The Shamanic Origins of Tai Chi

"Only the multi-disciplined warrior, the techno-shaman, can scale the walls of ignorance and shed light over the prevailing darkness. The warrior spirit must guide this process."
The Warrior's Edge, Alexander, Groller, Morriss

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Under the moonlight, in a village somewhere in the Golden Triangle, the Ka-ren Shaman moved slowly and methodically. He was showing us the movements taught him by his Shaman, which had been passed down through the tribe for generations. The Shaman moved strikingly similar to a Tai Chi master.

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The Golden Triangle is a roughly drawn geographic area that overlaps the borders of three countries: Myanmar in the west, Laos in the east, and Thailand in the south. This area gets its soubrette from its most profitable export, the golden excretions of the poppy - opium. The terrain of small brown mountains and narrow forested valleys is ideally suited to guerilla tactics. In the past this incomprehensible landscape acted as a barrier against the encroachments of the Burmese, Chinese, and Cambodian empires, allowing the area's idigeonous hill tribes to maintain their own autonomy. More recently, the triangle's remoteness continues to keep much of civilization at bay. Both Buddhist and Christian missionaries have failed to convert but a small number of the people away from their ancient animist beliefs. The Shaman or medicine man still plays an important role in the life of the isolated villages. In 1987 the author visited with the Ka-ren in one of the more remote areas of the Triangle. There he was fortunate enough to spend an evening with a Shaman and witness his Spirit Dance. It was there that the connection between this tradition and that of the Chinese martial arts seemed to meld.

Tai Chi has often been described and written about as form of meditation, a moving meditation. The purpose of meditation is to alter one's consciousness in order to achieve a variety of goals from relaxation and healing, to extending one's lifespan and many believe, developing supernatural abilities. The picture that most often comes to mind when we consider meditation is that of the Yogi, the Buddhist, and the Taoist, sitting cross-legged in a temple. The key ingredients are silence, stillness, and solitude. Contrast this image with one of continually flowing, and sometimes explosive movements of Tai Chi, and it would appear to be the antithesis of the conditions needed for meditation. From where then did this unique concept, the linking of physical movement with an altered state of consciousness, originate?

The five elements and their associated heraldic animals represent an ancient knowledge of how heavenly forces could be manipulated to affect earthly destinies. The central ritual of Taoist magic consists in the ability to call up the forces of these Spirit-Generals and indicates that the heraldic Animals are indeed the essence of supernatural powers.
The Chinese PauKua, Ong Hean-Tatt,

In the older martial arts traditions of China, Burma, the Philippines, and Malaysia, there are systems of self-defense that are based upon the combat movements of either real or mythical animals. The better known styles originated in China and include; Tiger, Leopard, Lion, Crane, Eagle, Phoenix, Snake, Dragon, White Ape, Monkey, and Praying Mantis to name a few. Most of the movements of these styles are more complex and vigorous than their passive cousin Tai Chi, and are thus even further removed from the traditional requirements of silence and stillness. Yet it is in the grand ballet of the animal styles that the connection is closest to the ancient origin of moving meditation. That connection can be seen in the oral traditions.

Every style has its own folklore regarding its origins. Often they are like parables that teach moral and philosophical lessons as well as the style's origins. But there is also a pattern to many of the tales. The following story is typical of these and contains classic story elements that point to an even older origin

In 15th century China, Wang Lang was a young bully who had studied martial arts from a young age. He would strut and intimidate the locals with displays of Kung Fu, but the older men in the village were unimpressed. "Pah! Who do you think you are?" They would mutter, "Your skills are nothing compared to even a Shaolin novice." Stinging from such rebukes, Wang vowed to find this Shaolin Temple, and defeat its master. After an arduous journey, Wang reached the Temple and challenged the monks to a duel. Initially the monks ignored him, but day after day Wang issued his challenge and finally the monks accepted. Expecting to duel with the master, Wang was chagrined to find himself faced with the lowest ranking monk. Even more humiliating was his quick defeat at the novice's hands. Wang sulked off to the nearby mountains where he trained for months. After his confidence was restored, Wang returned to Shaolin and defeated the novice monk that had beaten him earlier. But his next opponent was a senior monk who flounced him effortlessly.

Wang again retreated to the mountains to contemplate his failure. Then one day, while sitting in meditation, Wang was distracted by sounds coming from some bushes nearby. Investigating the source of the commotion he discovered a struggle between a praying mantis and a cicada. As he watched, Wang was fascinated by the mantis's martial techniques. He captured the mantis and kept it in a cage built from sticks. He used a straw to poke and attack the insect in order to study its fighting strategy. Wang incorporated the strategies of the mantis into his martial arts and returned to the Temple. He defeated every one of the monks sent against him. The Abbott finally ordered a stop to the contest conceding victory to Wang. The Abbot was curious about his unique style of fighting and asked Wang how he came about it. Wang told the story of his encounter with the Mantis. Having also learned humility from the insect, Wang Lang became a Shaolin monk and his Praying Mantis style became famous throughout China.

As a parable this tale illustrates three of the most important strategies of warfare; deception, speed, and surprise. There are also the moral lessons: persevering in the face of failure, learning humility, and the benefits of learning to be in harmony with nature.

But from the perspective of cultural anthropology such folktales may contain an ancient memory of an even older tradition, that of the "Vision Quest". Common to Shamanism, the Vision Quest is a ritual whereby a young warrior first undergoes a period of training after which he sets off alone into the wilderness. He must bear the hardships of isolation while fasting and meditating until he has a vision. The vision usually takes the form of an animal that reveals certain secrets. This animal then becomes the warrior's kindred or guardian spirit and will share his powers with the warrior. For example, if the visionary animal was a fox, the warrior would take on the qualities of cunning, an eagle would bestow far sight, a bear - strength, and so on. Compare the elements of the Vision Quest to the story of Wang Lang: his training and initial defeat, his departure into the wilderness to contemplate his failure, the encounter with the Mantis who reveals secrets of strategy and tactics, and finally, Wang's triumphant return possessed with the powers of the Mantis, as well as a newfound humility.

The conditions that induce these (altered) States include such common experiences as isolation, fatigue, hunger, and rhythmic sound and thus are likely to be re-discovered by different generations and cultures. Since these states may be pleasurable, meaningful, and healing, they are likely to be actively sought and methods of inducing them remembered and transmitted across generations.
The Spirit of Shamanism, Roger Walsh

The folktales surrounding the origins of other martial arts styles also follow the same plot. A Tibetan monk by the name of Ordator was wandering alone in the mountains when he encountered a battle between a crane and an ape. Thinking that the spindly and fragile Crane would soon succumb to the superior brawn and strength of the ape he was surprised when the crane defeated the ape. He studied the movements of the crane and learned that evasion, distraction, and attacking the enemy's weak points was the strategy a smaller person could use to overcome a larger opponent. The crane's graceful hoping and turning movements became the basis for the White Crane style, now famous throughout China.

The folklore surrounding Tai Chi's origins also reflect the same pattern. The legendary founder of Tai Chi is said to have been a mountain hermit by the name of Chang San Feng who lived during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). He wandered throughout the mountains and learned secret Taoist breathing techniques that made him nearly immortal (legend has him living well past 200) In addition, he learned Shaolin Temple fighting from other wandering monks.

One day while living on Wu Tang Mountain, Chang heard a hawk screeching and went to see what was happening. What he discovered was a hawk attacking and doing battle with a snake. Although the hawk was stronger, faster, and had superior weapons in the form of a beak and talons, the snake was successful in driving off the hawk's attacks. The snake's soft and circular movements evaded the hawk's attacks. Chang realized that by adopting the gentle and yielding aspects of the snake's defense, the soft could neutralize the hard, the weak defeat the strong, and slow overcome the fast, and thus Tai Chi was born.

These folk tales share a common plot theme with the Vision Quest. Each includes a challenge or test, followed by isolation and hardship, then a revelation in the form of a vision of a wild animal that acts as a catalyst for the transformation of body and mind, finally, each takes on the attributes of the visionary animal.

In the fifth century BC there is described the ritual whereby the "inspector of the Region' would dress in a bear's skin and accompanied by twelve other attendants each dressed as a different animal, they would perform the "Bear Dance" which was meant to drive away evil spirits.
Bird Deities in China, Waterbury, F.

According to his book, Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, Eliade recounts that a Shaman must from time to time perform a ritual known as The Spirit Dance. Well known among Native Americans, accounts of this practice also date back 4,000 years in Chinese records. During the Spirit Dance, the Shaman moves in imitation of his animal spirit to call on its powers. It is said that the animal spirit actually takes possession of the Shaman's body and imbues the Shaman with superhuman strength. This is principle is also mirrored in the martial arts. Performing the movements of Tai Chi is said to generate a spiritual energy - Chi. Like the shaman's infusion from his animal spirit, Chi also bestows superhuman strength. Could it be that performing the stylized movements of a Tai Chi form, is based on the ancient Shaman's practice of dancing the spirit?

The Ka-ren belong to the Thai linguistic group whose origins lie in southwest China, possibly Yunnan or Szechwan. In the twelfth century the Mongols drove whole populations in China southwards. The social upheaval this caused helped to bring to an end fabled empires of Pagan and Angkor. The Thai tribes that had been displaced southwards initially settled in the wilderness hill country that bounded these two empires, but when Mongol incursions and civil wars finally destroyed the kingdoms, the Thai came down from the hills and established their own kingdom on the ruins. But not all the tribes came down from the hills. While their cousins went on to found the Thai kingdom, others chose instead to remain in the uplands living a lifestyle little changed over time. Could the practices of the Ka-ren Shaman be a time capsule of an archaic Chinese martial arts system as it existed a thousand years ago? If so would this mean that the connection between martial arts and Shamanism was closer and much older than we thought?

While there are several similarities between the origins of martial arts systems and the Shamanic tradition of the Vision Quest it does not imply that practicing Tai Chi is a form of spirit possession. What it does is suggest is that some of China's most ancient traditions may be the source, inspiration, or template from which the more refined disciplines such as Tai Chi evolved.

So the next time you go out and practice your Snake Creeps Down, and Crane Opens Wings, in the moonlight, know that not only are you continuing a millennia old tradition of martial arts, but a tradition that quite possibly goes back through the mists of prehistory to the dawn of mankind itself.

The Shamanic Origins of Tai Chi

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Is The Hitachi 32LD9700 LCD TV Possibly The Best Flat Screen TV Available?

From its infancy and the first shadowy images broadcast in 1925, viewing television has evolved and certainly changed over the years to the amazing LCD TV sets that we now view today. Ask most people to list their most essential item or possession and a large number will list their TV as very high up on the list.

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Much like the conventional approach to driving a car and our understanding of how the Internal Combustion Engine works (or not depending on your point of view) very few people understand entirely what happens behind the screen of a TV or do they? The word television is derived from a mixed usage of Greek and Latin roots meaning in literary terms "far sight" and being derived from the Greek term "tele" meaning "far" and the Latin "vision" meaning "sight" or "to view in the first person".

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As in most industries, along with technological development and innovation has arisen a large range of technical descriptions and phrases that if the truth be known confuses most people.

Rather than continue with a basic history of the industry, it might be best to stop and take a look at the latest developments within the industry mainly that of digital television, what digital television actually means, its formats, bandwidth and the technical terminology and jargon used today.

How would you define Digital TV? Digital Television very much came to the fore in the late 1990s and is a technology that appealed to the television broadcasting business and consumer electronics industries as representing opportunities for increased financial development whilst at the same time providing a much cleaner and faster product and service for the end user.

So in basic terms, how does a Digital TV differ from a more conventional one? Let us use one of the newer LCD TV's available to help us as we detail what exactly this all means.

The LCD TV that we shall use for our illustrative purposes here is the Hitachi 32LD9700 LCD TV.

The following items of information have to be understood before you can make a proper valued judgement regarding your new Digital TV?

Firstly we have to understand the phrase Screen Resolution and all of that implies. In this case it refers to the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed.

Next up is whether the TV is Hi-Definition Ready and what does this mean? Hi Definition TV essentially makes a TV picture in a quality format that is at least four times better than conventionally available at present.

The next item that we would need to look at is what types of connectors are used between the peripherals used alongside the main Digital TV?

We are referring here to the exact nature and number of the Scarts Sockets and Plugs in use. SCART stands for "Syndicat francais des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radio et Television (SCART).

Lastly on the technical side we would need to look at what types and what numbers of High-Definition Multimedia Interfaces (HDMI) are being used. Here High Definition Multimedia Interfaces (HDMI) refers to the audio/video connector interface that transmits the uncompressed digital streams of information between two or more digital components such as a HD DVD Disc player, a Blu-ray Disc player, a Personal Computer or Video Console.

The 32LD9700 is a 32in LCD TV and the prices for these are around 1000 pounds sterling or 2000 US dollars. The resolution of the screen is 1366 X 768 and with regards to being HD Ready the answer is yes. The Hitachi has 3 (2 RGB) scarts and the type and number of Multimedia interfaces the 32LD9700 uses is HDMI and 2. The type of Tuner for this TV is Analogue and Digital and the Hitachi is available from a wide variety of outlets.

All these points being taken into consideration, how would we view the Hitachi 32LD9700?

The most obvious place to start with as far as TV's are concerned would be the picture quality and our score here would be 10, and closely tied in to the picture quality is the sound quality and our score for this would be 10. Taking a look at the number of relevant connections and their availability, our score would be 8. As far as overall features are concerned we would give it 10 and for ease of use and overall value for money we would give it, 10 and 10 respectively.

The overall verdict would be WOW what can you say but that this is one of those TV's that excel in almost every thing it is supposed to do. Described as a "Superb All-rounder", there is not much that this TV does not achieve. If you can get your hands on one of these then go for it.

Please bear in mind the prices that are quoted in this article and take note that they are there purely for illustration and though valid at the time of the writing of the article may vary from time to time and also depending on the time of year when you make your purchase.

Is The Hitachi 32LD9700 LCD TV Possibly The Best Flat Screen TV Available?

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Cedar Rapids

Actors: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche
Director: Miguel Arteta
Release Date: June 21, 2011
MPAA Rating: R

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Cedar Rapids tells the story of a weekend in the life of Tim Lippe (Ed Helms), a small-town insurance salesman, who finds himself attending a conference in the "big city" of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. When the star salesman of his company winds up dead as a result of an accidental asphyxiation (more about that later), it's up to Tim to save the future of Brownstar Insurance by winning the "Two Diamonds" award. He's warned by his boss to avoid the terrible influence of Dean Ziegler (John C. Reilly) at all costs, and so naturally, they wind up sharing a room. The third roommate is Ronald Wilkes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), who plays the straight man to Ziegler's boorish drunk. And no setup would be complete without a lady in the mix- in this case, Joan Ostrowski-Fox (Anne Heche), who uses these insurance conferences as an escape from the tedium of her daily life as a wife and mother of two. As she tells Tim, "What happens in Cedar Rapids, stays in Cedar Rapids."

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Because this is first and foremost a character piece, most of the characters are drawn to the point of caricature. John C. Reilly's Dean Ziegler is crude and rude, making inappropriate comments every time he opens his mouth- and certainly contributing to the film's R rating. Joan is sassy and flirty, but manages to still seem like a devoted wife and mother even as she's clearly looking to score. And as Tim Lippe bears more than a passing resemblance to Helms's character from The Office, if you're a fan of that show, you're probably going to like this movie. Like Andy, Tim is naïve, inexperienced to the point of ridiculousness, and an all-around-nice guy. Before the conference, he'd never been on a plane, had a drink, or (we assume) been with anyone other than his current and recent girlfriend- who also happens to be his former seventh grade teacher (played by Sigourney Weaver). By the end of the movie, he's dealt with infidelity, disillusionment, and, as in any true coming-of-age-story, smoking crack.

One of the fun things about this type of movie is looking for familiar faces. As Ronald Wilkes, Isiah Whitlock Jr. throws out a few blatant references to HBO's The Wire (where he played Senator Clay Davis). Allegedly, those were written in before casting, which actually makes them more amusing. Also featured are Stephen Root (Newsradio and a bajillion other things- such as what seems like every Coen brothers' movie, for example), Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), and Kurtwood Smith (That 70s Show and Robocop, among others).

Though this is billed as a comedy, it's more likely to produce chuckles than outright hilarity. And while director Miguel Arteta indulges in a few cliches, for the most part the clever, well-written dialogue and very likeable (though unrealistic) characters keep you watching, even as the plot veers from unlikely to downright zany. There are genuinely funny moments, but in the end, Cedar Rapids becomes more about confirming the value of the sweetness and decency of an ordinary guy and less about getting the laughs.

The R rating is earned- Ziegler's comments are at times astonishingly foul, and there are many other sexual references (the accidental death is due to auto-erotic asphyxiation, for example), crude humor in general, and situational drug use.

Overall, Cedar Rapids is an entertaining little movie: the run-time is relatively short (1 hour and 27 minutes), the plot moves quickly, and the actors all give enjoyable performances. If you come to it expecting only to be entertained, you won't be disappointed. And the film's ultimate message, that sometimes the most mundane jobs can reveal- or create- heroes, is definitely worth taking away.

Cedar Rapids

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"Role Model," Soul Men," Madagascar" Film Reviews

"Role Models" (quality rating: 7)
Director: David Wain
Screenplay: Paul Rudd, David Wain, Elizabeth Banks
Cast: Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Jane Lynch
Time: 1 hr., 35 min.
R (crude and sexual content, vulgarity, nudity) (1:35)

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A fairly funny comedy considering its overload of foul-mouthed gaglines, this has a suprisingly high laughs level which blind-sides you with comic capers when you hardly expect them.

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"Role Models," one is reluctant to admit, gets a lot of mirth out of inventive locker room humor that has a way of making you laugh even though you don't know why. The ongoing theme is that boys of any age just never grow up and it turns out, in this plot, to be the kids, not the grown-up guys, who get the most laughs.

The film has an amazing flow of serviceable chuckles based on caricatures who, although fitted into a very formula flick, maintain a peppery consistency all the way through. Generally, in fact, the movie strides with such lively energy, with never an unattended moment of comedy, that one must admit that profane dialogue can actually find a place, if force-fitted, in our complex society.

Misanthropic Danny (Paul Rudd) and doofus buddy Wheeler (Sean William Scott) try to get kids off drugs by selling energy drinks to school systems as they drive their delivery route in a novelty monster truck. But while on their own energy drink binge, Danny, stressed out over family problems and, having been rejected by longtime girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks) because he's so morose, goes nuts and gets both himself and Wheeler in legal trouble. Beth, a lawyer, deals with the court to get them off if they'll put in 150 hours with "Sturdy Wings," a big brother kind of public service outfit for troubled kids. It's run by Gayle Sweeney (Jane Lynch). who's pretty much an off-balance neurotic who mixes discipline with explosive spunk.

So here's Wheeler, a sex-obsessed party animal by nature whose only thoughts are toward rolling in the hay, assigned to a filthy-mouthed, hard-tempered pre-teen, Ronnie, who loses no time in jerking Wheeler around into a situation in which he can have him arrested as a pedophile. That resolved, it's clear that Ronnie needs a father figure. All Ronnie does now is wave wooden swords with his other geek pals. Danny's also got his special problem boy to guide, Augie, who has no idea what growing up is about. So what we've got here is two immature misfits on a project to guide younger misfits.

As to character development, if you care about that at all, one notices that this happens only up to the point where the two guys get into the Sturdy Wings settings. After that, the kids take over the screen, Danny and Wheeler being relegated to backboards to bounce off. The really rudimentary situations and plot are turned, by the kids, into generators of lots of laughs.

The ending, suggesting that they're all humans who really want to relate to each other, is obligatory, but OK.

"Soul Men" (quality rating: 7)
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Screenplay: Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes, Sharon Leal, Jennifer Coolidge
Time: 1 hr., 43 min.
Rating: R (nonstop vulgarity, sexual content, nudity) (1:43)

Is it possible to view profane language as a verbal art form in itself? Well, let's do it ,says "Soul men."

This is a deftly assembled movie which marches to a hard beat and in which the river of vile verbiage actually gets integrated into the film's whole design, making itself even indispensable. The particular brand of black putdown banter, inexorably evolved over the decades, is humor from the gut, a no-nonsense "vulgarity" which actually transcends the conventional way in which dirty words are used and flows naturally as its own tongue, smoothly and expressively instead of in the nasty, intrusive way of films which often seem to drag in obscene words just because the writers and directors think we expect them.

This is an unintentionally ironic title, with Bernie Mac having actually died tragically in August.

It's actually hard to categorize this film in terms of genre. It's definitely drama but its substance invites comedy at a crude but colorful way and lets it flow organically. Most delightful is the perfect pitch performance of Samuel L. Jackson, easily one of Hollywood's most versatile stars. Of no lesser impact is a vigorous job done by Bernie Mac.

In this memory lane road film, the two key characters had been back-up singers of a long-ago popular group, now aged and of no more use to the modern media world. Seems that promoters are urging them, now 20 years later, to rejoin in order to offer tribute to their once lead singer who has just died. This will be dicey because the two men bear mutual resentment, this stemming from a love rivalry over the same woman.

First of all, Floyd (Bernie Mac) is morose anyway, living a life of aimless leisure as an insomniac with a hip replacement. And Louis (Samuel L. Jackson), now a pauper, has nonetheless retained his pride even though he's an ex-con living in cellars.

So they set out from L.A. in Floyd's vintage chartreuse Eldorado convertible for the great musical reunion at Harlem's Apollo, all the while chasin' skirts as they pop into town after town with Floyd poppin' Viagra. They'll partake of the fast musical life of Memphis as they stop in cowboy roadside taverns and anyplace else where they can do a gig and bring down the house, all the time viewing each other with shared antagonism. A significant plot turn comes when the two men stop at the home of lovely Cleo (Sharon Leal), whom we gather is the daughter of one of them, probably the bone of contention for both.

Strangely, you will find yourself chuckling again and again at the two guys' digs at each other even though you sense a vital relationship here. It's not easy viewing, but then, almost immediately, you sense that you wouldn't want that.

"Madagascar:Escape 2 Africa" (quality rating: 6)
(All-animated feature)
Directors: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
Screenplay:
Voices: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin
Time: 1 hr., 29 min.
PG (some mild crude humor)

Wacky but not witty.

Good kiddie flick, folks. Take the tots. All ingredients of the original have been given new attention in an effort to maintain its appeal. The pace is peppery and the whole design seems to be to mesmerize the kids with a parade of eye candy. For you as an adult? Well, it's probably an underachiever.

Amidst the slapstick comedy in "Madagascar:Escape 2 Africa" there are some new characters, including a zesty old grandmama from New York who does karate. The film's colors are ever more vivid and the rhythm of camera movements is enhanced, with shot length at a median length of three seconds. Talking is mostly loud and urgent. There's also some adult-oriented funny stuff, like having to negotiate with the monkey union for health benefits.

Various themes are pulled in from environmental material and many other movies but the flat-out observation is unavoidable that this just comes down to an endless series of visually catchy images that are madcap but often monotonous. The dialogue is more noisy than funny, seemingly struggling to balance between grown-up references and kid stuff. The music is totally forgettable.

In this sequel to "Madagascar" all the charming animal characters are back: light-footed Alex the lion (voice: Ben Stiller), sensitive Melman the giraffe (voice: David Schwimmer), smarty-mouthed Marty the zebra (voice: Chris Rock), big mama Gloria the hippo (voice: Jada Pinkett Smith), zany King Julien (voice:Sacha Baron Cohen), his sidekick Maurice (voice: Cedric the Entertainer) and the penguins.

We recollect that all these mislocated New Yorkers from the concrete and steel zoo had been, by nutsy circumstances, stranded on the island of Madagascar located off the East African coast. They really wanna get back. But what resources do they have? Well, there is that crashed plane. And there you go -- the ingenious penguins, with military precision, and mainly digital magic, actually make it flightworthy.

Umm . . . kind of. Seems that, with its engines smoking, it'll go just so far, which is, like, over the great savannah of Africa where they crash land. So you'd think they're now in their natural home, right? Well, they are, but they are not natural in their "natural" home. They've been raised by the rule and animal interactions of the zoo, not the communities of the jungle.

So while they discover their roots, they also must confront a whole bunch of real conflicts. And that's going to involve relatives of so long ago, romance intrigues, a deadly drought, and a self-styled medicine man who wants a rain god sacrifice for the volcano. Alex will be recognized as the long-missing son of the local pride's chief, Zuba (the late Bernie Mac). Ah, but the evil egomaniac Makunga (Alec Baldwin) wants the throne for himself and he will humiliate Alex to get it. There will also be some conflicts with tourists and hunters pointing up their crassness.

The usual obligatory themes of self-esteem, self-confidence and learning your identity and independence are there.

Generally, the film will work modestly as holiday fun for the tykes. If you got nothing out of the original, you will do no better here. It's very lively.

"Role Model," Soul Men," Madagascar" Film Reviews

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Small Riding Lawn Mowers

Poll: Best Bollywood Movie Of The Last Decade (2000-2009) - Results!

Oh Yes!! We have finally come to the end of our 42 days long poll to find out the best movie of the last decade (2000 - 2009). We thank every voter for making our 2nd poll a grand success. We realize that movie goers are as passionate as we are if the enthusiastic response is anything to go by. We had 20 movies on the initial list and added 5 more movies after first 10 days, after considering the suggestions we had received. We have critic as well as popular top 10 movies list. We present the critic's list first without wasting much time.

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CRITIC'S TOP 10

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10) Dev D (2009)

(Director: Anurag Kashyap)

Anurag Kashyap made it very clear that he doesn't want a glossy and larger than life Devdas, but a contemporary Devdas for his adaptation. In all the previous versions of Devdas (including Sanjay Leela Bhansali one), the Devdas was portrayed as a sympathetic character. This time Anurag wanted to emphasise on the negative side of Devdas. Did he really deserve the love of Paro and Chandramukhi? Nope, in fact he ended up ruining lots of lives before ruining his own. Anurag also made mockery of the self pitying hobby of Indians. Here comes the modern Devdas, Paro and Chanda who have changed a lot with the changing times. Dev is this arrogant, spoilt man who essentially needs nothing but help. Paro's transformation is the most noteworthy twist in this new tale. She's not that demure, coy girl which you expect out of her, instead she's an independent girl who is able to take care of herself. Though little shocking, she even sends her nude picture to Dev. Now coming to Chanda, she's this girl who is a victim of society's double standards as she became famous overnight after an MMS scandal and bears the brunt of cruel yet funny society. The treatment was refreshing and Abhay Deol did a wonderful job as the new age Devdas who mostly replaced drinks with drugs.

9) Rocket Singh: Salesman of The Year (2009)

(Director: Shimit Amin)

It is one of the most original films in the recent past. It was such an unusual film where the basic structure of the movie was way different from anything usually made in Bollywood; there were no romance, typical songs and dances or the familiar story telling territories. The screen play, direction and acting were top notch. Basically, what ticks in the business world? The movie seeks the answer to this question. It was trying to uncover the journey of an underdog namely, Harpreet Singh Bedi (excellent portrayal by Ranbir Kapor), who goes through series of humiliations and opposition at his work place as a salesman trainee. He is ridiculed by everyone and he silently suffers the insults. However, what if he's got what it takes to reach on top of the business ladder? Having said that, was it an easy ride? No, in fact it was hell of a ride for Harpreet Singh which also was very foolish of him but very exciting for that matter. Will he be able to deal with the thorns on his way? Yes, it's a very risky ride, but you will cheer for him on the way and he gradually realizes the hero in him. Rocket Singh is truly a wonderful cinematic experience. It rewrites lots of cinematic myths and it treads its own path and in the end we see a very satisfying film. Yes, one of the most innovative films in the last decade.

8 ) Devdas (2002)

(Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali)

If there is one story which every Indian knows, then it must be the story of Devdas. This classic tale was retold as many times in every Indian language. Bhansali is not the first person to make Devdas in Hindi, as we have a very well appreciated Bimal Roy version starring Dileep Kumar. Why Indians are so hang-up on this tale? Well, noted director Anurag Kashyap (who also made his own version of Devdas as 'Dev D' in 2009) reasoned that Indians love self pity as they have mastered this act all along. Yes, he's got a point here. We tend to blame everything around and then ourselves the moment something goes wrong, instead of taking corrective measures. Coming to Bhansali's version, we believe it wasn't completely a flawless version. In pursuit of the grand sets, songs, dances and jewelry something was missing; was it the soul? The pain of Devdas? May be. However, we can't overlook the sheer passion of Bhansali which no other director could recreate. When it comes to a large scale magnum opus we still don't have someone as passionate and articulate as Sanjay Leela Bhansali. So, we can forgive the short comings and applaud Bhansali for his unique vision and passion. After all Bollywood has no identity if a film like Devdas is not made once in a while!!

7) Paheli (2005)

(Director: Amol Palekar)

Here comes one of the most beautiful films of the decade. It's about the beauty of fairy tales which is so captivating. The movie starts with the shepherd Amitabh Bachchan saying "Barso Purani Prem Kahani..Ek Aurath Ki..Jiska Naam tha, Lachi..". From that moment onwards we are hooked on to this fairy tale so much like a wide eyed kid. Yes, there was this girl namely Lachi, who fell in love with an extremely romantic ghost. Though it was not classified as a romantic movie it was romantic to the core and the ghost could give run for their money for every other Romeo living or dead. Paheli has this ingenious poetic touch which adds to the charm of the movie. The beauty of Rajasthan was captured stunningly in this movie with breath taking visuals and one-of-its-kind music. The music was one of the best ever and the national award winning song 'Dheere jalna..' could easily win the best song of the decade title. It was a magical movie where good story, screen play  and direction coupled with stunning aesthetics. In short, Paheli is one of the finest work of art and you will instantly fall for the over all charm of the ghost and the movie. Above all, lachi is this beautiful girl who was not afraid of accepting a ghost as a lover in place of her husband who had no interest in her. She was very sure of what she wanted even though the fictional story dates back to hundreds of years ago.

6) Johny Gaddar (2007)

(Director: Sriram Raghavan)

Johny Gaddar is a perfect noir film which is greatly inspired by the thrillers made by Vijay Anand and the novels of James Hadley Chase. Flawless is the first word comes to our mind. If there is one recent movie which paid tribute the genre 'thriller' then it must be Johny Gaddar, all the way. The way the story proceeds is real pleasure and you would say 'wah..' for the fast paced screen play which is so engrossing from the word go. Dev Anand's movie' Johny Mera Naam' inspired the title and Sriram Raghavan deserves a huge round of applause for giving a noir film which surpasses even Hollywood standards. It's an original work at the same time and it deserves our special mention. We would say 'Don't miss it at any cost 'as some movies are meant to be experienced!

5) A Wednesday (2008 )

(Director: Neeraj Pandey)

Here comes a movie with a story which nobody could imagine in their wildest dreams. The suspense of this movie was well executed and it was like an incomparable experience. We have seen many movies on terrorists and it wasn't that hard to imagine where the story is heading; most of the time. A Wednesday was a revelation; a bright talent like Neeraj came and changed the entire grammar of film making. Yes, common man is not a fool and terrorists who bring Mumbai under the chilling moments every now and then should realize this, sooner or later, for their own good. The message is delivered and how powerfully!! Two of the most talented actors of Bollywood, Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah came face to face and it was difficult to judge who outdone whom. However, we assume it must be Anupam Kher given he has a slight edge over Naseeruddin Shah in the movie; well Anupam had to underplay most of the time.

4) Aamir (2008 )

(Director: Rajkumar Gupta)

Aamir is yet another film on terrorism and Mumbai city. In one word we would describe it as 'Intense'. It's a whirlwind journey of a man namely Dr. Aamir Ali, who just returned to Mumbai from UK. He's in the hands of Islamic extremists and they want to carry out a bomb blast in the city with the help of Aamir and for this they have kidnapped Aamir's family. He has to make a choice and he's been taken to the poverty ridden streets of Mumbai where he meets large percentage of Muslim population. Rajkumar Gupta entered the Bollywood scene with his strong directorial abilities and only a good director can pull off such a one line story entirely on the shoulder of a taught screen play. Aamir's difficult journey becomes audience's as we are on the edge of the seat to see what happens next. It's a hell of a ride with that red bag and you will never forget it; that's the biggest cinematic achievement of Aamir.

3) Munnabhai MBBS (2003)

(Director: Rajkumar Hirani)

A good movie is all about how much it influences you positively and how much it makes you think. Munnabhai does that effortlessly while providing extreme entertainment. Recently, on Koffee With Karan featuring Sanjay Dutt, a group of MBBS students from a Mumbai medical college spoke in an emotional  tone about the movie. They were saying how much this movie inspired them to join this profession and to use it for good. That's the moment the makers should realize how much a goon could teach the people from all walks of life to love each other. It taught in simple words that a simple hug can melt even the biggest problems in someone's life.  Stop running after money, it's love which is the cure to all the problems we have and it's free of coast. Even Mahatma Gandhi realized that Munnabhai and Circuit are doing what he had left half done. Did Rajkumar Hirani ever realize that he's giving birth to two of the most iconic characters ever on Indian celluloid?...and can we ever stop loving them?.

2) Lagaan (2001)

(director: Ashutosh Gowarikar)

Lagaan is undoubtedly Bollywood's most priced possession and it has achieved classic status in a short time span itself. Here is a movie which is perfect in every sense and you would wonder if there is another Lagaan possible in another 100 years. Lagaan is an epic, with the grandeur and the scale with which Ashutosh Gowarikar portrayed the plight of the farmers in a village, in the British occupied India. The story was a revelation; about the power of goodness and humanity. It speaks volumes about the collective human spirit and the movie proves that you can move mountains with united human spirit. It was a flawless movie and the every aspect of the movie stood shining, be it the authentic sets, costumes by Oscar winning Bhanu Athaiya, music by another Oscar winner A R Rahman, story, screenplay, dialogues, acting (especially, large number of supporting characters), cinematography, choreography and above all Ashutosh Gowarikar's taut direction. So many factors came together as if magic and you will see nothing but brilliance on every frame. Such a movie comes once in every 100 years, may be!

1) Swades (2004)

(Director: Ashutosh Gowarikar)

Here comes the most beautiful, feel good film of the decade. Yes, it's extremely hard not to fall in love with this movie. This movie will leave you thinking and at the same time make you smile. You will secretly end up hoping that you would settle in such a small village where you will be able to smell the soil and feel secure at home. You would wish for a loving mother figure like Kaveri Amma to feed you and someone as beautiful and headstrong as Geeta to fall in love with. Swades is about home and the virtues you have left at home. Mahatma Gandhi once said, "India's heart lies in the villages" and how true!! Yes, we are this touchy, full-of-heart emotional fools and we still love that about us. What prompted a NASA scientist like Mohan to come back to his roots? Because you can't forget your roots however far you have gone. Swades was quite poetic in its narration and every frame had something deeply irresistible. Home is where the heart is and there are people waiting for you, go embrace it Mohan!

Now let's see the popular top 10.

POPULAR TOP 10

10) Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

(Director: Farhan Akhtar)

Dil Chahta Hai will remain as one landmark film as far as new age films are concerned. The east-meets-west phenomenon in the cities was hard to neglect after a point and 'Dil Chahta Hai' came at the right juncture. There needed a new kind of movie which look in to the new age sensibilities which are largely veering towards western culture. The kind of male bonding we saw in Sholay was recreated in Dil Chahtha Hai keeping today's youth in mind and they are in to speed dating or weekend getaways in Goa. Three friends and their lives were captured in a really mature fashion and Farhan Akhtar deserves a huge applause for the sensitive, fun treatment of the subject.

9) Koi Mil Gaya (2003)

(Director: Rakesh Roshan)

Given Bollywood is not that technically advanced compared to the west, a super hero movie was a distant dream. Rakesh Roshan, the man, took this challenge and brought something which was really commendable considering the shoe string budgets we have. It was an Indian adaptation of Speilberg's ET and Rakesh Roshan tried his level best to give us a bankable super hero in the form of Rohit (Hrithik). The otherwise ridiculed Hrithik's character was given a new lease of life with extra powers by an extra terrestrial living object namely 'Jadoo'. The relation between Jadoo and Hrithik's character was heartwarming and the special effects were neatly done.

8 ) Devdas (2002)

Devdas has already been featured on the critic's list. Refer #8.

7) Rang De Basanti (2006)

(Director: Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra)

In the wake of new age movies, Mehra came up with a taut script which was captivating and unusual. The power which comes with the awakening of group of people is magnanimous and Mehra shown it in its full glory. He draws parallels between the freedom fight movements and anti-corruption movements. For the effective execution of the theme, he took the help of few aimless young men who were confused and irresponsible in their life. Mehra warns us that a second freedom movement is in the offing and we have growing number of social injustices and evils which warrant the attention of today's youth. To put forth his angst, he took a rather violent path which was similar to that of legendary freedom fighter Bhagath Singh. We have our reservations about that; otherwise, a fantastic film!

6) Taare Zameen Par (2007)

(Director: Aamir Khan)

Taare Zameen Par saw Aamir Khan on the director's seat for the first time and he proved himself that he's a very sensitive director. Directing a movie with a child actor as the main protagonist is not an easy feat as only accomplished directors could achieve that. On top of it, the movie dealt with the troubles of a dyslexic kid and it required great restraint from the director to present it with sensitivity and at the same time done away with being overtly touchy. Darsheel Safari became the favorite of the nation post the release; a superstar in his own right. It was heart wrenching to see him going through so much inner turmoil in such a tender age and not too many could hold their tears while watching Shankar Mahadevan's National Award winning song 'Maa'. The questions he asked through that song made all the eyes moist in the theatre. The movie also made a strong statement about today's educational system which is all about the grading and the unbearable pressure.

5) Swades (2004)

Swades has already been featured on the critic's top 10, please refer #1

4) Lagaan (2001)

Lagaan has already been featured on the critic's top 10, please refer #2

3) 3 idiots (2009)

(Director: Raj Kumar Hirani)

3 Idiots was a complete entertainer and at the same time it carried a message. Raj Kumar Hirani was always known for his social relevant yet entertaining movies and '3 idiots' followed the tradition. It makes some solid statements about the age old education system in India. Inspired by the Chetan Bhagat book, '5 point someone', it deals with the pressure students face as far as choosing career is concerned. It's your parents or the demanding society that decide the best career for you and you end up studying one of those courses which are straight ticket to high paying jobs and you lead a bitter existence for the rest of your life. Is everyone prepared for that?  Hirani was trying to shed some light in to the otherwise neglected issue and it met with thunderous applause from all quarters. Students across the country could instantly connect with the helplessness shared by the protagonists, all the while enjoying the 'balatkar' speech of Omi Vaidya.

2) Jab We Met (2007)

(Director:  Imtiaz Ali)

Can Bollywood ever stop making those highly romantic movies for which the industry has been known for a long time? We love to fall in love with the quintessential hero and heroine of Bollywood romantic movies. We want to sing and dance with them and that feeling never changes. Jab We Met is the only typical romantic movie on the list and clearly defines romance we have seen in the last decade. Indians constantly face the east versus west conflicts, especially the youth in the cities. On one hand Speed-dating and live in relationships are catching on fast and at on the other hand we are not yet ready to leave our tender Indian values. Family, parents and every other age old symbols are dear to us. Here comes, Imtiaz Ali, the master story teller who can speak non stop about heart and its little dilemmas for hours, of course after Yash Chopra. He creates an iconic character like Geet who is able to keep you glued to your seat with her inimitable charm and purity. It was a time when we thought film makers stopped writing beautiful roles for a female actor and Imtiaz fleshed out a girl who we all have been waiting for. The typical boy-meets-girl story has its heart set at the right place. Though it was an out and out Kareena film Shahid Kapoor gave ample support in his difficult role which is in fact one of his career bests. It's not that easy job to stay in the background doing nothing but listening to non-stop Geet. He had to show that he's recovering from the past wounds and at the same time hopelessly falling in love with Kareena. The soft spoken Aditya and chatter box Geet are extremely likable and audience loved every bit of their interaction which also rekindled our faith in love stories all over again.

1) Kaminey (2009)

(Director: Vishal Bharadwaj)

Kaminey is a strong word and the maverick director Vishal Bharadwaj could not find a better way to express the edginess of this film. Kaminey marked the birth of Shahid, the super star. Those romantic movies Shahid did so early in his career could not help him much to escape the stereotype or to create an identity. Kaminey provided him the much needed raw, mature, heroic, manly aura which transformed him completely in to another league. Vishal Bharadwaj, who is otherwise known for his intense films tread a different path in Kaminey where he introduced dry sarcasm and fun even though the story had much scope for bloodshed and shootouts. 'Stylish' is the right word to describe Kaminey. Vishal is known for his penchant for underworld and the undercurrent violence. He also got inspired from the 70's underworld movies and the brother's rivalry associated with movies in that era. He created twin brothers Guddu and Charlie who are as different as chalk and cheese and their speech impediment is the only thing they have in common. Though the plot gets extremely complicated with large number of characters towards finale, Vishal managed to make it look as stylish and entertaining as possible. Though Kaminey was meant to be an entertainer Vishal Bharadwaj nevertheless took measures to match up to the brilliance his movies are usually associated with. Rumors were rife that both Shahid and Vishal wanted to do a sequel to Kaminey, we hope that it materializes! After all, who can forget the gyrating 'Dhan Ta Nan' which brought the entire nation down with its explosive energy?

Once again, thank you all for giving us company in this long journey. We hope to come up with another interesting poll very soon:)

Poll: Best Bollywood Movie Of The Last Decade (2000-2009) - Results!

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Tips For Sport Horse Buying at European Auctions

We began our journey approximately 1 year prior to the purchase of our Hanoverian gelding. At that time we were primarily shopping in the U.S. for a young dressage prospect. Our goal was to find a horse with potential that we could enjoy developing and furthering to the fullest of his abilities.

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Living in the Southwest we found that there were few breeding farms in our areas dedicated solely to developing dressage horses. Thus, our search began by extensively visiting local stables, exploring local word of mouth and sales ads, and exhaustively researching online. While we found many beautiful horses we didn't find our "dream" horse. We were looking for not just a fancy mover but a horse that was bred for dressage with exceptional athletic ability and most importantly intelligence and a desire to work. Like many people shopping for horses we found it exceptionally difficult to find a horse with the desired movement, as well as a horse with the desired intelligence and work ethic, to have such a horse pass a vet test, and finally to keep within our desired budget. So we began our European journey not because we couldn't buy in the U.S. but because after several months of searching we decided to alter our methodology which would hopefully improve our success rate.

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Growing up I rode at a dressage barn that frequently had German judges, trainers, apprentices and most importantly German Horses visiting. While I loved my Thoroughbred I developed an appreciation for the German horse breeding industry and based on this background we decided that we'd alter our search to take us to Germany for the dream buying experience of our life. As I often tell friends, "this was our one crazy moment!" So we were by no means experts in European horse shopping and certainly not horse brokers. Therefore, we had to become thoroughly educated prior to our visit. I found to my disappointment, that there were few if any helpful guides on the internet and basically only brokers offering to find a horse for you.

The first step in our horse search was to find and develop a relationship with a local dressage trainer. We chose Gintara Slavinskas because of her kind nature and desire to not push a young horse but to encourage that young horse to develop to his best with only positive reinforcement. Therefore, we consulted extensively with Gintara on our decision to shop in Germany and in short order we were all very excited and ready to hop on the next plane. Common sense took over however, and we decided to wait a few more months while we developed some contacts, chose a Verband or horse auction to attend and basically educated ourselves.

In this process we learned that most of the German warmblood registries offered several auctions throughout the year and luckily they are all now offering online viewing and information on the selection for the upcoming auction. We settled on researching the Oldenburg, Westfalen, and Hanoverian registries. All of their web sites can be found at horse-gate.com and be sure to select the small British Flag below the menu on the left for the English version of the page. After finding hose-gate we then explored all the Verbands we were interested in. At horse-gate these are found under the auction menu item. Select this button and you will find further options for Hannover, Holstein, Oldenburg, Wastfalan, and ESI

So once we chose our breed (Hanoverian) we began watching the online auctions and results for that breed. The Hanoverian Verband has 12 auctions a year so we had the opportunity to monitor a few prior to our visit. The auctions are all a little different in the field of horses offered and quality/pricing of these horses so I suggest you explore their web site early to determine what auction is best for you.

We opted for the July Summer auction and were able to monitor the winter and spring auction results. For all the auctions the selection of horses are listed and numbered, most of the horses will have still photos and several will have videos. Now the auctions are also offering a live video feed showing a presentation of the entire selection. All of this allows the buyer to get a good sense of the quality and type offered. The auction houses do offer bidding and buying by phone but I personally do not recommend buying based on just the web information as we found that seeing these same horses in real life drastically altered our favorites. Indeed, we had examined all photos and watched all videos easily 100 times prior to attending and had a short list with the strengths of each horse, but at the moment of arrival we tossed the list and stated making a new one based on our live impressions. There is just nothing to beat seeing and interacting directly with the horses. For online viewing you can also search the archives and view the after sales reports and learn information such as how many horses went to each country, the average sales price in addition to the high and low sales price. The site even breaks down how many horses were sold in each price range. I encourage you to view these stats and then to remember that they are not in dollars but in Euros so please convert for your price in Euros. And remember to get tissue out for this experiment because the current conversion rate is definitely not in our favor.

For the best fares we arranged our flight tickets well in advance and as this was "our crazy adventure" we opted to fly first class. We found that by shopping online and shopping early we were able to get first class tickets at an almost coach price. So I encourage you to search the online fares to save money for the auction.

Because we didn't know anyone in Germany and of course didn't know the city we called the Verband (they are extremely helpful for their guests) and went with their recommendation of Haags Hotel NiedersachsenHof. We found this to be a reasonable priced and lovely hotel with loads of European charm. Their contact number is 04231/666-0. While this was a lovely hotel the primary advantage is that it was just a brief walk from the auction house allowing repeated visits throughout our stay. The Hanoverian Verband and auction house are located in Lower Saxony Germany in the small town of Verden. The nearest airport is Bremen. A few other hotels are available in the town of Verden but will require a short car or cab ride to the auction.

For our transport we used a cab from Bremen to Verden because we didn't want the hassle of driving in a foreign country. The rates are good and cab accommodations are clean and new with courteous drivers. We requested a pick up time and date from our cab driver and he showed up promptly as scheduled. Rental cars can also be used but I encourage further research prior to renting.

Okay, so timing of arrival is also important to allow maximum time for viewing and trying of the horses prior to the actual sales. The regular auctions make the horses available 2 weeks prior to the auction and the Elite 1 month prior to the auction. We attended 1 week ahead of the auction but would have appreciated and enjoyed the additional week. Also, many international competitors will attend the first week when it isn't as busy and not as many eyes are watching their picks.

The protocol for the auction is a presentation or training of each horse in the morning and prospective buyer and training trying in the afternoon. They also will offer a formal presentation of all horses under rider at least once or twice prior to the auctions. Dressage horses are worked in dressage and jumpers are jumped. Each horse is assigned one trainer that will be with him through the journey and this individual will be a valuable asset to you. I encourage you to talk to the groom and trainer of your favorites to get a better feeling for the horse.

We arrived the morning of the formal presentation which began at noon and went well into the night. The auction we attended had 142 horses offered for sale and it took some time to view them all. We were fortunate to have a contact with a frequent buyer of auction horses, Melissa Mulchahey of Rose Lane Sporthorses, through our trainer and she offered her assistance at no charge. Although, the brokers do get a discount on the auction fees as well as some other perks from the auction house for their contribution to the event. So we met with the Melissa that night and found her to be pleasant, informed and a valuable asset in learning auction protocol.

Initially, we found it very difficult to form a short list as all the horses looked beautiful on first impression. However, mid-way thorough the presentation we saw a lovely black gelding with 3 white socks, blaze and sabino markings enter and 'float' around the arena. He was named Latin Lover and for me it was love at first sight but my trainer and the Melissa did their duty well and examined all possibilities. An interesting note is that Latin Lover did not have an online video or picture so he was not originally on our short list. By the end of that night we were all asleep on our feet with jet lag and crawled into bed.

The excitement of the auction had us up early and after a very quick breakfast we walked over to the barns and enjoyed visiting each horse while he was munching breakfast in his stall. One of our short list horses was a Hessen called Russian Fox and he was one of the few we kept on the list after visiting in person. As a side note the Hanoverian Verband recently bought out the Hessen Verband and now all hessens are registered Hanoverian and offered at the auctions. The Hessen was a lovely chestnut of average size again with sabino markings socks and blaze but most importantly free and lovely movement. We visited him while he was having breakfast and all agreed that he was lovely and well put together. We then visited the black horse that also turned out to be one of the 2 Hessens in the auction and found him amidst all the auction chaos laying down for a snooze. However, he quickly got to his feet when we greeted him and gave us all a nuzzle. At that point we all agreed he was a Teddy Bear but that we wouldn't make any decision until we had formed out short list and tried several horses. But, he was definitely on the list.

A word on the auction chaos, it is definitely stressful for these young horses to attend the auction and was actually more stress then I originally expected. However, all the horses are treated with great care and love by the verband. Everything was about the horse and if a horse was determined to be tired or stressed a no visiting sign was placed on his stall and he was not take out or tried during this time. Another unexpected finding was that many of these young horses developed minor upper respiratory infection. Looking back I believe this was to be expected as the auction mixes many horses of young age from many different farms - much like kindergarten. The most common finding of this URI was slight nasal discharge and any affected horse was examined and treated by the in house veterinarian.

We continued our excursions that day by visiting each stall repeatedly and speaking with all the grooms and trainers. The groom of the chestnut agreed that he was a very lovely mover and well balanced for such a young horse and the groom of the black advised that he had a lovely character. The other horses we investigated included both mares and geldings with ages ranging form 3 to 6 years old and height from 15.2 to well over 17 hh. When exploring the barns if we were particularly interested in a horse we would request that the groom take him out for closer examination and inspection of movement in hand. This was very helpful for determining potential conformation faults and character. Some of the horses were clearly not people horses and would stand with rear end facing their gate and others would nicker and welcome all new visitors.

Later that day the training began with each trainer riding their group of horses. We found it helpful to keep the sales list of the entire selection handy to make quick notes in the margins as each horse was shown. Each horse was ridden by the trainer for about 15-20 minutes and there were 4-5 horses present in the arena at any one time. When the trainer was done riding he, or she, would take the horse to the end of the arena and dismount waiting for prospective buyers to emerge from the audience and request a ride to try the horse. This was an interesting and sometimes entertaining methodology as most of these horses were very green and had little if any steering or breaks. And anyone could try the horse regardless of their ability or lack of ability. The Verband trainers of course make each horse look like an advanced mount but it was eye opening to see some armature riders on the same mounts. We witnessed a few rider falls and run aways during this time. When trying these horses it is best to have eyes in the back of your head to look for the unexpected run away or inattentive rider. Caution is strongly advised. It is helpful to talk first with the trainer of the horse so you can get an understanding if you should use caution with that individual mount.

For both our top picks (the chestnut and black) the trainers were relaxed and willingly handed over the reins. Both horses were well behaved beyond their years, and marvelous movers. Other horses tried were very anxious and while perhaps lovely movers had aggressive or frightened characters. Often the trainers of these horses would advise a word of caution prior to handing over the reins. Out of respect for these hard working horses it is recommended that your rides be kept short with just enough time to get an idea of the way of going. Most people abided by this but a couple didn't and were universally frowned upon.

One interesting rider was an older gentleman who appeared an expert rider and tried a nice bay. After dismounting the rider gave the horse a big kiss on the nose. It was nice to see after all the stress of the day.

When trying a horse I recommend that you follow your picks back to the barn. During this time you can watch the horse move on a straight line from behind and see how he responds for the untacking and bathing or grooming.

We eventually formed our short list of about 5 horses but the black and chestnut were top 2 picks and the black my own favorite. Once we had our short list we visited the house veterinarian and requested information about the vet check. He was very helpful and would actually show the digital x-rays for those interested. We found that the chestnut has 2 chips and the black no chips but 1 missing molar tooth. As a small animal veterinarian I found the vocabulary of chips interesting as they sound like a benign nothing but in reality chips referred to OCD lesions or cartilage lesions that could potentially cause lameness later in life based on the location of the chip. They also graded these chips as 1-3 with the highest being the most problematic. I recommend meeting with your equine veterinarian prior to attending the auction and discussing what type, if any, OCD lesion would be acceptable to you.

So we were very disappointed with the 2 chips on the chestnut but decided to keep him on our list as the chips were low grade and could be removed later if needed. The missing tooth was not of great concern in the black but did mean that he would need regular floating of his teeth and good dental care. Various other issues were found on the other horses on our list. Basically every horse will have something identified in the vet check and it is your job to use your team of veterinarian and trainer to determine what is acceptable to you - prior to the actual auction.

After meeting with the vet we took one horse off our list for grade 3 chips and added one other, but kept the original 2. The job now, was to prioritize the biding for each horse and determine if we would bid on all of the short list until one was won. We found that the chestnut would be sold and presented early on auction night and the black later in the night. This raised a dilemma because we had to determine if we waited for our first pick (black) or started biding early. We also had to determine how high we would go for each pick. In the end we decided to bid on our two favorites and keep those sold at the end of the list as our back-ups.

In the middle of the week Melissa took us for a drive about the country and on a visit to a beautiful stable (Dressurstall Kubelke) owned and operated by her trainer. We had a lovely visit here and were shown a couple of non-auction horses offered for sale including a beautiful 5 year old grey gelding. We decided to keep this horse as our back-up for after the auction as he was lovely.

After this we continued our daily viewing of the horses, training and presentation until the day of the auction quickly arrived. We all awakened early and were a mass of nerves. I'd done my math many times over the night before to determine how high I would bid in Euros. One thing I recommend having available for the auction is a printed spread sheet of U.S. dollars and the equal Euro amount. In the heat of the auction it is very helpful to glance down and know how many dollars you're actually spending. As often as I reminded my self that we were bidding in Euros I kept thinking in dollars so keep that paper handy.

We were fortunate that Melissa was able to obtain ring side seats for the auctions at an excellent line of sight to the action & auctioneer . I recommend that you book your tickets early by contacting Mr. Malte Kanz @ ++49 42 31/6 73 50 the price for tickets range from 10-25 euros each.

Our bidding protocol was discussed ahead of time with Melissa and she offered to bid for us. This turned out to be a blessing as everything went much faster then expected once the bidding began. The auction started with the auctioneer starting at 5,000 Euros on the first horse and it quickly escalated from there. The auctioneer did present in German but a handy scroll board was available above him showing the current bid. Several young people were present around the arena to act as pointers and help direct the auctioneer's attention to an active bidder. The actual bidding was done with a yellow card contained in the brochure and decorated with the Hanoverian logo. When the card was raised high a full bid was made when the card was presented horizontally the buyer was attempting to make a half bid which the auctioneer may or may not accept.

All of this was very new to us but we had a very enjoyable time watching the active bidders, the horses and the auctioneer. We found that immediately after a horse was sold the buyer was presented with gift from the Verband ranging from a Hanoverian logo mug to bottles of Champagne depending on how much the horse was sold for.

The enjoyment continued until our first pick arrived in the arena, the chestnut waltzed into the arena like he was floating and bids seemed to come form everywhere at once. I had set my max bid on him somewhat lower then on the black and we were quickly outbid. It was crushing and at that moment we wondered if we would be able to take any one of our picks home. The bidding ended with the chestnut going to Italy.

The black was in the last 1/3 of the auction and we had a long anxious wait until our next attempt. Teddy Bear, the black, (actually Latin Lover) marched out of the stable doors and into the arena like he'd been doing this all his life. He never hesitated or spooked but just floated around the arena. The bidding took off again and we were all very worried. Melissa had advised us that she would not bid until the last moment and to have patience but this was very difficult. She actually waited until the hammer was about to fall and then bid for us, immediately the people sitting behind us also began to bid! We bid back and forth several times until they hesitated and all went silent for what seemed forever. Everyone was waiting for their decision. Melissa turned around and stared at them waiting for their decision; I was near tears but couldn't take my eyes off this spectacle. After a few seconds the other bidder withdrew and we thought we had won our Teddy Bear. Unfortunately our hopes were crushed when another person placed a bid from across the arena. I quickly did my poor Euro to Dollar calculation, realized I was already way over and decided to jump. We placed our bid and won our Teddy Bear!

When the gift bearers came with a few bottles of Champagne I realized that I'd gone way over budget but was still very glad that I had. We were all in tears due to the stress and excitement but they were happy tears and expressed great relief. I was overjoyed that the beautiful black Teddy Bear I had picked the first night was actually ours. It just didn't seem real.

After we won the bid the reality quickly set in as the broker escorted us to the office to sign the sales agreement. No money was exchanged at this time and I learned that most people fly home on Sunday and then complete a wire transfer to the Verband for payment on Monday. But we had arranged a flight back later in the week and after advising the office of this found that they were very helpful and willing to work with us.

We returned to the arena and started to watch the rest of the auction but were advised again by Melissa that the protocol was to have the groom take the horse out for a photo and then return to the stable to enjoy the Champagne in the aisle with the former owners - a barn party of sorts.

We took Teddy out to the green for a photo and I could have stayed there all day but he was too quickly taken back to his stall where we met the former owners. They spoke broken English (a good things as I didn't speak any German) and during our conversation they advised that they mostly raised sport horse ponies and Teddy had been their first endeavor into the bigger guys. The wife advised me that they bred their favorite mare to Latimer and dreamed of a tall black beautiful stallion with a star. When he arrived they named him Latin Lover. I was amazed at the close connection they had with Teddy, they were both crying the entire time. Later that night I learned that he had been their little daughter's favorite and thus selling him had been difficult for them all. I thanked them for breeding and raising such a wonderful horse and for being willing to part with him. We then all decided to enjoy the Champagne and learned that Teddy loved to drink out of a glass but he was only allowed a sip. The barn party ended with our exchanging contact information with the former owners and promising to write and keep them updated.

We returned to the arena to see the last of the auction and saw the older gentleman who had kissed his mount on the nose, now bidding on and winning that same horse. After he won he hopped the fence and marched out to give the bay another kiss on the nose. For us too, It had been a wonderful night but there was still work to be done.

Our next step was to visit the gentleman in charge of the filming of the horses during training and the auction. For a nominal fee he collected all the video clips of our horse onto one DVD for us. You may also request a DVD of the horses radiographs or films which the verband will mail to you shortly after the auction.

We now had to contact the transport company to arrange a flight back to America for Teddy. Guido Klatte was our choice after researching companies prior to the auction we determined them to be the most reliable and experienced. The Klatte contact number is 49-4472 94007 - 0 . For the flight back the horses are placed into a box stall while still on the ground. The stall can be and usually is split into 3 individual stalls allowing for first class, business class and coach transport. Most horses fly 3 per box and the pricing at that time was approximately 7800.00. The box stall is filled with horses and then the entire stall is lifted and placed into the belly of the plane. A few seats are present in the plane and arrangements can be made to fly back with your horse. I didn't realize this at the time so Teddy would have to fly without us. We scheduled his departure for the next Wednesday and we would still be in Germany for most of this time. This was a nice time to allow us to get to know Teddy over the next few days when the chaos of the auction had died down. It was interesting to watch all the "brender-up" style trailers pulled by Mercedes come to collect horses for rides to their new home. The barns quickly emptied to the few horses going to the U.S on the same plane out. The time for us to depart came too quickly and we kissed Teddy (now firmly his name) goodbye and left for home knowing he would be there shortly. Upon arrival we made the necessary wire transfer and then waited for his arrival to California LAX airport. Jet Pets is the receiving company and have to be paid for caring for the horse during the 3 day gelding quarantine. We were able to arrange all this through Guido Klatte including reservation and payment. Stallions and mares entering the country have to go to a separate facility called a CEM quarantine facility and have a longer stay.

Cost for mare quarantine is approximately 50 and stallions are 4500 for the stay and testing. For geldings the cost is much less because they only need the 3 days with Jet Pets and all testing and paperwork can be completed prior to arrival by the transport company.

Teddy arrived in the U.S early in the morning and we received a call from Jet Pets advising us that he had arrived safe and sound. They would be taking his temperature daily to ensure he was not spiking a fever and if all went well they would release him in the expected 3 days. I was also able to get information on a local hauler from Jet Pets and arranged the hauling from LAX to Arizona. I received a call from Jet Pets daily regarding his status and on the 3rd day received a call that he had been picked up and was on his way home. We were overjoyed but had to continue to function as normal and work that day. After work I raced to the stable during a freak thunder storm and found that my trainer had already received him and placed him in his new stall. I entered the stall completely in awe that I was actually seeing him there and he turned around and presented his rear end to us! I wasn't sure what to make of this as this wasn't the Teddy we know and really he didn't have his ears back or seen angry. I rubbed his tail while thinking this over and he leaned in for a good long scratch. Teddy liked to have his bum scratched! It is a habit that he continues to this day. Any available object makes a good bum scratcher but he still likes us to do it for him. He was finally home and was the Teddy we remembered.

Jill M. Patt, DVM

Tips For Sport Horse Buying at European Auctions

Yogi Bear Dvd Release Date

Maintaining Relationships - Children and Incarcerated Parents

Thanks to our advancing technology, white collar crime is on the rise, but there are those who prefer the simplicity of journalism 101 from the 80's, thus, copy and pasting! Yes, one Michigan man was so ingenious; he physically taped a signature on documents and embezzled almost 0,000! According to the F.B.I. reports, the losses from white collar crime to the US exceed 0 billion per year. More profound is the amount of children and families that are displaced, left to cope and pick up pieces, or perhaps continue to crumble and fall in a downward spiral never to regain upward momentum again.

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The F.B.I. jumped right in as well as the SEC and of course, records were seized and a job was lost. With children of ages two and a half and not even one, more than one life was shattered. The effects of one man's weakness stretched across the miles and into the homes and hearts of many people. Perhaps the most experienced criminal attorney saved some embarrassing moments (no press, no handcuffs); however, the points still add up the same way with stringent sentencing guidelines. It took two years to process the case and the sentence delivered was 30 months, but did not come until the most appropriate day for this family that put so much trust in their faith....Ash Wednesday, 2004, running in tandem to the opening of the Passion of the Christ.

Yogi Bear Dvd Release Date

Interestingly enough, in this case, Dad decided to commit wire fraud while his wife, at the time, was pregnant with their second child and they had just moved into their dream home after climbing up the arduous corporate ladder! Many sessions of therapy were processed and proved beneficial to all, but could never prepare the family for the years ahead. Hopefully this will shed some light as to how to maintain relationships with the children left behind in similar cases.

The last few months were a time of family bonding. A time where nothing else mattered except creating memories and treasuring each waking moment. Perhaps this is how we should all live our lives whether a family member is heading off to prison or not! Special events were planned such as trips to the Toledo Zoo and Mackinac Island, as well as dinner with a Catholic priest and just lots of family fun! If there was ever a time of peace in our lives this was it, for the future held much unrest.

D-day was August 24, 2004, and the release day, though undetermined for quite some time, came to be August 14, 2006. As long as Daddy did not get thrown into the "hole" he could receive a reduced sentence for good behavior. The children had grown and were told Daddy was "going to school"! Too little to comprehend the truth, that seemed best for a three and five-year-old.

So off he went, with wife and sister-in-law, on a six-hour drive to northern West Virginia where the mornings were blanketed in fog and the scenery left one breathless. West Virginia University was only miles away; often one could hear the fans cheering during a football game.

The first visit was a solo expedition to track the route that would be so heavily traveled and become ritualistic by nature. More importantly, no one could prepare you for your first trip to a federal prison camp let alone prepare young children. Especially to such a large facility where over 1000 inmates were housed and white collar crime was not the majority offense. Drug trafficking was the norm, but it was not immune to heavier offenses where the inmates were transferred there from higher security facilities as their time served dwindled they were rewarded with a lower security facility with no fences and a lot more freedom. One could walk right off the grounds, but suffer the consequences, of course.

When children prepare for their first trip there are a few things to keep in mind. To maximize a weekend and be as cost effective as possible, driving all day Friday to visit Friday night works best. This allows for a full day visit on Saturday with only one hotel night stay. If two nights are in the budget then the research local areas of interest for the children such as movie theater, book store, or just swimming at the hotel. During a two-year visitation schedule, road trips will bring many adventures including vomit in the car, and many rest stops and pulling off the to the side of the road if you can't make the rest stop when a child is potty training. Mini vans with DVD players are great or portable DVD's, electronic games, magic pen pads and of course, snacks!

After much discussion with therapists, we arrived at a myriad of things to prepare for the two year absence, preserve the love that existed and maintain the relationships that had been built thus far, following is what was put into play:

1. Written Word: What better way to keep in touch than the traditional pen and paper. For inmates it is just that! No computer, just pen in hand while dressed in layers to buffer any amount of cold that lingers around the cinder block building. Trying to find solace in connecting with family and friends while the hand stiffens, the chair is hard and uncomfortable, there is limited lighting, music from other inmates booms in the background and tears stream down his face as he looks at photos of the children.....lonely, fatherless, children.
a. Stationary can be sent in including children-specific paper that makes it more exciting to receive. There is usually an artist amongst the group so in trade for a mere book of stamps, one can send their beloveds drawings as well! At the end of the sojourn, several binders hold these treasures perhaps to never be viewed again. Just tucked away as the memories will fade for some and remain vibrant as today's headlines to others. Nonetheless, they exist and the emotion, sorrow and pain behind them will never be forgotten.
b. A large handful of greeting cards were bought and pre-written for every occasion. For example, get well, congrats for school and/or sports, miss you, etc. Additionally, award ribbons and stickers were purchased to include for in cards as special treats. All of these items were organized in an accordion-type folder. Dad signed all cards and put individual notes in them.
c. School/teacher support...

2. Voice Recognition: According to Mary DiPaolo, M.A., LLP, the sound of a parents voice reassures a child that there is still a bond and, if applicable, the parent will return and life will be back to "normal" some day.
a. A trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop was made to record Daddy's voice only to be tucked inside of a cuddly animal that could be squeezed and heard at a whim! This only lasted one year so one must use creativity to get Dad's voice back on the recording device being that no recording devices are allowed during visits at federal prison camps.
b. If one can get past the fact that someone is listening to every word you say, phone calls are allowed and help the realism factor. Phone time can be purchased on a monthly basis and the inmate must wait for a free phone to call. There is a prerecording stating that the call is from a federal prison and then a silence before you actually here a voice. On a caller ID it will come up as "unknown".

3. Visuals: Perhaps nothing is more stimulating to the mind than what it can see. If Dad cannot be home, then children will have to settle for the next best thing; seeing his face in a photo, on a video or through some other means of visual presentation!
a. Family photos were taken, of course, on exit day. Photos can be taken during incarceration at the camp as well. Inmates can purchase tickets to use for this. Money can be wired in for inmates to buy toiletries, food, clothes, stamps, batteries and other misc. items. Wiring is the best route to go as sending money orders, which is allowed, can take a long time to hit the inmates account and often the inmate does not know who it comes from.
b. A paper "Dad" made out of construction paper was made to sit at the dinner table. This was alternated by an 8x10 photo head shot. The children even gave their paper Dad a plate of food....desperate for his voice, touch and laughter all while trying to please and comfort him. Aren't they the ones that need to be embraced?!
c. Video ~ the months just prior to his departure we filmed a home video of just day-to-day things. There was also a DVD from a family trip taken earlier in the year that was special to all! Beach time, laughter, and just plain family fun!

4. Ministry/Faith: If faith is the evidence of things unseen, how could you not have faith in what you do see?
a. Angel Tree, A Ministry of Prison Fellowship ~ The holidays are a doleful time and with the help of such programs as Angel Tree, they don't have to be that way. When my children saw the bag of presents left on our doorstep she was elated and tears streamed down my face. To this day, my daughter remembers my tears of joy and although there is a deeper meaning of the season, the generosity of fellow Christians helped ease the emotional magnitude that was looming. The tag read: "I miss you. I will be home soon. I love you. Daddy"
b. There is always a time and a place to get to know the Lord, but apparently when one has a lot of time on their hands, say in prison, there is a better chance of it happening. Increased faith can always help even if it is temporary. Claiming to be Born Again when confined and incarcerated can appear to some as an act of martyrdom and a hypocrite or con artist to others. Nonetheless, there are benefits to the children as Dad draws strength and appears grounded to them in written communication, visits, and in phone conversations. Notable books that helped Dad during his stay were: Drink this Cup, Nowen, The Alchemist, Coelho, and A Course in Miracles, Schucman & Thetford . This can be a time for a man to grow in spirit even if it is temporary. The friends he finds here will be friends for life as they share something very deep and common - sin, pain, regret, fear, sadness, loneliness, abandonment, and loss.
c. Choosing the right friends and support system(s) ~ to a 5 ½ year old boy, losing his father can be devastating. If the relationship is strong when the father leaves the harder it will be for the child to function socially. We were fortunate that when a breakdown occurred during a play date the parents where abreast of the situation and were able to comfort the child vs. brushing off his needs and using tough love. People of faith have the foundation and basis of love and that is what the children left behind in this situation need a lot of! A mother left to care for children can build her strength as well and in this situation, many avenues were explored and utilized such as Toastmaster's International, small women's groups , Christian therapy, places of worship /Bible study, and personal networking and creation of prayer group(s).

5. Visitation: This was once a topic for a speech in Toastmaster's International titled "How to Prepare for Your First Visit to Federal Prison Camp". It turned out being a humorous speech because of all of the stipulations the government has for visitation. It is wonderful that this can occur, but the guards might as well be Northwest Airlines ticket agents because they do not care at all for the visitors and they are clearly on a power trip! Let's look at just a few highlights.
a. Regular visiting hours were Friday 5:30-8:00, Saturday 8:00am-4:00pm, and Sunday 8:00am-4:00pm as well as most federal holidays although some inmates work on those days. If visitors do not make it before "count" time or a cut off time, they will not be let in or made to wait. If the "count" occurs when you are visiting with children be prepared to make up a story to say why Daddy is lining up and being counted with the other "students". If there is too much fog, there may be no visiting at all. Even if you have driven seven hours across four states and the children in the car are restless there is no pity. Keep in mind that first (there are a lot of firsts) you must be an "approved" visitor by filling out paperwork and waiting for approval. Children of the inmate are automatically on the list. The first visit we made, one of the family members was not "cleared" so she had to wait outside while the other visited. Imagine driving all that way and not being allowed in. Tears run rampant and emotions consume you beyond what you ever imagined! You should also be mindful to come early or before the "count" because there will be a line and then you have to wait for them to call the inmate and they do this at their extreme leisure.
b. There is a dress code, of course. Either leave your coat in your car or put it in a locker because they may search you. Women cannot wear tank tops or short skirts or dresses that reveal too much. No shorts except for children. They will turn you away to go and change if you can or you will have to come back the next day or next time.
c. What to bring - You cannot bring anything to the inmate when visiting so you can tell the friends and family members from day one that "NO, I cannot bring them this or that!" You must mail it; it will be inspected, read, etc. If you are visiting for the entire day there are vending machines to buy gourmet treats and sodas (a bit of sarcasm here)! Your money must be in a clear plastic bag, preferably coins because the change machine may not be working. Do not be shocked when Daddy consumes more junk food in a four-hour sitting than you have ever seen him eat in his life! The food prepared in the kitchen is without butter, salt, flavor, and often the most bland, stale, expired food one has ever eaten! So at this point, anything out of a vending machine looks like a Thanksgiving feast!
d. On a positive note, there are board games, playing cards and a few toys for the children to play and perhaps a TV (maybe even a VCR) or two, depending on the size of the facility. You just have to get past the germs, missing pieces and those who keep the games the entire visitation. This is one benefit to a smaller and newer camp. A transfer is not necessarily a bad thing. Only a few short months Daddy was transferred to a new minimum security camp where a prison mecca was forming with a maximum security men's facility, a maximum security women's facility and eventually a super max underground maximum security facility.

After June 2004, when the Supreme Court ruled on Blakely v. Washington, sentencing guidelines were no longer uniformly applied. Even further, in January 2005, the Supreme Court decided in United States v. Booker that mandatory application of the federal sentencing guidelines violated the right to trial by jury under the Sixth Amendment. Once hopeful that these cases would overturn and reduce his sentence the final verdicts left no hope, thus, these children remained fatherless for 24 months.

One factor that came into play for this case included regional differences in sentencing practices. The rate of imposition of below-average and above-average sentencing for first offenders also increased after Booker. The new methodology implemented in response to Booker uses 11 categories designed to collect and report the nuances of sentencing under the advisory guideline system. Attorneys were hopeful here, but their efforts went unrecognized and broken dreams of an earlier return were shattered.

Whoever is left maintaining the home front plays a critical role. A positive portrayal of the incarcerated parent can only benefit the future relationships of the family members, as hard as it may be. Ill thoughts and words can be processed in therapy or anywhere away from the children's ears. If they are so fortunate to come out unscathed from such a crime the thing that matters most, family, will be strong in the long run.

People make mistakes. Some forgive and some do not. Choices are made and making no choice at all is still making a choice not to choose. Some get caught when the wrong choice is made and some do not. Could you live with the knowledge of having committed a crime and gotten away with it? In this case, the felon thought, for a time, that he got away with "it". He was not caught until approximately six months after the client moved their account. He was living with sin and swept it under the rug. Choices.

Children are the unfortunate helpless victims in these cases. Spouses suffer emotionally, financially, and physically, but generally gather strength to care for these children that are left behind. To go from a whole family one day to a broken one the next. Going to church and looking around at all of the other families, the fathers, silently weeping. Thoughts of divorce saunter in and out of one's mind. Anxiety attacks grow, pity is at first welcome and eventually rejected. Humbleness is an acquired state.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that people do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 8:3

Maintaining Relationships - Children and Incarcerated Parents

Yogi Bear Dvd Release Date