That's probably the time it's a good idea to pull back, change lanes, pass and move along.
4/1/10
Some Times
When what you're following isn't so great...
That's probably the time it's a good idea to pull back, change lanes, pass and move along.
That's probably the time it's a good idea to pull back, change lanes, pass and move along.
3/31/10
Poem by Zbigniew Herbert
"The Unicorn Will Not Cross Our Tracks..."
'too easily we came to believe that beauty
does not save
that it leads the lighthearted from dream
to dream to death
none of us knew how to awaken the dryad
of a poplar
to read the writing of clouds
this is why the unicorn will not cross our tracks'
Zbigniew Herbert
['To Ryszard Krynicki - A Letter' translated by John and Bogdana Carpenter from: Report from the Beseiged City and Other Poems (Oxford University Press, 1987)]
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'too easily we came to believe that beauty
does not save
that it leads the lighthearted from dream
to dream to death
none of us knew how to awaken the dryad
of a poplar
to read the writing of clouds
this is why the unicorn will not cross our tracks'
Zbigniew Herbert
['To Ryszard Krynicki - A Letter' translated by John and Bogdana Carpenter from: Report from the Beseiged City and Other Poems (Oxford University Press, 1987)]
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Build Character
Invest in yourself...
Take control of your life.
Educate yourself and develop your mind.
Take good care of your health, mental and physical.
Have relationships with people who are good for you and who you are good for.
Think positively, work at replacing bad habits and thoughts with good ones.
Figure out what works best for you and develop a habit of positive self-talk and engage in it. Ignore any idea that it doesn't work or what others may say about it. Affirmative self-talk does work by reducing stress and improves your life. I'm living proof of that.
It's not my style to go into a list of things I've survived, although there are people who know all about them, without them I wouldn't have survived. You'll just have to trust me that these concepts have worked as tools for getting me through tough times and past them.
Take control of your life.
Educate yourself and develop your mind.
Take good care of your health, mental and physical.
Have relationships with people who are good for you and who you are good for.
Think positively, work at replacing bad habits and thoughts with good ones.
Figure out what works best for you and develop a habit of positive self-talk and engage in it. Ignore any idea that it doesn't work or what others may say about it. Affirmative self-talk does work by reducing stress and improves your life. I'm living proof of that.
It's not my style to go into a list of things I've survived, although there are people who know all about them, without them I wouldn't have survived. You'll just have to trust me that these concepts have worked as tools for getting me through tough times and past them.
3/30/10
Between Palm Springs and Phoenix
OH NO! Stuck in Desert Center Again...
OH NO! Stuck In Desert Center Again... from JR Snyder Jr on Vimeo.
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OH NO! Stuck In Desert Center Again... from JR Snyder Jr on Vimeo.
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3/29/10
Urban Desert Flowers in Bloom
Hibiscus...
Hibiscus has always been a part of my memory since they grew all over Bermuda, where I was born. When I moved to the US when I was 14, I found they were also prolific in Arizona.
They are of the flowering Malva genus in the family of Malvaceaea commonly referred to in English as mallow. They're can be found in warm, temperate, subtropical and tropical environments throughout the world as native plants. They are not native to Arizona but grow very well with little care, primarily a good water source, some varieties require partial shade and are widespread wherever people live.
Hibiscus has always been a part of my memory since they grew all over Bermuda, where I was born. When I moved to the US when I was 14, I found they were also prolific in Arizona.
They are of the flowering Malva genus in the family of Malvaceaea commonly referred to in English as mallow. They're can be found in warm, temperate, subtropical and tropical environments throughout the world as native plants. They are not native to Arizona but grow very well with little care, primarily a good water source, some varieties require partial shade and are widespread wherever people live.
After Market Bust, What To Do With An Undeveloped Lot?
A Christmas tree farm in central Phoenix?
A quadrant that encompasses Central Avenue on the east, Second Ave on the west, Turney Avenue to the north and West Glenrosa Avenue to the south has remained vacant since being cleared during the real estate bubble. The intent was to build yet another luxury condominium high rise along the Central Corridor but construction was never started as the real estate crash cascaded before building could begin.
View Larger Map
I've wondered what would happen to this particular piece of land, since even in this long time well regarded uptown Central Corridor, it was unlikely any substantial residential or commercial properties will be built for a long time. The market is over saturated and financing is difficult. It's across from Steele Indian School Park on this side of Central and I've enjoyed it as an open field to walk around just to get out of the house. For the longest time it was a dry open lot.
Recently with the heavy winter rains it had started to green up a little and become more interesting to photograph.
Then I noticed as I was driving by one day, about a month or so ago, men working digging trenches to place irrigation drip lines. I speculated the city may have forced the property owner to place irrigation lines to keep the grounds green and dust pollution down. That didn't make total sense because it is near the Grand Canal and in the boundaries of the Salt River Project area allowing for flood irrigation. Then even more rains came, torrential as a matter of fact, tearing up the incomplete trench digging and irrigation line laying and also making the lot very green by the grace of nature.
Today I noticed this Use Permit Hearing notice for "Use permit to allow a wholesale tree farm and harvesting." The applicant is Thomas J. Perry Tree Farms, LLC and research so far indicates they are growers of Christmas Trees. The property is owned by Petree Properties, a company that owns and leases apartments. Research also indicates it appears the value of each of the parcels has dropped significantly since the peak of the market, when the property was purchased and the old building torn down.
It will be interesting to see if we have a tree farm in our neighborhood instead of another residential complex or office development.
A quadrant that encompasses Central Avenue on the east, Second Ave on the west, Turney Avenue to the north and West Glenrosa Avenue to the south has remained vacant since being cleared during the real estate bubble. The intent was to build yet another luxury condominium high rise along the Central Corridor but construction was never started as the real estate crash cascaded before building could begin.
View Larger Map
I've wondered what would happen to this particular piece of land, since even in this long time well regarded uptown Central Corridor, it was unlikely any substantial residential or commercial properties will be built for a long time. The market is over saturated and financing is difficult. It's across from Steele Indian School Park on this side of Central and I've enjoyed it as an open field to walk around just to get out of the house. For the longest time it was a dry open lot.
Recently with the heavy winter rains it had started to green up a little and become more interesting to photograph.
Then I noticed as I was driving by one day, about a month or so ago, men working digging trenches to place irrigation drip lines. I speculated the city may have forced the property owner to place irrigation lines to keep the grounds green and dust pollution down. That didn't make total sense because it is near the Grand Canal and in the boundaries of the Salt River Project area allowing for flood irrigation. Then even more rains came, torrential as a matter of fact, tearing up the incomplete trench digging and irrigation line laying and also making the lot very green by the grace of nature.
Today I noticed this Use Permit Hearing notice for "Use permit to allow a wholesale tree farm and harvesting." The applicant is Thomas J. Perry Tree Farms, LLC and research so far indicates they are growers of Christmas Trees. The property is owned by Petree Properties, a company that owns and leases apartments. Research also indicates it appears the value of each of the parcels has dropped significantly since the peak of the market, when the property was purchased and the old building torn down.
It will be interesting to see if we have a tree farm in our neighborhood instead of another residential complex or office development.
3/28/10
Some Things My Parents Taught Me
although I don't always follow them...
1. Be responsible for what you do. Clean up after yourself, pay your bills, be on time, take care of your possessions, fix your mistakes, apologize if you're wrong, be honest, tell the truth. Respect other people's property; don't trample the land.
2. Perseverance. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. Don't give up in the face of adversity, it will make you stronger and success will be more rewarding. You can do anything you have a mind to, if you think it's worthwhile and you really want it. If anything is worth doing, it's worth doing well.
3. The Golden Rule. Treat others as you would have them treat you. Civilized people have a sense of fair play; don't kick the underdog. Respect other people's differences, be civil and polite. Have a modicum of respect for the social order, moral values and habits of the general population.
4. Be selective of the company you keep. They can either help you or harm you and always reflect on your choices about character, yours and theirs. Appreciate your friends and people who are good to you; don't hate your enemies, you made them. You can always find someone worse off and someone better off than you.
5. Eat right and take care of your health. Value learning and education. All that glitters is not gold. There is beauty in simplicity. Respect nature and wildlife. Be prepared for a rainy day. Think before speaking. Don't talk too much. Waste not, want not. Haste makes waste.
1. Be responsible for what you do. Clean up after yourself, pay your bills, be on time, take care of your possessions, fix your mistakes, apologize if you're wrong, be honest, tell the truth. Respect other people's property; don't trample the land.
3. The Golden Rule. Treat others as you would have them treat you. Civilized people have a sense of fair play; don't kick the underdog. Respect other people's differences, be civil and polite. Have a modicum of respect for the social order, moral values and habits of the general population.
4. Be selective of the company you keep. They can either help you or harm you and always reflect on your choices about character, yours and theirs. Appreciate your friends and people who are good to you; don't hate your enemies, you made them. You can always find someone worse off and someone better off than you.
5. Eat right and take care of your health. Value learning and education. All that glitters is not gold. There is beauty in simplicity. Respect nature and wildlife. Be prepared for a rainy day. Think before speaking. Don't talk too much. Waste not, want not. Haste makes waste.
3/27/10
3/26/10
English: Two Dialects
On Being Bicultural: One Language...
My life story started on a dot on a map in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, about 640 miles off the coast of North Carolina on the islands of Bermuda. It was a wonderful place to grow up but I always wanted to "get off the rock" and move to the United States. Our arrival coincided with a very tumultuous time in US history with civil unrest, racial strife, assassinations, anti-draft protests, divisiveness over the Vietnam War, Kent State shootings, a President in trouble, economic distress and much more. In spite of all that I was excited to be in America.
My mother was a very "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" woman from a classic British middle class family and my father a definite "true grit" American from a family that was successfully "self-made" and had done well for themselves. My parents left their respective home countries after WWII to seek adventure and met each other in Bermuda, were married there and stayed. My sister, cousin and I were born and spent most of our childhood on the islands until we moved to the US for high school.
Since I was not born on a US military installation and as a British Subject, although my father was an American, due to the laws of the time I went through a process to become a U.S. Citizen. I have never regretted that or looked back. This is one of my first vlogs from 2007 where I talk about growing up learning to English in two dialects, "proper" British and "standard" American.
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On Being Bicultural: English, Two Dialects from JR Snyder Jr on Vimeo.
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My life story started on a dot on a map in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, about 640 miles off the coast of North Carolina on the islands of Bermuda. It was a wonderful place to grow up but I always wanted to "get off the rock" and move to the United States. Our arrival coincided with a very tumultuous time in US history with civil unrest, racial strife, assassinations, anti-draft protests, divisiveness over the Vietnam War, Kent State shootings, a President in trouble, economic distress and much more. In spite of all that I was excited to be in America.
My mother was a very "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" woman from a classic British middle class family and my father a definite "true grit" American from a family that was successfully "self-made" and had done well for themselves. My parents left their respective home countries after WWII to seek adventure and met each other in Bermuda, were married there and stayed. My sister, cousin and I were born and spent most of our childhood on the islands until we moved to the US for high school.
Since I was not born on a US military installation and as a British Subject, although my father was an American, due to the laws of the time I went through a process to become a U.S. Citizen. I have never regretted that or looked back. This is one of my first vlogs from 2007 where I talk about growing up learning to English in two dialects, "proper" British and "standard" American.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
On Being Bicultural: English, Two Dialects from JR Snyder Jr on Vimeo.
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3/25/10
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