Limerick Challenge: the aftermath... :)

Had some fun with this. Now as James suggested a 15 minute rule on the challenge, I do think I'm within the time frame. I started writing last night during a sci-fi action film that was more effects than plot. Got some strange looks from my family, though, as I was audibly sounding out the limerick...
...finished up this morning and here's the result:

There once was a girl from Muskogee
who went north to Newark for a hoagie
but to her dismay
they were sold out that day
so the sandwich clerk offered her a stogie.

But, sir, I don't smoke she politely declined
for to do so would find her terribly maligned
by the people back home
who said not to roam
those Yankees have vices, they opined.

So away home she went
'round gents is time better spent
though they too roll tobaccy
they ain't near as wacky
as those Northerners, she did lament.

For Limerick wit from James and friends click here
and for Welshcakes here. Will add others as they create. :)

Kitiera Belly Dance Improvisation to music by the Wicked Tinkers

yes, this is for silly week, enjoy!

Will you come up to Limerick?

Thanks to James for passing on to me that it was indeed silly week; not that I need an excuse, but it does allow for a break from the heavier topics. And, laughter is always the best medicine.

So, with that said, I was over at Jams' place and lo and behold he spoke of the ultimate of silly, poetry that is.

And, now for the challenge.....Silliness is a foot.....and I challenge One and All to write with their fantastical wit and blogging whimsy, the Ultimate Silly Limerick.

Dare I say, No Rules apply.... :D

And, the moral of the story is...

*Sat Navs, not for the foolhardy...

"A Swedish couple looking for the blue waters of the popular island Capri ended some 400 miles away in the northern industrial town of Carpi after misspelling the destination on their car's GPS reports the Associated Press.

The couple arrived at the local tourist office in Carpi asking for directions to the famed Blue Grotto sea cave. Officials quickly informed them that they were in the town of Carpi and not Capri, the popular tourist island a far distance."


*Drive through arming?

"A Kansas City car dealership is offering a free AK-47 voucher for every pick-up truck bought in August reports the Associated Press. This is the second year Max Motors has given away firearms as part of a sales promotion. Last year's program generated a lot of press and sales while angering some. But even with the voucher, customers will still have to go through Missouri's regular round of background checks in order to purchase the weapon."

*Go green, get gonorrhea? (ok, maybe they're regularly checked, 'cause it's legal)

"Customers who ride their bicycles or take the train to a German brothel will get a five euro discount on the usual 70 euro fee. Thomas Goetz, owner of Berlin's Maison d'Envie, told Reuters news service the recession has hit his business hard. But, he said, the offer seems to be working; three to five new 'green' customer's visit daily. An added plus: it's also freed up parking and traffic congestion in the neighborhood, the story said. Prostitution is legal in Germany."

*Prostitutes and lingual studies

"A Las Vegas man won the right to have "HOE" on his license plates, after the Nevada Dept. of Motor Vehicles tried to keep them from him, according to the Associated Press. The agency rejected William Junge's request for the vanity plates on the grounds that HOE was a slang term for prostitutes, the story read. Junge, 62, argued that the plates were a reference to his 1999 Chevy Tahoe, which he chose after finding out "TAHOE" was not available, the AP reported."

*You gotta wonder about those Germans with their green friendly brothels and drunk animals

"A late-night call to German police about a dead animal blocking traffic turned out to be an unharmed drunk badger, TheLocal.de reported. When police got to the site to move the animal, they found the badger uninjured, awake and unafraid, the story said. The police realized the badger had been dining on overripe cherries from a nearby tree, and was intoxicated by them. The officers helped the badger out of traffic and into a meadow where he could sleep it off, according to TheLocal.de."

online news

Out of the mouth of babes, er cats...

for silly week

Manuela Horn, 36 * America's Got Talent 2009 Ep2 [HD]

a wonderful video to add for silly week

Enjoy!! :D

Australian love poem

Ode to a Beaut Sheila

(Translations at bottom of page for non-Australian English speakers)

You're the kind of a sheila a bloke dreams about
You drink with the guys and you don't miss your shout
You don't start in whingein' when Sat'dys I'm late
'cos you come to the footy with me and my mates

And when we're out hikin' down some dusty road
you don't shirk at humpin' your share of the load
You don't mind the mozzies, the ants or the flies
and you'll even gut fish with the rest of the guys
Yeah, you're my sort of sort and it's easy to see
You deserve a fair dinkum romantic, like me.

Translations:
Beaut: Bonza, grouse, ripper, extremely favourable.
Sheila: Woman, girl, bird, young lady.
Bloke: Guy, male, fella.
Your Shout: Your turn to buy a round of drinks.
Whingein': Moanin' complainin' bitchin'. (g is optional)
Sat'dys: (Pronounced Satdees) Saturdays.
Footy: Football.
Shirk: Avoid. Evade. Try to get away with.
Humpin': In this instance it means carrying; however it is also used as a
euphamism for sexual intercourse, e.g.
'humpin a beaut sheila'
Mozzies: Mosquitos. Australian mosquitos are hunted with anti-aircraft
weapons.
Sort: Attractive member of the opposite gender. This can be tricky if an
unsuspecting non-Australian tells a homophobic male Australian that he
thinks he is a good sort. One usually makes this mistake only once.
Fair Dinkum: Genuine, Dinky-Di, Ridgey-Didge

Noel Free, funny poems
Web Site: http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/freeverse/index.html

Pint of Guinness, not blood, please

Bram Stoker's Dracula - more Irish than Transylvanian?

It has inspired more than 1,000 movies and after the bible it's the biggest selling book of all time. But does Bram Stoker's gothic novel Dracula owe more of its inspiration to Ireland than to Transylvania?

Was Count Dracula really a bloodsucking Irish landlord who preyed on his19th century tenants? And were the undead and the gaunt haunted figures that fill the pages of Stoker's famous book straight out of Ireland's Great Famine?

These are the claims of director of the Bram Stoker's Dracula Organisation Dennis McIntyre, who says that very few people know that Stoker was in fact an Irishman.

"A lot of people are under the impression that Bram Stoker was an American, an Englishman, or a Romanian, but he wasn't. He was very much an Irishman," McIntyre said in an interview with Ireland's RTE Radio 1.

First published in1897, the took has never been out of print and has been translated into over 50 different languages. But while the story of Dracula is known by every generation throughout the world, many moviegoers and readers are unaware of its origins.

It's widely believed that Bram Stoker's Dracula tells the story of the 15th century bloodthirsty Romanian Prince Vlad Dracula III, better known as Vlad the Impaler.

The Transylvanian prince earned this name because of his reputation for impaling his enemies and watching them slowly and painfully die.
But according to Dennis McIntyre there the similarities end, and with the exception of the setting the story is a very Irish one.

He points out that the name Dracula comes from the Irish word "Droch Ola", which means "bad blood". Stoker's mother was from the West of Ireland and she told Bram about a cholera epidemic in 1832 when she witness large graves and people being pushed into them with wooden poles while they were still alive.

"They were literally buried alive. Did he get the idea of the undead being one of these?" McIntyre asked. If you committed suicide in Stoker's time it was actually believed that you became a vampire unless you got the stake through the heart treatment, he added.

There was a suicide burial plot in Clontarf, Dublin, where Stoker lived. As a boy the author used to spend hours playing in that graveyard and St. Michan's Church, where the Stoker family had a burial vault. "By some atmospheric freak in this church bodies are preserved by a natural mummification or they were in the past," said McIntyre.

Bram Stoker was born in Dublin in 1847 at the height of the Great Famine. This was one of the most catastrophic events in Irish history, with hundreds of thousands of people dying from starvation and disease or emigrating in 'coffin ships' to America.

The famine may have inspired the visual characteristics of Count Dracula and also his infamous obsession with bloodsucking, McIntyre believes. "So metaphorically speaking we think that Count Dracula might be the landlord up at the big castle sucking the blood of the peasants."

Stoker's Dracula is also full of Irish symbols - storms, fog, rats, gypsies, castle, abbey, etc.

Stoker was educated in Trinity College Dublin, spend 10 years working as a civil servant in Dublin Castle and lived his first 31 years in Dublin before moving to England. But he has been the forgotten man of Irish literature, McIntyre believes.

"In Ireland we rightfully sing the praises of Yeats, Joyce, Beckett, Wilde, Shaw, O'Casey, Swift, Goldsmith, Synge, Behan and Kavanagh - but where is Bram Stoker?"

His Dublin based organization was set up as a global focal point for the study of Stoker, and to gain for author the international recognition his work and achievements s deserve.

"Sadly and shamefully the author is totally neglected in his own birthplace, by his own people," the organization's website claims.
weirdfacts

It's silly week, don't ya know...

The below vid is part of the call for Silly Week, though I wonder if the video is completely silly.

Thanks to James for putting me in this contemplative mood.

Walt Disney - Chicken Little - 1943

I particularly like Foxy Loxy's book of quotes

Puget Sound Photos

We were out looking for eagles, and I heard and saw my first Bald Eagle; however, they're not as easy to take a pic when in flight. Captured a bumblebee pic, though....and a few "flowers".


More pics at SBH

Puget Sound Photos

Near Rosario Beach, Fidalgo Island

The trail down, and overlooking the inlet.





Click here for more adventures: Beer at the Barking Dog, and a lady named Lucy.

Puget Sound Photos

Near Anacortes, Fidalgo Island

















Mt Baker taken from small boat near Deception Pass, Whidbey Island






More pics of a fun day with TB

Elegance by the mile...

Heading out, fellow bloggers. First Cabin and Captain's table.

Be back soon, and with loads of photies if I can help it. :D

Castles and Flying Cars

Was over at another blogger’s place for a fun set of questions; you should visit if you like a good challenge to your mental faculties. :) Interestingly enough in this post, he had a picture of the Neuschwanstein castle. Now I love castles. The architecture intrigues me to no end especially given the tools of the time. I was able to tour this particular castle when I was working over in Austria. The Univ summer school program (I was the liaison/clinic nurse) scheduled a trip up to Bavaria. The castle and the surrounding area were incredible. It’s a rather ‘new’ castle, built in the 1800's. Inside the castle, are huge murals of Wagnerian operas.

Although I had never been to the castle, nor really even heard of it before that time, I felt a strange familiarity, a feeling that I had been here before. It wasn’t until I walked into the inner courtyard that I realized this castle was used as a set in a much-beloved film from my childhood, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. :)

Welcome to "Vulgaria, darling". :D

Reflecting on Things

(photo credit: SBH)

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their
family and friends.

Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

This poem is a nice sentiment, and something I think we ladies should take to heart. However, what I would like to mention, as much as we need to nurture and empower our own spirits, are we taking the time to do this with the man in our life? (this might also qualify for the friends in our life, but speaking on nurturing those relationships is not the goal here). What I'm talking about is, do we women take the time to take our eyes off ourselves and our own matters, and nurture the relationship with our partner? We women do have so much to do in the juggling act called life. Not that the man doesn't, but the old adage doesn't say: "A man's work is never done" does it. And, don't say it's because women fuss too much about things. Maybe in some cases we should learn the simplicity of men in the seeing to things, but then the world wouldn't be better for us being here, would it? ;)

Whether it's a new relationship or an old one, sometimes we lose track of making that special person feel special (again this can go both ways). Relationships are not always easy, are they? (I for one have the 'scars' to prove it, then so does my husband). Relationships are especially more difficult if one or both have a strong personality; and, there's always the "baggage" one takes into it whether we like to admit it or not. It takes clear communication and, yes, compromise; and, the giving and taking is not always equally mutual at times, either. Unfortunately, I want to point out that we women are not always direct with what we want, are we? There are those women who play head games (and there are men who do this as well), but what I'm talking about is communication. And communication is not always verbal, is it? Our body language, our facial responses. All in all, what do we communicate to our man? Perhaps, we first should start by asking ourselves, "What does a woman want in a man?" This was actually a question that was recently asked of me by a male friend. I polled some of my friends/coworkers and came up with a variety of responses. Yet, there were a few that kept repeating. I will share these ones with you, and the others later. I'm curious to know some of your responses, as to what you think. Many of your are your hols, so maybe I'll repeat this post later. It really is an interesting subject, why else would there be so many Love and Breakup songs.... :D

Here's the ones that repeated the most: A woman wants a man to be

-a man (not a cave man, though), independent, to have a quiet confidence; confident in walk and demeanor

-have religious beliefs or more so, a moral integrity

-young at heart/fun loving/good sense of humour

-a provider but not too madly career driven (which translates to being home, available, but providing security 'for the nest')

Please think on this, and add your thoughts. We all have different life experiences, and together, maybe we can figure this out! ;D

Can You Spot the Politician?

I know, I know....This was inspired by some recent correspondence with some blog pals.
If you have a better caption...Do Tell!

Diving Southern California Kelp Forest

I've seen the porpoises in the waves, but have never dove with them. Sea lions on the other hand, as fluid and beautiful as they are when swimming, can be quite menacing if they want to be.

Kelp beds, and schools of fish surrounding and engulfing you as one entity, especially when you feed them bits of sea urchin.
Ah, good memories.

California critters

Was reflecting on things this morning, at how thankful I was to have been given some unique experiences in my life. One of which was scuba diving. One of my good friends was a dive instructor, and he let me tag along as a side kick for many of his adventures (I was in my late teens, early twenties).

This vid is not mine, but is an excellent representation of what you might find diving around Laguna Beach. The rays and the lobsters, the fish, including the golden Garibaldi, the forest of Kelp beds. The only thing missing are the Moray eels, and the occasional Sand shark. Enjoy!

GI Joe outflanked by Health Nazis?

Yes, I used the word Nazi. Should I have used Nanny? Either way, they’re ridiculous and need to stay out of people’s business when it comes right down to it. This I say with a grain of salt; only a grain now, too much salt is bad for you.

You see, my profession is in the health field; and, I’m finishing up my Uni degree in, of all things, Health Education. However, far from cramming healthy recipes down peoples’ throats or chasing after them with a broom to put out all those cigarettes or knock, from their hands, those dangerous libations, I do plan to use common sense when approaching people about their life choices. After all, it is the person who should come first. The “why” they are practicing unhealthy habits should be explored, not the choice of habit itself, really. Habits are habits, remove one thing, it will be replaced by another unless the ‘why’ of the habit is dealt with. Which is more important, the smoke or the cause of the fire? Stress seems to be high on the list of killers, anyway, so why would I want to add to their stress?? Should I guilt them into health submission? I think not.




Health care costs are staggering; and, one of the ways in which we can reduce costs is to create a more healthy population. Reducing diabetes and cardiovascular problems would be a start. But this article really is not on reducing those problems or really health education of the general population. This post is about health Nazis and their convoluted view on things. What got me riled up was a mere blip I heard on the TV news on how the government, aka health Nazis, is looking into banning the use of cigarettes amongst our military servicemen and women. According to the report compiled courtesy of our government, no doubt at taxpayer's expense, "Over the long term, it(smoking)can cause serious health problems, including lung cancer and cardiovascular disease." Really??? How much did this study cost to tell us what WE ALREADY KNEW?!!!!!! Money that could have been better spent on Veteran's services! #@%!!
Oh, but according to the study, "tobacco use impairs military readiness in the short term." Really?? And, how did they stretch whatever they measured for that hot off the ticker info to suit what they wanted to see in print? Did these scientist "experts" have any previous combat experience? Wait, Sarge, let me light up a ciggie before I light up the incoming insurgents...let's measure how long it all takes.



Oh, the evil ciggie might corrupt the soldiers' health!! Never mind the volley of bullets or the anti-personnel mines, or the religious-indoctrinated-suicide-gonna-get-me-some-virgins bombers (on a side note, what do the female suicide bombers get?). These health Nazis should take a tour of the front lines, and spend a night or twa in a foxhole with the Soldiers and Marines, eat the food they eat, wear the gear they wear, hike the miles they hike, duck their heads for cover when the shooting and bombing starts….and tell me then, they won’t want a cigarette to settle their nerves.
Anyway, shouldn’t the government be concerning itself with spending money not on redundant and pointless studies but with providing better equipment and resources for our people while they are over there? Let the government focus on getting them to quit smoking when they are off the front lines and back home safe. Let the government help our returning veterans in dealing with the effects of combat stress or the physical limitations from injuries. Let the government see that all of our veterans receive the adequate medical care that they deserve. Or perhaps by then, the government has already forgotten about our Veterans and sometimes the intensive care and support that they need when and if they even make it back home? No doubt the government might want to do a study on that.

Exploring horizens

"I was like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me. "
Isaac Newton

The joy of focusing brilliantly on something is becoming a reality as my children are older, and more off to their own pursuits. What now shall I endeavor to behold? The ocean of possibilities lies before me. On the other side of it, what truths do we miss because we are so focused on the small things. Like blinders on a carriage horse, we can miss so much when we fail to lift and turn our heads and acknowledge the goings on around us. It's easy to get into a rut, think narrowly, stay safely to what we know. How do we limit ourselves to knowing and exploring the greater possibilities that lie before us? Just a thought, however brief, before I depart for work.
Until later, blog friends. Any thought on this?

What's your number?

Your Life Path Number is 11

Your purpose in life is to inspire others Your amazing energy draws people to you, and you give them great insight in return. You hold a great amount of power over others, without even trying. You have the makings of an inventor, artist, religious leader, or prophet. In love, you are sensitive and passionate. You connect with your partner on a very deep level. You have great abilities, but you are often way too critical of yourself. You don't fit in - and instead of celebrating your differences, you dwell on them. You have high expectations of yourself. But sometimes you set them too high and don't achieve anything.

What Is Your Life Path Number?


This is rather an interesting blog-test, care to share what your birth date reveals?

Sign of the Times

Well, the hospital area in which I work has now joined the ranks of "enter by metal detector". Do I work in a jail, you ask? No, not any more, I left because for one thing, it was getting too dangerous, and they were only teenagers. Do I work in an Emergency Room? No, never have, and really don't ever want to. I've heard stories of gangsters coming back to finish what they started; and, really, it's just not my thing. So where do I work, you must be thinking? What high level, intense area must this be that people might feel the need to come visit armed and looking for trouble?
Well, let me give you a hint.
Diapers, burp cloths, and frequent flying storks. Thankfully, the dangerous area is down the hall, and I'm in my own little alcove in the neonatal icu or I might have to start wearing camouflage.




What a World, What a World...

Parenting 101: how to get your child to clean his or her room

"If you don't clean your room, She will come....."

"No, mommy, no...Not HER!!!"

What is Greatness?

Thinking on those who've gone before me in the tapestry of time, each with their own unique story, I often think, well, what were they thinking? Most likely, given human behaviour, they were thinking some of the same things when you or I meet with adversity, challenge....A mix of 'oh, no, can I get through this?' using perhaps different words, or 'let's conquer this challenge'. But, really, what in your opinion makes a person great?


"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them".
- Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act II, Scene V).

CreativeCalvin

Brain Games, anyone?

American Dream, references

American Dream, part 2

Only time will tell

American Dream, Part 2

Some time in the year 1651, a young lad of about 16yrs, from Inverness-shire, was fighting alongside his clansmen in one of the many battles in the long history of Scotland. The Scots lost this battle to Cromwell, and as prisoners of war, especially of the time, they were not treated well. One cannot put into words the suffering these men endured. Facing possible execution, the Highlanders were marched through the streets,"All of them [were] stript, many of them cutt, some without stockings or shoes and scarce so much left upon them as to cover their nakedness, eating peas and handful of straw in their hands which they had pulled upon the fields as they passed." These men were not executed, however, but transported to the New World as prisoners of war. Bloodied by battle, and enduring severe physical discomfort, they were also mourning the loss of friends and brothers, separated possibly forever from their wives, children, and families. Facing the unknown of what harshness lay ahead, one can only imagine what they must have been feeling.

These indentured men, slaves in body but not in mind, would become a thread in the weave of a tapestry that few could imagine. Recorded history allows us to see such an unfolding of events, if one chooses to look. Is this the act of Providence and some unseen hand, or merely the random occurence of events built one on top of the other with no one at the conductor's place? For you see, this young lad was William Bean. A name amongst many other names, all important in their own way. Each with a life's purpose; their many stories lost to time. The importance of William Bean became perhaps known to the pages of history on account of another name, a man named Daniel Boone, who wished to see the other side of a mountain. The man who went with him, and who decided to live on the other side of the mountain in what is now Eastern Tennessee, was none other than William Bean, a decendent of the William Bean of Inverness-shire. The young lad who was indentured, became free of body and established himself well in the new land as had many others. His descendant, William Bean, established the first settlement in the Watauga valley; and, also established himself into the history books. He soon was joined by his family and friends. They made peace with the Natives in the area, and lived free from government intrusion, free to worship without recourse, free to take hold of opportunity and reap the reward of their labor. Until, that is, the government saw fit to disturb them.

"There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity."
-Gen. Douglas MacArthur

(The tune is a slow Scottish air, and credit. Music often influences words, and sets a mood. I hope to write a bit on the American dream from a historical perspective, from my family's perspective, and from first accounts from people I've talked with. I'm only an amateur writer and historian, so please bear with me in this exploration of thought. Critique, though uncomfortable at times, is always permitted from my blog friends.)



Credit: maurteenderry, youtube
Traditional air "Archibald MadDonald of Kepoch"

The American Dream, Part One

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive to these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such Principles and and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
-Introduction, Declaration of Independence