"Speaking as friends, we hope that our system will return a final result consistent with what we know of this fine man."
-Dick Cheney (Following the sentencing of I. Scooter Libby) June 5th, 2007
Do you believe, like I do, that President Bush will pardon Scooter Libby? If he does, it wouldn't by far be the biggest surprise. This administration, and all it's players, have put themselves and their own sometimes illegal agendas above the law since they took office. Dick Cheney apparently has plenty to hide, if not about this case, then certainly about who has been visiting his residence. Can you say Jack Abramoff? So what's one more sleazy exercise in executive privilege? But I will save that rant for a different entry. Let's just focus for right now on Scooter Libby, shall we? Do you think President Bush will cave to pressure, and pardon Scooter Libby? If so, when do you think it will happen? Will Scooter Libby serve even one day, of his 2 1/2 year sentence for his part in the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame?
You know what is truly sad and shocking to me about this whole case? No one... NO ONE... has even attempted to apologize to either Plame or her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson for this whole mess. You would think Bush would have at least said that he was sorry that something had gone so very wrong from within his administration. Instead, he said today, while in Germany for the G8 summit, that he "felt terrible for the family - the wife and kids" as well as for Libby. Not one word about Plame. Not one word. Someone outed her CIA identity, putting her life and the lives of those she had contact with in danger.Did the decision to do so come from Cheney? Rove? Bush? Outing a CIA agent is a treasonable offense, and no one is being prosecuted for that offense. 2 1/2 years? Why isn't he being sentenced to life in prison?
Libby said he didn't lie, he just had a faulty memory. What do you think? Is Scooter Libby guilty? Is he taking a fall for the Bush administration? Do you think the outing of Valerie Plame was an orchestrated attack on Joseph Wilson? Leave me your thoughts.
"Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life."
-John Lubbock
Consider Orange. It's a fine color, but of all the colors in our cultural spectrum, it's the one that seems to get the least respect - sure, you wear it for a safety vest, but you're not especially likely to wear it to fancy ball (especially if you're a guy). So this week's Photo Shoot is about giving up a little respect for the color:
Your Monday Photo Shoot: Picture something in orange. As a challenge, don't take pictures of actual oranges (the fruit), and picturing actual pumpkins seems a little too easy too. Other than that, go for it.
-John Scalzi (By The Way)
I like the color orange very much. As you know I am an autumn girl, so I have lots of photos of pumpkins and different types of orange flowers in my files, but I have also managed to capture the color for this week's shoot in sunsets, and butterflies. And yes, I kinda did post a picture of a pumpkin, but darn it, doesn't my guy Elvis look cute in his orange pumpkin costume from Halloween 2001? :) Like Frank Sinatra once said, "Orange is the happiest color."
-OndineMonet "Monarch" Conservatory of Flowers San Francisco, California Summer, 2006
"We seem to have a compulsion these days to bury time capsules in order to give those people living in the next century or so some idea of what we are like."
-Alfred Hitchcock
I think this is a great story. A young man in Michigan found a time capsule buried in his grandmother's garden. Among the items inside were, a Chrysler emblem, a tea light candle, and some newspapers, dating back to 1952. Cole Ordway found the box of treasures over this last Memorial Day weekend, and it's even more of a mystery because the time capsule wasn't buried by his grandmother, who has only lived in the house for a couple years, but by one of the houses previous tenants. Someone left behind some memories, and a piece of who they are. I consider it quite a gift as I sit here typing this, because I get to let my imagination run wild with possibilities. Was it a man or a woman? Was that emblem off the car that drove her to the church on her wedding day? Was the tea light candle, the only light she had during times when she couldn't pay the utility bill? Or was it from a romantic night spent with a lover?
Also found in the box were a jackknife, a pair of pliers, and a carabiner. That tells me that a man placed some of the items in the box, so maybe it was a couple. Maybe it was a fun little thing they did on their wedding night, as a gift to share with their children sometime in the future, and then they simply forgot about the whimsy. Or maybe all the items belonged to one person, who was lost forever to someone who loved them so much, that they preserved some sentimental memories forever in time. They knew that one day someone would find the box, and it would inspire hopeless romantics like me to come up with the story behind the items.
I was thinking, as I read the article, what would I place in a time capsule if I were to make one? If it is a simple case of wanting to live on through some sort of earthly immortality, well, I would like to think Ellipsis accomplishes that for me. After all, I share all about me here. My likes and dislikes. My hopes, my good times and things that have broken my heart. I can show you everything about myself, at least everything I would hope would be remembered, right here on my blog, as if it were an old fashioned time capsule. I think in some ways, it is a much more thorough time capsule, in that I can share my memories in my own words as opposed to merely showing you symbols of my life. Still, there are some specifics I wouldn't share here, because some things should be kept secret in the heart. Right?
Just for the sake of fun, lets pretend Ellipsis is a time capsule. Let's say I am going to pick a past date, and hide the items in a long ago entry to be found at some later date. How many items should be placed inside the time capsule? 6? 10? Would I have to provide photos of the items, or could I merely describe them? Nah, with the subscription services, and the feeds, telling you when I update an entry, it would be too easy to track the time capsule down. But what a fun thought. Who knows, maybe I will put some thought into it, and try to come up with a way to do it. :) Can you name three items I should put in it right off? Here are the first three I thought of to get started...
1. The most recent CD I have purchased - Katherine McPhee
2. A small Boyd's Bears teddy bear. I have been collecting them for years.
3. An unprocessed roll of 35mm film.
So tell me, have you ever created a time capsule? If you made one today, how many items would you put in it? Would you leave instructions on how to find it, in case you passed away... or leave it as a surprise for some future generation to ponder? Tell me what you think. Leave me your comments and ideas. :)
Well, I'm not the kind to live in the past The years run too short and the days too fast The things that you lean on are things that don't last Well, it's just now and then, my line gets cast Into these time passages There's something back there that you left behind Oh, time passages Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight.
-From "Time Passages" by Al Stewart
NOTE: The link to the story has been fixed. :)
-OndineMonet "Best Friends" San Francisco, California May 30, 2007 Afternoon
"There are some people who want to throw their arms around you just because it's Christmas, and there are other people who want to strangle you just because it it's Christmas."
-Robert Lynd
Tee Hee. I was all set to sleep in yesterday, and then get up around 1:30 or so and make myself all pretty and girly before Alan got home. We had a date to have a nice turkey dinner, rent a Godzilla movie, pop some popcorn and just laugh ourselves silly. It was not to be. Sigh. He called me early in the afternoon and told me that he had to work a double shift, it seems they couldn't get by without him. LOL. Sigh. So, what to do? What to do? A Godzilla movie all by myself didn't seem like it would be much fun, but the weather outside was perfect for putting something spooky on to watch. Here it was June 2nd, and the temperature last evening was only 52 degrees! It felt downright December-ish. LOL. So, what would be my plan "B?"
I decided to do some early Christmas shopping online, and curl up with Elvis. I looked at advent calendars, and gourmet food. He and I have been discussing making this coming Christmas one our extravaganzas. Maybe get some new Christmas ornaments, and maybe order something yummy for dinner from Omaha Steaks. I have always wanted to order a cheesecake from the Carnegie Deli, in New York. Their cheesecakes look fabulous. Of course while I am there, I might as well order some yummy pastrami as well. :) Maybe make some special double-decker sandwiches for dinner on Christmas Eve. We always have great Christmas Eves. Usually we go out and make one last dash for stocking stuffers, then meet for lunch, this year we might go a different route. :) Time to start some new traditions I think.
I spent nearly the entire afternoon Christmas shopping, and by the time I was done, I was in the mood to make cookies. So that's what I did. I put Elvis on his favorite stool, put on the Peanuts Christmas album, and made Chocolate Chip Caramel, and Chocolate Chip Toffee cookies. We even wore out Christmas hats. It was a nice time of bonding with Elvis. He is getting better every day, but it has been a long road for him. I have been so pleased with him the last couple days, because he has actually eaten all of his meals without too much drama or coaxing. :) He is a fun cat around the holidays, he has never attacked the Christmas tree, and he gets excited like a little kid about opening his presents. I still have to do a bit of hemming on his pajamas, that Santa brought him last year. LOL. They are yellow with teddy bears on them. :)
So I guess we will have our turkey dinner later this evening. LOL. It's pretty wacky having 50 degree weather in June, but I am not complaining. It's comfy, the house smells like cookies, and Elvis is at my feet snoring away, wearing his Santa hat. What could be wrong with that? Besides, pretty soon it will officially be summer, and Christmas will be the last thing on my mind. So tell me, is there a holiday coming up that you are especially looking forward to this year?
-OndineMonet "Early Christmas Cookies" Berkeley, California June 2, 2007 Evening
"There cannot be a crisis today, my schedule is already full."
-Henry Kissinger
God I love retro! Well, almost everything retro... I will never think highly of bell-bottom jeans. LOL. But almost everything else goes. One of the reasons I think Alan and I get along so well, is that we both enjoy old movies, and the wonderful old shows from our childhood. We will play a challenge game with each other on long car rides, sometimes quizzing each other on the theme song of a particular show, or maybe even asking a trivia question about a character. He and I both always enjoyed the secondary characters as much as the stars of the show. Here we are in our 40's, and we still enjoy popping popcorn, and watching the old Kolchak: The Night Stalker, on DVD on a Saturday night. Is that boring? :) I hated the new version that ABC came up with a couple years back, it lacked the truly spooky feel that the original one had. I loved Darren McGavin in the title role. He could both make me believe in the fantastic and fear it as well. As scared as Karl got, he stuck it out to the very end, he solved the mystery, even if no one around him accepted his conclusions.
I guess I am feeling in a nostalgic mood, because yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the release of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. What a magnificent album that was. God I miss John Lennon. Sigh. In just a few weeks it will officially be summer, and that will bring another anniversary to the Bay Area, see, 1967 was the Summer of Love. If you were a hippie, then Haight/Ashbury was the place to be. If you were in the East Bay, you were up here in Berkeley, probably in People's Park. A lot of social changes were taking place all over America, not just here in the heart of the hippie movement. I was a little girl, I was 5 years old, so I was for the most part, unaware of what was going on, but I knew about the war, and I was missing my brother who was in Vietnam. I didn't understand his leaving then, and even now I struggle to come to terms with why he had to go. War sucked then, just as it does now. Sigh. I took a lot of comfort in the old black and white TV we had, and all those sitcoms that didn't talk too much about war, or fear. Bewitched was one of them. Did you watch it too?
My brother came home for a visit in 1970, and we sat together on the couch and watched, among other things, Bewitched. It was a night I won't really forget. The guest stars were Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. I remember very clearly watching this episode with him, and singing and dancing. My sister had painted a flower on my cheek, as she often did, and the three of us watched the show together. This episode dealt with Samantha's cousin Serena, and her kidnapping of Boyce and Hart, so they could play at the very groovy Cosmos Cotillion. LOL. I found this clip on YouTube, and thought it would be the perfect accompaniment to this memory of mine. If you were a Bewitched fan I am sure you have seen it. It's a true gem of a TV moment. One I never forgot. A lot has happened between my brother and myself. I haven't seen him in years, and it is better if I don't, we are very different people. But there are moments, I will always be glad we had. Sigh. Yeah... war definitely sucks.
Still, in the middle of all the crap that was happening that I didn't understand, I had little moments here and there that made perfect sense. I am still a huge fan of Boyce and Hart, and was heartbroken when Tommy Boyce committed suicide a number of years back.They made beautiful music, but sometimes wars wage within ourselves as well. Again... war sucks. It's the little moments that saves us I think. The ones that always makes us laugh, or smile, or just feel good inside. I have a lot of those little moments in my brain, I call them up when I need to take a step back from whatever makes me sad. Sometimes though, Alan and I throw in a DVD of some great old show or movie and get totally caught up in it. I think later tonight we are going to watch an old Godzilla movie... LOL. Isn't Raymond Burr great? Lord I'm old! LOL.
Do you have a favorite old TV show? How about a favorite song from the late 60's or 70's? Share if you like, I would enjoy hearing what you watched on TV as a child. Any decade is fine. It always surprises me to learn how many people were watching the same episodes of TV I was all those years ago. :) It never occurred to me I wasn't the only one watching. LOL.
Weekend Assignment#168: For reasons best left unexplained, you have been allowed to excise one and only one person from the course of history. Which would you choose to remove from history and why? That's right: Any one person you think history would be better without. You can now expunge, so who would it be - and how do you think history would be changed with their absence? See. Told you it was one that would make you think.
This assignment comes with two rules. First, the person expunged has to be a human being; deities (and human iterations thereof) should be left out of this particular exercise, mostly because I'd like to avoid all the ranting such an excision would add. Second, try not to choose Adolf Hitler (because he's too easy) or either the current president or his predecessor ( to avoid ranty political rantiness). Incidentally, picking either parent or any of these three folks just to get around this admonition is dirty pool. Other than that, pick whom you would like. This still leaves lots of potentially expungible historical figures.
Extra Credit: Favorite historical-themed movie. Because why not?
-John Scalzi (By The Way)
My goodness John, this is a deep subject indeed! And it is one which I gave some thought to, but one historical name which did come to mind almost immediately was, Dr. Alfred P Southwick. As you all know, I can go on a political rant with the best of them. I have no problem sharing how I feel about things, it is after all part of who I am, and while I do share most of my political and social beliefs and ethics with you here on Ellipsis, one subject I don't tend to share too easily, is my complete and utter aversion to Capitol Punishment. In particular, the electric chair. As a means of executing a human being, "humanely" it has bothered me since I was old enough to understand what justice meant.
Dr. Alfred P. Southwick was inspired to invent the electric chair, in 1881, after witnessing an intoxicated man accidentally touch a live electric generator. After the man died, the doctor concluded that the man's death came swift, and with very little pain. Soon, Southwick proposed the idea to then governor of New York, David B. Hill, as a more "humane" form of execution as opposed to hanging, which had been seen as "cruel and unusual punishment" after a number of gruesomely botched executions had taken place.
The death penalty is as old as time. And folks feel the way they feel. This entry is not a social or political rant, although I might, at some point in the future, delve deeper into why I have formed the opinions I have on the subject. For now I am keeping with John's rules. I chose Dr. Southwick, not because he supposedly built a better mousetrap, I chose him to be expunged because I think the world would have gone on just fine without someone having discovered one more way to end a human life. It's just that simple. Particularly when you take into account, all the gruesome,and disgusting events which took place as a result of his idea. I have provided some links below if you would like to read the historical details for yourself. By the way, Dr. Southwick was a dentist... isn't that just the creepiest thought?
Extra Credit: Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid. Yeah, I know it was a somewhat fictionalized account of their life, but I still enjoyed the movie for what it was. Someone told me once, it is considered one of the best first date movies. I can see that. :) I know I have seen it well over 50 times.
"You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses."
-Ziggy
Wednesday's are the busiest days. I have my regular therapy appointment with Sarah, then I go from there I fit in all the appointments I can, so I can get things done while out and about. I having been doing much driving on my own, since the first of the year, but with the warmer weather coming, I will more then likely bounce back from this extended state of hibernation I have experienced this year. Yesterday, was Wednesday, and instead of filling the afternoon with errands, I decided to see if I could see those wayward humpback whales, that had recently become stranded in the Sacramento delta. See, as of Tuesday night,they were well on their way back out to sea, and to do so, they would have to go directly under the Golden Gate. Well, the sneaky mom and baby skedaddled out of town, some time in the middle of the night... they were already gone back to the Pacific with the first light of Wednesday! Sigh. I was so hoping to photograph them, from the viewing area at Fort Point, under the Golden Gate Bridge... but it was not to be. Oh well, the important thing is that they are now safe and sound, blissfully swimming in the ocean. :) That makes me happy.
But with the whales safely back out to sea, what was I to do with the afternoon? It was an easy choice, Alan and I went to Golden Gate Park to photograph the magnificent roses in the Rose Garden, near Stowe Lake. Magnificent was indeed the right word. I was stunned by how beautiful the varieties of roses were. Among some of the roses on display were, Rainbow Sorbet, Hot Cocoa, About Face, and Kaleidoscope. It was a feast for the eyes, and the beauty of the flowers was soothing to my soul, after having had a particularly stressful session with Sarah. The scent of the roses ranged from a deep spicy scent, to a soft honey aroma. It was enchanting. :) I will be visiting there again this summer, probably once the Dahlias are up and blooming.
Here is some of what I saw today, including some busy, buzzy things, and furry nose-twitching critters...
Furry, nose-twitching creature
French Lace
Rainbow Sorbet
California Poppy and a busy buzzy thing
French Lace
I love Ziggy's logic... Ziggy rocks... I would have dated Ziggy. :)
-OndineMonet "Honey Perfume" Rose Garden Golden Gate Park San Francisco, California May 30th, 2007 Afternoon
Click on the above image to view it in a larger size.
"Did you ever feel like the whole world was going to a party, and your invitation got lost in the mail?"
-Unknown
I was kind of surprised to find out, that over the last 3 years or so, I have photographed a number of lovely mailboxes in my travels. I am not sure why they have been catching my eye. Maybe they have because I knew some creative, talented and innovative person might just suggest "Mailbox" as a subject for a Round Robin Challenge! Well guess what? They did! Gattina, author of the blog, "Keyhole Pictures" did just that thing, and now I get to share with you, some of the interesting mailboxes my camera and I have found, such as this mailbox...
I took that photo, in October of 2005, somewhere in the Sierra, just south of the Truckee river. I was sitting in the car, waiting for Alan to return from this quaint little general store, when I heard the familiar sound of leaves rustling. The wind had really kicked up, and they were blowing across the street, which was just covered in red and gold color. There was a slight chill in the late afternoon air, and a fire in a fireplace not far away brought the whole thing together. Across the lot, I saw this mailbox, with the leaves surrounding it, and I just knew... I needed that photo! The bright colors next to the silver box, was amazing. The photo really doesn't do the scene that was in front of me that day justice.
This second mailbox, was taken in January, 2005 just north of the Bixby Creek Bridge, in Monterey County, California. I love the tribute on the side to the lovely old bridge! And aren't the calla lilies inside, behind the glass top unusual and fun? Someone was quite innovative indeed! I adore it. Someday, should I have a house that sits back from the road, I might do something similar. :)
Lastly,wecome to my personal mailboxes.I have three in all.My P.O. Box, my home address mailbox, and my AOL E-Mail box. I hardly ever get mail at my home address, unless you consider letters and ads addressed to "occupant" mail. LOL. Most of my personal mail comes to my P.O. Box. Actually, the P. O. Box had belonged to my father when he was alive, and I inherited it after his passing. Silly, sentimental, old me didn't have the heart to close it out. So now I drive a couple times a week from Berkeley, to Castro Valley to pick up my mail. It's ok, I enjoy visiting there, and it gives me a chance to visit with some friends I still have there.
"I turn on my computer. I wait patiently as it connects. I go online. My breath catches in my chest until I hear 3 little words. "You've got mail." I hear nothing, not a sound on the streets of New York. Just the beat of my own heart. I have mail... from you."
- Kathleen Kelly ( Meg Ryan) - From the movie "You've Got Mail."
The majority of my correspondence comes in and out of my E-Mail address now. I love hearing, "You've Got Mail!" The most emails I have ever had in it at one time, topped out at 194, the least amout of email was three days, when I didn't receive a singlepiece email. That was well before my blogging days. :) Since then, you guys keep me company, with comments and emails from my dear friends... at least the ones who aren't completely tired of me. :) I wish sometimes we could decorate our AOL E-Mail boxes. You know, with banners or signs, like the ones you see in people's yards. I save all my emails... as you can see. Can you imagine how big the mailbox would have to be to store 13,092 pieces of individual snail mail? LOL.
Thank you Gattina, for suggesting such an interesting challenge. :) Be sure to pay her, and all the participating Robins a visit, by simply following the links below. Also, be sure to drop by the official Round Robin blog on Thursday of this week, to find out what our next challenge will be. :)
"New York: the only city where people make radio requests like, "This is for Tine - Sorry I stabbed you."
-Carol Leifer
Hey, good news, it seems all of you, my wacky fans, voted for me to replace the outgoing Rosie O' Donnell, as co-host, and moderator of The View! And not just by a little margin, nope, 38%! LOL. You can view all the details by visiting my poll results blog right here. Jeepers, I have a lot of packing to do, if I am going to make my flight. What to take? What to take?
Actually, as nifty as I think it would be to join The View, I don't think Elvis would look to keenly on me being a bi-coastal mommy. Also, I would probably miss the hunky hubby a bit, so regretfully, I must send my letter of nonacceptance, or is it a letter of denial? Hmmm... anyway... my letter of NOPE, to Barbara Walters. The show will simply have to go on without me. But wouldn't it have been strange? I mean seeing me every day, sitting there at the head of the table? Moderating and stuff? Weird. Wouldn't you just have to pinch yourself and say, "Hey look... that's Carly! She's on The View! She looks taller in person!" LOL. Yeah, that would be nice, in that my feet don't usually reach the floor when I sit in most chairs, can you imagine me sitting on the set of The View, with my feet dangling below my chair? Yep... that's a nice mental picture all right.
Whoever they choose in the following weeks, they will certainly have their hands full. Do you suppose they will talk about what The View has gone through since Meredith Vieira and Star Jones exited? I mean they discuss HOT TOPICS, and right now that little/large disagreement that Rosie and Elizabeth engaged in, does seem to be alive and well and living in the media. Sigh. Still, it all seems so sad to me. Rosie continues to share her feelings by way of her blog, but it seems Elizabeth Hasselbeck has chosen to keep mum. It's probably just as well to say nothing, maybe that way they can all move on. Let's hope so.
It was strange and uncomfortable watching The View Monday morning. It was a previously taped episode, and everyone looked like friends. Yesterday was Elizabeth's birthday, and Rosie, as a present, gave her the use of her Miami home for two weeks. It's too bad things couldn't have been different. As for who might be a good candidate to replace Rosie, I think it will come down to either Sherri Shepherd, or Kathy Griffin. Both are strong, opinionated ladies, who fear very little. Shepard was co-hosting when some of the most controversial shows happened to air, and she seemed to handle them well. Griffin has already had a slight run-in with Walters, and managed to resolve it amicably. I am sure that is probably an attractive prospect at the moment. I guess we will all have to stay tuned!
Well, with the old poll "Who Should Replace Rosie O' Donnell On The View" now closed, it's time to move on to a new poll on Ellipsis. "Which Fast Food Restaurant Makes The Best Hamburgers?" Be sure to visit my sidebar to cast your vote. The month of May is National Hamburger month, did you celebrate the occasion? :)
"I'm not telling you, 'Never eat a hamburger.' Just eat the good ones with real beef, you know, like the ones from that mom-and-pop diner down the street. And it's so good, that when you take a bite out of that burger, you just know somewhere in the world a vegan is crying."
-Homer Simpson
Ahhhhh... National Hamburger Day is finally here! I start getting excited about this day as early as January 1st, just ask my good friend Steven, who has been sharing this holiday, and challenging me to come up with the perfect burger for the last 3 years! :)It's our tradition. :) Actually, it isn't just National Hamburger Day, the month of May is National Hamburger month. How cool is that? I love a good burger, always have. When I was a little girl, that was my favorite treat to get when we went out to eat. I still mourn the loss of the Big Barn restaurants. LOL.
This year, I thought it would be fun to do something a little different with my entry, so I decided to include a classic burger retromercial from YouTube. Was there a better commercial than "Where's The Beef?" Clara Peller was perfect as the slightly grumpy granny, in search of, "the beef." Is there a classic fast food commercial you enjoy? If so, feel free to share in the comment thread for this entry.
And now... here is my offering for National Hamburger Day...
Be sure to go over to Steven's blog,(sometimes)photoblog, to see his best burger for National Hamburger Day 2007. His hamburgers always looks so delicious. Sometimes Steven has been very good at reading my mind, and coming up with the same side dishes as me. Tee Hee. Hey Steven, did you guess my side dishes this year???? WINK!
The Burger That Ate Berkeley
2 1/2 lb hamburger patties 2 slices Swiss Cheese 2 slices center cut bacon... crispy Red onion slices Sauteed mushrooms condiments of choice: Mayonnaise, Lea and Perrin's Steak Sauce
-ooooppps... almost forgot the crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. :)
Their silent wounds have speech More eloquent than men; Their tones can deeper reach Than human voice or pen.
-William Woodman
U. S. Military Casualties of War
World War II - 300,000
Korean War - 23, 3000
Vietnam - 58, 226
Iraq - 3, 455... To date
"There never was a good war or a bad peace."
-Benjamin Franklin
"Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war."
-Donald Rumsfeld
"You cannot be on one hand dedicated to peace, and on the other hand, dedicated to violence. Those two things are irreconcilable."
-Condoleeza Rice
"Of all the tyrannies, a tyranny exercised "for the good of it's victims" may be the most oppressive."
-C.S. Lewis
If you haven't had the chance to visit the Iraq War Memorial, in Lafayette, California, you really should. It is a very moving tribute to the fine men and women we have lost to this terrible war. The sign indicating the lost is updated each Sunday. While the memorial has been made into a subject of controversy, what I see is the truth, and a reminder of what the human cost of war really is.
"Great art is as irrational as great music. It is mad with it's own loveliness."
-George Jean Nathan
It's it wonderful? It's called "The Dreamer" and it is by local artist Pepe Ozan. This sculpture was originally created for the 2005 Burning Man festival, the theme for the festival that year was "psyche." In keeping with the theme, the artist decided to create and interactive piece in order to experiment with the world of dreams. The half head sculpture, which seems to be coming out of the ground, can hold 40 - 50 people, and played dream inducing music as part of the exhibit at Burning Man. Isn't it fabulous? It will be on display in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, on JFK drive, near the Rose Garden, now through November. I really enjoyed photographing it last Wednesday, so I know I will be going back to do more shots of it from different angles and with better light. :)
"Information is moving... you know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it's also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets."
-George W Bush, May 2, 2007
I don't know... lol... this is just funny no matter who it happens to! Welcome to my first YouTube video posting. I was thinking about posting a video of one of the many cat fights that The View has brought us over the last year, but with the announcement Friday, that Rosie O' Donnell has asked for, and been granted, an early release from her contract with ABC... why go there? Although ABC World News Tonight News did feature the conflict between Rosie and Elizabeth Hasselbeck in their weekly feature, A Closer Look. They seem to feel like I do, that we are polarized in this country, and while our voices are getting louder... not much is being accomplished. We don't and sometimes can't talk amongst ourselves. Sigh. I would like to see this disturbing trend change. I would like to see the congress and the senate keep it's promise to end this war, and not bow to pressure from the Bush administration. There will be hope for this again at the end of the summer. In the mean time... there's always time to laugh. Right? :)
This cat! Remember a few weeks ago, when Alan and I both had colds? Well, it seems that Elvis took notice, and decided to catch a cold right along with us. The cold passed, but the sinus infection didn't. He has a bad sinus infection. Snnneeeezee, wheeeeeeeze, SnoorrrrrSNORRRRRRE! LOL. He is making the strangest noises, but he is on the road to recovery, thanks to a bottle of the anti-biotic called Clavamox. It smells a little like bubblegum, and the drama factor of giving him his twice a day dose is only a little... well... dramatic. LOL. He is a good boy, with plenty of patience for his mommy forcing him to drink the foul, pasty, white goo. He is doing ok with his diabetes, although after his visit with Dr. "B" this week his dose is now up to 4 units. :(
I am having the hardest time convincing him to eat. He does better if the weather doesn't get too hot, anything over 85 and he becomes little melting kitty. So, I think we are going to replace the air-conditioner in a couple weeks, because Elvis can't take another summer like last year. If it was just us, I think I would try to stick it out another season, but Elvis has never done well in the warmer weather, and with our new adventure, I just need to make him as comfy as possible. He likes his sunglasses, he likes his hats, and like his mommy, he will be happy when autumn is here. :)
Like it says above, it's Feline Friday time! Friday is the day of the week, my friend Steven sets aside to honor the cats in our lives. It's easy to play along, and you can get all the information by visiting his blog, (sometimes) photoblog.
:)
-OndineMonet "Cool Kitty" March 14th, 2005 Berkeley, California Afternoon
"Television is a medium, because anything good on it is rare."
-Fred Allen
Weekend Assignment #167: You watched some bad TV as a kid. Tell us your favorites. Now, this doesn't mean you realized at the time it was bad. Just now, in the fullness of time, you recognized that your viewing choices left something to be desired. For the purposes of this assignment, try to stick with shows that were aimed at kids, although if you can't think of any, prime time shows are okay as well.
Extra Credit: How much TV did you watch when you were a kid? A lot? A little?
-John Scalzi
I loved TV when I was a child, although I didn't watch very much daytime TV, because that was when my mother and sister would watch their favorite soap operas. When I was very little, I could most often be found drawing or outside or riding my bike with my best friend Mike, although I would come back into the house late in the day to watch Dark Shadows with my sister. I don't think that would qualify as a show for children, but what can I say? I loved scary stuff even when I was a little girl. Most of my TV viewing started with the evening news, then whatever prime time had to offer. I loved the sitcoms, and variety shows. Laugh-In, That Girl, The Monkees.
Speaking of monkeys, I did enjoy a Saturday morning show called Lancelot Link , Secret Chimp. It had good guys, bad guys, and each week it was another case for the secret agents at A.P.E (Agency to Prevent Evil). See, they had to thwart the evil doings of C.H.U.M.P (Criminal Headquarters for Underworld Master Plan). The meanest of the mean of that organization was Baron von Butcher, and he was assisted by his fellow evil doers, Creto, Dr, Strangmind, the Dragon Woman, Wang Fu, among others. They didn't get very far with their nefarious plans, thanks to, Lancelot Link, Secret Spy. Yep... it was indeed actual chimpanzees in the roles, with the voices provided by Bernie Koppell, Dayton Allen, Joan Gerber and Malachi Throne. The show was only on the air for two seasons, back in the early 70's, but I watched every week. Was it bad? Well, yes, but gitchy kind of bad, you know? :) Lancelot Link replayed on TV for a short time on Nickelodeon during the 1980's, but recently it was made available on DVD. I might just have to put this on my Amazon wish list for Christmas! LOL. Gosh monkeys are fun! :)
Extra Credit: I watched tons of TV. I was a weird kid, I like everything but westerns. I even watched the Watergate Hearings! LOL.
"One day it's going to dawn on the human race that war is a barbaric means of resolving conflict as cannibalism is as a means of coping with diet deficiencies."
-Bruce Kent
Things have gotten out of hand. Did you happen to catch Wednesday's edition of The View? I only caught the first half of the show, but what I did see left me feeling kind of sick. Not necessarily for the combatants Rosie O' Donnell, and Elizabeth Hasselbeck, but more for the way we Americans in general are responding to things. I have admitted more than once that I tune in because to a degree I like seeing the conflict. I have formed some of my strongest opinions through exchanges of passionate ideals. I told you that when I was a little girl, my father would occasionally ask my siblings and myself, how we felt about different current events, both social and political. It wasn't enough to have an opinion, my father insisted we explain why we felt the way we did about whatever topic we were discussing. If we tried to give the "I don't know why I feel the way I do," out, dad would push us until we figured it out. At times I found his inquiries daunting, because as a kid I would have rather not put a deep effort into it. LOL. It took me years to fully appreciate what he was trying to accomplish, which was to teach us to think things through, and then decided what we believed based on hard facts, not just instinct or emotion.
I was thinking about dad today as Rosie and Elizabeth engaged in what was probably their most volatile exchange of opinions to date. You could see the hurt feelings on both sides, and there was a definite low blow exchanged. And the thing is, what the original catalyst for the argument was, had to do not so much with politics, or religion, or war, or lifestyle choices, but more to do with friendship. The real question seemed to be, when do you stand up for your friends, and should you have to? I have always heard that friends should never discuss politics or religion, but it seems that this list of taboo subjects has grown, especially since 9/11. Now I don't think that those two ladies were, or have been, anything resembling true friends, but how come they can't share their respective thoughts and observations? Why have our individual opinions become so earth shatteringly important, that we are willing to dig in with both heals, and hold righteousness in one hand, and the stone prepared for casting in the other. I keep going back to 9/11 and how scared we all were and still are.
That day divided this nation, just like Osama bin laden wanted. The Bush administration has done nothing to bring us together, indeed, it seems as if at times they had encouraged the breach. It's my opinion, and feel free to disagree if you want to, that we as a nation fell into a lot of traps, because of our sorrow and fear. Who wasn't reeling after that day? How long did it take you to feel some sense of safety? Do you feel safe now? Both women want to feel safe, and both women love their country. That is what drives the strong opinions of both women, their respective views about the way they feel about the direction America is moving in, under the Bush presidency. I can see both views at times, although I will admit, most of the time I find Elzabeth Hasselbeck simplistic in her take on things. I don't understand how she can bring herself to defend the actions of the administration with such childlike admiration. There are a lot of valid questions that need to be asked, and Rosie can be, at times, extremely harsh and impatient in how she asks them.
Questions such as,why did the Bush administration stop actively pursuing Osama Bin Laden, if they knew he was still a dangerous threat? Why was the CIA task force, in charge of tracking him, disbanded?Last July, Bush denied the claims that the task force, searching for bin Laden had been closed, but he did say that funding for the search had been cut back. What? Say it's true that we are still actively searching for Bin Laden... why isn't he our number one war budget priority? Especially since Bush disclosed yesterday, that Bin Laden had some dire plans for us. Funny that Bush chose a Coast Guard commencement ceremony to share that tidbit with us. Doesn't it seem like it should have been a major announcement? Why does he always come up with these scary scenarios, when he is speaking in front of a group of military? If Bin Laden has been up to no good, why have we allowed Al Qaeda to flourish not just in Afghanistan, but now in Iraq, which prior to the U.S. invasion, according to intelligence reports prior to the war, had no ties to that country? How come we always seem to get the number 2 or 3 man in these terror groups, but not Bin Laden? I don't know that we will ever really know the true reason why we invaded Iraq, but it has been proven time and time again, that that the Bush administration has lied.
He lied to ALL of us. If lied is too strong a word, lets just say, mislead. Or how about taking it down an additional notch and say... unintentionally mislead. Or how about we just blame it on flawed intelligence both here and abroad. Maybe we could say it was an Ooooooops moment. In any case, we are supposed to be in Iraq fighting terrorism. Right? With nearly $500 billion already been spent in Iraq, fighting terrorism, why did we stop making the number one reason we are in harm's way a low priority?I know what I think about it, and if you have been reading me for any period of time you know what I think as well. So? Rosie O' Donnell, and Elizabeth Hasselbeck know how each other feels as well. Every day when they arrive at the ABC studios they know how each other thinks and what triggers each other's hot topic button, and yet they still engage in an all out war of the words between each other. What had me coming back to watch the inevitable conflicts, was that as passionate as each could get defending their respective views, at least they knew why the felt the way they did. Yesterday, the lines blurred between healthy debate for an exchange of opinions and became a perfect example of what Osama bin Laden's goal for all of us in America was on 9/11, the implosion of our society a little painful bit at a time. And it isn't just happening on TV, it's happening all over, a little here and a little there, every single day, spreading like an incurable cancer. Sigh. So sad.
So tell me, do you feel intimidated about sharing your views regarding politics? How about religion? Is there any subject, relevant to current events, that you find yourself deliberately avoiding? Have you ever lost a friend because of a difference of opinion? And if so, why? Tell me what you think. Opinions please.
-OndineMonet "Fire" Half Moon Bay, California October 22nd, 2006 Afternoon
"On average, an infant laughs nearly two hundred times a day; an adult, only twelve. Maybe they are laughing so much because they are looking at us. To be able to preserve joyousness of heart and yet to be concerning in thought; in this way we can determine good fortune and misfortune on earth, and bring to perfection everything on earth."
- The I Ching
I am not sure what made me think of it, but yesterday I was thinking about a conversation I had a while back, with the mother of one of my childhood friends. It was back in the late 1990's. Alan and I were still living in our first apartment. It was a third floor walk-up that was only one bedroom, but had a view of the East Bay hills, and a lot of charm. It was our first home, in fact, it was brand new when we signed the papers, we got to start brand new, in a brand new apartment. It was paradise for us. We had such a good time, that our land lady used to get complaints of all the "happy noise" coming from our place. LOL. She didn't tell us, until we moved out that she used to have to deal with our neighbors complain about our laughing too much. LOL.
Our first four years were wonderful, there wasn't a care in the world. I think I might have mentioned that people used compare Alan and I to Paul and Jamie Buchman, on "Mad About You." One of Alan's friends came over for dinner one night, and before he went home he had decided to find himself a wife, because he said he never saw two people like Alan and I, who had so much fun together. He did indeed find a girl and settled down a couple years later. It was quite a compliment, coming from someone I was sure would never settle down. But he did. It felt good to be an example of happiness.
After about four years and six months, things began to change for us. It wasn't he and I, it was all the pressures of life that surrounded us. My parents became ill, and it was up to me to care for them. It was a difficult prospect. I knew my father was going to leave us soon, and my mother, well she was always ill one way or the other. Mostly she had a long history of mental problems, which didn't help dad much. I made it all work, but it was a lot of work to do so. Alan had his own pressures where he worked. We began to drift a little, then over the next couple years, as our various pressures increased, he and I drifted a lot. We very nearly separated in late 1997. And the worst thing that every happened to us, hadn't even happened yet.
I was sitting at Starbuck's one day, thinking about how sad the whole life we had, had become, when Penny, the mother of my best friend as a child, asked if she could join me. It had been years since we had spoken, we just hadn't run into each other, but it was a pleasant diversion to see her that morning, so I welcomed the company. I always had the urge to sit up straight when I was in Penny's presence, even at the age of 36. LOL. It was a parent. You should always be on your best behavior when you are around your friend's parents! LOL. Funny, but I still felt like a little person around her, even at the old age of 37.
As we shared about our lives, she asked about Alan. She had met Alan years earlier, and took an instant liking to him. They talked for hours at one of the parties I had given, just after we got married. "He's fine," I lied. "And how have you been?" She asked me. It wasn't as easy to lie about how I was, but I tried. "I'm ok. Just going one day at a time." Penny sat back in her chair, and looked me square in the eye, "Carly, what's wrong? Is there something or someway I can help." LOL. I guess it was a bit obvious at that point. I found myself telling her everything over the next 45 minutes or so, and she just let me talk, and cry and cry, between sips of my grande sized hot chocolate w/raspberry syrup.
She hadn't said a word the whole time... she just listened. When I was finished, she got a big grin on her face, and leaned in close to me to give me some advice. "Carly," she said, "go home, and have sex with that man. Have sex in the shower, in the garden, on the balcony, in the closet, on the floor, and even the kitchen sink! Don't even worry if there is dishes in the sink... JUST HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF MESSY SEX!" Well, I may have been 37, and married nearly 8 years, but I knew I was blushing. When you are in the presence of a parent of a childhood friend, you don't really think about sex! You know? LOL. I was completely embarrassed, but I was enthralled with her advice. After all, it probably wasn't the worst advice anyone had ever given me. LOL. Although, sex was not ever a problem for us.
"Well Penny, the thing is, we don't really have problems with sex." I explained. "Yes dear, but if you are having sex in the kitchen sink, and it's good, you can work anything out! I know from experience. As soon as you are done, face the problems in your marriage... talk, touch, talk some more." I couldn't say her advice wouldn't work I had never tried it. I smiled at the thought, and when I went home that day, I tried it. I didn't worry about the sink, or if there was anything in it. And later... we talked. In fact, we talked all night and into the next morning. Alan ended up taking a day off from work, I found someone to check on mom, and we just talked. We got over a lot of problems in the months to come. Not because of sex, but because of the new intimacy we had allowed each other.
I guess the conversation I had with Penny was one of those conversations we all eventually have, the ones that reminds you that you are indeed a grown up. That day I went from thinking of Penny as the grown-up, to my peer. I found out that only 18 years separates us. When you are and old married lady of nearly 45, that is nothing. We are now grown-ups together. :) She is my friend, not just the mother of a friend. Her advice, helped then and it helped in 2000, when the "event which shall remain nameless" happened. It helped. It couldn't fix what broke in me that day in 2000, but it was put to use in the sense of allowing ourselves to remember each other. It gave us memories of other times when we worked things out. Sigh. You never know when someone will give you the advice of a lifetime, do you?
"There is entirely too much charm around, and something must be done about it."
-Dorothy Parker
For this week's Photo Shoot i thought we might have a little fun with the concept:
Your Monday Photo Shoot: Make a poster of a favorite picture. You can make a fast and easy "poster" using the Motivator online application here - just upload or link to the photo you want to use, and then type in your text. Any photo is game. However, as I've highlighted the Motivator before (although not in a Photo Shoot), don't recycle the posters you may have made before.
-John Scalzi
ROFLMAO! I love Golden Gate Park sometimes! Last summer, on a particularly beautiful day, Alan and I decided to go into San Francisco, and have lunch in the park. We chose the grounds of the Conservatory of Flowers to enjoy the day. It was really beautiful that day, and the temperature seemed to bring the fun out in everyone. This guy was no exception. He was walking along, when all of a sudden, he did a handstand. Perfectly I might add. When he landed on his feet once again, he gave a happy little chuckle and continued on. :) Doesn't it just make your day to see someone having fun, and enjoying a carefree moment? I'm so glad I finally found a way to use this photo, it always makes me smile. Thank you anonymous guy... whoever you are!
-OndineMonet "Too Cute Anonymous Guy" Conservatory of Flowers Golden Gate Park San Francisco, California Summer, 2006
Oh goody... a new meme. Suzanne, author of the blog, "New Suzanne R's Life," has tagged me to play a 7 and 7 meme. The idea is to list 7 things about myself, and 7 things about my cat Elvis. Sounds like fun... right? Well, the only thing is, I think I have pretty much told you everything relevant about myself, so I am not sure what I might be able to come up with. After you have been blogging for almost 4 years, there's not much new to tell. Hmmm... . As for Elvis, again I might have told you everything there is to know, I suppose I could toss a few lies in and see if you can spot the fibs. LOL. Nah... that wouldn't be very nice of me now would it? Ok, here goes, 7 things about me.
First Me
1. When I was a little girl, I won a penmanship contest, beating out the rest of my class for the blue ribbon for "Best Fifth Grade Penmanship."
2. I am, on occasion, a sleepwalker.
3. I don't snore, and I sleep on my stomach. (Is that 2 things?)
4. I usually blog while wearing only a t-shirt and undies. ;)
5. When they find my horribly mutilated body, they will ID me by the beauty mark I have just above my left boob.
6. I wear a size 7 bracelet and ring and shoe.
7. I have a curved spine. It's shaped like the letter "S."
Now Elvis :)
1. Elvis has one black spot on his right front paw pad.
2. Elvis sometimes wakes me with his snoring.
3. Elvis can't stand a closed door, sometimes to the point of panicking.
4. Elvis can walk backwards... in a straight line.
5. Elvis can drink from a straw.
6. Elvis has to have something under his chin for a brace when he sleeps. Often, he sleeps on a chair with his head resting on the arm.
7. Elvis loves voices, and has been known to play answering machine recordings over and over. Sometimes we call and leave him messages.
Now I am supposed to tag some folks to play along, but this meme is making the rounds pretty quickly, so if you want to join in the fun, please feel free, but be sure to come back here and leave me your link so I know you have played. I would love to come and read your entry! Thank you lovely Suzanne, you know how much I love doing memes! :)
"I went down the street to the 24-hour grocery. When I got there the guy was locking the front door. I said, "Hey, the sign says you're open 24 hours." He said, "Yes, but not in a row."
-Steven Wright
I got a lot of emails and comments yesterday, mostly in regards to my last post. Sigh. Yeah, I was in a mood to be sure, it has been, and continues to be, a tough year. I have my moments, but I am doing better today, you guys lifted me back up a good bit. I dunno. I am still thinking about retiring at the end of the summer, but there are some things I am going to try in the mean time. I might cut my blogging days a bit. Maybe just blog Monday thru Friday, and take the weekends for clearing my brain. Inspiration can be difficult, when you feel like you have been in a coma for 6 months. Stupid Fibromyalgia! Anyway, I did some meditation and yoga yesterday, had a nice play session with Elvis, and things seem a lot less stressful. :) Thank you for that.
I drove my car yesterday, for the first time in 3 weeks! I have just been too tired and sore to get out and do things. But the weather was nice, and the temperature was good, so I went to the store and then grabbed a salad for lunch. YUM, salad. LOL. I decided to write a nice long grocery list, so I could get everything I needed in one trip, instead of going in several little store trips. Grocery stores are a lot more fun now, then when I was a child. Stores didn't have flowers or movies or even the gourmet deli sections like they do now. I can't believe I am old enough to remember the good old days of price guns. LOL.
Who knew grocery stores would get to be fun? The flowers yesterday were gorgeous! I saw the Lilly, in the above photo, and I just had to photograph it. Yes, I even take my camera to the grocery store! LOL. Although I have to say, I get the strangest looks when I take it out to photograph a display. I dunno, sometimes I just see stuff that looks interesting... like the dog food. It always looks so darn appetizing to me. Hmmm... that might be something to discuss with Sarah! LOL. Anyway, in a effort to make going to the store a little more interesting, I decided to write my list in French. Why French? I don't know, I guess food just sounds like it would taste better in French. Here is my list, do you know what I purchased?
sauce tomate de 6 bidons
2 remplissages de connexions de clairere (epice de cannelle)
poulet de 2 bidons du thon de mer
1 melange de Cornbread de calendrier de Marie
1 extrait de rhum
5 bananes
creme de 2 bidons de potage de poulet
2ltr. Biere de racine de tasse
boules de 1 coton de bolte
civiere de chat de chat de johnny de sac
1 grande bouteille de MIDOL
2 lances d'aneth de Vlasic de fioles
17 oranges. (Go figure, it's the same in French)
1 eclare de chocolat/fraise
1 sommaire d'opera de savon
It was kind of fun, walking around PW speaking French. It was a silly way to shake off the doldrums I was feeling, just a few hours earlier. And when I got home, Elvis and I had a nice dinner together, and then I gave him his insulin. It was the first time I did it alone. I am doing a lot better with that, I have found my timing, and he is an understanding cat. I don't think I have hurt him yet, but Alan had a difficult time the other day. Elvis hissed a bit, but never jumped or fussed. Like I said, he is an understanding kitty. :) I am going to sleep in today, and when Alan gets home, the three of us are going to BBQ. Right now both of the fellas are snoring the roof off. LOL. Gosh, sometimes Elvis snore louder than Alan. It's too funny! As irritating as the sound of snoring can be, right now, it's a happy sound! :)
-OndineMonet "At The Store" Saturday, May 19th, 2007
(Note: Some photos in this entry were taken last December) :)
"Speaking as friends, we hope that our system will return a final result consistent with what we know of this fine man."
