"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."
-Elizabeth Lawrence
It's finally, officially, here. Autumn. Sigh. I have been walking in Tilden Park the last few weeks, to both clear my mind, and capture little signs that autumn was indeed on it's way. It has been gorgeous. I am a strange girl, I can feel all the tension drain from my body, just by spotting the first of new autumn leaves. The red maple is putting on a beautiful show, but I can tell the other trees will soon be following it's example. :) It was rainy yesterday, and the temperatures felt more like winter, then the last day of summer, but I had to smile, because that is what autumn does best, it gives us glances at all the best examples of each season. I love the smell of the air after it rains, it is absolutely intoxicating to me. The blend of cedar, and eucalyptus, and pine, had my head swimming. Is there anything like playing in a big pile of autumn leaves? Ahhhhhhh... life. :)
"Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower"
-Albert Camus
-OndineMonet "Delicious Autumn" Tilden Park Berkeley, California September, 2007 Afternoon
"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it."
-Russel Baker
It's the last few hours of summer, and so I thought it might be nice to take a look back at what I saw with the camera. This summer was quite a painting of mixed blessings for me, both in regards to what I photographed, and the events in my life. Like any other season, it brought me a kaleidoscope of colors which went together to match my moods. It's funny how the events in your life, tend to shape your creativity, or at least play to it. I went through a rough moment or two, right after the first of the year, and during that time I wasn't feeling terribly inspired with my photography, and I think it probably showed. But little by little as the year progressed, I began to move on, and I think I am just about back to feeling normal again. I owe a lot to this past summer, in terms of breaking me out of what ever spell I had been under. The season was mild in terms of temperature, so it was lovely, and gentle, and it kind of took me in. I love the seasons, each of them brings me such happiness in their own way, especially when I am out with my camera, and there is some good light for discovery and healing. :)
"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time."
-John Lubbock
"Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."
-Henry James
-OndineMonet Summer Retrospective Bay Area Summer, 2007
"If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities."
-Maya Angelou
Charms, lucky pennies, and Talismans, do I have one of those? I have to admit, this challenge, was even more of a challenge then usual. I really like it when you guys make me think. LOL. I like a good, deep challenge, and this one was especially fun. It was kind of like going on a treasure hunt, as I look around my cottage, at all the various little objects that I tend to collect. I have several miniature sock monkeys, do they bring me luck? Well, yes, see I tend to think of them as voodoo sock monkeys, for those rare times when I come across someone who makes me feel less then thrilled to be around them. LOL. At those times, I pick up my voodoo sock monkey, and wish them various degrees of mad fits of eyeball rolling. Good luck for me, bad luck for them! Tee Hee. But that's all very negative. Shame on me. Hmmm... do I have an object that brings me good luck? Yep, as it turns out I do.
That is it in the picture. It is a hair clip I bought about 12 years ago or so. I forget what about it struck my fancy, I think it was just pretty and so I decided to indulge a little and buy it. What makes it a good luck charm? Well, I am not sure of it's power, but it seems every time I make a point to wear it, I have an exceedingly good day. I just feel good. Who knows? Maybe it has no real power to it, but I know I do like the way it looks in my hair, and so maybe it is just that it gives me a tiny bit of self-confidence that at least my hair looks good on the day I wear it. :) Some days it feels like I have exactly one brain cell, and it is attached to my hair. LOL. We all have those days, right? Well, on those days, a little magic goes a long way, so why not believe in the power of positive thinking? Right? :)
"Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
My friend Vicki came up with this challenge for us. Be sure to visit her blog, "Maraca" to read her entry, and then be sure to pay a visit to all the Robins who participated in this challenge. Just follow the links below. And be sure to check out the official Round Robin blog tomorrow, to find out the topic for our next challenge!
"A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy."
-Edward P. Morgan
Weekend Assignment #184: What books do you want to read - but haven't yet? These could be new books, classic books you've just not gotten around to, books you've bought but haven't cracked the spines of, or a book you want to get, but for some reason haven't. The salient characteristic is that you want to read it, but just haven't yet.
Extra Credit: Do you usually prefer the book or the movie?
Books, books, books. I am an avid reader, so it would be a rarity to not see a stack of books on my desk. Most of them read, and kept close either for reference, or just because I liked the particular escape it provided, but there is also usually one or two books which I will purchase, and then give myself a month or so to read before I place them away in my book closet. Right now, the book depicted in the above photo, is the only one on my desk which I haven't gotten around to reading. "Creating A Charmed Life: Sensible, Spiritual Secrets Every Busy Woman Should Know."
It came highly recommended, so I will probably start reading it this weekend. I have had it for several months, but decided to save it for when the cold weather came back to the Bay Area. It is supposed to rain later today, and it is already pretty cold outside, so it looks like the time has come. I will more then likely be done with it in a couple weeks, and it will be time to pick up some new ones. Alan, however, will want me to put the titles on my Amazon Wish List, with Christmas being just around the corner. Which isn't a bad idea, because if you set me loose in a book store, it could be slightly frightening how many books I could purchase at one time, because there is nothing like a big TBR stack. Here are the latest titles I am interested in, and I hope appear under the Christmas tree...
1.The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World By Alan Greenspan
2. Mere Anarchy By Woody Allen
3. I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being A Woman By Nora Ephron
4. A Photographer's Life: 1900-2005 By Annie Leibovitz
Extra Credit: It just depends. If the author of the book writes the screenplay, it is usually pretty good. Stephen King is a good example of that, also Alice Hoffman. But if I have to choose, I think I will always prefer the book to the movie.
-OndineMonet "A Good Book" Berkeley, California September 21, 2007 Late Evening
"You know you're in love, when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."
-Dr. Seuss
I know, I know, technically it is still summer, but honestly, it was such a beautiful day yesterday. Cold air, windy, and the sun...oh my...the sun...was the most beautiful color. It was that golden color that you only see in autumn, when it seems like gold dust has settled on everything around you, and all you want to do is smile at every turn. God how I wish there really were such things as mermaids, because I swear that on days like yesterday, I would simply swim away to some far off place, all alone, and sleep on a wave. :) Just taking a walk near the water, makes all the stuff that hurts me simply drift away. It's been such a difficult year, but autumn, and the ocean creatures, heal and renew my tired soul. Ahhhhhhhh...
Who would be a mermaid fair? Singing alone, combing her hair Under the sea, in a golden curl With a comb of pearl, on a throne? I would be a mermaid fair; I would sing to myself the whole of the day With a comb of pearl I would comb my hair And still as I comb I would sing and say "Who is it loves me? Who loves me not?"
-Lord Alfred Tennyson
The Opaline, the plentiful and strong Yet beautiful as in the rose in June Fresh as the trickling rainbow of July Sea full of food, the nourisher of kinds Purger of earth, and medicine of men Washing out harms and griefs from memory And, in my mathematic ebb and flow Giving a hint of that which changes not.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
-OndineMonet "Ondine's Home" Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey, California Late Summer, 2007 Afternoon
"Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera."
-Yousuf Karsh
Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of something in your house you used to use a lot, but now hardly use at all. This could be a piece of obsolete technology, or some equipment for a hobby you no longer pursue, or just something you stopped fiddling with for no good reason at all - the basic idea is simply to highlight something that no longer has that much use for you, for whatever reason.
-John Scalzi (By The Way)
I have always been a shutterbug. For as long as I can remember anyway. Among the different types of cameras I have owned are a Brownie, a pocket 110, a Polaroid One Step, and the beauty in the above photo. That was my very first serious 35mm, a Minolta Maxxum 300si. I have all kinds of interchangeable lenses and specialty items to go along with it, and it was a pretty great camera. I thought I would use that camera forever, but Alan gave me a beautiful digital camera for Christmas 2004, and I have been in love with digital photography ever sense. I like being able to see the photo I have just taken, and know if it is a good shot or not. There's nothing worse then missing a great photo moment. Oh don't get me wrong, I haven't truly given up on the non-digital camera, I do use it from time to time, but in most ways, I prefer my digital. :)
-OndineMonet Minolta Maxxum 300si Berkeley, California September 19th, 2007 Late Afternoon
"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it."
-Confucius
This was a fun little butterfly to photograph, she is the Common Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus). It is the most common hairstreak in North America, and while that is probably true, it seemed to me that it was anything but common in beauty and behavior. I first saw it flutter past me in a little gray shadow, just as the sun was moving behind some clouds. At first glance I thought maybe my dream of spotting a Mission Blue butterfly may have come true, but on closer inspection, I saw it was this one instead.
I should have known it wasn't the Mission Blue, as one hasn't been spotted in the East Bay, as far as I know, since the government began their efforts to try to revive the near extinct species. But this butterfly, and the Mission Blue share many of the same characteristics. Both are gossamer's, both are darkly colored, and both are small, with only about a 1 3/8 wingspan, or about the size of a nickle. The bush I found the butterfly in, had several different types of winged creatures, so I might try to revisit that place before too long, just to see if I can find some other types of gossamer's. So far this summer, I haven't made my goal of photographing the bumble bee in flight, but I have done well with finding some new butterflies to study and photograph. :) I am a happy butterfly seeker.
-OndineMonet "Common Gray Hairstreak" Union City, California September 6th, 2007 Early Morning
Well, here we go again.Well, sort of. There are some definite differences between the arrest of O.J. Simpson yesterday, and his arrest in 1994. Back then, the nation was treated to, or had to endure, a slow speed chase on a Los Angeles freeway. I have heard that was good for Domino's, if the story is true, the had their best night ever, during the hours of the coverage of the chase. On the other hand, David Hasselhoff's Pay-Per-View completely tanked from low ratings. It seems that America's attention was elsewhere. I know I was tuned into the slow speed chase. What would happen? Did he do it? Should I feel bad that someone, who felt so desperate that they would actually end their life? I could only imagine that kind of fear. It was high drama to be sure. I tried to keep an open mind, and followed the case from beginning to end. And in the end, I was sure, completely sure, O.J. was indeed GUILTY of MURDER.
I will never forget the look on Robert Kardashian's face as the verdict of acquittal was read. He looked like he couldn't believe his ears, but not because his client was just found innocent, but more like he couldn't understand why his client wasn't found guilty.I watched this all unfold on a TV at my mother's house. There was a Special Report, and then very quickly, the cameras were turned on in the courtroom.The jury's decision was in. I remember my mother, and I, sitting very quietly, neither of us looking at the other. I remember a sensation in the pit of my stomach, and feeling confused about why I felt this way. What exactly was that sick sensation all about? Was I anticipating that he would be convicted or found innocent? As the court reporter read the verdict aloud, I felt the sick feeling grow. O.J. Simpson was now free.
My opinion of him hasn't changed since then, in fact, I have only lost more and more respect for Simpson, and anyone who willingly associates with him. He is a selfish, mean spirited, self entitled man, who is a danger to society in general. I am glad no one was injured the other day, when he allegedly committed this latest crime, but if it sends him away for a long, long time, then good. It's not easy for me to write this. One of my faults is that I happen to believe that people can be saved, and that should be done to help them if it can be done, but I am not so naive as to believe that are some, who will never be saved, especially when they are their own worst enemy. It has been obvious to me, that O.J. Simpson is just that, his own worst enemy. If he is found guilty, and sent to jail for a long, long time, well, I will feel better about justice, but I think I would have felt better if it had been done in the first place. I know this, the smirk I saw on his face, as he was being arrested early Sunday, gave me no reason to believe that he either wants or needs any help from me. What can you say? I guess it sucks to be him.
"I've heard he's been called Bush's poodle. He's bigger than that."
-George W. Bush, referring to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, published in the Sun Newspaper, June 27th, 2007
I don't know. Lately, when I hear George Bush speak, I hear the theme from the Rocky and Bullwinkle show as his background music. Odd, very odd. It all began one day, when I heard him speaking on the evening news, about how history would portray him as a good president. How history would see his motives as pure. My head began to spin, and I got all dizzy, and then, as if I had been possessed by some kind of evil, lame musical demon, I could hear, as plain as day, the theme to the Rocky and Bullwinkile show. You don't suppose George has a... gulp... wayback machine... do you?
Two things that really scare me, the fact that he could indeed have one, and if he does, he might one day hop inside it, and comeback and do this crap all over again, and two, that one day I will get my own wayback machine by way of Alzheimer's, and I will choose right now to relive. LOL. I guess the probability of either happening is pretty slim, but then again, stranger things have happened. Oh wait... is that what's happening now? God, how the mind does reel. Fret. Oh well, I'm going to take 5 with the above YouTube clip. It's the very first episode of Mr. Peabody's Improbable History. So much fun. And it doesn't contain the theme to Rocky and Bullwinkle. LOL. Enjoy!
"Driving round a bend, and skidding on a mat of toads is very unpleasant for all concerned."
-Amanda Hillier
Tell me, do you find yourself looking at other drivers while you are moving along in traffic? I do. Sometimes when I am the driver of the car, but mostly when I am the passenger. I always have my digital camera out, because you never know when you might see something interesting. I didn't always keep it out of the case when the car was moving, but see, Alan and I had a very near miss incident in August of 2006, which scares the pistons out of me to this day. I decided that day, that I would keep the camera out, and turned on, just in case we ever came that close to being hit again. I want to get a photo of the plate number. It scared me, and it was months before I had a lot of confidence about driving on HWY 580, either as a driver or a passenger. Shame on those who deliberately cut you off in traffic! The only thing I knew to do to conquer the fear it had left me with, was to get right back on the freeway as a driver, and keep my trusty camera by my side as a passenger. I thank God for that camera every day.
So, you can probably imagine how I felt last Thursday, when I saw a woman, a rather age mature woman, in the car next to me, working a puzzle in a book, while driving her car, sometimes exceeding 50 MPH. We were on the San Mateo Bridge, heading eastbound, in late afternoon rush hour traffic, and she was doing a puzzle! She had to know better. I got so tired of folks screaming about the evils of cell phone use while driving, while other just as negligent behaviors go unaddressed. Eating, drinking coffee/sodas, smoking, and driving with animals who aren't properly restrained, all play into the possibility of negligence. Why do folks have to multi-task every last moment of their lives? Alan and I lost sight of her in traffic at some point, and I am glad. I didn't really want to be anywhere near her. You know? But I did wrestle with whether or not to call the CHP with her license plate number and location. I am not sure there is a law exactly about this kind of action. I see folks reading maps, while driving, all the time, but this was different. Was it my place to report her?
A part of me says, yes, I should have. I have to learn about second guessing myself on certain things. If I had come home, and heard on the news later that evening, that she got into an accident, would I have been responsible somehow? I probably would have felt responsible for not turning her in. At the same time, a part of me wonders if I was invading her privacy somehow? Didn't she have the right to do whatever she wants in her own car, if she is willing to accept the consequences of her behavior, should something go wrong? Is it up to me to intervene under any circumstances?
Opinions please. Tell me what you think. Would you have turned her in? Would you have shaken your finger at her, in disgust, as you drove by? Would you have just ignored it, and hoped she was paying better attention then it seemed she was? Have you ever been tempted to turn in a fellow motorist, after seeing them engaging in a similar activity? Share your thoughts with me. :)
"Reckless automobile driving arouses the suspicion that much of the horse sense of the good old days was possessed by the horse."
-Unknown
-OndineMonet "Shame On You" HWY 92 Hayward, California September 13th, 2007 Late Afternoon
"For every evil under the sun, there is a remedy or there is none. If there be one, seek till you find it. If there be none, then never mind it."
-Mother Goose
Weekend Assignment #183: Make up a poll for people to play with. The poll can be on any subject you want - it can be serious or funny or silly, or whatever (although funny's always, you know. Funny). If you're not on AOL Journals, or for some reasons you don't want to use AOL's poll function, there are other poll options for your blog; here's one, for example.
Extra Credit: Have you ever participated in a political poll?
-John Scalzi (By The Way)
Last Wednesday, while I was at the Botanic Garden in Tilden Park, I found this amazing spider stretched across two limbs of a blackberry bush. It was too pretty to pass up. The spider was about the size of a half dollar, and paid no attention to me, as I labored over the photo. First trying to decide just how close I wanted to get to it, and then finding the focus and lighting. It took me about 20 minutes or so to finally get things lined up properly, and all the while I had Carly Simon's song "Itsy Bitsy Spider" running through my head. The song, of course, was based on the nursery rhyme, "Itsy Bitsy Spider" so, I thought it might be kind of fun to keep things on a playful note, and ask you in a poll, to vote for your favorite nursery rhyme. :) And oh by the way, there is a new monthly poll on my sidebar, devoted to Autumn, which begins next week! Be sure to click the link below, to see the results of last month's poll.
Extra Credit: Yes, I participate in political polls all the time! :)
"My own prescription for health is less paperwork, and more running barefoot through the grass."
-Leslie Grimutter
The title of this entry is a bit misleading, actually it was 7 weeks ago today, that I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, but I want to start writing about my adventures with diabetes because I am learning new things every day, about myself, and about my condition. I hope by sharing I can help and inspire others with it to feel a little less alone, so, I have made a decision to update my blog with an entry devoted to what I learn, as I continue on, looking for knowledge and skills for living well with diabetes.
IHOP Garden Scramble Under 600 calories and 15g Fat
A dear friend asked me the other day, "How have you been doing... with your diabetes?" I had to think for a moment, and consider, what to respond. It was a perfectly legitimate question, and it felt good to have my friend ask about me, but the thing is, I am really, really OK most of the time. If it wasn't for checking my glucose readings several times a day, I wouldn't know anything was amiss. There are NO symptoms of Type 2 diabetes, especially early on in the disease. I was even told, by my health education leader, that she once worked at a health fair, in a booth devoted to educating the public on diabetes. One of the ways they did this, was to offer free finger tip testing.
On one of the days she worked the booth, a gentleman approached the booth to learn more about the disease. It seemed a friend at work had been recently diagnosed and he was interesting in finding out some statistics. She gave him some pamphlets and then offered to check his blood. Well, the man scoffed, "I am in my late 30's," he said, "and I am not overweight, and I feel fine." "Then why not see, what your random reading is?" said the health educator. He laughed, but finally said, "sure, okay." His reading was 410 mg/dl. Sigh. He found out that day, that he was also, a diabetic, and had more then likely been for quite sometime.
There are a lot of myths about diabetes that are mistaken for truths. Diabetes is an equal opportunity intruder. Skinny people get diabetes, fat people get diabetes, elderly people get diabetes, children get diabetes, and people who feel just fine, get diabetes. There are high risk lifestyles that may increase your chances, but it doesn't guarantee you will be afflicted. I am not sure why more isn't being done to educated the public about diabetes, but I know one thing, I didn't bother to educate myself on it, until I was diagnosed with it. Sigh. Why would I? I felt fine. Sigh. Truth is, even if I would have done extensive research into risk factors, and statistics, I wouldn't have been able to have stopped myself for contracting diabetes. It's just a fact. What I could have accomplished, however, was that I would have known right away that blaming myself, or trying to figure out just exactly how I had failed, would have been a waste of time, energy and emotion.
Mixed Fruit Approx 250 Calories, 0 Fat, 14 Carbs
I have good days, and some not so good days. I feel good when I get to tell someone, that the old myth about sugar being evil, simply isn't true. I don't have to give up anything, with diabetes, I just have to account for what I put into my body, and plan for certain things. I am eating pretty much what I always did, only in more reasonable. I haven't give up my love of fast food, I simply figure it into my daily intake for maintaining my weight maintenance.
So far, I am finding it to be challenging at times, but far from impossible. I am more hungry for knowledge, then a taco. LOL. It's OK, if I blow it once in a while. I keep track of what foods to do my blood, and act accordingly. As an example, if I want to go and have a meal, which might not be so good for my readings, I have it at lunch, and then take a long, moderately paced walk to help regulate my glucose numbers. Exercising after meals is good for bringing those numbers down. So far, the highest number I have had, 2 hours after a meal is 148 mg/dl. My before meal average is 117 mg/dl, After Meal is, 128 and Overall is, 121. My doctor says I am off to a good start, but there is always room to improve. I try to keep my stress level down, so Alan no longer allows me to watch the news during dinner. LOL. Yep, we are a George Bush free house during meal times. LOL. What can I say, he brings me stress. Sheesh. :)
One of the nice things about taking a long walk after a meal, is that you can discover the most amazing things. For instance, yesterday, I discovered autumn, sneaking into the woods of Tilden Park. :) I will speak more about my visit to the Botanic Garden up here in the hills of Berkeley, this weekend, for now enjoy the lovely leaves I found yesterday, and just think, we are only about a week away from autumn, the most beautiful time of the year, the season that brings every part of me to life. I would rather have a bouquet of autumn leaves, then roses any day, and yesterday, I was treated to just that, and diabetes didn't stop me, one little bit. :)
"Don't laugh at coffee. Some day you, too, may be old and weak."
-Unknown
Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of one or more interesting coffee mugs you might have. Because it's my experience that people have coffee mugs with interesting stories behind them. At least I do.
Coffee mugs. Tee Hee. Why am I laughing at coffee mugs? Well, see, coffee mugs, and I, have had quite a past! I am sure you remember the story of how, at one time, I had a deathly fear of ceramic coffee mugs. LOL. True story. It was so bad, that my heart would pound, my skin would become hot, and I would feel dizzy, if I even saw someone drinking from one. Sheesh. LOL. I can laugh at it now, but at the time, it was high drama! :)
That was back in the mid 90's, and I have since been cured of that fear. Thank goodness, because I have come to know the joys of a good, solid coffee mug. I am not a coffee drinker, I much more prefer Hot Chocolate, Herbal Teas, or my very favorite hot beverage, Caramel Apple Cider, but I also enjoy having soup in a big mug, like the one in the above photo. I got this Friends, "Central Perk," mug, when the show was in it's 6th season.
It was a gift from Alan, for having successfully completed the "Unreasonable Fears And How To Overcome Them" workshop/support group. LOL. True story. Now, I consider that mug among my favorite things. Oh, if the house were on fire I probably wouldn't go running back into the burning building to retrieve it, but I would sure miss my mug. It's a friend. :)
-OndineMonet "Got Hot Beverage?" Berkeley, California September 11th, 2007 Afternoon
"It's hard enough to write a good drama, it's much harder to write a good comedy, and it's hardest of all to write a drama with comedy, which is what life is."
-Jack Lemmon
Sometimes I wonder if a certain day on the calendar can actually be cursed. John Ritter passed away on September 11th, 2003, and I still miss him terribly. I mourn his loss, but I also think of him fondly for some very personal reasons, but most importantly for the gift of humor that he shared so freely. I love the YouTube montage above, it is Ritter at his comedic best. Watch the video and laugh, it is good for the soul, and it is a gift that shouldn't be taken for granted. Humor is the gift that heals us. Thanks again, John. :)
"September 11 began like many Tuesday mornings in Washington, D.C., as the notorious D.C. rush hour traffic slowed lawmakers and their staff making their way to Capitol Hill, the worst of their thoughts was surely centered on Congress's always partisan budget battles. The day was the end, however, in a national nightmare as all came to grips with the worst domestic terrorist attack in U.S. history."
-Terry Everett
"The most important thing is for us to find Osama Bin Laden. It is our number one priority, and we will not rest until we find him."
-George W. Bush 9/13/2001
Can you believe it has been six years since that horrible day? Can you believe it has been six years, and Osama Bin Laden is still out there somewhere, still taunting us, and still free to continue with his plan of hatred and terror toward the United States? George Bush, as our president, has been worse than a complete failure, he has let all of us down, and indeed future generations as well. There is no excuse, there is no reason, and there is no justification for the fact that Bin Laden has not been brought to justice. It escapes me why President Bush hasn't been impeached for his many transgressions,including his blatant disregard for American lives.
He didn't listen to the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Report, or the Iraq Study Group. We are not safer from terrorism then we were on 9/11, and we still have a liar, and dare I say, traitor, in the White House. Sigh. It hurts. I hurt for all of us here in America, and I hurt for what we have done to the Iraqi people. I hurt for the men and women of our armed services, who went to war, and died for a war based on lies. I hurt for those brave soldiers who made it back home, and found themselves without proper medical care at Walter Reed Hospital. I hurt for the people who lost their lives on 9/11, like David and Lynn Angell. Last year I wrote a tribute to the Angell's, for the 2996 Project, but I had written about David and Lynn Angell before, the first time was in 2005, on my AOL blog Ellipsis. You can find that entry here.
The Angell's were a wonderful, loving couple. They loved each other, and they loved their work. They had a charity that was close to their hearts called the Hillsides Home For Children. Less than a month before their deaths on 9/11/2001, they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. They were together on the morning of 9/11/2001 as they boarded American Airlines Flight#11, at Boston's Logan airport, bound for Los Angeles, but they didn't make it home that day, because of pure evil. Their plane was hijacked and crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:45 A.M. EDT.
When the Angell's died, the world lost two magnificent human beings. Two people who were the complete opposite of the evil that ran rampant that day. I never got the chance to meet David and Lynn Angell, but through my research of them I have come to know them, and respect them as people. I mourn their deaths... deeply. It angers me that nothing has been done to bring Bin Laden to justice. It angers me that we have wasted human lives and resources on an unnecessary war in Iraq, but I have become resolved to the fact that until George Bush is impeached, and congress, both democrat and republican grows a backbone and stops George Bush, we will have to live with the true terror of Osama Bin Laden, and the Al Qaeda terrorist organization. We are not safe anywhere, at anytime, indeed it is just a matter of time before we face another day like 9/11. I am deeply,deeply sad right now. We must email the White House, and our elected officials and demand that we stop this unnecessary war in Iraq, and concentrate our efforts on finding Bin Laden.
Please take a moment to read my entry from last year. It was a non-political tribute to the lives of David and Lynn Angell. It gives you a glimpse into the lives of this loving and generous couple. They shouldn't be forgotten. I know I will never forget them, not ever. Shame on you George Bush!
"Friends are like television. Some are like PBS and always asking for money. Others are like the news, with sad tales to tell everyday, some are like that one station with the foreign language you don't understand a word of it but you listen and watch."
-Unknown
I was thumbing through the new issue TV guide, which begins today, and has all the low down on the new fall schedule. The ins, the outs. I don't know, I guess I have to wonder, is television even trying anymore? It seems as if they have reached way down to hit new lows in "Reality TV." Do you think Kid Nation is really a good idea? Yeah, yeah I know, I am a "reality show" snob. I do have to admit that there has been the occasional "reality" show that has pulled me in. I really enjoyed the summer replacement series, America's Got Talent. Surprised? Well, so was I, but it focused on the talent and not the week to week egos of the contestants, but still came through with good old fashioned back stabbing and infighting by way of the judges, Sharon Osbourne, David "The Hoff" Hasselhoff and Piers Morgan. Now THAT was laugh out loud funny! Sheesh.
It's frustrating to me that one network (NBC) plans to show the "Drama Series Encore" as filler for some of their time slots. Huh? Have the networks run out of ideas? Repeats, rather new new shows, or even old shows? And what's up with ABC? I finally found myself interested in what happens to the survivors of Oceanic Airways Flight #815, of LOST. It's all very nice to know that the series has a few more seasons coming, but why did they scale it back to just 16 episodes for each of the remaining seasons, and also make us wait until the spring of 2008 to see a new episode? Who will really care by then? I am not really looking forward to it seeing it anymore. Sigh. And damn... just when I thought it was getting interesting.
Still, as I thumbed through the guide, I did see a number of new shows that I think are at least worth a look see. Cavemen looks funny, but how long can the show survive with such a limited focus? I am intrigued by the remake of the 1970's hit, The Bionic Woman, but I am a purist, I liked the show as it was when saw it the first time around. What if the new Jamie Summers is a nut job or something? I am not sure I am ready for a neurotic Bionic Woman.Tee Hee. But like I said, there are a few shows that have caught my eye. I might even set the DVR for a couple shows, but I am not too sure there is anything that will make me look forward to watching prime-time network TV this season. There are a few open spots, I guess I will watch whatever I decide to put on DVR in those spots.
Monday 8:00 - How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 8:30 - Aliens In America (The CW)* 9:00 - Two In A Half Men (CBS) 9:30 - Samantha Who? (ABC)* 10:00 - Journeyman (NBC)*
Tuesday 8:00 - Cavemen (ABC)* 8:30 - Carpooler's (ABC)* 9:00 - Reaper (The CW)* 10:00 - Boston Legal
Wednesday 8:00 - Pushing Daisies (ABC)* 9:00 - Private Practice (ABC)* 10:00 - Life (NBC)*
Thursday 8:00 - My Name Is Earl (NBC) 8:00 - 30 Rock (NBC) 9:00 - Gray's Anatomy (ABC) 10:00 - Big Shots (ABC)*
Friday 8:00 - Deal Or No Deal (NBC) 9:00 - Moonlight (CBS)* 10:00 - Men In Trees (ABC)
Saturday 8:00 - Dateline NBC (NBC) 9:00 - 10:00-
Sunday 7:00 - 60 Minutes (CBS) 8:00 - King Of The Hill (FOX) 8:30 - The Simpsons (FOX) 9:00 - Desperate Housewives 10:00 -
Setting the DVR for...
The Bionic Woman (NBC) The Big Bang Theory (CBS) Back To You (FOX) Women's Murder Club (ABC)
So, tell me what you think? Agree? Disagree? Is there any show in particular you are looking forward to? Which one will crash and burn? Which one will still be on ten years from now? Which one will be the biggest surprise, and which one will be the biggest disappointment? Personally, I think Private Practice will do very well, and so will Journeyman and Pushing Daisies. Cavemen will probably last maybe one season, and I don't hold much hope for the new Kelsey Grammer/Patricia Heaton series, Back To You. It's all about a guy and girl who work together, while fighting the sexual attraction between them. Been there done that! Seen it on TV. YAWN!
-OndineMonet "It's What's On TV" Berkeley, California September 9th, 2007 Afternoon
"With the qualities of cleanliness, affection, patience, dignity, and courage that cats have, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of becoming cats?"
-Fernand Mery
Weekend Assignment #182: Compare yourself to the animal whose best-known traits are most like your own personality. Note this isn't "what animal would you like to be?" but is instead "what animal is most like you?" Also, don't be too worried if your identification is not totally biologically exact; listing your similarities based on the general cultural impression of the animal is fine, too. We're not doing science here, after all, we're doing end of the month diversions.
Extra Credit: Would you want to own the animal you identify with?
I am experiencing a slight case of deja vu with this entry. We did a very similar Weekend Assignment last April. The assignment back then, had to do with being reincarnated and what animal we might come back as. This time, the spirit of the assignment is to describe the type of animal we feel we are most like. I am afraid I am going to have to go with pretty much the same answer I gave back then... the common house cat. :) And it's pretty much for the same reason. All my life I have been described as a cat, especially by the men in my life. Friends, boyfriends, even my husband, all ended up comparing me to a house cat. :) Alan even tells me that I sometimes sleep with my hand tucked under my chin, like our cat Elvis does with his paw. It's true, I do. LOL. I have picked up some of my cat's habits, but in all fairness, he has picked up some of mine as well. But that happens even with humans, we all pick up each other's habits and routines. Right? LOL.
Anyway, cats can be aloof, so can I. Cats can be persuasive, so can I. Cats like to nap, oh boy, so do I. LOL. Cats are somewhat finicky about what they eat, and so am I. Cats enjoy cuddling with the human they love, and so do I. So, while I tease a bit about being a mermaid in a former life, to the point I actually chose ONDINE as part of my screen name, I know I could never really be one, because, well, they aren't real. So, it's the common house cat for me. By the way, the kitty in the above photo is a friend of Elvis's. His name is Cinnamon. Doesn't he have the most gorgeous eyes? They are green... just like mine. :)
Extra Credit: Yes, I would, and do. I suppose Alan and I will always own cats. :)
-OndineMonet "Cinnamon" Berkeley, California September 8, 2007 Morning
"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."
