It is rumored that Tiger Woods will pay his wife $750 million in their divorce settlement; men scream foul play and women around the world are cheering from the mountain tops.

For those saying, “oh poor Tiger,” realize that this settlement is not about alimony and child support, it is about silencing the lamb; Elin.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive…

Revenge is so unattractive so I hope that Elin’s decisions were based on justice, not greed, and not revenge. Is she entitled to $750 million dollars? I believe she is entitled to everything they both agreed to in their prenuptial agreement; if it so happens that it adds up to $750 million, so be it.

Written by Antoinette Forsythe Copyright © All Rights Reserved, Image Credit: Tiger Woods Iphone Wallpaper by xploitme, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License.

I was walking down the street wearing my Malcom X t-shirt and this white girl said, “Hey, I like your Martin Luther King shirt!” While chuckling I replied, “Thanks, this is the Maclom-X edition.”

From out of nowhere my friend shouts, “Dat ain’t Martin Luther King you stupid idiot” She looks back at me, I shrug my shoulders and said, “Well, how could you not recognize Chris Rock. She replied, “Oh yeah! Yeah! That’s it! I thought he looked familiar.”

Definitions:
Ignorance: Lack of knowledge, education or awareness.
Bliss: Extreme happiness; ecstasy.

The moral of the story is: (1) Unless looking like a total idiot gives you an extreme feeling of happiness, ignorance isn’t bliss. (2) ….and no, all black people do not look alike! (3) white ignorance on black history, when will they learn; literally!

Written by Keelan Forsythe Copyright © All Rights Reserved, Image Credit: Untitled image by LunaMoth116 Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License.

I was walking down the street wearing my Malcom X t-shirt and this white girl said, “Hey, I like your Martin Luther King shirt!” While chuckling I replied, “Thanks, this is the Maclom-X edition.” From out of nowhere my friend shouts, “Dat ain’t Martin Luther King you stupid idiot”

Global warming is the common disease to which our planet has succumbed. What is global warming? Global warming is created by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases warming the surface of the planet by naturally trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is generally a good effect because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests, we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere; and, as a result, temperatures are rising.  Global warming is greatly affecting our agriculture and wildlife, and in time, it will affect our culture and society.

The effect of this disease is already in effect by changing our climate and our world. The Arctic region has long fascinated humankind – sparking holiday myth, motivating explorers, and inspiring people to create clever solutions for living in extreme cold. However due to global warming, the climate over the Arctic is changing at an accelerated pace.  Arctic climate shifts are expected to delay recovery of the northern stratospheric ozone layer. Aside from all the ice melting in the Arctic, surface air temperatures are projected to be high enough in this century to melt the ice sheets of Greenland.  (Source: Union of Concerned Scientists)

Although it is difficult to connect specific weather events to global warming, an increase in global temperature has caused border changes, including glacial retreat, arctic shrinkage and worldwide sea level rise. Surface air temperature continues to increase yearly due to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the process by which absorption and emission of infrared radiation by atmospheric gases warm a planet’s lower atmosphere and surface. Surface air temperature has risen from 3.6 to 5.4 over the past 50 years, and because of this, permafrost has began to melt and tundra regions are slowly disappearing, forests will expand northward into current tundra regions and already the White spruce, the most valuable timber species of the North American boreal forest, has experienced sharp declines as an effect to global warming. (Source: Union of Concerned Scientists)

Since global warming has affected the environment so dramatically, our wildlife’s source of food and habitats are diminishing and being destroyed. Take, for example, the life of a polar bear, an animal dependent on the polar icecaps for habitat, its white fur perfectly camouflaged with the snow for hunting. Now realize that your home is slowly melting away. Each year it gets more crowed and there’s less food around. Sea ice, which you could use as a bed and diving platform, is also melting away. Where can you rest after a long day’s swim? Oh wait! You can’t; so, what do you do? Well, hopefully your large body that’s been deprived of food will make it to the next block of sea ice. Worst case scenario (which is usually what happens), you don’t make it and drown.

Now, you may think, deprived of food? Well, polar bears aren’t the only ones that need sea ice. Their food source, seals, also need it to rest; and, like polar bears, if there isn’t any sea ice to rest on, they drown and fall to the bottom of the ocean, which is out of reach for polar bears. Other animals are also in peril since forests will expand northward into tundra regions, caribou and reindeer, both of whom depend on tundra vegetation, will be affected greatly when their food source and living environment has completely been destroyed. These two are only some of the animals that are facing extinction. (Source: Union of concerned Scientists). Wildlife is at risk as global warming changes the timing of seasonal behaviors such as breeding and migration which has an effect on animal life cycles.  The National Wildlife Federation considers global warming to be “the most dangerous threat to the future of wildlife.”

Here are some species affected by global warming:
Adelie Penguins: Rising temperatures are causing the amount of sea ice to diminish, which in turn causes the amount of algae in the water to decrease. Many tiny organisms, including the krill shrimp which forms the foundation of the Adelie penguin’s diet, cannot survive without this important food source .(Source: National Wildlife Federation).

Caribou: Almost everyone annoying mosquitoes knows how can be, but if you happen to be a caribou, these common summertime pests can have an even bigger impact. This is because warming Arctic temperatures have caused an explosion in these insects’ populations. As caribou use more energy shooing the pests away, they decrease the amount of food that they eat and energy that they conserve in preparation for the coming winter months. Female caribou are particularly at risk as the effort of birthing and raising the new generation takes enormous energy. (Source: National Wildlife Federation).

Monarch Butterflies: Brilliant orange and black monarchs are among the most easily-recognizable of the butterfly species which call the Americas home. Their migration takes them as far north as Canada and, during the winter months, as far south as Mexico City. It is here that changing conditions could cause their demise if current climatic trends continue into the future. In Mexico, the butterflies amass themselves in fir trees which provide shelter from rain and temperatures which often dip below freezing. As rainfall worldwide continues to increase, the protection that these trees provide may not be enough to shield the butterflies from these hazards. (Source: National Wildlife Federation).

Trout: Coldwater: Fish, such as trout, depend on a frigid mixture of spring and glacier water to thrive. As North American temperatures continue to rise, trout stand to lose three-quarters of their current habitat. (Source: National Wildlife Federation).

Coral Reefs: Coral reefs are colorful underwater forests which teem with life and act as a natural protective barrier for coastal regions. The fishes and plants which call them home belong to some of the most diverse – and fragile – ecosystems on the planet. In one year alone, sixteen percent of the world’s coral reefs were wiped out. A sea temperature change of a mere one degree Celsius would yield similar losses. Increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the water cause additional damage to corals, leaving them defenseless against storm damage and erosion. (Source: National Wildlife Federation).

Due to changes in the environment, climate and wildlife, life as we know it will be dramatically changed for the worst; culture and society too will be affected. People who hunt and eat specific animals (i.e. Eskimos, Vegetarians) will have to find a new source of food and possibly a new living environment, if they are unwilling and/or unable to make the necessary changes they too will die off. Without proper nutrition new diseases may form as well old ones may reappear. As a matter of fact we may experience medicinal shortages; many medications are derived from plant, animal and mineral sources. Clearly if the sea level continues to rise a domino effect will be created amongst all living thing and the possibility of global flooding will turn from a vague theory to a reality of biblical proportions.

However there is an up-side to global warming, as a result of the arctic ice caps melting new valuable undiscovered natural resources will be available to the world; the arctic is unclaimed land. Many believe the arctic is loaded with untapped resources (gold, conflict-free diamonds, oil), as a matter of fact on August 2, 2007 a mini-submarine dropped a titanium capsule containing a Russian flag on the ocean floor at the North Pole.  Increasing the availability of conflict-free diamonds to the public will enable us to stop funding the wars in third-world countries and hopefully stop the wars altogether. If more oil is found under the Arctic’s this will buy us more time to finding an alternative to oil its self such as bio-fueled or hydro-powered cars. With an increase of gold more jewelry and coins can be made, new gold-powered heat or gold-powered electrical devices. Aside from the natural resources that can be found under the polar ice caps a new trade route to the east can be opened up to Europe. Global warming has had a positive effect in Québec; warmer summer nights and shorter warmer winters.

However on a global scale the negative affects far out weight the positive. There would be agricultural and animal extinction, global flooding; an uninhabitable planet. The only way to save the planet is or all countries to take global warming seriously and create and put into effect a plan of action. We can reduce carbon dioxide by relying less on public transportation (trains, planes, automobiles), cities can find ways to reduce traffic jams by redesigning or improving upon there highways, burning less fossil fuels and finding alternatives to factories that emit harmful gases into our atmosphere. Wood burning fire places could be replaced by other forms of heat such as electric heaters. As an individual you can drive less or car pool, walk more often and stop smoking. If we do not control global warming agriculture, wildlife, culture and society will be greatly affected, for the worst.

Written by Keelan Forsythe Copyright © All Rights Reserved, Image Credit: Nisqually Glacier, Mt. Rainier (Mount Rainier has more glacial ice on it than any other peak in the lower 48. This is a view up the Nisqually Glacier to the summit of Mount Rainier. Taken from a magnificent viewpoint along the trails at Paradise. This is an excellent place to see the awesome grinding and excavating power glaciers can exert over the landscape and the slow inextricable effects of global climate change on Mount Rainier’s glaciers. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington.)  by glennwilliamspdx Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License

I previously wrote about a series of dreams that I had, this is an accounting of the true-life events that followed and their interpretations; brace yourself!

If you really want to be blown away by this story, read part 1 first, Premonitions in dreams dream wedding funeral two homes sharks meaning. (click HERE)

The Interpretation of ‘Grandma’s Funeral’
FUNERAL – (1) To go to the funeral of a relation or friend is a good sign to the dreamer, who will either inherit property or marry into money. (2) If you see a particular person attending the funeral either that person or some friend of his will die and leave you something. (3) To dream of a funeral service denotes an inheritance.
CRIES – If the cry is one of despair, as in the case of shipwreck or fire at sea, either you or your wife will in due course gain a great deal by speculation.

The Interpretation of ‘The Wedding’
WEDDING – To dream of being married, or a wedding, is a very unfavorable dream especially for lovers. It denotes the death of a near friend or relation, with loss of property and severe disappointments.

The Interpretation of ‘Shark Attack’
SHARK – (1) To see a shark pursuing and attacking you, denotes that unavoidable reverses will sink you into despondent foreboding. (2) To dream of sharks, denotes formidable enemies.

The Dream of ‘Two Homes‘ needed no interpretation…

The Actual Events That Occurred…

I received a phone call from my father’s ex-girlfriend Elaine, (we had never met or spoke before) she told me he had passed on. A few days later I left by airplane for his funeral. Upon landing I had to go to baggage claim and in order to do so I boarded a shuttle; the shuttle’s appearance and the view were exactly as it was in my dream.

A few days after the funeral I asked Elaine if she knew of a woman my father dated, a woman he claimed harassed him repeatedly, destroyed his precious flower garden, stalked him and caused him to be a prisoner in his own home. She laughed and said, “Your father is crazy, he is talking about me, but he always exaggerates the story.”

As time went by I was able to meet some of my dad’s friends and they all knew of Elaine. They shared many tales using the word “evil” to describe her and spoke of her repeated attempts to “take his home” from him; they all told me the home she now lives in, is that of my father; a mistake that haunted him. This was rather disturbing because none of them knew each other. Furthermore, they were all in and out of his life during different periods and I met them all individually, not as a group; one of them was a pastor.

None of them knew of my father’s passing; my father’s funeral was attended by Elaine, her family and I. She denied his loved ones the opportunity to say goodbye; she told me not to post a notice in the newspaper, she said, “no one is going to come, your father kept to himself; he didn’t have any friends.”

Bear in mind Elaine broke the news of my father’s death, paid for my airfare and accommodated me in her home; she treated me very well. As the days passed I was bothered by the many stories she shared about my father; she described someone I did not know; I did not believe her but said nothing. I asked many questions and caught her in many lies; I said nothing and did not show my hand.

When I returned to my country, I began sorting through dad’s things, I discovered many official and personal documents proving each and every story my father and his friends had shared with me about her, for those reasons I believe she was the shark in my dream; she was also the one who was knocking on my door when I awoke from that dream.

I spent much time agonizing over that and “How am I going to pay two rents?” I decided, “My family would never be in peace living in that home; it would be a constant reminder of my father’s pain and suffering and I couldn’t live with that and all the drama that came with it.

I inherited my father’s home by speculation for there was no Will and although the mortgage was very low, I was unable to make the payments; it simply was out of my budget. This really frustrated the woman whom I had left an extra set of keys; she did not have to care for the property nor watch over it, someone else was left to do that.

I had to endure her constant complaints/concerns that the bank would foreclose and that Elaine and her family were repeatedly trespassing and trying to break into the house; these complaints kept coming although I repeatedly made it clear my current home and family were my priorities. When I could no longer endure it I sent a letter via her daughter hoping and praying she would bring her mother into the light; leave it alone.

The letter stated, “…If the bank is going to take everything so be it. If I am unable to return and recoup some of my things I accept that. The things in the house are just that; things!  The only thing I would want is the painting of my father’s grand uncle and again I accept if I cannot get to it in time. As for Elaine and her family I can not and will not loose any sleep over them and/or get caught up in all that drama; it is not my character.  I just really need to be at peace and leave it ALL in God’s hands; I trust him completely and whatever he has in store for me, I accept and I ask that you do the same. The letter came today and is now in the hands on a lawyer. I PROMISE to communicate with you; I will send emails.”

Her daughter after confirming in writing the receipt of the above letter replied, “Since we did not hear from you and worried that the notice that mom sent you by mail stating they were going to dispose of the property and contents thereof by Feb 10.  Therefore my mom went ahead got a storage facility and dismantled the beds, dining table, and removed the dishes and chinaware from cupboard etc and packed them into boxes and made arrangements with the deacons from the church to remove all of your belongings that we thought were of value to you on Tuesday February 9th to the storage facility at a cost of $35 a month to my mom hoping that you would return one day soon.”

Her response infuriated me! Not only did she deny me the right to closure and peace as requested, but she also attempted to impose an expense that was not discussed with me at any time.

Following that email she left a phone message stating that the bank had now foreclosed on the house, changed the locks and all the things I left behind are in the house “as I did not take her advice and let her put the things in storage.” The neighbors however claim my car is sitting in the middle of her driveway and she placed my things in storage. I have not yet responded to that message and have no intention of doing so.

Had I been skilled in the art of interpreting my dreams, I could have spared myself a whole lot of emotional, physical and spiritual pain; had I known Elaine was the woman my father often spoke about, I would have never given her access to his bank account and I would have demanded an autopsy. Elaine was alone with my father when he died in his home; by law an autopsy should have been done.

Dad, I have cried many tears for you for I am so deeply sorry for the pain and suffering you had to endure. I fought the fight dad, and now its over; the truth has now been told. RIP now daddy. RIP.

Written by Antoinette Forsythe Copyright © All Rights Reserved, The interpretations are as given by the dream book ‘The Classic 1000 Dreams’ by foulshm, Image Credit:  premonition by Michele Diodati Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License.

This tutorial will show you the proper way to ask your genealogy questions in a forum setting; etiquette, common sense rules and how to provoke a  positive and useful response.

(1) Don’t write in all capitals; SURNAMES only. In the online world writing in capitals is used to imply shouting.

Don’t – I’M MARY, MY GRANDMOTHER IS MABLE MAUDE JOVAN B. 1928 IN CLARENDON.
Do - I’m Mary. My grandmother is Mable Maude JOVAN b. 1928 in Clarendon.

(2) Provide as much detail as you can; results will be much better. Create the post as if we nothing, because until you tell us, we don’t. Include enough information in the message to warrant a proper response. Listing surnames and locations without full details will only get responses asking for more information. Instead, provide users with as much info as you an give to solicit a connection; dates, locale, parents, siblings, occupations, travels etc.

Don’t – Looking for SMITH, JONES, BROWN, JOVAN
Do – My grandmother is Mable Maude JOVAN b. 1928 in Clarendon, Jamaica. Her brother was John, sisters: Catherine, Louise, Agatha, and Aunt Fanny (pet name). I think Mable was the last born. John went to do farming abroad (where, when). Their father was called Uncle Sonny. We are related to SMITH JONES BROWN from Mocho, Clarendon, Jamaica.

(3) Subject & Message Body
Do not attempt to post your entire message in the subject. Do not post subject headings that offer no information “need help”, “looking for my father” or similar headings. The subject should clearly state your SURNAMES of interest, the LOCATION and any other relevant info that would summarize your query.

Do - SMITH, JONES, BROWN, JOVAN – Little London, Westmoreland, Jamaica
(even though your query will be posted in the Jamaica Forum, include the word ‘Jamaica’ in the subject and message so that it will show up in searches)

(4) Don’t mention your living relatives especially your parents without their permission! You will see this as the norm on genealogy boards worldwide; don’t do it! Identity theft is very easy when you have all the info you need.

Don’t – Hi I’m Mary, my mother is from Clarendon and her maiden is BROWN. My father is John George MITCHELL. Her grandmother is Mable Maude JOVAN b. 1928
Do- Hi, I?m Mary. My grandmother is Mable Maude JOVAN b. 1928 in Clarendon, Jamaica. I am looking for ancestors and descendants from those or other areas of Jamaica.

(5) Roll Calls
Do not put “Roll Call” in the subject heading, there is no one by that name. When listing the surnames you are looking for, try to break them into smaller posts and tell us about each of them; don’t list more than four at a time. List the surnames and location in the subject.

(6) Organize your query so that it is easy to read; break it small paragraphs especially if you have a lot of info. In that case you may want to discuss a few people and create a new topic for the others.

(7) If you’ve found a connection explain how you are connected, don’t just say you are; remember the board is help everyone make a connection. Many people get to this point and then begin corresponding privately leaving all others in the dark. Share!

Don’t ? Hi I think we are related, I believe I?m your cousin.
Do – Hi, my grandmother is xyz b. 1920 in St. Vincent. Her father is xyz and mother is xyz. She had two sisters; Mary and Jennie. If this rings a bell we are related.

(8) Update Your Posting (s)
If you after you have placed your post you find some clues or solve your mystery, update your post and share your findings with others that may also be looking; you may find even more clues thereafter.

Written by Antoinette Forsythe Copyright © All Rights Reserved, Image Credit: Explore Your Roots by CaribbeanAncestry.com Copyright © All Rights Reserved.

Here is a step by step tutorial / lesson on how to start building your Family Tree; I have included my very own personal tips and tricks that will come in handy if you decide to transfer your findings into a genealogy software.

1. You will begin by documenting all the information you know off-hand; fill in the attached Pedigree form (click the word pedigree) as best you can.
2. Now you will look around your home for hidden resources: family heirlooms, documents, letters, photo albums, Bible (some contain a genealogy chart at the beginning), school records, phone books, diary, church directory, telephone directory etc.
3. At this point you will create a system for gathering and recoding your data; the basic questions you must always seek to answer for each person you add to your Tree, and how will you record it. See Basic Questions.
4. You will now go through each item (resource), extract information from it and record it. Most importantly you will document the source (where you found the info) for every piece of information that you record (diary, school record, death certificate, Bible, you etc). Do not make any corrections in your notes; record misspellings, incorrect dates etc. exactly as written. Also make note of any source (s) that confirms info already in your Tree.
5. Once you have extracted all that you can from yourself and your personal belongings, you will then branch out to other members of the family; interviews.

Basic Questions – remember to note your sources:
(1) Full name (maiden / nick name / pet name / title)
(2) Name change – state the reason (adoption, paternity, marriage etc.)
(3) Appearance – what did they look like (i.e. black, mulatto, green eyes, mole on face, hunch back, white etc.)
(4) Date and place of birth – witnesses, godparents
(5) Date and place of death – witnesses, cause, where buried
(6) Education- what schools did they attend, where and when
(7) Occupations – what jobs did they hold, where and when
(8) Marriages – to whom, when, where, how (banns, certificate), witnesses
(9) Military Service – when, where, why (enlisted, drafted, flee country etc.)
(10) Church – affiliation, when, where, role if any (deacon, minister, choir, teacher etc)
(11) Travel – when, where, why, how
(12) Affiliations – political, clubs, offices held
(13) Awards – when, where, why
(14) Addresses – when, how long, lived with whom or near whom, or near what

Example of note taking:
Jane Isabella Smith b. June 16, 1956 Big Bong Island, Naga Naga. d. Nov 20 1999, bur. Canada. Source: John Barry Smith son of Jane Isabella Smith; email.

Now one thing to remember is this, if you exchange a lot of genealogy emails with John you should mention, the subject and date of the email. Why? Let’s say three years from now, you find some errors in your Tree, you may have to re-examine your old notes, by adopting a consistent method, you will know exactly where to look and/or whom to contact for another interview.

Written by Antoinette Forsythe Copyright © All Rights Reserved, Image Credit: Caribbean Ancestry by CaribbeanAncestry.com Copyright © All Rights Reserved.

How was my Mother’s Day for 2010? Well, I didn’t receive a bouquet of fresh flowers. I’m pretty sure I’d remember breakfast in bed. Dinner and a movie, nope, didn’t get that either. I’m looking in my closet and there are no gifts that made me say, “Wow this is great son; a gal can never have too many flowered printed blouses from the 60’s; these will keep mommy young! All I need now is a hippie to go with the whole ensemble.”

The only thing left is the dreaded Hallmark card with those cliché Mother’s Day poems of famous quotes; ugh!

What did I receive for Mother’s Day? Well, you’re looking at it; my 18 year old son gave me a hand-made card with his own words thoughts and feelings. Words that made me feel appreciated, valued, loved, honored, understood and respected; I received the best Mother’s Day gift in the whole wide world; something without a price tag, from the heart and soul; priceless!

I love you son; thank you for making every day of my life worth living.

Love Mom

Written by Antoinette Forsythe Copyright © All Rights Reserved, Image Credit: Mother’s Day 2010 by Keelan Forsythe Copyright © All Rights Reserved