Fabulous Friday Wrapped in a Rant.

I often collect things on my walks, little bits of paper, small foundlings, color, texture. And, if anyone out there knows me well (and a few of you do *waves* to Mom, Most Avid Reader) you know that I pay attention to "messages". Now, what are the chances of finding a slip of paper with the words "DRUM DRUM DRUM" on it?? Really now. Think about it. And the fact that I have been spending much time thinking about the design for the henna mandala pattern I will be putting on my djembe head, is obviously not lost to the Universe. I was, quite clearly, affirmed. That is so cool!

These dandelions are in my yard. There is something sort of poignant about the one in the background, as if it was resigned, closed in thought, or tired.

And these yummy Two Lipzes are in the yard of a neighbor. I generally don't love tulips, because one good breeze strips the leaves, leaving an awkward stem. But the color on these is wonderful, so I clicked away.

Insert Pause Here. Do you feel the barometric pressure dropping?

I would like to take a moment or three to address some things that are wracking my noggin of late. One is the Myanmar Cyclone. I have a friend who postulates that the cyclone was "created" by US military using Weather Warfare. Frankly, this has me very upset. The whole ordeal has me upset. Another friend sent me the following:

"In the wake of a massive cyclone, tens of thousands of Burmese are dead. More than 40,000 are missing. A million are homeless.

But what's happening in Burma is not just a natural disaster—it's also a catastrophe of bad leadership.

Burma's brutal and corrupt military junta failed to warn the people, failed to evacuate any areas, and suppressed freedom of communication so that Burmese people didn't know the storm was coming when the rest of the world did. Now the government is failing to respond to the disaster and obstructing international aid organizations.

Humanitarian relief is urgently needed, but Burma's government could easily delay, divert or misuse any aid. Today the International Burmese Monks Organization, including many leaders of the democracy protests last fall, launched a new effort to provide relief through Burma's powerful grass roots network of monasteries—the most trusted institutions in the country and currently the only source of housing and support in many devastated communities. Click below to help the Burmese people with a donation and see a video appeal to Avaaz from a leader of the monks:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/burma_cyclone/77.php

Giving to the monks is a smart, fast way to get aid directly to Burma's people. Governments and international aid organizations are important, but face challenges—they may not be allowed into Burma, or they may be forced to provide aid according to the junta's rules. And most will have to spend large amounts of money just setting up operations in the country. The monks are already on the front lines of the aid effort—housing, feeding, and supporting the victims of the cyclone since the day it struck. The International Burmese Monks Organization will send money directly to each monastery through their own networks, bypassing regime controls.

Last year, more than 800,000 of us around the world stood with the Burmese people as they rose up against the military dictatorship. The government lost no time then in dispatching its armies to ruthlessly crush the nonviolent democracy movement—but now, as tens of thousands die, the junta's response is slow and threatens to divert precious aid into the corrupt regime's pockets.

The monks are unlikely to receive aid from governments or large humanitarian organizations, but they have a stronger presence and trust among the Burmese people than both. If we all chip in a little bit, we can help them to make a big difference."

Okay, now onto subject Number Two, which relates...

GRAND THEFT AUTO III RELEASED LAST WEEK HAS GARNERED 500 MILLION DOLLARS.

Think about that for a minute. Think really hard. Now, go back to topic number one. What would 500 million dollars do to help? It astounds me that a violent computer game in which people may steal, rape, buy drugs, have sex with prostitutes and get paid for it can yield THAT much money in so little time, yet people throw up their hands and say they cannot help, don't have the coin, Who Me??? No wonder other countries look at us as if we were the Devil. And...

We spend millions of dollars on music with lyrics like this:

"Can I visit you at work when you're sliding down the pole with no panties and no shirt..." and "she told me to lick it like a lollypop" which play on Morning Stations here regularly, and I stumble on it while driving my kids to school.

What the hell is going on??? I know I am almost 49, an old fart, and I sound like the parents of Elvis fans way back, but crap, this is getting not only absurd, but dangerous. Tell your kids to be overtly sexual, sing aloud and clear about intimate bits, gettin' it juicy??? Zillions of people will fork over 59 bux to buy a game which allows them to blow people to bits. I think one third of the proceeds from the sale of this game should go DIRECTLY to charity. DIRECTLY. Did you hear me? I said DIRECTLY! As in RIGHT NOW, MISSY!!! *stompsfootpointsfinger*

And a while back Martha Stewart held a poll about what should be the next Martha Stewart Living Project, The Big Idea Bakeoff, and in a matter of 2 days almost 625,114 people voted. VOTED. In two days. Now that, my friends, is power.

Why can't we get off our butts and vote for more important things? Like school councils? Town referendums?

So when you are sitting down on your sticky couch with a beer, scratching your nethers and playing with your joystick while blowing up street thugs this weekend, be sure to click on the above link to donate some funds to monks. 'Nuff Said.

Now onto more POSITIVE THINGS. You know, the Keen Stuff...


Your Daily Dose of Cool Things:

Let's Do Something Positive, Eh?

Hope Revo Goes to Rwanda!

Hope Revolution



1000 Journals Project

"The 1000 Journals Project is an ongoing collaborative experiment attempting to follow 1000 journals throughout their travels. The goal is to provide a method for interaction and shared creativity among friends and strangers."

European Space Agency Site for Tracking SPACE CRAP Um, yeah...go look. Holy Cow!

Your Daily Dose of Wonderful Design:

Water Hyacinth Pillow via West Elm.com

Mmmmmm...okay.....I would rather sit on my hands than spend 99 dollars on a pillow, 'specially onaccountabecause of the other rant up there, but still...cudos for design and use of cool natural materials.

Nifty Wittle Savings Bank

Your Daily Dose of Inspiring Words:

(I grew up next door to Fred, and, yes, he was that kind to everyone. And No, that is not his wife)

"The purpose of life is to listen - to yourself, to your neighbor, to your world and to God and, when the time comes, to respond in as helpful a way as you can find... from within and without."
-Fred Rogers

Your Daily Dose of Wicked-Good Food:

"The Bella Sera Pinot Grigio is a crisp, clean and refreshing example of excellence from the Tre Venezie region of Northeastern Italy. Pinot Grigio, known for high acidity, light fruit, and gentle aromas has flourished here for over a century."

I found this wine to be quite nicely balanced. Just the right acidity to fruit, and not too much residual sugar. Some pinot grigios are quite cloying to my palate. Another under $10 everyday wine. Go get some!