so now you know...

I am... home and suffering from jet-lag

I think.... I should probably keep more of my opinions to myself

I should...probably not say "FUCK" so much.

I dream.... often and daydream even more

I want.... it all... and I want it NOW

I know...a little about lots and lots about a little

I don't like....arrogance, especially when it really isn’t warranted

I smell... like micro-brewed wheat beer - I probably shouldn’t have wiped up a spill with my sleeve

I hear.... purring

I fear.... bathing suit shopping. When is someone going to design a suit in a colour for those of us who don't tan?

I usually...talk too much.

I search... for balance

I miss.... being a kid

I always... am writing lists

I regret.... things I didn’t do more than things I did do.

I wonder.... about some people. :/

I crave.... laughter, and life

I remember... lot of things that will probably lead me to all the answers eventually

I need..... to dance

I forget.... everything , that’s why I write lists

I feel.... at the moment - a wee bit queasy.

I can.... and I do

I can't.... hmmm... not much 'I can’t' here

I am happy.... actually yes I am!

I lose.....my keys frequently

I sing.... when no one is around - I’m kind that way

I listen... with my heart as well as my ears

I shop..... only if I have to.

I eat.... to live and live to eat

I love... LIFE!


Now it's your turn...

... brb ...

Prepare to be amazed !

Our world is a pretty amazing place.

Check it out:

New Scientist Pictures of the Day

Maybe we should take better care of it?
Just a thought.
:/

Chin up!

If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.
~Peace Pilgrim

I admit to be struggling a wee bit.

Got to stay current!

If God Had Texted the Ten Commandments...

srsly

Think about it.

Last weekend I...

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the 4th be with you...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RATMJ8JH1qo

Beltaine Blessings

What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the Sunset.
~Crowfoot, a leader of the Blackfoot nation

Now go! Lose yourself in that sunset...

Celebrate! Celebrate! Dance to the music...

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more.

~George Gordon, Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

Happy Earth Day!

Eyjafjallajokull

I admit to being fed up with stories of [stoic/whiny/weary/frustrated]  [travellers/airline executives] whinging on about their fear, experiences, etc.
I'm tired are hourly updates on the skies - although admittedly I'm not waiting to travel (yet), nor do I have a loved one stranded..
I am at the eye rolling stage when yet another talking head spouts off about the economic impact to the airlines, businesses, and the economy.

But .... Daaaaaaaaayuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmm

I am awestruck, fascinated, and just a wee bit terrified.

These are some incredible photographs of the Icelandic Volcano.

More from Eyjafjallajokull

just sayin'....

Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different. Keep that in mind when you're licking something that doesn't belong to you...

Do I laugh? or cry?

this is so many kinds of wrong....

Would Anyone Like to Rep the Backtacular Gluteal Cleft Shield?

and while I'm channeling my disgust at ::ahem:: 'fashion' (I just threw up a little ...)
WTF is up with the deformed head look? Bumpits? for real?

mere mortals all...

April 9, 2010
Less Than Perfect
The Humanity Of Leaders

When we choose a leader, we often place our faith in that person to a degree that exceeds what is humanly possible.


When we recognize someone as a leader, we often place our faith in that person to a degree that exceeds what is humanly possible. In other words, we expect them to be beyond fault and to not make mistakes. This, of course, is neither realistic nor fair. Just like us, these people are living human lives, and part of the deal is learning through experience and working out our individual karmas. There will always be missteps and things they would do differently given a second chance. If we are to be fair, we must grant our leaders the same forgiveness, compassion, and understanding that we grant our closest friends as they navigate the complex challenges of this human life.

Leaders are special people in that they have the ability to guide and represent large groups of people. In this calling, they agree, to some degree, to be responsible for the well-being of others. Because of this, we hold them up to a higher standard of behavior, and in some ways this is fair. However, we will only be disappointed and disillusioned time and time again if we expect them to be perfect. If they were perfect, they would not be here on earth. Perhaps the most we can expect of our leaders is that they make it a practice to acknowledge their shortcomings and learn from their experiences. Beyond this, when our leaders let us down, it is up to us to forgive and move on. Dwelling on disappointment and negativity creates more of the same.

People who choose to lead are often extraordinary individuals blessed with vision, energy, and charisma. It is their path to inspire, guide, and represent us, but it is not possible for them to never let us down. Leaders are on a path of growth just as we are. Perhaps this is something to remember when we have the opportunity to choose somebody in a leadership role, or perhaps you are ready to step into a role of leadership yourself.

from DailyOM

I believe we should NEVER let a leader off the hook if they commit a crime - however we do need to remember that they are only human and WE need to be proactive and not place all our faith, all the responsability on them.

You're not the only one who's made mistakes, but they're the only things that you can truly call your own.

Billy Joel, You're Only Human (Second Wind)

A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner...

If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work but rather, teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

seasons greetings

Happy CH3-CH2-O-CH2-CH3!!

a dose of Reality

This morning you were awakened by your alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. You then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility. After that, you turned on the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. You watched this while eating your breakfast of US Department of Agriculture inspected food and taking the vitamins which have been determined as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

At the appropriate time as regulated by the US Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the US Naval Observatory, you got into your National Highway Traffic Safety Administration-approved automobile and set out to work on the roads built by the local, state, and federal Departments of Transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank. On the way out the door, you deposited any mail you may have to be sent out via the US Postal Service and dropped the kids off at the public school.

After work, you drive your NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to a house which has not burned down in your absence because of the state and local building codes and fire marshal's inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local police department.

You then log on to the internet, which was developed by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Administration and post on freerepublic.com and Fox News forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because it's impossible for the government to do anything right.

-Anonymous

Would my beloved friends in the US of A please stop panicking? Please? Take a deep breath... a valium or two if need be... you're gonna be fine!

I'm getting old...

I get a kick out of my bird-feeders.

A) It provides hours of entertainment for my cat...

B) It provides hours of entertainment for me - although I'm in no way 'a Birder' yet - it's fun to see the different varieties of birders and their species personalities.

It’s also a hoot to watch the squirrel acrobatics as they try to raid the feeders.

I know that it's 'good' to feed the birds over the winter months when food is scarce. But it was really rewarding to see how much this actually helps

A few weeks ago I went out to slap another block of suet into the suet feeder. In the tree I noticed a small distinctive (lop-sided red cap) but sad looking woodpecker - its feathers were all scruffy looking and it didn't budge even when I got close, it looked exhausted. I'm not sure whether it was a juvenile or just some poor little guy who'd had a rough go of it.

I went back inside and made a point of watching it carefully just in case we had to do a woodpecker rescue.

Eventually it hopped onto the suet feeder and it was there for a "long-time". It hopped back into the tree and sat there for a time and then made another trip to the feeder, then back to the tree, and then back to the feeder... later in the day it had disappeared. I noticed it back at the feeder in the evening, and I’ve seen it fairly regularly over the past few weeks.

It is quite gratifying to see it now – it’s perky and alert and its feathers are healthy looking. It flits around just like all the others and it even “hangs out” with them now
*happy sigh*

Spring has sprung...

Spring Equinox, Vernal Equinox... equal day and night.
Enjoy...

Don't know about where you live, bust the last few days of Winter were warmer and sunnier than this first day of Spring.

Dear Internet,

I'm having an affair with the real world, but things should calm down soon...

in the meantime:

Shark-Bitten Crocodile Poop Fossils Found (No, Really)

Enjoy your weekend my darlings!

In the dark blue sky so deep ...

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

The sun will come out tomorrow but until then yours is the night, with all her stars.

EPIC

GOLD!!!!!!!

Solar Storms Could Be Earth's Next Katrina

A massive solar storm could leave millions of people around the world without electricity, running water, or phone service... read more at NPR

Veritas vos liberabit

Veritas vos liberabit

According to Gloria Steinem, the truth will set us free. But first, it will piss us off.

I think we’re all guilty of it in some aspects - we tend to romanticize the past and history.

We think of the wholesomeness and clean living of the past. We think of how simple things used to be. We think of clean air, pure food, with none of the "evil" stresses of modern living - no cell phones, no traffic jams, no video games, no bad stuff at all.

However there was bad stuff... lots of it.

There was no "wholesomeness" - no refrigeration meant food rotted, sexually-transmitted diseases festered, you could die easily from things that are easily treated today.

There was no "clean living" - personal hygiene was non-existent (at least by 2010 standards) - face it until the 1970s many women only washed their hair once a week when they had it “done” at the hairdressers.

And indoor plumbing is a recent invention - wenches used to fling buckets full of urine and poop out windows into the street (and we think bus shelters smell bad)

Deodorant? Nope - sorry.
Smiling? Nope - your teeth, if there were any, were rotten so probably not...
And as the snow falls outside all I have to do is turn up the furnace and gaze outside my double-glazed-weather-blocking windows.

We're also guilty of putting figures on pedestals which aren't warranted. Napoleon, Amelia Earhart, Kennedy (even staunch party-faithful admit he hadn't really accomplished much at the time he was assassinated), etc

King Tut is one of those figures. He was a minor ruler from a relatively short-lived dynasty. He would probably have remained "unsung" had it not been for the fact that his tomb was forgotten about by everyone - including tomb-raiders.

He is famous because no-one bothered to rob him. His myth started with gold, and was popularized by "fantastical" (in the true sense of the word) rumours of a curse in the already occult-crazed upper-classes.

In short "The pharaoh who in life was one of the least esteemed of Egypt's kings has become in death the most renowned." (Unknown source)

We've all helped too... haven't we? We’ve stared in awe at the riches, we’ve gone to movies, and watched documentaries. Many Tut-fans bought into the "oh wow he had gorgeous stuff, he must have been murdered - ooooo the bust they made from his skull made him gorgoeus!! *fangirl squee* he looks like that guy who played Alexanders lover” *squee* and slashy fanfic about a long-dead Pharaoh flowed.

Thank science, or blame science, for the truth...

The poor little mite who ascended to the throne at 9 and died when he was 19 was a sickly teenager, with a cleft palate, a club foot, and weak bones resulting (probably) from the fact that his parents were full-brother and sister.

He was probably in pain for most of his life; he died of a broken leg and complications from severe malaria. Hardly romantic, eh?

I'm not sure whether I'm happy to find out the answer to a mystery, or whether I'm going to miss the mystery.

A family tree at last

King Tut felled by his feet, not his foes

Egypt reveals Tutankhamun's lineage, cause of death





On sober second thought - I'll keep my blackberry, my frantic schedule, my toothbrush, my 911 access,..

I won't stop loving history and fantasizing about clean water and air - but I will remember that I got it pretty good in 2010.

practice makes the world more fun..

"One can't believe impossible things," Alice said.

"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

Lewis Carroll

Through the Looking Glass, Chapter V

No truer words...

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO-HOO, what a ride!!"

aren't kids cute?

A first grade girl handed in the drawing below for a homework assignment....



After it was graded and the child brought it home, she returned to school the next day with the following note:

Dear Ms. Davis,
I want to be very clear on my child's illustration. It is NOT of me on a dance pole on a stage in a strip joint I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm. This drawing is of me selling a shovel.

Mrs. Harrington

early to bed, early to rise.

The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep.
~Jalaluddin Rumi

I knew there was a reason I never sleep in.

[insert snazzy title here]

      



Yeah.... it's Friday

Scam! Scam! Scam! Scam!*

Well if Identity Theft, Internet Sock Puppets, Badgers and “Look at My Cooter” invites weren’t enough... Haiti Earthquake relief is now spawning fake scams to take advantage of those that want to help.

I was called the other night by a young sounding woman with a rather strong Russian accent (and a crying baby in the background). She was trying to sell me circus tickets. The circus she informed me would be in my town (although she had no idea where I lived...or what the venue was) over my children’s spring break... or was that my grandchildren? ... It was a great circus with lions and animals, trapeze artists and everything....

“No Thank you!” I said.

“But it’s such a great experience for young children” she insisted.

“Sweetie my youngest are teenagers and we don’t support circuses that use animal acts.”

“But we don’t have animal acts” she says

“But you just said you did.”

“No, I didn’t”

“Fine I’m still not interested. Good Bye.”

“WAIT!!! Would you like to donate to the fund the earthquake in Haiti fund?”

“No, they’ve already had a bad earthquake" I said, "they don’t need another one.”

*click*

*eye roll*

My Aunt was scammed a couple of weeks ago, right after her husband died. Poor dear is almost 89, partially deaf, and medicated with stuff that makes her kind of groggy at night... in the middle of the night a hysterically crying female who addressed her a “Grandma” (which should have tipped her off right away... cuz none of her grandkids call her that) called with a tale of woe – Stranded in a small town, car broke down, need money for towing, repairs, and hotel – my credit card isn’t working Grandma! Please wire me some money...

Sadly Aunty did send money and it wasn’t until the morning that she realized she’d been scammed.

I was channel surfing on the radio this morning when one of the morning shows was talking about this very scam – Police have been warning older people about this scam in particular. It’s apparently widely spread over North America – in the middle of the night a senior receives an urgent call from a desperate grandchild (usually a distraught female)asking them to wire money.

The radio announcer said that someone had called his mother-in-law and tried that scam. Unfortunately for the caller (a female) his Mother-in-law only has grandsons (all of whom were at her house that night) AND none of them would ever make the mistake of calling Nonna ‘grandma’.

I also have been getting those annoying “This is an Urgent call about your credit card” automated calls... arrrrgh.

If I have the time I mess with them...

“Thank you for staying on the line Ma’am! We’ve noticed some unusual activity on your card. Please confirm your full name, address, card number, and PIN number so that we can verify that this last purchase was yours...”

“Ummmm... what does it say was the last purchase?”

“Can you verify that information please?”

“Not unless you tell me what the purchase was...”

“Are you currently in Thailand? And staying at the Grand Hotel?”

“Yes”

“How can you be ma’am? I’m talking to you on the phone.”

“Thailand has phones - Heyyyyyyy... If you’re REALLY from the bank then you have all that information in your trusty little computer... I don’t need to confirm anything.”

*click*

Or the car insurance one.

“Hi! We’re calling to offer you an extension on the service warranty you have with us for your car.”

“Oh... okay”

“What kind of car do you have?”

“It’s still the same car.”

“What kind of car is it? And what year?”

“I dunno... the same car you’ve already got covered... we haven’t got a new one.”

“I know but I need the make and model...”

“Isn’t that already on the old warranty papers? ... I thought you were extending the coverage I already have?”

*click*

*sung to the tune of Spam! Spam! Spam! (by Monty Python).

Coffee's one of those things that never seems to taste as good as it smells, like potpourri, leather, or babies.

(thanks Rabbit!)

However let it be known that I love the taste of coffee - I just thought the quote was hysterical... and that's the truth! Truth!

Show us your privates!

It’s Delurking Day!

Which means if you read this blog, stop and comment and say hi, even if you normally never comment - in fact ESPECIALLY if you don’t normally comment.

This idea was shamelessly pilfered from another blog cuz I don't have the time or energy this week to be original.

Note to self...

January 11, 2010
Finding Time for You
Your Most Vital Commitment

Within each of there is a well of energy that must be regularly replenished. When we act as if this well is bottomless, scheduling a long list of activities that fit like puzzle pieces into every minute of every day, it becomes depleted and we feel exhausted, disconnected, and weak. Refilling this well is a matter of finding time to focus on, nurture, and care for ourselves, or "you time." Most of us are, at different times throughout the day, a spouse, a friend, a relative, an employee, a parent, or a volunteer, which means that down time, however relaxing in nature, is not necessarily "you time." Though some people will inevitably look upon "you time" as being selfish, it is actually the polar opposite of selfishness. We can only excel where our outer world affairs are concerned when our own spiritual, physical, and intellectual needs are fulfilled.

Recognizing the importance of "you time" is far easier than finding a place for it in an active, multifaceted lifestyle, however. Even if you find a spot for it in your agenda, you may be dismayed to discover that your thoughts continuously stray into worldly territory. To make the most of "you time," give yourself enough time on either side of the block of time you plan to spend on yourself to ensure that you do not feel rushed. Consider how you would like to pass the time, forgetting for the moment your obligations and embracing the notion of renewal. You may discover that you are energized by creative pursuits, guided meditation, relaxing activities during which your mind can wander, or modes of expression such as writing.

Even if you have achieved a functioning work-life balance, you may still be neglecting the most important part of that equation: you. "You time" prepares you for the next round of daily life, whether you are poised to immerse yourself in a professional project or chores around the home. It also affords you a unique opportunity to learn about yourself, your needs, and your tolerances in a concrete way. As unimportant as "you time" can sometimes seem, it truly is crucial to your wellbeing because it ensures that you are never left without the energy to give of yourself.

Care of DailyOM

He's an awesomecake with omgicing!

Can I please have this guy on MY team?

World's Most Talented Man

Time for a resolution!

and in unrelated news...
It has snowed for 5 days straight. I am going mad!!!
please send help and shovels.

Welcome 2010!

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

~Joseph Campbell

As we bold go where no one has gone before, we would do well to take Mr. Campbell's advice to heart!

... and may your best day in 2009 be your worst in 2010.

Namaste!

The blue clouds of the red planet

Praise the gods of the internet!!

The rest of the media is full of crappy celebies, weather reports forcasting snow for everyone but me, and economic gloom and doom.

I have to turn to the internet for the interesting shtuff!!

The blue clouds of the red planet

Volcanos on Mars people!! Volcanos on MARS!

Posted using ShareThis

Pass the butter please...

You wouldn't want this on your toast: 100-year-old pat of butter found at Scott's Antarctic base

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1236290/You-wouldnt-want-toast-100-year-old-pat-butter-Scotts-Antarctic-base.html#ixzz0ZtBKN9J5


*happy sigh* I love this kinda stuff! It appeals to my inner geek...

oh snap!

Dear Self-righteous Dude in TO who snarked "oh yeah, well that's just YOUR opinion",

Yeah, mine and a wholllllllllllle buncha other peoples
cuz... yeah,

ROM's Crystal makes list of world's ugliest buildings

Ancient Pompeii Ruins Now on Google Street View

Because good geekery must be shared.

http://mashable.com/2009/12/04/pompeii-street-view/

Mummy Scans Show Heart Disease Was Rampant

Mummy Scans Show Heart Disease Was Rampant

Posted using ShareThis

Thank me later...

I'm always thinking of ways to make your life simpler.

in a conundrum about where to dine. Struggle no more.

A handy flow chart has been created.

Where should I eat?

Everyone take a deep breath....

Okay.... read up!
even the Mayans say the 2012 doomsday forcasting is bunk.

2012: new film features ‘Mayan doomsday,’

can people all calm down now? sheesh.

Lest We Forget...

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


~Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

Danger Will Robinson...

Are you a confirmed Application Junkie on MySpace, Facebook, and other Social media sites??

Check this out....

Scamville: The Social Gaming Ecosystem Of Hell

Silence is Golden, but Duct Tape is Silver

Duct tape is a vinyl, fabric-reinforced, multi-purpose pressure sensitive adhesive tape. It was originally developed during World War II in 1942 as a water resistant sealing tape for ammunition cases.

They tell me a perfect tool kit needs only two items; WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn’t move and it should – use the WD-40. If it moves and it shouldn’t use the Duct tape.

Duct tape is like ‘The Force’; it has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.... now it’s holding Churches together.


Pillars holding up Canterbury Cathedral, the mother church of Anglicanism, are being held together with duct tape because of a shortage of money to carry out urgent repairs.

Good geekery must be shared...

History Cookbook


the Saxons and Vikings aren't Medieval? since when??
ah well... the eternal struggle between academics and 'teh intardwebz'

a matter of faith...

Italian scientist reproduces Shroud of Turin


...and all the sinners, saints.

Hollywood is a joke that needs put in its place.

There are a great number of those Hollyweird sideshow freaks signing petitions asking that the self-admitted pedophile Roman Polanski be released.

Hey! Plastic Freaks! Look into your child’s eyes and tell me honestly - If someone were to drug and rape them, would a few decent movies make that 'okay'???

WAKE UP! Get some social conscience you plastic freaks.

Roman Polanski raped like a man - let's have this sniveling coward take his comeuppance like a man too...

The law is the law - no amount of money, social position, "artistic talent", sports skill should make it Okay to rape, abuse, or otherwise break the law...

Oh nature!

Gallery - Picture of the day - Image 1 - New Scientist

Shared via AddThis

Quoi?

The UK's Biscuit Injury Threat Evaluation

three percent have poked themselves in the eye with a biscuit??

No words...

Re-thinking Education.

Sure! No Problem! I can do that...

Free Will Astrology : Aries Horoscope: "Aries Horoscope for week of September 3, 2009

Your assignment is to get angry in the most unique, brilliant, and constructive way possible. Merely being annoyed and muttering generic curses will definitely not be sufficient. Nor will it work for you to get consumed in knee-jerk rage or to be peeved about the same old boring targets that everyone reacts to. What the cosmos needs from you this week, Aries, is a controlled explosion of liberated, compassionate, laser-sharp fury that will fuel your ingenious drive to change everything for the better."

It appears to be Monday. Again.

Food for thought...

When the winds of change begin to blow, some people build walls, the wise build windmills.

Postcard from Niagara 3 by ~Nariane on deviantART

Jill & Kevin - you rock my socks!

may the fun continue...

This made me grin.

"Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater.

If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.

Give her a house; she'll give you a home.

Give her groceries; she'll give you a meal.

Give her a smile; she'll give you her heart.

She multiplies and increases what is given.

So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit."

of orbs and hummingbirds

orbs and hummingbirds. I have them.

and I have a picture of the orbs... but not of the hummingbirds.

it's the story of my life really.

Food for Thought

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.

~ Helen Keller

A 2,000-year-old cream belonging to an aristocrat discovered

I am excited by this!! Really!!
That makes me a nerd doesn't it?



*sigh*

yeah... I knew it
=^D

Keep thine airspeed up, lest the earth come from below and smite thee...

The video clip is a 24 hour observation of the movement of all the large aircraft flights in the world, condensed down to about 2 minutes. From space it looks like a bee hive of activity. You can tell it is summer time in the north by the sun's footprint over the planet. You can see that it doesn't quite set in the extreme north and it doesn't quite rise in the extreme south.

I have never seen this before. We are taught about the earth's tilt and how it causes summer and winter in the opposite hemisphere, but to see just what is going on - WOW. With this 24-hour observation of aircraft travel on the earths surface we get to see the daylight pattern change as our timer 'moves' across the planet (and by noting where the 'sun is shining' in the northern hemisphere, across the top of the 'movie', you can estimate the time of day).

Each yellow dot is a plane in the air. Watch the concentration of the dots change as daylight comes and goes. Want to be an air traffic controller?"

Fireworks & BBQ

A Solstice Meditation

Turn your face to the sun, and the shadows fall behind you.
Maori proverb

Spiders!

Phil Jupitus - Spiders.

This video clip is on Google Video. It is 25 minutes of pure genius. This is exactly how I feel about spiders.








Watch it if you can.

we have strayed...

A vast old religion, which once swayed the earth, lingers in our senses: a religion in which the whole life-effort was to get our lives into direct contact with the elemental life of the cosmos - mountain-life, cloud-life, thunder-life, air-life, earth-life, sun-life - to come into the immediate felt contact, and so derive energy, power, and joy.

D.H. Lawrence

Ha!

Here’s where I get to thumb my nose at all the pretentious, food chemistry-deficient, wine gits

Some wine can improve if stored in a carton rather than in a bottle

Although I do agree that a bottle of wine is more “classically” romantic on a picnic or in front of a roaring fire… but what’s more important? How it looks? Or the quality of what’s inside?

Tagged I was!

Tagged I was…Well, sort of.
Saw this questionnaire over at Trude’s blog and I’m trying to stay awake until bedtime... (PS - went to bed before i posted it)

Read on. ;)"

What is your current obsession?

… and that would be one of my biggest annoyances… I don’t actually have a current obsession. I want one. My love of, and interest in, Wraeththu has not waned - it is simply not an obsession on the same level as some of my past, and much enjoyed, obsessions.

What's for dinner? … it’s your turn to cook, and I’m in the mood for spicy.

What's the last thing you bought? A mirror to hang in the front hall

What are you listening to right now? Right this second I am listening to the dog snoring… musically my tastes run towards the eclectic – Today alone my playlist includes Guess Who, Van Morrison, Frank Sinatra, Tarkan, Etta James, Holtz, Amon Amarth, PowWow drummers….

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Chicago or London

What's your favorite quote (for now)?
Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there.
~ Rumi

What's your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? My XXXL Hoodie from UMASS

What's your dream job? Travel writer

What's your worst habit? Procrastination

Do you admire anyone's style? No… I admire different aspects about different people and I only admire “style” if it seems genuine, fresh, and truly unique – I do not admire sheep who will follow any sort of trendy (especially fashion) thing just because some self-appointed fashionista, or style guru, says it's the "new thing".

Describe your personal style. I aim for classic business casual at work. At home my usual style is “on my way from/to workout” or “about to/just finished gardening”… I aspire to Bohemian

What are your favorite movies? Old ones… Thin Man series, Belles of St. Trinian,… HATE war movies, horror movies,…

What inspires you? The everyday world inspires me…

What's your favorite book? I have too many books in too many different genres to pick a favourite…

Do you collect something? Books? I try not to collect things… I have collections of things because some people ::ahem:: have for some reason assumed/decided/thought that I collect things… that I don’t actually collect… so there collections of stuff here that I don’t collect

What do you like most about yourself? I like the fact that I can (and do) find the humour in most every situation – even the bad ones. I like this about me, but it isn’t always appreciated and it sometimes gets me in trouble.

What's your go-to nail polish color? O_o …. People have go to nail polish colours??? Really??? Well … okay then – I learned something new today.

If you've gotten this far, you're all tagged! Mwahahahaha.

Dragon Ritual Drummers

Food for Thought

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.

e.e. cummings

"Never give up! Never surrender!"

Kudos to the geeky good soul who can identify the movie quote

Do not stand on my grave and weep
I am not there I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints in the snow
I am the sunlight on ripened grain
I am a gentle Autumns rain
When you awaken in the morning hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
I am the birds in circled flight
I am the soft stars that shine at night
So do not stand on my grave and cry
I am not there.... I did not die

R.I.P Bob... safe travels

Mary Roach: 10 things you didn't know about orgasm

Brilliant!



or click on the link:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/mary_roach_10_things_you_didn_t_know_about_orgasm.html

Sharing the Filth! because you know I love you...

Ain't nuttin' new under the sun...
certainly nothing the Middle Ages and the chaste mind of a monk hasn't thought of already.

FILTH!! Bestiality!!! and general wtf? => THIS WAY


many thanks to hobnobofjoy !

Props to RandomFerret!

Let’s recap...

- My laptop just stopped working. Right in the middle of a bubble blasting game there appeared the blue screen of death and an error message; perhaps I exceeded the international maximum bubble destruction quota....

- Why do error messages have numbers instead of names?

o Error message 99849865673876346azh means nothing... and is therefore incredibly unhelpful.

o Your computer has shut down to protect the hard drive because the mother board has detected that you have exceeded the international maximum bubble destruction quota; no sudden moves - The police will be there soon! <= this is useful.

- NEVER clean out the storage room with your significant other. For some reason their keepsakes and important and potential useful things to store stuff are always more important than yours which (obviously) should have been turfed years ago

o Ditto for the garage.

- This weekend was the long Victoria Day Weekend... wherein we celebrate Queen Victoria’s Birthday by setting off fireworks, having BBQs and generally having way more fun than Queen Victoria is having because she’s dead.

o It’s the “unofficial” start summer when people flock to cottage country, and start gardening and planting. Unfortunately we had frost Saturday and Sunday morning... chilly, very chilly.

I thought this was amusing...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/Niennaainur/Blather/nb3e3.png

Let me see if I understand this all....

Cheerios Are a Drug?

and

Dogs need sex toys?


The world is definitely weirder than it was this morning...

Live the Fantasy!!

Go on! You know you wanna...

Order Cereal Marshmallows by Mail

A New Perspective...

My friend Dan has a blog called

August 2nd 1914 - 23rd Sept 1917

He is gradually transcribing his Great-Grandfather's Diaries from World War I.

A wonderful read!

Check it out!

and then we noticed

with apologies to Scott & Pope...

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

But when we've practiced for a while,
How vastly we improve our style! *

what a load of crap!

*Truth! but it just make the fall from grace much more spectacular... *snort*

kudos for ingenuity?

or a slap in the head for a waste of good chocolate?

You decide: Chocolate powered race car

Oh sweet sardonical word play….

... it was once said "a black man would be president when pigs fly".

Now, 100 days into Obama's presidency....

Swine Flu

=^D

Beltaine Blessings!

Cup Of Wonder
J. Tull, Songs from the Wood

May I make my fond excuses
for the lateness of the hour,
but we accept your invitation, and we bring you Beltane's flower.
For the May Day is the great day, sung along the old straight track.
And those who ancient lines did lay
will heed the song that calls them back.
Pass the word and pass the lady, pass the plate to all who hunger.
Pass the wit of ancient wisdom, pass the cup of crimson wonder.

Ask the green man where he comes from, ask the cup that fills with red.
Ask the old grey standing stones that show the sun its way to bed.
Question all as to their ways,
and learn the secrets that they hold.
Walk the lines of nature's palm
crossed with silver and with gold.
Pass the cup and pass the lady, pass the plate to all who hunger.
Pass the wit of ancient wisdom, pass the cup of crimson wonder.

Join in black December's sadness,
lie in August's welcome corn.
Stir the cup that's ever-filling
with the blood of all that's born.
But the May Day is the great day, sung along the old straight track.
And those who ancient lines did lay
will heed this song that calls them back.
Pass the word and pass the lady, pass the plate to all who hunger.
Pass the wit of ancient wisdom, pass the cup of crimson wonder.

of Bread and Circuses

I dunno...

I know the economy is bad... but the Canadian economy wasn’t nearly as bad as some other countries who got hit.

However, the media really worked the story... all the gloom and doom news, all the time.

Media: Economy is bad. Businesses are closing! You’re all going to lose your jobs.

Public: ZOMG the economy is bad! We’re going to lose our jobs! *rein in spending*

Media: OK now the economy is in serious trouble people have stopped spending... * throw in dire financial stats and make direct references to soup lines and dust bowls of the Great Depression* you’re all going to lose your jobs and die penniless sleeping in your car

Public: ZOMG the economy is in serious trouble... we’re all going to die *stop spending entirely*

It made me mad that the media really “enjoyed” the story and whipped up a “self-fulfilling” gloom and doom mentality in the public.

There is a difference between 'reporting a story' and 'reporting a story with lurid glee'.

Same thing is happening with the Swine Flu... oh pardon me - the H1N1 flu.

The media has latched onto it with frightening ferocity ... anything to get our minds off the economy.

Now we’re not worried about dying penniless in the streets... we’re actually worried about actually dying.

The swine flu is a serious health threat – no question!

The WHO is increasing the pandemic alert levels alarmingly fast, and that is news, however, I do NOT feel that an hourly update about suspected cases is helpful. People are beginning to panic.

Pandemic alert levels are more “heads ups” to public health agencies, and governments around when to implement their pandemic plans and the mobilization of resources... and not public indicators of how soon we’re all gonna die.

I’m not saying there is no cause for concern – there most definitely is cause...

· Keep in mind that the last global pandemic (Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918) killed between 50 million to 100 million people worldwide – more than did the Black Death.

· And that flu epidemic came in two waves... the original mild form that quickly mutated into a much more virulent, fatal version within weeks....

There is cause for concern and precautions but there are no causes for panic ... However, if you feel you need to panic, please panic constructively.

There is a difference between panic, being cautious, and stupidity; Stupid should be painful.

A radio reporter pointed out to a guy at the airport on his way to Mexico that there was a travel advisory and that WHO and the Government were recommending only emergency travel to Mexico... “Who cares” he said “This is an emergency – I need a vacation”.

Ethical dilemma: Do you have to treat someone that arrogant and cavalier about his own health and the health of those around him?

Thoughts? what's it like where you are?

for Micael ...

LOL... Micael this is for you.

I just grabbed (cut&paste) the html coding from a LiveJournal post - I didn't check what actually posted in Blogger. I hadn't realized (until I read your comment) that I'd grabbed the "obsession" bit too... oops! Below is the subsequent obsession post...

We spent Sunday at the Art Gallery of Ontario . We spent the afternoon wandering around the galleries.

We discovered a great new artist with a campy, naughty, and brilliant- with a cheeky sense of humour and fabulous talent ... and well-aimed zingers at white European Christian interferences on Native American culture.

Kent Monkman, an artist of Cree ancestry who works with a variety of mediums, including painting, film/video, performance and installation, had several pieces in a AGO retrospective Remix: New Modernities in a Post-Indian World.

WARNING: Not everyone’s taste. NSFW

http://www.canadianart.ca/online/2007/12/20/kentmonkman2.jpg

http://www.artknowledgenews.com/files2008a/Monkman-Triumph-of-Mischief.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisejQl0-E0KsN40nR58ysv9-FqUM44YfBmxjPHW4ZRwWTG3CDveGspa_tbW_6kEZu0DlUNb1d07xUIhnZyyHxOOarpT1Qq_lsRtznlTno1DkM1tFk-03ZjUlCoSaX9C0UG4kC5/s1600-h/Kent+2.jpg

http://www.baileyfinearts.com/images/misschief_178small.jpg

http://www.hemisphericinstitute.org/gallery/exhibit2_eng/kent1.html

http://www.pfoac.com/zOLDSITE/images/monkman/photosL.jpg

http://www.stephenfriedman.com/index.php?pid=11&aid=76

http://www.baileyfinearts.com/images/deathofhyacinthus.jpg

http://www.baileyfinearts.com/images/theexamination.jpg

Twilight

... with Cheeseburgers




a lovely Tuesday afternoon to you.

In other news... I had a lovely time in Toronto and I have a new 'obsession'! Finally!
stay tuned! I shall spam you all with my new discovery.
crossposted... alot

Quoi?

I'm telling you.... there is something WRONG over there...

Surely there are more noble uses for $85.00??

Happy Earth Day!

After an orange cloud — formed as a result of a dust storm over the Sahara and caught up by air currents — reached the Philippines and settled there with rain, I understood that we are all sailing in the same boat.

~ Vladimir Kovalyonok (Astronaut)

*insert evil chuckle*

So there we were in The Alehouse, drinking beers (good snobby beer… not the run of the mill beer crud teenage boys sneak to parties)…

And we were chatting about vasectomies as one is wont to do when imbibing snooty beer…
This guy had a great story!

After two sets of identical boy twins in less than three years this guy and his wife decide that ‘enough is enough’ and off he trots to the doctor for ye ol’snipsnip!

He arrives at the office and the waiting room is filled with about 20 grim-faced anxious men… he could smell the fear.

He is the morning’s first patient. His name is called and he shuffles somewhat nervously off to the surgery. The doctor is a huge man of a certain age with a booming voice and a heavy Scottish accent.

The doctor bent over and was futzing around with bit of electrical cable. He stands up suddenly and bashes the back of his head on a shelf. He hit the shelf hard; hard enough to lift the shelf up and send stuff on it flying. The doctor lets out a loud bellow of pain (understandably) and his nurse screams as stuff and supplies fly off the shelf at her. The doctor grabs at the back of his head and bellows “OMG I’m bleeding”. Our friend (actually just an acquaintance) and the nurse get the doctor seated and compressed the back of his head which was bleeding quite profusely.

At this point the receptionist bursts through the door hollering “What the hell is happening in here?? You scared the shit out of ever damn one of those men out there… the whole waiting room cleared out… they practically trampled each other to death in a stampede to get the hell out of here.”

Sure enough the waiting room was empty – some poor dears had even left coats and briefcases behind in their panicked getaway.

Keep thine airspeed up, lest the earth come from below and smite thee...

Chin up my darlings!!

I found this at the DailyOM - it's an interesting essay.

April 15, 2009
Creating What We Don’t Want
When Worry becomes A Prayer

If prayer is an intention that we announce to the universe in order to create a desired outcome, then our every thought is a prayer. This includes thoughts of worry as well as of hope. All thoughts are subtle creative energy. Some thoughts are more focused or repeated more often, gathering strength. Some are written down or spoken, giving them even greater power. Every thought we have is part of a process whereby we cocreate our experience and our reality with the universe. When we use our creative energy unconsciously, we create what is commonly known as self-fulfilling prophecy. In essence, when we worry, we are repeatedly praying and lending our energy to the creation of something we don’t want.

The good news is that we can retrain our minds and thoughts to focus our energy on what we do desire to bring into our lives. Since most worry is repetitive, it will take more than one positive thought to counteract the energy we’ve created. The simplest antidote to worry is affirmations. When we hold these positive thoughts, repeat them often, speak them and write them and refer to them throughout our day, we are using focused energy to create positive results.

We can start right away, together: I am a creative being, using my energy to cocreate a wonderful world. I know that I create my experience of life from within, and as I do so, I also create ripples of energy around me that echo into the world. My positive thoughts gather together with the thoughts and prayers of others, and together we create enough positive energy to heal not only our own lives but the world we share. I am grateful for the ability to cocreate good in my life and in the world.

A lot of times we have concerned loved ones that worry about us. When this happens they are also sending out a worry prayer to the world. A loving conversation letting them know what is happening is the easiest solution. Also, ask them to send you positive affirmations rather than worry about you. After all, worry doesn’t do them any good either. Explain to them that worry can actually be energetically harmful to you and that wishing good things for you is much more beneficial and much more fun too.

Thoughts?

Another trip around the sun is over and done…

Happy Birthday to Me!
… bring on the cake! And vino!

It takes a long time to grow young.

- Pablo Picasso

… bring on the cake! And vino!



And I have a small confession;

Haiku? – I just do not ‘get’ them…

We can laugh because we made it through another week...

At least they were NOT talking on their cell phones – cuz that would have been unsafe!!

Police nab Norwegian pair during high-speed sex

To all my fellow yoga enthusiasts:
http://video.gaiam.com/services/player/bcpid1896788996?bctid=15257780001

I’m hiring...

and seriously... at what point does one use the microwave? Am I doing this wrong?

Please!! Come to you senses!!

please people... pay attention! the cartoon speaks the "twooth".

There is a disclaimer on this post...

Disclaimer: I fully support the Girl Guides... buy their cookies when you can.

However, I need them to be available at my convenience* rather than the current sales schedule... and the fact that I have very little freezer space left .... oh, and I'm also incredibly evil *grin*

so to tide us all over until the next time a pint-sized salesmaven knocks on your door:

Mock Thin Mints

Samosa-like bars



*because let's face it - it IS soooooo all about me. Really.

in the lane snow is glistening...

Il neige en avril.
È neve nel mese di aprile.
Está nevando en abril.
Det sner i april.
Ito ay may snow sa buwan ng Abril.
Det är snö i april.

SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT

Thank you Google Language tools

Earth Hour

I had assumed that the Earth, the spirit of the Earth, noticed exceptions -- those who wantonly damage it and those who do not. But the Earth is wise. It has given itself into the keeping of all, and all are therefore accountable.

Alice Walker
Living by the Word

Those Canadians who participated in Earth Hour are shamed by those who participate in the barbaric seal hunt.

Stop the Seal Hunt

The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley

close to home...

There is no catching the early bus - when it's not your time to go, it simply is not your time to go.

Man joins short list of leapers who lived

Dig it...up

Archeology has been exciting of late. *big grin*

'Vampire' discovered in mass grave

'Some things never seem to change'

Online users now can virtually tour Oetzi's body




[ / serious geekfest! ]

more true on some days than others...

The Universe doesn't give you the people you want in your life; instead we are given the people we NEED - To help us, to hurt us, to leave us, to love us and to make us into the person we were meant to be.




So? who am I supposed to be?

DailyOM

February 27, 2009

Universal Messages

Signs

The universe can often relay messages to us through signs. Often, we are too busy to stop and consider what may or may not be a sign. We may ask the universe for guidance, yet fail to recognize the sign it sends us in response. Learning the subtle language of signs can help you interpret the guidance the universe sends your way. We all have been blessed with a connection that allows the universe to communicate directly with us. To be able to understand the information relayed over that connection, however, it is necessary that we learn to pay attention and know what to look for.

To see and correctly interpret a sign, you must open your heart and mind to the universe and invite its guidance into your life. Many of us are blind to the signs we receive because we expect angels or our spirit guides to speak to us in a booming voice and tell us exactly what we need to hear. But signs are usually of this earth and therefore easier to encounter. A song lodged in your mind or a number that seems to pop up everywhere you look after you’ve asked the universe for guidance can both be signs. Signs may come through the animal world, from strangers, or jump out of a book in the form of an insightful passage. A sign may be a direct answer to one of your questions. Other signs may point you in the right direction, warn of impending difficulties, or show you a different way. If you want the universe to send you a sign, tell it that you are ready and willing to accept its guidance.

Not everything you hear or see will be a sign. If you are receptive and patient, however, the signs you receive will become easier to recognize. It is important to listen to your intuition. A sign can mean many things to different people, and only you can decipher a sign’s meaning is for you. As you practice reading the signs and following their guidance, the universe will send more of them your way.