The google-directed visitor of the day searched on RAINBOW RAIN. However you get here, Welcome! :)
1. Ananova - Meteor blamed for 'rainbow rain'
2. Biemme Winter Men's Clothing (Rainbow Rain Cape) - Trialtir, USA ...
3. Willkommen bei www.rain.ch
4. Sunlight Through Rain
5. Rainbow Falls
6. Simser's Spirit Rain from Rainbow Bridge
7. The Rainbow Story
8. Colors Of Rainbow (Phoenix)
9. The physics of a rainbow
10. Reading Rainbow Index of Programs
Why would someone do a google search on Nortel+humor+women? That's what I want to know. But, they found me. Go figure.
Maybe they were looking for all the hits they could get on that joke.
ps - Is anyone else having trouble with Raven's page? The URL is "http://watch_it_wiggle.blogspot.com/", but I keep getting a password protect signin screen for "http://wiggleblog.barrysworld.net". I cancel out of that about eight times in a row, then her page loads incompletely (with all her pics and images missing!). On top of that, comments are not working because of that security popup. On this side, that password protect has been popping up on my page when I open it (because I had her linked). Raven, if you read this. I've unlinked you because of that security popup. Nothing personal. Please let everyone know when that is sorted out!
Suzy said, "Just because you're in school, doesn't mean you don't have to blog anymore." I told her I'm pretty boring right now. I offered to blog about cables and switches and routers, but she decided to let me off the hook.
Today, I learned of a web site for people who enjoy folk music. It's called efolkmusic.com.
While you're at it, check out David Massengill. He's a folk singer and story teller who grew up in Tennessee and has spent his adult life in New York City. His music has been recorded by Joan Baez and the Roches.
If you like a folk music/blues mix, check out Dayna Kurtz. She's also from NYC. She performs frequently in blues clubs in Manhattan.
There was some discussion a few weeks back (through comments and posts in this blog and those of other people) about whether or not there is a need for special protections for gays and lesbians.
There are some people who suggest there is no problem (and therefore, there is no need for protection). The issue for me is not the question of whether there is ALWAYS discrimination based on sexual orientation. The issue is that such discrimination is still EVER acceptable and tolerated in this country.
Here are a few archived news stories about hate crimes directed at persons because of sexual orientation. These articles refer to physical violence. Physical violence against strangers comes from somewhere. In the case of people who are attacked because they are perceived to be gay (or for any other perception of being 'different'), I believe that violence comes from a hatred or fear that lives within the attacker.
I believe that people learn to hate. Children are good at accepting people and loving people until they are taught to do otherwise. Soulforce has a stated goal of ending the spiritual violence against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered persons. There is some interesting reading in these pages.
Francis told about a happy day that sounded like a delightful experience. I imagine there are those who would boycott such an event based on their interpretation of morality (based on particular religious teachings). What I see here is a group of people celebrating together the love of two people who are pledging their love and commitment to one another in the presence of family and friends. (Yes, this event was the marriage of a man and a woman.)
This comments problem has totally distracted me from the whole purpose of blogging. Well, I suppose that assumes the purpose is to spill one's guts or rant or present one's ideas as the correct one or whatever. But, I kind of got hooked on the feedback, even though it was extremely rare (except for the 'special rights' post).
I kind of like the feeling of connection (illusion? reality?) that comes with reading and being read. I love the internet and the possibilities it provides in the world. I do not deny that there are problems and abuses, and that it may be playing mostly to the lowest common denominator on many sites, but there is also much good in it.
What I like about the internet is that good people can find each other when geography, and a multitude of other reasons, would have otherwise kept them apart. Some view time online the same way they view television ... wasted time. But, that assessment comes, most often, from those who do not participate. I agree there can be an addiction to either. And, those who invest hours will defend that use of time.
For those who blog, the internet provides a step ladder at Hyde Park. Every person has an opportunity to speak. And, those who visit gather around that step ladder to listen to the words of the speaker-of-the moment. And, all without the expense of air travel to London! ;)
Ha! Busy? How about broken, non-functional, dead, down.
I've not seen any comments on this blog for days! Joel seems to be having the same problem, too, although I think I maybe saw comments one time in the past few days over there.
This looks like a great niche market for someone to go into (providing comments programs on dependable servers).
The comments have been in and out for days lately, mostly out. This time, finally, I'm not the one who broke it. They must be having serious server problems.
When they acknowledge it at all, it's with something like - [ comments off for a while ]
I left a comment for Darksyde and he left a comment for me, saying "Sometimes you worry me...how can you always be so positive?"
My response to him was something like this:
Am I? lol. I don't know. There are things that anger me, things that disappoint me, things that stir up anxiety in me. And, there are people who have hurt me and people who have done me wrong. But, what can I do about those things? All I have is myself. All I have is this moment.
I can't change anyone else's behavior. I can't undo wrongs that have been done. But, I still have my life. And, my life is only as good as I make it.
All I have is what I bring to the picture. I realize that every one of us (people on this earth) has both similar and differing circumstances. There are so many different ways we deal with those circumstances.
I know people who have lived, from all outward appearances, easy and comfortable lives, yet they are incredibly negative. I also know people with overwhelming financial difficulties and potentially life threatening health issues, who somehow manage to keep above the feelings of hopelessness and helplessness that sometimes accompany illness and financial struggles.
I have known people who killed themselves after years of struggling with overwhelming depression, because they could not imagine that life could ever be better than the hell inside them, a hell they lived with 24 hours a day. They had no hope for anything better. One of those people was a friend who was able to hide her pain from everyone. Once we were walking into a business, and she was talking about killing herself and talking about how everyone inside was so happy and she was not. She could not accept the possibility that everyone has problems and everyone hurts. As soon as we entered, you'd never have known she desperately wanted to die. Several months later, she was successful in reaching that goal.
I guess I think my life is only as good as I make it. It's up to me, here and now. It's my choice. Every moment, every hour, every day.
This is in no way a disparaging comment about anyone who is suffering from any sort of difficulty in life and having trouble with it. I am also certainly not saying that I am always positive, always happy, never angry, never depressed. This is nothing more than a comment about my conscious intent to live my life, as best I can, in a way that helps me find the best in whatever circumstance I am in. I try to remember that I have the power to make choices every day about an endless number of things.
I want the choices I make to be decisions and actions that bring more peace and more joy into my life, ones that keep me appreciating all that is good in my life. Maybe this is what you read as 'so positive'.
Or, maybe it's just that I use little smileys all the time? ;)
I saw a magazine this morning with photos of all the costume changes in Cher's current tour. It said this is her last US tour. She's 56. She's going to quit.
I like Cher. I never knew she had such depth and compassion until I saw her interviewed on a cable channel a few years ago. I was overnighting in a cheap hotel in the middle of a long journey by car. Visiting with Cher, even if only vicariously, was a delight.
She's a neat woman. She has a lot of heart. She's not afraid to laugh at herself. She's also sensitive and honest. She readily acknowledges that her stage persona is not who 'she' is. (At least not any more than to the degree that Joel describes.)
Anyway, back to the point. She's touring. I thought, "Maybe I can go see her in concert!" lol. It was a fun thought for a moment. But, the ticket prices!!! Ooh la la!!! $265.00 each for the good seats. $95.00 for the 'cheap' seats.
I asked my question to some people this evening. "Is sitting in your yard or lying in your hammock, when you know the West Nile Virus is in your town, an act of attempted suicide?" The response was a good one. Maybe. Who knows how much danger any of us are in?
The response was a listing of statistics and a reminder that the odds of getting West Nile Virus, even if bitten by a mosquito, are extremely slim. She said if people stay inside for fear of the West Nile Virus, maybe they should check out their paranoia level.
I guess I have a mixed view. It can be deadly if you have a compromised immune system or you're very young or very old. And, mosquito repellants do exist. So, why take chances?
At the same time, why miss out on one of the joys of summer (lying in the hammock) for fear of something that most likely will not affect you at all.
Wiping Out the West Nile Virus One Mosquitoe at a Time
After the excitement of the morning, I spent a rather uneventful day in my dark and furry (thanks to daily contributions from the menagerie) house hiding out from the midday heat.
I did take a break from life in the cave in the early afternoon when the sky was cloudy and the day seemed not so hot. I lay in the hammock and started reading the glossary in a new computer book I bought the other night. Yes, I know. lol. I fell asleep.
Later, after the sun began to slip below the treetops, I went outside again and resumed the hammock sitting and book reading. It's terribly difficult to stay stressed about anything when lying in a hammock. There is something soothing in the act of reclining in a cradle that holds me and rocks me gently while I look up through the trees and and feel the breeze cool my skin.
The zoo animals followed me outside, as usual, and placed themselves here and there keeping watch over my relaxation. In between the exciting events of my day, I had other unpleasant moments related to phone calls and personal issues, so it was good to be in my "all's well with the world" position.
The 'zzzzzzzzzzzzzz' started as the light began to fade. The mosquitoes were feasting, and I was the main course. I had prepared for them, in part. I was totally covered except for my arms and hands beyond my teeshirt sleeves. I tried to smash them. Some were quicker than I was. Some fell, appearing to be squashed, but I think they may have been faking it. A few left bloody spots on my skin by the time I destroyed them.
Now, I just want to know this. Is it an act of attempted suicide to enjoy the un-stressing experience of lying in the hammock when I know that the West Nile Virus is alive and well in my town? Am I on a path to self-destruction? Am I tempting fate?
If I start complaining of flu-like symptoms in the next few days, someone get me to a doctor, please!
A representative from the Red Cross called yesterday. As usual, I was a bit suspicious of an unknown caller who tried to confirm my identity before identifying herself. But, we finally reached the identity-confirmation stage, and she explained the purpose of the call. It seems the blood supply is desperately low, so they're calling people who have donated before to ask them to go to the local office and donate right away.
I agreed. I went. They verified my identity, took my temperature, and stuck my finger. At that point, I began slipping towards disqualification. When they sucked up a drop of blood in a tiny pipette and dropped it into the blue solution, it floated. Not a good sign. She sucked up some more blood and took it to another room so they could spin it out. I waited. No, not anxiously. I didn't really care if they didn't want me. I wanted to do my part, but I was not going to be upset if they didn't choose me. After all, it's not like not being chosen until last when your fifth grade class is choosing teams for kickball.
She returned. She said my number was up. Oh. No. That's not what she said. She said my number was too low. I don't have enough iron in my blood. Losing a pint would have made me feel like the dishrag I already resembled.
Just for the record, I wore a red shirt in honor of the occasion. Well, okay, not totally for that reason. It just happened to be close by when I was getting dressed, and 'for the occasion' was a fun idea.
She told me thanks anyway, gave me a list of food items I'm supposed to be eating already, and sent me on my way. On the way home, I stopped by the recycle station and got rid of plastic, metal and glass that I've been collecting just for that purpose. No, not collecting from the roadside, just from my own use.
Anyway, that done, I came home, exhausted from all my 'good deeds'. It's pretty bad when the high point of my day is being rejected as a blood donor and then dropping off recyclables! ;)
I realize that blogging at 9pm on Friday night is probably the ultimate in uncool. I'm sure you can name any number of other things ending in "ing" that would be so much more fun. To protect myself from the jeers of those who might actually have plans this evening, I have to say, "I do have plans, just not at this exact moment!" (yeah right!) "No, really! I do!"
Okay, I'm just feeling stupid these days. I messed up my comments and had to ask for help getting them back. Then, my site meter wasn't working. I sent a note to the webmaster at sitemeter.com. He graciously pointed out that the code was missing from my page. Ooops! I killed the sitemeter at the same time I killed the comments.
After all the hits earlier this week, never to match Karen or Crazy Tracy (of course!), I couldn't make sense of the"Visits Today 0" all day yesterday until my little oversight was pointed out to me. (He was very nice about it.)
Anyway, were you here between Aug 14 2002 9:46:41 pm (two days ago!) and Aug 16 2002 5:41:42 pm (today). I missed you!
Oh, look at this! I tried to find jadedju, and found jajdedju instead. Weird.
For a moment there, I thought Jill had moved to a dangerous neighborhood in Savannah, married a man, and had a house full of kids! Whew!
After talking about hearing gunshots, she tells of how beautiful the city is, wonderful for cycling:
"I stop here and sit near an old man playing a sweet saxophone and it feels good to be alive. I take the first part of the ride home easy as I enjoy the old architecture that abounds here. I cut through some of the parks; fountains, statues, monuments. Almost all of the statuary is deliciously decadent and erected in the 19th century. I really am astounded at how consistently beautiful this place really is."
Dr. Chari has corrected my comments problem. Again. Maybe I should be paying her a retainer fee.
I still need to do something about the format on this page. Too hard to read. It will be changed one day to provide a more pleasurable reading experience.
Check this out. I wish she allowed comments. I'm sure she'd have a ton. Karen? Tracy? I can see one of you running with this. Suzy, this is right up your alley, too.
What's All This Talk About Special Rights for Gays and Lesbians?
If you know people who are gay and you know about their lives ...
1) You know people who have lost a job or living space for no reason other than that they are gay.
2) You know people who have been harrassed or run out of town by people who didn't like the fact that they exist.
3) You know people who have been physically assaulted, sometimes sexually, by people who attack them for no reason other than that they are believed to be gay.
4) You know people who must always hide who they are and who they love.
5) You know people whose families rejected them because of who they are and who they love.
6)You know people who will never be respected or accepted for the personal relationship commitments they have made, people whose love and joy and commitment will never be celebrated in a huge ceremony and party shared by family and friends.
7) You know people whose children have been taken away by courts and given to their parents or former spouse because the courts said they could not be good parents because they are gay.
8) You know people who are preached against and called evil, wicked, perverts, and child molesters when they are none of those things and they simply want to worship the God they learned about as children, the God they grew up believing in.
9) You know people who can never decorate their work space with photos of their loved ones, people who can never say they were at the hospital with a critically ill partner all weekend, people who can never tell about their daily life as other people do for no better reason than that their lives are disrespected by others who believe there is something wrong with them because of who they love.
10) You know people who live their entire lives with the stress of knowing that many people in the larger population think there is something wrong with them and have a bias against them. They have this stress not because they imagine this bias against them, it is because they have experienced this bias repeatedly throughout their lives.
Even if you think you don't know these people I'm talking about, you do know them.
* When you tell a gay joke, or laugh at one, you are possibly talking about the person you are with.
* When you talk about "them", you are quite possibly talking about the person you are talking to.
* When you vote to NOT protect people from the indignities and abuses I've named so far, you are voting to NOT protect the people you know and see every day in your life.
You may not know that you know these people, because most try to keep a low profile so they won't lose jobs, living spaces, children, respect, family, or friends. Living that way takes its toll. It is hard for anyone to live in a way that requires constant denial and constant hiding, but that is what gay people are expected to do.
The attitude that says, "I don't have a problem with gay people as long as they don't make a big deal about it. Why do they need 'special rights'? Why can't they just keep it to themselves?" is an attitude that denies the very humanity of many, many people ... including people you know, people you grew up with, people you work with, your family members, your friends.
The people you would like to NOT protect are the people in your own life. It's just that you don't know it, because they know (or believe, because of past experiences) that it is not safe for them to live openly in this world.
Look around. Pay attention. Some of those people you want to not protect are people you care for. They need you.
And to think, the employee gets to decide how much vacation to take!
In a different part of space, August 12 has been named as the best day for seeing the meteor showers. There is probably an article that is easier to follow, but I've only slept four hours so far and I need to either sleep more or get started on my day! :) At least the meteor article has an 'interactive meteor show' option you can click at the top of the page. (I tried to link directly to it, with no success.)
Part 2 - If your answer was 'yes', would you rationalize it by saying, "But, the teller machine gave it to me. It came out of my account."? Would you say that even if you knew you did not have that much money in your account?
Part 3 - How is this similar to, or different from, keeping the excess refund from the pay phone or drink machine or reporting incorrect numbers on your tax returns?
I've been reading some interesting articles about various things related to cyberspace.
In Japan, they're setting up a National ID System with an 11-digit number for each Japanese citizen. The database will hold personal information about birth date, gender, and location. Critics say it violates personal privacy and will be an easy target for hackers. Maybe they modeled this system on SS#s in this country?
Some are advocating a vigilante response to computers that spread worms. It's illegal for a company to directly attack the computer that is attacking its computers, but if it were possible to do so, what company would not try it?
Big Bill and Company will soon reveal the source of some of their previously carefully-guarded code. Does anyone think they'll let us see anything that 'really' matters?
I also find it interesting that the enemy we are fighting with superior military might was able to communicate easily with each other right in front of our eyes.
The tech news that might save some lives is the use of computers to predict the movement of the West Nile Virus through the US. According to the map, it has already moved through more than half of the country. Those infected have flu-like symptoms. Those it kills die of encephalitis. 'They' say it cannot be transmitted by humans. I'd like to know if you become immune to it after you've been infected with it and lived through it?
For those of us who aren't going to Vegas with Karen, there are webcams to keep us from feeling left out.
Maybe we make good use of her Las Vegas Drinking Guide and be with her in spirit(s). Let's hope she takes her laptop so that we don't have to wait for new material.
Yes, I'm still awake. Should have been sleeping about five hours ago. Only because I'm supposed to get up in a few hours to drive a few hours to see a friend I've not seen for years. But, I've been sending out resumes and looking at more of those links from the web browser home page! Can you believe it? I can. Unfortunately.
So anyway, do you think if I spent $139.95, I'd look like this?
HA! I KNOW I would not look like that. Never did. Never will. Nothing else to say about that!
Okay, more random blog reading and I've stumbled across an interesting series of pages. It started here, but I don't know how I got there. Who did I 'steal' this link from? I don't remember. So, anyway, people are speculating on who is and who isn't. So, I copied one of the names and did a search, and found so many more interesting sites. One of the links was a "Where are they now?" story. And, there's a page of comments about films. I wonder if all of this is abstract enough to miss the searches! lol.
I am SO without anything to say these days. But tonight, at least, I am linking to articles I've found online (rather than things I've found in other people's blogs).
The first is about that whole issue of people being asked to spy on their neighbors or customers. This author recognizes the dangers in such behaviors, but she thinks it could have been a good program with a little fine tuning. If nothing else, check out the cartoon image at the top. It looks like that cartoon for adults with characters from Texas. I can't remember the name. I'm so ignorant when it comes to television. I've only seen it a few times. But, it's a good show.
I'm not in a position to voluntarily change careers while continuing to earn a living in my current career path. But, I've seen this 10 Mistakes article so many times, I almost have it memorized. It starts with "1. Don't look for a job in another field without some intense introspection." Hmmmm. So, what do you do when the specific area of the field you were in is no longer an option?
Now that I'm on the road to dire financial straits, this advice seems to be valid. Here are the facts on " keeping the bucket-o'-bolts running and knowing when it's really time to upgrade."
Yet another article that does not apply to me. Hmmm. But, as with the one before, good reading for those who have these issues.
Now here's one that directly relates to my life. The real measures of success. The article is about how everyone's 401K funds are disappearing right before our eyes. She says, "Watching your retirement accounts dwindle can make you feel panicky and out of control." But, then she reminds her readers of what really matters in this life. "The real measures of success" = "Robust health, close friends, warm family relationships and engaging activities" (quoting "Ralph 'Jake' Warner, co-founder of Nolo Press, the legal self-help publisher"). That's a good thing for me to remember while I'm floating in the sea of the unemployed.
And, what would a mindless blog entry be without the fluff that absolutely no one cares about? (But, I'm sure it really WAS a big deal for her.)
Oh! I must say, Tracy wrote a fabulous entry today. It's well worth reading.
Okay, more blog reading, and I'm once again copying from someone's blog. The only problem is this time, I've already forgotten where I got this. If you link to it, the answers that are already there are someone else's. I'm not like that at all. I turned out to be either Charlie Brown or Linus, depending on whether I lie on the roof and daydream or sit and think about the world. Go figure! (Personally, I think I'm much more Linus than Charlie Brown.)
Oh, I actually have one thing to link to that I've not taken from someone else's blog. If anyone is within driving distance and wants to go to a film festival next week, here's the link.
Okay. I'm stealing from Mike. He has a link on his blog to this yoga website. Do you do yoga, Mike?
I like the description of one of the links from the yoga site. It says, "This popular teacher believes it is his job to help students 'move into stillness' so that they might find their inner teacher. - By Holly Hammond"
