Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 231

19 February 2016 - CLANCY TUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY

CLANCY TUCKERPHOTOGRAPHY
G'day folks,
Time to offer some of my humble photographs. By the time you read this, I will be in Laos, taking squillions of new photographs. Stay tuned.















































































Clancy's comment: There ya go. Heaps more to come, folks.
I'm ...

18 February 2016 - MORE BRITISH SLANG

MORE BRITISH SLANG
G'day folks,
Welcome to some more slang from the UK. There are some rippers here.


Jammy - If you are really lucky or flukey, you are also very jammy. It would be quite acceptable to call your friend a jammy b****rd if they won the lottery. 
Jimmy - Actually short for Jimmy Riddle. i.e. I'm off for a Jimmy Riddle. This is Cockney rhyming slang for piddle! 
John Thomas - Yet another word for a blokes willy! I always felt a bit sorry for people who were actually called John Thomas. What were their parents thinking? 
Jolly - You hear people use this in all sorts of ways, but basically it means very. So "jolly good" would mean very good. A common exception is where you hear people say "I should jolly well think so!" which is more to emphasise the point. 
Keep your pecker up - This is one way of saying keep your chin up. Use with caution as in some places your pecker is also your willy! 
Khazi - Another word for the toilet. Our version of your bathroom. 
Kip - A short sleep, forty winks, or a snooze. You have a kip in front of the telly on a Sunday afternoon. 
Knackered - The morning after twenty pints and the curry, you'd probably feel knackered. Another way to describe it is to say you feel shagged. Basically worn out, good for nothing, tired out, knackered. 
Knees up - If you're having a knees up, you're going to a dance or party. 
Knob - Yet another word for your willy. 
Knock off - To knock something off is to stealit, not to copy it! 
Knock up - This means to wake someone up. Although it seems to have an altogether different meaning in the USA! At one time, in England, a chap was employed to go round the streets to wake the workers up in time to get to work. He knew where everyone lived and tapped on the bedroom windows with a long stick, and was known as a "knocker up". He also turned off the gas street lights on his rounds. Another meaning of this phrase, that is more common these days, is to make something out of odds and ends. For example my Dad knocked up a tree house for us from some planks of wood he had in the garage, or you might knock up a meal from whatever you have hanging around in the fridge. 
Knockers - Another word for breasts. 
Knuckle sandwich - If somebody offers you a knuckle sandwich you'd be best to decline the offer and leave at the next convenient moment. It isn't some British culinary delight - they're about to thump you in the face. 
Leg it - This is a way of saying runor run for it. Usually said by kids having just been caught doing something naughty. Well it was when I was a kid! 
Left, right and centre - If you have been looking left, right and centre, it means you have been searching all over. 
Love bite - You call them hickies - the things you do to yourself as a youngster with the vacuum cleaner attachment to make it look like someone fancies you! 
Lurgy - If you have the lurgy it means you are ill, you have the Flu. Don't go near people with the lurgy in case you get it! 
Luvvly-jubbly - Clearly another way of saying lovely. Made famous by the TV show Only Fools and Horses. 
-ly - These are two letters that seem to be left off words in America. I never heard anyone say something was "really nice" or "really cool", they would say real niceand real cool. We would be sent to the back of the class for grammar like that! 
Mate - Most chaps like to go to the pub with their mates. Mate means friend or chum. 
Momentarily - As you come into land at an American airport and the announcement says that you will be landing momentarily, look around to see if anyone is sniggering. That will be the Brits! I never did figure out why they say this. Momentarily to us means that something will only happen for an instant - a very short space of time. So if the plane lands momentarily will there be enough time for anyone to get off? Weird! 


Clancy's comment: Well, mate, stop sniggering, or I'll give you a knuckle sandwich. 
I'm ...

17 February 2016 - 50 TIPS FOR A LASTING RELATIONSHIP

50 TIPS FOR A LASTING RELATIONSHIP
G'day folks,
No, I have not become involved in marriage guidance. These are some tips, courtesy of Tim Hoch via Thought Catalog. 
Relationships are tough. Marriage is a tough bitch. And it’s certainly not for everyone. As a lawyer, I have handled a few divorces. Thank goodness there is such an alternative for people trapped in horrible circumstances. But if you’re inclined to weather sickness and health, richer and poorer — and even if you’ve just met the person with whom you want to be in a longterm romance — bring a short memory and a long sense of humor. You’re gonna need it.

1. Burn your blueprint.Rid yourself of whatever fantasies you harbor about the bliss of coupled life. They’re not helping. There is no script, so don’t be disappointed when your fairytale gets hijacked.
2. Forgive.Didn’t Jesus say something about forgiving someone not just seven times but seventy times seven? That would be 490 times….which should last you through your first 6 months. Jesus underestimated because, remember, he wasn’t married.
3. And forget.If you forgive but don’t forget, did you really forgive? I know people who claim to have forgiven but still use every available opportunity to bring it up. And if you don’t want to forgive, forgetting works just as well.
4. Be a good teammate.Life can come at you hard. One of the nice things about marriage and relationships is being able to have someone else in the bunker when you’re getting shelled.
5. Grow.If you still have the same desires, opinions and beliefs at age 50 that you did at age 25, that’s your own damn fault. You will not, and should not, be the same person you were then.
6. And adapt.Even if you stagnate, the person you’re in a relationship with will change. Don’t fight it. Embrace it, learn from it, be thankful for it.
7. Find your faith.There is great comfort in believing in something or someone beyond our crude human existence. Explore this belief. Take this journey together.
8. Travel together.Travel forces couples to rely on one another in unpredictable ways. It will also broaden your worldview and the way you value your relationship.
9. Travel separately.I want to go to Australia and you want to go to Maine? Cool. Take lots of pictures. See you in a week.
10. Develop your own interests.It seems counter-intuitive, but you will enhance your relationship when you pursue your separate interests.
11. Cultivate a wide, diverse circle of friends.One of the greatest joys of living is meeting new people. And many of the people you meet will likely make you appreciate your mate even more.
12. Don’t keep score.I know a couple who keeps track of the number of times each partner completes a household chore. Don’t do this. It’s exhausting. And childish.
13. Exercise.You owe it to each other to be in the best physical health possible. The mental side effects from exercise will also be beneficial.


14. Practice self-awareness.Take frequent looks in the mirror. Reflect on who you are and the contributions you are making to your relationship. Are you being judgmental? Unfair? Harsh? Hypercritical? Defensive?
15. Admit that you’re wrong (even, on occasion, when you aren’t).This is both the easiest and hardest thing to do on this list. But this simple gesture will pay immeasurable dividends; it will help you grow and it’s just the right thing to do.
16. Celebrate accomplishments big and small.Whether it’s a promotion at work or the police officer let you off with just a warning, find every occasion possible to toast your good fortune.
17. Surprise one another.Fill up her car. Let him sleep alone in the bed once in a while. Buy some bacon.
18. It’s the good little things.Holding the door, suggesting a movie night, paying attention. The reward for these is greater than the sum of the parts.
19. And it’s the bad little things.Cracking your knuckles, spitting, clearing your throat, picking your nose, chewing ice. These are death by a thousand cuts to your relationship.
20. Cultivate your finer qualities.When do you ever have an opportunity to really work on qualities that make you a better person? In a strong relationship, you can do it every single day. Qualities like patience, loyalty, compassion, trust.
21. The bathroom is private.If you think it’s quaint to brush your teeth while I use the toilet, you’ll change your mind about that eventually. Trust me.
22. Talk about sex (but not just right before, during, or right after).Sex is an important part of any relationship. But for some reason couples don’t want to discuss it unless they are in the throes of passion. Don’t make sex a taboo subject.
23. Encourage each other.We all have insecurities. Your relationship is one place where you should be completely free to reveal these and your spouse should help you overcome them.


24. It’s okay to have secrets.Even George Bailey slipped Violet Bick a $20 bill every now and then.
25. Avoid subtext.This is a cowardly way to communicate. If you have something to say, say it. Don’t hint about it.
26. Put it down.The toilet seat. Her cell phone. The beat.
27. Pick it up.Your dirty sock. Your used tissue. The pace.
28. Don’t over-romanticize past (or future) relationships.You weren’t that great and your ex isn’t that hot.
29. Never use the “s” word.Don’t call each other “stupid.” That’s just stu…. not wise.
30. Offer solutions, not criticism.Anyone can criticize. A good teammate (See Rule 4) will offer a way out.
31. Read.To escape or to expand. Either way, it helps.
32. You are equals.It doesn’t matter which one of you makes the most money. It doesn’t matter which one of you has the better REO Speedwagon vinyl collection. It doesn’t matter which one of you has the best nickname. It doesn’t even matter which one of you has the coolest food allergy.
33. Compliment each other.Sincerely and often.
34. Respect each other’s friends.You know your wife’s loud mouthed, insane friend Cathy who thinks you have weak bullshit and can’t believe you married her BFF? See below.
35. Know when to keep your mouth shut.No list would be complete without the “Do these jeans make my butt look big?” lesson.
36. Indulge each other’s passions.Scrapbooking doesn’t count.
37. Lose your arbitrary moral code.This list alone proves that I am the king of the double standard. When I want to spend money on a new set of golf clubs, it’s a good investment. When my wife wants to spend money on new kitchen countertops, she’s a profligate. It’s not exactly fair.
38. Respect space and time.Have we not evolved as a species or watched enough Dr. Phil to realize our mate does not want to answer the question “How was your day?” the minute he/she walks in the door?
39. Take pride in your appearance.Your marriage license doesn’t give you a free pass to always wear sweat pants and T-shirts.



40. Maintain good hygiene.Could your big toenail puncture a snow tire? Could your breath peel wallpaper? Take care of that, please. I don’t want to have to tell you again.
 41. Ask before you throw it away.Don’t touch that broken, ceramic, animated cactus tequila shot glass holder. I’m serious.
42. Invite his/her family to special gatherings.At least once. Thankfully, this may be all you need.
43. Speaking of family, everyone gets a holiday card and a birth announcement.Even your creepy Uncle Steve and their psycho cousin Lisa.
44. Don’t be petty.So I forgot to stop at the store to get your prescription. Did you have to throw away my ceramic cactus shot glass holder?
45. Be self-sufficient.Learn to do your own laundry. Know how to cook a meal; how to navigate the grocery store; how to make an online purchase; how to turn off the water to the house; how to erect a Nerf basketball hoop; how to unclog a toilet.
46. Everything is fair game for a joke.This should be at the heart of everything you do. I have not found a single thing that I have been unable to eventually laugh about. If you know this from the beginning, it makes things a lot more fun.
47. Have good manners.Don’t yell. Open the door. Help carry the groceries. Cover your cough. Hold your gas.
48. Be responsible with money.No one lives on love. You need money. If you earned it, you will almost certainly respect it. If you didn’t earn it, you must respect it even more.
49. Remember to say thank you.Even and especially when things don’t seem like they need to be acknowledged.
50. Adapting beats abandoning.There will be moments when you want to quit, walk out, give up. You can do that. But you will probably be doing so without giving due consideration to the new life that awaits you. Will you be better off in six months? 10 years?
 


Clancy's comment: Thanks, Tim. Good collection of ideas.
I'm ...

16 February 2016 - A WW 11 LOVE STORY - Guest Post

A WW II Love story 

by

Uvi Poznansky
G'day folks,
Today, I present a guest post from an author, poet and artist  from Santa Monica, California. 
Welcome, Uvi ...
Author of The Music of Us(Included in A Touch of Passion)
Many writers find no joy in having to reach out to readers through social networking. I happened to thrive on it. Want to know my secret weapon? It is this: forming alliances with other writers and producing something special together, offering it to a combined pool of readers, through a process of creative collaboration. The most recent example of such a project is the new boxed set of twelve novels, written by bestselling, multiple award-winning, USA Today and NY Times authors. It is titled A Touch of Passion:
Lose yourself in a touch of passion. Whether it’s the beauty in a song or the magic of a kiss, the agony of heartbreak or the hunger of yearning, explore ecstasy and desire in these captivating full-length novels. Written by twelve bestselling, multiple award-winning, USA Today and NY Times authors, this boxed set has it all: Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, New Adult Romance, Romantic Suspense, Victorian Romance, Western and Literary Fiction. These sensual tales of love will leave you with a smile on your lips and music in your heart.


My contribution to this boxed set is my newest novel--released only a month ago--titled The Music of Us.The story harkens back to the beginning of WWII. Built upon its historical timeline, it is infused with the music of the era. Here is a snippet of the lyrics I wrote for the story, to bring back that feel of the 1940’s”
Midnight came and went
The place is empty, I’m so lonely and so spent
So fill my cup
And let me tell you, before my time’s up
It’s too late to give, she won’t take
Nothing more to talk of
So make it one for the heartbreak
And one more for love
This is what my novel is about:
In 1970, Lenny can no longer deny that his wife is undergoing a profound change. Despite her relatively young age, her mind succumbs to forgetfulness. Now, he goes as far back as the moment he met Natasha during WWII, when he was a soldier and she—a star, brilliant yet illusive. Natasha was a riddle to him then, and to this day, with all the changes she has gone through, she still is. 

“Digging into the past, mining its moments, trying to piece them together this way and that, dusting off each memory of Natasha, of how we were, the highs and lows of the music of us, to find out where the problem may have started?” 

To their son, Ben, that may seem like an exercise in futility. For Lenny, it is a necessary process of discovery, one that is as tormenting as it is delightful. He often wonders: can we ever understand, truly understand each other—soldier and musician, man and woman, one heart and another? Will we ever again dance together to the same beat? Is there a point where we may still touch? 

Do you like historical fiction about the 20th century, especially when it is tinged with romance and wrapped in a family saga? Then this series, Still Life with Memories, is for you.




Love Romance? Get A Touch of Passion Kindle  ★ Nook ★ Apple ★  Smashwords



Clancy's comment: Well done, Uvi. Thanks for being a guest. I hope this boxed set sells well.
I'm ...

15 February 2016 - PHOTOGRAPHS OF MY JOURNEY

PHOTOGRAPHS OF MYJOURNEY SO FAR
G'day folks,
As you know I'm in South East Asia. I went to Hanoi but cut my stay short as it was too cold. Now, I'm in Rayong, Thailand, staying at a beautiful hotel. Anyway, here are some interesting shots I've taken along the way. Most, are very different to what others might take. Why? Maybe it's my creative mind, seeking something different. Enjoy ...























































Clancy's comment: There ya go. Most of these were taken near a beach in Thailand. 
I'm ...

14 February 2016 - QUOTES ABOUT OLD AGE

QUOTES ABOUT OLD AGE
G'day folks,
None of us are getting any younger, so here are some interesting quotes about old age. If you want to know how to age successfully, your best bet is to ask older adults who've figured out the secrets. These 15 wise individuals, all of whom lived well into their later years, provide a range of witty, wise, and even practical tips for finding fulfillment, no matter what your age.


 "I had to wait 110 years to become famous.  I wanted to enjoy it as long as possible."  Jeanne Louise Calment  (1875-1997)

The oldest documented living human, this French woman had all her wits about her when she reached the "super-centenarian" age of 110. With her jaunty smile, Calment charmed the world with her upbeat attitude toward agingand life.

"You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to live to be a hundred."  Woody Allen (1935- )

Unfortunately, this bon mot is somewhat true, though some of the longest-living individuals (including Calment) engaged in their share of bad habits. However, you can control your life span to the extent that you can avoid some of the unhealthy behaviors that cause people to die before reaching old age.

"Too many people, when they get old, think that they have to live by the calendar ." John Glenn (1921-)

As the oldest person to board a U.S. Space Shuttle at age 77, Senator John Glenn exemplified the view that we shouldn't let age define us. The calendar is a useful way to let you know the date, but if you let yourself be hemmed in by your chronological age, you may lock yourself out of potentially valuable opportunities.

"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was*?" Satchel Paige (1906-1982)

Along the same lines as John Glenn's quote is that of this baseball legend who continued his successful careerwell into his 60s. We are so obsessed with age, Paige implies, that we allow it to define our identities. Break out of the mental set that makes you think of your age first, and your identitysecond. 





" Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty." Coco Chanel (1983-1971)

Before the age of botox, this fashion icon wisely noted that the expressions you characteristically show will lead you to develop the lines that engrave your face as you get older. At 20, you have none of these lines, but by 50 your typical expression will have carved itself into your forehead and around your eyes and mouth. Smile and your facial wrinkles will have a friendlier feel.

"Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness." Edward Stanley (1826-1893)

Do you ever feel that you just don't have enough time to work out? Do you get to work early and stay late at the office, only to convince yourself that there are just not enough hours in the day to get to the gym? Back in the mid-1800s, this British stateman advocated, well ahead of his time, for the importance to healthof getting regular physical activity. He didn't have the data to support this argument that we have now about the value of exercise, but his astute observation would withstand the most rigorous scientific test about the benefits of working out on a regular basis.

"I have reached an age when, if someone tells me to wear socks, I don't have to." Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Einstein seemed to have the ability to produce more witticisms than the average physicist.  In this case, he expresses the sentiment that many older adults seem to feel, as evidenced by research showing that older adults have lower scores on a measure called "self-discipline." By the time they reach their later years, individuals feel better able to express themselves rather than being hemmed in by society's proscriptions.

"Do not try to live forever, you will not succeed." George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

This is somewhat of a discouraging message but not if you accept the fact that there are limits on longevity, meaning that life has finite limits. Of course, Shaw himself lived to a ripe old age.  However, by recognizing that no one can live forever, you can avail yourself of the life you have, and enjoy it as much as possible.

"By the time you're eighty years old you've learned everything. You only have to remember it." George Burns (1896-1996)

The ultimate wise old man, George Burns (who played "God" in case you don't remember) expresses an observation that, although probably unknown to him, has its basis in empirical data about aging and memory. Researchers believe that one of the challenges to memory that older adults face is the ability to retrieve the information they have already acquired. With this knowledge, you can avail yourself of memory strategies that will allow you to maximize the ability to store and retrievethe memories you strive to retain.

"The wiser mind mourns less for what age takes away than what it leaves behind." William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

There are several layers of wisdomembedded in this quote. One is that as people get older, their wisdom is expressed by focusing on what is most important. Second, those adults who do focus on loss will be less able to maximize their mental powers, even in areas that traditionally seem vulnerable to the effects of aging. Third, by concentrating on your strengths rather than your weaknesses, your more positive mental set will allow you to  take advantage of your mental powers, even if they're not quite what they were when you were younger.



"He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition, youth and age are equally a burden." Plato (427-346 B.C.)

This wise observation from Plato harkens back to the findings of "Big Five" researchers Costa and McCrae, who observed that the most discontented younger adults were the ones most likely to experience the so-called "midlifecrisis" in their 40s. Although personality change is possible at any time throughout life, people high on the trait of neuroticismseem to have disadvantages in adapting to the challenges of midlife and beyond.

"At age 20, we worry about what others think of us. At age 40, we don't care what they think of us. At age 60, we discover they haven't been thinking of us at all." Ann Landers (1918-2002)

The guru of advice columns (along with her twin sister, Abigail Von Buren), Ann Landers reminds us that as people get older, they move away from the egocentric concerns of youth to the more realistic perceptions of midlife and older adults, who realize that they are not the center of the universe.  As a result, older adults are free to do what they want, not constrained by what they construe to be the opinions of others (who themselves are thinking only about themselves).

"Old age hath yet his honour and his toil." Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)

I like this quote as an opening to my lecture on aging and work. Although we tend to think of older adults as less productive employees than their younger counterparts, the opposite is true. From the age of 55 and onwards, workers are better employees in terms of their reliability and even, in many vocational fields, of productivity. We might wish that aging carried with it more "honour" than it does in a society that seems to value youth, but as Tennyson pointed out, there are many reasons that it should.

"Because I could not stop for death – He kindly stopped for me." Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

Emily Dickinson's quotes are some of the most quotable in all of psychology, and this is no exception. The idea that death can be "kind" fits with what experts in the field of death and dying call the "tame" view of death. It's not that death steals us of life, but that it brings us to a beneficent ending. 



"Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be." Robert Browning (1812-1889)

This very inspiring characterization of old age fits with the concept of "successful aging," provides the view that it is possible to enjoy your later years in a way that exceeds your expectations.

"Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength." Betty Friedan (1921-2006)

One of the founders of the feminist movement, Betty Friedan continued to inspire women throughout her life, writing about her experiences with aging in The Fountain of Age. In this quote, Friedan captures the concept of successful aging. Let's redefine later life as a time of growth instead of inevitable decline.


Clancy's comment: Mm ... How do you feel  now? 

Oh, Happy Valentines Day.

I'm ...

13 February 2016 - ORIGINS OF THE MIRANDA WARNING

ORIGINS OF THE MIRANDA WARNING
G'day folks,
I bet you have heard of the Miranda Warning, but do you know how it came about?

“You have the right to remain silent.” You’ve probably heard those words, which are part of the Miranda warning, on countless TV shows following a criminal suspect’s arrest. Thanks to a 1966 landmark ruling by the U.S. 



Supreme Court in the case of Miranda v. Arizona, the warning—which also lets a person know that anything he says can be used against him in court, and that he has a right to an attorney and to have one provided by the state if he can’t afford one—must be given to someone in police custody before he can be questioned. The warning is named for a real person, Ernesto Miranda.



In 1963, Miranda was arrested for the kidnapping and rape of a woman in Phoenix. After being interrogated by law enforcement officials for several hours, he admitted to the crimes then signed a written confession. When Miranda’s case went to trial, his confession was the main evidence used against him. However, his lawyer argued the confession should be tossed out because his client didn’t have an attorney present during questioning and hadn’t fully understood his rights when he confessed—and therefore the confession wasn’t voluntary. 



The lawyer’s objection was overruled and Miranda was found guilty and sentenced to 20 to 30 years behind bars. The Arizona Supreme Court later upheld his conviction. The U.S. Supreme Court then heard the case and in 1966 ruled 5-4 in favor of reversing Miranda’s conviction, declaring his confession invalid because he hadn’t been informed by police of his constitutional rights. The ruling gave rise to the Miranda warning, which became standard police procedure in the United States, even as it proved controversial, with critics charging it weakened the power of law enforcement to obtain confessions.



In 1967, Ernesto Miranda was retried—this time, without his confession used as evidence—and convicted. After being paroled in 1972, he was stabbed to death four years later in a bar fight.



Clancy's comment: There ya go. 
I'm ...

12 February 2016 - MARK TWAIN'S CHILDHOOD

MARK TWAIN'S CHILDHOOD
G'day folks,

To celebrate Mark Twain's birthday, Henry Sweets, Executive Director of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, takes a look back at the author's early life and how it inspired many of his beloved books.


Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born in the hamlet of Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835. He later wrote in his autobiography: “My parents removed to Missouri in the early ‘thirties; I do not remember just when, for I was not born then and cared nothing for such things. It was a long journey in those days and must have been a rough and tiresome one. The village contained a hundred people and I increased the population by 1 per cent. It is more than many of the best men in history could have done for a town. It may not be modest in me to refer to this but it is true.” 
When Sam was nearly four years old his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River. His father, John Marshall Clemens, began to operate a general store. Later John Clemens was elected justice of the peace and held court sessions. 


Sam began school when he was four and a half years old. He recalled breaking a rule on the first day of school and being warned. Then a second infraction brought a switching. Mrs. Horr “called me by my entire name, Samuel Langhorne Clemens—probably the first time I had ever heard it all strung together in one procession—and said she was ashamed of me. I was to learn later that when a teacher calls a boy by his entire name it means trouble.” 
The Hannibal days were rich for Sam. His keen power of observation and sharp memory later provided him with a wealth of inspiration that he used frequently in his writings as Mark Twain. 
As Mark Twain, he immortalized Hannibal as St. Petersburg in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The geographical features are real. The Mississippi River and its islands, Cardiff Hill, the great cave South of town, are all features visitors can explore today. The town had but 700 or so people when the family arrived in 1839, it grew to more than 2,500 by the time he left in 1853. He was familiar with the community and its inhabitants. 
Inspiration for many of the characters in Tom Sawyer comes from actual people. He used his mother, Jane Clemens, as Aunt Polly. His sister, Pamela, and brother, Henry, became Cousin Mary and Cousin Sid. The real girl, Laura Hawkins, who lived across the street from the Clemens family inspired Becky Thatcher. And Tom Blankenship from a poor family spawned Huckleberry Finn. We see Sam’s childhood spent playing in the hills, on the river, and in the cave spread across the pages of Tom Sawyer. The book also captures his school experience, and his father’s courtroom became the setting for the trial scene in the story. 
Sam’s father died on March 22, 1847, when Sam was just 11 years old. Shortly thereafter he was taken from school and apprenticed to a local newspaper. There by setting type letter by letter, he was exposed to many writing styles and built up his vocabulary – experience that served him well as a writer himself. 


In the spring of 1853, Sam left Hannibal to travel to New York City to see the Crystal Palace Exposition at the ripe age of 17. Over the next few years he was to become a steamboat pilot; travel to Nevada and become a newspaper reporter; serve as traveling correspondent to Hawaii and to the Holy Lands; then to marry and settle in New England. 
 The writing career of Sam Clemens, who chose the pen name Mark Twain, produced more than 25 books in a wide range of styles. His early experience in Hannibal was ever with him and his childhood home of Hannibal appears in many of his works, supplying episodes in The Innocents Abroad, serving as the start of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, sections of Life on the Mississippi, and Pudd’nhead Wilson. 
  Today the cabin in which he was born is preserved in Florida, Missouri as the Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site. In Hannibal, the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museumpreserves the Mark Twain Boyhood Home, the Becky Thatcher House, the John M. Clemens Justice of the Peace Building, the reconstructed Huckleberry Finn House and museum buildings. You can visit www.marktwaiunmuseum.orgto learn more about the quintessential American author whose boyhood in Hannibal provided inspiration for many of his most beloved writings.

Henry Sweets grew up in Hannibal, Missouri. He earned a B.S. and Masters in Education from the University of Illinois and a Masters in American History and Museum Studies from the University of Delaware. He has been at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, since January, 1978. He organized and has overseen the Mark Twain Teacher Workshops for 10 years, and edits The Fence Painter, now in its 36th year. In 2011 and 2015 he ran The Clemens Conference, a quadrennial scholarly Mark Twain conference. Sweets has traveled the United States speaking on Mark Twain.


Clancy's comment: Interesting man ... Interesting life.
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11 February 2016 - THINGS TO SAY GOODBYE TO

THINGS TO SAYGOODBYE TO
G'day folks,
Here are a few ideas courtesy of Thought Catalog. Maybe they should have been read on January 1st.

1.Say goodbye to the voices in your head that tell you that you are incapable of doing something or being someone. They lie a lot, and you should know that by now.
2.Say goodbye to the need for validation. We all need validation from time to time, but you also don’t have to constantly pursue it. As long as you see your utmost potential or how far you’ve come, you don’t need to seek after anyone to affirm that for you.
3.Say goodbye to all the moments you were not so proud of; forget them and remember that you are a human being who is still learning how to live.
4.Say goodbye to the promises you didn’t keep, know that timing is everything, and good things take time.
5.Say goodbye to the self-doubt and the negativity last year brought. It might not be the happy ending you wanted, but it could possibly be the happy beginning you didn’t see coming.
6.Say goodbye to the times you cried and the times you were in so much pain, and give yourself a pat on the back for getting through yet another obstacle. Sooner or later, you will get to the finish line.
7.Say goodbye to the people who don’t want anything to do with you; they are not meant to be in your life for one reason or another. Focus on the ones who do and the ones who care.
8.Say goodbye to the memory you keep replaying in your head, whether good or bad, the one that is keeping you up at night wondering where it went and whether or not it will happen again. You rewinded them and paused them way too many times; now it is time to find something else to watch.


9.Say goodbye to the addiction you had for your phone, or your laptop, or social media, or anything you were voraciously obsessed with. Spend more time with nature, and teach yourself that too much of anything will eventually suffocate you.
10.Say goodbye to the expectations you had for yourself that by now you should have done this or done that. Life can be messy, and the last thing you need is getting attached to its chaos.
11.Say goodbye to all the words people told you about yourself, the ones that made you love yourself a little less. Think of how little these people know about you and your story or why you are the way you are. Think of how some people like to belittle others to feel good about themselves, and while you are it, say goodbye to these people.
12.Say goodbye to the times you were immature, or out of line, or had no common sense. Remember that these are the moments that remind you that you are not perfect and that you are a work in progress. Take it as a humbling experience and move on.
13.Say goodbye to the times you missed someone who didn’t miss you back. Eventually you will not miss them anymore, and you will learn that other people miss you more than you know.
14.Say goodbye to the trip you didn’t take, or the city you never went to, or the wedding you missed, or the opportunities that passed you by. Not everything will go as planned and you don’t have to carry the guilt with you everywhere you go. Let that be a reminder that no matter how hard we try, we will not always be in control.
15.Say goodbye to the all the flaws you keep pointing out in the mirror and the times you really didn’t like who you were looking at. Buy a new mirror if you have to, but more importantly, start liking who you see and change the way you look at yourself.


16.Finally, say goodbye to the thought that next year will be the same and that nothing will ever change, and start saying hello to all the wonderful possibilities, dreams, and opportunities that are waiting to manifest themselves to you.


Clancy's comment: Mm ...
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10 February 2016 - GREAT BOB GELDOF QUOTES

GREAT BOB GELDOF QUOTES
G'day folks,
Like him or hate him, Bob has a great way of making things blunt and simple.
1. “To get rich, to get famous and to get laid” – Geldof’s reasons for joining a rock band 

2. “No, Prime Minister, nothing is as simple as dying” – arguing with Margaret Thatcher 

3. “People are dying NOW. Give us the money NOW.” – on live TV at Live Aid (and not, as attributed, “give us your ****in money!”) 

4. “The lingua franca of the planet is not English, it's pop music” 

5. “You can't trust politicians. It doesn't matter who makes a political speech. It's all lies - and it applies to any rock star who wants to make a political speech as well.” 

 6. “I actually didn't want him on the stage, 'cause his haircut at the time was so appalling.” – on Bono at Live Aid 

7. “Not the Dark Continent. This is the Luminous Continent.” – on Africa 

8. “Mankind at its most desperate is often at its best” 

9. “My medals! I'm a Chevalier, a knight, a sheikh and a Prince Tuareg in Western Sudan. I look like Idi Amin when I've got them all on” 

10. “They thought they were Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall. In fact, they were more like Tom and Jerry” - on Paula Yates and Michael Hutchence

 

Clancy's comment: This is a very interesting man. If you have the chance, read his book which is called, "Is That It?"

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