No, you perverts... No. Read this article and your little bleak hearts will warm. Obviously for me this is particularly sweet in light of my flock. This morning MrNewburg (see previous post for picture) made first nice contact on his own. As I sat sipping my obnoxious morning yogurt frappe, Newbie scuttled down his cage and delicately moved to my shoulder. I pretended normalcy. He then undid my hair clip, (at which he is amazingly agile - rather like those guys who can unhook your bra by merely brushing their hand across your back), preened my left ear and straightened a few errant locks of hair. We communed for a few minutes and then he was back to his cage to ransack his new toy.
Obstinate animals that befriend us rekindle our ancestral/primitive instincts. And for a brief moment allow us to catch a glimpse of a simpler, less-polluted and more wholesome existence.
4.28.2006
4.26.2006
Found...GUILTY!
You would think I am Jewish I have so much guilt. If I don't post - GUILT. If I eat meat - GUILT. If I don't shave my legs for the pedicure lady - GUILT. Where did I get all this guilt? Why, after counseling, therapy and familial support, can't I shake this guilt-monkey? I read my daily affirmations, sometimes I even chant them to myself while driving. I try to practice "being in the moment" and letting history and forecasting be damned. Yet still, this lurking perverted guilt that stains my psyche. I know people who seemingly have no guilt. They amaze and disturb me. Guilt makes us humble, neurotic and human. I think we should have USDA recommended daily allowances for guilt. That way I could wake up, get my enormous quanitites of guilt quickly put away, and saunter saucily through the rest of the day. I might even find myself skipping, humming, chatting gaily with strangers.
Oooooo, the possibilities are endless...
Oooooo, the possibilities are endless...
4.21.2006
Armchair Activism
I figure better to support my passions while lolling on my Gaiam exer-chair, than to not do it at all... So, in support of the Ocean Conservancy, celebrate Earth Day.
4.17.2006
"Made Up" Makes it In
Browsing through my morning reads, I stopped at Nature to find this article on catfishes that can hunt prey on shore. Within the first couple of sentences, I was all a-giggle when I read that this erudite pubilcation had chosen to describe the catfish as having a "bendy neck". Well, now I've been saying "bendy-this" and "bendy-that" for years and now I can proudly use it in intelligent conversation.
Thanks, Nature!
Thanks, Nature!
4.14.2006
A Clever Plan
Swiped from boingboing.net, this lovely use of odious chocolate is almost as funny and riveting as the infamous scientific peep studies. So many clever folks out there...
4.06.2006
I'm a Sucker!!
Everybody has their weak-spot and I am no exception although I DO like to kid myself that I am exceptional. Anywho, animal stuff makes my heart squeeze up tight and my maternal instincts go on high alert. The mistreatment, abuse and neglect of animals, specifically those used for commercial purposes, is abominable in light of the gluttony, obesity and greed that this world thrives on. So, in my little way, I do what I think may contribute, and part of that is signing these little petitions. I don't know if it makes a hill of beans difference in general but it assuages my little mind to a certain degree.
All of this to say, if you get bent when you encounter chickens with amputated beaks, cows penned into muddy, feces invested feed lots, or dolphins entangled in the unkind drift nets of the Japanese, this may help you feel like you can help.
All of this to say, if you get bent when you encounter chickens with amputated beaks, cows penned into muddy, feces invested feed lots, or dolphins entangled in the unkind drift nets of the Japanese, this may help you feel like you can help.
3.31.2006
A Cool Stolen Forty
Thanks, Mole!
Forty Questions (minus scary #14)
1) Who is the last person you high-fived? -- Echo, my Mom's parrot
2) If you were drafted into a war, would you survive. -- definitely, unless i saw something really gross like a dead person. then i would cry over the nauseating meaninglessness of it all and someone would probably sneak up on me and poke me real hard with something pointy.
3) Do you sleep with the TV on? -- they say it's bad joujou
4) Have you ever drunk milk straight out of the carton? -- only when i have guests who i know will drink after me, then i laugh privately to myself
5) Have you ever won a spelling bee -- i was a geek, but not that much of a geek
6) Have you ever been stung by a bee -- once, bottom of the foot. he was hiding cleverly amongst some white clover just waiting for my tender young instep to find his bad barbed stinger
7) How fast can you type -- depends on how much i've had to drink and how long i have procrastinated
8) Are you afraid of the dark? -- dark good....
9) Eye color -- moss
10) Have you ever made out at a drive-in? -- old, but not that old, so no
11) When is the last time you chose a bath over a shower? -- normally i would bathe regularly to soak in my herbs and oils, however, i hate my current tub. what i really want is to design my own bathroom in my own house and put a disposal under the drain so i don't have to sift out all the flotsam i sprinkle in there to make my bath teas
12) Do you knock on wood? -- the fake stuff in my Jeep, although i do use the saying
13) Do you floss daily? -- no, but thanks for the guilt-heaping
15) Can you hula hoop? -- yup, i win regularly against the Hooters chicks
16) Are you good at keeping secrets? -- wait'll you hear this.....
17) What do you want for Christmas? -- a vacation, this Master's business is a real drag
18) Do you know the Muffin Man? -- i know a Man who likes my Muffin
19) Do you talk in your sleep? -- shhhhhh, don't you know you shouldn't use the pink rollers??!!!!!!! Mom will kill you
20) Who wrote the book of love? -- gabriel garcia marquez - a couple of them actually
21) Have you ever flown a kite? -- one of those double stringed stunt kites... smokin'
22) Do you wish on your fallen lashes? -- nah, wishes are for fishes
23) Do you consider yourself successful? -- in some realms
24) How many people are on your contact list of your cell? -- too many
25) Have you ever asked for a pony? -- still do
26) Plans for tomorrow? double step @ 8:30am, pay the rent, study for finance, clean bird room, study for finance, eat, study for finance, nap, study for finance, and finally, study for finance
27) Can you juggle? -- nope, used to have a set of juggling penguins, but....
28) Missing someone now? -- indeed
29) when was the last time you told someone I Love You? -- wrote it to my Dad yesterday
30) And truly meant it? -- it was true by my definition
31) how often do you drink -- constantly - water, tea... oh, you meant alcohol, once a week
32) How are you feeling today? -- a tad compressed and burnt out
33) what do you say too much? -- it used to be "crikey", but now it's probably "don't bite"
34) Have you ever been suspended or expelled from school? -- not a chance
35) What are you looking forward to? -- the next adventure
36) Have you ever crawled through a window? -- definitely, B&E is my specialty
37) Have you ever eaten dog food? -- tried a biscuit
38) Can you handle the truth? -- when it is not brutal
39) Do you like green eggs and ham? -- it's not really the color of food that bothers, it's the texture
40) Any cool scars? -- tooth marks from pitbull on forearm, really more of a good story than scar
Forty Questions (minus scary #14)
1) Who is the last person you high-fived? -- Echo, my Mom's parrot
2) If you were drafted into a war, would you survive. -- definitely, unless i saw something really gross like a dead person. then i would cry over the nauseating meaninglessness of it all and someone would probably sneak up on me and poke me real hard with something pointy.
3) Do you sleep with the TV on? -- they say it's bad joujou
4) Have you ever drunk milk straight out of the carton? -- only when i have guests who i know will drink after me, then i laugh privately to myself
5) Have you ever won a spelling bee -- i was a geek, but not that much of a geek
6) Have you ever been stung by a bee -- once, bottom of the foot. he was hiding cleverly amongst some white clover just waiting for my tender young instep to find his bad barbed stinger
7) How fast can you type -- depends on how much i've had to drink and how long i have procrastinated
8) Are you afraid of the dark? -- dark good....
9) Eye color -- moss
10) Have you ever made out at a drive-in? -- old, but not that old, so no
11) When is the last time you chose a bath over a shower? -- normally i would bathe regularly to soak in my herbs and oils, however, i hate my current tub. what i really want is to design my own bathroom in my own house and put a disposal under the drain so i don't have to sift out all the flotsam i sprinkle in there to make my bath teas
12) Do you knock on wood? -- the fake stuff in my Jeep, although i do use the saying
13) Do you floss daily? -- no, but thanks for the guilt-heaping
15) Can you hula hoop? -- yup, i win regularly against the Hooters chicks
16) Are you good at keeping secrets? -- wait'll you hear this.....
17) What do you want for Christmas? -- a vacation, this Master's business is a real drag
18) Do you know the Muffin Man? -- i know a Man who likes my Muffin
19) Do you talk in your sleep? -- shhhhhh, don't you know you shouldn't use the pink rollers??!!!!!!! Mom will kill you
20) Who wrote the book of love? -- gabriel garcia marquez - a couple of them actually
21) Have you ever flown a kite? -- one of those double stringed stunt kites... smokin'
22) Do you wish on your fallen lashes? -- nah, wishes are for fishes
23) Do you consider yourself successful? -- in some realms
24) How many people are on your contact list of your cell? -- too many
25) Have you ever asked for a pony? -- still do
26) Plans for tomorrow? double step @ 8:30am, pay the rent, study for finance, clean bird room, study for finance, eat, study for finance, nap, study for finance, and finally, study for finance
27) Can you juggle? -- nope, used to have a set of juggling penguins, but....
28) Missing someone now? -- indeed
29) when was the last time you told someone I Love You? -- wrote it to my Dad yesterday
30) And truly meant it? -- it was true by my definition
31) how often do you drink -- constantly - water, tea... oh, you meant alcohol, once a week
32) How are you feeling today? -- a tad compressed and burnt out
33) what do you say too much? -- it used to be "crikey", but now it's probably "don't bite"
34) Have you ever been suspended or expelled from school? -- not a chance
35) What are you looking forward to? -- the next adventure
36) Have you ever crawled through a window? -- definitely, B&E is my specialty
37) Have you ever eaten dog food? -- tried a biscuit
38) Can you handle the truth? -- when it is not brutal
39) Do you like green eggs and ham? -- it's not really the color of food that bothers, it's the texture
40) Any cool scars? -- tooth marks from pitbull on forearm, really more of a good story than scar
3.24.2006
But did you know???
As interesting as a "leftie" snail might be, did you know that when snails court, and they do fall in love, they shoot eachother with "love darts"? Snails are hermaphroditic, having both male and female reporductive stuff, but do not self fertilize; and have a store of small, sharp darts which they shoot at the objects of their affection. This apparently conveys a competitive advantage to the sperm which are exchanged between the two lovers, and has been the metaphor for Cupid's darts for centuries. Often upon close inspection, you can see snails sporting multiple darts protruding carelessly from their necks and heads - a sign of their fecundity.
Next time you are in your garden, look carefully at the snails.
Next time you are in your garden, look carefully at the snails.
Sad but illustrative
250 years of taking his time, eating plenty of fruits and veggies, and just plain clean livin'. maybe we should try it. However, would anyone really want to live that long??? Discuss...
I Love Grapes
The green ones - firm flesh, tart juice, crisp palate. I loved 'em when I was a kid, ate boatloads of 'em until my belly ached. Handy, no mess, lovely color. I really do love grapes. Maybe that makes me a pre-vino wino.
3.23.2006
Uh....What the *&%$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Texans have always prided themselves on being a "breed apart". Huge state, monstrous egos, ginormous hair, colossal politicians... but when I saw this on the news and then read about it, I wondered out loud. One of the last states to ban drinking and driving, we have historically flung our collective fingers at the law. Flaunted all that is bumpkin and continued on our merry Texan ways. Pretty soon we'll just go to the bar to, well, uh... look at the interesting interior design???????
2.23.2006
In the Crack
The schedule races forward relentlessly, dragging me along behind to fret anxiously, gnaw at my own inability to have "sticktoittiveness", snap convulsively at those least deserving and demean my ego for not being perfection incarnate. Many internal promises and resolutions are passed by the psychic committee that sits in residence, much babbling and dithering about the process and how the reward system should work. But nothing concrete ever results and so the schedule gallops rampant, snatching my will and forcing itself on my decency.
Double Standard
When I cruise over to my regular blog reads and nothing new has been posted for a couple of days, I get bent, miffed, annoyed and indignant. How dare my "ether-eal" literary slaves deny me the insight into their weird worlds and psyches to which I am entitled. It is my right to look inside their heads and be amazed, horrified and entertained.
But my blog, my whimsical little piece of the web can go days, weeks, an eternity without entries, updates or flippant response. You people out there...
But my blog, my whimsical little piece of the web can go days, weeks, an eternity without entries, updates or flippant response. You people out there...
2.09.2006
Snatched from "Pointless Drivel"
Somethin' fun to do 'til quittin' time...
Four jobs you have had:
Lifeguard
Scientist/Animal Researcher
Baby-Bird Raiser
Waitress
Four movies you could watch over and over:
Dangerous Liaisons
Holy Grail
The Piano
Little Mermaid
Four places you’ve lived:
Tyler, TX
Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico
Midland, MI
Caldwell, TX
Four television shows you love to watch:
anything involving sharks
Rome
Deadwood
Nova
Four places you’ve been on vacation:
Ambergris Cay, Belize
Santa Fe, NM
Orillia, Canada
Manzanillo, Mexico
Four of your favorite foods:
Red Wine
Sugar Snap Peas
Cheese
Rice Krispie Treats
Four places you’d rather be right now:
With James
Fiji
Underwater
Home
Four sites I visit daily:
Nature.org
mail.tcu.edu
Ocean Spirits
Yahoo!!
Four jobs you have had:
Lifeguard
Scientist/Animal Researcher
Baby-Bird Raiser
Waitress
Four movies you could watch over and over:
Dangerous Liaisons
Holy Grail
The Piano
Little Mermaid
Four places you’ve lived:
Tyler, TX
Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico
Midland, MI
Caldwell, TX
Four television shows you love to watch:
anything involving sharks
Rome
Deadwood
Nova
Four places you’ve been on vacation:
Ambergris Cay, Belize
Santa Fe, NM
Orillia, Canada
Manzanillo, Mexico
Four of your favorite foods:
Red Wine
Sugar Snap Peas
Cheese
Rice Krispie Treats
Four places you’d rather be right now:
With James
Fiji
Underwater
Home
Four sites I visit daily:
Nature.org
mail.tcu.edu
Ocean Spirits
Yahoo!!
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