, and federal aid issues:
7) Other Resources - coping with mania, depression, and life with bipolar disorder:
Take care and hope you have a great weekend!

More resources about:

Anxiety Disorder

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Astronomers Catch Shooting Star!!!

I’m a true astronomy buff. I used to love teaching a unit on the solar system and outer space when I was an elementary teacher. My students and I got so excited when we were studying about planets, stars, moons, asteroids, meteoroids, black holes, quasars, comets, pulsars, etc. My students wrote reports and poems and postcards from space—and created imaginary planets and impressionistic paintings. We read all kids on literature on the subject of space, space travel, alien creatures--poetry, picture books, science fiction, folktales, biographies and other nonfiction.

I was always on the lookout for “space” news. Here’s an interesting article I came across this morning on the Internet:

From the Associated Press
Astronomers catch a shooting star for the 1st time
By Seth Borensteain, AP Science Writer—March 25, 2009

WASHINGTON – For the first time scientists matched a meteorite found on Earth with a specific asteroid that became a fireball plunging through the sky. It gives them a glimpse into the past when planets formed and an idea how to avoid a future asteroid Armageddon.


Last October, astronomers tracked a small non-threatening asteroid heading toward Earth before it became a "shooting star," something they had not done before. It blew up in the sky and scientists thought there would be no space rocks left to examine.


But a painstaking search by dozens of students through the remote Sudan desert came up with 8.7 pounds of black jagged rocks, leftovers from the asteroid 2008 TC3. And those dark rocks were full of surprises and minuscule diamonds, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Nature.


You can read the rest of the article here.

A Poem about Glenn Beck & A Library-Loving Challenge

1. Yesterday, I posted a new poem at Political Verses: Dead Beckoning: A Poem about Glenn Beck.

2. Check out bloggers library-loving challenge! at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Where the Wild Things Are (Movie Trailer)

Where the Wild Things Are—Movie Trailer (March 25, 2009)


It looks as if a bit more has been added to the storyline of Maurice Sendak's groundbreaking picture book.

Pens v Flames

I've had a LOOOONG day, so I'm going to keep this one short.

I know probably 98% of you have already seen this, but even if you did, it's worth another look - The Penguins Show filmed an episode called Cooking With Geno. It's freaking great!

So check out these standings:

#TeamGPWLOTL
6PITTSBURGH7439278
7NY RANGERS7439278


Time to put some distance between our Boys and the Blueshirts.

DO IT!

GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Ideas To Pass The Off Season

After our Boys of Winter finally raise that Cup in June (← 'cause you KNOW it's gonna happen!), we'll need some things to pass the time until October. Ahhh, such is the life of a hockey fan, right? Well, I'm looking for ideas for projects we can do this summer.

I've already had one idea of my own... So as you know, I've been going through my inbox as I hand over all the Roaming Penguins stuff to Roamer Mama Stephanie. I've gone through about 160 emails, 25 of which were Roamer emails. But I also found just as many Fan Photos emails - and I've still got about 220 more to sort! I always do my best to post every photo that any and all Friends take the time to send me, so I was originally considering doing a Fan Photos post over the weekend, but then it occurred to me - how much better would it be to wait until after the playoffs are over to post them so we could relive these games while we're waiting for the puck to drop on the '09-'10 season?!

Speaking of photos, here's the best one you'll see all night. Can you believe we've got them BOTH?! :) Click to enlarge for supersized superstars.

So if you have some photos that you'd like to share over the summer break, send them to me at snoopyjode@gmail.com. Type "Fan Photos" in the subject line. (Actually, if you click that link, it will automatically open a new email in your default client with my address and the subject line already filled out.) Make sure when you send the pictures you remember to tell me at which game you snapped them and, if you want, write a recap of your experience. :)

If you have any other ideas of ways we can speed up our summer, email it to me or tell us about it in a comment in The Friends' Zone. Tomorrow the Pens host the Flames. Let's shake off that terrible Flyers game and kick some Calgary butt.

GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!

The Answer for Zhou Xiao Chuan

The answer for Zhou is already written here - as advocated by Prof Stephen NS Cheung and I recapped some 3.5 years ago. All issues Zhou raised are addressed in this system, which Zhou lamented for its being shelved some 70 years ago. China can go ahead with this solution alone while persuading G20/IMF/WB to follow suit. This is an area where China can and should lead, by doing it first, because China does not have the legacy of the developed nations. If China does so, it would surely be first joined by most nations which are now pegging their currencies to the USD or Basket (eg the gulf nations, ASEAN, some Eastern European non-Euro countries including Russia, may also follow suit)

Zhou's said, in an essay (in Chinese original here)
  • 国际储备货币的币值首先应有一个稳定的基准和明确的发行规则以保证供给的有序;其次,其供给总量还可及时、灵活地根据需求的变化进行增减调节;第三,这种调节必须是超脱于任何一国的经济状况和利益
  • an international reserve currency should first be anchored to a stable benchmark and issued according to a clear set of rules, therefore to ensure orderly supply; second, its supply should be flexible enough to allow timely adjustment according to the changing demand; third, such adjustments should be disconnected from economic conditions and sovereign interests of any single country. The acceptance of credit-based national currencies as major international reserve currencies, as is the case in the current system, is a rare special case in history. The crisis again calls for creative reform of the existing international monetary system towards an international reserve currency with a stable value, rule-based issuance and manageable supply, so as to achieve the objective of safeguarding global economic and financial stability.
  • 超主权储备货币的主张虽然由来以久,但至今没有实质性进展。上世纪四十年代凯恩斯就曾提出采用30种有代表性的商品作为定值基础建立国际货币单位“Bancor”的设想,遗憾的是未能实施
  • Though the super-sovereign reserve currency has long since been proposed, yet no substantive progress has been achieved to date. Back in the 1940s, Keynes had already proposed to introduce an international currency unit named "Bancor", based on the value of 30 representative commodities. Unfortunately, the proposal was not accepted.
  • 超主权储备货币不仅克服了主权信用货币的内在风险,也为调节全球流动性提供了可能。由一个全球性机构管理的国际储备货币将使全球流动性的创造和调控成为可能,当一国主权货币不再做为全球贸易的尺度和参照基准时,该国汇率政策对失衡的调节效果会大大增强。这些能极大地降低未来危机发生的风险、增强危机处理的能力
  • A super-sovereign reserve currency not only eliminates the inherent risks of credit-based sovereign currency, but also makes it possible to manage global liquidity. A super-sovereign reserve currency managed by a global institution could be used to both create and control the global liquidity. And when a country's currency is no longer used as the yardstick for global trade and as the benchmark for other currencies, the exchange rate policy of the country would be far more effective in adjusting economic imbalances. This will significantly reduce the risks of a future crisis and enhance crisis management capability.
  • 改革应从大处着眼,小处着手,循序渐进,寻求共赢
  • he reform should be guided by a grand vision and begin with specific deliverables. It should be a gradual process that yields win-win results for all
(English recap from AP, and WSJ  seems to have missed some key points above)
  • Zhou said the proposed new currency also should be used for trade, investment, pricing commodities and corporate bookkeeping.
  • "A super-sovereign reserve currency managed by a global institution could be used to both create and control global liquidity," Zhou wrote. "This will significantly reduce the risks of a future crisis and enhance crisis management capability." Zhou also called for changing how SDRs are valued. Currently, they are based on the value of four currencies — the dollar, euro, yen and British pound. "The basket of currencies forming the basis for SDR valuation should be expanded to include currencies of all major economies," Zhou wrote. "The allocation of the SDR can be shifted from a purely calculation-based system to one backed by real assets, such as a reserve pool, to further boost market confidence in its value."
The Economists spelled out what China's objective really is (we all know it is neither practical or feasible to replace the USD in the medium term, as most media reported superficially, or the Chinese wishfully)
  • Mr Zhou’s proposal is China’s way of making clear that it is worried that the Fed’s response to the crisis—printing loads of money—will hurt the dollar and hence the value of China’s huge foreign reserves, of which around two-thirds are in dollars.
The key issue is how to make the transition "gradual" (大处着眼,小处着手,循序渐进) to minimize potential risk. And the only way to a first step is to (i) shift the RMB peg from USD to a basket of currencies then (ii) to a basket of commodities. China did the (i)  in 2005 but it needs to do (ii), perhaps but making a gradual shift, by, e.g. first with a 90% currency b. basket + 10% commodiy basket, then lowering the weight of currency basket smoothly

Where Is the Wild Rose???

I'm sorry that I haven't been writing more book reviews for and posting links of book lists and resources lately at Wild Rose Reader. The Reason: Last spring and summer, I was really inspired to write poems. In fact, I wrote two entire collections of children's poetry. Then...a real dry spell hit. For several months, I lacked inspiration--except for a time during the presidential campaign last year when I wrote some campaign poems. Well, recently, I've been on a writing roll. I sit at my computer for hours and write poems--snarky verses about politicians, pundits, and other putrid people who irk, irritate, and enrage me. I post them at my other solo blog, Political Verses. I find that I HAVE to write when I have the inspiration. Sometimes I'm so absorbed by writing that I even forget to eat!
(Here's a link to the poem I posted yesterday at Political Verses: Journalistawocky: A Poem Inspired by Bill O'Reilly. It's a parody of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky.)

I DO have plans for National Poetry Month at Wild Rose Reader--but at this point I'm not positive I'll be posting every day. I hope you'll forgive me if I don't. I must listen to my Muse when she's hanging out with me. You see, she often leaves home for extended periods of time. She can't by reached by telephone or email when she's gone. And she never leaves a forwarding address!

This year, I will be giving away children's poetry books as prizes during April--just as I did in 2007 and 2008. Here are some of the books commenters at this blog could win next month:


And FALLING DOWN THE PAGE: A BOOK OF LIST POEMS edited by Georgia Heard.

(P.S. My poem Things to Do If You Are a Pencil is included in this anthology.)

FYI: You may want to check out this post--National Poetry Month - Super Secret Project REVEALED!--at The Miss Rumphius Effect. Tricia and other kidlit bloggers have some BIG plans for National Poetry Month.

You may also check out the following Wild Rose Reader post: Resources for National Poetry Month.


I must be off. I hear my Muse calling me!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Pens v Flyers

I guess it's going to be one of those days... A few things to discuss during the intermissions:

1. A lot is being said about the non-fight that happened between Siddo and Marc Savard. Puck Daddy wrote a little piece about it saying he had heard from a few people who were at the game and close enough to hear what was going down. I, too, heard from someone that witnessed the events first hand. From Friend of The Show Donna D.:
Re: your pic. of Sid without his shield Sun. 3/15 .....

I was at the game on Sunday sitting near the bench. Crosby & Marc Savard {Bruins} were having words in the 1st period, and Savard motioned with his hand in front of his shield, provoking Crosby to take his off, apparently claiming he {Savard} would then go at it.

Click for a supersized view.

Crosby was JACKED and took off his helmet and ordered the equipt. mgr. to take off the shield ... and he did. Seemed Sid was ready to go after that, agitating Savard several times, but Savard didn't bite.
Based on all the above circumstantial evidence, here's how I have interpreted the incident: Savard most likely referenced the visor to Sid because of how much press the fact that Siddo didn't remove his visor for his first NHL fight against Savard's teammate, Andrew Ference, in an effort to irritate him and throw him off his game. But Savard didn't expect Sid to step up and prepare to throw down. In other words, it's pretty clear that Savard's mouth wrote a check his arse couldn't cash. (Side note - the crap that Siddo took for not removing his visor in the altercation with Ference infuriates me because, well, take a look at the pictures on this post about that incident and notice that Ference did not remove his visor, either.) What are your thoughts?

2. In the final minute of Friday's game against the L.A. Kings, Geno did something controversial. Since FSN Pittsburgh didn't really show a replay, here's one from YouTube:


Now, I love Geno. Anyone who reads this blog should get that impression without a shadow of a doubt. But woodstock and I have had this conversation before - when Geno gets mad, he does stupid things. It has been a non-issue until now because his "tantrums" have usually consisted of slamming his stick on the ice or getting mad and giving up mid-play. A case I can reference from personal experience is the November 15, 2008 game that woodstock and I attended. The Pens were up by three goals, and it was close to the end of the game when a Sabres player did some that gave him control of the puck and got Geno really frustrated. Geno gave chase at first, but then suddenly he just stopped at center ice and slammed his stick down, an action that nearly gave the Sabres a breakaway chance. (I heard more than a few "WTF GENO?!" shouts from my section following that.)

Okay, I know this isn't the same as hitting a guy with his head down, but it all comes from the same cause - Geno gets mad and does something stupid. The difference is that, until now, Geno's temper tantrums have only ever almost cost his team a goal. But on Friday, he could have really hurt Wayne Simmonds. That's not good. There is no place in today's NHL for this kind of behavior, and Geno has already had a disciplinary hearing by phone regarding this incident. (As of this moment, there has been no suspension, but that doesn't mean it won't be announced just before the start of this afternoon's game.)

As much as I hate to say it, I do think Geno should get a one- or two-game suspension from this. I know from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's poll that 78% of participants do not feel the same way I do, but before anyone jumps down my throat, take a second to think about what you would want to happen to Simmonds if the situation had been reversed and it was he who clocked Geno in the head. Think about how we'd all be calling for a suspension and a fine for Simmonds - or at the very least, a few minutes on the ice one-on-one with Eric Godard. What are your thoughts on this one?

Thanks so much to Donna for sending in her account from the Pens v Bruins game. :) The Pens face the Flyers this afternoon.

DO IT.

GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At Political Verses: A New Limbaughrhyme & A Lobbying Ditty

My brain has been revved up for writing lately. It's been inspired with new ideas for rhyming rants and poems for Political Verses, my new solo blog. Here are links to the two poems I posted yesterday and today:

Why Don't Women Like Rush Limbaugh?: A Rhyming Response

A Lobbying I'll Go: A D. C. Ditty

Saturday, March 21, 2009

再谈汇源案

续前文,有关商务部对汇源案的裁决的评论

“商务部依据《反垄断法》的相关规定,从市场份额及市场控制力、市场集中度、集中对市场进入和技术进步的影响、集中对消费者和其他有关经营者的影响及品牌对果汁饮料市场竞争产生的影响等几个方面对此项集中进行了审查。审查工作严格遵循相关法律法规的规定。审查过程中,充分听取了有关方面的意见。
商务部认定:此项集中将对竞争产生不利影响。集中完成后可口可乐公司可能利用其在碳酸软饮料市场的支配地位,搭售、捆绑销售果汁饮料,或者设定其他排他性的交易条件,集中限制果汁饮料市场竞争,导致消费者被迫接受更高价格、更少种类的产品;同时,由于既有品牌对市场进入的限制作用,潜在竞争难以消除该等限制竞争效果;此外,集中还挤压了国内中小型果汁企业生存空间,给中国果汁饮料市场竞争格局造成不良影响。 ”

1)关于“市场份额及市场控制力、市场集中度,进入壁垒”
b)最新数据是汇源在“百分百果汁”的市场占有率已降到32.6%。而汇源的中国软饮市场总占有率则从10.3%降到了8.5%
(另有资料显示:可乐+汇源的所有果汁类市场占有率为20%,总软饮市场则为12%--应该是市场定义的分歧。不过都支持下述结论。)
这证明了两点。一是场份额转变之快和进入壁垒之低,二是汇源市场价值相对于去年9月已有显著的下降。

2)关于"集中完成后可口可乐公司可能利用其在碳酸软饮料市场的支配地位,搭售、捆绑销售果汁饮料,或者设定其他排他性的交易条件,集中限制果汁饮料市场竞争,导致消费者被迫接受更高价格、更少种类的产品"
a)  茶饮料领域。。。统一、康师傅仍然占据龙头地位,连同麒麟、三得利、雀巢等品牌,控制了国内茶饮料市场的很大份额
b) 瓶装饮用水市场。。。娃哈哈居首、农夫山泉、怡宝分别位居第二、第三,乐百氏第四
事实是,各种软饮在国内市场由不同公司主导,显示的所谓捆绑销售并没有商务部或一些天真的MBA们认为的那么简单。当然,不同饮料在销售渠道、品牌宣传等都有一定的规模(和synergy),可是要谈到捆绑和垄断,趋势另一回事

3)有关“垄断”
a)可乐在美国市场(所有软饮)的市场占有率为44%,百事31%,cadbury schweppe(玉泉)15% (2002年数据,美国市场变化不大)。在美国这可算“垄断”或“寡头”。中国的市场占有率分别为达能 16.3%,可乐15.5%,可乐+汇源可能有23-24%左右。与美国(或其他市场)相比,并不算集中。
b)然而,在美国这么高度集中的市场,新的进入者仍然不断制造了成功的神话。POM Wonderful 在 2002-2008的6年间,作为一家独立的公司开辟了石榴汁的市场,销售达到1.65亿美元。EnergyBrand(itaminwater)则在8年间(1998年开始vitaminwater)达到3.5亿美元销售。
c) 中国市场无论是从结构上(销售渠道、品牌认同)等都比美国分散(fragmented),因此进入壁垒只可能比美国低。

4)国内同业的反对
我是国内的同业竞争者的话,我也当然会反对这项并购。毕竟可乐是主要的竞争者。可是,商务部诸公应该知道所有潜在竞争者都是会反对这些并购行为的,因为竞争会趋于激烈。假如可乐并购汇源是(如一些网评所说)为了消灭这一品牌(如天府可乐)那竞争对手们应该是乐观其成才对。

5) 保护主义(?)
汇源是“民主企业”吗?
汇源股东包括(1)朱+管理层42%,(2)法资达能(danone) 23%,(3)美资华平基金(warburg pincus)7%,(4)其他香港市场股东(包括外资基金)35%

市场资料来源:

---
p.s. 如前文(及众多网友)疑,可乐可能“做了商务部工作”。最可圈可点的是商务部猪公之一姚坚似乎露了馅“可口可乐继续并购的意愿还是有的”,什么叫“还是有的”?就是“只有一点”吧?
明明知道可乐的意愿已经不大,还要去否决,不是摆明在帮可乐吗?看来商务部诸公其实不笨,只是比较容易被做工作而已。

  • 汇源集团内部人士给《中国经营报》记者发来短信:“我上次不是给你说过:结果会以商务部按《反垄断法》不批。”他坚定地指称,“这是可口可乐操作的结果。可口可乐一早就不打算买了,汇源早就做好了准备。”
  • 在上海的会面上,朱新礼捺着性子追问可口可乐公司总裁及首席执行官穆泰康,可口可乐大举投资,是否意味着在并购问题上产生了动摇?而穆泰康则回应,希望汇源能够同意降低收购价格。记者未能了解当时情况,或许是因为可口可乐方面压价太多,朱新礼并未让步。
  • “(并购案被否)是可口可乐操作的结果。一颗红心、两手准备,(并购案被否)我们早都有准备的。”汇源集团内部人士直言不讳。“可口可乐早已不打算买了,可口可乐董事会反对的声音越来越多,这是事实。商务部裁决中说‘商务部与可口可乐公司就附加限制性条件进行了商谈,要求申报方提出可行的解决方案’,那只是程序问题,可口可乐有意提出更为严苛的方案以让审批无法获批。”
  • 商务部新闻发言人姚坚则强调,“据我所知,可口可乐继续并购的意愿还是有的,不存在可口可乐公关商务部的情况。”
  • 汇源集团内部人士指称:商务部禁止收购的理由,经不起考问。关于集中之后对市场进入的限制问题。目前果汁行业不存在进入限制,果汁行业的准入门槛很低,只要企业有资金、设备,就可以做。目前国内果汁消费量人均不足1公斤,与欧美发达国家年人均50-70公斤的消费量相差很远,市场空间非常大。另外,可口可乐与汇源远达不到行业垄断,汇源的强项是高浓度果汁与中浓度果汁,这两者总和远不及低浓度果汁的销量。
  • “以《反垄断法》为依据,没有理由否决这起并购案,担心什么呢?”一直以来,商务部研究院外资研究部主任马宇研究员通过写博文的方式支持并购,为此还遭受了网民的攻击与漫骂。“并购案为什么被否决?因为品牌问题?反垄断审查只涉及竞争,不涉及品牌。担心可能造成垄断?果汁是一个完全竞争的行业,果汁不是那种不可替代的生活必需品,消费者拥有自主的选择权,即使可口可乐并购汇源之后在果汁领域也不构成事实上的垄断。”

Friday, March 20, 2009

Pens v Kings

Sad news today - Penguins and Pirates organist Vince Lascheid died this morning. You may not have known his name, but you most likely have heard his music. He played at Penguins games from 1970-2003 and was inducted into the Penguins Hall of Fame in 2003. He was 85.

NHL.com has a little something you can read while you wait for the puck to drop on tonight's matchup against the L.A. Kings. Staff writer Dan Rosen decided to write a book (well, not literally, haha, but it's a loooong article) about the Pens' remarkable progress under Interim Head Coach Dan Bylsma. Check it out: Penguins Are Writing a Successful Story.

Can you believe there are only ten games are left in the regular season?! I don't know about you, but I'm SO not ready for the season to end. And if I know anything about our Boys, it's that they will NOT be satisfied with a trip to the golf course on April 12th. So it's a very good thing that they're slowly but surely climbing the up those standings. :)

GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Poetry Friday Roundup Is Here!



I'm rounding up all the poetry posts today. Please leave the URL of your poetry post and a short description of it in the comments.
Notice to posters who do not not see their Poetry Friday links listed here: The security system on my computer blocked your sites.
***************
WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING EDITION
  • At Political Verses, I have a poem by J. Patrick Lewis about Henry Kissinger entitled Henry K., Man of Peace.
  • At Political Verses, I also have an original poem that I posted earlier this week: Bernie Made Off with My Money.
  • My Winnie the Pooh post at Wild Rose Reader includes lyrics to Kenny Loggins’ song Return to Pooh Corner, a video with pictures of Winnie the Pooh and his friends and Loggins singing his song, and some children’s poems by A. A. Milne.
  • At Blue Rose Girls, I talk a bit about my recent writing of political verses and include an excerpt from and a link to my most recent poetic rant--Winnie Pooh-Bah and the Hundred Acre Wood: A Poem about Rush Limbaugh.
  • Kelly Fineman has An Echo from Willowwood by Christina Rossetti at Writing and Ruminating.
  • Jacqueline of The Neverending Story selected a poem by Longfellow entitled The Slave's Dream.
***************
BRIGHT HOURS OF THE MORNING EDITION
  • You’ll find a lovely haiku by Zetta Elliott at Color Online and another haiku by the same author from her book A Wish after Midnight at Black-Eyed Susan.
  • Gregory K. has an original rhyming poem entitled The Best Concert Ever at GottaBook.
  • Julie Larios has some eerie trivia about the plague as well as a poem by Thomas Lux up over at The Drift Record.
  • Mary Lee has a sneak peek from J. Patrick Lewis' fall collection, SPOT THE PLOT. (Take my word for it: This collection by Lewis is a treat!)
  • At Bookie Woogie they’re' sharing 3 takes on Monster Haiku and the correspondence that came about as a result.
  • Cloudscome of A Wrung Sponge is playing with magnetic poetry today. She invites us all to try some and share our creations.
  • Tricia joins in today with Barbara Gramby's Ode to American English at The Miss Rumphius Effect.
  • Laura Salas has a poem Arnold Adoff wrote for the peace project at my blog. It's called no justice n o p e a c e. Laura also has this week's 15 Words or Less poems, a fun and strange collection based on a giant metal flower sculpture.
  • Stella of My World-Mi Mundo wrote a short poem for two voices to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar!
  • At Jumping the Candlestick, Debbie Diesen has an original poem for us entitled For Hunter Park.
  • Tanita S. Davis is in with Christina Rossetti, celebrating -- and doubting -- the first day of Spring. (I know how she feels! Here in New England one never knows what the weather has in store for us.)
  • There’s always something cooking at Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup. Today she’s also celebrating spring by playing with letters—The Anagrammer by Peter Pereira.
  • At Write Time, Linda Kulp has a new poem by Bobbi Katz and a review of this month's Book Links.
  • Sara Lewis Holmes of Read Write Believe says ahe’s in with a poetry contest: S is for Spring and Silliness. She invites us to come frolic!
  • Over at Poetry for Children, Sylvia Vardell joins in the Poetry Roundup this week with a nod to "World Poetry Day" and a mention of multi-media poetry connections.
  • This week's poem on the Stenhouse Blog is The Enkindled Spring by D.H. Lawrence.
    Martha Calderaro saw Robert Pinsky at a local event last night, celebrating poetry in our town and celebrating the Favorite Poem Project. She says an added bonus was hanging with Poetry Friday friend Nandini!
  • Liz Garton Scanlon is really into roundup mode with with James Wright and her thoughts on the rodeo.
  • At 7-Imp, Jules joins in with Debbie Ouellet's new picture book (with some gorgeous art work from Nicoletta Ceccoli) as well as one of her poems. Check out her Poetry Friday post—Waking Sister Spring.
  • Let’s jump into Bruce Black’s pool at Wordswimmer and get into the flow. He’s got an interview with Douglas Florian about his writing process.
  • Lorie Ann Grover is in with Patio Tea at on point. And at readertotz she says they have Doctor Foster.
  • Kelly Polark has an original poem titled Peace on Earth that she submitted to the Peace project.
  • Karen Edmisten has some Barbara Crooker for us today.

***************

LITERARY LUNCH BUNCH

  • Nandini’s pick this week is Antique, a poem by Robert Pinsky. She had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Pinsky read the poem last night at a Favorite Poem event organized by her town. She says it was truly inspiring. You can Antique at Notes from New England.
  • Little Willow posted The Round by Stanley Kunitz for our poetry reading pleasure at Bildungsroman today.
  • Muriel at The Write Sisters shares Jack Prelutsky's definition of poetry.
  • Tiel Aisha Ansari has the lyrics to a blues or gospel song: Cross That Bridge.
  • Dante's The Choice for Poetry Friday at Sweetness & Light.
  • Anastasia Suen at Picture Book of the Day asked me to spread the word: She’s announcing her new Poetry Month blog, Pencil Talk - School Poems. It's a blog for kids to share their school poems. So, everyone, pass the word on!
  • In honor of flu season, Nadine C. Warner presents Maxine Kumin's classic, Sneeze, at Kiddos and Books.
  • Becky at Farm School joins in with yet another Phyllis McGinley poem, Address to the Younger Generation, about children's reading preferences and a defense of fiction.
  • Let’s all welcome Wanda of A Season to Read. She’s a first-time Poetry Friday Poster! In celebration of Spring's arrival, she’s gives us a few of her original haiku.
  • Jone has two poetry posts for us today—one for school and one for poetry club! You’ll find her students’ poems at Check it Out. You’ll find her original Anaphora Poem at Deo Writer.

***************

DINNER TIME POETRY EDITION

  • On Shen's Blog, Renee posted a poem from the Tao Te Ching, from Demi's book The Legend of Lao Tzu and the Tao Te Ching. It's called Silence.
  • Miss Erin has an original poem for us entitled I am such a mess.