Writerquake

Friday Flash 55 -- Her To-Do List

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:11:00 +0000

Links to more of this week's FF55s (works of fiction in 55 words)
are at Mr. KnowItAll, the G-Man.

{I created this FF55 at Clkr.com, where it is now a part of the public domain.}

Old Postcard Wednesday--I Am a Democrat (a tribute to Gabrielle Giffords)

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:10:00 +0000

Gabrielle Giffords. Please DO NOT underestimate this woman!

This photo of Gabrielle Giffords and the accompanying caption were posted in 2010 at HubPages by a conservative who was supporting a GOP candidate running against Giffords in her (successful) bid for reelection that year. I find the wording of his weeny attempt to prevent her reelection to be nearly prophetic. Certainly, it was evident that the congresswoman from Arizona's 8th Congressional District was adept at campaign fundraising and had an uncanny energy to work tirelessly on behalf of her constituents. She possessed passion, power, and perseverance that made her a shining star in the Democratic Party. But she had so much more from where those qualities came to show us....and she did, and she has, and she will continue to inspire.

Tuesday evening, after resigning from her seat in Congress in order to focus on her amazing recovery, she sat one more time among her fellow legislators to hear President Obama's State of the Union 2012 address. She was welcomed by her colleagues with huge admiration, and greeted by the president with joyous warmth. They were some beautiful moments that she richly deserved.

This OPW tribute is my humble way of honoring Gabrielle Giffords as she begins a new phase in her remarkable life. What a Democrat, what a Woman.....what a TIGER she is!

Mag 101 -- dissertation defense

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Kimie's research had ended and the writing was done.
Her advisor had approved all her years' worth of work -
(That doctoral thesis had been a son-of-a-gun)
Now in front of a committee she had to defend it.

If all the world is a stage then this would be a cirque.
Kimie did "mock orals" with friends to fine-tune her "skit" -
(What are your defense materials? garnered her smirk)
Her presentation was planned for great drama and fun.

Messing up this "show" part would write her career obit.
Screw being a professor - she could wind up a clerk -
(She heard the words* of her advisor, Dr. Dar Schmidt)
Kimie knew what she must do to hit a raw home run.

She shed her clothes with her mind on the PhD perk -
Walked into the room in control of wisdom and wit -
(They could see Kim was serious - she was not berserk)
And attached herself to her props: woman sushi bun.

MLydiaM ~ January 2012

* It is quite alright to bring important visual aids or extracts from your thesis (charts, drawings, quotations, tables, etc.) to help you elaborate on your responses to questions. It is not necessary to carry a heavy baggage inside the examination room, but it is certainly assuring to have with you "everything" that you might think will be helpful. Remember, as always, "pictures speak louder than words," and, when short of articulation, one visual aid may be ready for the rescue. Really, you may not have to say, "As you know" if I have only brought with me that particular diagram, you might know exactly what I mean." Do not underestimate the value of simple tools like colored pens. You might actually be asked to demonstrate certain details on a blank transparency, to support your arguments. Likewise, you may not have to say, "Is there a pen somewhere? I wish I can write it all out for you." Certainly, a lack of simple tools during your defense can be misinterpreted as some lack of seriousness or mastery on your part.

[actual source: custompapers.com]

Childhood Personality Traits Predict Adult Behavior
August 5, 2010

We remain recognizably the same person, UC Riverside and Oregon researchers find

Personality traits observed in childhood are a strong predictor of adult behavior, a study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, the Oregon Research Institute and University of Oregon suggests.

The study will appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, a quarterly publication of the Association for Research in Personality, the European Association of Social Psychology, the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and co-sponsored by the Asian Association of Social Psychology and the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists.

Using data from a 1960s study of approximately 2,400 ethnically diverse elementary schoolchildren in Hawaii, researchers compared teacher personality ratings of the students with videotaped interviews of 144 of those individuals 40 years later.

What they discovered was surprising, said Christopher S. Nave, a doctoral candidate at UC Riverside and lead author of the paper, “On the Contextual Independence of Personality: Teachers’ Assessments Predict Directly Observed Behavior After Four Decades.” Co-authors of the paper are Ryne A. Sherman, a UCR doctoral candidate; David C. Funder, UCR professor of psychology; Sarah E. Hampson, a researcher at the Oregon Research Institute; and Lewis R. Goldberg, professor of psychology emeritus at the University of Oregon. The research was sponsored by the National Institute on Aging through a grant to the Oregon Research Institute.

“We remain recognizably the same person,” Nave said. “This speaks to the importance of understanding personality because it does follow us wherever we go across time and contexts.” . . . [Source: redorbit.com]

Visit The Mag to read other Mag 101s inspired by the photo prompt above

(right image: From Boris Hoppek's Tokyo exhibit "Ever").

Friday Flash 55 -- 龙年

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:25:00 +0000

Jiao-long tattoed for weeks and was now frail. He would die soon.

Jiao-long promised Pu that the reward for her patience and bravery was the finest of dragons to be with her always: "Remember my taking you from behind, my hands caressing your shoulders, my soft whispers into your ear. It will be like that."

Links to more of this week's FF55s (works of fiction in 55 words)
are at Mr. KnowItAll, the G-Man.

:::

January 23 is Chinese New Year, ushering in the Year of the Dragon. (The mighty dragon is a mythical beast long celebrated for its benevolence, intelligence and good will. The Chinese dragon has been a common symbol of identity for Far Eastern cultures. Read more here.)

龙年
Meaning: The Dragon

Jiao-long
Meaning: Looks like a dragon Gender: Boy

Pu
Meaning: Uncut jade Gender: Both

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Old Postcard Wednesday--Puget Sound Area, Washington - Aeroplane View

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:31:00 +0000

Now that we have an idea of what the Puget Sound area looked like from the air in the early 1940s, I thought it would be fun to share with you on-the-ground views from all around that area during this week's walloping snow. First, here are a few things to keep in mind ......

In February, the U.S. Census Bureau released the first set of 2010 Census figures for communities in Washington state. Seattle’s population count from the 2010 Census is 608,660, an increase of 45,286 persons or 8.0 percent in ten years. [Source: Seattle.gov]

. . normal average yearly precipitation for our area of the world is around 37 inches.

On average, it rains in Seattle at least 50% of the time, with the heaviest rain periods between January and May and between October and December. June, July and August are our dryest and warmest months.

In the winter, Seattle may see a handful of snow days per year: the last major snow event in Seattle was in 1997, when we were snowed in for a week with several inches. However, in the winter of 2006/2007, the Puget Sound area experienced a number of damaging winter storms, lowland snow, wind storms, and a weeks-long string of below-freezing days -- it remains to be seen whether this winter is an anomaly or part of a larger climatological shift caused by global warming. [Source: Seattle.gov]

My curiosity got the best of me, so I Googled: "How many snow plows does the City of Seattle have?"

Enjoy this snow-tour of the Puget Sound area! Source for all this fun in KING-TV-your news in Seattle.

My Friendly Neighborhood Eagle

by JoshHopp

Posted on January 17, 2012 at 6:30 PM

". . . I am a local Realtor and had the blessing to stay home today with my family. I took this picture from my back porch and thought it should be shared with Washington. It is a true statement of what our Nation stands for."

Perfect weather for horse-made snow angels

by gbigelis

Posted on January 15, 2012 at 4:38 PM

"Shadow loves the snow! I could see that she was getting excited so I started filming. The first 20 seconds of footage is slow, but if you watch long enough you'll see her do the horse version of snow angels, and a hop, skip, and jump!"

Beautiful winter day in Bellingham

by GregB

Posted on January 17, 2012 at 6:32 PM

"I was backing out of my driveway and saw this beautiful snowy scene in my neighborhood."

Surfing in the cold!
by jacksid
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 3:56 PM

Avid surfers, Brian & Matt Stanford brave the freezing temps to catch waves near Port Angeles, Wa.

Brian Stanford (pictured) and his brother Matt brave the cold weather for some surf!

The dog that loves to sled
by pennyjcoker
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 6:33 PM

"Our dog Dempsey was watching the kids and decided to join in, but she didn't need a sled."

Sunny Sequim Gets White Stuff
by normaherbold
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 11:15 AM

"Five miles west of Sequim, we woke to pretty white stuff, 4-5 inches deep. More is forecasted for tonight and tomorrow. Kids are happy...school is closed. Frig is full and no one at our house has to leave. But with another 3 to 5 inches forecasted for tonight...will it loose it's charm?"

{P.S. You'd never know that Sequim is pronounced "Squim" unless I told you! It doesn't even rate a mention in the old postcard photo, but is located to the left of Port Townsend --between Port Townsend and Port Angeles, which also is not shown in the old postcard...}

Snowed-in beluga whale in Marysville??

by julz1

Posted on January 17, 2012 at 9:39 PM

Just Another Beautiful Day At The Beach!
Driftwood in the snow
by islandkidd
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 11:33 PM

Let's close this OPW post with a youtube video that impressed a staff writer at AccuWeather.com, who posted it with commentary (beneath video):

Seattle Drivers, Unused to Snow, Do the Slip n' Slide

YouTube poster jadambrinson wrote "This is what happens to Seattle drivers in the snow. Filmed on First Hill/Capitol Hill at Boren Ave. and University St."

Some YouTube comments laughed at such trouble driving in a small amount of snow. A few YouTube users defended the drivers in slippery conditions.

"Alright listen," YouTube user siebert195 wrote. "I grew up in the Midwest, snow isn't amazing to me. But what people don't understand is Seattle is full of hills even if you don't think it's a steep hill it can cause you to stall. So everyone saying 'it's only two inches people are stupid' come out here and you'll see"

"There are 4 factors that make driving in Seattle different than other areas of the country" YouTube poster sarahr4888 wrote. "Hills, not enough equipment to _really_ handle the snow, lack of experience and/or education in plowing. And finally, the ground is never cold enough. So it always very quickly becomes black ice underneath. I don't blame people for getting freaked out. I once had an 8 hour commute home because of road conditions - compact ice all the way from Seattle. I hate snow in Seattle." [Source: AccuWeather.com]

Poetics: Sofia

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:44:00 +0000

Sofia was born with eyes
the color of the sea; she
stared at her folk in silence —
no coos or cries or
sleepy sighs.
·Only eyes·
looking.

Sofia's hair was soft black
but later changed hue, shining
like black pearls in the hot sun —
no pins or bows or
adornments.
·Only braids·
flying.

Sofia's heart was carefree
and her dancing in the sand
brought joy to her small village —
no boys or beaus or
dance partners.
·Only girl·
twirling.

Sofia's spirit was searching
for the source that blued the sea,
for the songs inside the sand —
no more or less or
in between.
·Only soul·
longing.

Sofia's calling was lifelong
as she grew in faith and girth
in the abbey lost in fog —
no hearth or mirth or
peaceful soul.
·Only eyes·
looking.
MLydiaM ~ January 2012

Submitted for Poetics at dVerse Poets. This week we are asked by Victoria C. Slotto to consider the art of Fernando Botero. From her options I chose: "Write an Ekphrastic poem on a piece of art by Botero."
The piece above is Mother Superior by Fernando Botero.

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Friday Flash 55 -- Lord Helpme

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:20:00 +0000

Djinn by Rene Bauer

I am Lord Helpme, here because I could no longer ignore you calling my name.

Do I know you? What's your problem, lady?...lordhelpme! this and lordhelpme! that. This is a huge network; I am amazingly busy. If you need something, for godssake put it on your damn Wishlist.

And have your credit card number ready.

Links to more of this week's FF55s (works of fiction in 55 words)
are at Mr. KnowItAll, the G-Man.

Old Postcard Wednesday--The Nixon Family

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:59:00 +0000

The first election in which I was eligible to vote was in 1972, when Nixon ran for re-election against
George McGovern. I drove alone to the old University of Nevada gymnasium and there, behind a dull-gray curtain in one of a bank of narrow voting booths along one wall, I set my ballot on a tiny shelf and -- full of a certain solemn excitement -- I cast my passionate vote for McGovern.

The rest is history.

Nov. 7, 1972

Headlines throughout post via Bing Images. The postcard has no information printed on the back, so I do not know the date of the photo. The text source for article quoted below is at end of article.

1972: Nixon VS. George McGovern

    1972’s election outcome was decided early on in the Democratic primary. The Democrats were trying to oust a sitting president who although not very popular, was an effective president. What made their task even harder was that the Democrats lost their front runner candidate, Edmond Muskie, early because the media portrayed him as an emotionally unstable person because he appeared to be “crying” while he was denouncing a news paper editorial that attacked his wife. The incident left the Democrat party without a candidate capable of unsetting the President.
     Since the outcome of the election was not in doubt, the only thing that was memorable about the 1972 election was the Watergate scandal that started out small and eventually forced the President to resign for the first time in the history of the U.S.A. The Democratic Party was in disarray as they were in the 1968 election. They nominated McGovern who was known as a very left wing liberal and an ineffective campaigner. In addition, the candidate's first choice for a running mate was forced to resign because the media found out that he had received shock therapy. The candidate was forced to look for another Vice President nominee at the time he should have been focusing on getting his message across to the voters. The person he picked for the Vice President was President Kennedy’s brother in law, Sergeant Shriver, who had never run for elected office and his only experience in the government was being the first peace corp. director under the Kennedy administration.
      The press constantly criticized the Democratic candidate for everything from his stand on the issues to his strategy. President Nixon's campaign was portrayed as an efficient and superior model of how to run a successful campaign. The press took the Nixon campaign portrayal of the McGovern policies as out of the main stream and ran with it without investigating it and finding out for themselves. The McGovern campaign was no match for the Nixon campaign organization and their constant distortion of his ideas to the media. The media took as a fact most of the distortion without trying to ascertain the fact. One of the reasons the media portrayed the McGovern campaign in a negative light is because the media knew that Nixon was going to win and they did not want to carry a favor with the President who was very vindictive against reporters who reported negative stories against the administration or the campaign.
     The media hated Nixon until he became President. Nixon, for his part, also hated the media and blamed them for his loss of the presidential election of 1960 and the California Governor election of 1962. When he ran in 1968, he largely avoided the media. Once he became President, he mostly eliminated the reporters he did not like by not granting privileges to the White House and by not granting access to the administration officials. The action forced the media to be exceedingly fair to the Nixon administration until the Watergate scandal erupted. Many reporters did not want to report negative stories about the administration because they feared losing sources and access to the White House. The media also did not like the Democratic candidate and many newspapers endorsed President Nixon. That is one reason why many newspapers, except the Washington Post, did not bother to dig deep when the Watergate scandal broke out. Had the truth come out before the election, Nixon would most likely would have been defeated, sparing the country two years of turmoil in the executive branch and two years of the most corrupt and paranoid President in the history of the United States of America.
      With the help of the media, Nixon won a second term in one of the biggest landslide election in the U.S. history. He won all the States except for Massachusetts. However, the euphoria did not last long. The administration was soon forced to answer question about the Watergate scandal, which was dismissed as third rate burglary until two reporters from Washington Post discovered the burglars connection with the Republican National Committee and the Nixon re-election committee CREEP. The administration tried to stop Woodward and Bernstein from investigating the scandal by threatening the Washington Post not to renew the company’s television station license unless they ceased reporting on the burglary. When the administration threatened the Washington Post for reporting the burglary, it picked the interest of other reporters and the burglary soon turned into scandal and forced the sitting President to resign under a threat of impeachment.

Aug. 9, 1974

The lasting legacy of the Watergate scandal is that the media now thinks every mistake a President makes is another Watergate that needs to be investigated and reported as a scandal without any evidence. Not only do reporters portray small mistakes as a scandal, they also go out of their way to investigate and dig for “dirt” to see if the person is clean and worthy of being a President. The unintended cost of the media’s obsession with scandal and investigation is that it turns people off from seeking elected office because they do not want their privacy to be violated. It also makes it harder for the candidates to convey their messages to the voters because what the media reports give priority to the scandal, not for the candidate's ideas. [Source: kennesaw.edu]

I Tell Myself the Story: a poem

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 12:43:00 +0000

Birth by Neville Longmore

I Tell Myself the Story

She is no longer here to tell me the story of my birth

on my birthday but the birthday will come nevertheless —

quietly, inevitably — margin notes in the book of hours

that she and I no longer share. Shhh-it is

almost here again and I must tell myself the story

that is more her story than my own:

How she longed for a babe long and long, and

how unexpectedly, finally, she was expecting one.

I came into that quiet room silenced by nurses who

stood motionless, in awe of her singular work of

Pain-and-Breathing, Breathing-into-Silence. Shhh, one

whispered then. Shhh, she is having one now! Shhhe

heard their voices from the wave she was surfing

as it swelled and crashed, then contracted back —

hissing in the book of hours that waves share

with the moon and moondance mothers

like mine, who rejected the fog of sleep on the

shore for her sacred Power-over-Pain. Shhhells —

some small as babies' ears, some large as wombs —

whished and hummed to the rhythm of her breathing,

rolling along the bottom of the sea. Fish the colors

of rainbows burst like bubbles in her mind.

Whales clicked and moaned on her behalf, while

she without sounds, with eyes closed in meditation,

she with wistful longing for long and long,

breathed me onto page one of our book of hours.

MLydiaM ~ January 2012

Submitted for Poetics at dVerse Poets. This week we are asked by Sheila Moore to consider Onomato: "Write a poem using at least one onomatopoeia."

Note: The book my mother read and used as her birth coach at age 35 was:

Childbirth without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth.

Friday Flash 55 -- Parker

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:42:00 +0000

big city cowboy by ATMAN VICTOR

Marci didn’t understand the forces that charged her life or the powers that had held her mute and still just long enough for Parker to overwhelm her. He was different. Not even her type. A native Texan who valued such things as alligator-skin cowboy boots and prime meat. He placed women in the latter category.

- excerpt from my unpublished, unread, unloved short story titled: What Killed the Cat

Links to more of this week's FF55s (works of fiction in 55 words)
are at Mr. KnowItAll, the G-Man.

..

Old Postcard Wednesday--1912 New Year (and time capsule of events that year!)

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:40:00 +0000

While studying this beautiful embossed postcard celebrating good wishes for 1912, and after reading the written greeting (that reads uncannily like a modern-day message), I found myself wondering what was happening in the world 100 years ago. I have selected a smattering of information from that time and hope you enjoy the ride in the time machine!

Jan 1 - Sun Yat-Sen forms the Republic of China.

Sun Yat-sen was the leader of China's republican revolution. He did much to inspire and organize the movement that overthrew the Manchu dynasty in 1911—a family of rulers that reigned over China for nearly three hundred years. Through the Kuomintang Party he paved the way for the eventual reunification of the country. [Source: NotableBiographies.com - click link above for full bio]

Jan 8 - The African National Congress is founded.
The African National Congress, currently South Africa's ruling party, endured a rough ride from its formation in 1912 to its current position of power. . .

In 1911, one-year after the formation of the British colony known as the Union of South Africa, Pixley ka Isaka Seme addressed the diminishing rights for blacks in the country, urging the people to form one national organisation, united against oppression.

As a consequence, tribal Chiefs and heads of religious groups gathered in Bloemfontein in January 1912, forming the African National Congress, an organisation designed to promote the rights and freedoms of the African people... [Photo Source: columbia.edu - click link in text above for article.
Text Source: essortment - click here above for full ANC history]

Jan 18 - English explorer Robert F Scott & his expedition reach South Pole, only to discover that Roald Amundsen had gotten there before

Feb 8 - 1st eastbound US transcontinental flight lands in Jacksonville, Fla
Feb 14 - Arizona was admitted to the Union as the 48th state

Mar 1 - Capt. Albert Berry makes 1st parachute jump from an airplane

The idea of parachutes had been around a long time, with the original credit going to either the Chinese or to Leonardo da Vinci, but the first man to ever jump out of an airplane with a parachute was U.S. Army Captain Albert Berry. He jumped from a biplane at about 1500 feet over Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis, Missouri, on March 1, 1912. Though some people believe that a man named Grant Morton parachuted from a plane in 1911 off the coast of California, the skydiving community (and in 2003, the U.S. government's Centennial of Flight Commission) commonly gives credit for the first airplane jump to Albert Berry. Berry's pilot was Tony Jannus, a pioneering aviator who died in a crash in Russia in 1916. [Source: Who2 Biographies]

Mar 27 - 1st Japanese cherry blossom trees planted in Washington D.C. -

(First Lady) Helen Herron Taft and the Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador, planted two Yoshino cherry trees on the northern bank of the Tidal Basin, about 125 feet south of what is now Independence Avenue, SW. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the first lady presented a bouquet of "American Beauty" roses to Viscountess Chinda. Washington's renowned National Cherry Blossom Festival grew from this simple ceremony, witnessed by just a few persons. These two original trees still stand several hundred yards west of the John Paul Jones Memorial, located at the terminus of 17th Street, SW. Situated near the bases of the trees is a large bronze plaque which commemorates the occasion. [Source: nps.gov]

Mar 29th - Capt Robert Scott, storm-bound in a tent near South Pole, makes last entry in his diary "the end cannot be far"

Apr 9th - Ulster 1912 by Rudyard Kipling first published in the Morning Post April 9th 1912, and reprinted in the same newspaper in November 1921 (without Kipling's permission). The heading is from Isaiah 59,6.
For historical background, see essay here.

A poem by Rudyard Kipling about the events in Ireland during 1912.
Kipling was showing his support for the Ulster Unionist cause during the Home Rule crisis.

Apr 15th - Titanic sinks at 2:27 AM off Newfoundland as band plays on

Apr 17th - 1st unofficial gold record (Al Jolson's "Ragging The Baby To Sleep")
Listen below:

May 5th - Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda begins publishing (4/22 OS)
May 7th - Columbia University approves plans for awarding the Pulitzer Prize in several categories The award is established by Joseph Pulitzer

May 29th - 15 young women fired by Curtis Publishing for dancing "Turkey Trot" during their lunch break
(Note: No film exists of that particular event, so we must zip ahead to 1965 for this demonstration by Little Eva.....)

Jun 4th - Massachusetts passes 1st US minimum wage law

Jun 7th - St Pius X encyclical "On Indians of South America"

To the Archbishops and Bishops of Latin America. . .

Being greatly moved by the deplorable condition of the Indians in Lower America, our illustrious predecessor Benedict XIV pleaded their cause, as you are aware, in most weighty words, in his letter "Immensa Pastorum," given on December 22, 1741; and since we also have to deplore in many places almost the same things that he then lamented, we most earnestly recall those letters of his to your memory. . .. . .Nevertheless, though much has thus been done for the Indians, there is much more that still remains to be done. And, indeed, when we consider the crimes and outrages still committed against them, our heart is filled with horror, and we are moved to great compassion for its most unhappy race. For what can be so cruel and so barbarous as to scourge men and brand them with hot iron, often for most trivial causes, often for a mere lust of cruelty; or, having suddenly overthrown them, to slay hundreds or thousands in one unceasing massacre; or to waste villages and districts and slaughter the inhabitants, so that some tribes, as we understand, have become extinct in these last few years?
[Source: papalencyclicals.net]

Jul 15th - British National Health Insurance Act goes into effect

Britain was not the first country to provide insured benefits. Germany had provided compulsory national insurance against sickness from 1884. After visiting Germany in 1908, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George said in his 1909 Budget Speech, that the United Kingdom should aim to be "putting ourselves in this field on a level with Germany; We should not emulate them only in armaments." In 1908 David Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Liberal government led by Herbert Asquith proposed the 1911 National Insurance Act. This measure gave the British working classes the first contributory system of insurance against illness and unemployment. [Source: Wikipedia]

Aug 7th - Progressive (Bull Moose) Party nominates Theodore Roosevelt for pres
Aug 24th - Territory of Alaska organizes
Aug 25th - 1st time an aircraft recovers from a spin
Aug 25th - The Kuomintang, the Chinese nationalist party, is founded.

Sep 3rd - World's 1st cannery opens in England to supply food to the navy
Sep 23rd - 1st Mack Sennett "Keystone Comedy" movie released

Sep 27th - W C Handy publishes "Memphis Blues" -- 1st Blues Song

Oct 8th - Montenegro declares war on Turkey, beginning 1st Balkan War
Oct 17th - Bulgaria, Greece & Serbia declares war on Turkey
Oct 18th - Beginning of 1st Balkan War
Oct 18th - Italo-Turkish war ends
Oct 19th - Tripoli (Libya) passes from Turkish to Italian control

Nov 5th - Arizona, Kansas & Wisconsin vote for female suffrage
Nov 5th - Woodrow Wilson (D) defeats Theodore Roosevelt (Prog) & Pres Taft (R)

Nov 12th - Robert Scott's diary & dead body found in Antarctica

'These rough notes and our dead bodies'

Images of Robert Scott's attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole, 1910-1913. Part of a new exhibition at Cambridge University. Some of these photographs have never been shown to the public before. [Source: WindsorStar.com..... see gallery 'These rough notes and our dead bodies'.]

Nov 18th - Albania declares independence from Turkey

Dec 3rd - Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece & Bulgaria sign weapons pact
Dec 3rd - First Balkan War: The Naval Battle of Elli takes place.
Dec 7th - Bust of Queen Nefertete found in El-Amarna, Egypt
Dec 16th - Austria-Hungary engage in conflict with Serbia

Dec 28th - The first municipally owned streetcars take to the streets in San Francisco, California.

(Prior history: 1892 April - First electric streetcars with overhead wires began running in San Francisco;
1906 April 18 - San Francisco's Great Earthquake damages the cable cars, allowing United Railroads (URR) to convert much of the city to streetcar service.)

[Photo via Bing Images: Fillmore Street north, as a truck is stuck trying to climb the hill, streetcar in background, 1912.]

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2012: a poem

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:22:00 +0000

BlueFaceGirl by Joan de Bot

2012

Yet ether coming into form,
skin turning from cosmic blue to
something golden as filtered rays
pierce the newness of you,
changing you
in the hissing crack of dawn.

Damp layers of your forming
foaming, then laying down cell
upon cell, as foam puzzles and
teases out the face
the world will see, with
an ear like a conch to hear
terrorist chatter as well as
the music of the spheres, with
a small blue eye that is seed-like
because you see in many ways,
with that mane of locks
tied by blue ribbons resembling
snakes from a galaxy you knew.

The rest of you still becoming
underneath an array of colors
you gathered at midnight and
held fast because they
made you giggle.
You want to remember
that simple joy later--
when your heart beats
for the longing masses,
when your core hardens
around the soft center of
hope that welcomed you.

When you have finally shed
your swirling cloak of colors
will we see more armor?--
Or is that claw you clutch
with your delicate hand
not armour, but a weapon? --
Or not a weapon, but what
you want to fall upon
to save us from ourselves?

MLydiaM ~ January 2012

Combo: FormForAll and Friday Flash 55 -- Old Moon, New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:37:00 +0000

It happened in the moonlight by Catrin Welz-Stein

Old Moon, New Year

He waits by moon’s light ever crescent;
another year sizzles, then fades.

For hundreds of years he has tended
the gold key in his vintage hands.

Fire cones dance in a jeweled sky;
a crystal ball drops in Times Square.

Auld Lang Syne is the saddest of songs
for the guard of a captive moon.

MLydiaM ~ December 2011

At dVerse Poets Pub, Gay Reiser Cannon is hosting FormForAll--Couplets for the New Year. What an enchanting, instructional, and fascinating post she wrote about couplets in various forms. I am grateful on a regular basis to D'Team at dVerse for the remarkable professionalism and personal creativity and care each member gives to the different writing prompts there. What a treat it is to think of a new year full of discovery via dVerse Poets Pub!

Ms. Cannon, in her essay about couplets, described a couplet form I had never heard of before--the form I selected to try here--Crystallines. This is an excerpt: Crystallines are small poems, limited to 17 syllables, whose primary focus appears to be to match the Japanese clarity of image with the English harmony of sound. It was inspired by the Haiku and like the haiku it may be at its best when written in present tense. Any reference that can place the verse in context much like the Japanese kigo (season) or kidai (symbolic seasonal reference) is recommended.

She gave several examples of Crystallines including a Crystalline Sequence, in which each stanza in the longer piece is a Crystalline, i.e. 17 syllables. So, I wondered, can I compose a Crystalline Sequence comprised of 55 words to satisfy the requirement for a Flash Fiction 55 (works of fiction in 55 words)?
Well, I did it.......but I will never ever admit how many hours it took!

Links to more of this week's FF55s

are at Mr. KnowItAll, the G-Man.

Visit FormForAll--Couplets for the New Year

to read couplets written by other poets at dVerse.

Have a Safe and Happy New Year.

I am looking forward to another year of blogging with all of you.

Old Postcard Wednesday--Child's silhouette, wartime Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:28:00 +0000

When I purchased this old postcard I intended to post it during one of the windstorms sure to come this winter. The first one arrived Tuesday evening, just in time for me to begin this edition of Old Postcard Wednesday. There are alarming gusts outside now pitting the various wind chimes against one another in a strange competition. Then there is silence, and I wonder if that is the end of it....until the next strong gust. Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile are, by now, aware that we have three giant Sequoias in our backyard and I admit to a certain degree of angst on windy winter days and nights because of their immensity. I tucked this sonnet away in, of all places, my underwear drawer to calm me, if needed:

Sonnet: The Wind -by Dr. John Celes

What shakes the trees so violently? 'Tis Wind;
What moves the clouds hither/thither? 'Tis Wind;
What takes the tornado around? 'Tis Wind;
What brings the sandstorm on the earth? 'Tis Wind.

What makes the cool and gentle breeze? 'Tis Wind;
What makes the boughs and leaves to dance? 'Tis Wind;
What makes the autumn leaves to fall? 'Tis Wind;
What makes the honey-bees to fly? 'Tis Wind.

What makes pollen reach in showers? 'Tis Wind;
What makes the dust to climb towers? 'Tis Wind;
What spreads the perfume of flowers? 'Tis Wind;
What makes the rain-clouds advance far? 'Tis Wind.

What makes the Wind to blow? 'Tis God;
What makes a Tempest stop? 'Tis our Lord.
(7-18-2001)

Some online old postcard sellers do not show the back of the postcards they have for sale, and such was the case regarding today's postcard. I love silhouettes, and I thought this one was particularly eye-catching. When I turned it over last evening to see if there was a written message on the back I immediately thought: oh here we go again!...perhaps if Francessa reads this post she will grace us with another translation in her comments! [Postscript: She translated it for us! See first comment.]

It was not until I scanned the postcard and had it enlarged on the monitor that I paid any attention to the stamp. Truly, I gasped -- just wasn't prepared to see a 6-Pfennig Hitler Head stamp. It adds a whole different twist to the mood of the front silhouette. What seemed a somewhat playful scene of a child fighting against a gust of wind to maintain control of her umbrella becomes a child caught in the winds of war. How quickly our impressions of something can change, be changed, when we have more than only partial information. This serves as a reminder to keep our eyes wide open, to look at both sides of any given situation, and to bravely hold onto our truths.

To end the year on a lighter note, I thought you would be as interested as I was to learn a bit about the place where this old postcard was postmarked back in 1944, Wuppertal-Elberfeld. (emphasis added)

Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929.

Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land. Wuppertal is known for its steep slopes, its woods and parks, and its suspension railway, the Wuppertal Schwebebahn. Two-thirds of the total municipal area of Wuppertal is green space. From any part of the city it is only a ten-minute walk in one of the public parks or woodland paths.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Wuppertal was one of the biggest industrial regions of continental Europe. Wuppertal today is still a major industrial centre, being home to industries such as textiles, metallurgy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals (Aspirin was invented in Wuppertal in 1897 by Bayer), electronics, automobiles, rubber, vehicles and printing equipment. . .

Wuppertal in its present borders was formed in 1929 by merging the early-industrial cities of Barmen and Elberfeld with Vohwinkel, Ronsdorf, Cronenberg, Langerfeld, and Beyenburg. The initial name Barmen-Elberfeld was changed in a 1930 referendum to Wuppertal (“Wupper Valley”). . .

During World War II, about 40% of buildings in the city were destroyed by Allied bombing, as were many other German cities and industrial centres. . .

The US 78th Infantry Division captured Wuppertal against scant resistance on 16 April 1945. After the last World War, the U.S.A. held the intellectual ownership rights to Bayer and other German companies and organisations. Wuppertal became a part of the British Zone of Occupation, and subsequently part of the new state of North Rhine-Westphalia in West Germany. [Source: Wikipedia]

Finally, two videos of present-day Wuppertal. The first one, delightfully, shows quite a few people sporting umbrellas!

(Runs 3:58)

The second features Wuppertal's unique hanging monorail train.

(Runs 2:05)

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 08:07:00 +0000

Saucer Dogs by Rudy Rucker

Not a Midsummer Night's Dream

Morning urges woke the puppy
and I ignored her whimpers
to finish my dream of UFOs.

Still dazed by the strange visit
and remembering our saucer-melted fence,
I saw the dog to her escape.
We stared then together
at what night brought as we dreamed.

Two timid steps forward acquainted
puppy with the crunch-joy
of her first snow.
~ MLydiaM

I saw this image online and it reminded me of a poem I wrote many years ago. Consider it a whimsical placeholder between Christmas and Old Postcard Wednesday posts! Enjoy the final days of your family gatherings, and if you are about to get on the roads to head home please take care.
.

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 10:02:00 +0000

Tis The Season by Robert Hess

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever.

-- Bess Streeter Aldrich

Christmas is the keeping-place for memories of our innocence.

--Joan Mills

Christmas – that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance – a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.

--Augusta E. Rundel

This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone.

--Taylor Caldwell

Friday Flash 55 -- Bon Appétit from Auntie Gwen

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:11:00 +0000

Dad's aunt Gwen, a legally-blind recluse who rarely left her room at the nursing home, was coming for Christmas dinner, likely her last holiday.

.....

Dad escorted Gwen inside, giving us the look as she handed a basket to mom.

"These are goodies I saved from the Center. They're all made from scratch.* No ghastly preservatives!"

Links to more of this week's FF55s (works of fiction in 55 words)

are at Mr. KnowItAll, the G-Man.

*FROM SCRATCH (adverb)
Meaning: From the beginning
Context example: he baked the torte from scratch

Image: Five Moldy Things by funkwood via FREAKING NEWS

Old Postcard Wednesday--Chamonix ~Traversée de la Mer de Glace

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:52:00 +0000

I rarely add this, but....click on image to enlarge (because it's worth it!).

As we bid goodbye to autumn and settle in for the snoozes and surprises that winter brings I thought this old postcard would get us used to looking at (or for) snow in the days ahead:

Chamonix. Traversee de la Mer de Glace (Crossing the Sea of Ice)

The Mer de Glace, the Ice Cave and the Montenvers Train are one of the biggest attractions in the Chamonix valley. The Mer de Glace is the largest glacier in France, 7kms long and 200m deep. In the winter, thousands of skiers follow the glacier down to the Montenvers Railway station after skiing the famous "Vallee Blanche".

To access the Mer de Glace and the Ice Cave in Chamonix, you should take the little train of the Montenvers. The Montenvers train leaves from Chamonix town center (Gare du Montenvers).

Brief Chamonix History

In 1741 two Englishmen, Windham and Pococke, discovered the 'Chamouny' valley and its glaciers. Their expedition was met by a rural population of mountain farmers. This community lived off animal husbandry and a sparse harvest of oats and rye.

Windham and Pococke explored the valley and visited the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice). The stories of their exploits, published in literary journals throughout Europe, started a craze to find out more about Chamonix. . .[Source: Chamonix.net]

Also from Chamonix.net, here is a new video "snow report" dated Dec. 13, 2011, shot at the Grands Montets valley of Chamonix Mont Blanc. It is one of the most natural ski videos I've ever seen.

(Video runs 1:32)

This is a panorama view that will give you an idea of the proximity of the Mer de Glace (in the old postcard) to Mont Blanc (in the video). Mer de Glace is almost center, Mont Blanc over to the right.

I acquired the gorgeous panorama from another website featuring the wonders of the area, Chamonix.com, which is where the following background information comes from:

Chamonix offers exceptional viewpoints, which can be reached either by use of the lifts or the hiking trails. The different panoramas are situated along the length and breadth of the valley, in the heart of the Mont-Blanc and Aiguilles Rouges mountain ranges. An extraordinary panoramic trip, accessible to all. Just a few minutes cable travel or a few hours on foot for the hardy and you will find yourselves immersed in the beauty of this majestic site.

Mont Blanc

The “roof of Europe”, the world’s third-ranking most visited natural area, continues to attract millions of visitors and thousands of mountaineers every year. Conquering Mont Blanc is a dream shared by many amateur mountaineers and enthusiasts. This dream is possible as long as one does not underestimate the apparently easy slopes of this legendary mountain.

The last measurements of Mont Blanc: September 2009
New measurements of Mont Blanc’s altitude: 4810.45 m, unfailing stability!

According to the measurements taken in September 2007, Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps and Western Europe, had an altitude of 4810.90 metres, i.e., an increase of 2.15 metres in relation to 2005 – a record altitude since the first GPS measurements in 2001. On 12 & 13 September 2009, Haute-Savoie’s land surveyors performed the 5th operation for measuring the altitude of the roof of Europe, as part of Annecy’s candidature for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
According to the first analyses performed, Mont Blanc measures exactly 4,810.45 m, and the volume of ice above 4,800 m is 21,626 m3. Due to the prevailing winds, the summit has moved 26m to the East (following the axis of the top ridge), towards Italy.

Glaciers in the Chamonix Valley
Covering a surface area of 125 km2, the glaciers are omnipresent in the Chamonix valley and contribute to the outstanding beauty of the site. Since time memorial, these ice giants have inspired fear, incredulity and admiration.

The Mer de Glace

« A sea, stirred by a strong breeze, then suddenly frozen to ice » Windham (1741)
The Mer de Glace is one of the worlds most visited natural sites. This enthusiasm began in the 18th century when wealthy and learned travellers, in quest of discovery and knowledge, began to show an interest in the glaciers and in particular this unique spot. Since 1908 the Montenvers-Mer de Glace cog railway enables enthusiastic visitors to follow in the footsteps of those illustrious pioneers: Rousseau, Hugo, Nodier, Sand, Goethe, Shelley, Liszt and so many more...

The ice grotto: takes you into the heart of the glacier where you may discover the astounding colour of the ice, beautiful carvings and models in period clothing, witness to bygone mountain life, as if frozen in time. Every year (and for the past 50 years) a new grotto is meticulously sculpted in the ice as the previous work of art is slowly but surely transported down the valley by the glacier.

Have a beautiful and safe winter, Everyone.

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Mag 96 -- look alikes

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:26:00 +0000

It is said that when two people
livetogether for many years
they grow to mirror one another, to
LOOK AlikeekilA KOOL.

The year Milly left she read
nothing but Sylvia Plath;
she secretly arranged for a
family reunion at Disneyland; and
she stopped looking at herself
in mirrors.

The day Milly left she wrote
a note to her husband
on back of the birthday picture
he took (HE SNAPPED):

I can no longer
live in your shadow,

and I refuse to be
your beard.
MLydiaM ~ December 2011

Visit Magpie Tales to read other Mag 96s

inspired by the photo prompt above

(image: Lee Friedlander, 1966).

Friday Flash 55 -- Website For Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:40:00 +0000

FOR SALE: Residential metal mailbox on weatherproof pole, fresh paint 2011, air-tight lid closure prevents moisture and rust inside. Detached, newer model newspaper delivery holder -- alternative uses possible if buyer not a subscriber or if newspaper ceases printing. Older neighborhood w/lots of hiding places from birds, cats, and frogs. Contact owner at Website: www.SpidersGoneMild.com

Links to more of this week's FF55s (works of fiction in 55 words)

are at Mr. KnowItAll, the G-Man.

The image I used for this 55 is actually one of mine. I took it last week when a freezing fog presented the scene as art to me.

Old Postcard Wednesday--England of Old ·1475·

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:01:00 +0000

This old postcard is in honor of my most loyal Old Postcard Wednesday reader, author of the unique blog Don't Feed the Pixies, and his lady love, Herself -- two of the finest ever citizens of England, whether England of Old or the modern U.K. Thank you for another year of your warm friendship.

A new book I ordered just arrived in the mail on Tuesday. It is titled Poetry for the Spirit--Poems of Universal Wisdom and Beauty, edited by Alan Jacobs. From the back cover:

This is the greatest anthology of spiritual poetry that has ever been collected. The sheer range of the source material is extraordinary: it spans all ages from the very early mystics more than 4,000 years ago right through to the 20th century and includes contributions from every spiritual tradition - from every age.

I began paging through the book in hopes of finding a poem written around the time of the scene pictured in this postcard (1475). I found this one that resonated for me in Part 3: Fourteenth Century to Fifteenth Century.

See what you think.....

'Arrival to the Oxford market': Anonymous (XIII century--a bit ahead
of the postcard scene)

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Mag 95 -- hitting bottom

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:26:00 +0000

In the wake of what had long ago become obvious to his family and friends,

Harold admitted that he had

"hit bottom."

He was ready to accept help.

Though it would not be an easy journey,

calmer waters were ahead provided he

follow his inner compass

and

stay the course.

MLydiaM ~ December 2011

Visit Magpie Tales to read other Mag 95s

inspired by the photo prompt above (image by Mostafa Habibia).

For help click HERE (Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator).

Friday Flash 55 -- Haiku on winter in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:07:00 +0000

Winter Wonderland by Laurel Nelson

geisha faeries stroll -
cold hips on dry gnarled limbs -
warm hearts underneath robes

porcelain snowflakes,
wings fluttering on backs
in front of the tea house

silent the snowfall...
spring rehearsing symphony
resounds underground

butterflies in snow
whisper many languages:
each flake is unique

Snow is falling
in Land of the Rising Sun --
make Buddha snowman

Links to more of this week's FF55s (works of fiction in 55 words)

are at Mr. KnowItAll, the G-Man.

I do not always adhere to the Haiku format "rule" of 17 syllables in a 5-7-5 pattern. In fact, three of the Haiku in this post just turned out being 5-7-5 without my working them into that form. My new-found freedom came as a result of what I learned in this enlightening article, Becoming a Haiku Poet, specifically in the 7th paragraph that begins: You may have noticed that thus far I've said almost nothing about form in haiku. That's because form is not nearly as important as the other strategies I've covered. Form, in fact, is the most misunderstood aspect of haiku. . .

Tweet this!

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:22:00 +0000

On account of my missing the regular publication of Old Postcard Wednesday this week due to the flu that is a hard one to knock, I thought I would share this image with you because I did so on my Facebook wall last night and it has been a big hit with friends there.

Over the weekend my husband was working outside and he rushed into the house, telling me to grab my camera and urging me to look out in the back yard. I really didn't want to move from my cozy spot, but when someone's eyes are shining as his were, well.......

It was worth it to put my comforter aside to capture this scene. It is the gazebo bird feeder under our giant Sequoias, that contains on most days sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and peanuts -- but, on the day this was taken, also contained a neighbor's young female cat.

Since the male cat, formerly owned by the same people who own the one in this picture, has in the last months totally adopted us, and since I do not choose to "adopt" any more strays, I really think I will share a copy of the photo with them!

Mag 94 -- it's enough to make you want to give up, but don't (version #2)

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:19:00 +0000

Oh, I ache and I ail,
Feeling sick as a barker,
Stuck at home with the flu.
Dog days are over?
Well, here is my hunch--
Tell that to my tummy
And break my mirror glass--
Yuck, I sure am no looker.

So, this faux magpie tale,
Resumé by Dorothy Parker,
Will most certainly do.
Reporter and rover,
Her Round Table at lunch
Would sure have been yummy--
Wow, what style and class--
Unlike this scene by Tooker.

MLydiaM ~ December 2011 George Tooker, Lunch, 1964

Visit Magpie Tales to read other Mag 94s inspired by the photo prompt above. The link in my poem takes you to an older post with the same painting and with a much better poem--by Dorothy Parker.

For the history of the Algonquin Round Table visit the official website.

[NOTE: It is quite likely that I will give myself permission to not publish an Old Postcard Wednesday post this week.]

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