FRIEDA BABBLEY

Do You Know Where Your Remote Is?

2012-10-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

I remember the days when the only stations you got were ABC (channel 2), CBS (channel 4), NBC (channel 5), and PBS (channel 9). It was exciting to then start getting KPLR TV(channel 11), and thrilling to get a channel 30 (for the life of me I can't remember the call letters). This was back in the '70s. Back when black and white TVs were still popular, so were console televisions. There was a turn dial, some of them, like ours, had two - one to change the channels with and the other to adjust the lines and the picture quality - but not all of them went up to channel 30 (which wasn't denoted by a number, but by something else). There were finicky rabbit ears that had to be adjusted depending on the channel you were watching and the time of day. It didn't matter if your TV's image wasn't perfectly clear. Even with lines running up and down and lots of little fuzzy dots, you still watched intently.

The fact that there was no remote didn't bother anyone. There wasn't much to choose from in the first place. In the second place, people were usually loyally devoted to a certain station for their programs during a given amount of time, so you didn't need to get up to change anything anyway.

I don't think it was until more and more commercial blocks began to interfere with our viewing pleasures that even wishing for a remote became a desire. And unlike today, the majority of us sat within inches of our televisions anyway, despite the fact that we could go cross eyed, or even blind, for doing so.

We weren't use to a million choices either, back then. In fact it wasn't till the surge of longer and more frequent national commercial spots, and the up-rise of shows where people went shopping for all kinds of cool things and wore a different outfit every day, and who could do whatever they wanted with minimal moral consequences - despite their mediocre jobs, that we started to get a bit more self righteous in that we felt more deserving of optional ways to spend our hard earned cash.

This coincided with the idea that because we worked hard we had every right to spend money in order to show that we were at the economic level that we thought we should be at, despite the fact that we really weren't, and that this idea also made us deserving of sitting on our asses in front of TV dinners and Twinkies, in order to pleasure ourselves and to ease our poor hardworking bodies and minds with free entertainment, remote in hand (even though I don't think they were invented yet). This also marked the time of longer hours for workers and businesses, as well as longer political battles in counties, towns, and cities on whether or not businesses, other than the Sunday morning Dunkin' Donut shops and the occasional family restaurants, should be open on Sundays. Longer hours, to make more money, to spend more money, to sit in front of the boob tube, to see more people spending money and acquiring more things, to see more commercials for things we should be spending our money on because everyone else was. So where was our damned remote!?

Well, we got our remotes. We also got lazy. We stopped taking naps, replacing good old fashion rest and fresh air with even more corporate induced television families and heroes. We got love on boats, fantasy islands, bionics, smart assed rich kids, crappy cereals with crappy prizes, and toys that peed. And we didn't stop there. The remote controls needed remote controllers. Soon every household had an alpha remote control keeper. Those who lived alone were envied by the rest of us.

Now we have even more choices, thousands of channels and programs to choose from, boxes and boxes of media options, individual controls and universal controls (none of it free any longer by the way). We have so many choices we don't have time to watch all of our decisions. And so hell yeah we're going to throw everything upside down, even if it takes us an hour or even days, to find that remote so we don't have to move a gosh darned muscle. Our alpha status depends upon it.

The Softness of a Wish

2012-07-20T11:25:00.000-05:00

observando

We've all wished upon a Dandelion in their fluffy state of being, trying our best to blow off every single last white hair of hope and wisdom before we open our eyes again. And depending on how much we want that wish, we may squeeze our eyes so tight we see stars, and wish upon those too, just to make sure our wish sticks... to something.

Oh the softness of a wish.

Own Your Desires

2012-06-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

A Child can teach an adult three things:

To be happy for no reason,
To always be busy with something,
and
To know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.
~Paulo Coelho

If this is true then I have one and two covered. I am happy for no reason whatsoever at almost any given moment. Even when I'm sick, or tired, or starving, or having a bad day, or unhappy about something, I'm still happy. Hardly anything is important enough to bring you so far down that at least one thing can't be making you happy at any given moment. I don't think many people understand how I can be this way. And some, okay one person in particular, seem to refuse to believe that this is true but I think that this is from projection on their part.

I am always busy with something, even if it is busy doing absolutely nothing at all, which is something if you think about it. I may say I am bored when I'm dissatisfied with what I am doing or with what my options are, but that really isn't being bored. It's being busy trying to figure out what I can be doing instead of what I am doing.

graphic source

Where I pause is at the third bit of this marvelous little quote: I wasn't so sure I knew how to demand with all my might that which I desire. I don't even really know that that is possible for me. Or is it. Or was it ever? Either way, I discovered that after reading this quote by Paulo Coelho, I am not totally comfortable with the word "demand". For one thing, there are too many things to take into account when it comes to demanding ones desires. And for another, demand is a strong word.

Oddly enough, I had been thinking about this matter for a few days before I read Paulo Coelho's quote. I've finally gotten into reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Book one is all about Italy and pleasures. Specifically, one of the main themes in this section is the importance of allowing oneself life's pleasures, all the while knowing that you deserve those pleasures. I fully understand this, and this I actively do. Gilbert says that this is something that Americans don't do well. If this is the case, then the European part of me must be coming through.

So I know I've switched to talking about pleasures here, but aren't desires the same as, or at least don't desires go hand in hand with, pleasures? Isn't the one just an extension of the other? And if this is the case, if I can and do demand and enjoy what gives me pleasure throughout my day, then why would I have any problems demanding what I desire? (Assuming that this is the reason for the pause I took at looking closely to this. I still wasn't sure.)

I spent some time thinking about this. And thinking about this some more. Over and over coming to the same conclusion. For every example of a desire of mine, I could trace that desire back to the fact that I did demand those desires in one way or another, or I am in the process of demanding them. Sometimes quietly, sometimes out loud, sometimes with my whole being depending on how big of a desire it was or is.

I really don't have that many desires, and the ones I do have are so simple, I don't think of them as desires you see. In my head they are wants. For the most part that's the same thing to me. Albeit most of them are strong and entirely important if for nothing else but because they are mine.

Okay, so I do all three. I know and utilize these lessons. I have kept them with me since I was a child. This is good. So I go back and read the quote one last time to check off the list, each one at a time. And this is when everything clicked. I finally understood where my hangup was, the reason for my initial pause to wonder whether I could and did demand with all my might that which I desire.

We all see those quotes about how important it is to use correct punctuation, because it saves lives. "Let's eat grandma. vs. Let's eat, Grandma!" Well, it's just as important to read things correctly. Now you may have read correctly on the first try. If so, please don't tell me because I don't want to know how slow I am.

I read again and saw it, that one word that I kept avoiding.

"To know how to demand with all his might that which he desires."

I do know how, but I don't always know if I'm doing it right. Happy-ness and busy-ness come easy to me. They are more instant in their achievement. Achieving some desires is much harder and can take much longer. Some are impossible, like desiring your loved one to come back to life, or like desiring for something that happened to not have happened.

Some desires have a slim chance of happening, like the desire to win the lottery. And then there are some desires which take a long time to come to fruition. You wonder if they will ever come to you. You wonder, therefor, if you desire those desires enough. You turn them over to make sure that they are your exact desire. Most of all you wonder if you're demanding them enough or the right way. It's for these last two types of desires that I questioned whether or not I knew how to demand with all my might that which I desire.

My conclusion? Yes, I believe I do know how.

There are some things in life that we will never know, that we will never get. All we can do is try our best and hope for the best. Our desires like everything else must be pure and true for them to live confidently within us and therefore for us to know how to demand them. We must own them. Do you own yours?

A Small Note About Father's Day

2012-06-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

photo source

This father's day I won't be calling my dad or sending him a card. That was over a long time ago and I can't say I'm sad for it. Sometimes it just doesn't work out between parents and children. And that's okay, it really is. There's hopefully someone to replace that parent. Maybe not exactly, but fundamentally. The same can happen even if that parent is a part of your life but the relationship just isn't what it should or could be. If there isn't a substitute, you have to not only come to terms with that fact but you also have to find a way to fill that spot on your own, or get to the point where you don't need that spot filled. I was fortunate enough to not need it filled.

For a fabulous and unique variety of Father Daughter stories, check out the photo source link above.

The Apple, the Straw, and the Milkshake - Saturday Random Question and Answer

2012-06-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Random Question

You can punch a hole in an apple using a straw. How do you think that makes your milkshake feel?

I don't think my milkshake cares. It's made of strawberries...

photo source

The Psychology of Self Injustice

2012-06-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Are you working yourself to death?

"Some people just really like to feel sorry for themselves," that's the way it can really seem and it's hard not to believe otherwise. Not that I don't ever feel sorry for myself, because I do, but to a point. I let myself feel what I'm feeling and then I move on to greener pastures.

You see, everything works out in the end. It does. That is once you realize that some things are out of your control and you decide to act upon that fact. When you stay in a rut of worry and sorry, especially if it's because of a boss, it only perpetuates the cycle and the "everything works out" part is all that much farther away and you become depressed and stressed if it's not really what you want.

That said, and this may be confusing to some that it can actually be both ways, some people do enjoy their worry and their sorry while they are hating their worry and sorry and the situation that brought them to those two things. This oxymoron of emotion comes partially from habit, but it is one that allows for them to place blame on everyone but themselves if something doesn't work out because, "See all that I am doing... and still? See how I am sacrificing? And see how wrong and terrible my boss is?" So much blame is put on them already that it is a release and a relief to act and react in this way.

Now to be fair, a boss can easily take away your livelihood. In an instant. The economy has nothing to do with this fact. And if you are devoting all and more than you have for years at a time, you can become too depressed and too tired to make life changing decisions and new goals for yourself. If you have a family to support, it's even harder to get out of the hamster wheel that a job tends to exercise its employees on. Unfortunately, in these last few years the economy does have everything to do with the fact that people no longer have the opportunity to simply switch out of a bad job or at least one with better pay. And most of us are not one of the lucky few that work for a company of good morals, values, and ethics. I mean the human kind not the Christian kind (though some are one and the same).

And not all of us are lucky enough to be in a job we love. If we are working in a field we love, but the politics or higher ups of that job are terrible, the hours are terrible, and the benefits are terrible, the work we love is at risk of being, if it already isn't, work that we can no longer stand.

A lot can come from this terrible cesspool that we've found ourselves in. Our family and family life suffers. We expect more out of them. We begin to mistrust them as we do our own selves and our own job security. We can't deal with the normal issues that come with a family, yet we are doing "all of this" for them. We begin to compare the one in charge of our home with the one in charge of our work. We blame those we do just because we can, like our boss does to us. Time becomes a blur. We realize what we are doing, but we can't stop the cycle, at least not for long. The longer we are in this mess, the more the cesspool becomes quicksand. We can't understand why our significant other is not solving our problems, because surely they can see what is happening to us.

And we continue with our worry and our feelings of being sorry for ourselves because it's the only thing that seems to comfort us. So in this sense, yes, you can be completely right in saying that "Some people just really like to feel sorry for themselves."

But try as one might to offer up a bit of the life that could be, offer moments of being in the moment without worrying or sorry feelings, the only way that the person in question can accept any offerings, is if that is exactly what they do, accept those offerings.

We are the only person that can take ourselves off the hamster wheel. We are the only ones that can make the true sacrifices that benefit those who really matter in the end, our family and those who were with us the best that they could be through it all.

Ground Control, It's David Bowie's Birthday

2012-01-08T19:26:00.002-06:00

So it's David Bowie's birthday today. Not that I keep track of these things, they just jump out at me and I think to myself, "Really? I could have been celebrating all day and I find out now?"

In tribute to Mr. Bowie, who is 65 years young today (and looking pretty sweet I might add) I thought I'd take us back in time for a couple of tunes. You may want to change your outfit and grab yourself a drink. Oh, and some lipstick and eyeliner.

Here's the original 1969 video for David Bowie's Space Oddity:

And since I really feel like dancing and I bet you do too...

Cheers to 2012

2012-01-01T23:19:00.001-06:00

Well, it is 2012. Finally. All last year I've been wanting to write 2012 and found myself rather disappointed when I came to write 2011.

I don't feel the likelihood of the ending of the world. Not this year. But I do expect there will be lots of changes. And I mean lots. Not sure what they will be, or how any of us will make out. Though I can say I detect quite a bit of creativity coming from people.

2012 will be a wonderful year for creating and recreating ourselves. The proof will be in the pudding.

Things I'm looking forward to this year:

Wonderful blogs by awesome people.
Lots of nature walks.
Taking more pictures with my camera.
More game nights (or days) with the family.
Juicy books to read on my Kindle.
And a whole lot of life and article writing (maybe a good balance of the two this year?).

Happy 2012 to everyone. Cheers!

~ Frieda

Understanding your Pet Cats - The Felinespeak 3000

2011-02-09T00:02:00.005-06:00

Ah, cats. Many think of cats as Godlike and royal. Others think cats believe they are Godlike and royal. Personally, I think cats are hysterical. I think they have lots to say. If you really pay attention to cats, and really tune into their vibes, attitudes, and brains, you will find many a funny story to write.

Cat loving people have an exceptional sense of humour. Cats love people with exceptional senses of humor. For these reasons, cats and people have shared lives and homes for centuries, bringing many a smile and healthy heart beat to both species.

Even though certain humans and certain felines are made for each other, some people are better at translating these stories than other people. This could stem from the fact that some people have purchased Felinespeak 3000s. The Felinespeak 3000, is perhaps the best cat speech translator to date. Cat's of course, have no trouble at all translating human humor, and therefore have never seen the need to develop such a device.

How it works:

Pretend to pet your cat's ear and scratch in the sand grain sized applicator. Your cat won't notice, but your cat will certainly appreciate the offered grooming. The wax in his or her ear will act like sticky gum, and hold the applicator in place. Once implanted, the applicator will automatically catch brain signals and transfer those signals through the ear hairs and into the air like fm radio signals. These signals can be picked up by the Felinespeak 3000 within 100 feet of the subject. It's as simple as that. Extra applicators can be purchased separately.

If your cat suspects anything, simply buy it pretty things for distraction.

Luis Vuitton Pet Cat Collar and Leash

or perhaps

Blue Ice Beaded Pet Collar by Whiskerkisses from Etsy

Here is proof that the Felinespeaks 3000 really works, and proof to all non-believers that cats are truly hysterical:

And here's another example, just in case you're not convinced:

cat photos sources:

http://www.thefurseasonsresort.com/CatBoarding.html
http://www.etsy.com/listing/16129893/blue-ice-beaded-pet-collar-s-m

Meet the Twins, Dan and Dan, and Share in Some Laughs

2011-02-06T20:32:00.000-06:00

Today I met Dan and Dan from the UK on YouTube. I think they're twins. They're absolutely funny, and have lovely soothing voices. We got off on the right foot and so I decided to indulge myself in some fun. I drank some fruit punch and listened to them go on about some interesting things for about an hour or so. Thought I'd introduce them to some of my friends before letting them meet my parents. I know you'll love them.

So do get yourself a nice glass of fruit punch, it seems most appropriate, and enjoy.

(Dan and Dan don't always get along...)

As you can see, they may not even be friends?...

You're probably getting along very well by now, yes? Finding them quirky and funny and sweet are we? Well, hold onto your horses, I have just found out that there has been some deception.

Uh, excuse me?

Well, I'm really not sure what to think or say. I just don't know Dan and Dan anymore. Or is it Dan and Dan and Dan and ...
*throws punch at the Dans face(s)*
*sobs wildly*

Excuse me.

*runs out of the room*

I don't think they'll be meeting my parents after all.

For more Dan and Dan, please visit "Dan and Dan - The First Sign of Madness" .

Another Great Reason To Drink Pepsi

2011-01-18T08:00:00.002-06:00

Pepsi Cola has come a long way with their commercials. This one, however, is dear to my heart. It was made in 1957, but if you ask me, while, yes, it may be sexist, there is quite a bit of truth to it. We can't really fool ourselves there. Yes, life is more work than a daydream. Yes, a beautiful, sparkly purse makes for an exquisite trophy. And yes, Pepsi is not too sweet and not too filling.

I was never much of a cola drinker. Water, fresh juice, and milk, were my drinks of choice. And then one day I got pregnant for the fourth time and due to acid reflux, water and juice would no longer do during meal times. I turned to a few bubbly alternatives, like 7-Up and Sprite. Coke had them beat. And then one day I have a Pepsi. Finally a drink that was not too sweet, not too filling, was refreshing, and didn't taste bad when ice melted in it. I've been hooked ever since.

I don't feel bad about this at all, despite the fact that soda's aren't really all that good for you. It's not like I bath in it. And it's not like it's the only thing I drink. And now I'm especially pleased to announce that I read today an article about Pepsi's plan to become fossil fuel free by the year 2023. Very exciting news.

Read the article here: PepsiCo on track to becoming "fossil fuel free" by 2023 by Will Nichols on Business Green: sustainable thinking.

Want to try out some Milk and Peps like Laverne De Fazio from Laverne and Shirley? Check out this article on TV Dinners: Laverne & Shirley Pepsi Milk

Yes, Laverne did love her milk and Pepsi, both on and off stage. Laverne is a true Pepsi girl, and so is Penny Marshall ;) For that reason alone, I should have never thought of drinking anything but!

Lets take a moment and reminisce the romance of Laverne and Shirley (you know, since we're on this related topic).

Just like Laverne and Shirley, PepsiCo is making their dreams come true too. Here's a fresh one for you, PepsiCo... and thanks.

Fish and Birds Die in Arkansas Could it Be Aliens?

2011-01-03T20:58:00.000-06:00

Upon coming home today, my husband asked whether I'd heard about the thousands of birds that fell out of the sky, dead. I'd said, "No. Really? Where? When?" He said it was on New Years Eve. Look it up. And so I did. It was in Beebe Arkansas. Believed to be due to stress, lighting, or hail. Only one type of bird... the red winged blackbird. Some say it was 1000, some 3000, some 5000 of them (really? such an exact number?). He said, "Then all of a certain type of fish died, not too far from where the birds did." So I looked that up as well and found the article I've shared below.

Now if you ask me, their varied reasoning just doesn't stand well with me. Not even the conspiracy theory; it would be impossible to pull off. No, I'm more akin to believing my husband when he said it was due to aliens. Seriously, what other kind of explanation could there be. That many of the SAME type of bird and that many of ONLY one type of fish? The question is why; and I doubt we'll ever know the answer to that.

Please note that while most articles will say that all the birds were the red winged blackbird, this is not the case (as you'll see in the video provided below). However most of them were, and THAT is the scary part. And who knows, the few others could have been at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'm waiting to see what happens next! Things come in threes you know.

100,000 drum fish die in Arkansas River, more than 100 miles f...

Officials are investigating what may have killed some 100,000 fish in the Arkansas River in the northwestern section of the state, authorities said on Sunday.

Friday Morning Christmas Songs Starring Ella Fitzgerald

2010-12-10T10:33:00.001-06:00

So I've been listening to Christmas songs for a few days now. There's a station on the radio, and frankly, it puts a smile on my face... most of the time. Some Christmas songs just suck, and others are botched up by singers trying to be unique. You know what I'm saying, I'm sure.

Well, here I am this morning, trying to fax the office on my new fax, having troubles, of course, and getting frustrated. So I'm on YouTube poking around and then I see a Christmas video and think, yeah, I'd like to share some good old Christmas music, you know, like Ella Fitzgerald and who not. Sooooo, I have for you all some sweet Christmas sounds that I enjoy any time of day, that put a smile right on my face and lower my heart rate when I'm frustrated with the foolishness of, oh, say, fax machines.

Enjoy today's Christmas songs via video starring Ella Fitzgerald:

Happy Thanksgiving Music and Videos

2010-11-24T22:05:00.006-06:00

Three Finger Banjo Blue Grass Monday Night Guest Artist Steve Martin

2010-08-09T18:35:00.000-05:00

Haven't had a music night in a while, but tonight I believe I've found just the thing.

Steve Martin plays the banjo and wins awards, photo by Todd Heisler for The New York Times

On just about any given night of the year, cold or cool, warm or hot, sometime after 10pm, we could walk outside or open a window and hear the sweet banjo and fiddle bluegrass songs played on the balcony of a quadro-plex across the street and two houses down. Always a sweet sound. Perfect for those nights when you just couldn't get to sleep. All would be still and the music would come. Those were the nights I had the best sleep. It's been about a year now since their Blue Grass wafted through the air, bringing smiles to everyone within earshot; they've since moved away.

One of my favourite sounds is that of Blue Grass, a style that grew out of the 1940s and 50s. Steve Martin grew up with that sound in his home-town of Berkeley California. He fell in love with the Banjo, especially the sound of the three finger banjo. And much like everything else he set his mind out to do, he learned to play it, and play it he does, touring with his Blue Grass band, The Steep Canyon Rangers, at one point it was with Men With Banjos Who Know How to Use Them, which they certainly did, and there are other Blue Grass bands he plays with I'm sure (I have to say I'm not very read up on his tours and play dates over the last few years).

There's something so relaxing about Blue Grass. Sure it speaks to some more than others, but overall, it's hard for one's heart's spirits to not to be lifted when Blue Grass is played. It's also a rush when that banjo plays faster and faster, showing off for the folks, now and again.

Without further ado, I present to you, this evening, Steve Martin and his Blue Grass band, The Steep Canyon Rangers and others,... Enjoy.

Steve Martin, Great Banjo Player, and the “Malcolm Gladwell 10,000-hour rule”

Steve Martin to play MerleFest; met his band in North Carolina

When life gives you lemons, it's not safe to make lemonade without a license

2010-08-07T10:55:00.001-05:00

Who knew that one of my favourite motto's "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" would end up backfiring? One little girl had to learn this lesson the hard way.

I was scrummaging around on the NPR facebook page today, and I was a bit curious about one article titled, "Zealous Health Inspector Busts Ore. Girl For Unlicensed Lemonade Stand".

Crazy but true. 7-year-old Julie Murphy's lemonade stand was shut down at an art fair. Go figure some overzealous inspector should be such a stick in the mud. A screw loose? Perhaps.

Technically he was in the right, I mean if she were an adult. And I assume she was backed by an adult, so shouldn't the inspector instead have gone after the child's legal guardian? Seems to me the child would a) never have known better, b) was doing what every child dreams of, c) was proud of herself, d) is now quite ashamed. This inspector is not only ethically wrong, in my opinion, but also has possibly scarred this child for life; not to mention the fact that the next time this girl gets the urge to sell lemonade, or start another entrepreneurial project in the future, she might think twice, and the next female conglomerate could fall by the wayside.

On the other hand, this could have actually been a very good thing. I'm thinking that Julie may end up being one up on her peers, becoming quite prepared and knowledgeable on the laws of enterprise. My hope is that she'll learn from this and take the world by storm the next time around. And that she and others will continue to fight for their rights and make necessary changes in our laws and ethics systems, all while preserving the simple beauties and heritage of our cultures' ancestries, like kids selling lemonade for example (or whatever those may be).

So I suppose one of my favourite mottoes hasn't been thwarted after all... I suppose in retrospect, Julie Murphy's lemonade stand fiasco can teach us how to make lemonade out of lemons, even if someone shuts us down.

The Overly Dressed Too Much Baggage Woman

2010-07-30T09:27:00.000-05:00

Found this photo on Tumblr, and I have to say, I started cracking up. Not because it is a funny photo, which it is, but because I actually feel like this sometimes. roflmao. You too, huh? I knew I wasn't alone.

Ivy Bean, Now I know why I wanted to skip over Wednesday

2010-07-28T23:41:00.001-05:00

Late last night, I had a weird feeling. It was probably around midnightish. I haven't really felt like skipping a day, and yet, there I was, feeling off, like it just wasn't going to be a normal day. I had no proof, mind you, and I felt a little silly making a decision about a day that had barely started. And can it really be considered a new day when you haven't gone to sleep yet? I was going to wait until the morning, and if I still felt that way, I would post my thoughts on my status on Facebook. But then I thought, no, no, I really do feel this way. I really have to write it down, see what other people think, you know, like maybe there was something in the stars or whatever. So this is what I wrote:

Sooooo. Today is Wednesday. The middle. Like a middle child. Poor poor Wednesday. I'm not really feeling it today. Yes, I'll seriously have to think about whether it's a good day to have at all. I'm thinking I might just fly right over Wednesday and into Thursday. No, I have a meeting on Thursday. Okay, so Friday.... Friday night. I'm just going to skip right on over to Friday night. Anybody with me?

I got a variety of responses. But here's the thing, nothing really happened today. Nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't a stressful day, or a bad day. In fact it was overall a happy day. I even got in a nap after work and found out I lost an inch. But throughout the whole day, something wasn't quite right. I just couldn't put my finger on it. Not until the end of the day, did I figure out what it was. It all finally came together as I was browsing through Tumblr... And she died at 12:08am. How's that for coincidence?

Makes ya think about the strange ways we're all connected.

via Putzinaround

Ivy Bean, 'world's oldest Twitter user,' dead at 24 (CNN).

On NPR: Ivy Bean, Known As Oldest Twitter User, Dies at 104 by Zoe Chace

google found photo:

Here's looking at you, Ivy Bean. Hope you're living it up, wherever you are.

Lamb, Goat, whatever, still brings back memories

2010-07-28T12:31:00.000-05:00

Photo via Zoo Borns: March out with two little lambs.

So I know this is a photo of a lamb, but it reminds me of the goats at Grants farm. Just so sweet.

We were at a goat petting zoo at Grants Farm a couple of months ago. One of the ones with the baby bottles and the nibblets that they sell for everyone to feed the cute goats. Well, some get more ornery than others, not to mention they do have a wonderful time of trying to eat as much of your clothing as possible, even in their calmer moments. A bit of a neuroses of theirs.

I question their intent, however, because I think that perhaps they have a different sort of fashion sense than we do and are simply more adamant about this than your average person. At any rate, one got hold of my grey summer sweater. I did catch it before there was major damage done, but as we all know, a tiny chewed off edge of sweater is the same as a huge chewed off edge of sweater.

I can’t seem to bring myself to throw it out, however. Yes, it’s beyond any state of repair, and the goat chewed edge is quite an eye sore. But it reminds me of that day, and so…. I wear it.

What's wrong with this picture monday, the pool vac

2010-07-25T23:57:00.005-05:00

So I've been thinking about this for a long time. I may do a grander version on The Pretty Life on Eye on Life Mag, but I thought I'd also post some of these here.

For our first "What's wrong with this picture Monday" I'd like to introduce to you, "The Pool Vac". You see, this is a lovely pool. In fact, I'd love to take a dip in it right now, wouldn't you? In the sunset. Surrounded by adobe, a gorgeous deck, boulders and stones, various cactus greens, serene reflections... And yet, there is something there that just spoils the whole dream. Now I ask you, do you place your vacuum cleaner in the middle of the living room before you take that perfect snap? No, no you don't. I rest my case.

This photo does, however, bring to mind quite a few story opportunities. Something is happening. Something is about to happen. And it all stems from, in my mind, "who, exactly, put the pool vac in, where are they now, and what is going on in this house while the pool vac is running?" Hmmmmm.

Photo writing prompt: Anyone caring to tackle this possible story or snippet or poem, please feel free to add it to the comments, or on your blog with a link in our comments. Nothing overly gruesome please, and nothing too sexually descriptive left in the comments, please. Should prove interesting.

Moments

2010-07-21T00:31:00.002-05:00

(Warning: A couple of bad words. Explicit moments referred to. Note: fiction)

Fuck you and those moments that I want so bad of yours; only mine when I'm in your face, begging, coaxing, making them happen. All the while, there you are, not realizing the consequences of your actions. Or do you? Do you realize them? Deep down, every fool does.

And you, fool, are choosing to play the fool, at the expense of the nobody girls that would love a piece of your moments, moments meant for me. And there you are, giving away moments of yourself, moments you can never get back. And you wonder why you get so lost.

Memories are made every moment. The second you give away those moments, you have no hope or chance of recovering them.

Moments like tonight, make being struck by lightning a welcome pleasure. Jerk.

I can tell you whole heartedly, that the seduction of the pouring rain feels so damn good, when the thunder claps and rumbles through the heaviness of the drops. Better than your cum ever did. Better because it is filled with pure, powerful, and thrilling energy. And it comes from a place you will never reach. It comes from a moment without you. Never to be erased, never to be replaced. A moment that came from a moment you chose to relinquish.

If I were never touched again, it wouldn't matter, because it would never be so spur of the moment, so true, that power of nature enveloping me in a moment I thought I would rather be with you.

Stings, doesn't it? Stung me too, before the cumming of the thundering rain.

Work out the Frieda Babbley way

2010-06-28T06:41:00.013-05:00

Marilyn Monroe Workout

There are many workout trends out there. It's hard to keep up with any one of them. I know I for one do not have much luck. I get bored, quite frankly.

I have, however, found a wonderful workout that works out for me; better than any other workout, I might add. Monetarily, anyway.

With this new workout, I don't eat as much (I don't really have time to) and I don't drink as much, either, so I have dehydration on my side. And of course when you're dehydrated, you tend to get sleepy. If you're sleeping, you can't eat. Another wonderful thing about this particular workout is that you really have no choice in the matter, as it is a lifestyle. A wonderful lifestyle.

With this new workout lifestyle of mine, I have found that I need to shop for clothes a lot. Workout clothes are a must if you are going to be successful.

Now, I know, it's the thing to say that your workout is a lifestyle, it's a psychological slant. But this really is a lifestyle, and one that takes up more of your time than any other task you may have. Forget your family and personal life, with this workout, your lifestyle is your focus and all those that aren't in your circle of workout buddies need to be second fiddle.

You may have guessed the kind of workout I'm involved in by now... Yes the Frieda Babbley workout is working out(side) of the home. Works every time.

Claudia Schiffer photo controversy

2010-06-17T11:07:00.007-05:00

Dom Perignon - Stern Fotografie
This does NOT look like "blackface"
to me. Blackface would refer to
just a face, and for comedic value.

I love a good controversy, especially when I've got something to say about it, and when useful and logical information is given. But this? This should never have been a controversy in the first place. Karl Lagerfeld's vision should have been, instead, appreciated.

I thought this was an old controversy resurfaced, but apparently not (it must be deja vu or something), oh, no, it has resurfaced... two years after the fact. I mean seriously people, why? Anyway, why this is such a controversy, I couldn't tell you. But here it is... Again. Via CNN and everywhere else at that. Can we not get over this and understand an artist's vision?

Brief recap: Karl Lagerfeld, the genious behind this women of the world series, posed his highest inspiration, Claudia Schiffer, to represent a variety of women from around the world. May I just say, the execution and end result was exquisite. Not to mention the fact that it shows what an excellent model Claudia Schiffer really is; isn't it a model's job to go beyond, to showcase the limitless possibilities of fashion, its universality and uniqueness? She was playing a part, representing masses of women.

If this spread's foundation and purpose was The Claudia Schiffer and all that she is and can be as a model and inspiration to the fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld, why then are we switching the purpose. There is nothing about these photos that is comedic, in fact they are tasteful to an extreme. Claudia is representing the black woman. In fact at first glance one cannot tell that she is anything but. Exquisite (have I said that?)

I think what I am even more discouraged with is the fact that this glorious photo shoot has been resurfaced two years later. What, there's nothing more important to talk about? I'm thinking the reporter/journalist/professor (if you could even call her any of those things) - I don't remember what this woman is I just remember how stupid and uptight and wrong I think she is - has done herself a disservice. And all those that followed in her footsteps by even considering this pathetic excuse for news and attention really ought to have spent their time with something more useful or entertaining.

So why do I bring this up? It's important for me to vent about this stupid situation. Blackface, indeed. Pahlease.

Claudia Schiffer Tries to Defend Blackface photo shoot - NPR results.

Dom Perignon - Stern Fotographie

Claudia Schiffer's Red Shoes (British Poets)

Nikki Yanofsky, Tuesday Morning Jazz

2010-06-08T07:51:00.002-05:00

Nikki Yanofsky. Not a name you would associate with Jazz. At least not until you hear her sing it, and you probably most likely have, if you watched the Olympics this winter. You'd also never think this voice of hers would be that of a young Canadian teenager.

In a word, she is: incredible. And she does look a lot like Audrey Tautou, wouldn't you say?

Now, I usually do Jazz nights, but today I thought that some of Nikki Yanofsky's Jazz singing, and a delightful interview with Brian Williams, would be a lovely morning treat. Perhaps some hot tea, or a coffee or espresso drink of some sort, would be a fitting drink while you listen?

Enjoy.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Nikki

Ella... Of Thee I Swing [CD+DVD] [+3 Bonus Studio Tracks] [Universal Music] [Korea 2009]

I Believe (Enhanced)

Stars without makeup, but are they really?

2010-06-06T19:21:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, there was a big to do about celebs going without makeup. It all started with Jessica Simpson who did an au naturale photo shoot for Marie Claire, saying, basically, that she was confident in her own self and didn't care what other people thought. Personally, I think she is soooooo much better looking without her makeup.

The Today Show decided that they would go bare-faced for a day. And of course other celebrities have been sporting the natural look as well. Now, sure, this is not really a new thing, the going without makeup, but those who just simply wouldn't (because of their television status) did. Kudos. Awesome. They handled it well. It was wonderful to see. And they got more and more comfortable as the show went along. And they also talked about other female celebrities that were and had been, doing the same and why.

Now, unfortunately, it seems to me that they didn't exactly follow the rules all the way. The eyes and the lips told a different story to me; and in some cases I questioned skin tone. Now it could have been that they've been wearing makeup for so long that their eyelids and lashes and lips were stained. Or maybe their lips, lids, and/or lashes were tattooed (can you tattoo lashes?). Doesn't really matter, and it was sort of sad to me that some of these women (one in particular) couldn't seem to show her all the way bare true self, even for a morning.

What do you think? Am I just seeing things?

FRIEDA BABBLEY

Do You Know Where Your Remote Is?

The Softness of a Wish

Own Your Desires

A Child can teach an adult three things:

"To know how to demand with all his might that which he desires."

A Small Note About Father's Day

The Apple, the Straw, and the Milkshake - Saturday Random Question and Answer

Random Question

You can punch a hole in an apple using a straw. How do you think that makes your milkshake feel?

I don't think my milkshake cares. It's made of strawberries...

photo source

The Psychology of Self Injustice

Ground Control, It's David Bowie's Birthday

Cheers to 2012

Understanding your Pet Cats - The Felinespeak 3000

Meet the Twins, Dan and Dan, and Share in Some Laughs

Another Great Reason To Drink Pepsi

Fish and Birds Die in Arkansas Could it Be Aliens?

Friday Morning Christmas Songs Starring Ella Fitzgerald

Happy Thanksgiving Music and Videos

Three Finger Banjo Blue Grass Monday Night Guest Artist Steve Martin

Steve Martin, Great Banjo Player, and the “Malcolm Gladwell 10,000-hour rule”

Steve Martin to play MerleFest; met his band in North Carolina

When life gives you lemons, it's not safe to make lemonade without a license

The Overly Dressed Too Much Baggage Woman

Found this photo on Tumblr, and I have to say, I started cracking up. Not because it is a funny photo, which it is, but because I actually feel like this sometimes. roflmao. You too, huh? I knew I wasn't alone.

Ivy Bean, Now I know why I wanted to skip over Wednesday

Lamb, Goat, whatever, still brings back memories

What's wrong with this picture monday, the pool vac

Moments

Work out the Frieda Babbley way

Claudia Schiffer photo controversy

Nikki Yanofsky, Tuesday Morning Jazz

Stars without makeup, but are they really?