ellecoyote

2012-02-02T12:26:00.001-06:00

Though this is not live footage, Marvin's pure, sweet voice brings us the sorrow of our losses way back when. We lost something huge in those times, but it survives in our hearts.

Why Do I Love the Noir Genre?

2012-01-31T10:28:00.002-06:00

The philosophy behind the noir genre is diametrically opposed to my personal philosophy, but I know we have all been there, done that, if not in this lifetime, in some other one.

I am reading Best American Noir of the Century, a collection of short noir fiction, compiled by James Ellroy and Otto Penzler. It was today's kindle daily deal, offers I now receive via email thanks to my sister-in-law, Ann.

In the Foreword, Ellroy says:

"Noir works, whether films, novels, or short stories, are existential, pessimistic tales about people, including (or especially) protagonists, who are seriously flawed and morally questionable. The tone is generally bleak and nihilistic, with characters whose greed, lust, jealousy, and alienation lead them in to a downward spiral as their plans and schemes inevitably go awry. Whether their motivation is as overt as a bank robbery, or as subtle as the willingness to compromise integrity for personal gain, the central figures in noir stories are doomed to hopelessness. They may be motivated by the pursuit of seemingly easy money or by love–or, more commonly, physical desire–almost certainly for the wrong member of the opposite sex. The machinations of their relentless lust will cause them to lie, steal, cheat, and even kill as they become more and more entangled in a web from which they cannot possibly extricate themselves. And, while engaged in this hopeless quest, they will be double-crossed, betrayed, and ultimately, ruined. The likelihood of a happy ending in a noir story is remote, even if the protagonist’s view of a satisfactory resolution is the criterion for defining happy. No, it will end badly, because the characters are inherently corrupt and that is the fate that inevitably awaits them."

and in the Introduction ...

"Noir sparked before the Big War and burned like a four-coil hotplate up to 1960. Cheap novels and cheap films about cheap people ran concurrent with American boosterism and yahooism and made a subversive point just by being. They described a fully existing fringe America and fed viewers and readers the demography of a Secret Pervert Republic. It was just garish enough to be laughed off as unreal and just pathetic enough to be recognizably human."

I really enjoy the genre, particularly in film.

Constance Braden at El Rincon Social Houston

2012-01-30T10:06:00.001-06:00

Constance is my yoga teacher, who began drawing seriously a few years ago. I find her imagery intriguing. It is highly individual and is based upon dreams.

Till Next Time, Nicol Williamson! Fare Thee Well!

2012-01-26T15:02:00.001-06:00

Stages of Spiritual Unfoldment: The Fifth Stage, Regeneration

2012-01-26T11:30:00.000-06:00

In the Fifth Stage of Spiritual Unfoldment, we begin to hear (or at least sense) the messages of the Inner Teacher. Here he has the form of an outer, established leader in the hierarchy of religion; the inner meaning is of the true and invisible spiritual leaders of this planet. They are constantly sending out their insights, which are then "heard" or realized by those who are tuned to that level of wisdom; then those beings transmit it at a slightly lower level of energy, to those who are focused on the slower rates of vibration, known to us as matter, or the physical plane. The messages of the invisible hierarchy are always concerned with principles, they never interrupt us when we are busy planning our life events, and they are always unifying, never separative.

Once a person has developed the capacity for interior hearing, they begin to reverse the direction of the energy flow through themselves. Instead of taking in the "outer" energies, and responding to them, spiritual aspirants are receiving higher energies, taking them into their vehicles (their various bodies, from finest to most dense), and from there releasing this pure loving and unifying energy to the entire planet, and especially to those with whom they are intimate. When there is a crisis, they work on remaining stable, and continuing to send out positive, unifying and loving energy.

The resulting condition is that of Regeneration, signified by The Sun; it is not the end of the process of spiritual unfoldment, but the beginning of changing the body into a Body of Light, regenerating our spirits and thereby, our bodies.

On Death ...

2012-01-26T11:05:00.002-06:00

I am currently reading a compilation of Alice Bailey and Dwal Khul's writings, in the book Ponder On This.

To avoid violating the copyright, I will try to restate what I have just read about death and the dying process.

Death is simply the process of focusing consciousness on a higher plane, and is closely related to sleep. A spiritual aspirant works on the higher planes while the physical body sleeps. When he or she dies, they continue their work, but without the return to the body consciousness. For the average good person, there is not much change, and they may not even realize the physical body has died.

To quote directly:

"For the wicked and cruelly selfish, for the criminal and for those few who live for the material side only, there eventuates that condition which we call 'earth-bound'. The links they have forged with earth and the earthward bias of all their desires, force them to remain close to the earth and their last setting in the earth environment. They seek desperately and by every possible means to re-contact it and to re-enter."

and:

"Death, as the human consciousness understands it, pain and sorrow, loss and disaster, joy and distress, are only such because man, as yet, identifies himself with the life of the form and not with the life and consciousness of the soul, the solar angel ... The moment a man identifies himself with his soul and not with his form, then he understands the meaning of the Law of Sacrifice; he is spontaneously governed by it; and he is one who will, with deliberate intent, choose to die. But there is no pain, no sorrow, and no real death involved.

...The intent is for man to die, as every man has to die, at the demand of his own soul. When man has reached a higher stage in evolution, with deliberation and definite choice of time, he will consciously withdraw from his physical body. It will be left silent and empty of the soul, devoid of light, yet sound and whole; it will then disintegrate, under the natural process, and its constituent atoms will pass back into the 'pool of waiting units', until they are again required for the use of incarnating souls."

Tree Rings Translated Into Music

2012-01-23T08:35:00.000-06:00

YEARS from Bartholomäus Traubeck on Vimeo.

This is fantastic!

Spiritual Unfoldment, Stage Four: Organization

2012-01-16T21:14:00.000-06:00

The Fourth Stage of Spiritual Unfoldment begins with Key 0, The Fool, who symbolizes freedom, the spirit, breath, and the truth that all things are possible. We feel this when we are young, and deep inside, we are forever young. The human spirit is indomitable. Though this spirit descends into the slower vibrations of what we call "matter", it remains itself.

Below him is The Emperor, Key 4, also known as "he who sets in order". This is our human power of Reason. Not simply intellect, but a higher form of reasoning. He also represents Vision. When we decide what we want to be, do or have, we begin by affirming that it is possible. Then we must have a vision. We must imagine ourselves in the situation we desire, vividly, and use our Reason to make a plan. The Emperor is associated with the eyes and the head. He is correlated with the sign Aries, first sign of the zodiac.

Then we must take Action, which brings us to Key 11, Justice, which means Action or Karma. This Key is associated with the middle of the zodiac, the sign Libra. Even if our action is the wrong one, it is better to do something than to idly dream, or worse, become emotionally paralyzed by indecision. If the action takes us in a direction that is not right for us, it will become clear quickly, and then we can revise our plan and go in another direction. Key 11 is associated with the kidneys, which filter and cleanse the bloodstream, eliminating any undesirable particles. Anything we do, say, think or feel charges the bloodstream with chemicals, so it behooves us to do our best to think positive thoughts, especially about ourselves. The chemistry of the human body is complex and any strong thought or feeling is communicated instantly to the entire body.

Finally, Our plan will be implanted in our subconscious mind during Sleep, the function attributed to Key 18, The Moon, known as Organization, and associated with the final astrological sign, Pisces. Repeated visualizations are transmitted to the cells and gradually, those with the new concept of ourselves (according to our plan) become the majority of cells. Once they do, we must inevitably be transformed into a new person, in accordance with our Vision.

So we have the beginning, middle and end of the zodiac represented in this stage. To recap: realize that ANYTHING is possible; formulate a reasonable PLAN to become, have or do what you desire most; then take ACTION in that direction; and finally, use repeated suggestions, particularly at night just as you are falling asleep, to implant that plan in your CELLULAR CONSCIOUSNESS.

WOWEE WILLEEEEE!

2012-01-15T19:00:00.002-06:00

We saw Willy Porter live last night at The Mucky Duck here in Houston, and he was spectacular! I have heard his recordings, but they pale beside his solo performances.

BAME

2012-01-11T20:13:00.002-06:00

Osprey Sends for EVERYONE!

2012-01-08T20:19:00.000-06:00

What do you mean, 'everyone'?

EVERYONE!

When she was planning her Level 60 Bash, Osprey decided to invite EVERYONE in glitch.com to attend. I hesitated, saying what do you mean, everyone ... Sheesh! I regret that! FYI, watch this video clip from Leon, the Professional, where Gary Oldman sends for everyone!

Osprey's Level 60 Party was a SMASH!

2012-01-08T18:56:00.001-06:00

Spiritual Unfoldment, Stage Three: Revelation

2012-01-03T19:33:00.001-06:00

Stage Three begins with the human power of Creative Imagination; our ability to create images of what we desire is based upon our power of memory. We recombine ideas, forms, thoughts, and so forth, to make something new. The virginal High Priestess of Memory becomes the pregnant Imagination; The Empress. Add the emotional power of Desire, and the likelihood of creating from these images is very high.

These images work through the seemingly mechanistic cycles of the Universe, shown in the Wheel of Fortune. There is a clear ebb and flow in our lives and in the Universe itself, including our personal cycles of daily events, and outward to the rotation of the planet round our daystar, and out again to its circling of the galactic center; The galaxy itself is, of course, in motion as well, and for all we know the conglomerations of stars and planets, dark matter and so on, may be part of an even larger rotating, incomprehensibly large system! But back to our level ... impressing the desired outcome upon the mind on a daily basis is more likely to deliver results than is doing it sporadically, or skipping from desire to desire.

The lowest Key shows the results; Nature unveils herself to us, and our Mind being a holograph of the Universal Mind, we have the same processes as it does. We are meditated, as well as meditating. The Star shows us our seven inner whirling centers of Light, our chakras, with an eighth central star of Unity. In Key 15, The Devil, the background was absolutely black. Then in Key 16, there was the lightning flash illuminating the sky, and now the sky is a peaceful dark night full of luminous stars. At this stage, we can imagine what we need to do to become personalized centers emitting invisible Light. Our petty desires, as they are fulfilled, lead us to deeper desires, the desire to be compassionate, to give to the world, rather than only taking what is available to us.

Ohhhhh ....

2011-12-31T18:32:00.000-06:00

Thanks SOOO MUCH, Osprey!

2011-12-31T09:58:00.003-06:00

Stage Two: Awakening

2011-12-19T11:07:00.001-06:00

The Keys before you are, top to bottom, The High Priestess, who symbolizes the Subconscious Mind, or Memory; The Hermit, who is our Higher Self, and can also symbolize those extraordinary human beings we call Adepts; and The Tower, which shows the effect of realizing that the Universe is composed of Mind, solely and completely. What we call "matter" is spiritual or mental energy, moving at a much slower rate than thought or spirit.

The High Priestess, Subconsciousness, has a peculiar trait that, once understood, helps us to effect changes more easily. She refuses to recognize the word NOT. If I use an affirmation that includes that word, the word is simply ignored. For a concrete example, I might say, "I am not an overeater." My subconscious mind hears "I am an overeater," and she provides me with ample opportunity to fulfill that belief. Any fear that is focused upon in using "not" is forced to be fulfilled. An example of a fear mantra would be, "I hope fire will not break out in my home;" of course, subconsciousness reads that as "I hope fire will break out in my home".

The middle Key, The Hermit, is the Higher Self, guiding us with gentle persistence, sending his love from the peak of realization of godhood, to let us know that we can achieve that as well.

The lower Key, The Tower, represents circumstances that break up old patterns of being, in response to the new beliefs we incorporate. At this time on Earth, this Key is very prominent. The old ways of doing and being are daily being destroyed, by humanity and by nature. We are privileged to live at this time, to witness and take part in this vast time of change. On the personality level, this archetype can be uncomfortable to experience. If one resists change, change is imposed from what we call "without", and it can be sudden and sometimes frightening.

Again, edited: First Stage of Spriitual Unfoldment

2011-12-19T10:42:00.003-06:00

The First Stage of Spiritual Unfoldment is Bondage, believe it or not! If you look at these Tarot Keys from top to bottom you see The Magician, which is the self-conscious mind or the Power of Attention, Strength, which symbolizes the Law of Suggestion, and The Devil, which represents our Bondage to circumstances.

Here is a translation in regular terms. We create our own situations, through the sum total of our daily words, thoughts, feelings and deeds and what we pay attention to. Naturally that means, that if we have created hell on earth, we can create something different, if we change our minds.

For an example, the person who believes they are worthless will find that belief reflected back to them in every way imaginable. If he or she changes that belief by working to control their thinking and begins to reiterate and reinforce belief in his or her worth and goodness, slowly but surely, the circumstances in the life will change. THEY HAVE TO. It is a Law of The Universe.

The attribution of Mirth to Key 15, The Devil, indicates that once we SEE THROUGH the APPEARANCES of unpleasant circumstances, we realize that there can only be one Mind running the Universe, so all these events are given to us by that Mind. To believe in a separate evil entity that is opposed to God is to believe that there are two Gods. When we begin to look deeply into ourselves, we realize that every experience is a gift from the Higher Self to help us learn something, to develop compassion, for example, or to see that we have obstructive patterns of thought and behavior which need to be worked upon.

ADDENDUM: Yes, I realized I have not said why mirth is attributed to the Devil. isn't he/she the silliest thing you have ever seen? Well, our main power over Evil is Laughter. The finest comedic minds use it to destroy the powers that oppress others; laugh at someone who is trying to frighten you. This is all a drama, performed within, by, and for God. You are one character being played by the Mind of the Universe. There have to be villains in order to have action, to bring out our courage! Have courage, and remember, although bodies come and go, YOU are an ETERNAL BEING.

NOTE: This is just the tip of the iceberg of possible interpretation of these archetypes; there are volumes written about this subject, and true depth of understanding is only possible with years of study, meditation and self-transmutation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: The Tarot by Paul Foster Case; The True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order, also by Paul Foster Case; and the Builders of the Adytum lessons, available to members of B.O.T.A.; see their website for more information.

Head Above Ground!

2011-12-16T21:26:00.001-06:00

Glitched in Glitch ...

2011-12-16T21:20:00.000-06:00

Yep, that's me to the left of Osprey, with just my hairline showing above her floor. I was stuck below the normal level from the time I changed clothes till I relogged.

Stage One: Bondage or Mirth

2011-12-16T17:11:00.001-06:00

My Core Beliefs or .. My Core Be Leafs!

2011-12-16T16:50:00.001-06:00

This is the Tableau of the Major Arcana, using the Builders of the Adytum deck. It puts the Seven Stages of Spiritual Unfoldment into a pictorial map. The stages go from top to bottom and left to right.

Above the series of seven stages is The Fool, the spirit, who is ever young and is all potential.

The Seven Stages of Spiritual Unfoldment, as I understand them, from studying B.O.T.A. materials, are:

Bondage or Mirth
Awakening
Revelation
Organization
Regeneration
Realization
Cosmic Consciousness

In the next seven blog posts, I plan to cover each one a bit, for anyone who may be interested.

Equal Pay ...

2011-12-14T14:52:00.001-06:00

Quiet Movie

2011-12-07T17:26:00.002-06:00

Uh, Excuse Me, There is a WHAT Near Mercury?

2011-12-07T15:14:00.000-06:00

ZOMG this is strikingly weird.

Ahhh BBC Masterpiece Contemporary

2011-12-05T21:04:00.000-06:00

DNA A New Hunt is ON!

2011-12-01T16:09:00.001-06:00

Water World Cubed

2011-12-01T14:56:00.000-06:00

La Maison en Petits Cubes from unikonya on Vimeo.

~ROOKOUT!~

2011-11-30T17:59:00.000-06:00

I went out to Leeteg, the Glitch street where I live, and there was a Rook Attack in progress. We called in a lot of folks and tried repeatedly to stun the rooks, but they were not stunned, but neither were they really attacking. None of the animals were injured, and our screens were left intact. Finally staff arrived and put up this lovely "Broken" sign. It is gone now, and all is quiet again.

Shroom Shroom Shroom!

2011-11-29T11:58:00.001-06:00

Know Your Mushrooms is an enjoyable documentary that highlights all the mushrooms most of us ignore or avoid. It is available from Netflix, and I am watching it on the Sundance channel.

Prana Diet ...

2011-11-07T12:44:00.000-06:00

I think we all know instinctively that this is a good diet, and it is good for us spiritually. On the same web page are menus for a level 7 Prana diet, broken down into doable meals.

Four Icons ... Out of a Possible Eleven

2011-11-06T23:32:00.001-06:00

My house in glitch is now a virtual virtual shrine to four of the giants; from the left: Zille, Humbaba, Cosma, and Friendly. They demand tithes, but give a lot of energy, xp and mood points in return, plus now and then they spontaneously bestow huge amounts of one or another of those items. On to collecting Alph emblems (it takes 11 emblems to create one icon)!

Skill Set ...

2011-11-05T22:21:00.002-05:00

One of the things I like about glitch is the ability to learn skills, and to specialize in the area to which one feels drawn. I have quite a number of skills, not the ones others might have chosen, but I feel quite comfortable with my set of skills, and I truly enjoy them. What is next, after I finish Tinkering V, (tonight!), you ask? I am considering that and I have not decided yet. Possibly Meditative Arts II, or Teleportation IV.

BOTH CLONES at ONE TIME!

2011-11-03T15:15:00.001-05:00

Knorps

2011-11-02T16:25:00.000-05:00

Osprey says these are not sporks, so we have to make up a new term. My thoughts:
Knorps
Spiferks
Spooknors
Forpifes
Forknoos

Better than Taking a Taxi!

2011-10-29T16:18:00.000-05:00

Australian drinking establishments turn to rubber sidewalks to reduce injuries | PoconoRecord.com

This cracks me up (so to speak no pun about cracked sidewalks intended)!

A Chook Invasion

2011-10-26T20:17:00.000-05:00

Her name writ large in elements, Osprey makes her mark on our street. Then a chicken goes up to see if the elements are edible (maybe?).

THAAAAAAT'S OSPREY!

2011-10-19T22:26:00.002-05:00

Playing Santa ...

2011-10-19T21:09:00.000-05:00

Who knows if these things will get to Osprey, because now anyone can pick them up, but I had fun dropping them on her doorstep.

Glacier Girl Story

2011-10-15T18:01:00.001-05:00

If I Ruled The World ...

2011-10-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

This is something like how my treehouse interior would look.

Glitch had a Glitch!

2011-10-13T20:26:00.000-05:00

Yes, you're right, there is another trophy on my crap trophy shelf! Though I do not deserve it, Glitch gave me the All Emblems Trophy! There was a donation problem today, in which those of us donating to shrines (don't ask, it is way too involved) did not receive our emblems. So the fix was, give them the emblems and throw in the all emblem trophy! I am egotistical enough to accept it ... LOL (Lord Of Life = Laugh Out Loud).

Trophies!

2011-10-12T19:59:00.000-05:00

From left to right, a trophy for collecting all five gems, all four types of bubbles, and collecting fruit.

Around the World ... and Back!

2011-10-12T17:11:00.001-05:00

I first bought a treehouse in Borem Summon, then tried an apartment, a mud hut, and a cozy dark little place in the fire swamp. After I sold mine, there were no more treehouses for sale in Bortola, so I could not return. Lo and behold, today, one came up for sale and I bought it! It looks a bit different from my old one, and it has cherry trees instead of bean trees! I use cherries a lot more, so it suits me just fine! Home Sweet Home!

Building a Living Bridge ...

2011-10-12T14:59:00.000-05:00

Waiting at the Door

2011-10-10T21:16:00.000-05:00

Waiting ....

Being SO GOOD!

Economics 101

2011-10-10T10:35:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Zayn Till for tweeting this!

Third Move Is the Charm?

2011-10-08T21:26:00.000-05:00

Now I have moved three times today. First to an apartment, then to a sort of cave with a roof garden, and now to Chakra Phool, where I have a house a bit like Osprey had, with a few differences. I like the interior better, and maybe herb gardening will be enjoyable. It is far from any mining, but the rock house was grim on the inside, and the apartment was cheezy and had demanding animals in it.

She Who Must Be Sleeping

2011-10-05T21:36:00.000-05:00

I wait for Os to wake up, hoping she has not fallen :(

what i saw

2011-10-05T01:44:00.000-05:00

Osprey took a pic of this and I dunno what that will look like but this is what I saw.

Visiting my own Grave ...

2011-10-03T16:05:00.002-05:00

Oh the sorrow!

Ocean Plastic ... A Resource

2011-10-03T10:05:00.001-05:00

An intriguing concept; a company is proposing to recover ocean plastic and use it to make gray bottles for stuffs. The brightly colored plastic bits cancel one another out, the way using too many pigments in paint swirl together to form a sort of grey mud.

Protesting

2011-10-02T08:19:00.001-05:00

Glitch! With Salazar ...

2011-10-01T18:16:00.001-05:00

Tears of Joy ...

2011-10-01T12:32:00.001-05:00

mmmm heat ...

2011-09-30T15:26:00.001-05:00

I LIKED it on facebook ....

2011-09-30T15:14:00.001-05:00

Oh Amazon, My Amazon!

2011-09-28T13:28:00.001-05:00

Hurry! Supplies Limited!

2011-09-27T21:19:00.001-05:00

Oddly, Not a Yes Man!

2011-09-27T17:10:00.001-05:00

Whew! Excellent TV about TV!

2011-09-23T17:10:00.002-05:00

Peter Gabriel Monthly Facebook Greeting

2011-09-23T08:13:00.002-05:00

Ten Books That Changed Me for the Better

2011-09-20T12:19:00.002-05:00

The Tarot by Paul Foster Case I have not found this book in PDF format online. The others are all available in that free format.

The I Ching Wilhelm / Baynes translation

Man and His Symbols by Carl Gustav Jung

Myths to Live By by Joseph Campbell

The Cloud Upon The Sanctuary by Karl von Eckartshausen

The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall

Gestalt Therapy by Fritz Perls

The Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune

Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda

As A Man Thinketh by James Allen

On the Blue Ridge Parkway

2011-09-20T10:13:00.001-05:00

Hehe OH HBA ...

2011-09-20T10:09:00.002-05:00

Blue Ridge Mountains Vacation

2011-09-19T16:27:00.001-05:00

Big Meadows Lodge

Big Meadows

Blue Ridge Mountains

Yorktown, VA on the York River

Not much to say except it was rainy and wonderfully cool. After the drought and wildfires of Texas, Virginia was a delight.

That Masked Man was THE LAWN RANGER!

2011-09-19T16:00:00.002-05:00

Brown Patch Next Door

Armadillos Attack!

A while back (I am not good at time), our next-door neighbor asked me if I knew what was causing their small patches of brown in the grass. She was of the opinion it was the drought. I said I would ask the lawn service technician when he came by. He did come by, and as a favor to me, he looked at their soil, and said in his opinion it was "brown patch", which is caused by small bugs in the soil. I reported back to the neighbor, who scoffed at that, saying "... what bugs? I don't see no stinkin' bugs! They just want to charge more money!" Well ... hmmm ... looks to me like it ends at the property line. They have been watering this patch quite a lot and now it is a damp brown patch.

In other lawn news, we have had marauding armadillo gangs in our neighborhood. The lawn service technician came by today and said today's application will get rid of the grubs the armadillos are digging up. I believe him! I am now convinced that we are in good hands.

Solar Flares Discovery

2011-09-19T15:27:00.001-05:00

The video in this article is very elementary, but the discovery is important: a second pulse of energy from a solar flare, which is far more powerful than the original flare, sending huge amounts of UV radiation into our upper atmosphere. The effect is the same as what I learned about in grade school: disruption of electronic communications of various kinds. But I am betting that as they continue to study these double whammies, they will find other effects. We know very little about our very own Sun!

Picky, picky me ...

2011-09-16T22:09:00.000-05:00

Look at this picture. I have seen it a few times, but suddenly tonight I notice the moon. The sun is setting on the right, and the crescent moon is illuminated on the left. IMPOSSIBLE. The lighted side of the moon always faces the sun.

Old But New To Me ...

2011-09-16T16:14:00.002-05:00

Braam Jordaan and The Rubbish Monster from Design Indaba on Vimeo.

I Visit the Lighthouse

2011-09-16T15:58:00.000-05:00

Sal's Seaside Village is always changing and today I went to the lighthouse on my way through, while searching for his new place, the Bluestone Cafe. Apparently it is not built yet. I wanted to see Osprey but she was incommunicado.

Cannabis Cures Cancer

2011-09-15T19:27:00.002-05:00

UHOH ....

2011-09-15T11:06:00.002-05:00

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/game-that-critiques-apple-vanishes-from-app-store/

Sad But True

2011-09-15T10:40:00.000-05:00

I LOVE These Dudes!

2011-09-15T10:31:00.002-05:00

ZOMG Stormy Skies Have Never Looked Better!

2011-09-14T09:54:00.000-05:00

WOW. I can't post the images but please have a look at these photos!

The Black Keys Live

2011-09-14T08:49:00.000-05:00

Hell Hehe

2011-09-05T16:32:00.001-05:00

The Question Is:

2011-09-05T16:31:00.000-05:00

Will there be tea in The Afterlife? If not, I am not going.

dEVIL'S GOt 'iM

2011-09-05T16:27:00.001-05:00

It's Dryin' TIme Again ...

2011-09-01T12:19:00.000-05:00

The drought is good for something, namely drying clothes. They smell SO GOOD! I tumble the clothes on air fluff in the dryer to take out the stiffness of air drying, but otherwise this is a low-tech affair. Notice my People Towels hanging there.

What We Don't Hear About ...

2011-09-01T10:28:00.001-05:00

Plant Aliens! Run For ... erm ... Somewhere or Other!

2011-08-25T15:58:00.000-05:00

Plant Alien Hiding in Plain Sight

Industrial Design Commemorative Stamp

2011-08-24T16:33:00.001-05:00

The Gummint Ain't All Bad ...

2011-08-24T15:54:00.001-05:00

As soon as I received this message I knew it had to be a phishing scam. I went to the Atlanta FBI website and got their contact email, then reported this email as suspicious. They replied and said to forward them the email and go to www.ic3.gov. I did that and filled out the form they supplied online, which was very easy. Then they replied to me within a half an hour:

Good Afternoon,

This is a scam in which the FBI has been victimized along with thousands of others. Simply delete. You may also make a complaint to the Internet Complaint Center, IC3.GOV.

FBI Atlanta

I am glad they will track back and get at this jerk, jerks, or jerkesses, or jackesses.

Head in the Clouds

2011-08-24T11:48:00.002-05:00

A few of the books we have in our kindle Cloud Reader. My husband buys a lot of novels for travel (which I seldom if ever read).

The Best Laid Plans ... GANG AWRY MAN!

2011-08-24T10:29:00.001-05:00

http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/08/23/the-law-of-unintended-consequences/

Many Asians, in particular Chinese and Indians, abort unwanted female fetuses. An interesting side effect, other than lack of women, which will mean a lack of babies in the future, is that where this practice is widespread, the violent crime rate soars (duh!).

The Trash Woman

2011-08-24T09:52:00.002-05:00

This morning I remembered to tie a plastic bag to one of my belt loops so that I can pick up trash as I walk the dogs around our neighborhood. I don't understand why people throw trash. Oh well, that is how they are.

Ay Chihuahua!

2011-08-24T09:49:00.001-05:00

Not the greatest movie of all time, but enjoyable. A bit obvious in the plot twists ... if you have seen Into the Night, and others where Everyman somehow gets through involvement with terrible criminals and other shady characters, yet remains innocent and to a great extent unscathed, you know how this sort of thing develops. The lead male is charming, as are the "good guys", which helps it remain watchable. I would give it a 3, "I liked it". Comedy, one of those violent ones.

Gorgeous Colors and Shapes ....

2011-08-22T15:57:00.000-05:00

I Could Not Resist Posting This ...

2011-08-20T12:52:00.001-05:00

The Real Zombie-Maker

2011-08-19T09:51:00.003-05:00

http://health.discovery.com/videos/monsters-inside-me-brain-eating-amoeba.html

http://news.yahoo.com/3-die-rare-brain-infection-amoeba-water-001505888.html

Uplifting Article from the Heifer International Blog

2011-08-18T17:01:00.000-05:00

Reflections on Heifer

A New Tiny Oufit ...

2011-08-17T13:52:00.000-05:00

This chic, stunning outfit is my latest creation in the Tiny Work Overalls line.

Manipulative Mail

2011-08-17T12:21:00.000-05:00

Every day we all get junk mail. Because we support some charities, we get a lot of pleas for help from the others. There is only so far one's budget will stretch, so we have chosen those we consider important and left the rest for others.

A lot of charities are now sending unsolicited "gifts", hoping that the recipient will then pay far beyond market value for the "gift", in the form of a donation.

For example, this month I have received at least three calendars, five sets of mailing labels and this gem, shown above, a penny affixed to the donation request. The charity wants to stimulate my feelings of guilt for its own purposes. I resent this kind of behavior. If they want to help those in need, stop sending out unwanted, unsolicited items to people who have no interest in their charity!

OH RAY! YEAH WE NEED YOU NOW.

2011-08-14T19:00:00.001-05:00

Tell It, Carl!

2011-08-14T16:11:00.003-05:00

Cabbages Is Beautiful!

2011-08-12T17:03:00.000-05:00

From So Big, by Edna Ferber, first published in 1924:

"Beautiful!" he echoed, in puzzled interrogation. "What is beautiful?"

Selina's slim arms flashed out from the swathings of cloak, shawl and muffler, and were flung wide in a gesture that embraced the landscape on which the late afternoon sun was casting a glow peculiar to that lake region, all rose and golden and mist-shimmering.

"This! The--the cabbages."

A slow-dawning film of fun crept over the blue of Klaas Pool's stare. This film spread almost imperceptibly so that it fluted his broad nostrils, met and widened his full lips, reached and agitated his massive shoulders, tickled the round belly, so that all Klaas Pool, from his eyes to his waist, was rippling and shaking with slow, solemn, heavy Dutch mirth.

"Cabbages is beautiful!" his round pop eyes staring at her in a fixity of glee. "Cabbages is beautiful!" His silent laughter now rose and became audible in a rich throaty chortle. It was plain that laughter, with Klaas Pool, was not a thing to be lightly dismissed, once raised. "Cabbages---" he choked a little, and spluttered, overcome.

Carry IN!

2011-08-11T10:08:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite restaurants provides dinnerware but only paper napkins, and for drinks it recently switched to styrofoam cups even for those eating in; I am trying to eliminate as much styrofoam from my consumption as I can, so I brought my own lifefactory cup. It is glass, which is so nice for flavor, and it has that grippy silicone covering; and its own screw on cap with a seal. It even fits in my car cup holder! Besides that, I realized I don't need to use a straw with it. Also instead of the provided paper napkins, I used one of my People Towels, and it made me feel ever so happy! The only trash was the paper receipt, which I can recycle easily.

Bwahahaha!

2011-08-10T09:02:00.001-05:00

This just cracks me up. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And if you have already seen it, well, you may still chuckle.

Dynamic Symmetry?

2011-08-08T18:11:00.001-05:00

I am trying to grasp the concepts in this book, which purports to be about using intelligent planning in design of art.

I understand a little of what I am reading, but it is not written for someone like me. It is written for ... Geometry People. I did very well in geometry in high school, because it was drawing! Forget Algebra which was never tied to reality for me. Anyway, I get some of the concepts, but not from the writing, from the pictures. Typical.

A few things I did grasp: he says look at Greek sculpture vs. Roman sculpture. One lives, one is stodgy and lifeless. TRUE! He also shows how to create a whirling square and use the Golden Mean. I know about that. However, now he is showing all different sorts of rectangles, and showing their dynamic spots, involving a perpendicular line to the diagonal. I think I may grasp it at some point.

What I want to know is, how do I use this concept to improve my paintings, even if I am not using a Golden Rectangle shape for my canvas? I get the feeling he is leading to that, but my poor brain is swimming upstream.