Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Cats on Twitter
Do you know that there are a LOT of cats on Twitter? There is even a blog called Cats Who Twitter. Just think about how hard it is for a little cat to type tweets with their claws. I know this because Pippin usually dictates his tweets to me but when I was gone last weekend he had to type them himself. He was kind of upset about it and has been complaining ever since. You may not think a cat has much to say but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised if you read Pippin's tweets to find that he has a lot of really interesting thoughts. He also has 87 followers! Pretty good! There is also a Twibe for Cats who Twitter & Pippin of course joined that. Here's Pippin on Twitter:
| 90 Following | 87 Followers |
|
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Blogging for Numbers
If you scroll down the page a bit, on the right hand side you'll see my Geek Chart. Right now Twitter is 2x blogs. That means I've been Twittering too much! Now I have to blog & I have nothing to say since I said it all on Twitter. Since you probably aren't all following me on Twitter & I really have nothing to say - just trying to change my geek chart - I'm sharing all my tweets for the last 24 hours. And you thought your life was boring.
There is one point of interest. I'm currently engaged in a Twitter campaign to get Neil Diamond to follow me. He doesn't follow anyone on Twitter. I've been a fan for a long time & I really think that he should choose one person to follow and it should be me. As you can tell my tweets are pretty fascinating. Also I'm giving him all this free publicity! I'll bet if he followed me I'd have a lot more than 102 followers!
There is one point of interest. I'm currently engaged in a Twitter campaign to get Neil Diamond to follow me. He doesn't follow anyone on Twitter. I've been a fan for a long time & I really think that he should choose one person to follow and it should be me. As you can tell my tweets are pretty fascinating. Also I'm giving him all this free publicity! I'll bet if he followed me I'd have a lot more than 102 followers!
- Eek I lost a follower! I was at 103 now down to 102. I'm very sad. Was it something I said?
- Budget cut proposal could mean closure of California's state parks. http://bit.ly/yn3py
- Sign the petition urging Congress to pass the Uniting American Families Act. http://bit.ly/Fb3HE
- I love today's StoryFlirt! http://bit.ly/vKXl8 Oh yeah I love that name too - StoryFlirt - very cool!
- RT @librarycongress The Law Library of Congress has launched a new resource page on Judge Sonia Sotomayor. http://is.gd/ImHn
- RT @dannysullivan bing.com now has a holding page http://bit.ly/wHi6G & links to vide preview at "decisionengine.com" http://bit.ly/FKyDG
- RT @andybeal Reading: Google Wave Drips With Ambition. A New Communication Platform For A New Web. http://gri.ms/18
- Also an exhibition on, who else, Henry VIII from the UK National Archives. http://bit.ly/B54zH Yeah I'm sort of interested in Henry VIII!
- From the Royal Collection: Henry VIII 500th Anniversary exhibition. http://bit.ly/3modqG
- Some cool online stuff at the British Library from their exhibit "Henry VIII: Man & Monarch" http://bit.ly/cv5gC
- From Calitics: "Say No to Schwarzenegger's budget cut ideas" http://bit.ly/bYoSG
- RT @andybeal We just posted: Microsoft Announces Bing.com, Makes Its First Serious Challenge to Google’s Domin.. http://gri.ms/16
- Deep Dyve releases free search tools for websites & bloggers. http://bit.ly/tCTet
- I've been trying to make a schedule for 5 days. I'm going to do it tonight! I'm feeling scattered around all the time lately.
- Tonight's quote: "Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?" ~Rumi
- Well you could find a ticket lying on the ground . . . ok maybe not so bad upon reflection.
- Just added myself to the http://wefollow.com twitter directory under: #blogger #creativity #poet
- I should point out that I've been a Neil Diamond fan for a VERY long time!! I really think he should follow me :(
- I don't want to complain but I've been following @neildiamond for quite some time & he isn't following me. I'm a little disappointed. . .
- Posted great video from Courage Campaign to reverse #prop8 http://bit.ly/dpBfu
- Thanks @IFlirtation for featuring StoryFlirts! Very cool site - check it out! http://bit.ly/15dyQa
- I'm excited!! RT @IFlirtation Check out @pmduo on http://tinyurl.com/qglsk5 It's our newest featured StoryFlirt!!!
- RT @bbcnews The number of under-fives in Europe with type 1 diabetes is set to double between 2005 and 2020, http://tinyurl.com/qwfqa7
- Sitting outside Curves. Don't want to go. This week is so hard. Just pushing myself thru days. Breathing is hard.
- Went to bank. Wasn't taken hostage in a robbery. I always feel relieved when I make it out safely.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Courage Campaign
Support the Courage Campaign to restore marriage equality to California. I don't know why but this video made me cry. . .
Monday, May 25, 2009
Musical Monday
Miles Davis was born May 25, 1926. 2009 is the 50th anniversary of the release of what many consider his most important work, Kind of Blue. Here is a clip of Davis playing So What, the first track from the album. It's a bit of a long clip but worth listening to!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
StoryFlirt Challenge
Very cool I did it! Here is my StoryFlirt for the Inspiration Flirtation challenge. I'm not at home so I was afraid I won't be able to post this but I took a picture with my iphone, put it on laptop & edited with FotoFlexer (a cool, easy to use program). It worked great! Anyway here it is. I'm not much of an artist but it was fun to do. Oh, I just realized my picture doesn't have people in it. I guess that's ok, I think the people are in the buildings looking out the windows. Yeah, that works.
I forgot to add, although I think I said in an earlier post, that this challenge was inspired by StoryPeople created by Brian Andreas. So if you want to see the real thing - which is much better than mine! - go to StoryPeople!
The Low Road
Check out this post from Brian Andreas on his Zen Bandit blog. I like this one a lot! Then again, I like almost all the StoryPeople stuff. I have to say almost all because I haven't seen everything and one never knows . . .
If you like StoryPeople and are feeling creative here's a chance to write your own story. Christina of the Inspiration Flirtation blog (which is very cool!) is challenging readers to come up with their own story and artwork. You can post a link on her blog & next week she'll be publishing the stories. Pretty cool! I'm working on one which I'll post here later today. See how I'm trying to get return readers by giving you something to look forward to!
If you like StoryPeople and are feeling creative here's a chance to write your own story. Christina of the Inspiration Flirtation blog (which is very cool!) is challenging readers to come up with their own story and artwork. You can post a link on her blog & next week she'll be publishing the stories. Pretty cool! I'm working on one which I'll post here later today. See how I'm trying to get return readers by giving you something to look forward to!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Poetry Day
Another poem by Louise Gluck for you. I was going to have a consistent schedule for posting stuff & I think Wednesday was supposed to be Poetry Day. Since this blog is called Random Ramblings I guess it is ok to do things randomly.
I like this poem a lot. I realized just now in reading it that we can only heal ourselves. Other people can't do it for us. And sometimes all you can do is accept that people & situations are the way they are and move on. Profound today aren't I?
Seated Figure
It was as though you were a man in a wheelchair,
your legs cut off at the knee.
But I wanted you to walk.
I wanted us to walk like lovers,
arm in arm in the summer evening,
and believed so powerfully in that projection
that I had to speak, I had to press you to stand.
Why did you let me speak?
I took your silence as I took the anguish in your face,
as part of the efforts to move ---
It seemed I stood forever, holding out my hand.
And all that time, you could no more heal yourself
than I could accept what I saw.
~ Louise Gluck
I like this poem a lot. I realized just now in reading it that we can only heal ourselves. Other people can't do it for us. And sometimes all you can do is accept that people & situations are the way they are and move on. Profound today aren't I?
Seated Figure
It was as though you were a man in a wheelchair,
your legs cut off at the knee.
But I wanted you to walk.
I wanted us to walk like lovers,
arm in arm in the summer evening,
and believed so powerfully in that projection
that I had to speak, I had to press you to stand.
Why did you let me speak?
I took your silence as I took the anguish in your face,
as part of the efforts to move ---
It seemed I stood forever, holding out my hand.
And all that time, you could no more heal yourself
than I could accept what I saw.
~ Louise Gluck
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Execution of Anne Boleyn
19 May 1536 at 8 o'clock in the morning Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII was executed. It was the first public execution of an English queen. Following is the speech she made:
Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul.
After being blindfolded and kneeling at the block, she repeated several times:
To Jesus Christ I commend my soul; Lord Jesu receive my soul.
Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul.
After being blindfolded and kneeling at the block, she repeated several times:
To Jesus Christ I commend my soul; Lord Jesu receive my soul.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Musical Monday
I had a blog post in my Google Reader on Thursday noting that Life magazine published a photo gallery of never before seen pictures of Frank Sinatra to celebrate the 11th anniversary of his day (May 14, 1998). So . . . . I thought I'd give you a musical clip of Frank Sinatra!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Are you feeding the right wolf?
I found this story on the Awakening Women's blog & really liked it.
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, “My son,the battle is between two “wolves” inside us all.
One is Evil.
It is anger, envy, jealousy,
sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance,
self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, false pride,
superiority, and ego.
The other is Good.
It is joy, peace, love, hope,
serenity, humility, kindness,
benevolence, empathy, generosity,
truth, compassion and faith.
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
“Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied,
“The one you feed.”
I'm afraid I've been spending a lot of time feeding the Evil one. What about the rest of you?
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, “My son,the battle is between two “wolves” inside us all.
One is Evil.
It is anger, envy, jealousy,
sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance,
self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, false pride,
superiority, and ego.
The other is Good.
It is joy, peace, love, hope,
serenity, humility, kindness,
benevolence, empathy, generosity,
truth, compassion and faith.
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
“Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied,
“The one you feed.”
I'm afraid I've been spending a lot of time feeding the Evil one. What about the rest of you?
Friday, May 15, 2009
Twitter Update
I thought I'd share that Pippin now has 35! followers. That's two more than I have. He is pretty interesting though!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Message from the President
I got an email from the President! Pretty cool isn't it? It would have been better if my name had been on the letter but at least the email was addressed to me! You too can receive emails if you sign-up at the White House site! I tried to copy the whole email w/the White House logo but blogger wouldn't accept the html code so you'll have to settle for a text version.
====================================================
Good afternoon,
You are receiving this email because you signed up at WhiteHouse.gov. My staff and I plan to use these messages as a way to directly communicate about important issues and opportunities, and today I have some encouraging updates about health care reform.
The Vice President and I just met with leaders from the House of Representatives and received their commitment to pass a comprehensive health care reform bill by July 31.
We also have an unprecedented commitment from health care industry leaders, many of whom opposed health reform in the past. Monday, I met with some of these health care stakeholders, and they pledged to do their part to reduce the health care spending growth rate, saving more than two trillion dollars over the next ten years -- around $2,500 for each American family. Then on Tuesday, leaders from some of America's top companies came to the White House to showcase innovative ways to reduce health care costs by improving the health of their workers.
Now the House and Senate are beginning a critical debate that will determine the health of our nation's economy and its families. This process should be transparent and inclusive and its product must drive down costs, assure quality and affordable health care for everyone, and guarantee all of us a choice of doctors and plans.
Reforming health care should also involve you. Think of other people who may want to stay up to date on health care reform and other national issues and tell them to join us here.
Health care reform can't come soon enough. We spend more on health care than any country, but families continue to struggle with skyrocketing premiums and nearly 46 million are without insurance entirely. It is a priority for the American people and a pillar of the new foundation we are seeking to build for our economy.
We'll continue to keep you posted about this and other important issues.
Thank you,
Barack Obama
P.S. If you'd like to get more in-depth information about health reform and how you can participate, be sure to visit http://www.HealthReform.gov.
This email was sent to rtex57@comcast.net
Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy
The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111
====================================================
Good afternoon,
You are receiving this email because you signed up at WhiteHouse.gov. My staff and I plan to use these messages as a way to directly communicate about important issues and opportunities, and today I have some encouraging updates about health care reform.
The Vice President and I just met with leaders from the House of Representatives and received their commitment to pass a comprehensive health care reform bill by July 31.
We also have an unprecedented commitment from health care industry leaders, many of whom opposed health reform in the past. Monday, I met with some of these health care stakeholders, and they pledged to do their part to reduce the health care spending growth rate, saving more than two trillion dollars over the next ten years -- around $2,500 for each American family. Then on Tuesday, leaders from some of America's top companies came to the White House to showcase innovative ways to reduce health care costs by improving the health of their workers.
Now the House and Senate are beginning a critical debate that will determine the health of our nation's economy and its families. This process should be transparent and inclusive and its product must drive down costs, assure quality and affordable health care for everyone, and guarantee all of us a choice of doctors and plans.
Reforming health care should also involve you. Think of other people who may want to stay up to date on health care reform and other national issues and tell them to join us here.
Health care reform can't come soon enough. We spend more on health care than any country, but families continue to struggle with skyrocketing premiums and nearly 46 million are without insurance entirely. It is a priority for the American people and a pillar of the new foundation we are seeking to build for our economy.
We'll continue to keep you posted about this and other important issues.
Thank you,
Barack Obama
P.S. If you'd like to get more in-depth information about health reform and how you can participate, be sure to visit http://www.HealthReform.gov.
This email was sent to rtex57@comcast.net
Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy
The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111
Monday, May 11, 2009
Musical Monday
Today we have Johnny Cash singing San Quentin. I've been listening to Johnny Cash for many, many years (36-37?) and if I had to choose just one performer to listen to it would still be him!
Twittering Astronaut
The space shuttle Atlantis launched this morning from Kennedy Space Center. On board was astronaut Mike Massimino who will, when he has time, be twittering from space! Pretty cool isn't it? You can read his tweets at Astro_Mike.
Just as reminder you can follow me on Twitter and don't forget Pippin (he's actually more interesting than me).
Later on the same day: Pippin now has 18 followers. I think some of you who are on Twitter don't have as many!! (Actually he is catching up to me - I have 26. This could be embarrassing. . .)
Just as reminder you can follow me on Twitter and don't forget Pippin (he's actually more interesting than me).
Later on the same day: Pippin now has 18 followers. I think some of you who are on Twitter don't have as many!! (Actually he is catching up to me - I have 26. This could be embarrassing. . .)
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Silent Sunday
Last week we showcased the most beautiful cat in the world. This week we have Pippin, the handsomest, smartest cat in the world! Ok, I may be a little prejudiced.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Poetry Day
Today's poem is by Kim Addonizio. I love this poem! I did my April BJP based on it & thought I'd share it with everyone.
What Do Women Want?
I want a red dress.
I want it flimsy and cheap,
I want it too tight, I want to wear it
until someone tears it off me.
I want it sleeveless and backless,
this dress, so no one has to guess
what's underneath. I want to walk down
the street past Thrifty's and the hardware store
with all those keys glittering in the window,
past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old
donuts in their café, past the Guerra brothers
slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly,
hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders.
I want to walk like I'm the only
woman on earth and I can have my pick.
I want that red dress bad.
I want it to confirm
your worst fears about me,
to show you how little I care about you
or anything except what
I want. When I find it, I'll pull that garment
from its hanger like I'm choosing a body
to carry me into this world, through
the birth-cries and the love-cries too,
and I'll wear it like bones, like skin,
it'll be the goddamned
dress they bury me in.
What Do Women Want?
I want a red dress.
I want it flimsy and cheap,
I want it too tight, I want to wear it
until someone tears it off me.
I want it sleeveless and backless,
this dress, so no one has to guess
what's underneath. I want to walk down
the street past Thrifty's and the hardware store
with all those keys glittering in the window,
past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old
donuts in their café, past the Guerra brothers
slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly,
hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders.
I want to walk like I'm the only
woman on earth and I can have my pick.
I want that red dress bad.
I want it to confirm
your worst fears about me,
to show you how little I care about you
or anything except what
I want. When I find it, I'll pull that garment
from its hanger like I'm choosing a body
to carry me into this world, through
the birth-cries and the love-cries too,
and I'll wear it like bones, like skin,
it'll be the goddamned
dress they bury me in.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Twitter Update
As I've already mentioned once (and probably will again), Pippin has his own Twitter account. I just wanted to let you all know that he already has 8 followers and is flirting with some girl cat he thinks is cute. We are considering an online dating service for cats. What do you think, does it have potential?
Do You Tweet?
If you aren't on Twitter yet you should know that you are very, very, very behind the times. Twitter is a microblogging service that allows you to post short (140 character) updates on what you are doing, thinking, etc. Everyone who is anyone is on Twitter. A short (very short) list includes:
So if a little cat can Twitter you can too. Get busy, follow me, tell me what you're doing!
- Church of England
- Whole Foods
- US Embassy, London
- CDC
- UK Parliament
- White House
- Gavin Newsom
- Powell Books
- Oprah
- John McCain
- Kaiser Permanente
- BBC
- William Shatner
- Yoko Ono
- The New Yorker
- Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
- Home Depot
- Build a Bear
- Demi Moore
- NASA
- US House of Representatives
- US Senate
- BART
- San Francisco Zoo
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Lance Armstrong
So if a little cat can Twitter you can too. Get busy, follow me, tell me what you're doing!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
UK 's New Poet Laureate
Carol Ann Duffy achieved a number of firsts yesterday. She became the first female, first openly gay, first mother and first Scottish Poet Laureate in the UK. Her books include Rapture, Feminine Gospels and The World's Wife.
The position comes with an annual stipend of £5,760 (which she'll be donating for a poetry prize), plus 650 free bottles of oloroso sherry. Regarding the sherry, Duffy noted "I’ve heard that Andrew Motion (former Poet Laureate) hasn’t had his yet, so I’ll be asking for mine up front.” The duties aren't difficult, but she will be expected to produce poems for royal events, such as weddings or funerals.
The following poem is from Rapture.
You
Uninvited, the thought of you stayed too late in my head,
so I went to bed, dreaming you hard, hard, woke with your name,
like tears, soft, salt, on my lips, the sound of its bright syllables
like a charm, like a spell.
Falling in love
is glamorous hell; the crouched, parched heart
like a tiger, ready to kill; a flame’s fierce licks under the skin
Into my life, larger than life, beautiful, you strolled in.
I hid in my ordinary days, in the long grass of routine,
in my camouflage rooms. You sprawled in my gaze,
staring back from anyone’s face, from the shape of a cloud,
from the pining, earth-struck moon which gapes at me
as I open the bedroom door. The curtains stir. There you are
on the bed, like a gift, like a touchable dream.
The position comes with an annual stipend of £5,760 (which she'll be donating for a poetry prize), plus 650 free bottles of oloroso sherry. Regarding the sherry, Duffy noted "I’ve heard that Andrew Motion (former Poet Laureate) hasn’t had his yet, so I’ll be asking for mine up front.” The duties aren't difficult, but she will be expected to produce poems for royal events, such as weddings or funerals.
The following poem is from Rapture.
You
Uninvited, the thought of you stayed too late in my head,
so I went to bed, dreaming you hard, hard, woke with your name,
like tears, soft, salt, on my lips, the sound of its bright syllables
like a charm, like a spell.
Falling in love
is glamorous hell; the crouched, parched heart
like a tiger, ready to kill; a flame’s fierce licks under the skin
Into my life, larger than life, beautiful, you strolled in.
I hid in my ordinary days, in the long grass of routine,
in my camouflage rooms. You sprawled in my gaze,
staring back from anyone’s face, from the shape of a cloud,
from the pining, earth-struck moon which gapes at me
as I open the bedroom door. The curtains stir. There you are
on the bed, like a gift, like a touchable dream.
Influenza A(H1N1)
A few links to information on Influenza A(H1N1) (better known as the swine flu). The most important thing to remember is that if you have it - stay away from me!
CDC
WHO
MedlinePlus
MedicineNet
Google Map
What President Obama said
And a video even!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Now I Get It!
I've been unable to figure out why my cats prefer to scratch the couch, chair, me - anything except their scratching post. Now I know!
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