The Sense of Wonder

Rachel Carson, in her book The Sense of Wonder, writes, "Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."

s: williamneill.photoshelter.com

Boredom in Marriage

As we thought about boredom in marriage, we remembered a book written by William Doherty in 2003, Take Back Your Marriage:; Sticking Together in a World That Pulls Us Apart.; It tackles the issue of boredom.; He wrote on page 23 that “... stakes are high. We must name these forces that undermine marriage, from the small forces such as boredom to the big ones such as the throwaway consumer culture..." We won’t comment on the throwaway consumer culture – we all agree that excessive materialism distracts people and can erode basic family values.;; Doherty mentions boredom as one of those “small forces” that can affect a marriage.; To us, however, it is NOT a small force.;
Boredom in marriage is like a hairline crack on the wall until time and inaction transform it into an irreparable major fault zone.; Once the crack is too big, both husband and wife have already gone deeper into the abyss, unable to extricate themselves from a helpless situation.

Boredom in Marriage:; Possible Causes

What causes boredom in marriage?; Is it just the lack of exciting sex or does aging have something to do with it?; For some couples, it could just be sex – a common complaint no doubt.; For other couples, it may be the lack of intellectual stimulation or what others call intellectual incompatibility.; We have heard some people say that by the time they reach retirement age, they have already shared and lived beautiful moments.; It is up to them to continue those beautiful moments beyond retirement.; Easier said than done!
Unfortunately, however, not all couples can sustain beauty and excitement in their marriage.; When they retire, they fall into a boring pattern of eating, reading the paper, watching television, doing the groceries, visiting with the kids and grandchildren every once in awhile, and repeating that routine until they begin to question if there’s anything else to living.; This routine even becomes more tiresome when couples are financially strapped.; Insufficient resources can sometimes be a factor of boredom in marriage.

Let’s look at some of the possible causes of boredom in marriage:

• Not enough sex (or boring sex)
• Illness and disability
• Inability to age gracefully
• Lack of mutual interests
• Intellectual incompatibility
• Absence of humor
• Social isolation
• No community support
• Dependent adult children
• Insufficient financial resources

If you study these causes, three major categories are apparent:; (a) financial problems (presence of adult children in the home and insufficient financial resources), (b) personality differences (boring sex, aging, lack of mutual interests, incompatibility, absence of humor), (c) external factors (illness and disability, social isolation, no community support).

Boredom in Marriage Due to Financial Problems

We used to know colleagues who were nearing retirement but could not plan for it.; They said that they had to postpone retirement because “we’re still helping our middle aged children financially.; They are always short of cash and my husband and I have no choice but to help in whatever way we can.; Because a portion of our savings has to be shared, my husband and I can’t afford to travel so we can’t really enjoy our lifetime savings.; That has put a strain on our marriage.”;
The era of downsizing and the dire consequences of easy credit have put adult children into a cash crunch, forcing them to turn to their parents for financial assistance.; When a retiring couple postpones retirement because of financial issues, boredom can set in. You figure that after having slaved at a job for 40-45 years, you’re entitled to reap the fruits of your labor.; When your children are financially struggling, self-imposed deprivation can hurt, leading to resentment or boredom.; How do you add spice to the broth when there isn’t enough money to buy the spice?
Instead of traveling and discovering new worlds, husband and wife have to content themselves with local trips; in some instances, even local trips are unaffordable.; Or else, instead of investing in a new sport or hobby, husband and wife have to tighten the purse strings so they can contribute towards the dental braces of their second grandchild.;
This lack of choices and lack of freedom generate boredom.; This also applies to married couples who are still many years away from retirement.; Children’s expenses such as tuition, camp, baby-sitters, extra-curricular activities and school trips eat into the family budget, preventing mother and father from enjoying the finer things in life.; If husband and wife mutually decide to postpone a trip to Europe, that means fewer opportunities for them to share meaningful experiences.

Boredom in Marriage Due to Personality Differences

It is common to hear husbands and wives complain about the lack of intellectual stimulation.; “We’ve grown apart”, one spouse says,;; “he’s into baseball and golf and can’t stop talking about them.; I don’t share any of his interests.; I think golf is utterly boring.”;
Or else you hear a husband say, “I can’t figure out why my wife won’t experiment with me in bed.; I tell her about how sex can add that much needed spark in our marriage but she refuses to try my suggestions.; I’m bored with the same routine and maybe it’s time for me to find a more willing and open-minded partner.”
Sex is a beautiful thing, and couples must make it a priority to make sex a dominant part of their married life.; It’s certainly healthy and can make husband and wife feel closer to one another.; There is absolutely nothing wrong with sharing one’s sexual fantasies – if they help rekindle the old flame, why not act out those fantasies?; Fantasies are a therapy for boredom, especially when these fantasies are shared by two intimate people.
While husband and wife should try to develop mutual interests, they can also leave each other some breathing room to pursue their respective interests and hobbies; this way they avoid “choking” each other by constant togetherness.; Couples need time apart so they can reflect on what makes them happy and on how they can preserve that marriage bliss.

Boredom in Marriage Due to External Factors

The lack of community support and social isolation also lead to boredom, especially when husband and wife do not have large families or when they leave their old neighborhood and relocate to a new city.; It takes time to cultivate friendships, but boredom in marriage can be avoided if couples make it a point to get involved in their community.; The recreational and leisure departments of most city governments have programs for couples, children and seniors.; Reaching out to others helps ward off boredom in marriage.
We remember the good times when our father was still alive.; Even if he was a busy executive, he made sure that he always gave back to the community.; He helped build a church while our mother played the organ in that church so that the choir can perform every Sunday.; At the dinner table, our parents would speak glowingly of their community – how it flourished because of the support it received from committed couples.


source: www.professorshouse.com

The Importance of Time Apart
Emotional Abuse
Falling out of Love

What is more important: comfort or pleasure?

A distinctive house provides comfort, which is not the same thing as pleasure. Comfort describes an abiding sense of enjoyment, warmth, contentment, and for some, a spiritual sense of well-being. Pleasure suggests entertainment, stimulation, and convenience.

Many production houses provide entertaining appliances, such as Jacuzzis, or rooms aimed at specific types of pleasures-for example, watching television, playing music, or dining. To me, one of the goals of a house should be not just to provide pleasure but to achieve a higher level of all-encompassing satisfaction. Well-propotioned spaces, good light, and small but thoughtful details can help push a home beyond more pleasure.

Pleasure is about entertainment, whereas comfort is all about enjoyment and warmth, which only a well-designed space or detail can give you

The distinctive home, by Jeremiah Eck.

What a women reads makes her more attractive and more elegant than what she wears

Roitfeld doesn't believe that it is the clothes that make the woman. "It's often the case that what a women reads makes her more attractive and more elegant than what she wears," she says.

You can't learn how to be elegant; you can only learn how to avoid mistakes. The rest is instinct. Elegance is about the way you cross your legs, not the label or the newest clothes from the latest collection.

Yves Saint Laurent once said that the purpose of clothes is to make women more beautiful but that a coat must never attract more attention than the woman wearing it.

S: Do you have any fashion principles?

R: I don't change my handbag every season. I believe in the Yves Saint Laurent woman who either has her hands in the pockets of her pantsuit or is holding her lover's hand. She doesn't need a bag.

S: You also always wear high heels.

R: Yes, they give you power. You move differently, sit differently and even speak differently.

SL: So you never wear flat-soled shoes? Not even when going for a walk?

R: I don't go for a walk very often. I wear flat-soled shoes on vacation, but I also travel in high heels, which is why I'm regularly stopped by customs officials at the airport. Wearing high heels in an airplane is suspicious. Nobody else does that.

S: Do you have any fashion tips for us?

R: If you don't want to make any mistakes, buy black clothes. That's always good. And from age 50 on, you can slowly start adding a little beige. That's softer. Every five years, you should take a critical look at your own wardrobe

Composition and the genius of the artist

Georgia O’Keeffe, New Mexico
Photograph by George F. Mobley, National Geographic

This remarkable photograph by George F. Mobley is a study in perfect composition. The placement of subject and painting provide balance, but the way the photographer has positioned Ms. O’Keeffe is brilliant. Every angle of hat and hands and cane and profile add to the structure of this image—and to the genius of the artist. —Annie Griffiths

Photo Tip: When shooting a portrait, it is important to pay attention to the background and the body positioning of the subject. The goal is to have the character of the subject come through without distraction.

http://tinyurl.com/42nk9z2

"All the world's a stage,

and all the men and women merely players:

they have their exits and their entrances;

and one man in his time plays many parts..."

As You Like It, Act II, Scene 7, 139–42


the seven stages of a man's life, sometimes referred to as the seven ages of man: infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, justice, pantaloon, and second childhood, "sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything".

This article is written with respect to the intrinsic qualities of being a photographer and their growth as a photographer. It will remind every professional photographer of the journey they started. It will encourage every beginner to learn more, see more and experiment more in the direction of their dream to be a professional photographer.

Since the time I have been exploring photography, I have seen myself evolving to see the world in so many different ways, to feel the surroundings with such awareness that was unknown to me earlier.

Seeing

Photography is all about what one sees. If five people see a scene, each one will see it differently. For example, if few people are shown the scene of a swimming pool, one might see the people, some one might see glasses of juices and food kept on the sides, another one might see the blue water and the reflections of the water around, someone might see the minute details, other might see the holistic view.

A photographer wishes to share what he sees by capturing it into an image. So there are no superior or inferior photographers, but only unique photographers.
Seeing is the pre-requisite for photography, seeing the world with wide open eyes in many different ways from minute to enlarged scenes.

Every photograph clicked by you reflects who ‘you’ are, how ‘you’ see the world.

Equipment

To enhance the power of seeing and to capture a scene, humans have devised a wonder device called ‘Camera’. What I see from my DSLR, I cannot even see with my open eyes. The various lenses of the DSLR further enhance one’s perspective of view. One can see the same scene in so many different ways using various lenses, from macro to telephoto to wide angle.

Finding what equipment to own and learning to use the equipment comes with practice and experimentation. More the experimentation, better one becomes at using the equipment and hence enhancing one’s power of seeing and capturing the scene.

Reaching out people

When a photographer prints an image of what he saw, using his camera and equipment, there is a real urge in him to share this photograph with people, to let them also enjoy what he enjoyed. Reaching people and sharing one’s work with them is very important for a photographer, not just to earn his living but also to unburden himself of overflowing passion of sharing his world of wonder and awe.
The technology has made reaching out people so much easier. One can showcase one’s work through various online albums, blogs or websites. This is a way of growing by learning through sharing.

One starts somewhere, and slowly gets better in everything: seeing, using equipment and reaching out people. To me photography seems to be an unending journey, where one can always do something new, something better than before, something more beautiful. God has created such a vast world, with so many colors and variations, that a photographer can never get bored of his passion to see and explore.

The journey has just begun…

Read more: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/3-qualities-of-being-a-photographer#ixzz1Rw6vqsEN

Klavierstücke

Next Project:
Ballerina Hans-Günter Heumann
Ballade pour Adeline Richard Clayderman
Summer Joe Hisaishi

Inspiring pianist: Yiruma, Joe Hisaishi

Youtube: Nomyo, PianistaItaliano, PianistinT


Bonus:
Hisaishi is the one and only person who can pierce my heart with what feels like a needle and then comfort me. This is what his masterpieces sound like. They sing of heartbreaking lonelyness and cry out for you to hear them with your heart. They all break your heart but comfort you so that, just for a moment, the world doesn't seem so harsh anymore.

Bring me back to my childhood




Summer





The Power of DREAM


Oriental Wind


Princess Mononoke Symphonic Suite


Bonus 2: Hiromi Uehara

Style file

Expensive items are not necessarily class. Some people have the wrong notion of purchasing branded items for their wardrobe in the hope of buying class. As some wiser folks know, class is something innate and can be developed but can never be bought. Developing class takes years and expertise in projection. You can wear generic brand apparel and look great with your confidence than a branded item that looks unjustified on you because you rely on its brand image.

http://www.peoplestylewatch.com
http://www.realsimple.com
http://www.stylefind.com
http://www.stylelist.com
http://www.youtube.com/threadbanger
http://www.leblogdebetty.com.com
http://styletips101.com
http://fabouluslybroke.com
http://gb.looklet.com/create

The world of humanist people club doesn't need a special and highly spesific criteria of requirement, simply just being a humanist, who believe the human history and act humanly.

Being humanist from about.com

Knowing about humanism isn't necessarily the same as understanding humanism — in particular, it doesn't tell you what is necessary for being a humanist. So what does it mean to be a humanist — is there a club to join? Is there a church that you attend? What does being a humanist require?

All of the generalizations that are made about humanists should help point to one interesting fact about them: humanists are a very diverse group of people. Humanists may agree about many things, but they also disagree about many things. Humanists can be found on different sides of significant debates like capital punishment, abortion, euthanasia, taxation, etc.

Granted, you are much more likely to find humanists defending certain positions rather than others, but there is no requirement that they adopt particular conclusions on these or other issues. What is more important for humanism than the conclusions a person reaches are the principles they use when addressing difficult matters.

Humanists agree on principles of freethought, naturalism, empiricism, etc. Of course, even here we can find diversity. The more generally the principles are formulated, the more agreement there is — even to the point where there is no dissent. When these principles are stated more specifically, however, the chances increase that individuals might not entirely agree with the specifics of that formulation. A person might feel that it is goes too far, doesn't go far enough, is worded incorrectly, etc.

Does this suggest that humanism doesn't really mean anything? I don't believe so. It's important to understand that humanism is not a dogma. Neither is it a doctrine, a creed, or a set of rules that a person must sign off on in oder to become a "member" of a club. Requiring people to agree to a specific set of statements in order for them to qualify as humanists or even as secular humanists would create a dogma and thus undermine the nature of humanism itself.

No, humanism is a set of principles, perspectives, and ideas about the world. Humanists are allowed to disagree — not only on the conclusions they draw from those principles, but even on the formulation and extent of those principles themselves. Just because a person doesn't happen to subscribe 100% to every phrase and statement that appears in humanist documents doesn't mean that they cannot be humanists or even secular humanists. If this were necessary, then that would make humanism meaningless and there wouldn't be any real humanists.

What this means is that there isn't really anything to do in order to "be" a humanist. If you read any statements of humanist principles and find yourself agreeing with pretty much all of it — and even when it comes to those points you don't entirely agree with you are inclined to accept the general thrust or direction of point being made, you are a humanist. Perhaps you are even a secular humanist, depending upon the way in which you approach and defend those principles.

This may sound like "conversion by definition," by which a person is "converted" to a point of view by simply redefining that point of view. It is not unreasonable to raise this objection because such things do happen, but that isn't the case here. Humanism is a name given to a set of principles and ideas which developed over the long course of human history. Humanism essentially existed before it had a name and before anyone thought to try to bring it all together into a coherent philosophy.

As a consequence of these principles existing as a part of human culture even apart from organized humanist philosophy, there are many people who continue down to this day to subscribe to them without also giving them a name. This is, to them, simply the best way to go about things and to approach life — and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. A philosophy doesn't have to have a name in order to be good and effective.

Nevertheless, it is time that people come to understand that this philosophy does have a name, it does have a history, and it does offer serious alternatives to the religious, supernaturalistic philosophies which tend to dominate culture even today. Hopefully, as people come to realize this, they may think about these humanist principles actively rather than passively. Only when people are willing to stand up openly for humanist ideals will it have a real chance at improving society.