The Pooplexing Problem

Dear City Waste Management:

My cats came with these. (See picture). Your new ban on plastic bags in both the recycling and the garbage cart is going to make my life rather difficult.

Animal waste of any kind is not suitable for composting and apparently you cannot safely flush cat poop down the toilet, not to mention what the hardened kitty litter pee balls would do to the septic system. You can read about it here in the last paragraph of this article. http://www.nrdc.org/thisgreenlife/0801.asp 

I searched all over your less than helpful website, including the disposing of special stuff section to find you have chosen not to address the issue at all of what to do with pet excrement except to note it does not go in the yard trimmings cart, nor the recycle cart and although that leaves only the garbage cart, do you seriously prefer it be placed loosely in there?

I did notice that disposable diapers are allowable in the garbage cart. I can't wait to introduce the cats to this change in their normal routine. 

Give Up Your Latte And Save The World

Or maybe not. Once again I encounter a philanthropist urging me to give up my lattes and donate the money to the poor.  So what if everyone did this? When I pay for a latte I enable someone to have a job. That someone buys other goods and services enabling others to have jobs, and pays taxes helping to support the less fortunate in our society. When we stop buying lattes, people are laid off, shops closed and more people are in need. In addition, fewer taxes are collected forcing the government to cut back on social services. Although I haven't done the math, at what point do my dollars go further in helping others through donations where the buck stops at the point of donation than through creating jobs by consumption of goods and services? What are you thoughts?

Let Them Eat Candy

Ok, so I caved! The 13 year old niece convinced me that raisins were simply not an acceptable substitute for candy and if I valued my life...or at least my front yard, I'd better have some traditional Halloween junk to give out. So, little ghoulies, bring it on!

The convicted sex offender who lives just down the street (nearly 300 convictions for lewd and lascivious behavior with children) has his house decorated for Halloween, although fairly conservatively so (I'm hoping) maybe just enough to not stand out in the neighborhood. I can't do anything about it, it's up to the parents to watch out for their children, as explained in this story.

I doubt that a kid is going to get snatched trick or treating, but it sets up a situation where children may think of this man as a nice, friendly neighbor, and if approached by him on another occasion, might not be alarmed. Someone needs to make a Halloween Horror movie about "The Candy Man Next Door," a cautionary tale for general audiences. At least I haven't heard of any crimes against children in my neighborhood so far and I have lived here a very long time. Knock on wood!

Food For Thought

More than 2/3 of women ages 18-25 would rather be mean or stupid than be fat and over 50% would rather be hit by a truck. 
(Martin, 2007)

http://www.endfattalk.com/stats.html

http://www.alternet.org/story/32958/

http://watrd.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/if-i-don’t-like-me-can-i-take-care-of-me/

http://operationbeautiful.com/

And on another body image topic: http://watrd.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/just-say-no-to-sexy-halloween-costumes-for-kids/

Like Taking Candy From A Baby

I hate holidays, especially holidays filled with ooey, gooey junk food. So this year I'm doing something different. At my house we're having HealthyWeen. In honor of HealthyWeen, when the doorbell rings I'm going to open the door, reach into the kids' bags, grab as much candy as I can and throw it in the trash. Maybe I'll give them vegetables. 

Bye Bye Lollipop Lolita

I am tired of the “lollipop Lolita” syndrome in which women, who starve themselves to please men and fashion designers, think the body of a prepubescent girl is what men find desirable. How sick is that?

I am no longer purchasing magazines that feature underweight women on the cover. I am not going to watch TV shows and movies whose plots revolve around impossibly thin women. Have the producers forgotten how to tell a good story? Have they forgotten about plot and character? Watching the latest shows it would appear that the only thing better for ratings than a dead body is a size “0” or “2” dead body. Does the “A” in the “A list” stand for anorexia?

Remember real women? Sophia Loren, Jane Russell, Betty Grable, and Cindy Crawford are just some examples of a long list of beautiful, healthy women. Are women only desirable when they resemble helpless, orphaned waifs? Could an unhealthy media obsession with underdeveloped bodies help fuel an epidemic of pedophilia? Combined with the sexualizing of young girls in age-inappropriate dress and makeup, worshipping women with childish bodies is unwise of a society that should foster maturity, responsibility and respect for individuals.

A Self, Complete

Not we, but I.

I am complete.

Self, Sufficient.

I cannot breathe

In conjoined coupleship.

Not we, but I.

I stand alone,

Not dragged down by undertow,

Of obsessive love,

Drowned in merging two to one.

Not we, but I.

I am myself.

Not shadow, sidekick, or alias.

You may come, and go,

But do not say,

“We are one,

It’s not that way.”

Not we, but I

Before you came,

And will be once again,

Some Day.

I am not your mirror, or better self.

I am my own,

That is Enough.

BOOB TUBE REPRISE

I finally got some guys to pick up this old 250 lb. dinosaur:

And I was perfectly happy with our old (now my) TV:

But His Highness had to have this:

The good news is everybody's happy now, even the three guys who hauled off our old freaken' monster. They're going to get the picture tuned up and put it in their garage for football, which makes me happy because it's not going into the landfill, at least not for awhile. 

TWIT OBIT: Climate Change

Plastic, plastic everywhere,

Breathing smog instead of air,

Climate change you won’t admit,

Mother Earth, she just might quit!

15 CROSSES

The only thing worse than being the parent of a murdered child is being the parent of the murderer. When I first learned that a carpenter had hand carved fifteen crosses to stand on a hill at Columbine I knew in my heart this was right. He, in whose memory the Cross has become such a powerful symbol of courage, compassion and forgiveness, He who in his own agony on the cross, cried out “Forgive them, ABBA, they know not what they do” must have been guiding that other carpenter’s hand the day he fashioned those memorial crosses. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_columbine_mother_s_essay

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. -Mahatma Gandhi

Bio Poetry Challenge

Gifted One

Sin-eater, rain-dancer, wayfarer, seeker

Daughter of Poseidon

Lover of St. Francis

Feeling sorrow, joy and longing

Joy in the journey,

In the comfort of comrades,

Spreads out my cloak and shares my shelter,

Fearful of the cruel ones,

Seeking the Grail,

Laughing ‘round the campfire,

Warm in my cloak and boots,

I am an apprentice of the Seekers of Light

My Life in Post-its

Sometimes we stumble upon a piece of the past...mine came in the form of a post-it.

On it were written the three words we all take for granted in life, "Be back at."

My husband was headed out to a game in the 1989 World Series coined "The Battle of the Bay" in which the San Francisco Giants were slugging it out in the final matches with the Oakland A's.

Candlestick can be brutally cold but this was a fine October evening. Eager fans were filing into the stadium looking for their seats. My husband had just taken his seat and then there was a sudden jar and a prolonged shaking. A piece of the stadium fell into his lap. 

Initially few panicked. We've all been through earthquakes in the Bay Area, they are just part of life out here. I was just leaving work and as I stepped out into the parking lot the ground literally rolled. Crouching to maintain my balance I moved as far away from the building as I could and waited for the ground to stop moving.

When it seemed that the worst had passed and there appeared to be no major damage, I got into my car and proceeded home. It would take hours. Most of the traffic lights were out and people with flashlights volunteered at intersections to direct traffic. Civilians, these volunteers were obeyed as if they had the full authority of the police. 

Disembodied voices arose in the dark from my radio "Has anyone heard from UC Santa Cruz? Are they okay?"

It took me three hours to make the half-hour drive home where I thankfully opened the door to my still-standing house and snuggled my very frightened cat. Then I noticed the note. I had forgotten he had gone to the game at The Stick. All the phone lines were down and there was nothing to do but wait. Nervously I went about cleaning up what damage there was and setting the house in order. About midnight I heard his key in the door. 

He had brought home the small chunk of concrete that had fallen into his lap at the stadium. I now had a piece of the rock, and of San Francisco History.

Reconsidering The Box

Given that there were a fair number of objections to the tone of the video on Atheism, I am starting here from Square One with a new box. Anyone wishing to pitch their point of view may do so. 

At this point in my life I consider myself a non-believer. This in no way implies any lack of respect for your beliefs or why you hold them.

Many religious people believe that in helping others they are acting, as Mother Teresa put it, "as the pencil in God's hand." I believe that if God does not exist it is imperative that we help each other, because we are all we have. 

Thinking Outside The Box - Atheism 101

The important point is not what you believe or what I believe but what will be the basis of our social contract? There is no consensus on any one religious document or creed to be the foundation of our laws. If you are a Christian, try to imagine living in a country where the law of the land is based on a different religious creed. How would you feel having to conform to those laws? The essential foundation for the laws, present and future, of The United States is The Constitution. 

Here is where you can find the controversial? video: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wV_REEdvxo

A Green Fireplace

About twenty years ago we stopped using the fireplace for fires due to environmental concerns. We found a fireplace candleholder insert and now enjoy all the ambiance of a fireplace without the particulate emissions. It also comes in very handy when there's a blackout. What ideas do you know of to help create a healthier environment?

San Jose Feels The Impact!

“Being optimistic, on the other hand, is the most radical political act there is.”- Posted by Colin Beavan aka No Impact Man

Thanks to our wonderful, local independent theatres, The Camera Cinemas, we finally got a chance to see "No Impact Man." If you get the chance, go see it! It was interesting, thought-provoking and (surprise!) funny! From shopping for fresh produce in the local farmers' markets to enjoying time spent with family and friends, sans TV, this film is a great reminder of the blessings of community and the joys of simple living. 

Vampire Cats, Yoda The Pug & Banana Dogs

With Halloween coming up fast I've been noticing some of the cute costumes and themes on some PNNers blog sites. Here's a few that have cracked me up:

http://peabea.pnn.com/13289-pets

http://vanessac.pnn.com/5828-the-humorous-side-of-pugs

http://motherofmany.pnn.com/articles/show/51039-who-do-these-dogs-belong-to

Does your pet have a Halloween costume? If so, I'd love to see it if you'll share the link!!

And a great vampire cat!!  http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/halloween-pet-contest-2009#slide_2

Nature Red In Tooth And Claw

Who trusted God was love indeed

And love Creation's final law

Tho' Nature, red in tooth and claw

With ravine, shriek'd against his creed

~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson (In Memoriam A. H. H., 1850)

Before man and mouse teemed up to form a multimillion-dollar corporation, there existed a simpler relationship in the animal world: predator and prey.

Due to factors such as families moving from farms to the suburbs and the shrinking of a natural wilderness area, many people have lost the understanding of animal nature. Children grow up with an animation fantasy of animals as just smaller people in fur coats. This lack of understanding of the way animals truly exist in nature can have disastrous consequences.

Even with animals which with proper care and training make wonderful pets, the lack of respect for the animal’s needs and nature is obvious in the actions of people who give puppies or kittens as “presents” at Christmas or worse, the annual bunny sacrifice which results when people think it’s cute to give a bunny to a child for Easter, without a clue as to what a pet rabbit needs to be healthy and happy. (http://rescuedrabbits.org/?page_id=26)

Many of these animals end up having to be destroyed by the local county shelter or humane society. Pets should never be given as presents or adopted on a whim. There needs to be some careful thought about how much time and money will need to be invested in your new pet. Animals need companionship and exercise and trips to the veterinarian are not cheap. It is also important to ensure the rabbit’s (or other small animals like hamsters and guinea pigs) safety against backyard predators (raccoons) and dogs, whether yours or your neighbors. If you think a rabbit might be a good pet for your child, you should take the time to learn all you can about rabbit care and call your local humane society to see if you can volunteer to spend some time socializing rabbits. You will learn a lot about rabbit behavior and might even find the perfect family pet there!

It’s important not to treat the local backyard and park wildlife as family pets. They are wild animals, they have certain nutritional needs that nature takes much better care of than left over bread and even hand-feeding them the proper diet for their needs can result in unintended consequences such as increasing the local squirrel population (or bird) due to the increased food supply to the point that the animals become a nuisance or worse. One very young child had to endure a painful series of rabies shots when a squirrel at the local park scratched the child trying to get the muffin he was eating.

Feeding even the smallest backyard birds and animals can result in a (food) chain reaction that I like to call “Guess what’s coming for dinner?” There is a predator for every prey link in the food chain and when the smaller animals increase in population due to people feeding them the larger animals tend to leave their more natural hunting grounds where food has become scarcer and follow the prey, right into your backyard. If you have plants that are attractive to deer, their predators are sure to follow. A neighbor in our suburban area had to shoot a mountain lion threatening his dog in his own backyard. “The Beast In The Garden” by David Baron, which should be required high school reading, is a true tale of  what happens when man and mountain lion collide. http://www.beastinthegarden.com/ 

Respect for nature and for the nature of animals should exclude the keeping of wild animals as “exotic pets”. People who think it is cool to have a wild animal for a pet usually have no understanding of the instincts and natural behavioral changes as that animal matures and then can’t understand why their snuggly little companion suddenly “turns” and inflicts a life threatening or fatal injury on another family member or friend. And the animal itself can suffer. A young grade school classmate of mine had a cute little monkey as a pet until the poor thing died of pneumonia. Tropical animals don’t do well in New England winters. So please have enough respect for nature to know when to leave it alone. 

Out of The Closet - The Conscience of a Conservative

A Beginning, Very Basic, Conservative Outline:

 

Principles, not blind allegiance (Conservative does not = Republican)

Practicality: we all want world peace, healthcare and food for all; how do we pay for it?  Who decides how to ration limited resources in a way that won’t create new unintended problems?

Separation of Church and State (Not only may you marry your same-sex partner but I will dance at your wedding – until you beg me to stop, anyway).

Self-reliance (with some safety nets for hard luck cases)

Ecology – A true conservative supports good stewardship of the earth through sound conservation management practices.

The Role of Government: In the balance of public versus private organizations, conservatives tend to favor avoiding the use of government as the solution to problems. All else being equal, less government is usually better, and less costly. Sometimes the problems get so big that solely private solutions via individuals, for profit, or non-profit organizations, do not seem workable. Enter the public school system and programs like medicare.

 

I like civil discourse. I’m tired of being verbally bashed for having the cajones to ask “How we gonna pay for that?”

The Courage To Be Authentic

In a previous post, “Friendship in Need of a Tune-up,” I chronicled the story of a deteriorating friendship, one in which I came to discover that after many years a close friend of mine did not really know me well at all. I can see now that this is actually my fault. I was so eager to be the friend I thought she wanted me to be that I surrendered huge chunks of who I am and what I thought to be comfortably in agreement with her.  I became a mirror to her thoughts and a shadow in the light of her glow whenever we were together. This sad situation could have been avoided if years ago I had only gathered the courage to be my honest and authentic self with my friend.

So I am hoping in the coming weeks to set my foot firmly on the path to becoming my most audaciously authentic self!

(See http://brenebrown.pnn.com/articles/show/51638-the-audacity-of-authenticity-post-1)

Just Rockin' his mellow self & Bon Jovi hair - Vote for Ero!

Each new week the contestants start fresh with zero votes and a new chance to become the winner for the week. There are still a few weeks left!

There's some very tough competition out there, well-connected bow wows with extensive social networks. This is a brand new week and a brand new shot at the Weekly Winner slot, and the bow-head from Tennessee with her whole county voting for her has already won and is out of play for this week's contest.

Ero is not sporting any cute clothing or posing with babies. Our dude's just rockin' his mellow good nature and his Bon Jovi hair. 

It's all in fun and every dog with a good home and a loving family is already a winner! So let's go, Ero!

Here's the link to Ero's page in the contest: http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=89C85FEC894CC2B3E48955A56699C231&page=1

To Stop A thief ?

I must confess a moral failing. I witnessed a crime this morning and did nothing to stop it. 

It happened at the local coffee shop, one of many of a well-known national chain. I was standing in line waiting for my turn to order my drink. Suddenly a cute little blonde girl, maybe three years old,runs up to the counter, sneaks between the legs and under the elbows of those in line and helps herself to a packaged milk drink from the open deli section. She turns and runs back to where her mom is seated by the window with her drink and some other breakfast items. 

I am expecting a scene I have witnessed with my sister and niece when she was a young girl, the drama of "Gotta Pay For It". Sometimes this particular scenario went happily with the niece running up to the cashier with the payment, and sometimes not so happily when the niece learned that we can't always have what we want because sometimes we don't have the money.

As I watch from my place in line across the shop something strange happens. Mom doesn't lean forward, take the milk from the child and go up to the counter to pay for the item. She says "You want some help with that honey?" as she opens the item and inserts the straw for the child to drink. 

It can be hard to tell in this economy when someone is struggling financially. I have every sympathy for that situation and if I thought that was the case, I would have privately added that item to my own when I paid. The mom and child looked middle class, not poor, and they had several items which I'm pretty sure they had purchased already at the table. So the mom could have gotten a smaller size drink for herself (and a cheaper one) and still have enough to cover the child's milk. 

Although the coffee shop is part of a very large corporate organization, I'm pretty sure the individual branches are locally owned and it is a struggle for many small business people to make ends meet without the theft of their merchandise. Also, the folks who work in the shop are responsible for the inventory so it's possible that may have effected someone's paycheck. 

No one else spoke up either and I was wondering if there was some way the mom may have paid for the item earlier (she didn't just sit down at the table so I kind of doubt that). So not being entirely certain of what had just happened I said nothing. I feel bad about that and wonder what I should have done.

Friendship In Need Of A Tune-Up?

I had just had major surgery and was looking forward to a little “tea and sympathy” from a long-term friend. Very quickly the conversation went from my surgery to how she had survived cancer some decades ago, and once you’ve had cancer all other problems are so small in comparison.

Having recently lost a job when the startup I worked for went belly up; a friend knew I was looking for work. There were two job openings where she worked, one was a professional-level one which paid well and for which I was fully qualified, but the one she recommended me for was an entry-level one similar to the one I had twenty years ago.

I was trying to lose some weight, and just generally change over to some healthier eating and exercising habits. I mentioned this to a friend with the request that we meet up at a local coffee shop with choices to fit my fitness goals and the friend laughed off my efforts and insisted on meeting at a belly-busting eatery.

When I needed to take some time out for myself, one friend became very worried about me, constantly calling and trying to get me to go out, going so far as to suggest to my husband that I had become a hermit and she was worried about my mental health.

The above are all examples of various encounters with friends that left me feeling kind of hurt or disappointed. I can be overly sensitive and too often don’t speak up for my needs in a relationship. And sometimes a friend can have your best interests at heart but not express that too well. And sometimes I wonder if I am attracting the wrong kinds of friends.

And just a note: The above post is not directed at one specific person, and I have experienced nothing but support and companionship in this blogging community. Most of us, at some point, will not be as good of a friend as we could have been in a given situation. No one is perfect; friendship is give and take over time, and often not 50-50 at the same time.

Boob Tube

My husband and I should have gotten separate houses. When it comes to furniture we are at complete odds.  He loves the really solid, big, heavy stuff. I prefer light, easy to move, preferably usable in at least three different ways, furnishings.  The ginzoo knife meets Danish modern. Why not have a fold-down dinette table that can double as an ironing board?

His love of the solid, heavy stuff puzzles me. It’s not cultural; his ancestors were all Scandinavian.  Perhaps he theorizes that in earthquake-prone California the heavy stuff has a better chance of not toppling, whereas I would rather be pinned under my oh-so-light iron/dinette board. Maybe it’s because he isn’t the one who needs to move the furniture around to vacuum so HE can breathe in this house. It could be the solid furniture gives him the security of  groundedness, of belonging solidly to one place.

So, why then, does he like to travel so much?

Lately we are at odds over purchasing a new TV for the living room. The old one is very heavy, very big, and hides all my containers with old college and childhood memorabilia and records behind it. The picture freezes every so often and you can’t read any words on the screen but it’s not like the tube is totally dead, I can make do. Besides, how the heck are we going to get the darn thing out of the house now that the delivery people are no longer available (merchants are always willing to deliver humongous items, but I’ve yet to meet one who will pick it up when you are finished with it). 

So here we sit watching the 19-inch, 1983 model hooked up to the cable box and propped up on a cart in front of the big screen, half-dead Sony.

You know, the one we brought with us when my family was forced to leave Anatevka.

Zen On The Side

Don't find your own true love; be your own true love.

Public Contrition

Here’s how to turn the talk show circuit into an effective forum for public admonishment.

You’ve seen it, the sad parade of repentant celebrities and elected officials walking the “Talk of Shame” from late night show to late night show.  Apologizing for adultery, embezzlement, public sex, public drunken rants, and the gamut of human sins.

Our country has a long history of public shame as punishment (and as a warning to the rest of the people) for misbehaving. The Puritans had one punishment for sinners in which the convicted would have his head and hands placed in a locked stockade for the day and the community would be encouraged to pelt him with food.

So, if morally errant celebrities insist on public humiliation via the nightly talk shows as punishment for their sins, let’s do it “Old School.” Let the host of the late night talk show tie the sinner to a chair facing the audience and in a “Gallagher-style” fruit throwing frenzy (drop sheets may be needed to protect those in the front rows) let the audience pelt the offender with rotten tomatoes. Now, that’s what I call atonement.

Just When I thought It Couldn't Get Any Better

I went to my first GNO-Girl's Night Out.

Wild! Wonderful! Wacky! just begins to describe it. 

Rush Week at a sorority might be closer.

Shouts of "hi!" as people wandered in, witty remarks flying by at the speed of light, names shouted out as prizes were offered up.

Waiting to pee because you don't want to miss one hilarious moment!

And in celebration of the occasion hubby brought home one perfect red velvet cupcake!

TWIT OBITS

#3

Rest in Peace

At Forest Lawn

Never Mess with a Soccer Mom

#4 

Right of Way

He would not Yield

Eternally he lies

In Heaven's Field 

TWIT OBIT #2

Here Lies Joe

While wife was working all day

With the neighbor did play

She came home early, and slam!

Affair ended with a frying pan.

TWIT OBIT #1

Here Lies Sam

He drove and text'd

Heaven's Gates

Was what came Next.

COOLPIX

Frustrated with all the copyright stuff involved in just trying to add a little visual delight to my blog posts, I went out and bought a camera. We just finished with the acrobatics involved in installing the battery the right way so the camera won't blow up when turned on. This is not as easy as you think, the camera is actually in the correct "orientation" when upside down (we reviewed the diagram in the manual several times). Then we spent about half an hour installing the software so I'll be able to upload my photos to my mac. Then my husband turned the camera on and took a picture of my foot. Now we know what that little icon is for. Does anyone know Ashton Kutcher's cell number?

Your Rabbit Speaks "Soprano"

Did you ever wonder how your bunny lets you know he or she is pissed off? In the August 29th article of Linda Goldston's excellent pet series in The San Jose Mercury News, she relates the story of how a friend of hers had to leave her rabbit with someone else when she went on vacation. The bunny went to a corner of her cage and turned to face the wall with only her bunny butt facing her owner. What the friend was on the receiving end of was the "RBB" or the "Royal Bunny Butt". It's a rabbit's way of saying "Forget You".

And with his little foot it looks like he is saying: Va fa a napoli

Ariadne & Perseus

A silken cord,

A slender thread,

A seam that binds -

A winding path,

A widening gyre,

Into the labyrinthine mind.

@copy 1997 (mine)

Mathematician's Kid

My imaginary friend's name is i.

And here is a (hopefully clearer) explanation of the use of i:

Imaginary Numbers

Leverage

i would have preferred mathematicians for parents

so when they told me I had to get rid of my

imaginary friend, I could say "As soon as you get

rid of your imaginary numbers."

Zombies With A Chance of Meatballs

Our favorite movie reviewer, Appaloosa is MIA due to a recent grass mishap, so while he is recovering (Get well soon, Appy, we miss you!), I would like to briefly usurp his aisle seat and mention two upcoming movies that sound like a lot of fun. One is Zombieland with Woody Harrelson (maybe on hemp?) and the charming Miss Abigail Breslin of "Little Miss Sunshine" fame. 

The other is Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs about a small town where food rains from the clouds, based on the hilarious children's book by Judith Barrett (animated). I mean, zombies and pasta, what more could you ask for?

BlogFodder

What is appropriate blog content? What is and is not fair play when the stories we tell are personal? We would lose many fine writers if no one were ever allowed to use material from their personal life in their writing. Sometimes we find out just how differently we viewed a situation than did another party involved. The lens of memory and perception can be very subjective. A blog is not a diary, it is very public so if one is writing mostly for cathartic purposes, perhaps that would be better to do in a private medium. Between the wide extremes of not attacking anyone in public and never mentioning any incident or experience involving real people from our lives there is a wide gray area where creativity is birthed but privacy should be respected. Many of us write to connect with others, to understand and be understood, how can we do that safely and fairly?

Is Arizona Bad For Your Health?

Along with snakebites, bear attacks, and scorpion stings, is there a previously unrecognized health hazard in Arizona:lead poisoning?

And a few reasons to travel there anyway:

Backyard Blockbuster

I found this fascinating quote today:

I thought about it. Lazy summer evenings, sitting back and sipping a cool beverage, while the kids ran around catching fireflies and watching a Hollywood blockbuster on a very big screen. These are the moments when vivid, lifetime memories are made. But then I saw the price tag: $3,499. The dream of outdoor movie watching began to make a hasty retreat.wired.com, Lights … Cameras … Insect Repellent? How To Build Your Own Outdoor Movie Theater, May 2009

You should read the whole article.

When the Ads are Funnier than the Post

Some of the overhead advertising is matching up in bizarre and funny ways to my blog posts.  For instance, I wrote about how my grandfather spent months in the wilderness back in the 1920s in the New Mexico and Arizona forest regions. One Thanksgiving he got stuck at the only hotel in town and dined on mallard duck, bear steaks and wild turkey. Below is a copy of the overhead ad run for "Discount Dining in New Mexico".

In another of my posts I blogged about my phobias, specifically my fear of winning the Lottery. The ads running with that post went from "We'll give you one less thing to worry about" (I think an insurance ad) to "Why play theirs?" (An ad for online gaming).The ad running over my "Why I don't go to Church" piece is "Calvin, Theater of God". This post has been getting continuous religious advertising. You'd think the atheists would jump in at this opportunity.

One for JibJab e-cards is featured over my "Tarot Card" post. It's kind of small but a smiling Obama is featured on a promotion to send a JibJab e-card featuring you. Maybe there's a POTUS and YOU do the Healthcare Hustle routine.

And my favorite ad appears to be a combination of my posts on pets, on finding love (Ring Bling Thing) and on problems with droop in LED lights. It advertises a blinking LED light collar for your pet called "Bling Bling LED pet collar. I'd love to get together with the advertisers so we could maximize the comedic effect with a little coordinated writing!

The Story Teller

At the Initiation Rite the Chonilawai (storyteller) appears and in the glow of the Kiva fire, he utters “Aliksa’i”, something magical is about to begin. Then he spins his animal fables illustrating the right way to act, to conserve and to use only what you need for a happy life.

The elders are passing away and their traditions must be preserved. The generation of the elders was a hard one, one of war and economic deprivation. They knew what mattered, family, the traditions, who one was, not what one possesses.

I am the storyteller, it is I who will gather the tribe around the camp fire, it is I who will tell the family stories, how we came to this land, what we did to survive. I will point to the future and I will tell the young ones, take only what is necessary for your journey. Travel light and light-heartedly. Be true to yourself and we will all meet again in the spirit world. At the gate, not the baggage claim.

où suis-je ?

My husband travels a great deal on business. Fortunately he is a lighthearted traveller who enjoys the journey. Many years ago, while in Paris, he decided to visit the Bordeaux wine region in the South of France. Fearlessly, he hopped aboard a train and headed off for some wine-tasting. At some point in the journey, the train split and one section headed one way and the rest of the train went on to the original destination. This was, of course, announced, in French. Unfortunately my husband doesn't speak French well. So he ended up 500 miles from his destination. He did discover a wonderful little Inn in which to stay the night. And he highly recommends having a Eurail pass. 

He didn't fare much better in Germany. He was sent there by his company to check on one of their plants in Neufarn. At the airport he hails a cab, hops in and asks to be taken to Neufarn. Which one? The cabbie asks.  The Germans like the name Neufarn so much, they have three towns with that name. 

Back in Paris, his colleague was attempting to find the way to a highly recommended restaurant and went up to two police officers to inquire as to the right way to go. One officer turned to the other officer and said "Where are we"? The other officer replied, "We're in Paris."  The first officer then said "Are you sure we're in Paris"? The second replied, "Yes, quite sure." Then the first officer said, "Well, if we're in Paris, why isn't this gentleman speaking French?"

Great Places I've Never Been, An Agoraphobic's Travel Guide

ESTONIA

Along with its scenic seaside towns, quaint country villages and emerald-green forests, Estonia also boasts magnificent castles and medieval splendor. Strolling down the cobble stone streets of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, one can take in historic 14^th century architecture and grab a tasty bite to eat at one of the many cafes and restaurants.

A short history of Estonia:

1208 Invaded by the Danish in the North and the Germans in the South

1558 Invaded by Russia

1583 Invaded by Sweden

1700 – 1721 Invaded by Russia (again)

1914-1918 Russian troops forced to leave and for a short while, Estonia remains unoccupied.

1939-1945 Invaded by Russia, then Germany and finally again by Russia.

1991 Upon the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Republic of Estonia is established on August 20, 1991. Estonia today remains an independent Republic.

In addition to a colorful history, and breathtaking medieval castles and churches, Tallinn is home to two of the better technical universities in Europe.