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Peace On Earth. Purity Of Essence.
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Let There Be Peace On Earth,
and let it begin with me.
Let There Be Peace On Earth,
the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father,
brothers all are we,
Let me walk with my brother,
in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me,
let this be the moment now,
With ev’ry step I take,
let this be my solemn vow,
To take each moment and live
each moment in peace, eternally.
Let There Be Peace On Earth,
and let it begin with me.
Let There Be Peace On Earth,
and let it begin with me.
Let There Be Peace On Earth,
the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father,
brothers all are we,
Let me walk with my brother,
in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me,
let this be the moment now,
With ev'ry step I take,
let this be my solemn vow,
To take each moment and live
each moment in peace, eternally.
Let There Be Peace On Earth,
and let it begin with me.
Reggaeton Is The New Beat On The Street
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There has been a new beat lurking around the music scene for about 10 years in North America. The new beat, or sound, is called reggaeton (pronounced reggae-tone) and it is urban music that became popular with the youths of Latin America. Reggaeton, since becoming popular in Latin America, has since spread to Europe and Asian listeners as well as North America. The music itself originated in Panama and it blends Latin American music (bomba, salsa, merengue and Latin Pop) with Jamaican influences such as reggae and dancehall music. It also combines these sounds with R&B, electronic music and hip-hop music. Much of the reggaeton music being produced today utilizes singing and rapping in Spanish. Reggaeton should be distinguished from Latino hip-hop which is merely hip-hop performed by musicians of Latino origins nor should reggaeton be classified as Spanish reggae.
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Reggaeton possesses its own specific rhythm called Dem Bow (as referenced in a 1991 Shabba Ranks song of the same name). You most often will hear a driving and pulsing track from a drum machine which, as a sound, has its roots in Jamaican dancehall music. The beat mixes the rhythms of a kick drum and a syncopated snare drum that produces the distinctive boom-chh-boom-chick sound that identifies reggaeton and its quick 95 beats per minute meter. The beat was originally produced by Bobby "Digital" Dixon in Jamaica for Steely & Clevie. Popular reggaeton artists to look for are Chicho Man, Renato, Black Apache, DJ Playero and Daddy Yankee. The iTunes Store offers a free reggaeton download almost every week. Check it out!
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The Daily Newspaper Is Dead
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The Newspaper Association of America (NAA), the main auditing source for America's newspapers, has reported that ad revenue for newspapers has suffered its biggest decline since the 1950s. Online advertising for newspapers is growing but it has not been able to offset the losses in print-ad revenue. Trends show that the problem is worsening as we progress through 2008.
More and more, people are using other sources for their news at the direct expense of the daily newspaper. Local TV doesn't count any more since local TV news programs have decided to act as your nanny or parent instead of real news reporting. Cable TV news seems to be existing on political programming with pretty people and glorified "experts." Leaving, for those who desire to really be informed, the enormous space that is called the world wide web.
So, here are a few suggestions for the dying (already dead?) newspaper:
- More comics. And, in color please, you have 4-color presses so use 'em!
- More puzzles. In most papers the puzzles are worth the price of the paper alone. So, why not super-size it?
- Stop excerpting wire reports and write in-depth articles. We are already reading the wire services – get it?
- Fix that smudgy ink that ends up on our finger tips. They have ways to do this....
- If you charge for access to your news websites, we are going elsewhere. (psst...we already have)
- Stop charging the price of a Sunday edition for a daily edition.
- Add a lovely scent so it will smell nice when our pets crap on your product.
- Stop using your newspaper as a political vehicle.
- Accept reality, and your eventual fate.
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| Dirque du Soleil |
| He's from the past, so he knows the future... |
| dirque@erichatheway.com |
Last-Minute Gift Certificates
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Since the-last minute gift decision always exists, here's an idea to solve your problem. Just click on through and get a few gift certificates. They start at just $10 and your recipients will instantly receive them in their email. See, it's just that easy!
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| Cafe Press |
| EricHatheway.com eStore |
Meet The Creative Triad
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Triad: a group or set of three connected people or things. Also, a chord of three musical notes, consisting of a given note with the third and fifth above it. In this case, The Creative Triad. More mysterious. Even.
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Classic Santa Claus Gifts For Kids & Pets
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Now at the EricHatheway.com Online Store! Classic Santa Claus gifts for kids and pets. Great stocking stuffers for your kids or pets!
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| Our plush bear is a cutie in his own message-bearing t-shirt and festive red ribbon. Put a smile on someone’s face. Just grin and bear it! Soft plush fur...so soft. • 11 inches tall • Red bow and t-shirt included | Put your pooch in his own cool doggie t-shirt. He’ll be the envy of all the pups in the park. Made of 100% ring spun cotton. 5.8oz. 1x1 rib. • Black ringer accent on sleeves and collar. • Five sizes to choose from. |
| Classic Santa Clause Teddy Bear | Classic Santa Claus Dog T-Shirt |
Classic Santa Claus Ceramic Mugs
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Now at the EricHatheway.com Online Store! Classic Santa Claus high quality ceramic drinking mugs. Perfect for holding hot chocolate or hot toddies on cold winter evenings. Great for parties too! Highest quality.
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| Super-size your favorite beverage or just size-up to avoid spills with our hefty, 15 oz. ceramic Large Mug. Large easy to grip handle. So, when you need more, mug it up. • Measures 4.5" tall, 3.25" diameter • Dishwasher and microwave safe | The perfect size for your favorite morning beverage or late night brew. Large, easy-grip handle. Give yourself a treat or give as a gift to someone special. • Measures 3.75" tall, 3" diameter • Dishwasher and microwave safe |
| Classic Santa Claus Large Ceramic Mug | Classic Santa Claus Ceramic Mug |
The Twelve Days Of Christmas Myth
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Most people are familiar with the Christmas song, The Twelve Days of Christmas. If you listen to the words carefully, it seems like nonsense set to rhyme and music. However, it was written with a serious purpose. It is more than just a list of twelve silly gifts. Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829 were prohibited by law to practice their faith either in public or private. It was illegal to be Catholic.
The Twelve Days of Christmas was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the basics of their faith. In short, it was a memory aid. Since the song sounded like rhyming nonsense, young catholics could sing the song without fear of imprisonment. The authorities would not know that it was a religious song. Actually, the catechism to which it referred was rather ecumenical so could probably be claimed to be protestant if cornered.
The song's gifts had hidden meanings to the teachings of the Catholic faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, but it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. i.e. the church. The partridge in a pear tree is Christ Jesus, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so..."
| Here is a complete list of the 12 symbols with their meanings: |
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The foregoing, however, is an untrue urban myth. Sorry.....but it is interesting to think about and there's nothing wrong with thinking. We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year! Thanks for stopping by...
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...we hope yours is dynamite! |
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| Dirque du Soleil |
| He's from the past, so he knows the future... |
| dirque@erichatheway.com |
UPDATED Photo Series: Back Alley
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A back alley can be described as a dirty, unprepossessing, sordid, or clandestine area behind or between buildings. The typical back alley is a less prominent or inferior location; also, the term back alley is used to describe a scene of clandestine or illegal dealings. Rich in detail and dirt, these images are certainly a street apart from the main or business area of a town. Thanks for visiting and please come back often!
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| Back Alley 1 ©2009 Eric Hatheway All Rights Reserved |
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| Back Alley 2 ©2009 Eric Hatheway All Rights Reserved |
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| Back Alley 3 ©2009 Eric Hatheway All Rights Reserved |
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| Back Alley 4 ©2009 Eric Hatheway All Rights Reserved |
| Eric Hatheway Photography Links Eric Hatheway Fine Art Links |
Interesting Christmas Myths
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UNTRUE Myths About Christmas:
TRUE Myths About Christmas:
UNTRUE Myths About Christmas:
Jesus was born on December 25...
The idea of celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25 was first suggested early in the fourth century. This was a clever move on the part of Church fathers, who wished to eclipse the December 25 festivities of a rival pagan religion.The celebration of Christmas took permanent hold in the Western world in 337 with the Roman emperor Constantine. Christianity had become the official state religion in 313 AD. By 354, Bishop Liberius of Rome reiterated the importance of celebrating not only Christ's death but also his birth.
The angels Sang at Christmas...
The Bible never says that the Angels sang! Read it closely!! The Bible tells of three wise men who traveled from afar on camels to visit the infant Jesus as he lay in the manger. Matthew 2:1 tells us: "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem . . . ". That is the extent of it. There is no mention of THREE wisemen and no mention of camel! Also, Matthew 2:11 states "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him . . . ". Note that it mentions a child in a house, rather than a baby in a manger... so this is a post-birth event.
The modern image of Santa Claus was created by Coca-Cola...
Haddon Sundblom drew his first Santa portrait for Coca-Cola in 1931... which popularized an existing image of Claus. In 1804, the New York Historical Society was founded with Nicholas as its patron saint, reviving the Dutch tradition of St. Nicholas as a bringer of gifts. In 1809, Washington Irving published his satirical A History of New York, by one "Diedrich Knickerbocker," poking fun at New York's Dutch past, St. Nicholas included... in Dutch, "Sinterklaas". Irving revised his History of New York in 1812, adding details about Nicholas' "riding over the tops of the trees, in that selfsame waggon wherein he brings his yearly presents to children." In 1821,William Gilley wrote a poem about a "Santeclaus" who dressed all in fur and drove a sleigh pulled by one reindeer. On Christmas Eve of 1822, Clement Clarke Moore, wrote down and read to his children a series of verses; his poem was published a year later as "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" ...more commonly known today by its opening line, "'Twas the night before Christmas . . ."
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Two of Santa's reindeer were named Donner and Blitzen...
In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore wrote down in his "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" ...more commonly known today by its opening line, "'Twas the night before Christmas . . And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name. "Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now, dash away! dash away! dash away all! " The song about Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer first made the mistake in Donder's and Vixen's names!
The suicide rate increases significantly during the winter holiday season...
1985 Mayo Clinic report: "Fewer suicides than expected may occur on weekends and major holidays because it may be easier to repress troublesome thoughts during these times of greater social interaction."
Poinsettia plants are poisonous to humans...
The poinsettia poison myth had its origin when a young child of an Army officer in Hawaii died of poisoning, incorrectly assumed to be a poinsettia leaf. A 50 lb. child would have to eat more than 1.25 lbs. or 500 - 600 leaves , according to the POISINDEX Information Service. Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants lists the symptoms of eating Poinsetta as vomiting as a side effect of ingesting otherwise harmless poinsettia leaves.
Man dressed as Santa Claus gets stuck in a chimney and dies...
This story has been around for almost as long as the Santa Claus legend itself. It is a variation of the motif of juxtaposing an otherwise happy occasion with a senseless tragedy. Note Ella Fitzgerald's "Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney," Jimmy Boyd's "Santa Got Stuck in the Chimney," and Gisele MacKenzie's "Too Fat for the Chimney."
Candy canes were created to symbolize Jesus
Their shape representing the letter "J" and their colors standing for the purity and blood of Christ... and were started in Indiana Candy canes were most assuredly NOT created by "a candymaker in Indiana" who "stained them with red stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received." Candy canes have been in existance long before there ever was an Indiana! They initially bore neither red coloration nor striping — the red stripes were a feature that did not appear until a few hundred years later, at the beginning of the 20th century. More elaborate Christmas coloration and decoration have been added to these candies in recent years ... for purely marketing purposes.
'Xmas' is a modern, disrespectful abbreviation of the word Christmas...
X is a substitute for the Greek, Chi, which was an early church representation of Christ. It has been around for a long time and had no meaning of disrespect.
TRUE Myths About Christmas:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created for Montgomery Ward department stores...
Rudolph began in 1939 when the Chicago-based Montgomery Ward company (a chain of department stores) asked one of their writers, 34-year-old Robert L. May, to come up with a Christmas story which could be given away to shoppers as a promotional gimmick. The chain had been been buying and giving away coloring books for Christmas every year. To save money, they wanted to create their own booklet. It was loosely based on the Ugly Duckling.
Christmas cards have been around since 1843...
English school children made their own and sent gave them to each other before this date. The first formal card was designed in 1843, by J.C. Horsley, in England. It was lithographed on dark cardboard. It consisted of a color print of a party of grownups and children with glasses of wine raised in a toast over the words "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you." Since it only cost 1 penny to send a card at that time, the custom caught on quickly!
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| He's from the past, so he knows the future... |
| dirque@erichatheway.com |
Photo Study: Stained Glass Self-Portrait
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This is an older image was recorded on a Kodak Tri-X Pan 100 film negative using a Minolta XGM camera with a fast f1.2 50mm prime lens. This image, a self-portrait, was manipulated in the darkroom using two different negatives to achieve the composite image. The finished print was then coated with a photographic lacquer and then hand-tinted using a set of Marshall's Photo-Oil Colors. Before Photoshop, this was the only way to pull off this effect. Thanks for visiting and please come back often!
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| Stained Glass Self-Portrait ©1991 Eric Hatheway All Rights Reserved |
| Eric Hatheway Photography Links Eric Hatheway Fine Art Links |
The Whole Story Of Gestalt
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THE LAW OF SIMILARITY
THE LAW OF PROXIMITY
THE LAW OF CONTINUITY
THE LAW OF SYMMETRY (Figure/Ground Relationships)
THE LAW OF COMMON FATE
Visual perception is the ability to interpret information from visible light reaching the eyes. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight or vision.THE LAW OF CLOSURE
Gestalt is a psychology term which means "unified whole" and "configuration or pattern". It refers to theories of visual perception developed by German psychologists in the 1920s. These theories attempt to describe how people tend to organize visual elements into groups or unified wholes when certain principles are applied.
According to the theory of the Gestalt Laws of Organization, there are six factors that determine how we group things according to visual perceptions. These six factors are as follows:
- The brain may experience things it does not perceive through sensation in order to complete a figure or to increase the figure's regularity.
- Closure occurs when an object is incomplete or a space is not completely enclosed.
- If enough visual information is available the whole is perceived by completing the missing information.
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THE LAW OF SIMILARITY
- The mind groups similar elements into collective entities. This similarity might depend on relationships of form, color, size, or brightness.
- Similarity occurs when objects look similar to each other. They are perceived as a group or pattern.
- An object can be emphasized if it is dissimilar to the other objects. This is called an anomaly.
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THE LAW OF PROXIMITY
- Spatial or temporal proximity of elements may lead the mind to perceive a collective.
- Proximity occurs when object are placed close together. These objects tend to be perceived as a group.
- When objects are given close proximity to each other, unity occurs.
- In a state of unity, objects continue to be separate shapes but the objects are now perceived as one group.
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THE LAW OF CONTINUITY
- The mind continues visual, auditory, and kinetic patterns as a process.
- Continuation occurs when the eye is compelled to move through one object and continue to another object.
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THE LAW OF SYMMETRY (Figure/Ground Relationships)
- Symmetrical images are perceived collectively, even in spite of distance.
- The eye differentiates an object form its surrounding area.
- A form, silhouette, or shape is naturally perceived as figure (object), while the surrounding area is perceived as ground (background).
- In the example below, the figure and ground will alternate to the eye as one gazes at the picture.
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THE LAW OF COMMON FATE
- Elements with the same moving direction are perceived as a collective or unit.
- In the example below, when dots 1,3,5 move up and dots 2,4,6 moved down at the same time, the dots that are moving in the same direction are visually perceived as a group, or whole.
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Gestalt grouping laws do not seem to act independently. Instead, they appear to influence each other, so that the final visual perception is a combination of all of the Gestalt grouping laws acting together.
Gestalt theory applies to all aspects of human learning, although it applies most directly to perception and problem-solving. The use of these six Gestalt grouping laws is pervasive in the visual arts and the design arts.
Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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Well, it's that time of the year again. The most wonderful time of the year, according to most. So, here are your shipping deadlines for the 2009 Holiday Season. Please shop safe, shop often and be mindful of this year's deadlines. Thank you very much.
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| EricHatheway.com Online Store |
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The Classic Santa Claus T-Shirt
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An image as classic as the old gent himself. He's happy as always and ready for a Merry Christmas. This high quality T-Shirt will make you happy too! Makes a great gift choice. Shop today before it's too late. Highest quality for you and yours...
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| EricHatheway.com Online Store |