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The boy who knew too much: a child prodigy

This is the true story of scientific child prodigy, and former baby genius, Ainan Celeste Cawley, written by his father. It is the true story, too, of his gifted brothers and of all the Cawley family. I write also of child prodigy and genius in general: what it is, and how it is so often neglected in the modern world. As a society, we so often fail those we should most hope to see succeed: our gifted children and the gifted adults they become. Site Copyright: Valentine Cawley, 2006 +

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Marc Quinn: artist or plagiarist?

For many years, I have known something about Marc Quinn that others seem not to have noticed. The reason I know it, is because Marc Quinn was at the same Cambridge College – Robinson – as I was. We have, therefore, an overlap of social circles and personal contacts. Thus, word of my life and my thought, could have seeped very readily into his. In terms of degrees of separation: my acquaintances at Cambridge University would have known him directly. This is not much separation at all. Anything I said could easily have got back to him, even though I was never personally introduced to him.

I have just become aware of something darkly funny. Well, it is darkly funny if you know what I know about Marc Quinn. Mr. Quinn has recently been complaining that his work has been plagiarized by Swiss fashion house, Akris. Apparently, their designer, Albert Kreimler, strolled into the White Cube gallery where Marc Quinn’s flower paintings were on show – and felt himself so “inspired” by them, that he copied them directly and made clothes out of the designs.

Now, I have seen the clothes and I must say that they do look the same as the paintings, in places. He has basically imprinted Marc Quinn’s paintings onto cloth and called it “his” design.

So, this seems like a very clear case of plagiarism. Marc Quinn is rightfully riled by this. He was quoted as saying: “To take someone’s copyrighted material and turn it into a commercial product without permission is unacceptable. It is damaging to my ability to use my own images to make clothing. It is destroying potential in the future. If someone is inspired by my work and they go and do something completely different that is fine. If they take an image directly, it is not fine.”

My reaction to this statement of Marc Quinn’s might not be the same as yours. You see, I find it darkly funny. You may be wondering why I, who have, in the past, spoken out strongly against plagiarism should find Marc Quinn’s suffering darkly funny. Well, I have a very good reason: I have reason to believe that Marc Quinn is not the original thinker he would like his audience to think him. In fact, I have much reason to believe that he may very well be a plagiarist – though one who has thus far escaped public attention for his tendencies. We shall examine the reasons for my belief here and that will allow you to assess how probable it is that my belief about him, is true.

Many years ago, when I was at Cambridge University,very early on in my career there – probably my first year, which would have been 1986, I submitted my creative written works to Sylvia, the editor of the Bin Brook magazine, at Robinson College. The Bin Brook was the College magazine.

Sylvia had asked me to come around with my works to discuss them with her. I duly brought many works with me – in their original handwritten copies. I talked quite freely with her about my work for quite some time. There were several other people listening in her set of rooms, none of whom had been introduced to me. Sylvia was in her final year at Robinson College – and so those present were not familiar to me, being older and from the upper reaches of the College, in terms of time spent there. There were several males present, though. They were listening intently as I spoke.

At that time, I was quite naïve about people. I didn’t then know the basic principle that, unless an idea is strictly protected, it will be stolen the instant it is spoken of or written of, in public. This is something that happens every time an idea is shared – and is a principle I have learnt through real life experience of it in action.

I spoke a bit unwisely in that room. Firstly, I spoke of a story that I wished to submit, entitled “Smoguey the Sorcerer”. This story concerned a Wizard who had invented a device that could see a few minutes into the future. The punchline of the story was that the device foresaw his own death – the first time he tried it – and there was nothing he could do about it (I would need a copy of the story to give the full details). Now the most interesting part about the story was its origin. I explained to her that the story was based upon a drawing I had done, in which a wizard is looking into a mirror that foretells the future and sees in it, himself, dead, a few minutes hence. I explained that I had taken that image and transformed it into a different medium – the written short story. It was the same idea, represented in two different art forms.

Very oddly, several years later, I remember seeing a newspaper article about a “Marc Quinn” art work that had been entered for a competition, in which his art work consists of a written explanation of the transformation of creative works from one medium into another. He had basically, it seemed, written down my conversation and description of how I had composed that story and made it into “his” artwork. (At least I remember it as being called a Marc Quinn work).

That was somewhat annoying to see, for I knew, for certain, that the idea in that conceptual artwork had been voiced, on my tongue, in front of several unknown witnesses from my College (and Marc Quinn’s College), several years before.

I also told Sylvia of a poem that I would have liked to submit, but which I had left at home. The poem concerned a Vampire’s view of Humanity, in which I described the Vampire as seeing humans as being “heads filled with blood”. This wasn’t metaphorical – in my poetic world, the Vampire actually, physically SAW them as “heads filled with blood”.

Now, you should recall that Marc Quinn’s most famous work is that of “Self”, which is a self-portrait consisting of a, you guessed it, “head filled with blood”. It is Marc Quinn’s blood. However, it is NOT Marc Quinn’s idea. That idea came to me, by 1986 at the latest – and was communicated to everyone in that room, that day, in the same College as Marc Quinn. Marc Quinn’s most famous work, is not original. Marc Quinn did not have that idea, first – I did.
I do not know whether Marc Quinn was present in that set of rooms that day. No-one else was introduced. However, I do not need to know whether he was. The social distance between anyone in that room and Marc Quinn was most probably zero: they would all have known him, since they were old enough to overlap with his presence at Robinson College. Thus the distance between my words and Quinn, was just a simple conversation away – and that is the most distant Marc Quinn could have been from me that day. He might even have been present for all I know.

The way I think of it, is that it does not seem at all likely that Marc Quinn could independently come up with the same idea, when, in fact, both of us were at the same College and I had publicly discussed the idea of heads filled with blood, years before Marc Quinn actually made one in 1991. Occam’s Razor would suggest that the simplest explanation is that he heard what I said, directly or indirectly, that day – and registered the image as interesting and worth pursuing as a work of Art, in the future, when he could get around to it. The notion that TWO people at the SAME College, would INDEPENDENTLY come up with the SAME idea, without being aware of the prior work of the other, strikes me as absolute nonsense and unlikely in the extreme. It is far more likely that Marc Quinn is being derivative of my poem, than that he came up with it himself and it just so happened that it is the same idea.

There is an irony here, of course. I had discussed publicly how I had turned my drawing into a story. Then I mentioned my poem with its image of blood heads – and Marc Quinn, it very much seems, on hearing my words, or learning of them, reversed the procedure, and turned my poem into a work of Art.

Knowing what I do of that day I discussed my ideas too openly, I cannot believe in the idea of Marc Quinn as an original creative person. Two of the ideas I discussed, publicly, became early works of Marc Quinn: now how likely is that to have happened independently? Not very likely at all.

Then again, one should consider an interview Marc Quinn gave to a Cambridge magazine about ten years ago. In that, he said he was grateful that he had attended Cambridge because it “gave him ideas”. I bet it did. What he didn’t say is on whose lips those ideas were first heard. It is noticeable that as Marc Quinn’s career has progressed and he has moved away from his Cambridge years, he has become, in my view, much less creative. His works of recent years involve no real creativity, in my understanding of what creativity is. This, in itself, is good circumstantial evidence that his early works – which shone with creativity – were, perhaps, borrowed from more creative minds than his own. If not, why the definite decline in his creative work? I know he is older…but he is not that much older. If he was truly the originator of his early creative works, surely he would still show much of the same creative power? He doesn’t. However, I do remember the day I discussed and disclosed key ideas, later found in Marc Quinn’s work. I see no real explanation of this other than the simplest one: the blood head did not originate in Marc Quinn’s own mind, for it had been spoken of five years before, by me. The work about transformation also did not originate in Marc Quinn’s mind. The question now, is: if Marc Quinn appropriated ideas he heard at Robinson College, which originated in my own unguarded conversation – did his other works come from conversations with others? Which, if any of Marc Quinn’s works, truly originate in his own unaided mind? Are ALL his works “inspired” by others?

I ask this question for a reason. Truly creative people, habitually conceive of their own ideas, unaided by others: they look within, not without. They do not need others to feed on. However, those who call themselves creative, but who are much less so, than the former type, sometimes depend on “inspiration” from others. In these cases, they habitually pick ideas from the brains of others, tinker with them a little, then call them “their” own works. This breed of people really see themselves as creative. They do not understand that what they do is inherently derivative and dependent on the thinking of others. In my experience, the two types are distinct. Truly creative people would not only never need inspiration from others – they would also not take ideas from others: they would respect the ownership and origin of the ideas.

Which type is Marc Quinn: the true creative or the type who is always being “inspired” by others? If he is the true creative type then he must explain why I spoke of his core early ideas at least five years before they appeared in his works. Also if he is a true creative, he must explain why he appears much less creative now, than he did early on. If he is the type who is always “inspired” by others…then why is making such a fuss over the “inspiration” of Albert Kreimler of Akris? If his blood head originated in my speaking of it, five years before he made one…then is he not guilty of doing exactly the same thing that Albert Kreimler of Akris did?

I have held back from speaking of my recognition of Marc Quinn’s “Self” work, as being derived from my vampire poem, for many years. However, I have come to realize that I am harming myself by not speaking of it. It is not fair to me, to keep silent. Whatever the origin of the “Self” blood heads, it is clear that Marc Quinn did not get to the idea first: I did…by five years, at least. I also spoke of it in the same College as him, within easy social distance of himself. That is something that really needs explaining.

I was moved to write, finally, of this, by seeing Marc Quinn make such a fuss over Akris’ plagiarism of his work. Now, I know that Marc Quinn knows how it feels to be plagiarized. It is time, though, that people realized that perhaps Mr. Marc Quinn, too, has plagiarized work in the past. Indeed, it is not safe to think that his most iconic work: Self, is, in fact, his own idea. No-one who knew of my conversation that day, about my work, could possibly think that, if they were being reasonable.

Yet, even as I write this, I know that very few people will ever get to read this post and to come to the understanding that the origin of Marc Quinn’s early works needs to be questioned. So, I write knowing that it will do little to open people’s eyes. However, it is important that I make this statement, because to fail to do so, is to cheat myself. It should be known that the same ideas Marc Quinn used, were voiced by me, many years before he used them.

I don’t know Marc Quinn personally. I don’t know what he is like or whether he is a reasonable person, in any way. However, if he ever gets to hear of my concerns, here, I would invite him to reflect: how would he feel, if his own ideas, ended up in the works of another, who gained 100% credit for them, even though those ideas had been conceived of, by him, many years before (but publicly discussed). Recall that those ideas had been embodied in copyrighted works – all of them. Surely he would feel a bit like he does over the Akris affair. Well, imagine then how I felt to see the blood heads, from my poem, made into “Self”. It was a strange, saddening experience, for I knew that I had conceived that vision long before Marc Quinn made it physical.

Perhaps Mr. Marc Quinn should reflect on his own words and take his own advice: “To take someone’s copyrighted material and turn it into a commercial product without permission is unacceptable.”

Well, I didn’t give Marc Quinn permission to make use of my copyrighted material, in any way. Yet, inexplicably, my prior work, echoes his later work. Please explain that Mr. Marc Quinn.

Thank you for reading this quite lengthy post, everyone. I appreciate it.

(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html
and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html

If you would like to read any of our scientific research papers, there are links to some of them, here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-papers-by-valentine-cawley-and.html

If you would like to see an online summary of my academic achievements to date, please go here: http://www.getcited.org/mbrz/11136175

To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here: http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks. You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/


Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 10:50 PM  4 comments

The consequences of Blogger's shutdown.

Blogger shutdown for "maintenance" this week. Basically, the site had crashed owing to some problems in the new "upgrades". During this period about 30 hours of posts were lost, no new comments could be received and no new posts could be made. Now, Blogger is back, however, there are some after effects.

You might have noticed that the comments on Writing in a Vacuum, disappeared. That is due to Blogger's failure and not my doing. Also gone are all the labels on the recent posts. This is not, however, what most concerns me. Blogger has clearly changed its programming. Blogger does not want writers, like me, to post links after each post - because today I was unable to activate the links. Active links, when copied, became inactive ones.This is a change in the way Blogger works which considerably reduces the utility of the facility. Is this why many bloggers eventually move on to their own platforms...? Do they tire of the lack of control and self-determination in free blogging platforms?

If anyone at Blogger/Google ever reads this, could you please change the programming back to allow the placement of links after each post? Don't you realize that, by hampering what your bloggers want to do with their sites, you are encouraging them to move on to other platforms? There should be complete freedom to write in whatever way a blogger pleases, as long as it does not harm others. That should also include freedom in how the blog is formatted, including outbound links.

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 7:02 PM  3 comments

Ainan's reflections on Art

Some people might think that because Ainan is a prodigious young scientist, that his thoughts, interests and observations would only extend to science. This is not so. He often remarks upon matters way outside his supposed remit.

Yesterday, Ainan began to discuss his views on Art, over lunch.

“There is no such thing as bad Art...”, he began, quietly, to me, “for if it is bad, it is no longer Art.”

That, in itself, was an interesting viewpoint: one that enfolded a requirement for quality, into the very concept of Art. However, it was his second thought that attracted more attention at the lunch table:

“Art causes a chemical reaction in the brain, that makes you think it is beautiful. Therefore, Art is a drug.”

My wife, in particular, liked that viewpoint. He may have a point, of course: is Art’s effect on the brain drug-like for some people? Does it create a “rush” that needs repetition and reinforcement? Does it provoke some people to constantly seek out Art, to fulfil this need?

It is good to see Ainan thinking on matters outside his core interests. It suggests that, when he is completely developed, he will be much broader than might have been supposed in his contributions. I happen to like the variety of expression this implies, since it echoes the variety of expression in my own life.

There is also another aspect of his expression that I find interesting: it is succinct, pithy even. In a few words, he is capturing a broader idea than might, at first, be appreciated. It is “condensed” thinking. Perhaps there is not only a scientist in him, but a thoughtful writer, too.

(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html
and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html


If you would like to read any of our scientific research papers, there are links to some of them, here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-papers-by-valentine-cawley-and.html

If you would like to see an online summary of my academic achievements to date, please go here: http://www.getcited.org/mbrz/11136175

To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here:http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks. You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1


Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at:http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is athttp://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 6:49 PM  0 comments

Friday, May 13, 2011

Media piracy in emerging economies

Joe Karaganis, the UK's Social Science Research Council's Director, headed up a mammoth research project requiring the work of 35 researchers, over three years, entitled: "Media piracy in emerging economies". It has just been published.

The central thesis of this 440 page report is that the reason there is so much piracy in emerging economies - or poor countries - is that people cannot afford the products. It suggests that piracy would fall if pricing was relative to the local ability to pay.

Now, what strikes me about this is that this is being widely reported by major newspapers. They are discussing this like it is some kind of innovative revelation. However, it is notable that I said the same thing, in a blog post, in 2009. My idea and solution were the same as the one that took 35 researchers 3 years to come up with. It took me ten minutes and a blog post.

However, I must say that Joe Karaganis was much more successful in getting notice for his project, than I was for my blog post: the Cause of Piracy in Malaysia

I reported the same idea almost a couple of years before them...but not a single newspaper or other organ picked up on it. I admit that I didn't produce 440 pages of figures to back up the idea...but the idea is the same. It is also a very obvious one, and struck me immediately upon moving to Malaysia and just looking around for a bit.

So, the question is: why is this being reported so widely, as if it were a revelation...? It is a self-evident truth that any careful observer of poorer nations could come up with. It makes me wonder what is happening with social science research, that the subject of a blog post, deserves a team of thirty five researchers, three years and 440 pages. Their conclusion is no different from mine...and yet mine took an instant to observe and a few minutes to write.

Of course, it is possible that one of those researchers actually stumbled on my blog post...but that would be a different story altogether, wouldn't it?

(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html
and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html

If you would like to read any of our scientific research papers, there are links to some of them, here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-papers-by-valentine-cawley-and.html

If you would like to see an online summary of my academic achievements to date, please go here: http://www.getcited.org/mbrz/11136175

To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here:http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks. You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1


Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at:http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is athttp://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 2:55 AM  0 comments

Why is Blogger misbehaving?

Does anyone know why Blogger seems to keep changing the way it works, in recent months? It used to be easy to post links, after my posts, but for the past few months, I have had to really try hard to make it happen. Today, for instance, sometimes links would be active, sometimes, they wouldn't be active. It sometimes seems as if the people behind Blogger don't want anyone to do what I do: provide a list of links after each post.

If you know how to get a list of active links done easily and quickly after the end of a Blogger post, do let me know in the comments below. Blogger is changing in ways that make it less convenient, and less easy to use. I have no idea why they think this is a good idea. If you do, please let me know. Thanks.

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 1:20 AM  0 comments

Ainan's evolving taste in music.

A couple of days ago, Ainan piped up:

"I would like to hear the music of Schoenberg.", he said, without any preamble.

"Why?", I asked, curious, for I was not personally familiar with Schoenberg and had never spoken of him, to Ainan, or anyone for that matter.

"Because it is mathematical.", he replied, as if, most oddly, that was justification in itself.

For the next couple of days, he asked, repeatedly, to be able to listen to Schoenberg's music. He tried iTunes - and pronounced it "useless". He tried Youtube - and found he couldn't download it, on our interminably slow Maxis connection. He raised the topic with us, perhaps hoping we would run out and buy some. Finally, late tonight, he found a solution: Wikipedia. There are samples of Arnold Schoenberg's music, on a Wikipedia page.

Ainan listened carefully to the pieces even as a radio in the background unsuccessfully tried to distract him. He played each through carefully. At one point, he observed: "I can hear the rhythm." He listened to this strange twelve tone music, in which all notes are given the same weight and appear with the same prevalence, with great relish. Finally, he said: "I like it." That is all the comment he gave or needed to give - since economy with words is his typical style.

He went to bed content that he had finally heard Schoenberg.

It was interesting to have watched him, with regards to Schoenberg. I rather think that the fact that Schoenberg's work is mathematical in design, heightened Ainan's interest in it. Perhaps the invocation of mathematics gave it greater respectability for him. Either that,or he was curious as to whether he could sense the mathematical nature of it, himself. Either way, he was happy to have heard it.

(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html
and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html

If you would like to read any of our scientific research papers, there are links to some of them, here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-papers-by-valentine-cawley-and.html

If you would like to see an online summary of my academic achievements to date, please go here: http://www.getcited.org/mbrz/11136175

To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here: http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks. You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1


Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 1:02 AM  2 comments

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Writing in a vacuum

I write this blog as a means to record that which I regard as interesting about my daily family life. I intend to make a record, for my children, of any characteristic moments of their childhood. For this reason, I shall continue to write: for them. However, until recently, there was another reason to write: for those who read my articles and commented on them. Over the last few weeks, those who used to comment have stopped doing so and there have been very few new commenters. I cannot explain this change, other than to note that my posts became less frequent for a time, since my life was just too busy, to give my blog writing its usual portion of time.

So, now, I feel that I am writing in a vacuum. It feels as if I am sending my words off into cyberspace, not to be read, now, but to be read at some distant time, in which they will find an appreciative reader. The immediacy of the experience has been lost. Once, my writing would attract comments the very day I wrote, and for the next few days. Now, many of my comments go unremarked upon. This is strange, for it is not a matter of blog traffic: if anything my traffic is UP slightly, since this new silence fell on my readership. So, I have more readers, but fewer commenters.

One factor that is not insignificant is that I had to change my open door policy and put a bar on anonymous commenters. I had no choice but to do this, since some of the anonymous commenters abused their privilege and wrote what can only be described as vile comments, unsuitable to a family blog. Perhaps they have mental health issues – but whatever the case, their comments were not suited to this blog, which my children can read. This is a pity in some ways, since some of my anonymous commenters were erudite and interesting...just a bit secretive about quite who they were.

Another issue is that I have taken to publishing a blog feed, owing to its requirement for the Kindle. This means that people can read the blog without a direct visit. Thus, people who might have commented end up not doing so.

If you have any further insight as to why fewer people comment these days, please (ironically), say so in the comments below.

In the meantime, I shall continue to write, in my pristine new, and very quiet, vacuum. (Then again, I should expect that, since all vacuums are, by definition quiet...Star Wars films not being sufficient contrary evidence.)

Thanks.

(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html
and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html

If you would like to read any of our scientific research papers, there are links to some of them, here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-papers-by-valentine-cawley-and.html

If you would like to see an online summary of my academic achievements to date, please go here: http://www.getcited.org/mbrz/11136175

To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here: http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks. You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1


Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 9:51 PM  8 comments

David Wisehart's Kindle Author Interview.

David Wisehart, founder of the Kindle Author blog, interviewed me recently and the interview was posted on Tuesday.

Now, the questions and answers, for this interview differ from David Cleinman's recent interview...so anyone interested in my writing, my thought, my experiences, would find reading both interviews, to be beneficial.

David Wisehart's Kindle Author blog, is one of the more established platforms to raise awareness of the work of new writers, on the Internet.

I would like to thank David, for giving me the chance to discuss my life and work...besides which I enjoyed answering his questions.

The interview can be found here:

Kindle Author interview

Happy reading.

(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html
and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html


If you would like to read any of our scientific research papers, there are links to some of them, here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-papers-by-valentine-cawley-and.html


If you would like to see an online summary of my academic achievements to date, please go here: http://www.getcited.org/mbrz/11136175

To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here:http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks. You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at:http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is athttp://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 7:26 PM  2 comments

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Is 100% in an exam good enough?

Now, I realize that my title is provocative in a sense, but it is a reference to the attitudes prevalent, in Singapore, and some other parts of Asia (I see quite a lot of it in Malaysia, too), in which only perfect marks are deemed acceptable. Yet, I see a problem with the idea of a student getting 100% in an exam. What do you think? Do you think it is a good idea if a student gets 100% in an exam?



I ask, for a reason. Fintan, my seven year old son, returned home a few days ago, with his maths exam paper in tow. Written on it, in big red handwriting was: “100%”. Fintan was quite happy about this – and so I was I, but I admit my feelings were mixed. You see what does it mean that Fintan got 100% in maths? Does it mean he is superb at maths? Or does it mean something else, too?



Now, the first thing I did when Fintan told me his result was to congratulate him. Yet, behind my smiling eyes, there was a thought I did not express: if a student, ANY student gets 100% in an exam, it just means that they are not being challenged – the level of work does not meet the level of their ability. So, actually, when this is realized, it can be seen that 100% is actually a kind of bad news. It means that the student is not advancing in their work, at the pace they could be: their abilities are being underchallenged.



So, it is true that Fintan is very good at the maths he is asked to do, in school – but it is equally true, that he could easily do a lot harder work, than he is being asked to do. Fintan is cruising along in maths, on his great ability in that area. Now, I have no idea how much more challenging maths he could deal with – but I am sure that it is a lot more than he is going to see in school, in the next few years.



The next time your child comes home with 100% in their exams, reflect, therefore, that this is a very clear sign, that your child is not being taught at an appropriate level. It would be better if that child was getting 60 or 70%, for that would show that they were coping with the level, but that they were still at a level at which they could learn. It would actually be a healthier indicator of a good match between the child and the challenge.



So 100% in an exam is definitely not good enough. Be pleased, instead, if your child’s grades are less than perfect: it means they can still learn from that class – and be concerned if they are getting 100% or nearly so, for that means they are most definitely not able to learn any more at that level of academic challenge.



(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html
and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html

If you would like to read any of our scientific research papers, there are links to some of them, here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-papers-by-valentine-cawley-and.html

If you would like to see an online summary of my academic achievements to date, please go here: http://www.getcited.org/mbrz/11136175

To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here:http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks. You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at:http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is athttp://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 8:26 PM  2 comments

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Kindle author interview with Valentine Cawley

An in-depth, Kindle author interview, with me, by the interviewer David Cleinman, was just published a few hours ago.

Anyone who wants to know more about my writing and my motivations for doing so, would be interested in taking a peek. I have answered his questions, freely and with a revealing frankness that does, I think, make for an interesting interview.

Thanks to David Cleinman, for conducting the interview.

I found that I said things in replies to his questions, that I wouldn't normally do, in explanation of myself, since these are not topics I visit in the course of my daily writing. So there are things to learn, in the interview for those interested in my writing.

Happy reading, those who go on over to his site to take a look.

The link is here: http://davidcleinman.com/writings/author_interviews/valentine-cawley/


(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html
and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html

If you would like to read any of our scientific research papers, there are links to some of them, here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-papers-by-valentine-cawley-and.html

If you would like to see an online summary of my academic achievements to date, please go here: http://www.getcited.org/mbrz/11136175

To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here: http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks. You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 9:10 PM  0 comments

The perspective of young boys, on girls.

A couple of days ago, Tiarnan, five, was sitting on the sofa, with Fintan, seven. They were taking a conversational break, in the midst of their computer gaming. For reasons unknown to me, perhaps because I had not heard the fullness of their conversation, Tiarnan turned to Fintan, and said, quite emphatically:

“I don’t like girls: they do BORING things.” He said the word “boring” as if it were the most boring thing in the Universe: the word expanded to fill all space and time, on his tongue.

Fintan didn’t do, as might be expected and second this opinion. In quite a reasonable tone he said: “Tiarnan, some girls have PS3s…”

Tiarnan consider that for a moment, but had no reply. It seemed that anyone who liked the PS3 couldn’t be all bad.

In answer, he picked up his PS3 controller and went back to his game. I don’t think he wanted to admit that if a girl was a PS3 player then maybe she wouldn’t be so “boring” after all!

This exchange struck me as funny. It echoes the age old theme, that young boys are not fond of girls – because they are, well, “girlish”…however, that will soon change when they hit puberty. How funny it is that children are constructed in this way.

(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html
and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html

If you would like to read any of our scientific research papers, there are links to some of them, here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-papers-by-valentine-cawley-and.html

If you would like to see an online summary of my academic achievements to date, please go here: http://www.getcited.org/mbrz/11136175

To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here: http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks. You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 9:04 PM  0 comments

Sunday, May 08, 2011

A lesson from the Romans, for the USA.

Almost two thousand years ago, the Romans killed a man, who held an ideology they didn’t like. No doubt, they thought that killing the man, would kill his ideas, his ideals and his outlook, too. However, it did not. In some way, killing that man, made him more than a man. It made him into the legendary figure we know as “Jesus Christ”. Perhaps, indeed, had they not killed him (or as many Christians hold, temporarily killed him), Christianity would not have taken hold. In some ways, it was the very image of his death, that made his life all the more successful.

This week, the Americans – the Romans of today – have killed a man who held an ideology they didn’t like. No doubt, they think that killing him will kill his ideas, his ideals and his outlook. However, I feel that it will not. In some way, by making him a “martyr”, the Americans may very well be feeding the legendary quality of this man. His death might be the making of his life – just as it was with Jesus Christ.

Now, before you leap to anger and confusion, I am NOT likening Osama bin Laden to Jesus Christ. The latter had a peaceful purpose, the former, evidently did not. They are very different kinds of people – but they share several things in common: their viewpoints were at odds with the establishment of their day. They were unpopular with the most powerful state of their time. They were troublemakers (in different ways). They upset the status quo. They also were both messianic in nature – inspiring devotion in their followers and making men do things greater than, perhaps, they thought themselves capable of doing. They were both motivators of men, and leaders of “cult” like societies. It is also telling to note that the response of the greatest powers of their times, was to kill them.

Of course, there are many differences between them too. Osama’s creed led to the murder of many people, in the name of his cause – whilst the opposite happened with Jesus Christ: that is many who strove in his cause, were murdered for their beliefs. (Though, of course, Al Qaeda devotees can expect the same outcome, too).

The danger for the United States and the western world as a whole, is that there are too many similarities, in the social and political dynamic of these two figures. It could easily be that killing Osama bin Laden could transform him, amongst his followers, into a prophet-like, perhaps even God like, being. He could become a figure of much greater symbolic value than when he was alive…just as happened with Jesus Christ.

Given this understanding, it would, I think, have been a whole let better if that unknown SEAL had held off, with the gun, and quietly coshed his captive and taken him alive. Being captured, has far less dramatic value, far less of the legend about it, than martyrdom.

I rather think that the American approach may turn out to have a price, in future consequences, that they would wish they did not have to pay.

A general principle may be suggested here: when dealing with a legendary and dangerous figure, nothing should be done to enhance the legend. In particular, they should not be killed, for killing the person, has a tendency to immortalize their message. The human dies, but their legend lives on and, in time, becomes far greater than they ever were in life. Indeed, only in death, is the legend free to grow so, for it is no longer encumbered by human limits. The new limit is only the imagination of their followers and the power of their unrealized hopes.

I cannot say what the words Osama bin Laden will mean in two thousand years time. However, I can say this: the fact that the Americans killed him, has greatly enhanced the chance that those three words will still have meaning in that distant time. Indeed, they might mean more then, than they do now. The “War on Terror” might turn out to be a very long one indeed.

(If you would like to support my continued writing of this blog and my ongoing campaign to raise awareness about giftedness and all issues pertaining to it, please donate, by clicking on the gold button to the left of the page.

To read about my fundraising campaign, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-in-support-of-my.html
and here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/01/fundraising-drive-first-donation.html

If you would like to read any of our scientific research papers, there are links to some of them, here: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-papers-by-valentine-cawley-and.html

If you would like to see an online summary of my academic achievements to date, please go here: http://www.getcited.org/mbrz/11136175

To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 5, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

There is a review of my blog, on the respected The Kindle Report here: http://thekindlereport.blogspot.com/2010/09/boy-who-knew-too-much-child-prodigy.html

Please have a read, if you would like a critic's view of this blog. Thanks. You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

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posted by Valentine Cawley @ 1:37 AM  0 comments

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