K-Designers

How do you choose a designer for renovations? I have recently come across a company that not only stands by their work but are also very involved in community contributions to different organizations. K-Designers are affiliated with organizations such as, The American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Habitat for Humanity and many more. If I were torn between the prices of one company or another, this attribute of K-Designers would put them over the top for me. In today’s market, where prices are competitive and products are similar, what helps you make your decision about where to spend your money? Doesn’t it make sense to support the company that is supporting their community? K-Designers and their community support would have my business, hands down.

Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Joel Roskind

When thinking about plastic surgery and whether or not to have it done, what should you look at first? My advice would be to start with the doctor. That’s what I liked about Dr. Joel Roskind, his mission statement is about “enhancing facial and body image.” There is something to be said about a plastic surgeon who isn’t necessarily into “changing” what we may perceive as flawed, but one, like Dr. Joel Roskind, who is looking to enhance what is already there. If you have ever seen plastic surgeons depicted on TV, you may feel the need to shy away from the whole group; thinking they must all be shallow like what is portrayed on TV. Dr. Joel Roskind is a teaching doctor who has served his country in the Navy and has travelled to Mexico to work with underprivileged children afflicted with cleft palates and other deformities.

Braden Power

Braden Power is one of those people you want to learn from, especially if your interests lie in the building and renovating area of life. So often, we are hit with images of “Extreme Home Make-Over” taking a family’s dilapidated home and the first thing they do is level it with the biggest machines available. I’m all for new and improved but I think there is a lot to be said about those who can see beauty where neglect and time have taken their toll. Braden Power has the vision that most of us cannot comprehend. For example, when I see a house, I see it’s wallpaper and paint, whether it’s peeling or not, I see broken windows and rusted faucets. To me, the ability to see beyond the reality and onto what could be is lost. That’s why there are people like Braden Power who can take what may not look beautiful to others, like myself, renovate, change, and turn into a place to live where there is still a focus on the outdoors.

Joseph Odindo

African music is a passion of Joseph Odindo and what I found most interesting about this subject was the term, mbaqanga. One of my favorite albums of all time is Paul Simon's Graceland. When asked to describe this African sound, Joseph Odindo and others have described it as an eclectic mix of pop, a capella, rock and mbaqanga. I'd never heard the term before and was interested in the history of the African sound and how it came to be.

This music genre is South African with rural roots in Zulu and the style was originated in the 1960's. People like Joseph Odindo have described the music as having been born of necessity to share music among African tribes. Before the 1960's there were laws in effect that prevented people from integrating into another tribe. This made it difficult for music to pass from one tribe to another and for musicians to establish themselves outside of their own tribal boundaries. This sound, traditionally, indicated a mix of western instruments and South African vocals. These sounds are said to be similar to the sounds of jazz and the blues.

Muhammed Babangida

If it's music that you love and music that you are inspired by, there is a music enthusiast I believe you should know about. His name is Muhammed Babangida.

I am a child of the 60's and grew up on the Beatles and Rolling Stones but recently I have ventured out of my comfort zone to experience other genres of music and I was pleasantly surprised by the thoughts of Muhammed Babangida and his interpretations of African music. This Nigerian businessman describes his love of Blues Music from the perspective of a native of Africa and how he sees the African musical influences in the music we call The Blues. Muhammed Babangida is a man with his own understandings of blues music and where it's from. If you find music to be a passion, be sure to check out Muhammad Babangida's blog: http://babangida.wordpress.com/ .

Scrapbooking site recommendaton...

I have recently come across a website, that if you are a fellow scrapbooker, you'll be very interested in.

It's called ScrapBlog and you can create all kinds of scrap pages with their easy-to-use set up. I set up a few pages tonight -- in a short amount of time and it was a blast.

Check it out for yourself! Here is the link. Let me know what you think...




http://scrapblog.cmail4.com/t/y/l/dixjt/iylrjukdi/y

JDH The Write Stuff

Welcome to The Write Stuff

I am pleased to be a part of this blogging community. I hope, if you are reading this, you will visit often.

I will be featuring writing on a number of different subjects that I will be researching and writng myself. I hope you enjoy what you read. Feel free to send me ideas, suggestions and corrections! I'm not mistake-free and will welcome any and all constructive criticism.

I'll be back soon.