The Eggplant That Ate Chicago

I am a plant murderer. Every time I bring home a new plant, my family snickers and scoffs, because they know the poor plant is doomed. I just don't have a green thumb. I can sometimes grow African Violets, and I have a couple of gardens that I try not to kill. I do really well with irises, because they are so hardy they can withstand even me.

Last year, my sister gave me a sweet potato vine, and we expected it to die when winter came. Amazingly, it survived, and is now taking over my front yard. It is so cool! I have formed its tendrils into a galaxy shape, and it looks pretty. Last night, I measured one of the tendrils, and it was 9 feet! I am very pleased.

Can you spot the mistake in the lyrics of the song?

http://www.actionext.com/names_n/norman_greenbaum_lyrics/the_eggplant_that_ate_chicago.html

For Paul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGYQtNAHbX4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcT7u7abiZ4

Joy of the Wonders of the Universe To You

I have been depressed about the lost of a high school classmate, but I had a pleasant dream this morning. Jean Luc Picard from Star Trek greeted me with "Joy of the wonders of the Universe." That's a mouthful of a greeting when a simple "Howdy" would do the job, but I felt a sense of peace. So, it was either a message from the Cosmos, or something I dredged up from my subconscience. Either way, it was nice. So, to you all I say, "Joy of the --"
Oh, you get the idea. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9V5yUsrmdg

Barnacles and That Kismet Thing Again

A few days ago, a friend of mine (hi CLO) discussed finding some barnacles at the beach, and how she wants to someday paint them. Now, barnacles don't come up every day in my normal conversations. Then my brother-in-law (hi) is helping us with Halloween decorations, and this year's theme is dead pirates. He suggested putting foam barnacles on the ship. Great idea, but a little strange that it popped into a conversation so soon after reading about them.

I Google imaged barnacles, and came across a site that mentioned barnacles and Waldo the Wonder Rat. Now, as you've probably guessed from my previous posts, I love rodents. I just think it's so strange how things keep circling around.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.weepeeple.com/images/barnacles10.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.weepeeple.com/news/augustnewsletter.htm&h=325&w=432&sz=67&hl=en&start=52&usg=__wBZjwFm-2cDjwzn546z_iLpovb8=&tbnid=7lqmkBjKHJVNlM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=126&prev=/images?q%3Dbarnacles%26start%3D42%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN


So here's a song with a nautical theme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEIDep_UMmk&feature=related

Now, in a Cosmic sense, if there's any deeper meaning, I can't find it, but it sure does arouse my curiosity!

To Laugh and To Cry

It's been a really bad week. Last Wednesday was very draining, and then on Friday I found out that a classmate was in the hospital. He passed away, and I've been very depressed the last few days. I was not close to him, but he literally saved many lives, and it's lousy that we had to lose him so soon.

I was a bit hesitant to go to dance class this morning, but I knew I needed it. It felt good to do the stretches (which I need to do more of at home). It was good to get out and socialize, and the instructor is so upbeat and funny. It was nice to laugh again. I know the next few days will be hard, but I enjoyed a little escapism. But for now, back to reality, which means more proof reading.

Pibroch

pi·broch: mournful bagpipe music - a piece of music written for the Scottish Highland bagpipes, consisting of a theme and variations, often with a mournful tone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxiHgm5UEsA&watch_response

What Dreams May Come

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLco7-yDrI0&feature=related

Twilight

OMG! I just finished reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight! I loved it! It was funny and suspenseful and I can understand why teens really love it. It's not just for teens though. I enjoyed it, too, because the main character is very clumsy, as am I. I went to B&N today (after I went to the new Apple store) and bought the next book in the series, New Moon. The third book is not out in paper back yet, but will be soon. It will be hard to wait for it, because if I read the second book as quickly as the first, I will be ready way before the paper back one is out.

I saw an interview with Meyers in which she said that it started off with a dream she had, and when she woke, she wanted to know how it ended, so she had to write it for herself. It's so interesting how our subconscience works so hard while we aren't even aware of it. The fourth book has a chess set on the cover, and I really love chess.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhNu_dmcfgw&feature=related

I also looked for Craig Ferguson's book, Between the Bridge and the River, but it is sold out. The clerk who was helping me is also a fan. He checked to see if any of their other stores had it, but it's not to be found, but it is being reprinted. That's a good thing for Craig, that his book is doing so well.

That's it for now. Maybe I'll go start reading now! :)

Devil's Advocate

I so enjoy being a devil's advocate. I love discussing different issues, and taking an opposing stance, just to get others to consider all possibilities. The role of devil's advocate was started in the Catholic church. The goal was to offer counter claims to consideration of sainthood. The church felt the need to view the question from different viewpoints, to not be locked into one opinion, to have a back-and-forth examination of the facts as they were understood. Too bad they didn't feel the same way about scientific facts. Giordarno Bruno and Galileo would not have suffered as they did.

I feel that is a vital role in today's society as well. Too many are willing to accept global warming as fact, when it is not agreed on by a lot of scientists a heck of a lot smarter than I am.
To question, to provoke deeper thought, even if you may agree with the person, is a useful goal. It's good to double-check the facts, to probe more deeply into what you believe, and why you believe it. I think we need a few more devil's advocates.

Switching gears to an extreme measure, here's today's song. Belly dancing is now popping up in all kinds of music, and there is a style of dance called dance fusion, which mixes ancient dance moves with modern music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygctbqBijFk


So ends the last week of freedom before early morning schedule for school, and so ends this post.

Horse Feathers

This should have gone with my last post, but I hadn't had a chance to hear it myself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPJAdJ3vMuw&feature=related

And this is just because I like him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7oZXt_71CE

The US is still doing so well at the Olympics.

That's it - I got nuthin' else.

Oh Yeah? So What!

Yeah, that's right, I didn't post anything for the last several days. I've been busy, and I ain't got nuthin' ta say. I've been watching the Olympics (yeah us!), and reading Twilight (funny book!) and went to dance class today (yeah me!). So, I got nuthin'.

I was looking through the TV Guide, and saw a blurb about Russell Brand. I've seen him on several talk shows, and he's a hoot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQlvqWW3tGc&feature=related

So, that's it. No song for the day, no deep thoughts, no insight, no witty remarks. Maybe tomorrow the muse will sit on my shoulder, but for now I'm off to read more Twilight.

Water

Whew! I read 144 pages today (well, it's after midnight, so technically it was yesterday). It involved problems laying water and sewer pipes. Lovely (not). I often learn a lot as I read, but I don't think I'll be able to use the knowledge I gained today. At least it's done, and I'll be happy come pay day.

I thought about including a youtube version of Night Thunder by Michael Martin Murphey, but I couldn't find one. "Love me like water, water, water, water." I had never heard of the song I am including, so it was nice to hear a new song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Teve9ju4HC0

It's been kind of a boring day, with no earth-shaking awakenings, so I'll shut up for now, and go read some fun things. I'm almost a third of the way through Twilight, and I'm enjoying it a lot.

Bull in a China Shop

Tonight we celebrated my parents' 60th wedding anniversary. I can't imagine how much patience it must have taken to put up with each other for 60 years. Even though marriages have ups and downs, it is quite an accomplishment.

We ate at a wonderful steak house (yummmm!) and that got me thinking about steaks, which in turn led me to think of the movie For Pete's Sake. I love the scene where the bull goes through the china shop, and nothing is broken until she knocks on wood, and everything just shatters. I think life is like that sometimes, skating on thin ice, and getting by quite well, until one more thing brings it all down.

I'm stuffed and ready for a nap, so that's all for tonight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D8G_J6Ro1E

Kismet

I am in awe of the forces that swirl around us that we are often not aware of, and yet I do sometimes take the time to examine. When my kids gave me an iPod 2 years ago, I went onto several music sites to think about songs I wanted to download. That led me to a site that originates in The Netherlands, and they had a notice that they were looking for someone who spoke English to help translate lyrics. That's how I met Mark. I have been able to help some. There was a song that was popular in The Netherlands that was a reggae version of the Peter, Paul and Mary song 500 Miles. Mark had never heard the original version, so I was able to send it to him. He has now become an email friend. Remember the old term of pen pal?

Mark led me to a social network site called Hyves. On Hyves, I met Remi, who loves astronomy as much as I do. There was a study done on connections in email networks, and there really are quite often only 6.6 degrees of separation. I do believe in Kismet, and I'm anxious to see if Hyves leads me to other interesting contacts, or where else in my life connections will be made.
I'm also learning a few words of Dutch. Vrienden means friends, uitloggen means log out, and verstuur means send.

A high school friend, Tim, knows a young lady who works with my son. I was amazed that seemingly random people knew each other.

I also loved the PBS show Connections. It was so well done, and I learned so much from it. It showed the interweaving of inventions, accidents, and, well, Kismet!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cS0lT0dQJA&feature=related

See, during my search for the link above, Kismet led me to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2wAjOIbMv8&feature=related
I love the movie and the song.

I'm also happy because we got lots of rain last night. Yipeeeee!

Dis N Dat

Today the kids and I had snow cones. We try to have them at least once during the summer, and it's been too hot lately to go out and enjoy them. It was a little cooler today, so we enjoyed our summer tradition. It's hard to believe that they will be back in school all too soon.

Idina Menzel was on Craig Ferguson's show tonight. She played Elphaba in Wicked. She sang I Stand tonight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-kO8bH0QQ8&feature=related

A beautiful song from a beautiful lady.

I also have seen several ads for a new movie called Bottle Shock. One of the stars is Alan Rickman, who did such a great job as Snape in the Harry Potter movies. I'm not sure I'll see the movie. I may rent it when it's released to DVD. He is a good actor.

Thinking of Alan Rickman got me to thinking of Rick Wakeman. It's a stream of conscience kind of thing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-OtpZnCS8U
I chose Anne of Cleves because from what little I know about the history, I think she was one of the smartest of the six wives.

Dat's all for dis post. :)

To the Left

Yea, I know I didn't post yesterday. I was busy getting my daughter ready for school, and I didn't have much to say. I have started the book Twilight, and I like it a lot so far. One of my daughter's classmates was also reading it while we were waiting in line.

The US Olympic team is doing really well. Phelps is great!

Today is Left-handers Day. Yipeeeee! I have my banner taped up on the front porch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX31sAh7GPA

I'm off to my dance class soon. Hope it's a wonderful day for everybody!

The Greatest Generation

I just finished reading The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw. Such a wonderful book! I learned a lot, like Nazi agents reaching New York and Florida by submarine. It was wonderful the way the nation worked together. The book also talked about gains made by blacks and women who were able to step up and prove they could get the job done. I especially liked that most chapters were short bios of one or two people who exemplified their group. It was nice to read a chapter or two at a time, and not have to recall the entire book to remember a plot or cast of characters. We are so fortunate that their generation made the sacrifices needed to save the world (cheerleaders included).

I've been watching the Olympics. Right now the US gymnastics team is in medal contention, and Michael Phelps has won several gold medals. Great job!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jkhpTB8INs

Turn Left

Wow! I just finished watching a Dr. Who episode titled Turn Left. Since I'm a lefty, it immediately caught my attention. Without giving away too much, it's all about the choices we make in life, and how important one little decision can be. One seemingly minor change in life's path can have such a profound difference. The universe can be saved or lost. Wow! A person who thinks they are not very important can make all the difference. Loved that episode! I'm gonna need time to think about that one more. I might even watch it again. I hope it will help the next time I have to make a choice. I'm glad I *chose* to watch it!

Today has been a mousy day. Google has been putting up some cute graphics for the Olympics, and today it was an adorable mouse. If you missed it, click here:
http://www.azakers.com/gallery2/post-images/corporate-logos/google/2008-olympics/
It's a mouse lifting weights, so the little mouse is also very mighty. Ties in real well with the theme of Turn Left. I also played Mouse Trap with my daughter today, so I'm happy with my mousies!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3GVbIT4UuU&feature=related

Another Brick in the Wall

I watched the opening ceremonies for the Olympics last night. It was very beautiful, but I kept thinking of how many people had been forced out of the little homes they had to make way for the Olympic stadium. I love the architecture, and I especially like the nickname, birds nest. I know fireworks are dirt cheap there, but I kept wondering how many meals that money could have bought. On the other hand, it was a great employment opportunity for many of the construction workers, and people who got jobs working there during the Olympics. If the air had not been polluted already, all the smoke from the fireworks certainly made it so.

I was proud of how average citizens helped to clear the algae from the lake where the sailing events will be. I'm not sure many Americans would take the time, or be willing to wrangle with all those strands. I'm sure it didn't smell that great, either. I hope it's made into animal feed or fertilizer, or something useful.

I know the Olympics is supposed to be about sportsmanship, and not about politics, but I wish the Olympic committee had been more forceful about China's abysmal human rights record. I wish Tibet could just be left alone. I doubt that will ever happen, but one can dream.

The only reason I would want to go to China would be to see the Great Wall. It was the topic of one of the short stories I used when I tutored. Otherwise, a noisy, crowded city is not my idea of a good vacation.

Have a lovely day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DnUxLISFcA

Viva La Vida

I love this song by Coldplay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTjFP_iORYg
I think I may need to add it to my list of songs I want to download.

It's a strange song (I seem to like strange songs a lot). It's interesting that the tempo is upbeat, but the lyrics are so melancholy. I think I understand what he's trying to say, but I read more into it each time I hear it. I especially like the bell. It is a huge bell, not some wimpy little cowbell or chime. The percussionist has to put a lot of soul into it, which must be a wonderful release of energy/emotions. I remember ringing the bell at the old Olla Podrida shopping center. Boy, does that bring back memories!

I think at each stage of my life, I tend to look back and wish for the stage I've just finished, but then I move on to the next, and I usually like that one even better. But I do miss the old stages, some more than others.

Busy, Busy, Busy

It's been a busy day, so not much time here.

I learned today that Long Black Veil was co-written by a woman born in Texas. I knew I liked that song for a reason.

Here's something else that's really silly. I love to watch Craig Ferguson, and he did this the other night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3ucPBEpocs
I went to youtube and watched what he was referring to, but it wasn't as funny as he was.

It's late, and it's been a busy day, so th-th-that's all, folks!

No Such Thing As A Coincidence

LOL! Shakespeare was mentioned again today, this time in my daughter's harp lesson. The goal is to play at Scarborough Faire, so of course Shakespeare and Good Queen Bess were mentioned.

I'm in a good mood again today. Had a fun time at dance lessons. Still lots of work to slowly and carefully stretch those muscles. My daughter is also getting buff, holding chili cans to build up her harp muscles. We are keeping each other going, because I try to do it when she does. Snake arms don't come easy! :)

Time to hit the shower!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsxX3ue5vR4

All the World's a Stage

I've been watching several Dr. Who episodes recently. I really liked The Shakespeare Code. I was glad I had just read Shakespeare's Wife, because I understood a lot of the references more clearly. The episode was well written, and I liked the actor who played Shakespeare. The episode showed how the three witches came into Shakespeare's life. It showed the Globe audience impressed by what they think are special effects. Very smart script.

I learned about a new book on the history of Hubble, and all of the politics involved behind the scenes. It's now on my list, once I get caught up with the ones already waiting for me.

So, I'll leave you today with words from The Bard himself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChTBKjtfd2w

Things That Make Me Smile

Yesterday I talked about the mouse and flamingo, and how it makes me smile every time I look at it. There are a lot of things that make me happy. I watched Celtic Thunder on PBS last night; Celtic music, men in kilts, and bagpipes, yeah!

I got a paycheck, which always makes me happy, and I promptly bought a book, which makes me very happy, and I used my Barnes & Noble discount, which makes me realllly happy. I bought Stephenie Meyer's Twighlight. I hadn't really heard about this series until Breaking Dawn was released, which has a picture of a chess board on it. I thought I'd at least give the first one a try, and see if I get hooked on the series. I probably won't start it until I finish Greatest Generation. Every once in a while I will have two books going at the same time, but I like to keep things in line, and not scramble my brain, so I plod along one step at a time.

This song always makes me smile. It's cheesey and silly, but I enjoy it. Many think it's too much
saccharine, and there are some who probably won't watch it all the way through (you know who you are), but I like it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbh9c0noR4s

Have a smiley, silly kind of day.

The Broadsword and the Beast

Talking about my broadsword (both figurative and literal) got me to thinking about passing things on to my kids. They both want to inherit my sword when I pass away. Most everything else is pretty well settled. She will get my jewelry (there are some Egyptian pieces she really wants NOW), and he will get most of the books and the astronaut mouse. It's that sword that will be the sticking point.

I've already decided that when the time comes, I'll call them over about once a month and dole out more boxes of stuff that I'm ready to part with. I especially will be ready to pass on or sell my "dust collectors", but there are a few that I won't want to part with for quite a while. Some are memories from vacations, and some are just too cute. One is a mouse riding on a flamingo that always makes me smile.

At least, that's what I have planned. I could die in a car wreck tomorrow (ain't that a cheery thought), but at least I've discussed it with the kids, and I think it will be an easy transition. I'm thinking about all of this today because I was talking with a neighbor last night, and she asked about how the settling of my mother-in-law's estate was going. It is such a mess, with a back-stabbing former BFF smack in the middle. My M-I-L has been gone for over a year now, and she is still giving me headaches and heartaches. I hope my passing will be much smoother:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESg4Hnzdy5U

Here is a partial translation that I got from Google, the most important ones that speak the most to me. If ya want the rest, I encourage everyone to Google them. I love this song, and have it on my iPod:
No quiero que me manden floresI don’t want to send me flowers
Lo que me des, damelo en vidaWhat you give me, give it to me in life
No habra razon pa' que me lloresIt won’t exist reason to cry for me
"No Llores, No Llores, No Llores, No Llores""Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry"
Ay! No llores, no llores por miAh! Don’t cry, don’t cry for me
No hay razon para que llores asiThere’s no reason to cry for me
No te preocupes, deja el llantoDon’t worry, stop crying

Smiling is much more fun than crying, so enjoy this life, however long it lasts.

A Firm Hand

I'm having a much better day today. The cake was a success, I'm proud of my accomplishments, and Mom had a good party, so everyone is happy. It's a painstaking process of putting on all the little dots to cover the cake. My hand gets really tired, but I think it was worth it. I'll try to upload a picture if I can.

I also had to have a firm hand in dealing with an electronics store. My daughter's phone needed to be recharged, which is the first time since she got it. The charger wouldn't work, so I had to take it to the store. At first the salesman was nice, but then tried to sell me a new charger. I asked him why we should buy a new one when the one we had already purchased didn't work. He started getting rude when we said we had never used that one, but we finally convinced him we were telling the truth. Now, even if she had used the charger every day since she got it, it still should not have quit working. He finally gave us a new one. Sheeeesh!

I hate conflict, and will try very hard to avoid it, but sometimes ya just gotta stand up for yourself. This is one of the songs that I use to find the inner strength when I know I'm going into battle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3RNdU2d0PY&feature=related

Hope the waters are calm for everyone today.

Total

There was a total solar eclipse today in Russia and neighboring countries. I wish I could have been there. There is nothing like watching the sun being blotted out. I can see how people in ancient times must have been terrified. There were many astronomers who were able to predict them, but I'm sure the word did not get out to many of the peasants far from the noble courts. It is an awe-inspiring experience. I'm just glad it was during the summer, because otherwise a lot of astronomers would have frozen in Siberia.

This is a strange video, but I really like the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55nTwg5NIPM

Today is a busy day, with baking (done), assembling a cake, being a taxi driver, and trying to get some proof reading done. When it's all finished, I'm sure I will be proud of it, but it's the getting there that will be interesting. The cake didn't cooperate, and will need serious spackling with the icing.

I'm dealing with a lot of bad karma today, and sometimes ya just gotta dance it away:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXNApZ2ALiQ

Opa!