Did you hear that?

It started in the afternoon. I wasn't entirely sure what i was hearing. At first it was like the children next door were throwing rocks at our back veranda. (sadly, not entire unusual) Then, it sounded like they got a LOT of friends helping them. We ran out back to find hail beating our backyard. and not the small hail either.


We also noticed that some of the hail seemed to have interesting shapes or designs. So we took pictures. Cause...well, we're on holidays and we really don't have much else going on to distract us from picture taking. Plus, with the cutest dog in the world is living at our house, so we often find the need to pull out the camera, therefore it is never far away.

Call me, Faith

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits or goals about you. At the end choose 16 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, its because I want to know more about you.

Real Rules: F*ck da rules. read, don't read, add, don't add. I don't really care.

1. My animals relieve the stress in my life.

2. I like to read, but often have difficulty seeing anything beyond the glaring white pages

3. World of Warcraft is fun...although i perfer puppy training

4. I often wish my family lived closer

5. I really enjoy being around people who think outside the box.

6. I suck at keeping in touch.

7. But i really do love my friends very much...even though my writing/calling skills are lacking

8. I sometime write poetry. No you can't read it.

9. A good play turns me on.

10. I would love to be part of a local theatre group...if i could find one...

11. i worked 7 years in childcare before i went to college.

12. I think my husband is amazing...mostly cause he still wants to be married to me.

13. I like foot massages

14. *Enters stage right, exits through trap-door*

15. My comfort food is brussel sprouts.

16. I come from a strong line of women. Women who have amazing abilities to weather all sorts of situations.

Thanks for reading!

TAGS: Becky, Sharona, Melody, Della, Clair, Penguin,

Puppy love

As per last post, we have now brought home our newest family member.


Thank you to everyone who suggested names. We are still working through the list and seeing what matches her personality. Probably the test will be which one she answers to after a couple of days with us.

Our cat is still working out what he thinks of our newest addition. He is constantly watching the puppy pen to see what this "thing" does next. Whenever the cat needs to move, he does so in *super stealth mode*. It is almost as if he is afraid to wake her up.

We'll keep you posted as to how this all develops.

I need a name

Can you help me? i need a name. I'm a little female King Charles Cavalier. I will come live in my new home after Christmas but i still don't have a name. Leave a comment to help name me.

the big clean

I freely admit that i'm a slob. I don't like to mop, i'm not a big fan of the dishes and i hate spring cleaning. The benefit to living at home is that you can let mum do most of that sort of stuff. Unfortunately, i don't live with my mother. I am the woman of the house, and thus, the duty falls to me to complete.

So today i bit the bullet and pulled everything out of the laundry room. I dismantled the dining room and began the horid chore of washing the floor. While the floor gets a fortnightly wash and a daily sweep, it rarely gets a proper scrub. Today it did. The water turned black as i got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed every inch of the floor.

Now it is all done. I have a shiny kitchen floor. And somehow i managed to do all this before i ate lunch. So now i'm trying to figure out how to get food without dirtying my beautiful floors.

sigh...maybe i should move my mum in here.

heating up the christmas season

Every year i mention (if not complain) about it. It's December and the heat is almost unbearable...at least today. Living in the southern hemisphere has a lot of benefits, but i will never get used to Christmas being hot. I just can't seem to find the special signal that tells me "CHRISTMAS IS HERE!".

Somehow all my favourite Christmas traditions are lost when it is 90 degrees outside. Getting cosy by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate seems silly. Putting up a pine tree with large bulbs that emit warm colour to the room all seem misplaced. The worst is shopping in the stores with Christmas music playing. As i browse swimwear the store blares "frosty the snowman". I have doubts that frosty would last more than 5 minutes here.

One tradition that still works is Eggnog. Somehow mixing my eggnog (with milk and nutmeg, not rum) and enjoying a cool glass feels like Christmas, even in the heat. The taste seems to signal that Christmas really is here. Although i will never get used to Christmas here, at least i can enjoy my eggnog.

If i had something interesting to say, i'd put it here.

i'll get back to you

Zorro the gay blade

One of my favourite scenes from the classic 1981 movie, Zorro the gay blade.

kristin blogs again

I sometimes wonder if advertisers realise what they have done to me. In their attempt to entice me to buy whatever they are selling, they dress ladies in sex and babies in cuteness. They use bright colours and "personal" stories. But in truth, i am more likely to buy a product i've researched on the net, rather than something i've seen on tv. In fact, i would say that if i've seen it on tv, i'm less likely to trust it.

I realise my logic isn't clear so let me explain.

While watching a television program an advertisement for a hair care product will come on. They use beautiful models with quite frankly, unbelievable hair. The hair looks like its been photoshoped. Now i know their products are sold in stores. I know that i have friends who use the product. I have never seen anyone who had hair that looked like it had been retouched with a computer. Thus, i decide that the commericial is lying about their product. Thus, i don't want to buy their product.

Now i'm not sure when advertisers began to think that their audience would believe whatever was put before them, but i really think they need to re-evaluate this belief. The internet has proven to be a powerful tool for the consumer and if the advertiser doesn't think that we can find out information about their product all by ourselves, they are fooling themselves.

So my message to the advertising companies:

We, the consumer, are smarter than your blond models. Stop addressing us like we aren't!

just for Becky

Sorry becky, i've reloaded it. you can also find the same video here.

Best lines (from real life) of the week

from toddler: HEY! OVER HERE! I'M IN A PRAM!
-----------------------------

Girl (munching on ice)

Boy: frustrated much?

Girl (annoyed): yeah, do your job!

---------------------------------

Husband: (sound asleep, gets up, crawls to the bottom of the bed where cat is) HI Bob. good kitty.

thought for the day

You would not be mistaken if you'd thought to yourself in the last few weeks that "kristin has been slack on the blogging". I'll admit, entries full of quotes is quite slack on my part. I would love to point to something and be able to identify it as the reason my writing genuis having been out of the office, but alas, it would involve over-sharing and then a box of tissues would be required, and it would just all end badly. So in the attempt to save the tissues, we'll skip the annoying over-sharing parts and go straight to the quote...er...thought for the day.

Why can't i control -z my way out of real life problems?

Quotes from George Bernard Shaw

• Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.

• A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education.

• Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.

• I can forgive Alfred Nobel for having invented dynamite, but only a fiend in human form could have invented the Nobel Prize.

The Red Green Show

The Red Green show was a Canadian show that ran for 15 or so years. Great show. It's humour was a little off centre, but that is often how i like my funnies. So in my nostalgic moments today, i compiled some quotes from the show.


[Red tries to get Dalton to guess the word 'Sensitive.']
Red Green: All right... aware.
Dalton Humphries: Sober.
Red Green: Touchy.
Dalton Humphries: Feely.
Red Green: Touchy-feely.
Dalton Humphries: Richard Simmons?
Red Green: Compared to you, your wife is more...
Dalton Humphries: Overweight.
Red Green: Emotionally, she's more...
Dalton Humphries: Weepy!
Red Green: No, she notices things more, because she's...
Dalton Humphries: Picky.
Red Green: You would never say to your wife that she's picky, overweight or weepy because...
Dalton Humphries: Castration?
Red Green: The vertical hold on your television set.
Dalton Humphries: Sensitive.
-----------------------------------------------------
Red Green: Well, I'm not gonna be calling the U.S. Air Force, Harold. What do I say? We've got a missile? They take that as a threat, we're in real trouble.
Harold Green: Well, then, contact the Canadian Air Force.
Red Green: Harold, it's after six; he's gone home.

---------------------------------------------------
Red Green: [singing] Oh, a horse with a horn is called a unicorn/A horse with stripes is called a zebra/A horse with wings is called Pegasus/And a horse with a broken leg is called glue.

Osama plans US attacks!

Have you ever noticed that mainstream news is starting to look more and more like gossip column drivel? Instead of using facts to write a story, it suddenly turns into something like:

Osama Bin Laden, 51, is set to attack the USA again later this year, a source close to the terrorist says. He is looking for something in the spring because he has always loved the way spring smells, especially if there is death in the air. But some of Osama's friends are getting worried. "He is really going out of control." says a close friend of Osama, "He used to do this for a reason, but now its all about the fame".

oy vey!

kristin needs

a pick me up. and not that artificial kind that only includes coffee. Give me something really STRONG!

[^proof that the pillow bought over the weekend did not actually improve the sleep kristin is getting]]

I've lost the script

Maybe Melody had a good point. Life never works out the way you imagine it will. I'm pretty sure i've lost the script to my life, so here are a few excerpts from my new variety show i call life.

Something i never expected to say but do: I live in Australia

Something i expected to say but don't: and i convinced my mum and siblings to move here too.

Something i want to say, but probably won't: Thank you so much! This Grammy means so much to me

Something i never planned to say but do: I don't need an excuse. I just don't want to.

Something i hoped i would say: Of course i can donate $3 million, it's hardly a drop in the bucket really.

Another hopeful saying: Yes, i can take over as director of your fabulously successful theatre group.


And while my script is never going to work out like i want it to, i'm still stubbornly clinging to a plot...although my ad libbing is in danger of annihilating it. But i refuse to give up on it. Perhaps that is where Maybe Melody has the better of me.

Dear 2008 Republicans

In direct homage to our new President elect, Barack Obama, i will refrain from saying "nah nah nah nah nah!" I know that many of you are scared about what Obama is going to do with the country over the next few years. I know that your scared about how taxes will change, about how you will be able to afford luxuries like groceries in the credit crisis. I know so many of you are not certain you can trust someone who speaks so eloquently, after all even the biblical devil apparently speaks eloquently.

I can not calm your fears.

For the rich republicans, your off-shore tax havens will probably be in danger. Your $500,000 a year tax frauds will likely come to an end. I suggest for you that you learn to enjoy simple pleasures in life, like board games with the family, ice cream at the beach, and yoga classes, instead of personalised lessons.

For religious republicans your morals will not be forced to change, although you may find yourself expectantly living a more christian lifestyle. Your taxes may be used to help pay for the widows' life saving surgeries. It may pay for medicine for orphans and housing for the homeless. But don't worry, your forced charitable acts will not count as your own free willed actions in heaven. God will understand that you really didn't want to do it, especially when it came to providing methadone to addicts.

I do not know for certain what the future holds. I know that election promises get broken, that important points disappear in face of money troubles. Yet i believe and hope that we really are moving towards a better tomorrow. If you don't believe me today, please judge for yourself tomorrow.

Touring Australia

A happy little tourist video made by people who just want the tell the truth.

kristin is

biting her nails as she watches the US elections. This is better than Big Brother!

(and the majority of news coverage is just as useless)

Stolen quote

One of my favourite scenes from buffy the vampire slayer is just after Buffy's mum dies. As everyone desperately tries to come to terms with this death, Anya, the ex-demon (read: non-human) tries to cope with this human event.

Anya: Are they gonna cut the body open?

Willow: Oh my God! Would you just… s-stop talking? Just… shut your mouth! Please!

Anya: What am I doing?

Willow: How can you act like that?

Anya: Am I supposed to be changing my clothes a lot? I-is that the helpful thing to do?

Xander: Guys—

Willow: The way you behave—

Anya: Nobody will tell me.

Willow: Because it's not okay for you to be asking these things!

Anya: But I don't understand! I don't understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I knew her, and then she's— there's just a body, and I don't understand why she just can't get back in it and not be dead... anymore! It's stupid! It's mortal and stupid! And... and Xander's crying and not talking, and... and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well, Joyce will never have any more fruit punch, ever, and she'll never have eggs, or yawn, or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why! [She begins to cry.]

[long pause]

Willow: We don't know. How it works. Why.

btw: i stole this from her.

BLAH!

I'm having a bad couple of days. Some one send me some Prozac!.. ASAP!

Belated pics: celebrating cake day

A few weeks ago, we did actually celebrate cake day. (if you need an explanation, click here for a great introduction to the concept) We celebrated with Bundaberg Peachee drink and raisin cake.

Note the venetian mask. It harkens back to the time of the French Revolution. (okay the link is tenuous at best, but it still looks cool)

Chris ate some cake.



Then Bobcat got in on the fun



I did too, but i refrained from doing a myspace pic of me eating...it just wouldn't have been pretty...trust me.

Dressing a woman

Sarah Palin has faced criticising about her political experience, her attitudes, her ethics, and now her wardrobe. The republican party paid a staggering $150,000USD for Palin’s clothes and accessories. Now, to point out right at the beginning, i have no love of Mrs. Palin. I think she's manipulative and malicious. Yet, for a brief moment i have paused to think about this wardrobe news with some amount of reflection.

How much did the republican party spend on wardrobing McCain? How much did the democratic party spend on wardrobing Obama or Biden? I have no idea. But the media isn't focused on that.

It isn't unheard of to see Hollywood stars come dressed in million dollar outfits at the Oscars. They rent jewelry worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The women wear dresses that would cost a small fortune by cutting edge designers. If they don't, the immediately land themselves on the "worst dressed" list.

With the campaigns of both camps being run more like a celebrity outing, it is no wonder that the republicans felt they needed their starlet to dress it up. No matter how "hot" she is, she must look amazing for the celebrity gossip columnists, for the bloggers, for the people. This isn't about what she knows, but how she is dressed and how well she is liked.

We can thank our media outlets for ensuring that.

Your daily dose of fear

When i was in high school a movie called, "Double Jeopardy" came out. It was where i learned that the USA has a law that says if you are tried for a crime, you can't be re-tried for the same crime. (in the movie, Ashley Judd uses this to track down her husband who has set her up for murdering...oh, never mind if want to know check it out on IMDB)

But what is interesting to me, is how this relates to Gitmo detainees. Now i realise that we aren't giving them any form of fair trial, but the lengths we seem to be willing to go to in order to ruin lives is amazing! The Pentagon has announced it is dropping charges against 5 detainees. However, they are keeping the right to reinstate the charges at any time in the future. Plus, there is apparently no talk of actually releasing these people (we might want to charge them again at some point in the future. We probably should keep 'em locked up just in case)

What if these laws for Gitmo detainees became mainstream? What if the USA decided it would get a better prosecution rate if it became flexible on the rights of its own citizens?

Now with the elections coming up all we can say is

"HELP US OBAMA KENOBI OUR OUR ONLY HOPE!"

a couple of things

My taste in shows in somewhat...unique. I pride myself in liking stuff that is genuinely well written. Sadly, the majority of my generation seems caught up the look of a production (which would explain the popularity of Lost and Prison Break). Both shows started out with some writing genius but succumbed to the regular tv politics and played for the money instead of the story. So here are a couple of gems i found that i thought would help direct others like me (there must be a few out there) who actually care what happens to the story.

1. The Guild
The story centres around a girl who is addicted to her online role playing game. In her attempt to deal with her real life, she asks her online Guild to meet in person. Halarity insues.




2. No Heroics
This is a BBC production. The discription of Heros meets Coupling is vaguely accurate for the show. The story is about some second rate heroes who meet at a pub for drinks. The characters are great, love it.

Hit count popularity: outting the organisations

Popularity is on of those things that is hard to measure. As children we suspect it has to do with the way you dress, the way you entertain others, or the teachers favourite child. As an adult we measure our popularity by our hit count.

The problem with this way of thinking is that it soon digresses into gimmicks to pull people to the site. Corporations and organisations are especially vulnerable to this form of thought. They think "If people come to our site, they'll stay for our products". So they send out reports on how popular the unique hit list is. What they don't measure, what they can't measure, is how usefully the website is to the people visiting. If a community website is constructed and the goal of the website is to help the community find resources for their schools you would expect those resources to be the most prominent hit spot. But often, in order to increase the numbers, they will add photo galleries, podcasts, and video streaming of community events to pull people to the site. While the community may not visit any other page, they have added to the hit count. Then when its time to publish how popular the site is, they give out numbers that don't reflect how they are actually benefiting the community.

Possibly the most horrific thing that i have heard is from church leaders. In an attempt to get hits on the site up, they instruct others "while in conversations with neighbours, acquaintances, and friends about Christ, direct people to our website to sign up for Bible Studies". No more talk about bringing people to Christ personally, it is now up to their Internet connection to lead them to God. The dangers of this should be clear.

Organisations, specifically not-for-profit, seem to have fallen into the trap of believing that their site should be the Paris Hilton of the virtual world. The drive to pull more visitors might begin as honourable but it soon digresses into being a hit whore. Honour among websites is pretty much unheard of but perhaps it is something that should be strived for.

Sarah Palin

So Sarah Palin acted unethically. And no this has nothing to do with her whipping up crowds in angry racial and hate-filled ways against her political opponent, Barack Obama. She let her husband use all the power of the governor's office to try to get her ex-brother in law fired. The official report claims she acted unethically. She says it proves she did nothing legally wrong.

Well, i don't know about you, but i'm so glad we finally have someone running for president...oops, i mean vice president, that only acts "unethically". Its about time we had someone who was willing to follow the rule of the law and completely ignore the spirit it is in.

Growing up my ass would have been whipped so hard for that kind of thinking. I never would have gotten away with that.

Father: You know the rule. No sex in the house

Me: I didn't have sex, i just blew my boyfriend once or twice. Didn't break the rules.

yep, that would have been fine.

I'm sure this is the kind of ethics America wants to embrace. With their global image in swirling down the loo, people want to embrace someone who is willing to just poo on it, but not flush it too.

Moments that make me smile

If you have never had the pleasure of seeing Pirates of Penzance, you're sorely missing out. As i was remembering this great play and preparing to arrange for my next viewing ( 19 Oct -East Cessnock Bowling Club) i pulled together some of my favourite quotes from the production. Here they are:

Mabel: Oh Frederic, can you not in the calm excellence of your wisdom reconcile it with your conscience to say something that will ease my father's sorrow?
Frederic: What?
Mabel: Can't you cheer him up?

Fredric: You make it a point of never attacking a weaker party than yourselves, and when you attack a stronger one you invariably get thrashed!
[Pirates approach him with great indignation]
Pirate King: [Holding up finger] There's some truth in that.

and who can forget the Very Model of a Modern Major General song

Bringing back the polls

With the US election just around the corner, i thought we'd get our voting mojo started with a silly poll (found to the right of this post).

It's all about Dr. Horrible.

True, if you haven't had the pleasure of watching it yet, you may be at a slight disadvantage in this poll. It only means you need to go watch it. If you're in the USA you still can. If your outside the USA, bittorrents are your friend.

Remember! VOTE...and get your friends to vote too. Everyone should have a voice.

DO NOT EAT FRUIT AND VEG

A new reason not to eat our fruit and vegetables have been helpfully brought to our attention, thanks to local media. At News.com (yes, i know its a crappy place for news, but it gives me something to blog about) reported there were concerns about melamine being used in pesticides and contaminating our fruit and vegetables that were imported from China.

Where these concerns were coming from was unclear (may i suggest those who distribute and profit from the massive amount of junk food sold?) but it was obviously a threat being taken very seriously by Food Standards Australia New Zealand(FSANZ).

Lydia Buchtmann from FSANZ said Australian investigators were looking into the reports.

"We are taking this seriously," she said. "At this stage, we can find no evidence that they're unsafe, but it's certainly something we're looking into,". She also said a person would have to eat large quantities of contaminated dairy or vegetable produce over some months to suffer ill effects.

It is obvious from this report that our very lives are in danger. we must stop eating all fruit and vegetables until the problem is cleared up. Bring on the potato chips and beer: the only safe stuff left to consume.

The feminist rant

I have often ranted against the new "girl power " "music". But today brings a special cringe to my delicate feminist ear. The song "When I grow Up" was played for me today. The lyrics are song by women in their twenties and thirties dressed in barely-there clothing. When they think they are going to "Grow up" is a bit beyond me, so i have to assume that the song is actually meant to be the anthem for young teen girls. Which in itself scares me.

When I grow up I wanna be famous,
wanna be a star,
wanna be in movies /
when I grow up I wanna see the world,
drive nice cars,
I wanna have groupies.


What happened to i want to be a doctor? I want to be a lawyer? I want to be a mother? I want to be a teacher? Are girls no longer encouraged to seek honourable professions? Are our entire use as females based on how many people we have flocking around us? Or how much money we have? It wasn't that long ago that the idea of being an actress was akin to being a harlot. Thankfully those days have passed, although you wouldn't know it by looking at how the Pussycat Dolls dress.

Bernard Zuel from Sdney Morning Herald agreed with me, "But even if you don't object to the lyrics it's hard to shake the image of the Pussycat Dolls (essentially lap dancers with microphones) when you're listening"

It is sad when a woman begins treating herself like she is nothing more than a play thing. Women hold a sacred role in society, or at least they should. We bare life, which even in a science age is important. We bring a unique perspective to the world. We should not have to set our mind aside to "Be famous". Where are the female role models that show real strength and real honour, that encourage girls to have integrity?

Being able to wear a miniskirt does not equal liberation from oppression. In the same way that baring a child does not equal being a real woman. Excersicing your rights think and act for yourself, making responsible choices, these are marks of a liberated woman.

Sarah Palin

When i first heard that McCain had chosen a woman i was surprised and happy. I thought perhaps that we would finally be seeing some real feminist issues come to light. Perhaps we would address the need for women to be allowed paid maternity leave or maybe we would get a glimpse a woman's right to her own body! I was thrilled, until i heard her speak. Now i'm ashamed. McCain has chosen a pretty face. She isn't interested in Women's Rights. She isn't interested in showing off attributes that are important for a female leader. She is interested in not being caught out in another lie or half truth.

Check out the youtube clip of her talking about Joe Biden. At first she mocks him for being so old. Then when called on it, she suggests that she is merely pointing out that he has all the experience and she's the "fresh face". I hit my hand against my forehead. A woman who is constantly being criticised for her lack of experience really doesn't need to point it out so forcefully to the media.

liberty

hehehe! i love this

To the bunyas

Avondale College is mourning the loss of two old great trees today. At 8:30am the first Bunya Pine tree, closest to Bethal Hall was felled. About ten minutes later, the sister tree, standing guard over the other side of the footpath also fell to the ground. These two giants have stood guard over the college for nearly 100 years, but today, due to white ants and fear for the student's safety, they came crashing down.

While the day was a sombre one for many of the staff who have come to recognise the tree with Avondale, many have taken comfort in the fact that these two trees have had their offspring replanted in more appropriate locations.

One of the lecturers put it this way, " I hope the Songs of Bunya survive and flourish: by the time they have attained their full majesty we all will have passed through the escape hatch"

The smell of freshly cut timber is expected to hang in the air for the rest of the day. It will remind us of the joy that the trees brought to us and we will be thankful for the moments of quiet reflection they inspired in us.

us politics

Today i read in Sydney Morning Herald that McCain has chosen to forgo the debate on Friday in order to return to Washington to help pass legislation "that will stabilise our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners and earn the confidence of the American people"

While i do agree he needs to spend some time doing whatever he can to help out the American people,I feel he's not picked his timing well. I would greatly like to hear a debate between Obama and McCain about the economy, the war, education, and many other things...but when is this going to happen??

Legislation can be passed without Obama or McCain. In all likely hood it would be anyway. I think they owe it to the people to start debating publicly about how they are going to lead. We deserve a leader who is willing to talk to his people about the direction he is going. We've already had an establishment of "follow me cause i said so". I'm looking for someone who is going to tell me where we are going before he drags me down an unfortunate path.

free speech and bad press

In Queensland a man (Ron Owen) has been ordered to pay compensation to three members of his community and issue an apology in the paper after he offended much of his town with his anti-homosexual bumper sticker, along with comments he made publicly.

read the full story here.

The judge was quoted as saying, "Ron Owen is entitled to be a homophobe and he is entitled to publicly express his homophobic views," he said. "That much is required in a society that values freedom of thought and expression. However, there are limits."

While the car was not registered to Ron Owen he had access to the vehicle and is being held accountable for the bumper sticker. He is also being held accountable for his words he spoke in a council meeting (which there is no record of) when the issue of the bumper sticker came up in the meeting."If a person chooses to follow non-human acts, if they break the law, they lose their human rights."

I have no love of this man's views but it seems that the reporting of this story is lacking some some facts. Either that or the local law is more swayed by public opinion than fact.

If he did not own the vehicle are they certain that the bumper sticker was applied by him? are they expressing his views? If the court heard evidence of this, than the news report should express this!

If the quote he said in council was not recorded, were there witnesses that corroborate this story? If so, why aren't they mentioned in the article! This is either a shoddy piece of writing or a shoddy piece of law. It is sad that i can't tell which.

60/40

For years warriors have painted their faces before they headed into battle. The paint was often meant to scare the enemy. Some times it was meant to bless the wearer and give them strength, courage, or whatever as they faced their foe.

In modern times this tradition has continued. Women are the warriors of the 21 century. Each morning (if we have time) we paint our faces to lure the outside world into thinking they have nothing to fear from us because we are "pretty". Only we know the truth. Our striking painted features are our call to war, our call for strength from the feminine god, our right of passage into the brave new world.

The paint gives us the ability to enter the work place warfare. It gives us the power to play on 'their' field. Our darken eyes hide our cunning. Our red and pink lips coat our potency in our smile. We are the warriors the world should fear.

As each daughter asks her mother why she wears make up, the answer rings down the ages, "because we are too powerful to be seen without it".

Remember when....

I am certain this story is going to be used in many different religious magazines. Give it 3 years and the story will be, "God kept the lion's mouth shut while we all huddled against a hurricane". I can feel an Uncle Arthur's story just building up.

the music

The following is the lyrics on one of the songs from Dr. Horrible. If you haven't yet seen it, click here. You'll like it...or at least most of it.

So They Say

Music by Jed Whedon and Joss Whedon
Lyrics by Joss Whedon
Performed by Robert Reinis, Zack Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Stacy Shirk, Steve Berg, Felicia Day, Nathan Fillion, David Fury, Marti Noxon, and Neil Patrick Harris

MOVING GUY
So they say Captain Hammer’s become a crusader
Political – He’s cleaning up the streets

OTHER MOVING GUY
About time

GROUPIE #1
So they say that it’s real love

All GROUPIES
So romantic

GROUPIE #2
He signed this

PENNY
So they say we’ll have blankets and beds
We can open by Monday
Thanks to you

HAMMER
Thanks to me

BOTH NEWS PEOPLE
It’s the perfect story

NEWSMAN
So they say

NEWSWOMAN
A hero leading the way

BOTH NEWS PEOPLE
Hammer’s call to glory

NEWSWOMAN
Let’s all be our best

NEWSMAN
Next up – Who’s gay?

GROUPIE #3
So they say he saved her life

GROUPIE #1
They say she works with the homeless
And doesn’t eat meat

ALL GROUPIES
We have a problem with her

GROUPIE #2
This is his hair

HAMMER
This is so nice
Just might sleep with the same girl twice
They say it’s better the second time
They say you get to do the weird stuff

BOTH GROUPIES
We do the weird stuff

PENNY
This is perfect for me
So they say
I guess it’s pretty okay
After years of stormy
Sailing have I finally found the bay

PENNY(overlap with Horrible below)
There’s no happy ending
So they say
Should I stop pretending
Or is this a brand new day

DR. HORRIBLE
There’s no happy ending
So they say
Not for me anyway
Stop pretending
Take the chance to build a brand new day

GROUPIE #2
This is his dry cleaning bill

ALL GROUPIES
Four sweater vests

Dear Becky

With the greatest love and care, Happy Birthday Becky! (ya, lazy blogger!)

the music and me

i love listening to good music. I enjoy hearing my favourite songs. and this brings me to the commercialisation of music.

I'm not saying that music isn't commercial in it's own right, but Idol really pushes music into the blatantly-painful category. Using desperate wanna-be's they sing songs (slightly out of time or off key) dragging you to hold out for someone who might stand out above the crowd. As they hype the next person, they pull the audience through a slew of commercials for various products.

"This will make you famous."

"this will make you rich"

"this will make you beautiful"

Last night i could take it no more. I turned off the television and turned on True Blood. (OOO! Vampire show!) A new show that appears, from its first episode, to be a thinly veiled show about modern racism. I liked it much better than Idol...although the sex scenes in Idol are slightly less graphic. So take the pay off as you will. Grotesque consumerism, or grotesque sex. (Why is this so often the choice?) Will someone please make me a show that i won't feel awkward watching with a group of friends?

ooo! EUREKA!

my bid for universal healthcare

Universal healthcare is an issue that is hotly debated in the USA. Michael Moore's film "Sicko" highlighted how common it was to have a disease and not be able to afford the medication. It's a harsh reality. Medicine costs a lot of money.

The most common argument against Universal Healthcare is that it will cost so much in taxes and it will be over used. It will result in long waiting lists and people with life threatening illnesses will die waiting for treatment.

I live in a system where healthcare is "universal". I also live in a system that has health insurance. The idea of the system is this: people who can afford to have health care coverage do and those who can't allow the government to pay for it. You might at first think that the people at the bottom get all the benefits, while those at the top pay for them, but it isn't entirely the case. Those with insurance are admitted into private hospitals or clinics that have a much shorter waiting list. Those who have the free benefits have a much longer waiting list. Their position on that list is entirely related to how desperate their need is. If they have a life threatening condition, they are bumped to the front of the queue. If it is painful but not life threatening, they may have a while to wait unless they have private healthcare.

For those who have insurance the benefits are not simply that they have a shorter waiting period, but that their health providers are encouraged to pay. If the insurance companies don't pay for things, their customers would likely drop health cover and go back to the government supported system. The government doesn't want this to happen because it is already a crowded system. Plus, the insurance companies don't want to lose clients. All this leads to insurance companies paying for what they advertise they will pay for.

While our government supported healthcare is still overcrowded, I feel that this is the most socially conscious system I've seen. It supports those who by a variety of means can not support themselves, and still rewards and encourages those who can. I sincerely hope that this becomes part of the American way of life in the future.

Commericals

The following are two commercials for Old Spice. I find both of them worth watching...completely for the humour. Please note: i do not endorse this produce.

making award shows entertaining

Its no fun to have an award ceremony go to plan. Its much more fun to get someone drunk and let them start something that just can't quite be stopped.

click here to see what the hell i'm on about.

what's wrong with his picture?

John McCain is shaking the hand of Levi Johnston. (Levi Johnston is the boyfriend of McCain's running mate's daughter) But this picture just seems a bit funny. Sort of like McCain is saying "Way to go on impregnating the girl! You must be a strong lad. I'm very impressed with you."

Meanwhile the girlfriend looks on. She's thinking "God! i have to hold this smile so the press don't realise how annoying it is that McCain is feeling up my boyfriend, just like he does with my mum!"

And poor Levi is just a deer in the headlights.

out of my mind

I think i'm suffering from writers block. Although the very act of writing this almost proves that i am wrong. Perhaps my block is merely a creative block? It keeps me from tapping into the energies that produce content to which you desire to read. That is surely the issue.

As i skim my brain for something to say, all i hear is a strange buzzing sound. I think it might be static. Like when you turn the channel on the television to a station that isn't broadcasting. But at least i've avoided getting the blue screen of death when i attempt to start the creative juice flowing.

i keep reading in the news about the teen daughter of the republican senator who is pregnant. Kudos for the parents for not forcing their daughter into hiding...and possibly a nunnery. Shame for pulling the daughter, boyfriend, and unborn grandchild into the political circus that is the US elections.

I heard that Switzerland is tightening up their laws for animal cruelty. Apparently you now must treat your animals like humans would want to be treated. I suppose that cuts down on the horrible things people do to animals. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to take into account that there are some things people would never do but animals love to. Pigs, for example really like mud baths...but soon, they will also (by law) enjoy regular showers. I'm not sure what "regular" means...daily? or maybe just once a year...does the pig get to request how regular they are?

well, there goes all my interesting notes for the day. stay tuned for something else completely random.

the white issue

Imagine that your church decided that people could get special blessings and healing from the marrow of your bones. Imagine your pastor began suggesting that your marrow be extracted so he could bless other parishioners. How would you react? Would you escape? Where would you go?

This is the dilemma of the albino community in Tanzania. Their skin, bones, and hair are being lauded as ingredients to "get rich quick" potions. In a country where food in ever increasing in price, potions are becoming more and more profitable. This means there is an unspoken bounty on the albino community. Their very lives are in danger as hits are taken out, some times by witch doctors themselves, to get the "magical elements" of their body.

In April the President Kilkwete appointed his first albino Member of Parliament, Al-Shymaa Kway-Geer. She said, "I didn’t expect it. I think the President chose me because he believed in me. I’m a very hard-working woman." She hopes to use her position to help educate the public about albinism and end the discrimination.

To read more about this issue, click here.

Falling down

I fell down a flight of stairs the other day. It's strange how your mind works as you fall to your near death experience. My first thought was, "don't yell. cause people will hear that". My plan was to quietly bounce down the stairs and shake the rafts as went.

I made it to the bottom without a sound escaping my lips. "maybe no one heard that i thought". A moment later a kind gentleman rushed over to see if i was okay. He looked over me. "WOW! you want to do it again? this time i'll film it!" Seconds later the entire building was standing over me. "DON"T MOVE!" they yelled at me.

I felt fine. My ego had shatter on the way down but i felt fine. I explained i was okay while they asked if anything was broken. I looked around. "My pen, i think".

I got up assuring them there was nothing to fear and that i was fine. I limped out the door feeling slightly bruised, very embarrassed but surprisingly unhurt.

30 minutes later the shock wore off. My whole body hurt. I felt like walking would possibly kill me. I just wanted to lay down and go to sleep. Thankfully about that time hubby showed up and refused to let that happen. He nursed me back to semi health that evening and i returned to work (much to the astonishment of my colleagues) the next day.

Today i still feel sore. and you wouldn't believe the bruises i've got on my hips!

the kiss

Sneaky Sound System: Kansass City

Wishing all the best to Jenne & Kyle

Congrats on a beautiful wedding and all the best for a fabulous future!

meeting people on a plane

As we traveled from Chicago to Hawaii, i sat next to a friar. He was from Ukraine and his English was very good for simple conversation. I wanted to ask him why he chose to wear the robe. I wanted to ask him why he traveled in it. I wanted to ask but his english wasn't ready for something like that. But we helped each other through paper work and baggage claim.

Being the tourist

I know that the American economy is in recession, or at least it's being reported as headed in that direction, but i could hardly believe my eyes when i went to Chicago yesterday. Times are hard here. So hard, that dresses are being made out of whatever material is available. This includes pop-cans, playing cards, and little bits of plastic.



Hard times have meant paranoia is on the rise. Whatever money the city has, it is investing in protecting itself. This includes armor plating for the deer.

Touring the pottery room

So my great friend Jenne took us on a tour of the pottery class room at her previous University. It was great fun. Someone there is obviously very talented with the pottery.



^this entire thing is made of pottery. The boarder, the picture...even the parts that look like cardboard are made from pottery. So cool. I had to touch the picture to prove it was actually all the same material.



^Hubby in front of a pile of discarded artwork.

The making of

One of the most fascinating things that we have seen on our trip as been the making of the carousel. This project has been put together through the effort of volunteers who help carve, paint, and polish the pieces. We got very excited. The entire project will take many years to complete, but the process is amazing, so i've included a few photos.





^the model of the end project.




^a few of the finished/almost finished products.

Can you believe they are all hand carved??!