Unconcious Mutterings for the week....

A meme that is run each week by LunaNina.

1. Traditional ::

-Iam not very traditional. Sometimes this depresses me as I would like to fit in.
-America...a country of many traditons.


2. Popeye ::
I have had Popeye's chicken a few times. Popeye the Sailor Man. Pow, right in the kisser-pop eye. The Popeye's chicken site has a coupon locator.


3. Gin ::
I was supposed to use it in a recipe but substituted vermouth.


4. Harsh ::
Harshness bothers me.


5. Topless ::
I have a habit of loosing or ruining lids...so, containers become topless.


6. The thing ::
A monster. That thing that I am trying to remember.


7. Defiant ::
Hoping to have the strength to be defiant about the right things...one should stand up for what they believe in.


8. Huge ::
Roadside attractions. The balloons in the Macy's Day parade. Parking lots at Disney World.


9. Food ::
I love food.


10. Lenny ::
Lenny Bruce. The guy from Laverne & Shirley. Lenny Kravitz. Leonard....Leonard Nemoy.

A FREE metronome that you can use online for making music. Metronomes can be expensive. We have one to use for meditation though I am not sure how soothing that will be.

------A fairytale-like animation about noisy neighbors. A twisted fairytale.
-----Five fingers shoes...unusual & very futuristic.
-----What would the world be like without us??? Well there's something I didn't know, as people say, the cockroaches would survive....but not forever.

Robot Fights

There has been a lot about people having dog fights in the news lately. Wouldn't robot fights be so much safer? I thought the red robot would win the whole time....just a braver & more flexible robot.

Robot karate tournaments would be interesting, too.

-----I found some humor in these "questions" on Biblical teachings.
------Things Other People Accomplished When They Were Your Age...this is neat or depressing (depending on how you look at it)
-----Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein
-----Arrest over flying a flag upside down to make a statement about President Bush & the state of our country. How would you react to such a statement and/or the actions taken against it, if this had happened in your neighborhood?
-----A different take on a snowflake generator...at least different than those that I have seen.

On the calories at Burger King....and I have eaten there recently. That scares me as I am trying to lose weight gained from thyroid problems. Of course, I hadn't eaten all day & really needed to eat at the time...so, I guess it didn't affect me so bad. I like the Whopper & Double Whopper...the Double Whopper is too much for me & the Whopper is not enough. Then there is the fact that I always get a little bit of indigestion from Burger King.

Seeing Green...Green Thumb Sunday

Well...today I went out into the garden to discover that the recent rain really did no good other than to suddenly grow very healthy weeds. Hostas had dead leaves & looked like they were being eaten by something...what eats a hosta??? Peonies had more than their share of dead leaves. A whole section of hedge looked dead....but wasn't. Have I had a heat wave when I wasn't home. I saw lots of green.....weeds!!!

I am setting up a new watering schedule. Yes, a schedule in the strictest sense of the word. Mother Nature has fooled me into seeing wet ground & assuming the plants were provided nourishment for the last time. I am lucky on those plants that suffered...if I had waited until tomorrow to mess around in the garden, I think that the damage would have been worse. I can thank Green Thumb Sunday for inspiring me to putter in my garden...Green Thumb Sunday is a garden saver.


These are newly planted tiger lilies. Note the new Creeping Charlie that was pulled shortly after this photo. I made the whole photo green to fit in with how I felt about the garden today. :-)
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These are some pink flowers that I am sure are "weeds" but I like them.
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The garlic that we are going to plant. :-)
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I have taken better photos in my lifetime & will try to get better photos of the garden then I took today. Bad lighting was a real problem.
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George S. Patton "revived" & talking about Iraq. I don't necessarily agree with all of this....I have to watch it a few more times before I decide what I think about all that was said. Anyway...language warning.....that's like the real Patton. :-)

Would Patton have liked that we are in Iraq?

I mentioned in the comments that when Patton entered a war, he intended to stay until it was won.. BS responded with:
"exactly! but that's why this clip is so weird to me. patton was sent after the country realized the horror of what the nazis wrought. we entered ww2 very late, after all of europe was on fire. in contrast, we leaped into this war on terror. i think before we knew what we were getting into. it's with that in mind that i watch this clip. would patton be exhorting us all to support a fight in the middle east? or would he be exhorting us to choose our battles so that we win them instead of wasting resources?"

Of course, I don't think that Patton got to choose which wars he fought in. I think though that he was pretty honest about what he thought of the battles.

I also think that we have set a strange pattern for recent wars....the war is never truly over & we never truly win. We declare it over & say we won....but the ongoing actions say something different.

Being the Change that Ghandi spoke of.....

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."
—Gandhi

This is a hard concept for me. It seems like there is so much that one can do in the world but that a person has to be focused to get anything concrete done....to choose one thing to concentrate on. If it were a group effort, instead of some individuals...maybe that would help a lot.

Recipe: Ginger Grapefruit Spinach Salad (a video)

Chocolate Rain

This original song by Tay Zonday raises a lot of issues facing people who are black (or whatever politically correct term you choose). I think that all races have problems that are both brought upon them & that they cause themselves (often in reaction to something or other).

I think that Tay has a really good voice & should pursue a professional singing career at some point.

Apparently, dolphins are intrigued by humans mating. Then again, so are a lot of other animals (and humans are sometimes intrigued by animals mating).

Druggists sue Washington state over "Morning After Pill." Do you think pharmicists should have to prescribe things that they believe are harmful???

Patton "Speech"

George S. Patton "revived" & talking about Iraq. I don't necessarily agree with all of this....I have to watch it a few more times before I decide what I think about all that was said. Anyway...language warning.....that's like the real Patton. :-)

And some alarming news:
At least two astronauts flew drunk.

Something that makes me very angry:
Spam blogs that have ten times better Technorati ranking than mine.

-----You can bid on the last remaining Johnny 5 robot from the movie "Short Circuit."
-----Mickey Mouse shaped vegetables at Epcot farm.
-----TiVo HD officially announced.

-----Second Life shuts down gambling.
-I play Second Life,by the way. My avatar is named Thebluestbutterfly Writer.

-----People playing chess on roller coasters. I don't really want to play chess on a roller coaster but I am now definitely planning on taking pictures from the rides the next time I go to an amusement park (next year). I will have to fashion some sort of contraption so that I don't lose my camera. I love to people watch while on the rides.
-One time the results of people watching were annoying. Hubby & I went to a Mongolian grill for our anniversary. In my favorite photo of the chefs there is a man in the background picking his nose despite the fact that I had a camera there....ridding myself of this took a lot of creative cropping & I would have liked the picture better if I had noticed this man. :-)

There have only been a few Starbucks in any town that I have ever lived in....imagine having 171 Starbucks. There are 171 Starbucks in Manhattan and one man, Mark Malkhoff decided to visit them all in one day. He had to eat something at each of the Starbucks. This adventure meant going to one Starbucks every seven minutes...all day. Did he suceed???....watch the video as its entertaining. :-)

Thursday Thirteen....what made you smile this Thursday???

1. I am personally offended by "Shoot the Rapper," also.

2. George Lucas sort of agrees that Han Shot First. The rest of the photo is great, too. I would assume that the humor wasn't lost on both gentlemen involved.

3. And young Spock may already be cast...someone from "Heroes." I have seen people discussing on various forums whether Matt Damon should play Captain Kirk!!! I just cannot see Matt Damon as Captain Kirk. If it were a comedy, I could see Will Ferell as Kirk.

4. Some Beatles fans are not very happy about a new Luvs diapers ad. I am wondering if the fact that Michael Jackson has something to do with this makes it easier for them to be upset.

5. Cat who predicts death...often...yes, you read that right.

6. This man is really angry at the bunnies who are eating his garden.


7. I don't know why but spending time having my avatar fly around an empty conference room in "Second Life" is fun. :-)

8. UFO sighting over England. Do you believe there is other life out there??? The post that I just linked to even has a picture.

9. There have only been a few Starbucks in any town that I have ever lived in....imagine having 171 Starbucks. There are 171 Starbucks in Manhattan and one man, Mark Malkhoff, decided to visit them all in one day. He had to eat something at each of the Starbucks. This adventure meant going to one Starbucks every seven minutes...all day. Did he suceed???....watch the video...it's entertaining. :-)

10. -----Titles of Harry Potter Fanfics We'd Rather Not Read (some are a bit PG-13)
-----Luke Potter (Star Wars). Obviously, it is Obi-wan's costume but it is still funny.
-----Harry Potter Superman
-----The baby in the Harry Potter costume is cute.

11. Who was your favorite character in "The Breakfast Club, and why???

12. I haven't read or ordered Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows yet. Must fix that soon.

13.
Please vote for me if you like reading my blog. I have 179 votes right now & I am doing the best I can to provide readers with things that both I & they might find interesting. If I am ever able to make enough money writing at home,I will quickly flee the horrors of the retail world (yes, I am going to have a store but it will be DIFFERENT),start having children if my health allows,attend some art or writing conferences and travel a bit.

And what made me smile this Thursday???
We had a friend over & we dog-sat. The house was full of fun noises...I like it that way. Hubby framed a picture yesterday....one can get some beautiful frames at thrift stores and my husband is very handy-total cost five dollars versus close to a hundred for custom framing. I got to take the most relaxing shower-I found a way to make the settings on the shower head massage my back. Everyone is gone & I am getting some quiet time by myself while husband goes & has a guys day...I crave alone time once in a while. Later we are going to dinner with a friend. It has been a great day.
______________________________

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners
is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in
others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen
with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who
participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.



LINKS TO OTHER THURSDAY 13's!

1. (Leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)


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Thursday Thirteen

Spending time at coffee shops

"Camping" at a coffee shops can sometimes upset the owners. This is one of those issues that I am torn on...I like the atmosphere of ruminating with my coffee & a bun or something. I understand about profit but I think that places should have adequate seating or some sort of plan. For instance, wireless booths or rooms reserved for use of more than an hour during peak times. Wireless users for more than an hour could sit in regular areas when the store is not busy...and then asked to move if it starts getting busy.

Behavior of People in Stores

You always hear people complaining about bad customer service...but what about bad customers???
-----The customer whose child runs into you with a very sharp,heavy object in their cart,taking off skin...with no parent in sight. You later discover that the child is lost...the parent never notices until you return the child...being nice enough not to mention how you got the blood & scrapes on your arm.
-----The customer who bangs their child against the counter because the child is almost pulling a display down on her head. This prompts several other customers to almost call the police....but how would they catch her?
-----The children who make it so an employee has what must be at least a few hours of putting back tiny items that their parents let them take off every shelf while they shop. The customer who gives a child sentimental jewelry to play with & then expects employees to find it....like looking for a needle in a haystack. The customer who lets their child teeth on merchandise & then hands it to you covered in drool. The customer who hands you something that they have bled upon.
-----The customer who does a combination of sneezing & blowing their nose on your hand. Then goes on about their transaction after saying "oh, sorry" as you stare at your hand which is covered in spit & white stuff (which you can only assume is dead skin).
-----Customers who are rude when you could not possibly have done anything to upset them.
-----The customer who waits outside the store in an effort to beat you up....after they are refused service due to having the police called on them. This customer had the nerve to think that they would get further service after the police were called on them.
-----The customer who tells you that major health problems (that they were listening in on) are insignificant. Obviously, you did not ask their opinion but they are going to share it. And the reason why they are an expert.....they don't think this problem bothers their DOG much.
-----The customer who fakes a heart attack.
-----The customer who does not ask you not to wrap their glass item. Then makes a big show of ripping the bag & paper away in the name of the environment. This customer was actually seeking out the most visible position to make this "protest" in. Perhaps he should realize that the checkout clerks don't order the bags nor issue the instructions to wrap breakables.
-----The customers who were having a gang standoff. Couldn't they at least do their posturing without me stuck in between the two opposing factions?
-----The customer who was wearing a girls hat with some deodorant tucked underneath...both of which he was trying to steal.
-----The customer who almost kills you in the parking lot twice while driving, talking on cell phone and looking the opposite way they are driving. You of course then have to serve them graciously. They, of course, are not aware of the fact that they drive in diagonal lines.
-----The customer who brought condiments up to the checkout. Used them on his food & then just dropped the condiments straight down. The trash was by where he came from . This was just to show his superiority because he could.
-----The customer who flushes their underwear down the toilet on a routine basis...reason unknown.
-----The bathroom that is turned into a turf war amongst many gangs.

Obviously, I have seen and/or experienced customers in many different varieties over the years. The above kind of customers make me really sad. I put my every effort into every job I have ever had...to the point where my husband has asked me to save some energy for the things we need to get done when I get home so that I don't spend the evening being sick. One can only get a new job so many times. I am sure there are other good employees out their who feel the sting of this undeserved cruelty.

There is still time for Christmas in July. :-)

Back in 1940, there was actually a movie made called "Christmas in July."

Cas Haley

On "America's Got Talent." Sang a song that Sting does....and was incredible.

Cas belongs to a band called "Woodbelly"...I liked this photo of him preforming in Texas.

Woodbelly.com

Mad World

A "Mad World" cover (a Gary Jules song) .

This post is dedicated to a friend of mine...I hope that whatever happens works out the best for everyone involved & that we see you soon. :-)

Win Books...Childrens' Book, Signed Harry Potter

-----GIVEAWAY...a book called "Pajama Time"...great for the parents out there. The last day to enter is Friday!!!

-----Review Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows & you could win a signed, first edition. This contest ends in about 3 days.

From Val's Art Diary

Martin Scorsese painting

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And on a vaguely related note:
Husband said he would paint me a dragon for Valentine's Day. The canvas has been ready since Valentine's Day. He has been waiting for inspiration. I really wanted an original painting of his & for it to be special. He has started working on the painting & I will post when it is done. :-)
Hubby's Art can be seen at:
Archaicsculpture.com

Pamela Anderson's Google Dress

I have had a lot of people visit my blog looking for an image of Pamela Anderson wearing a Google dress that I mentioned some time ago. I was asked what the story behind this rather unusual ad is...and I don't know the answer. Does anyone know the story behind this dress???

Warning: Large amount of cleavage.

-I am wondering who made this dress???

According to my site meter, someone was looking for the dress & found that one image of it is labeled "Hillary Clinton."

Vader Dad

I have posted this before....but it is funny. I think that I will start reposting this one on Father's Day each year. :-)

Voting for me in the Blogger's Choice Awards is on this page.

You can vote for me on any (or all) of these once a day. :-)

What was the worst comment ever left on your blog???

CURRENT MOON lunar phases

I always like finding people to play Blogshares.

I am a billionaire there. A lot of people on my blogroll play this game.

Do you play? Leave a link to your profile & I will visit...maybe even buy some stock.

Of course, I am still worried about the future of the Internet. I like having access to someone to talk to & a virtual library at any hour. The Internet has enriched my life greatly. A plea to big business...please, leave this alone.

How true this should be for all of us.

Sunday Scribblings...the theme is wicked

Something Wicked This Way Comes
Politicians Talking & Twiddling Their Thumbs
A gaggle of showy patriotism
Yet still nothing is done.
(What a pity talk & thumbs aren't commodities.)

This is my first Sunday Scribbling. I think it turned out pretty well. :-)

-----R.I.P. Ernie the Duck
-----GIVEAWAY...a book called "Pajama Time"...great for the parents out there.

Unconcious Mutterings

A wonderful word association meme by LunaNina.

1. Deputy :: Sheriff. Gomer Pyle. Andy Griffith Mayberry. C.H.I.P.S. Police Academy. "I Shot the Sheriff but I Did Not Shoot the Deputy."


2. Name :: Writing your name on papers at school. The crazy teachers who would give points for writing your name.
   


3. Arrested :: Arrested Development. handcuffs. I have been reading a lot about the Bakker family...I am sorry for the loss of Tammy Faye. :-(


4. Trade :: Fair Trade. Trading Yu-Gi-Oh cards. Trading lunches. Trade embargo....sometimes I think that we need more of these.


5. Old :: Old hat. Old pots in the garden. Old socks with holes in them. Silly ol' bear...Pooh. Christopher Robin & Pooh. When I saw that I had written "old hat" I thought of The Red Hat Society & of a conversation that I had today about the sorting hat from Harry Potter.


6. Fingerprint :: Unique. ID. I accidentally left my handprint on a white wall after gardening...not good.


7. Dwarf :: My favorites are Grumpy & Bashful. I am Snow White obsessed. Dwarf trees. The Munchkins from the wizard of Oz.


8. Newspaper :: A poem by Salvador Dali says that a war starts with one peice of newspaper...at least I think it was a poem by Salvador Dali. When the newspaper is folding the second time after reading it, it just doesn't look as pristine. I reuse newspapers for painting or whatever projects I can.
   


9. Gabriel :: an angel. Peter Gabriel. "I'm no angel...well, I admit, I've made a few bad moves I'm sure to regret....Eddie Money singing Walk on Water.
   


10. Certificate :: Birth certificate. Death. Marriage. Earning a certificate from a vocational school. Certificate of Authenicity.

Read the last part about how sunflowers helped clean up the water at Chernobyl.

New Orleans Style Barbecue Shrimp...I have never had barbecued shrimp.
Old-Time Eggplant Shrimp Dressing
Soccer Mom's Gumbo

Green Thumb Sunday

This is a photo that I did of a flower arrangement that I often do in my house. I call the photo "Welch Indian." There is a feather in it that has personal significance to me...a memorial to a departed loved one (who was an Indian). The bottle was a wedding present...when my in-laws found I couldn't drink the wine they gave us, they sent me grape juice...when I drank the grape juice, I turned the bottle into a vase. I am a very sentimental person. :-)

The flowers in the vase & the raspberry branches are faux . The blossom in front is a tiger lily that was flawed , so I pulled it from another arrangement. I generally use my real flowers until they can't be used any more...they still look good in some photos even when they are wilted or dead. I often mix real flowers & fake ones.

Anyway...I hope you enjoyed the glimpse into what I like to do with flower arrangements. I am a tad compulsive about making sure I have flowers in the house. I really love flowers & have been told that there are flowers everywhere in my house.

Well I have to run some errands, spend a bit of time updating my photo software and then I will post some more current stuff.

Rest in Peace, Tammy Faye

I came home today & wondered why Tammy Faye was in the news. Two seconds later, after clicking on one of the many links, I found out that Tammy Faye has died. She was obviously going through a lot...weighing only sixty-five pounds last week. I admired her strength & tenacity.

The Chinese cardboard buns that everyone was talking about on the Internet recently was actually a hoax.

Thursday Thirteen....early Saturday morning as it took me a while to come up with them.

1.
I am really very impressed with Cas Haley.

2. 10 Things You Never Knew About John Travolta....well, some of them I did.

3. Daniel Pearl's widow sues Al-Queda members (among others). Daniel Pearl is the journalist who was tortured & beheaded (if you don't remember). Do you think that this will help to find out what happened to Daniel???

4. A funny list of things we can learn from the movies.

5. Leapfrog Fridge Farm....magnets for little kids.

6.What's Inside Red Bull? It is somewhat alarming that no one knows the long-term effects of some of the ingredients.

7. These pictures are a bit graphic but they show how scary the explosion in Manhattan this week was.

8. Imagine your dog eating a lot of money that wasn't yours...the recovery of most of the money is not for the weak of stomach.

9. An article about twins...one has Down Syndrome & one does not.

10. Dairy Potter

11. Museum of Bad Art


12. Zombie Toenail Lie
The spider lie was particularly cruel.

13.
I have 173 votes...but am behind by thousands. I am thankful for every vote that I have & you can vote daily. I am running the most honest effort that I know how to...and I am proud of that. I would love to be able to stay home & write/be able to start a family/travel to see great art. Anyway, vote for me if you like my blog & thank you for reading.
________________________________

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners
is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in
others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen
with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who
participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.



LINKS TO OTHER THURSDAY 13's!

1. Open Channel
2. Lady Jane
(Leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)


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Thursday Thirteen

The Lunatic is on the Lawn....well the Idiot anyway.

Life is full of predicaments. One doesn't want to ire drunk people who spread their clothes on the road during a horrible rainstorm & watch as people have to swerve around them. Drunk people who suddenly have the brilliant idea to inspect the clothing to make sure that they didn't put their names in it. All of this while watching & discussing anyone who happens by that they view as a threat to the merriment.

Finally, a kind stranger happens along....instead of swerving he/she picks up all your clothing, takes it and drives off. Obviously, you were not perturbed by this as you moved on to other "fun."

I thank the driver of that car...now I wish that you all would stop singing/yammering like hyennas as it is 2:16 in the morning. Enjoy your hangovers tomorrow. Adios & good night.

Cas Haley

On "America's Got Talent." Sang a song that Sting does....and was incredible.

The Fault Line

On "America's Got Talent." This was entertaining...with a little practice, they will be super-entertaining. I wish them the best of luck & hope that they continue together as a group.

Bobby Schiavo talks about what happened to his sister

Bobby Schiavo talks about euthanasia & Brownback (who is running for President). Do you believe that euthanasia is acceptable based on quality of life? Was Terri Schiavo disabled or vegetated???

Patting Myself on the Back

Read the Time article
Get your own seal

I am going to use this award to give myself a little regular encouragement. Why am I feeling good about myself today?
-I have lost some weight....and maintained the loss.
-I have made some flower arrangements that I like this week....I will have to take photos when I get the time. :-)
-I am getting more & more organized.
-I have started hanging my winter clothes according to wardrobe combinations....this is making me happy as I am coming up with some pretty combinations. If I hang the scarfs, belts,etc. with the outfits, it takes up less room, too.
-My Golden Summer peppers (yellow),cantalope,vidallea (spelling?)onions,and green onions are growing well.
-I had a mulberry tree that my mother gave me get vandalized & it is recovering nicely....I am proud of myself for not giving up on it when someone came into the yard & turned it into a mulberry stick. I will have to call my mother & tell her that it is going to make it.
-I kept calm in the face of some really-not-nice people this week. I didn't even tell tell them how not nice they were being since this leads to increased not-niceness on a grand scale. I am VERY proud of myself for this. I wish you the best in dealing with toxic people.

Well....anyway, those are the little things I am proud of myself for right now.

BlogHer in Second Life...and beyond

I am going...though my schedule prevents me from going to much....which is VERY frustrating. Anyway....I will also be blogging what I can of what is going on in RL(Real Life) at the Blogher Conference. I will try to post whatever I find interesting written by anyone who live blogs the event. This is what is nice about BlogHer Conferences....now, EVERYONE can participate in some way (even if you are not physically there).

Three Views of the Tiger Lilies....Green Thumb Sunday

Food

-----Reeses' Peanut Butter & Banana Creme....inspired by Elvis. Limited time only
-----Recipe for Black Bean Taco Soup...in a crockpot
I am planning to use our crockpot much more often...so, I am excited about this recipe.

I have 164 votes. I feel very thankful for this. You can vote once daily. Thank you to all who have voted for me.



Make that 165 votes....THANK YOU!!!!

-----Some teens suffer from "affluenza"...and some children have the exact opposite. :-(
-----Marketers are not finding "Second Life" as beneficial as they thought it would be.
I love it but I can get it to connect in very few places & it often crashes the Second Life application or causes errors/freezing in my computer. I know it is not the computer's fault....I have Duo Core, so it should more than be able to handle the Second Life program. Anyway...I hope the glitches get worked out in Second Life & I am going to explore some of the other virtual worlds.
-----Def Leppard is on tour this summer. I would love to see them singing "Pour Some Sugar on Me."

Scribbit is hosting a "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows" Contest.

Nin won first place....what a regal lion I have.

I have been allowed to adopt this lion as my inspiration. I am a member of The Shameless Lions Writing Circle. :-)
-I have named my lion Nin....as I have said before, anyone into music will get the reference. :-)



King?
By “The Bluest Butterfly”

I was here.
Did you love me?
Or bow to Fear?
My spirit roams past this stone.
Looks so like myself.
A monument.
They still stare.
Nails that kept others out.
Nails that trapped me in.
I ruled & roamed.
King of All Except Myself


Shameless Lions Writing Circle

"A roar a day keeps the writer's block at bay!"

The next thing that I am going to do to keep my imagination going is an interview with Nin. I can figure up his story if I ask myself the questions & figure out the answers. It should be fun. Especially interesting since, according to my poem, Nin is now a ghost who comes to look at the monument of him. I guess it would be more of a conversation with someone who knows that Nin is there than an interview. :-)

---A basic baseball education...for those of us that don't get it.

Thursday Thirteen....I hope you are having a good day.

1.U.K. Study shows that a "fat tax" on fatty, salty and sugary foods could help save lives. Would you be opposed to something like this in your area?

2. This bread tastes like cardboard & dirt....literally. Not good. I am getting more & more scared about the things that people are eating lately....you hear so much about food scares on the news.



3.
You can vote one daily & it would mean a lot to me. I am thankful for each & every vote. :-)

4. I am a participant in Stanford's "Fold@Home" Project. My computer's idle time is being used to figure out things about how proteins should fold. This can help to find cures for many diseases.

5.

6.

My blog is worth $238,800.42.
How much is your blog worth?

7. The Honey Bunches of Oats website:
Onespoonful.com
-I am entering their "Breakfast Block Party" sweepstakes. The contest can be entered daily until September 13th. I would find a Breakfast Block Party to be silly fun. Hubby wondered why we would want 99 people to have breakfast with us. I would like to see how much milk it takes to feed 99 people. :-)

8. Our resident woodchuck Osama Bin Chewin' hasn't visited us lately. Maybe he has moved on to terrorize another yard.

9. I put this one up to see what kind of comments it would draw but nobody ever said anything. :-)


10. Rest in Peace, Lady Bird Johnson.

Credit: LBJ Library Photo by Austin Statesman

Image Date: June 19, 1941

Event: Lyndon B. Johnson's 1941 U. S. Senate Campaign

Image Location: Central Texas

Description: Lady Bird Johnson with movie camera



11. GasBuddy.com....I use this to find the lowest gas prices in my area.

12. Pepsi Ice Cucumber...available only in Japan. I would try this if I could find some...would you??? :-)

13. It can be very dangerous to listen to your I-Pod, talk on a cell phone or use a laptop outdoors during a storm.



Are you having a good day????
_______________________________

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners
is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in
others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen
with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who
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LINKS TO OTHER THURSDAY 13's!

1. Qtpies7
2. Christine
3. Nancy Bond
4. Tink
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Thursday Thirteen

Still my favorite Volkswagon Beetle mod

Update: July 11, 2010.....apparently this link has been lost for all time. I have no definite memory of what the mod looked like. I will have to find some other interesting VW mods to put in this spot. :-)

Vote for me if you like my blog. You can vote once daily. :-)

Tammy Faye

Tammy Faye has been sent to hospice. She weighs about 60 pounds now. :-(

If she dies, I hope that the media doesn't turn the whole thing into a circus.

Halloween 2006-Darth Maul. What an awesome video & it is obvious that they had fun.

Vote for me....Best Blog About Stuff

This is the page to vote for me.

And here is some more stuff:
-----Another year with no fatalities at the Running of the Bulls.
-----Some illegal immigrants are now finding refuge in Churches.

Al Gore...Live Earth message

Silent Star Wars

Comedian Mark Day talks on the protests in Germany where Tom Cruise is making a movie.

Meme....8 Random Things About Me

1. I do not have a Bejeweled 2 Deluxe Key. This is one of the most popular things that people search for on my blog....all because I mentioned playing Bejeweled 2 Deluxe. I haven't played this game in a while & am getting urges to do so....but I can easily spend hours trying to beat the game. Time just slips away when you enjoy a video game.

2. If I pack nail polish remover for vacation, no matter how tight I close the bottle it leaks-this has happened to me every time but one. Something always leaks when I am on vacation. A big frustration.

3. I keep on trying to get my husband to watch the movie "Identity" with me...too scary to watch alone. Maybe if I watch it little bits at a time on my own...and blog a critique of it. Now, there's an idea I hadn't ever thought of to make a movie less scary. I often think when I am typing or writing....I talk a lot & it is like having someone to talk to.

4. Due to a thyroid problem I have all sorts of issues with my fingernails. They are usually brittle. This means that they are thin & sharp...often the slightest touch will hurt myself or my poor husband. Yet, I try to grow them long sometimes as I like how feminine it looks. Lately, it has been getting worse...they break off in the oddest ways-for instance, hitting the button on the paper towel dispenser in a public bathroom. They sometimes bend back while gardening or while rearranging chair cushions (that one hurt for a few weeks). I have tried a lot of products but don't want to spend much more money on trying to combat this. I guess I should just try to make ultra-short nails something I can live with (they are still razor-sharp when short).

5. I collect pencil cups. My husband gives me a hard time about this. I even make pencil cups using whatever containers & trim I have about the house....hubby does not give me a hard time about doing this & guests usually admire what I have done. I like writing utensils.

6. I enjoy quick recipes, microwave recipes and vintage recipes. I get excited when I find some brightly colored vintage concoction that looks really scary but tastes good. I have not gotten brave enough to try the peas, corn & carrot jello mold that I saw in one vintage book.

7. If you recommend something for me to read,I will likely read it sooner or later. On average, I have about 30 books checked out from the library. My library books now have their own permanent shelf. Yet, I don't feel that I get to read enough. In my ideal world, I would possess a bookmark for every book that I own.

8. I am working on doing the Curves workout at home. I have just started reading the book & know that it involves equipment but I will come up with something to substitute for anything I don't have. I struggle with thyroid issues but don't like the cost or lack of hygiene in gyms. I exercise daily but it is just now starting to help. I will blog about my Curves efforts. For those that don't know, Curves is the one where women do a variety of different exercises in little cycles. I have been to a Curves location....one of the gyms that I would trust more. It seems like the woman at a Curves location are a close-knit group & very supportive.

I was tagged by Retro-Food.com. This blog is running for best food blog in the Blogger's Choice Awards....I wish them luck.

-"Tag" to anyone who wants to answer this meme.

This is the page to vote for me.

And here is some more stuff:
-----Is it safer to jump from a plane than to drive a car?
-----The world's new "Seven Wonders" have been chosen.

Something I haven't put up in a while

BLOGGER APPRECIATION LIST

Sign your username in the comments if you appreciate blogger & I will add it to this list. It is always good to say thank you. While you are at it, it would be great to e-mail Blogger and let them know that you appreciate their wonderful service.
Signed:
1. thebluestbutterfly"I like blogger because it allows me to reach the world with things I am interested in and feel about."
2. Joe-"I appreciate blogger. Very much. It has been a great outlet for me."
3. Sxymma-"Blogger serves the purpose of documenting everything is my baby's life, from the time I found out I was pregnant till now, and forever more....gotta love blogger!!!"
4. Beth Nordberg-"Not very often you have access to such a great service for free--without a zillion strings attached.
I LOVE my blog, thanks blogger!"
5. BOB-"Blogger is like malleable clay. Each and everyone who approaches it can leave their impression."
6. Littleandy-"It is a great invention."
7. Kitty Cheng-I am really thankful for blogger.It gives me the opportunity to slow down, reflect and document what is going on in my life, as well as connecting with other bloggers in the blogosphere
8. Scott Marmorstein-"blogger is veddy good. We no live happy without it anymo me tinks."
9. Jodster-I LOVE BLOGGER.
10. Tammy-"Blogger is a wonderful way to be more creative, get encouragement, meet wonderful people and smile.
11. Sugar Cat-"I love and appreciate blogger. It's given me the opportunity to express myself for who I am, my thoughts, my feelings, my love for my family, those dear to me and my country.To share all of this with those who have become great day to day friends."

Thank you, Blogger!!!

Ooh....Portable Scanner!!!

I have been wanting to get a portable scanner for when I do photography on the run. Eventually, I hope that I will be able to do professional photography & this will be very helpful.

I thought about carrying my scanner with me. I thought I could carry my current scanner in my really big computer backpack...but it would be cumbersome to say the least for me to carry it around at all. My scanner would have to be plugged into a wall & I would have to have another bag for my computer. I would have done this rather than have nothing at all when the need arose for me to work with photographs on-the-go....unfortunately, my hopes were dashed when I found that a desktop scanner is not to be moved once installed as it can cause serious damage to the equipment.

I may buy something like the ScanShell 2000N (2000NR) portable scanner." I like that idea because it powered ONLY by the USB port. It is supposed to be lightweight..it actually weighs only 14 ounces...less than a pound! The ScanShell 2000N can be carried with a laptop & takes up little room if one has a desktop.

The ScanShell 200N is a A4 color scanner....which means that it prints all four colors. That is important to most photographers & to many people who do business presentations.

Apparently startup is veryn easy....it just involves a launch button. A welcome change from my current scanner where I don't even know what all the buttons mean.

Bundled software:
"DocShell"-utility that scan documents and export the scanned image into existing, pre-installed application on the user's pc (PDF,Microsoft paint etc.). The scanned document can be saved to BMP, JPG, TIF, PSD, PCX, PNG or TGA.

Also comes with:
"Scan2Contacts"-ScanShell's business-card scanning module for MS Outlook ®.

(This would have been a sponsored post but all the opportunities where taken when I finished writing the piece.)

Vietnam veteran & Katrina survivor is walking to Washington D.C. to draw attention to homelessness

-----Peoples' secrets for this week...over at PostSecret (if you haven't guessed some of these are at least PG-13).

-----Toronto Hilton offers Barbie and Hot Wheel themed hotel rooms. I hope that they do give some of the proceeds to childrens' charities (and do so on a permanent basis). Most hotel rooms are dreadful....more hotels should try to make the stay of children memorable.
From your childhood:
Do you remember any great hotel rooms other than Disney or another theme park?

Blogger's Choice Awards

And here is some stuff:
-----Tracking Michael Jackson's Glove online
-----An underwater hotel next year. Would you feel safe there?
-----The show "Survivor" is having an open casting call.
-----Fans give "Survivor" photos funny captions.

This is the page to vote for me.

Tommy Cash pays tribute to his brother. Tommy Cash is the one who sang "Six White Horses" which was a tribute to people who were "taken away before they sang their song"-JFK,RFK and Martin Luther King, Jr. Hugs to Tommy....who misses his brother.
__________________________________

"He's a good boy,too....because everything he steals he gives to his mother."
-Johnny Cash
__________________________________

-----I finally found a review of how to speak Pig Latin. Now I need to practice. Maybe I will write a post in Pig Latin for fun at some point. :-)
-----I am reading Anne Rice's "Christ the Lord." The narrator of the story is Jesus as a little boy.
-----Today a little boy came into my yard & tried to water my plants for me. His mother chased him out of the yard. I don't think the parents saw that I saw. This was cute. :-)
-----My onions are coming up! I planted green onions & some Vidalias.

I get to go to BlogHer after all....

That is if Second Life doesn't go down during that time. Right this second it is DOWN...and I am annoyed as I just got my avatar & want to change its appearance.

Grumble, Grumble, Grumble.
And further grumble as it seems my laptop might have some sort of problem with the Second Life software (as everyone else seems to be up and running). I am going to try installing the same software on my desktop.
And angrier grumble...
Now the desktop doesn't want to connect to the wireless network properly. So, now I can't even get on the Internet to see if this computer will be able to do Second Life. Hubby is reluctant to let me use his computer for this. Can anything else go wrong? More fun.....fixing computer problems....the theme of my day.

Upsetting

Silence again. The NewsRoom feeds that I had on here were playing all at once again...just like last weekend. I am not happy about this as I spent a LOT of time this morning putting all of these posts (and their comments) in draft status.

150 Down....Thousands to Go

Yes, I am still severly behind but I am still going on. Please vote for me daily...if you like my blog. One of the really great things about my blog is that I put a lot of effort into it & I will continue to do so if I win....and will have so much more time for blogging.

Passive-AggressiveNotes.com

-----Internet connectivity issues have kept me away for a few days.
-----I never get any use out of FreeCycle.....that is frustrating.
-----I just found out about Chris Benoit killing his wife, child and self. Bizarre...and sad.



I found this woman singing "The Rose"...the song sung by Bette Midler that was originally sung by Janis Joplin. The woman singing this has a beautiful voice....really beautiful.
UPDATE:
An anonymous reader points out this song was not actually sung by Janis (as I misinterpreted when I read the description on YouTube-I have enjoyed "The Rose" for a while now but don't know enough about Janis to know when I have read something wrong...here I was thinking I had discovered some neat new fact)
Anyway....
Janis Joplin never sang "The Rose". The movie which bears the same name and which starred Bette Midler was very loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin. Joplin died in 1970. Amanda McBroom wrote "The Rose" in 1978 for Bette Midler to sing in the movie.
Thank you, Anonymous for clarifying this.