wild world

getting excited about-

2011-11-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

these leopard print stairs-

More leopard print ideas here...

good night

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Beautifully composed images of gypsy life in Romania by Tamaz Dezso.

on procrastination, from frog and toad

2011-11-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow by Arnold Lobel

Toad woke up. "Drat!" he said. "This house is a mess. I have so much work to do."

Frog looked through the window. "Toad, you are right," said Frog, "It is a mess."

Toad pulled the covers over his head. "I will do it tomorrow," said Toad. "Today I will take life easy."

Frog came into the house. "Toad," said Frog, "your pants and jacket are lying on the floor."

"Tomorrow," said Toad from under the covers.

"Your kitchen sink is filled with dirty dishes," said Frog.

"Tomorrow," said Toad.

"There is dust on your chairs."

"Tomorrow" said Toad.

"Your windows need scrubbing," said Frog. "Your plants need watering."

"Tomorrow!" cried Toad. "I will do it all tomorrow!"

Toad sat on the edge of his bed. "Blah," said Toad. "I feel down in the dumps."

"Why?" asked Frog.

"I am thinking about tomorrow," said Toad. "I am thinking about all of the many things that I will have to do."

"Yes, said Frog, "tomorrow will be a very hard day for you."

"But Frog," said Toad, "if I pick up my pants and jacket right now, then I will not have to pick them up tomorrow, will I?"

"No," said Frog, "You will not have to."

Toad washed and dried his dishes. He put them in the cupboard.

"Frog," said Toad, "if I dust my chairs and scrub my windows and water my plants right now, then I will not have to do it tomorrow, will I?"

"No," said Frog. "You will not have to do any of it."

Toad dusted his chairs. He scrubbed his windows. He watered his plants.

"There," said Toad, "Now I feel better. I am not in the dumps anymore."

"Why?" asked Frog.

"Because I have done all that work," said Toad.

"Now I can save tomorrow for something that I really want to do."

"What is that?" asked Frog.

"Tomorrow," said Toad, "I can just take life easy."

Toad went back to bed. He pulled the covers over his head and fell asleep.

"we don't eat" james vincent mcmorrow

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

"avant la haine" alex beaupain and camelia jordana

2011-10-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

et cetera

2011-10-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

by Kristian Schuller

$8 on etsy

Donald Glover (Community) and Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Rec)

by Biswaranjan Rout for AP in Cuttack City, India

Northern lights last night over Marquette, Michigan

Lewis Hine, Hippo Front

Interior Design by Cath Kidston

dick (1999)

2011-10-24T07:41:00.001-07:00

Best costume design ever.

The Cult of St. Guinefort

2011-10-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

According to 13th century French legend, Guinefort the greyhound was owned by a knight who lived near Lyon. One day he went hunting, leaving his infant child in the care of the dog. When he returned, the cradle was overturned, the child was nowhere to be found, and Guinefort's teeth were dripping with blood. The knight took out his sword and stabbed the dog, who let out a dying yelp. He then heard the sounds of his crying baby, and found the infant safe, next to the remains of a viper. Guinefort had killed the snake to save the child.

Mourning the loss of his loyal companion and regretting his misdeed, the knight laid Guinefort at rest at the bottom of a well, and covered the well with stones, creating a shrine for the selfless canine. Over time local villagers began to revere the deceased dog as a martyr, and brought sick infants to the grave to be healed. Some of the pagan Christian rituals involved in curing the infants had deadly consequences:

They then put the naked baby through the opening between the trunks of two trees, the mother standing on one side and throwing her child nine times to the old woman on the other side, while invoking the demons to adjure the fauns in the wood of "Rimite" to take the sick and failing child which they said belonged to them (the fauns) and return to them their own child big, plump, live and healthy. Once this was done, the killer mothers took the baby and placed it naked at the foot of the tree on the straws of a cradle, lit at both ends two candles a thumbsbreadth thick with fire they had brought with them and fastened them on the trunk above. Then, while the candles were consumed, they went far enough away that they could neither hear nor see the child. In this way the burning candles burned up and killed a number of babies, as we have heard from others in the same place.

- Stephen de Bouborn De Supersticione (d. 1261)

The grave of St. Guinefort was dug up and the grove of trees surrounding the shrine was burned along with the bones of the dog. The orthodox Christian friars preached against the superstitious rituals and forbid people from gathering in the area for that purpose. But the story lived on - in the 17th century a chapel was built on the original tomb site and today he is remembered by locals in Dombes, France.

the royal bhutanese wedding

2011-10-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck of Bhutan was wed to commoner Jetsun Pema at 8:20 AM Bhutan time this morning, a moment picked by official astrologers to be auspicious.

Read more about the beautiful ceremony here.

jobs

2011-10-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

age of not believing

2011-09-16T09:05:00.001-07:00

bit of magic for your day-

the ubiquitous lawn

2011-08-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

equal rights is love, love is equal rights

2011-08-02T10:19:00.001-07:00

Beautiful images of and interviews with newlywed gay couples in NY this past weekend. You are highly encouraged to read every word!

Dinah (above on left): A cop stopped us on the street, congratulated us, and wanted to photograph us and put it on Facebook! A New York City cop! Also, what surprised me was how emotional I got. Because when were married in October, that was the big shindig with the family and friends and dancing and the works. But I didn’t cry that day. But when the judge said “I now pronounce you …” It just hit me with so much emotion. I couldn’t believe it. I’m not on cloud nine, I’m on cloud 1,250-something.

woohoo!

2011-08-01T11:27:00.001-07:00

Feds Order Insurers To Cover Birth Control Free Of Charge To Women

Perplexities of Consciousness

2011-07-30T12:14:00.001-07:00

When people today are asked whether they regularly dream in color, most say they do. But it was not always so. Back in the 1950s most said they dreamed in black and white. Presumably it can hardly be true that our grandparents had different brains that systematically left out the color we put in today. So this must be a matter of interpretation. Yet why such freedom about assigning color? Well, try this for an answer. Suppose that, not knowing quite what dreams are like, we tend to assume they must be like photographs or movies — pictures in the head. Then, when asked whether we dream in color we reach for the most readily available pictorial analogy. Understandably, 60 years ago this might have been black-and-white movies, while for most of us today it is the color version. But, here’s the thing: Neither analogy is necessarily the “right” one. Dreams don’t have to be pictures of any kind at all. They could be simply thoughts — and thoughts, even thoughts about color, are neither colored nor non-colored in themselves.

- NYT: Know Thyself, Easier Said than Done

it's been a while

2011-02-20T08:09:00.001-08:00

i've been super busy

i am love (2009)

2010-12-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

lieke romeijn

2010-12-04T11:12:00.001-08:00

Aleksandra Kinskaj

2010-12-04T11:11:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday

2010-11-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

Freddy Nock in Thun, Switzerland

an editorial and a music video

2010-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

fashion copious

inspired: julie andrews

2010-10-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Julie Andrews,

How does one exactly go about becoming the classiest woman in the universe? Inquiring minds want to know.

"the tree" by blitzen trapper

2010-10-22T13:14:00.001-07:00

Blitzen Trapper - "The Tree" from Daniel Elkayam on Vimeo.

taming long hair

2010-10-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Wanted to highlight a lovely paragraph in this article in the New York Times about older women with long hair -

Is it not wonderfully sexy the way our grandmothers, those women of the prairie, or concrete canyons, would braid their hair up in the morning and let their cowboys unravel them at night? Is there not a variety of excellent looks for taming long hair in high winds? What is cooler than stopping to wrap a silk scarf around your mane before you step into a zippy convertible?

photo by Ann Waddell

the king's speech

2010-10-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Another movie I can't wait to see!

"the city" unwoman

2010-10-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

1000 and 1 dreams - yasmin alaoui and marco guerra

2010-10-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

onethousandandonedreams

kingdom of dreams

2010-10-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

New amusement park in India - this is out of control and over the top in a glorious way!

ondine (2010)

2010-10-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

Magic - with a fair dose of darkness. The back of the DVD had me at "modern fairytale" - and rest assured, it doesn't disappoint.

It also has a beautiful soundtrack, which I've been unable to find anything about online. If anyone can find it let me know!!!!

vienna teng "my medea"

2010-10-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

today!

2010-10-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

Getting it Right

by Jack Gilbert

Lying in front of the house all

afternoon, trying to write a poem.

Falling asleep.

Waking up under the stars.

symfoniorkestern

2010-10-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

work filled wednesday

2010-10-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Playing hooky from classes is pretty lame when you have to devote all your time for a last resort study day for an exam you haven't even read all of the text for...

But mid-chapter chai and apple cider donut blogging break? Glorious!

Aaaaand back to the grind.

the tempest trailer!

2010-10-05T15:28:00.001-07:00

With Helen Mirren... and Russell Brand! It looks wonderful!

And on a side note- still cold and rainy. Boo.

"i and love and you" avett brothers

2010-10-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

It's cold and rainy here. Bleh.

Load the car and write the note.
Grab your bag and grab your coat.
Tell the ones that need to know.
We are headed north.

One foot in and one foot back.
But it don’t pay to live like that.
So I cut the ties and I jumped the track.
For never to return.

Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.
Are you aware the shape I’m in?
My hands they shake, my head it spins.
Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.

When at first I learned to speak.
I used all my words to fight.
With him and her and you and me.
Ahh, but it's just a waste of time.
Yeah it’s such a waste of time.

That woman she’s got eyes that shine.
Like a pair of stolen polished dimes.
She asked to dance I said it’s fine.
I’ll see you in the morning time.
Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.
Are you aware the shape I’m in?
My hands they shake, my head it spins.
Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.

Three words that became hard to say.
I and Love and You.
What you were than I am today.
Look at the things I do.

Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.
Are you aware the shape I’m in?
My hands they shake, my head it spins.
Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.

Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.
Are you aware the shape I’m in?
My hands they shake, my head it spins.
Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.

Dumbed down and numbed by time and age.
You’re dreams that catch the world the cage.
The highway sets the travelers stage.
All exits look the same.

Three words that became hard to say.
I and Love and You.
I and Love and You.
I and Love and You.

san francisco time lapse

2010-10-02T07:31:00.001-07:00

This is lovely.

The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

Did you ever lie on the ground and pretend you were in the sky and the clouds were the ocean?

"dream" priscilla anh

2010-10-01T15:27:00.001-07:00

I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees, and fed my houseguests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pretty bed of green.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest swing.
I had a dream.

Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park, I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie. I said a prayer and fell asleep.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest tree.
I had a dream.

Now I'm old and feeling grey. I don't know what's left to say about this life I'm willing to leave.
I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell. I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.

I had a dream

Monday Brightener

2010-09-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

to start your week on the right foot

What's brightening your Monday?

inspired: johnny depp

2010-09-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

"I don't pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do."

"If there's any message to my work, it's ultimately that it's okay to be different, that it's good to be different, that we should question ourselves before we pass judgement on someone who looks different, behaves different, talks different, is a different color."

"People say I make strange choices, but they're not strange for me. My sickness is that I'm fascinated by human behavior, by what's underneath the surface, by the worlds inside people."

"There's a drive in me that won't allow me to do certain things that are easy."

Five Things to Put in your Smoothie (and one to avoid)

2010-09-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

found via weheartit

Smoothies are pretty much the best way I know to get a big strong dose of veggies and fruits to start your day off right. You can use whatever you have in your fridge, but here are a couple of things I've found to be extra great.

Frozen bananas

While bananas aren't the greatest "diet" fruit out there, putting a frozen one in the blender will give your smoothie the best creamy texture. And as a bonus, bananas are the best source of potassium, and a good way to get electrolytes if your smoothie is post workout!

Berries

and LOTS of them! Blueberries and raspberries and strawberries, oh my! Blueberries are the latest and greatest cancer preventing superfoods - and on top of that, they are absolutely delicious! They will easily mask any bitter taste that ends up in your smoothie, bringing us to...

Leafy greens

This may be a shock to some, but all the raw foodies out there know that adding some spinach or some kale to your smoothie is the best trick in the book for sneaking the much needed veggie nutrients into your day. Seriously, with delicious fresh berries you won't even taste them. I'm incapable of eating kale any other way - yuck! Don't freak out if your smoothie is green, it's still probably super tasty.

Greek yoghurt

This also adds some creamy texture to the smoothie, and packs a LOT of protein for very little calories. Don't add too much, though, or you'll end up with more of a sour cream taste than you bargained for.

Honey

Honey is definitely higher in calories than all of the others, and you don't want to put in TOO much, but it actually has benefits for the body galore - see here for details. Besides that, there's the obvious yum factor.

And the one to AVOID: ICE

I have seen many a good smoothie totally ruined by huge ice chunks you have to chew to get down. And then when it melts, it makes everything watery and gross, leaving only a small window of smoothie drinking open. Seriously, unless you have the greatest blender in the world, don't bother. It's not worth the trouble!

Finally, if you're having trouble getting started, here is a GREAT resource for smoothie recipes of all kinds. But don't worry about ratios and measuring cups, guys. It's pretty hard to go wrong. Let your imagination be your guide!

ok go "white knuckles"

2010-09-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

wonderful wednesday

2010-09-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

(next wednesday, I promise to have credits!)

Mopey Mondays: Getting Out of the Slump

2010-09-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

So I've got a class schedule I'm not exactly thrilled about to say the least, a bunch of great friends that are seriously far away (or will be soon!) and one super stressful decision to make about what to do when I graduate. In other news recession, global warming, scary tea partiers, blah blah blah. Gross! Can I really help the fact that my Monday is especially mopey? Yes. Yes I can.

photo credit unknown

How? Well I'm working on it, but here's a couple ideas...

Get ahead. If it's the work load that's stressing you out, try to eliminate the problem by getting ahead - not just on top - of the deadlines. This will mostly suck while actually in the process, but it beats whining about what you still have to do while watching endless Top Chef reruns.

Keep in touch. Reach out to the people you miss or haven't talked to in a while! I sometimes am bad at this, but with all the options available to me, I really have no excuse. Use skype, email, texting, facebook, twitter, instant messaging, calling, or snail mail - but whatever you decide to use as your method of communication, do it now!

Make your space beautiful. Drawing strength and energy from a happy environment will be instrumental to keeping things joyful. You don't need to be a certified interior designer to know what kinds of things will give you a boost and what kinds of things will bring you down. Try adding plants, flowers, and art that means something to you. Avoid blah white walls, scary clutter, and dusty appliances.

Listen to happy music. I know when I get wallowy I tend to listen to quiet, depressing music to match my mood. It's beautiful, but it's not helping. Try to make a playlist or two that will really get you amped up, singing along, and ready for anything. Think pop, whether it be of the eighties, indie, swedish, or top 40 variety.

Buy a friend. Okay. This one I take some flak for, but I have a silly habit of purchasing small random animals to care for and love. I currently have a beautiful Betta named Florent and an African Dwarf Frog named Otis. Don't get too crazy if you can't manage the responsibility - I would love a furrier friend but it's not an option for me right now at school - and don't discount the little guys! They may not be cuddly, or show any affection whatsoever, but they're still kind of fun.

Laugh. Need a TV show suggestion? Try 30 Rock, The Office, Arrested Development, Seinfeld, and Modern Family. My favorite funny movies are Role Models, Burn After Reading (watch it again if you didn't like it the first time!), Death at a Funeral, Moonstruck, and My Cousin Vinny. This one is self explanatory.

Help others. Sometimes when I get crabby I start to feel like I can't do anything right. But volunteering at a local charity event or donating money to a worthy cause can turn that around! You can start here if you'd like.

"collecting skies" by the big i am

2010-09-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

Do yourself a favor: put up the headphones or turn up the volume, because this is a beautiful and epic song that you'll want to feel surrounded by. And ignore the bizarro animations, the only good recordings of the song on youtube are this one and a Nicholas Cage fanvid...

You can download this song along with some other beautiful gems here for free or with a donation.

go outside

2010-09-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

People do usually consider walking on water or thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child - our own two eyes. All is a miracle.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

polaroid taken by me

The Nutcracker

2010-09-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know it's only September. But can we all just get a little bit prematurely excited about the holidays for a few minutes?

I'm psyched! The Nutcracker was a staple every year when I was little - and the best children's movies have been coming out lately!

Okay, now go enjoy a pumpkin spice latte and forget this ever happened. We'll be dreading those Christmas carols soon enough!

Operation: Freedom

2010-09-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

You don't have to be a naturist or a burlesque dancer to enjoy some liberation from clothing every once in a while! Not excited about the idea staring at yourself in a mirror and repeating affirmations until your face turns blue? Me neither. I think having fun naked is the best way to start feeling good naked. So while most bloggers right about now are waxing poetic about the joys of fall fashion, I'm going to advocate taking it all off.

Skirmish about the idea? Unsure about where to start? Here are my alone time suggestions...

Treating yourself to a long shower or a steaming hot bath can be magical when you need it the most. Afterwards, allow yourself to air dry and then lotion up (with a couple drops of your essential oil of choice).

Sleep naked. Midafternoon slumber? 4 AM bed time? Brush those teeth, and free yourself from the problems and the clothing of the day. It's strange how something so simple could seem so foreign! And don't underestimate the effect that waking up naked can have on your entire day.

Stretch naked. Try a couple nude sun salutations to greet the morning like the day you were born. For the extra daring, search for a hot nude yoga class. Come back and report - cause you're on your own with this one!

If the weather is warm where you are, sun bathe naked. Just make sure to put sunscreen on the essentials or you'll regret it. Also, being in a designated nude sun bathing area, or an inconspicuous spot on private property is definitely key!

Do something boring. Have a lot of studying to do? Great! Novelty has been proven to enhance learning. Plus, anything that has the possibility to make poring over a textbook remotely interesting is worth a try!

Masturbate. A whole post could be written on the widely accepted benefits - psychological and medical - of masturbation. I'm just going to you refer you to this article, and assume you can handle the rest.

And if you're still feeling anxious about the whole thing: meditate naked. Repeat after me. Breathing in, I am aware of my body. Breathing out, I am making my body calm and at peace. No need to totally emphasize the nakedness when you're trying to boost your confidence - just being aware of the way you are feeling and finding a way to relax will get you well on your way.

hand dance

2010-09-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

silent alice

2010-09-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

1903

This is the film in its entirety.

1915

The rest of the film can be found as posted by this same user on youtube.

Jock MacDonald

2010-09-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

Jock MacDonald's images are seamed together by animator Paul Blain in this video. It's hard sometimes to know when the photo stops and the morphing begins!

One World Portrait © Jock McDonald from Jim Casper on Vimeo.

9/11

2010-09-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Photograph from September 11

by Wislawa Szymborska
They jumped from the burning floors —
one, two, a few more,
higher, lower.
The photograph halted them in life,
and now keeps them
above the earth toward the earth.
Each is still complete,
with a particular face
and blood well hidden.
There’s enough time
for hair to come loose,
for keys and coins
to fall from pockets.
They’re still within the air’s reach,
within the compass of places
that have just now opened.
I can do only two things for them —
describe this flight
and not add a last line.

NPR

playing for change

2010-09-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

The Playing for Change Foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks to break down boundaries between people through music, and the site is a great source for exploring different music and finding inspiration. This is the site's most recent episode- the musician is Rajesh Vaidhya, from southern India, and he's playing the veena.

You've probably already seen the following, recorded in 2005, but just in case:

the loveliest

2010-09-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

This editorial was photographed on the Greek island of Symi.

Marie Claire Turkey July 2010

Photographed by Cihan Alpgiray

Models are Patrisha Petrova and Isabella Strandell

Fashion Copious

back and better!

2010-09-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Sooooo friends - hope you all had lovely summers/winters depending on your hemisphere of choice! I had quite the unplanned blogging vacation, but now that I've officially entered my final year at college, I'm ready to procrastinate like it's my job!

Therefore, this address will likely be quite happening as I waste what little time I have purely for the benefit of my fantastically talented, marvelously intelligent, and ravishingly beautiful readers, whom I sincerely hope to acquire at their earliest possible convenience.

If this is popping up on your google reader because you haven't had the time to weed me out, surprise! I'm back! If you're stumbling on here for the first time ever, you're just in time. And to my most faithful reader, and the only one I know for sure exists - the one who steals all my clothes, uses my toothbrush, and could only be described as "feisty" (sisters are great) - are you happy now, kiddo?

Regular posting starts tomorrow! Let the fête commence!

kate nash "do wah doo"

2010-05-08T18:12:00.001-07:00

space monkey

2010-05-01T19:33:00.001-07:00

Space Monkey from Leo Burnett on Vimeo.

lady gaga cover "telephone" by the morning pages

2010-04-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

lissie

2010-04-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

carl sagan

2010-04-12T14:18:00.001-07:00

We Are Here: The Pale Blue Dot from dmahr on Vimeo.

janelle monae

2010-04-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

darwin deez

2010-04-08T19:25:00.001-07:00

happy nice spring day!

2010-04-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

photo by me

hud mo

2010-03-28T08:07:00.001-07:00

surprise face

2010-03-23T17:42:00.001-07:00

husbands and husbands

2010-03-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

rena rama "klass 6b"

2010-03-19T12:46:00.001-07:00

WWII WASP - in color!

2010-03-10T14:02:00.001-08:00

dog man

2010-02-10T10:31:00.001-08:00

I've been busybusybusybusybusybusy...

alma

2010-01-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

Alma from Rodrigo Blaas on Vimeo.

my new book lust

2010-01-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

This review in the New York Times of Far Out: A Space-Time Chronicle by Michael Benson has convinced me there would be nothing better to place on my non-existent coffee. To quote the article:

You can sit and look through this book for hours and never be bored by the shapes, colors and textures into which cosmic creation can arrange itself, or you can actually read the accompanying learned essays. Mr. Benson’s prose is up to its visual surroundings, no mean feat.

The NYT has an accompanying image slide show, which I have basically copied below:

The Andromeda Galaxy

Cat's Paw Nebula

The colliding Antenna Galaxies

Bok Globules in the Carina Nebula

Eagle Nebula

Witch Head Nebula

Carina Nebula

Crab Nebula

Horsehead Nebula

Galaxy NGC 4921

NGC 6559

The Pelican Nebula

The Snake Nebula

The Rosette Nebula

This is better than religion - this is the universe we live in.

day brightener

2010-01-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

While stuck in Newark airport for 6 hours, one traveler decided a group sing-along was just the thing.

in science news

2010-01-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

Some scientists think that dolphins are so smart, they should qualify as "non-human persons."

According to research, taking a vacation from your local scene can enhance your mind's ability to come up with a solution for your latest problem.

Physicist Dr. Michio Kaku claims science fiction isn't fiction-y as we all think.

Human nature is scientifically found to be good...

You're better off (by 32 times) seeing a therapist than buying the latest gizmogadget.

This is an incredibly interesting article on the science exploring sleep, wakefulness, and the in between.

Rethink the liveliness of plants - their abilities go beyond anything you'd expect.

Facial expressions are more culturally learned than biological.

This crater on the moon could be your new home.

And now for something completely different:

This claims we put too much faith in our Westernized medical sciences - something that should be taken with a grain of salt, but seems to have a fair amount of truth to it.

NY Senator Diane Savino on gay marriage

2010-01-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

stephan fry on the gods

2010-01-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

no biggie

2010-01-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

bestill my heart

2010-01-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

I have just discovered Cavallini & Co. papers! I was searching for this beautiful calendar that Anthropologie used to sell (you can still buy it on Amazon)....

When I decided to just search for Cavallini itself and see what else I could find. The discovery is, I believe, of epic proportions. They make these beautiful poster sized gift wrap sheets that are of frameable quality and cost around $4.50! They're sold at Kate's Paperie and Touch of Europe, and both sites have a very slight difference in merchandise, so if you have time to kill, you might want to search through them all...

never before seen

2010-01-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

for your consideration

2010-01-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

If you're still having trouble getting up the motivation to come up with your own resolution, the New Year's Resolution Generator will come up with something good for you. My favorite? Change the world. If you don't like those, there's a nice one size fits all list over here.

If your new years resolution is to get organized, the teuxdeux browser app is free, simple, and hella useful. I've been using it for about a week as my home page, and even though I still haven't really gotten much done, at least it's not because I forgot about it.

And I don't know about you but I've been saying "happy two thousand-eleven!" I agree with this that "twenty-eleven" makes more sense, but I feel like a more natural shift might occur in "twenty-twenty."

These 50 practical tips will carry you into the new year without ever finding yourself wearing mismatched socks ("buy ten pairs of black cotton socks and ten woollen; and stick to black for the rest of your life") or laying in bed awake all night ("when tossing and turning in an irrational half-awake state of insomnia, wake yourself up properly, switch on the light, get up and strip and remake your bed, and then go back to bed.")

Solar roadways have the potential to revolutionize our lives as we get one year closer to dreaded "peak oil" and strive to decrease our impact on the world's CO2 emissions. Hello future! Sign me up!

Retrospective decade in review articles are all over the interweb, most fairly negative. But this guy thinks it'll go down as the year the internet revolutionized our world, much like the printing press circa 1440. You can see the impact on the internet in our lives easily thanks to this funny chart "picturing the last ten years."

And finally, continuing with the positivity theme, a changing attitude is emerging from the depths of the recession - one in which people are valuing their experiences more than the latest thing to buy. If we all try to do the same this year, we'll be a much happier group of people.

antarctica

2010-01-02T14:24:00.000-08:00

new years resolution #1: read more books

2010-01-01T19:46:00.000-08:00

Three I'm hoping to get my hands on soon.....

1. This interview with author Robert Waggoner sold me completely on his book Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self. I've had my fair amount of lucid dreaming moments, but all I do every time is fly around for 30 seconds and then forget about it and continue my quest of trying to get a stormtrooper to put on a clown suit or whatever. Waggoner claims experienced lucid dreamers might have the capacity to "pursue telepathic and precognitive information," and apparently he can get you on track towards that goal.

2. On a somewhat similar note, I just wasted way too much of my time on the amazing Get High Now website, exploring their audio and visual highs (the holophonic sound might be my favorite). There's an accompanying book called Get High Now (without drugs) that delves into lots more (including meditation, self-hypnotism, and cheese). And for iphone owners, there is (of course) an app for that.

3. Okay, okay, I admit, I'm a huge name nerd. I watch movie credits for interesting names, keep nameberry.com on my bookmarks bar (best website ever), and on one very momentous occasion, upon hearing the name of a friend's potential romantic prospect, remarked "Oh, that's a Hebrew name meaning 'cedar.'" So you can imagine how much I'm lusting to get my hands on a copy of The Secret Universe of Names, by Roy Feinson. There are rave reviews on Amazon, and I know I personally can't get enough of eerily dead on pseudo-science.

...and three personal favs that everyone should read immediately:

1. You might already be familiar with Kim Edward's amazing The Memory Keeper's Daughter, which has actually been adapted for a Lifetime movie. But it's her earlier collection of short stories The Secrets of A Fire King that I keep coming back to. My favorite, "In the Garden," about a young woman who breaks away from the conventional life she's supposed to lead, is one of the most inspirational things I have ever read :

"More than ever, the world seemed full of mysteries she could hardly comprehend, and the visible fell like a veil between herself and something else, something glimpsed at unexpected moments –a white curtain rising from an open window, or leaf shadows playing on the tiled floor of her room images that layered and gathered, inexplicable but powerful. Yet her intuitions could no longer be contained by the structures she had accepted all her life, and this discovery made her feel breathless, as if she stood on the edge of an abyss, even while the world went on much as it always had, knit back together by the ordinary day-to-day."

2. Thich Nhat Hanh's thin, unassuming book Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life is extremely powerful in its simplicity. Through cute anecdotes and the occasional meditative exercise, Thich Nhat Hanh effectively tackles the issue of achieving awareness and mindfulness in the hustle and bustle of 2010. I pick this book up and flip it open to a random page frequently just to remind myself how easy it is to find time to take a few deep breaths (and what a difference it makes).

3. Tom Robbins' Skinny Legs and All is probably not for everyone. It's wacky, raunchy, waxes philosophical on issues like politics, religion, and art, and includes main characters such as Can o' Beans, Dirty Sock, Spoon, Painted Stick, and Conch Shell (which are exactly what you might think they are, though not as inanimate as you would believe). It's hilarious and speeds right along at times, and then other times you have to stop and really think about what you're reading :

Religion was an attempt to pin down the Divine. The Divine was eternally in flux, forever moving, shifting shape. That was its nature. It was absolute, true enough: absolutely mobile. Absolutely transcendent goddess aspects, but it was ultimately no more male or female than it was star or screwdriver. It was the sum of all those things, but that sum could never be chalked on a slate. The Divine was beyond description, beyond knowing, beyond comprehension. To say that the Divine was Creation divided by Destruction was as close as one could come to definition. But the puny of soul, the dull of wit, weren’t content with that. They wanted to hang a face on the Divine. They went so far as to attribute petty human emotions [anger, jealousy, etc.] to it, not stopping to realize that if God were a being, even a supreme being, our prayers would have bored him to death long ago.

Does anyone have some other suggestions for me? What are you reading now?

little french child

2010-01-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

goodbye 2009

2009-12-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

this is too much

2009-12-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

hip hop

2009-12-29T10:16:00.000-08:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that any video of a small child dancing will always be posted on my blog.

the known universe

2009-12-23T10:39:00.001-08:00

polar bear song

2009-12-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

Well I'm a polar bear and my name is Bjorn
and I've been a polar bear since the day I was born.
Welcome to my kingdom and the world that I roam
the circumpolar arctic, the place that I call home.

They call me Nanook and Ursus Maritimus
two hundred thousand years of evolution helped design us.
With small ears, a big coat and predators' jaws
and a layer of fat just to keep us warm.

Is it only me or do you, do you get the feeling?
While we're watching the sun going down
someone's turning up the central heating.

Well I'm just a polar bear so what do I know
about Milankovitch Cycles and CO2
just twelve-hundred pounds of hi tech fur
with twelve inch paws and two inch claws.

From Hudson Bay to Greenland, Russia to Alaska,
Svalbard out to Baffin and round and back again.
Just waiting on the coastline for the waves to freeze
with seals to hunt and cubs to feed.

Is it only me or do you, do you get the feeling?
While we swim beneath the Northern Lights
the ice pack is retreating.

If only each word that was said was another fall of snow.
If only each well intended thought was another.

Well I'm a polar bear and my name is Bjorn
And I've been a polar bear since the day I was born
Welcome to my kingdom and the world that I roam
the circumpolar arctic, the place that I call home.

day brightener

2009-12-15T11:05:00.000-08:00

monday day brightener

2009-12-14T08:48:00.001-08:00

washington "halloween"

2009-12-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

i'm yours!

2009-12-09T14:20:00.001-08:00

another symphony of science video

2009-11-25T23:18:00.000-08:00

[Narrator]
With every century
Our eyes on the universe have been opened anew
We are witness
To the very brink of time and space

[Robert Jastrow]
We must ask ourselves
We who are so proud of our accomplishments
What is our place in the cosmic perspective of life?

[Carl Sagan]
The exploration of the cosmos
Is a voyage of self discovery
As long as there have been humans
We have searched for our place in the cosmos

[Richard Dawkins]
Are there things about the universe
That will be forever beyond our grasp?
Are there things about the universe that are
Ungraspable?

[Sagan]
One of the great revelations of space exploration
Is the image of the earth, finite and lonely
Bearing the entire human species
Through the oceans of space and time

[Dawkins]
Matter flows from place to place
And momentarily comes together to be you
Some people find that thought disturbing
I find the reality thrilling

[Sagan]
As the ancient mythmakers knew
We're children equally of the earth and the sky
In our tenure on this planet, we've accumulated
Dangerous evolutionary baggage

We've also acquired compassion for others,
Love for our children,
And a great soaring passionate intelligence
The clear tools for our continued survival

[Michio Kaku]
We could be in the middle
Of an inter-galactic conversation
And we wouldn't even know

[Sagan]
We've begun at last
To wonder about our origins
Star stuff contemplating the stars
Tracing that long path

Our obligation to survive and flourish
Is owed not just to ourselves
But also to that cosmos
Ancient and vast, from which we spring

douglas rushkoff

2009-11-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

the cosmos is also within us, we're made of stars

2009-11-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

featuring Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Bill Nye...

by John Boswell of Symphony of Science

for your consideration

2009-11-19T20:18:00.001-08:00

According Miltos Manetas, websites are the ultimate contemporary art form. Especially these ones.

Could you be okay with robot-human relationships? And does anyone get this reference?

Tired of fails? We could all use some succeeds (successes?)!

Ever wanted to join the circus? Here's an interview with a fire eater.

(Read other interviews with people with unusual professions here.)

Supercool collection of sweet celebrity cast pictures.

Androgyny can never really be a bad thing, especially when it comes to fashion.

1000 Awesome Things is always great, but #632 is especially lovely.

David Maisel makes beautiful art using x-ray imaging.

Tim Tams

2009-11-19T12:29:00.000-08:00

I have made an EPIC discovery -

I was fortunate enough to spend a month in Australia a couple years ago and got the opportunity to gorge myself on the uniquely Aussie cookie above. Since I have searched high and low for them in the states, frequently perusing Wegman's International Foods aisle to no avail. And THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, there they were! After a brief wiki search (and about three boxes later), I came across the following information:

Tim Tams were introduced to the USA through Pepperidge Farm as a promotional item from November 2008 t0 March 2009. They were sold through Target stores only; varieties offered were Original (sold as Chocolate Creme) and Caramel. Pepperidge Farm re-released these two varieties with Classic Dark 19th October 2009. This time the Original and Caramel varieties are available in supermarkets other than Target. They will be available in the USA until March 2010 and at the same time every year.
So there you have it - do yourself a favor and run, don't walk, to your nearest grocery and get them while you can! You won't find the normal "Tim Tams" packaging, they just say "Arnott's" but the biscuit is the very same. While you're at it, go here for an excellent how to on the Tim Tam Slam - I would recommend milk and coffee. As for Caramel vs. Classic, I can't really offer my opinion, as I've never actually branched out from the Classic. Buy both and come to your own conclusion?

Enjoy!

Oli Lemieux

2009-11-14T09:13:00.001-08:00

a very long engagement/un long dimanche de fiançailles

2009-11-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

"womanizer" sliimy

2009-11-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

Womanizer in LA hands

Sliimy | MySpace Video

interiors

2009-11-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

Collection of random assorted images that all evoke something dreamy and magical for me. How could anyone live in these spaces and not be constantly inspired?

Apologies to all for the lack of sources, this is randomness I've saved on my computer over the span of months without any accompanying links...

Ólafur Arnalds - Ljósið

2009-11-02T15:51:00.000-08:00

Ólafur Arnalds - Ljósið (Official Music Video) from Erased Tapes on Vimeo.