Willow Tree

Podding Around

I love podiobook. They give my mind something to do while my hands and eyes are busy elsewhere. I've found some great stories, some that I share with my younger children, some that I keep to myself.

But one book, well it is a bit weird. There is a storyline... but most of the book is music; like a musical only without the pictures. The music is the story in a way.

Dang good music. Music that makes me move and dance as I'm sitting and typing or folding or washing dishes. Music that gets into my heart and soul.

And I shared this one with one son (and want to share it with the other)
They have been teasing me about my new listening hobby, and neither was that enthusiastic about hearing what I've been hearing, but this morning, as the Wit was getting ready for leaving to go back to the army, I put it on for him.

He liked.

The podcast is called Dismay, and if you want to find all the podcasts you'll need to go to his website. http://dismay.blogmatrix.com/

You can listen to it for the story, but there isn't a whole lot of that. Mostly listen to it for the music-lift your imagination and dream.

Scratch that One off The List

This
cuties making the news because she isn't dead, but scientist thought she was an 11 million year old goner...turns out she's been hiding out in Southeast Asia. One Rock Rat (so they are called) was refound last year in a Laos meat market, poor guy.

Scientist at first thought they had found a new kind of rodent, but, it later turned out to be a living relative from the Diatomyidae family. And that was all they had folks until Dr. David Redfield went on a Southeast Asian expedition and found this sweet and gentle creature in her favorite place to hang, the limestone outcroppings in Central Laos

Luckily Dr. Redfield came back with photos and videos of the Laotian rock rat which you can see here.

The creature, known to the Laotians as kha-nyou (ga-noo), really is adorable, and it seemed quite friendly. You all have to watch it walk!

Rock Rat plush animal anyone? I think the market will be good.

Funky Radio

One of the things I do while working, to keep myself from going absoulutely nuts I listen to radio programs. One of the new stations I've been listening to is DECODER RING THEATRE via podcast. I've listened to two funky shows: the Red Panda, 50ish superhero with his sidekick, the Flying Squirrel, and BLack Jack Justice, the hardboiled detective and his right hand, Trixie, the Girl Detective. Think 30's all the way.

Fun, funky and just too good to be true. So swing on by and get an earful.

Oh, and if you listen to radio programs, versus music on the internet or talk shows etc, tell me what they are; blasts from the past or lightspeed future, they give me a kick and help me work faster.

I Haven't Done This in Awhile

Skip arouond the blogsphere time!
Mostly I have been having an oh so exciting time entering people's names into a data bank. Just a tad better than dishwashing; my hands don't get all dryed out and I can listen to what I want. But data entry has put me off from serious blogsurfing.

I hope to remedy that now.

Here's five places to visit and see:

Merrimusings  has an interesting take on the whole Mohammed cartoon blow up.  I just think it irionic that the way to protest against cartoons that linked Muslims with violence was by being violent.

And QandO Blog gives us a funny quote. Funny/truthful/sad quote.

And Rambling Rhodes finds Dick Cheney's journal. Now we all know what really happened.

I'm a cynic as well If You Will It. But I don't have any faith in man; no politician, no government. Just G-d.

And Meira is right; listen to the interview's with Tova Mordechai. You won't be disappointed.

Me; I'm hoping my computer lasts long enough to post this.

Duckie GO HOME!!!

Rockkchild needs your help in finding Duckie.
Duckie, how could you run away?

At the very least Duckie, you could have written a note.
I'm certain Rockchild will take you on the next outing. Just ask!

Send Celestial Blue To Israel!

Celestial Blue wants to come to Israel on a five months study program! And to help finance her trip she is selling these beautiful blue bracelets. Go help her come!

Here's hoping the five months becomes 120 years!

via Rishon Rishon.

You Wait How Long????

If you haven't had enough controversy, then get yourself over to CCJELLYBEANS and answer this all important question: When is it time to throw in the towel? (into the washing machine.)

We need a decision on this folks; this battle has been going on much too long. Families have been destroyed, marriages dissolved! IT'S A LIFE AND DEATH MATTER!!!!! (think of all those germs!) It's, it's.....

Oh heck, just go answer the question!!!!!

When You've Nothing to Say

Point to those who do.

David of Rishon Rishon talks about one of my favorite days of the week. This is a great place to go to learn about the facts of Judaism.

Brain Fertilizer's Nathan has links to an interesting quiz. So who should you vote for?

Soccer Dad responds to an anti-Israeli diatribe. It is a long article but worth the read.

and Practical Penumbra explains what happened to all of MuNu yesterday. I always knew there was something evil about chipmunks.

and Robin P of ccjellybeans talks about fan violence.

Sad Encounters

Pincushion writes about her encounters withh racism. Go read her excellent post on the subject.

It is hard enough to live in a land that one wasn't born too; but to have to endure cruelty as well! Since I came here I can well understand the frustrations of immigrants to the USA, who are trying to learn the language (or slang and expressions) perhaps doing it poorly, perhaps misunderstanding customs or habits. Yes, it must be learned but it takes time, and the older one is when one enters a new land the harder it can be.

Anyone who is fool enough to judge this very charming woman based on her skin color deserves the loss of the relationship. A kinder, more caring person is hard to find..

It is there problem really Pincushion; just go on being the wonderful person you are and don't worry about the fools.

My Friend Has Been Ill

Go say hi and cheer her up! She's one of the sweetest people I know! And her blog si fantastic.

What Would You Do?

Linda, of Auterific (one of my fave blogs) asked for topics;This being an election year I was absolutely boring and asked: -you are elected president. What five things would you hope to accomplish before you left after your 2nd term?(Yeah I'd vote for her twice, even though I don't agree with some of her
platforms) Anyway, she answers here.

My five would be;

1. Health care. I agree with Linda here. I think everyone should recieve quality health care; both physical and psychological health. In addition everyone should be able to eat healthily, and have decent shelter. Yes this takes money; but these are basic obligations that I feel we owe each other. I also feel that healthier people are, for the most part, better able to contribute to the overall health of the nation. I would support funding into research to end, cure, prevent all the various diseases that plague our society, starting with alzheimers, ALS, MS, and genetic disorders.

2. Abortion; I would like to see abortion become a dinosaur. I would not ban abortion but would heavily fund education and alternatives, including open adoption, permanent custody (where the parent always retains some rights, at minimum the right to visit the child) advances in health care and the like.

3. Terrorism. I would work against terrorism in all forms throughout the world. Our armed forces should be well equipped with the best they can have.

4. Alternative energy; again I agree with Linda. My goals, would not only be to end dependence on foriegn countries for their energy but make that energy affordable to all, less polluting and safer.

5. Environment; I would work to beautify America, to make environmentalism and economic security and growth compatible.

Warning! Warning!

via Funkalicious

Be prepared to be scared, creeped out and very afraid!

Um, by the way of have six free gmail accounts to give away.

Okay, could it be a problem? The simple fact is there is no secrets via the computer. Your hard drive saves all, it really doesn't erase. To keep a major secret you would have to destroy the hard drive, at least the way I understand it. And once you have sent an e-mail out, why the other person/person's have a copy of it. Same rules apply. If it gets misdirected (I've had things show up in my box, clearly not for me, with someone else's e-mail addy)
And you've put it out there, it is out there. The control was lost a long time ago.

So, I'm not too bent out of shape or worried.

Mermaid Dreams

I was reading a very funny true story on NEPTUNE LEX You have to read it!

The story brought back some sweet memories of my own childhood dreams.

I loved the water as a child; I still do. I could never understand the Little Mermaid's choice. How could she pick the land of earth over the greatness of water? My goal in swimming as a child was to stay under as long as possible; to move without splashing, as if I were truly one with the water. The embrace of the
water about my body, the silence, the feeling of being safe and free at the same time; what could be better than being a mermaid? I would have fantasies as a child of discovering that, by some miracle, the vestigial gills within my body would begin working; tossed, or fallen, into the sea, this part of me, a secret part, would come alive and there I would be; home in the ocean.

I still would love that.

If I could die anywhere it would be near the ocean; hearing the rush of the sea come in and out, the smell of salt and fish, the caw of the seagulls overhead, feeling the cool fingers of the waves tickling me. Each breath bringing me further out and away, till with the last breath I rushed over the ocean toward a new home.

Random Pensées asks: what would your last meal be? I am asking; what is the last place you would want to sea? Are you of earth, or sky or sea?

So Who Gets Your Vote?

I don't really want to know, and I really ask that you don't tell me. I plan to keep my own vote private. It isn't that I don't care, I care very much; but as Jack of Random Fate states in his excellent blog, let us not forget who are enemies are; it isn't each other.

And if we make it each other we mar, at the very least, the gift of democracy that was bequeathed to us by the forefather's of the USA.

The private vote, the ability to vote without fear of repercussions, societal or financial or otherwise, is one of the most important rights that those who are free have. This is definitely an emotional issue; and an important one, and I don't mean to silence debate. But the animosity needs to leave. We need discussion, not proclamations, statements of fact, not fear-mongering. In the end one will win and the USA will continue. It will survive. It will take a lot more than a single election to bring the USA down.

So whom are you going to vote for? I care, but don't tell me. Make the decision your conscious tells you is for the best. In the end, that is more important. Even if you vote for that scoundrel the other guy.
(corrected link, sorry!)

Jim

Jim of Snooze Buttons Dreams was just downsized; cooperate realignment stinks.. Go give him a kind word and a helping hand if you can. He's a tech guy and living in Alanta, so if anyone has any leads for him, let him know.

I know this fight; and I hope it is a short one for him. And may the idiots at his old place forever regret this idiotic move.

Pet Life

I was over on EyeNo's blog; he did an excellent post on the problems of stupid dog owners and the reprecussions of those who don't know how to train or care for dogs. A brief excerpt from an excellent piece:

We’ve all seen people, usually males, strutting down the street with a pit bull or some other “agressive” breed. The dog is outfitted with a spiked collar and is straining against a leather leash that would look more at home hanging off a barber’s chair in the 1930s just waiting for the straight razor in need of stroping. Who picked out that collar? Not the dog. If the Hummer is the compensation for a rich man’s penile shortcomings then the Pit Bull or the Rotweiler is the poor man’s alternative.

Read the rest; he makes some excellent points.

As far as dog ownership goes, here are my points.

We, for those who don't know, have a dog. A Basset Hound. They are short, stocky, sloppy, but very loveable dogs. He was a good choice for us, good for a still growing family. He is not a good choice for someone who would have trouble walking him and no access to a large yard, for someone who is infrequently at home, who someone whose property is easily damaged, or fine, and hasn't a section of the house for him to romp in freely, where the family would spend a good bit of their time.

When it comes to pets heres the rule;
Research--Know the type of dog you are getting; is it right for your family? A Pit Bull wouldn't be right for us; you have to be very firm and strong, and I'm not that type of person. Be honest with yourself; how much training will this type of dog need and can you provide that?
Assess Is this particular dog the dog for you. Bring the whole family when you are looking at a dog; how does everyone interact with the dog/puppy? How does the animal act? Is it friendly? Timid? Does it knock everyone over to get to you? (could be a sign of aggression).
Train All dogs need some training. Do this when they are young and you won't regret it later.
EnjoyIf you hate taking the dog on walks, hate playing with it, hate petting it, hate having it lay its head on you lap, why did you bring the dog home?

Dogs can make beautiful and long term companions, but the human factor is t he most important. Know what you are doing. A dog is a dog and will behave the way nature intended; we, as owners have to learn how to use that nature to benefit us all.

I am hoping

She wins the diarist award. She deserves it; don't you agree? Her writing takes my breath away. I often want to go print out what she is writing and save it for when she becomes famous.

She writes like a dream, and leaves you wanting, craving more. She is better than chocolate.

But don't just trust me; see for yourself.

What the ?!!!

Maybe Ca. needs an intelligence test before hiring their bus drives.
via Zero Intelligence.

First-grader Sarah Macias told the bus driver the stop at Mango and Walnut avenues in Fontana. Calif., wasn't hers, but the driver told her to get off along an open field where there were few homes and no stores. It was her first bus ride.

Look, moron; a first grader knows their own house. And even if you thought she was just confused SHOULDN'T YOU HAVE CALLED AND CHECKED??? Did you see a mom or dad or sitter waiting for the child? You would want this to happen to someone you loved?

Claudia Walker of Rialto spotted the frightened girl and took her to the Fontana Police Department. The girl's parents were called and they were reunited an hour later.

Thank you Claudia Walker; thank you for being there and caring and doing what others should have done and didn't. It is nice to know there are sensible, good hearted, responsible people in the world.

The August 4 incident, which was made public on Thursday, occurred at the end of the second day of school when Sarah was instructed by a teacher to follow girls boarding a bus. Sarah's shoe fell off, however, and she got distracted and boarded the wrong bus.

The girl says she was told to get off when the bus reached its last stop.

Moron number 2. Teachers, you are responsible for those children from the time they get to school till they leave. It was her second day at school YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE EACH CHILD IS ON THE RIGHT BUS! It is your business.

When my son was young and in school, we had a similar incident. The school called me and said "Is your son home yet?" "No" I replied, "He was suppose to have detention" (they were handing out detention for everything, from missing homework to acting silly in class) "He's suppose to be with you!" (the bus hasn't even reached home yet. "Where is my child?" This is about 45 minutes after school has ended btw.

I had no car, and couldn't leave the house anyway (in case he showed up.) I waited 15 more minutes for him and the bus to come, sick with worry the whole time.

What happened? He asked his teacher where he should go for detention and his teacher said "Go home." well, since she was the one who did it, he figured he had to wait another day and went home.

Then the school complained to me about his leaving. LISTEN YOU DIMWITS ; YOU LOST MY SON!

45 minutes could have made the difference between life and death. He was fine, but what if something else had happened? Wait 45 minutes to tell me? FIND THE BUS. SEE IF HE IS ON IT.

Don't mess with me when it comes to my kids.

Quote day!

At least that is what I think it must be.

Jim of Snooze Button's is asking for them.

Linda of Auterific is finding them.

Now what would these great minds have said about Jim's blog? That's the question!