Book Review:Still More Names for Animals? Are You Serious? by Carnita Groves

Still More Names for Animals? Are You Serious? by Carnita Groves is a must read. Even though the book is dedicated to ranchers, cowboys, cowgirls, farmers, and wranglers, anyone wanting to know more about animals will enjoy reading the book.

The book introduces the reader to some unique animals. I am always open to learning new things and reading, Still More Animals, introduced me to many new animals. One in particular is the Cassowary bird. The Cassowary is one of the largest flightless birds in the world second to the ostrich. All authors must find a way to market and brand themselves.

Carnita Groves’ use of humor is an ingenious and effective way to write about a topic that most people find boring. The author’s humor drew me in right away. I absolutely love the section about the Kiwi bird. I never knew such a bird existed.

“Oh sure! Kiwis are delicious as fruit, but once they hatch and become mammals — turns out they are not so tasty. And fruit smoothies? Forget about it! Just try cleaning fur out of a blender. Just leave these little guys be and let them roam the farmyard, barns, cow pens, and wherever in the world it is they roam. They are totally harmless. Gently pet them now and again, while humming a lovely tune.”

I plan to read all of Carnita Groves’ books. Her writing style is very refreshing. Therefore, if you like learning about animals and want to get entertained at the same time, I recommend you purchase a copy.

Article first published as Book Review:Still More Names for Animals? Are You Serious? by Carnita Groves on Blogcritics.

Article tags animal lovers • animals • Carnita Groves • farmer

BOOK REVIEW: MOVING MOUNTAINS BY JAN HAAS

Do you believe in divine intervention? I do. I believe we are all here for a reason and God allows us to go through trials and tribulations in order to mold us into the person he wants us to be. To the non-believer this may come across as foolishness, but as a follower of Christ, I hold on very tightly to my faith in Godly favors.

After reading Jan Haas’ book, Moving Mountains: One Woman’s Fight to Live Again, I am even more convinced God has us go through many hardships for a specific purpose. We all encounter challenges in life. In the case of Jan, she faced death and by prayers from her community, church and loved ones, her story of tragedy became one of triumph.

We are not promised to have a perfect human experience, but when tragedy strikes, we must find the strength to move forward. Jan became deadly ill with invasive strep A infection, which should have killed her after giving birth to her third child. Her story re-affirmed that God is good and he is willing to answer our prayers even when we are too weak to pray for ourselves.

Personally, I have never crossed paths with death, but my daughter and youngest son did. Like Jan, the only alternative is to let others help you embrace the pain through prayers. Lucky for my children and me I had an army of people praying and through their intercessions, both my daughter and son survived the storm of death.

Jan Haas’ story is a great reminder that though we may not fully understand God’s motives, but he is always willing to turn us from victims to victors. The one thing that resonates well with me is Jan’s attitude of gratitude. Yes! Instead of being bitter, she embraces life.

So, if you find yourself needing inspiration to remove the mountains of trouble you might be facing, I encourage you grab a copy of Jan Haas’ book. Her prose will alter your heart forever and leave you feeling hopeful and grateful.

Article first published as Book Review: Moving Mountains by Jan Haas on Blogcritics.

Bill O’reilly, Leave the Book Writing to the Experts!

I have nothing against Bill O’Reilly.  I know the dude  bloviates about everything under the sun, but I honestly think he should leave the book writing about Jesus to the experts.   Hey Bill, you have no shame!

 

 

BOOK LAUNCH INVITATION

 

 

Interview: Bennington Gothique Webseries Producer, Gregory Connor

My daughter Michele was fortunate enough to be cast in the upcoming webseries Bennington Gothique. The producer, Gregory Connor, has a very impressive background. He agreed to speak with me about the series.

Can you tell our readers about your background? What led you to become a producer?

I’m originally from Washington, D.C. I received a BFA in Dramatic Writing from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and an MFA in Directing for Theater, Video and Cinema from California Institute of the Arts.

My background is more in the creative realm than producing. I’ve taken the role of Producer to get my work produced and will gladly relinquish it to someone else as we progress. It’s been a great learning experience – laying a foundation for the production. At CalArts, we were required to take classes in all disciplines, not just directing. We had acting and cinematography classes. As a director, you need to speak the language when explaining your vision. Therefore, it’s helpful to know what your producer is facing when planing production.

I understand you have also written music.

For a period of time, I really got into producing music at home. Into the wee hours, I would use music samples to create songs and even did vocals. It was another creative outlet – one that I had only scratched the surface of previously. This led to me shooting a couple of music videos.

Have you won any awards?

I was nominated for a Grammy for Best Long Form Video. I directed a music video, “Melinda,” that was featured on a video album, Where’d You Hide the Body, by singer James McMurtry. The video is available on iTunes. I attended the Grammys. It was sort of surreal and definitely a high point in my career.

What is the inspiration behind the webseries Bennington Gothique? What is the series about?

I’ve always been a horror fan, especially old school horror like the films produced by the Hammer Studios in England. I’ve also been a fan of daytime dramas like Edge of Night and Guiding Light. When the original Dark Shadows series premiered, I was quite young, but knew I loved the series. That adoration has always stayed with me. I knew that I wanted to do a series that combined horror/suspense with romance as Dark Shadows did, but with a modern sensibility and my own voice.Bennington Gothique is centered around Bennington House, an exclusive boarding school for girls. Angela Wentworth has learned that she is adopted and the answer to her parentage lies at Bennington House. She enrolls and encounters mean girls, cute boys (there is an all-male prep school nearby), ghosts, witches and vampires.

Can you tell us why many producers are filming webseries? What do you hope to accomplish with the series? Are you hoping a major network will pick it up?

I think producers are attracted to webseries because of the control that you have every step of the way. It’s usually a group of creative friends who want to work unencumbered by the studio system to create their vision. Also, your audience potential for the web is huge. Ultimately, for me, it’s about entertaining people and storytelling. The greatest compliment an artist can receive is someone giving their opinion, whether positive or negative, about their work. It means that person took time to think about your work. If a major network came caling, that would be fantastic. For now, I’m focused on making Bennington Gothique the best it can be for potential viewers and with the cast and crew that I have assembled it will be.

Do you have a website?

It is still under construction and will launch soon.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview. Good luck!

 

Article first published as Interview: Bennington Gothique Webseries Producer, Gregory Connor on Blogcritics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Gates and Teacher Effectiveness

Bill Gates, entrepreneur turned philanthropist, says: “Measuring the effectiveness of teachers is vital to creating better schools. He says better measuring will empower teachers to do their best.”

I believe it is a good idea to give teachers ample opportunities to receive feedback on techniques that will enhance learning for all students. However, one must keep in mind not all schools are created equal. Consequently, school districts have a monumental job in figuring how they should implement and measure effective teaching.

Imagine working in a school where most of the students get very little support from home. Is it  fair to assume teachers are not effective because students do not fare well on standardized tests? On the other hand, what happens in a school where students get ample support from home? Research has shown that there is a huge correlation between student achievement and parental support. Even though, it is a great idea to measure teacher effectiveness, but we must consider all the facts before moving forward.

There is one more important factor that I think is critical in helping teachers become effective leaders. To set students up for success a teacher can’t do it alone. He or she needs the support of the principal. The principal sets the tone. During my 25 years of teaching, I experienced firsthand what it is like to have a bad principal. Teaching is hard, and it becomes more challenging when you get very little support from administration. A little bit of encouragement from a caring principal goes a long way.

I consider myself very lucky to be working at a high school where there is a lot of parental support. I love Denver South High School, where I currently teach French and Spanish. There are several reasons why I love my new job:

· The principal is a great leader who treats me with the utmost respect
· The parents are very supportive of their children
· The student body is very diverse
· The faculty and staff are very supportive of each other

I have a great amount of respect for Mr. Gates and his dedication to support the Measures of Effective teaching, or MET, project. Go here to find out more about the MET project.

Article first published as Bill Gates and Teacher Effectiveness on Blogcritics.

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Book Review: 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Stressing Out by Lauren E Miller

International best selling author Lauren Miller’s new book, 99 Things you wish you Knew Before Stressing Out, will change your live forever. The author chronicles 99 things one can do to help keep stress at bay. Miller’s own experience through two of the top stressors at the same time, cancer, and divorce makes her an expert in how she is able to empower her readers with practical, valuable, and easy to use information.

When applied, the advice in the book holds the potential to transform one’s perception of life, thus making it easier to handle life’s curve balls.

On a personal note, reading the book opened my eyes and ushered me through the doors of deliverance and a new way to live life.

Examples of my favorite stress advice:

#41: Are You a “Take Everything Personally” Addict?

As a child, I was verbally abused, and because of it, I suffered many years with low self-esteem issues. Reading section 41 made me realize I have to assume the position of the observer not the reactor. Miller drove her point in a very succinct and easy to understand fashion. In fact, I have a copy of the following lines taken from page 76 of her book engraved in my soul:

“The bottom line; don’t give your power away to any human being. You only feel inferior by your own consent; you can apply this to any emotional response.” 

#42: It’s Not Rejection, It’s Just Direction

February 2012, I lost my teaching position to a less qualified younger teacher. Needless, to say I was devastated. It took me three months to find a new position. What appeared to have been a major blow turned out to be a major blessing. I now teach at a school twenty minutes from my home. More importantly, my principal treats me with the utmost respect and I love working with the diverse student body. As a polyglot who speaks fluent Creole, English, French, and Spanish I feel very lucky to be working at a high school where the students speak sixty different languages.

#82: The Rainbow in The Midst of the Storm

I have weathered through many storms, but the worst had to be when my 16-year-old son came near death summer 2012. His symptoms started with a sore throat. Next, his fever rose to 104. He was admitted to the ICU with no clear answers to what was the cause of his illness. After five days in the hospital, he was sent home with oral antibiotics. Two days later, he was in surgery. The final diagnosis: He had Lemierre’s Disease, a very serious condition that starts with a peritonsillar abscess, a blood clot, filled with bacteria near the tonsils in the jugular vein. If this infection is not caught in time, the blood clot will start to break apart and travel to the lungs and other major organs. The bacteria first attacked my son’s liver and later settled in his hip joint. This is why he had to have surgery.

My world swirled out of control with my son’s illness, and I had no choice but to search for the rainbows in the midst of the storm. I turned to God and prayers and in the end; my son’s life was spared. Very few teen that get Lemierre’s Disease make it out of the hospital alive.

I do not know what is going on in your life; all I know is 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Stressing Out will help you take back the ability to live life in a more meaningful way. The practical and effective information will serve as a blue print for you to apply so you can keep stress at bay.

Article first published as Book Review: 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Stressing Out by Lauren E Miller on Blogcritics.