tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118255992024-03-07T14:13:41.075-06:00Creativity+Joy, FUN, Creativity, Transformation, musings, humor, recipes, editorials, photography, music, art, self-actualization, quotations, financial tips, autobiography, spirituality.Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-43727352517053510822012-03-14T11:11:00.001-05:002012-03-14T11:11:02.332-05:00Cosmic Drama<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lumase/3073288327/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3224/3073288327_4d744522bd_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lumase/3073288327/">Cosmic Drama</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lumase/">Lumase</a></span></div>Totally amazing Hubble telescope image of Orion nebula<br clear="all" />Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-23079133246122918602011-07-23T14:52:00.001-05:002011-07-23T15:00:15.307-05:00Music - Comfort Me, Peter Hurford and Robert Herrick<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuueHsdgC76jcn2tqFT9UY-CQPrGmMtARMOZF15q0iJyp1g4rsI_owWWcw7jXSH-9J7-xJEmhtRwtdi6b7bEk7BNQxclZBKThyphenhyphenn9qzNwoi8OBLa3sbruWKJ80p2MUW349qV8Z/s1600/0524_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuueHsdgC76jcn2tqFT9UY-CQPrGmMtARMOZF15q0iJyp1g4rsI_owWWcw7jXSH-9J7-xJEmhtRwtdi6b7bEk7BNQxclZBKThyphenhyphenn9qzNwoi8OBLa3sbruWKJ80p2MUW349qV8Z/s320/0524_s.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://skydrive.live.com/embedicon.aspx/Choir/Hurford?cid=e488deff5a960460&sc=documents" style="background-color: #fcfcfc; height: 115px; padding: 0; width: 98px;" title="Preview"></iframe></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is one of the most moving choral works that my choir, the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral sings. My father is dying, and needs this kind of comfort.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Comfort me Music by Peter Hurford (b. 1930) Words by Robert Herrick (1591-1674)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">(You can click on the folder or the title to get to the music file, then download it, and click on the downloaded file to listen. It's much better if you have the words in front of you.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif; font-size: 13px; width: 1513px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(236, 233, 216); border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(236, 233, 216); border-left-style: initial; border-left-width: initial; border-right-color: rgb(236, 233, 216); border-right-style: initial; border-right-width: initial; border-top-color: rgb(236, 233, 216); border-top-style: initial; border-top-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="color: maroon; font-family: Arial;">In the hour of my distress,<br />
When temptations me oppress,<br />
And when I my sins confess,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
When I lie within my bed,<br />
Sick in heart, and sick in head,<br />
And with doubts discomforted,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
When the house doth sigh and weep,<br />
And the world is drown'd in sleep,<br />
Yet mine eyes the watch do keep,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
When the artless doctor sees<br />
No one hope, but of his fees,<br />
And his skill runs on the lees,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
When his potion and his pill,<br />
Has, or none, or little skill,<br />
Meet for nothing but to kill,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
When the passing-bell doth toll,<br />
And the furies in a shoal<br />
Come to fright a parting soul,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
When the tapers now burn blue,<br />
And the comforters are few,<br />
And that number more than true,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
When the priest his last hath pray'd,<br />
And I nod to what is said,<br />
'Cause my speech is now decay'd,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
When, God knows, I'm tost about<br />
Either with despair, or doubt;<br />
Yet, before the glass be out,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
When the tempter me pursu'th<br />
With the sins of all my youth,<br />
And half damns me with untruth,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
When the flames and hellish cries<br />
Fright mine ears, and fright mine eyes,<br />
And all terrors me surprise,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
When the Judgment is reveal'd,<br />
And that open'd which was seal'd;<br />
When to Thee I have appeal'd,<br />
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!<br />
<br />
<b>Robert Herrick</b></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-61775952439988226672011-07-20T07:38:00.001-05:002011-07-20T07:38:56.683-05:00Food: Pancakes<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/5957784608/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6138/5957784608_1bb231e116_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/5957784608/">Pancakes</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/">Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton</a></span></div>I put massive amounts of blueberries in these pancakes, perhaps 20 to 25 each. They were mouth watering. <br />What else can I say?<br clear="all" />Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-65350420844318959342011-07-18T10:17:00.002-05:002011-07-18T10:25:10.256-05:00Photography: Sunset in Utah<div style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/5950455424/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6126/5950455424_f517b69508_m.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/5950455424/">Sunset</a><br />
Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/">Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton</a></span></div>The original post of this photo has been seen over 150,000 times, has be "favorited" over 1,000 times on flickr, and if you search "Google images" it is consistently in the top 20 photos if you search for "sunset", out of over 44 MILLION sunset photos. <br />
Most of my photos are only modestly popular, but I have 50 in the top 20 of the 500 photos featured each day in the flickr "EXPLORE" pages.<br />
I'm very happy to announce that I will soon be one of 11 official volunteer photographers at the Missouri Botanical Garden, which is only 2.5 miles away from our home in South St. Louis. I'm very excited about that prospect.<br />
Photography has been one of my main joys ever since late 2004, when I bought my first 3 megapixel Fujifilm digital camera.<br />
With digital, I now could take a zillion photos. Before, I could not afford that much film and developing. Now, I can take all I want, don't have to develop them, and can do my own "darkroom" work with Photoshop CS5. I LOVE it!Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-23291203484144004932011-07-15T20:53:00.004-05:002011-07-23T19:41:06.300-05:00Amy, Me & Natalie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;"><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Just as a point of reference, that's me at the age of 36, after being married nine years. That's Amy on the left, looking somewhat less than happy. Trust me, she is much happier most of the time.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Happy 25th birthday, Amy</div><br />
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</div>Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com1Florissant, MO, USA38.803396920045031 -90.35757102319337338.770697420045032 -90.416904023193368 38.836096420045031 -90.298238023193377tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-51539914088105316012011-07-15T20:50:00.002-05:002011-07-23T19:46:33.148-05:00Family - Amy, 2010 - Today is her 25th Birthday.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHlYq_Mbdyvm6kHHUdF-0r3Dpa4YPP6_EwDR5QtVZdh64hdv3kYGYkjDwuJpNnYJPF3Ckw8pPH_bDLnOGQZIn5tOudC-Dyx0Z7MfeBTZGWOHzuWFRSHMFoLYwI8epuwSRzGld/s1600/n39701992_32225873_2503_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHlYq_Mbdyvm6kHHUdF-0r3Dpa4YPP6_EwDR5QtVZdh64hdv3kYGYkjDwuJpNnYJPF3Ckw8pPH_bDLnOGQZIn5tOudC-Dyx0Z7MfeBTZGWOHzuWFRSHMFoLYwI8epuwSRzGld/s400/n39701992_32225873_2503_s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My younger daughter, Amy Michelle turned 25 today. I'm sure she has no idea how very much I care for her and love her. I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. Holding this precious gift from God in my arms. She has grown to be a beautiful young woman, with a voice that could make angels jealous. She's studying operatic singing at Michigan State, where she's in graduate school. She now teaches young singers how to develop THEIR instruments.</div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I'm sure all fathers are proud of their daughters. But she could not possibly know how proud I am of her, and how very much I love her.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Some things can only be secrets between me and God.</div></div></div>Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-4745125192700544442011-07-15T08:51:00.003-05:002011-07-15T09:03:11.083-05:00Humor, Editorial: St. Louis, Cars, and Stop-Lights<div style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/2090902915/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2139/2090902915_f4139ea8e0_m.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/2090902915/">Galaxy 500 convertible - twilight</a><br />
Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/">Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton</a></span></div>I have lived in Saint Louis for over 25 years now, and there are still things that puzzle me. Take auto traffic: In Chicago, they drive too fast. In Memphis, people brake the instant they see a yellow traffic light.<br />
In St. Louis, there are two habits which seem to me to verge on being anywhere from highly contradictory to insane.<br />
First, there's the St. Louis interpretation of an Amber or Yellow light. You've all seen it. It means "gee, I think the Red light is coming next, and I sure don't want to have to stop, so I had better see if I can put this accelerator right through the floorboard". I'm sure this has happened to you: You have just embarrassingly sneaked through a Yellow light that had turned to Red in the middle of the intersection. Interestingly enough, not one but two cars have followed you across the intersection. My embarrassment turns to amazement.<br />
Secondly, I would put a St. Louis second up against a New York minute anytime. A St. Louis second is the time it takes from the traffic light to turn Green until a car one, two, or even three vehicles behind HONKS its horn, boisterously urging people to obey and respect that Green Light.<br />
OK, here's where I have the problem. I expect that practically everyone in St. Louis recognizes these two behaviors: 1) the Yellow sneak-through, and 2) the instant, urgent honk by people in line upon the light turning Green. How can anyone in their right mind not grasp that these are antithetical behaviors? St. Louisans, get a grip. You can either ignore the signals to stop at an intersection, or dart out immediately upon a green light. Not both. Why is the guy waiting before cautiously moving on a Green light? Because he values his life, that's why (plus he's waiting for the Yellow and Red light ignorers to get out of the way).<br />
People, people. You've got to change one behavior or the other. It just doesn't make sense.Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-87283150383705868232011-07-13T12:58:00.003-05:002011-07-13T13:05:40.565-05:00Family - My Daughter Natalie<div style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/5931367268/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6017/5931367268_4e34948d78_m.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/">Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton</a></span></div>I have the most amazing and fabulous older daugher. She was selected out of all the employees at Boeing to go to the "International Space University", in Graz, Austria for 10 weeks, to share in coursework with people from many, many nations. The link is to her blog, where she is posting her adventure in Austria. Whenever I hear this song by Paul Simon I think of her:<br />
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I believe a light that shines on you will shine on you forever<br />
And though I can't guarantee there's nothing scary hiding under your bed<br />
I'm gonna stand guard like a postcard of a Golden Retriever<br />
And never leave 'til I leave you with a sweet dream in your head<br />
[Chorus:]<br />
I'm gonna watch you shine<br />
Gonna watch you grow<br />
Gonna paint a sign<br />
So you'll always know<br />
As long as one and one is two<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">There could never be a father</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Who loved his daughter more than I love you</span></b>Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-83489941861669744372011-07-11T11:00:00.000-05:002011-07-11T13:08:46.334-05:00How Many Psychologists ??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzfx2UaDgcybVmGkV3Y9quVIQAwTOmQ9iP83AKKaoVXt18in51HL7nuE5Uktb2aJr27onFd0d1ba646mGPyc8SB1FnLp_g7T0Jc5I0qzL4ipgpzzjugc18i4XkQZM3sF4oCN3/s1600/65483046_adee9fa8e7_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzfx2UaDgcybVmGkV3Y9quVIQAwTOmQ9iP83AKKaoVXt18in51HL7nuE5Uktb2aJr27onFd0d1ba646mGPyc8SB1FnLp_g7T0Jc5I0qzL4ipgpzzjugc18i4XkQZM3sF4oCN3/s320/65483046_adee9fa8e7_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>How many Psychologists does it take to change a light-bulb? Only one, but the light-bulb has to <i style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>want</b></span></i> to change.<br />
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How many Choir Directors does it take to change a lightbulb?<br />
No one knows, because no one watches them long enough to find out.Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-65334896133694983842011-07-09T18:25:00.007-05:002011-07-09T18:27:26.366-05:00My first DVD movie is complete!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I have recently complete a project of my first full-length feature film. It is a tranquil, gentle view of some of my best photos from the last 5 years. I'm particularly proud of the sound track. But before I sell it in quantity, I still need to get permission from the composers, performers and recording companies. I will be hiring and agent to do that. Here's a photo of the DVD cover I made in Photoshop:<br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69rNIbSI9x4oria1engRJ98R4L4m-43uym4Ia9blTdm5daHg4Xxz2qBpN7CryoAs9H4nnXa0FXqqj1xtAz-uo9UFSpcOWPftgOUqOdSjBsC7AX03LRyh9dQVTly4hKH1z1dO7SQ/s1600/DVD+case+insert+bsml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69rNIbSI9x4oria1engRJ98R4L4m-43uym4Ia9blTdm5daHg4Xxz2qBpN7CryoAs9H4nnXa0FXqqj1xtAz-uo9UFSpcOWPftgOUqOdSjBsC7AX03LRyh9dQVTly4hKH1z1dO7SQ/s320/DVD+case+insert+bsml.jpg" /></a><br />
Here's a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/4271109806/">30-second preview:</a><br />
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</div>Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-80004054149833515142011-07-09T18:21:00.000-05:002011-07-09T18:21:24.687-05:00Spirituality: Strength, Courage, and Faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gG9K23O2JbrbpThE4V66Efyqw4CBQD7R2jWW6EaD4wF5hugcGh3U8puO3JXuZvvCR8FIzpTADmpRp1tdK9fcgF0CdPeE9zGnHuLbbQEaSPtb-m4IkqJCu28t5QNlGQgvF8Vl_g/s1600/Hot+Wax+0822_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gG9K23O2JbrbpThE4V66Efyqw4CBQD7R2jWW6EaD4wF5hugcGh3U8puO3JXuZvvCR8FIzpTADmpRp1tdK9fcgF0CdPeE9zGnHuLbbQEaSPtb-m4IkqJCu28t5QNlGQgvF8Vl_g/s320/Hot+Wax+0822_s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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On a garden fountain today I saw a quotation. I added just four words at the beginning to make it a sentence:<br />
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<b>What is required is "Strength, Courage, and Faith in the Creator of the Universe"</b><br />
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Source unknown - I searched the internet for the exact wording.Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-39195053790133834442011-07-08T08:15:00.000-05:002011-07-08T08:15:58.273-05:00Salad, anyone?<div style="padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-top: 3px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/4779983961/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4779983961_22324797cc.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 2px; border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 2px; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; cursor: move;" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/4779983961/">Salad with home grown Vegetables.</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/bestrated1/">Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton</a>.</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">This salad was made with two types of lettuce, roasted red pepper that I made fresh, peas straight from the garden, spinach, some broken tostada shells, and blueberries. A small dab of cottage cheese added some protein and milk products group.</div>Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-61626083874919993872011-07-07T19:47:00.002-05:002011-07-08T07:46:58.038-05:00Question absolutes. . .Thank extravagantly<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/536183215/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1022/536183215_bd33fd0753_m.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/536183215/">Flower Face</a> </span><br />
Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/">Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton</a><br />
<br />
I've asked you to <b>question everything</b>, so when you hear a quotation, test it for truth. . Many absolutes are not and cannot be true.<br />
Take the old adage:<br />
Pride goeth before a fall". Well, I don't quite agree. Here's <i>my</i> version:<br />
<br />
"Excessive or unrealistic pride can hurt you; appropriate pride in your accomplishments brings <b>Joy and Satisfaction<i></i></b> especially when shared with someone you love." tkh<br />
<b>OR</b><br />
"It's OK to want to be admired, we all need <b>admiration and appreciation<i></i></b> as much as we need breakfast." tkh<br />
That's why it's a Wonderful thing to write thank you notes, and praise other people. Those things express Thankfulness, Appreciation, or Admiration to someone else.<br />
Practice writing a "Thank You" note daily.<br />
Make as long a list as you can . . .<br />
- thank your grocer<br />
- your dentist<br />
- your water company<br />
- your sister<br />
- your mom<br />
- your priest, rabbi, imam, or pastor<br />
. . .the list can be a hundred or more!<br />
Have FUN making the list!Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-26944715124079949602011-06-24T09:19:00.002-05:002011-06-24T09:51:01.532-05:00I'm starting to use GOOGLE TASKS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><div class="goalimage"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsARXNVWPLUEv68T4rWMSTfWW_CuBvGrP2DzEXnqoasXwywCeY06JyFTXVE8EUlUQzXDSdJe1_fH4EKXafe9EICTxkpeehybSZt_VQVIW527cDSBNcHySsUxsio8cfNwMZqqNw/s1600/Time+Mgmt+-+breaks+ps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsARXNVWPLUEv68T4rWMSTfWW_CuBvGrP2DzEXnqoasXwywCeY06JyFTXVE8EUlUQzXDSdJe1_fH4EKXafe9EICTxkpeehybSZt_VQVIW527cDSBNcHySsUxsio8cfNwMZqqNw/s1600/Time+Mgmt+-+breaks+ps.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="goalentry">I have several separate lists which are helping me organize.<br />
- <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999;"><span class="caps">PROJECTS</span> </span> (which I break down into parts (bite-sized 45 minute) I can put on my <span class="caps">DAILY</span> list.<br />
- <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999;"><span class="caps">QUICKIES</span> </span>= short & fun or easy (things that take 15 minutes or less)<br />
- <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999;"><span class="caps">DAILY</span> </span> – for things I want to do each and every day.<br />
- <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999;"><span class="caps">TODAY</span> </span>– a few of the <span class="caps">DAILY</span> things, <span class="caps">QUICKIES</span> and pieces of <span class="caps">PROJECTS</span> that I can accomplish successfully today.<br />
- <span class="caps" style="color: #ea9999;">THANK YOU NOTES</span> ( pick one every day or so and add to the <span class="caps">TODAY</span> list<br />
- <span class="caps" style="color: #ea9999;">BREAKS</span> = short 15 minute things to relax, recharge, and refresh<br />
Every hour, I set a timer for 45 minutes for an accomplishment, followed by 15 minutes for a <span class="caps">BREAK</span> – I just look at my break list if I run out of ideas for breaks.<br />
Some <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999;"><span class="caps">TODAY</span> </span>items only take 10 or 15 minutes, and I mark down an estimated time. If my estimate is wrong, I'll be able to estimate more closely next time.<br />
The picture is my <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999;"><span class="caps">BREAKS</span> </span>list so far.<br />
Now, I don’t do this slavishly or even completely successfully each day, but I’m trying to shape my life better as I go along. Progress, not perfection is my goal.</div><div class="goalprogresslink">See more progress on: <a href="http://www.43things.com/people/progress/self_actualizer/15918012">be more organized</a></div></div></div>Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-79968917828207299122011-06-23T10:16:00.001-05:002011-06-23T10:21:33.729-05:00Are there always exceptions to any rule?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/4669303349/" title="Purple Orchids at Biltmore Greenhouse by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton, on Flickr"><img alt="Purple Orchids at Biltmore Greenhouse" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4669303349_ba4395a640_m.jpg" width="159" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Timothy K. Hamilton</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Rule # 1:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999;">There are exceptions to any rule.</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Many of us have heard that expression or statement. Can that statement be trusted to be true? If I can find a statement that contains no exceptions or alternatives or possible deviations, then I have disproved the rule, right? If that rule is true, then it should always be true that there are exceptions to every rule. What If I were to come up with an exception to the rule that "any rule has exceptions."?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Try this one: <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b4a7d6;">Rule # 2 :</span></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The only rule to which there are no exceptions is the rule that there always are exceptions to a rule. </b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So obviously, Rule # 1 cannot be true. A more likely truth is something less absolute, because there are few absolutes in life. So here's a more accurate and true version of Rule #1:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b4a7d6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Rule # 3:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>There are sometimes exceptions to rules.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This seems more accurate, and allows for some "wiggle room" as well as reflecting some wisdom that has been passed down to us.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>Moral of the story:</i></b> Absolutes in statements and generalizations rarely are true. What we think and say shapes the way we see the world. It might be wise to pay attention to any absolute statements we say, and to temper them somewhat. Many a statement that is mostly true looses it's "truth" when stated as an absolute.</span></div></div>Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-10125693635186887972010-07-29T15:37:00.004-05:002010-07-29T16:21:10.882-05:00The Formula for Joy<h1 class="photo-title insitu-trigger insitu-highlight" id="title_div4841295153" property="dc:title"></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlKR-TxATFko88o8egHUizjFft0HMxPg1WjFUOB8wchCsyxpXLVbU8q2FCdfhSZOPnaXYHk9AgYfWlEF82sDBuKUjrZkwMjkza_aHDxMXCJeLem-BWzt2R7ic24RDCRIALsUf/s1600/_s-0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlKR-TxATFko88o8egHUizjFft0HMxPg1WjFUOB8wchCsyxpXLVbU8q2FCdfhSZOPnaXYHk9AgYfWlEF82sDBuKUjrZkwMjkza_aHDxMXCJeLem-BWzt2R7ic24RDCRIALsUf/s320/_s-0002.jpg" /></a></div>This is the formula for Joy that I came up with in the early stages of what turned out to be my longest manic episode. I was "up" for 4 and 1/2 months. It was very difficult on those who loved me. But of course I didn't think there was anything wrong with me. In fact, I thought that I had reached a new plane of human existence.<br />
So one day in the shower, I came up with my version of the formula for JOY. I figured if the relationship of matter and energy could be expressed as simply and elegantly as E-MC2, then there should be a way to make JOY a part of every day. Here it is:<br />
<ol><li>self-knowledge (knowing) and</li>
<li>Centering on the Eternal (being) and</li>
<li>Doing what you love to do (doing)</li>
</ol>Divided by Zero (nothing should divide us - acceptance)<br />
<br />
What was funny to me about the formula is that in math, you can never divide by nothing or Zero. But in my formula it simply means that whether it is acceptance of self, life,pain, differences, those are all things that keep us from happiness. <br />
<br />
The other notes on the image include:<br />
<ul><li> Life is not linear</li>
<li>My two BIG goals were flexibility and strength</li>
<li>And "Life's a Party!!! </li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-27139704852722989952010-07-24T16:25:00.003-05:002011-07-08T07:49:41.989-05:00Multitasking - specific ways it can be effective or not. PART 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77pTcXp6i3jSmiV1odI5oEERynCkMj_IYIJeVIqPnUr37RUIQf6OiDstVD7yslOS6DaAxLK8TTsq2RG4ED3R9B_Tx4IUwJEquB1mNbioyG7BZWh0nNXG1OGOR8g0BbWY6nNnx/s1600/_DSC8757ps_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77pTcXp6i3jSmiV1odI5oEERynCkMj_IYIJeVIqPnUr37RUIQf6OiDstVD7yslOS6DaAxLK8TTsq2RG4ED3R9B_Tx4IUwJEquB1mNbioyG7BZWh0nNXG1OGOR8g0BbWY6nNnx/s320/_DSC8757ps_s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Timothy K. Hamilton</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is an excerpt from a book I am currently writing the working title of which (for today, it keeps changing)is <b>Joy, Creativity, and Fulfillment</b> Subtitled: The possibility of transforming our lives. I am qualified to write this because my life has been such a mess that transformation is the only way out. I'm not an expert in transformation, but I know that I cannot change, but only transformed, by a Power much higher than myself, and in connection with a group of other people who share similar goals of transformation (not change). I am a work in progress, and I'm guessing you are too, so we have a LOT in common. And though I'm sharing things that I have realized, experienced, or discovered, those of you who know me know that indeed, I have only taken as yet very minute steps in a process I intend to continue my remaining life on Earth. Your transformation and mine can really only take place in a community. A committed group supporting each other as allies in the quest. Friends and Lovers, and Allies who accept </span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the possibility of enough self-awareness to give up the denial of our faults, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the possibility of enough Love for forgiveness of the evil we have done, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the possibility of restoration to a state of Pure Love, </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and the Joy of becoming more like our Father in Heaven.</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">MULTITASKING</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Multitasking as it is generally practiced is highly overrated, not just in my opinion, but substantiated in several scientific studies. Before you click on the links at the bottom that are just footnotes for that statement, though, I'd like to share my insight and experience of multi-tasking: What is possible, what is not. The next excerpt (post to this blog) is about what are effective ways to multitask and stay on top of having several things you are trying to accomplish in a given day. If you want the "executive summary", you will have to wait several days, and keep coming back to visit.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First, let me give an example: You probably have seen on some TV show a person who can spin 30, 40 or even more plates at a time on top of long, flexible rods. How does he do it? By alternately going to the two that need the most care to keep spinning and spinning TWO of them. The fact that God, or evolution, if you prefer, gave us two arms is a hint. We have two ears and only one mouth, suggesting that we should listen twice as much as we talk. In a similar way, our brains are wired to be able to work with two things since cave man days. One hand to hold the stone, the other to chip it into an hoe or arrow head. So, generally for manual tasks, there is typically one thing we can accomplish at a time. Unless you can ride a unicycle and twirl a baton at the same time, which only comes with extensive, deliberate practice. (I may expand on this in another post). Notice too, that when both hands are involved, one hand is often the active hand and the other the proverbial "helping hand". Usually we utilize our primary hand, depending on whether you are right or left handed, to do the task that requires the most skill. Think about what your other hand does when doing a few tasks today, and just notice and be aware of how this works. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. In fact, the only rule to which there are no exceptions is the rule that there always are exceptions to a rule. . . ;-) I thought that up myself just now. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For now, until tomorrow or my next post, try to think of and write down some of the exceptions that come to your mind. Let's compare notes tommorrow, and all comments and suggestions are welcome.</span></span></div>Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-68774630749578173622010-07-24T16:15:00.002-05:002010-07-24T16:16:47.462-05:00Multitasking - specific ways it can be effective or not. PART2<div style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/4045431168/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2468/4045431168_3be3f7afa8_m.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/4045431168/">A Really Strange Looking Seahorse</a><br />
Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/bestrated1/">Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton</a></span></div><br />
Here is what has worked for me:<br />
1) a primarily physical task that is semi autonomous, such as knitting or crocheting, can be successfully combined with a visual event such as watching TV.<br />
<br />
2) A primarily physical thing, like walking and running can be combined with music, even if the music has words, because there are no meanings going on with running or walking, so the mind can be available to listen and enjoy the lyrics of a song. <br />
<br />
3) On the other hand, if you are walking in a park with headphones on or using a cell phone, you are indeed missing out on the joy of listening to the twittering of birds (my favorite kind of twittering. . .no offense to the web tool). You also miss the sound of the wind in the trees, and quite possibly the sense of the breeze in your face, and are less likely to spot that delicate flower beside the path. So if you are out in nature. . .my preference and suggestion is to not overload your capacity to be present with either headphones or a cell phone.<br />
<br />
4) When I'm working on a project on a computer, or reading, and there is something involving my thought and meaning generators (like while I'm writing this) what I have found to work is listening to music without words. Why? We are meaning generators, and words are the crucible in which meanings are carried. No iron worker making some serious molten iron would ever thing of carrying a bowl of soup in addition to the vessel of molten iron he's transporting. It can be done of course, but you may spill one or the other, with serious consequences. You may have noticed in life that each and every choice has a consequence.<br />
<br />
5) Pay attention to what works in movies. Generally songs with words occur at the beginning or at the end of a movie, while we are simply viewing images of introduction, or lists of credits to which few are paying attention. In places in the movie where there is dialogue, there is supportive music without words that heightens and intensifies the mood, the tension, or the resolution, of the scene. When we see the montage of someone driving down the road on a road trip, just enjoying the scenery, that's another time when a song with words might be worth considering. Smart and effective. . .that's why they do it that way.<br />
<br />
6) An exception to the music without words combined with visual images that I have noticed is this: In my most recent DVD entitled "Wide Nature", which is a compilation of 500 or so of my best nature and landscape photographs from the last 5 years, I wanted the music, quite naturally to play only a supporting role to my primary goal of providing an exciting yet relaxing visual feast. So most of my soundtrack is so-called New Age piano, light jazz, or other wordless music, that I chose to enhance the particular part of the movie. Here's the interesting thing I found: I could use some haunting music by with a Latin text without interference. Why? Precisely because there are no meanings associated with an unknown language. . .they are just interesting sounds. If you happen to know Latin, you get the added reward to some exquisite, spiritual words. . . or you can simply look inside the DVD jacket, and read them in 20 seconds with a minimal interuption, while conveying the meaning in one short burst.<br />
Here's a link to just a tiny portion of the video several iterations before the final form, just for a tiny nibble.<br />
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/4271109806/<br />
<br />
Oooops, it's time for an ad or SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION - Copies of the DVD are available for purchase.Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-8315478407736391562010-07-24T16:12:00.002-05:002010-07-24T16:13:34.721-05:00Multitasking - specific ways it can be effective or not. PART 3<div style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/4821228934/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4137/4821228934_5841eaf12b_m.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/4821228934/">Thunder Cloud at Sunset</a><br />
Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/bestrated1/">Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton</a></span></div><br />
Some things that quite definitely DON'T work:<br />
1) doing something physical, like driving a car, that requires focus, awareness, and attention to present surroundings, cannot be combined safely with texting or even making a cell phone call. Our cave-man brains never had to deal with anything remotely like that, and unlike us, cave menwould have been self-aware enough to know better, because survival was at stake. You don't try to hunt and carve a weapon and beat a drum at the same time. An exception might be a cave woman nursing her child while grinding corn or spinning yarn. Well, folks, survival IS at stake for yourself and for others on the road when you take this dangerous, foolish action. However this is not a diatribe on the subject of safety, but rather on the subject of what is possible and less than possible to do at the same time.<br />
<br />
2) Trying to do three things is out of the question. I saw a woman some time ago, walking with her beautiful three year-old in a park. She was holding her child by the hand with one hand and talking on a cell phone with the other. I could see how unfortunate it was and felt a deep sadness. The woman was not be present to and missed for all time the experience and JOY in the "here and now" of the beautiful park and the precious, unrecoverable time with her infant. Her mind, focus, and attention were clearly on other events in another place, and she was possibly talking about something that had happened or some upcoming event. Clearly not in the present. And as any wise person knows, the present is all that actually IS, the "Eternal Now" as Paul Tillich calls it. The future and the past are only the electro-chemical firing of memory cells in our minds. They are only thoughts and no longer ARE or have any being. If I want a wonderful life, I'm aware that I must live as much in the NOW as possible.<br />
<br />
3) One final example that saddened me much during the 30-day rail trip that Grace and I took in September of 2008,<br />
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/sets/72157607786497748/ <br />
was that people on the train under 30 almost without fail had they nose in the screen of a laptop, a portable electronic game or portable movie DVD player. I never saw any of them just looking out the window at the beautiful scenery, which would only pass by them likely just ONCE in their lives. Anything and everything that they were doing on the electronic visual gadgets could be done anywhere and anytime else. The choice not to be present to, well, the present saddened me. It made me think how far technology has taken us from our present reality. Even as I write this, I'm aware of the need for me to go take a walk and just be present to my surroundings and not to a rectangular flat screen.<br />
<br />
4) The final thing that so doesn't work and irritates me severely is the combination of trying to converse with someone while a Television is on. Does that bother you, too? It makes me feel quite unimportant and second rate, for someone to divide their attention from our conversation and friendship in that way. It's even worse when someone is actively flipping channels. My best defense at those times is to simply say, "I'm sorry, but I have a great deal of difficulty concentrating on what you are saying when there is a TV on. And I would love to just be able to enjoy your company". That's a non-threatening way to deal with it directly. Another trick I've found is to find a way to distance from the problem. I generally suggest something like: "Let's go on the back porch to talk about this, it's so pleasant outside right now". If the weather is inclement, a simple move to the dining room or TV-less room of any sort will do.<br />
<br />
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:<br />
We are at most able to do things two at a time, some combinations more effectively than others. Some of the things that work are a combination of visual and auditory, or visual and manual, or manual and auditory. The most efficient combination of visual and auditory is where only one or the other contains words and therefore meaning. Our minds were only designed for one meaning at a time.<br />
Another consideration is about being present to the moment. It often saddens me to see a whole generation of people under 30 for whom the concept and the experience of being with nature without an electrical gizmo of some sort along. Nature, time with friends and lovers is a moment to being as completely present as is possible for us in our present state of mental and spiritual development.Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-65002272634263933332010-07-12T13:56:00.001-05:002010-07-12T13:56:43.209-05:00FUN ideas, Joyful Inspiration<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/3679137766/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2485/3679137766_1217f94782_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/3679137766/">Pretty in Pink</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/bestrated1/">Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton</a></span></div>There will be a Chapter of quotations in my book. Many of the quotations will be my original thoughts and of course copyrighted as per world copyright law.<br /><br />Yet my thoughts are a gift to me from a Loving God who created me and my mind, gave me life, my family, a wonderful community of Christians her in St. Louis: Christ Church Cathedral, and many more other gifts than you would care to read about.<br /><br />Therefore, since my very thoughts are a Gift from my Father, in order to be more like Him, I must also learn to give and share. Therefore I hereby announce my written permission to utilize anything on my "Quotations from Timothy Keith Hamilton" blog, with no additional permission needed. My only request is that if you print or quote one of my quotations, please give me the gift of attribution. Like this: "Quote from Timothy Keith Hamilton".<br /><br />I will be having several links on my blog to the 4 or 5 best websites that I have discovered. That way, If you need a quotation for a sermon, an article, or just a blog post, you can have "one-stop shopping" by coming to my blog.<br /><br />Primarily, though, the reason I have the links is so I can research the quotation I have created, and make sure it has not already been said better. I expect that will often be the case. If if I find something that has been said better, I will post it with a credit to the author, even in the case of Mr. Anonymous, who is the most prodigious of them all. Mr. Anonymous is the collective wisdom of humans whose source is unknown, however, the excellence of the thought is such that it is remembered, repeated, and passed on. I probably won't be remembered past the point in time where the people I have known and my grand-children (if any) pass on. My hope is, though, that I may make a contribution that at the very least will become part of Mr. Anonymous.<br /><br />If you would like to keep informed as to what I'm up to. . . your best bet is to follow me on Twitter: @creativityPlus<br /><br />Twitter is the hub, and focal point of my on-line publications. I solemnly promise not to overwhelm you with tweets. . .you can expect only two per day, and of course you can simply ignore them anyway if you have something else going on. The link to the Quotations blog is: http://tkhquotes.blogspot.com/<br clear="all" />Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-30655503099971382662010-07-11T16:54:00.005-05:002010-07-11T16:59:38.622-05:00Nature or Nurture?<div style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/324383408/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/126/324383408_ff7c3d530d_m.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/324383408/">Iona Rose - great niece</a><br />
Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/bestrated1/">Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton</a></span></div>Most of us have noted that we choose individuals who have complimentary personality traits as our lovers and partners. We now know that many "psychological" traits, such as depression and bi-polar have deeper electro-chemical-biological roots in our physical brains. Ergo, much of who we are is due to genes, and physical results of those genes. In the debate over "nurture or nature", I lean strongly towards nature. My daughters both grew up to be very much like me, even though there was a ten year period wherein I did not see or communicate with them in any way.Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-57030458316872014902010-07-08T06:34:00.000-05:002010-07-08T06:34:06.518-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4J0y36rrGUsZQyV7E0YFvAyDozO3CPdcjnbI0t38Sa3pCzk0c6UbTRW_FeR-q7ryaZkqt8yMzmHLwPyg1T-e_mQl9lHb5XnQQt-S9e7WYjEGLFAuNxPaCDxYNa2iQOhil69co/s1600/2502327966_57658b1663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong>10 Easy Steps for Becoming a Radical Homemaker</strong></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong> </strong><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4J0y36rrGUsZQyV7E0YFvAyDozO3CPdcjnbI0t38Sa3pCzk0c6UbTRW_FeR-q7ryaZkqt8yMzmHLwPyg1T-e_mQl9lHb5XnQQt-S9e7WYjEGLFAuNxPaCDxYNa2iQOhil69co/s400/2502327966_57658b1663.jpg" width="400" /></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong> photo courtesy of Creativity+ Timothy K. Hamilton Copyrighted 2010</strong></span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: purple;"> These are also ways that each of us can take responsibility of our demand for oil, and could help prevent another oil spill catastrophe.</span></strong><br />
<strong><br />
</strong><br />
<ul><li>Commit to hanging your laundry out to dry. </li>
<li>Dedicate a portion of your lawn to a vegetable garden. </li>
<li>Get to know your neighbors. Cooperate to save money and resources. </li>
<li>Go to your local farmers' market each week <em>before</em> you head to the<br />
grocery store. </li>
<li>Do some spring cleaning to identify everything in your home that you absolutely <em>don’t</em> need. Donate to help others save money and resources.</li>
<li>Make a commitment to start carrying your own reusable bags and use them on all your shopping trips.</li>
<li>Choose one local food item to learn how to preserve for yourself for the winter. </li>
<li>Get your family to spend more evenings at home, preferably with the TV off.</li>
<li>Cook for your family.</li>
<li>Focus on enjoying what you have and who are with. Stop fixating on what you think you may need, or how things could be better "if only."</li>
</ul><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<strong> This post appeared in the weekly Ezine from the </strong><strong><a href="http://www.marketvolt.com/custapp/cv.aspx?cm=151831208&x=52147058&cust=4537577">Episcopal Diocese of Missouri</a></strong>Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-44306969385651727552010-06-27T11:33:00.000-05:002010-06-27T11:33:04.642-05:00My New Spiritual NameI started walking around my neighborhood a week ago and introducing myself as Mr. Happy. I did this for several reasons<br />
<ul><li>It almost always makes other people (and me) laugh, which releases enrorphins and endorphins in turn make you feel better. Laughter is, indeed the very best medicine, as our shared wisdom tells us.</li>
<li>I live in a rough neighborhood, and I don't really want people to look up my name, and find my phone number and address</li>
<li>It's just plain FUN</li>
</ul>So when I arrived at the Psychiatric ward at Barnes Hospital, still in a very "Mr. Happy" mood, I keept introducing myself as "Mr. Happy. This brings me to yet another reason for using the name:<br />
<ul><li>Names have POWER. They inform us as to who we are and intend to become.</li>
<li>For example, my brother's name is "David Joel" David means Beloved. Joel means "Gift of God". So his name means "Beloved Gift of God". Very intentionally, my parents gave him a wonderful name</li>
<li>There are traditions in many cultures where upon reaching manhood or passing a rite in a religion, the person is given a new name, which again encapsulates and prophesies about whom they are and whom they intend to or may become</li>
</ul>This morning I decided on (for now, I can always change my mind as I change): Joyce J. F. Happy.<br />
<br />
Let me expand: Joyce Joyce FUN, Happy.<br />
Explanation: If you say Joyce a 2nd time you are "re-Joycing". . . the rest is self-explanatory. Rejoicing in God leads to FUN and Happiness.Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-13830529115037224482010-06-24T10:56:00.001-05:002011-07-08T08:08:03.311-05:00Worm Jerky - Bridging Earthworms, God, and our Inadequate Language.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_OcSUYgSBjT4qW_yFhJzW_d6wdSIy70JGkpIirizRFaIOYxExE6Oks4OqNyH-nh78Ja1YtQWJge11prcR1bmM5SJdm5XNrCX7K2f146ABB3J7G3stoeD7iFdWmeiAEJo0hKr/s1600/DSCF1694ps_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_OcSUYgSBjT4qW_yFhJzW_d6wdSIy70JGkpIirizRFaIOYxExE6Oks4OqNyH-nh78Ja1YtQWJge11prcR1bmM5SJdm5XNrCX7K2f146ABB3J7G3stoeD7iFdWmeiAEJo0hKr/s320/DSCF1694ps_s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Timothy K. Hamilton - Creativity+</span></div> Subtitle: How to write about worm poop and God in the same blog post. ;-) <br />
<br />
You can start calling me "Life Saver" if you like, but this story Isn't about me. It's about being a "good neighbor", about earthworms, and ultimately about God, and the inadequacy of our language with regards to the sexuality of God.<br />
I don't know if you've ever seen them. . .but on hot days in my neighborhood, the sidewalk is often littered with the dried up remains of the bodies of one of Nature's finest inventions: The Earthworm. Grace and I have jokingly called their carcasses <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=worm+jerky">"Worm Jerky"</a> <br />
Ecologically, "worm jerky" is a very sad, instructional and didactic example of what our current way of paving over and cementing the urban landscape has done to some of the most essential creatures to life on earth. Hear a snippet of <a href="http://www.pandora.com/music/song/joni+mitchell/big+yellow+taxi">Joni Mitchel "they've paved paradise, put in a parking lot"</a>. Earthworms have FAR predated us, and have the amazing capacity to squeeze, extrude, and wiggle their way into the topsoil eating dirt. Now I'm not recommending eating dirt, nor am I suggesting that we defecate outdoors, just to be entirely clear. Yet the ability to squeeze out of or rather through tight situations is decidedly to be admired. That's in fact what the worms do, and amazingly, their process of going where no man has gone before, eating and pooping does significantly more good for the Earth, than <i style="color: red;"><b>our </b></i>process of doing the same.<br />
To continue our story. . . When I was returning home from a walk, I spied an earthworm crossing the sidewalk, trying to find some nice cool, loose, damp soil to tunnel into. Since I supposedly am a higher life form (certainly debatable, and often worth questioning), I was able to recognize both the futility of his effort and the unlikeliness that he would find "greener grass" on the other side. So I decided to save his LIFE. Now, that <span style="color: orange;">neither makes me a saint nor a hero</span>, because:<br />
1) I<span style="color: red;"> learned so much</span> about how earthworms are able to squeeze through tight spots because I had to change my grasp several times due to his ability to reshape his body. Shape-shifting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapeshifting is a technique we usually attribute to Demons, Wizards, and RPG heroes. And here I was, watching the process before my very eyes. (tag: noticing and awareness)<br />
2) I<span style="color: lime;"> had so much FUN</span> dropping him in my <a href="http://www.squarefootgardening.com/">Square foot Garden</a> (SFG) If you are not familiar with this urban gardening concept, I found it to be transfomational in the art of gardening in small places, with maximum yield, and continuous harvesting. The photo is of my SFG, not perhaps in it's prime, but nonetheless a visual example. Once I dropped him in, he was not able to tunnel into the ground down to the wet underworld he knows so well and calls home. It's a sort of homeless home, because earthworms don't nest, or have a place to go home to at night, (kinda like Jesus, eh?) but their home is an extended "neighborhood", where they live, and dine, copulate, eliminate, and make a difference. The Earth is their home. They pass through it silently, unnoticed, under-appreciated, working day and night, eating constantly, but leaving the Earth better wherever they go, just by eating, slithering, and pooping. Once again, don't try this at home, we humans get arrested for similar behavior.<br />
3) It was <span style="color: purple;">actually a selfish act</span>. There is rarely, if ever, an activity we do that is NOT self-serving. Put more graciously, the good we do in life always makes us feel better and gives us more JOY. So ultimately it is self rewarding. I wonder who planned it that way?<br />
4) <span style="color: #741b47;">I learned an important lesson</span> about "being in the 'hood" (link will come later to that post). If I choose too, I could wander around my neighborhood, taking it in (ingesting the sights, sounds and experience), keep moving, and find ways that making wherever I am a better place (without pooping or getting arrested). <br />
<br />
But to finish our story, I found that I needed to moisten the soil in order for the worm to well, "worm" his way down into my fine, high quality, composted soil where he will be eternally grateful for saving his life. . NOT.<br />
The hose was not connected, and I fruitlessly tried to carry hand-loads of water from the backyard faucet to give him a cool shower. Didn't work. Undaunted, your (by now, I hope) hero, (me, in case you forgot) found a water-pistol in his bag of goodies that he had just brought from a Drug Store, the name of which, Wallgreens, will go unmentioned. . . oops, too late. Now, they don't call me Creativity+ for no good reason. So applying my creative abilities, I designed a water transportation system consisting of filling up the water pistol and then walking to the garden to give my squirmy new friend the first shower he probably had in his life. Or at least his first water-pistol fight. It was decidedly one-sided, as he was neither capable of carrying a weapon or using one. After I wet the ground though, he-and-she (earthworms are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermaphrodite">hermaphorditic</a>) slowly found his-and-her way home. If you ever need to relax and slow down, take five minutes and watch one of these amazing creatures dive into Mother Earth, to do their thing. One final thought (Good God, I hope not):<br />
about the inadequacy of the English language. The earthworm gave me another<br />
5) <span style="color: #38761d;">insight into God as well as the inadequacy of our language</span>. Hermaphrodism is the word that comes closest in our language to describe the He and She, Father and Mother aspect of God. However inadequately. We truly need to invent a word that accurately describes God's dual nature. My thought is that Jesus used the word Father during his time on this 3rd planet from an unremarkable star because He lived in a paternalistic, sexist, male dominated society. And thus using a female reference (2,000 years ago in Palestine) to God would have made it sound like God was powerless, incapable of ownership, dependent on someone else for livelihood, and weak in general. Jesus was too smart to say: Dear Mom, who art in heaven. . at least two millenia ago. The general underdog nature of women in the ancient world may have been the primary reason that God became a man, and not a woman. If it had worked out in the vast scheme of things for Jesus to have come to earth in present-day America, perhaps we would be worshiping Josephine. And our prayer could well be "Our Mother, who art in Heaven".<br />
So if someone wants to get busy and change our perception of God, we had better come up with a new word that embraces all there is about being a man AND a woman, intertwined and complete, because neither sex alone embraces all there is to being either Human or God. So I'm working and generating and creating a new non-gender dependent word that we can use to re-translate the Bible, to rework our thinking, and to greatly improve our accuracy of the word HIM when we refer to god. And I'm asking you to remember that Jesus could just as easily been incarnate as a woman, were it not for our massive underestimation of women.<br />
I'm toying with words like: Hirm (combining Him and Her), Se (combining She and He). . but maybe you could help. For now, I'm stuck with "Our Loving Parent, Who art in Heaven" as a fresh start towards un-genderizing God. I think She would appreciate the change in our interpretation.<br />
After all, <span style="color: red;">our language is the entire source of all our meaning</span>, and where our language and words fail us, we fail to have meanings that are accurate, useful, and True.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>TAGS: humor, story, life, death, garden,hot,dry,salvation,ecology,urban,sidewalk,cement,pavement,worm,earthworm,soil,enrichment, meaning, language,sexism,theology,paternalistic,ancient,God<br />
Filed under: Theology, Musings, Editorial, Humor, GodTimothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11825599.post-68544341806608851102010-06-23T11:07:00.003-05:002010-06-23T11:09:11.322-05:00Sky Dancing - My goal for Today<div style="float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/3977696843/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3512/3977696843_604ba041ca_m.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a> <br />
<span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/3977696843/">Sky Dancing</a> <br />
Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/bestrated1/">Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton</a>. </span></div>My goals for today are:<br />
1) do something good, no, wonderful for <span style="color: red;">myself</span>.<br />
2) Do something marvelous and kind for <span style="color: orange;">my wife</span>.<br />
3) Do something that's good for<span style="color: #bf9000;"> my house</span><br />
4) Do at least one thing that's Godly for<span style="color: #38761d;"> my Church</span><br />
5) Do something good for<span style="color: blue;"> my neighborhood</span><br />
That's as far as I think I can get today.<br />
<br />
I will write an entry as to what I have accomplished at the end of the day, and post it here. So come back if you'd care to see how I did with my goals, and what precisely my actions were.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow, I'll explain why I've chosen the “order of business” for my daily activities. The underlying reason for my ordering and choices.Timothy K. Hamiltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12460478086619194643noreply@blogger.com0