Thursday, March 3, 2016

Throwback Thursday

Edwards Elementary School
Grade 5
1987 - 88
Ames, Iowa

Row 1~ Richard Hall, Steven Kiner, Ryan Van Cannon, Chandra Brace, Urian Norris, Charles Biblos
Row 2 ~ Catherine Mulhall, Terra Aurand, Camden Hodges, Jessica Ackerman
Row 3 ~ Robyn Berning, Joshua Bolin, Zhao Liang Lu, Jason May
Row 4 ~ Stephen Day, Buddy Glick, Nicole Evans, Casissa O'Connor

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Night Music

Most People

Most people sing just one song
give just one speech,
have just one conversation –
usually with themselves.

Most people dance
just one dance,
walk just one walk
Go to just one place - many times.

Most Rock Stars give the same concert
over and over.
Most comedians tell the same joke -
although sometimes with different punch lines.

Most Authors who write just one book
can do it many times.

Most politicians have just one idea –
usually someone else’s.
If you change your audience no one knows you are boring!

Some people however
Sing several songs,
Dance many dances,
Walk in different worlds.

Some people have endless conversations with many people.

Some people never listen
but others always do.

Some people stand out and stand up.

They are original, diverse, endlessly fascinating shining stars.


Jay Cole Simser
April 26, 2005

I went to a concert at Drake University one April evening and I enjoyed it very much. I bought two of the artist's CD recordings Over the next few days I listened to them and discovered that most of the songs sounded alike. That got me to thinking that the speeches that politicians and others give are probably like that also just tweaked a little to suit the situation and thus this poem was born.

Elephants on Wednesday

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Toad Tales

Published on Jan 18, 2016
A heart-warming video of two magnificent ex-circus lions who were successfully rescued from Bulgaria and are now thriving in their new South African home.

Eight-year-old brothers Jora and Black made international headlines when they were rescued by Born Free in partnership with Four Paws from a beast wagon in Bulgaria just over three months ago. Thanks to generous public support, Born Free transported Jora and Black 10,500 miles via the UK to a new life at Born Free's Big Cat Rescue Centre within the award-winning Shamwari Game Reserve, near Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

The video, made available for the first time today, reveals how Born Free successfully rescued the lions, and shows the emotional moment the brothers were released from their travelling crates and stepped out onto African soil for the first time.