Time to get back to it

I guess it's time to get back to it.

I've been off for a while because I have been spending time at GAIA online setting up a literature guild where people can, well, discuss lit.

But, I have to have a place all my own, I suppose. So here I am again. ^

Lately I have been reading more to gear myself to writing my own novel. Today I'm reading bits out from HP Lovecraft and watching Rear Window to begin to understand fear and suspence.

I'm really tryign to write fantasy but I want to be a well rounded writer , so I'll scare people as well as provide them with escapism.

Remembering Ann Richards

There are 2 gals in politics that I will always remember and hold close to my heart and they are both from Texas.

One is Molly Ivins and the other is Ann Richards. Well, Ann recently passed away and Molly published a eulogy for her today.

Nothing could be more fitting.

Dun

Dun
n.

1. An almost neutral brownish gray to dull grayish brown.
2. A fishing fly having this color.
3. A horse of this color.

[Middle English, from Old English dunn, perhaps of Celtic origin.]

Also, from
Answers
Dictionary.com

NB: I was after the color definition but as you can see it's got several meanings. An Interesting word!

Your Body Wants You FAT

Here's a very quick post and run for you. According to this short snip our bodies may tend to fat naturally. Well, I guess this makes sense because it wants to prepare us for those "famine" days.

So, if you ever want to toss the scales out the window you can rest a little easier in knowing that nature really is out to 'get you.'

New Words!

Today we have Plutocracy and Kleptocracy. I did get them off answers.com but I thought their descriptions were skiimpay. So I went to wikipedia instead

I do suggest going to answers and looking them up, however, since they put them into the context of the daily news. ^^

Ohhh, what the heck. Here's Plutocracy and Kleptocracy from the answers 'say what?' context :D

I just have to say that I think Pres. Bush is straining our credulity with the entire innocent "let's stop Kleptocracy .. ABROAD' shtick. I seriously don't know whether to laugh or to cry at such audacity/cluelessness.

Birdsong's Favorite Links

No site makes it here unless I think it's really good. That should go without saying but I'm saying it anyway so you groovy cats and dogs out there know that a lot of time has gone into culling the weak links from the herd

OpenDemocracy.org
Gaia Online
NOW with David Brancaccio
The Indomitable Molly Ivins
Union of Concerned Scientists
The Beat Writers Page
Raw Story
Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting
Anime Wallpaper

Relax, We Still Have 9 Planets

Matthew Yglesias and I do not necesssarily see eye to eye on many things.. particularly since I, like him, like philosophy. So, logically that means we dissagree over everything.

On the controversy around the scientists renaming the definition of planet to exclude Pluto, however, I emphatically agree.

Adopting such a definition has accomplished, well, nothing whatsoever for the sake of science. Astronomy, clearly, had been progressing just fine in previous decades without a rigorous definition of “planet.” Telescopes, NASA-launched probes, and other instruments were bringing us more and more information about which objects exist in the solar system and about the nature of those objects. The term “planet” meanwhile, had long since ceased to play a substantive role in the science of astronomy. Before Copernicus, celestial bodies were divided between the planets (the moon, Mercury, the sun, Jupiter, etc.), which moved, and the stars, which didn’t. Contemporary astronomy, however, distinguishes among objects according to what they’re made of, so that the sun is a star and so forth. The very notion of a planet is, at this point, a piece of folk culture, not an important element of science. And according to cultural tradition, there are nine planets and Pluto is one of them.

Oh, mega word.

Take my body, for example. I'm some parts guy and some parts girl. Personally, I like the term 'hermaphrodite' to describe my sexuality. Others, however, have taken science seriously when they co-opted the word to mean only those creatures that had two fully functioning secual reproductive organs and could impregnate themselves.

Well, scientists, you are full of crap. Hermaphrodite referred to human beings when the ancient Greeks used the term. If they invented it they should know better than you how to use it.

All this is to say is that as lovely as science is it doesn't have the right to determine our language for us. If we happen to agree with them, fine. In the meantime they can keep their damned mitts off my sexual identity and my planets.

Labor Day Is A Joke

Harold Meyerson has some strong words for what labor used to be like and what it has devolved into.

Devaluing labor is the very essence of our economy. I know that airlines are a particularly embattled industry, but my eye was recently caught by a story on Mesaba Airlines, an affiliate of Northwest, where the starting annual salary for pilots is $21,000 a year, and where the company is seeking a pay cut of 19 percent. Maybe Mesaba's plan is to have its pilots hit up passengers for tips.

Labor Day is almost upon us. What a joke.

This is an issue important to me. It makes sense that the wealthy want to keep their wealth, power, and privilege. But, if this is the cost we must pay for them to enjoy themselves we have to al lask ourselves if the "American Dream" is simply throwing a party on the back of a poor person.

Living Cheaply and Well

It's of interest to everyone to live as well as they can and as frugally as they can (and as environmentally friendly as they can). I am interested in living as cheaply as I can without sacrificing health or the environment in doing so. In fact I want to include all three componants in my day to day life and get myself out of the consumer driven mentality as much as possible. So, toward that end I'm starting a collection of links that will aid us in that goal.

Being Mean as Hell

Frugal Living in the UK (If you don't live in the UK most of the advice still applies ;)

University of Illinois Extention for Urban Living Lots of good stuff on living on a budget and container gardening, etc

Bella Online Frugal Living Site I really like this site. Informative and it leads to dozens of other good sites on frugal living.

Thrifty Fun Great Content!

Frugal and Fashion Good site!!!! My fave so far. But, I'll keep looking ;)

Frugal Village Another good one. It looks like others have had the same idea as me! This is a good thing. This site also covers the concept of homesteading, which I'm also interested in.

This link will hopefully change from time top time as will all the other links. As I explore, I'll remove or add links as the fancy strikes me. As always, suggestions are appreciated <3

Defining Moments

Birdsong's Rule of Life #1

Don't let other people define you.

Are you conservative, American, Israeli, Canadian, British, male, female, liberal, republican, democrat, socialist, capitalist, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, Jain?

Well, stop that.

You are you.

I especially hate it when people try to label us liberal or conservative/ socialist or capitalist because these are titles that have absolutely nothing to do with real life. If I want invest in medical cures for an ailment I have I want to be able to use the tools developed by entreprenual individuals. If I want to care for my community I want to install programs for them or give of my own (money, labor, barter, donating, whatever) I want to be able to do so without being called liberal or socialist.

Take me on my own merit and let me be an individual within a community of loving, caring, people. I don't want people slapping me around with a load of meaningless us vs them labels .. and neither should any of you.

Socrates' dictate "The unexamined life is not worth living" applies here !

Cool Words List

This is the place I put all the absolutely fabulous words I learn. If I wish I can just just review any word that I come across and fall in love with. Now, you can too!

Acrostic August 29, 2006
Catachresis August 31, 2006
Plutocracy and Kleptocracy September 05, 2006

I will also log the date that I find a new word.

Here are the two sites I hit up the most for these words Answers.com and Wikipedia

My Reinventions: this is my mission statement

My Reinventions: this is my mission statement

A post that I liked while browsing the blogspot blogs. It's amazing to think that there are billions of minds out there taking the time to reflect and learn.

Everytime my head starts to swell I think it might do me good to peruse what others on the net are thinking !

Sublimation/Sublime

I'm wondering about the psychological process of sublimation and what possible uses it might have on a sociological level.

Sublimation, as you can see it defined above, is redirecting emotional energy from a negative route to a positive, constructive, route.

Looking up sublime, which has the same root, I was expecting to find something similiar along the lines of redirection or subtlety. Instead I find this;

In aesthetics, the sublime (from the Latin sublimis (exalted)) is the quality of transcendent greatness, whether physical, moral, intellectual or artistic. The term especially references a greatness with which nothing else can be compared and which is beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation.

Well...man...shucks!!

I'll keep at it but I'm still convinced there's at root a connection and I'll keep playing around a bit in other sources til I get at the etymology.

A New Addictive Website

I've just discovered Blufr. It's this incredibly addictive trivia site that attempts to "bluff" you. It's just an interesting gimmik for a trivia site.. but I've found it entertaining.

Maybe most of you have already found this site. If so.. sorry! But my blog is about me learning and developing MY thought. If I'm not helping YOU then go make your own blog devoted to improving you.

So there! *raspberries*

^.^

Sir! No, Ma'am!

Can anyone give me a justification why Americans must use ma'am and sir in order to be polite?

It makes no sense other than a marker of gender to use them. Roughly half the population is or will eventually become a sir while the other half is or will eventually become a ma'am.

I quickly looked up the etymology today after I began to idly wonder at their continued use. Sir, as we all know, used to be reserved for knights or baronetes (basically non-peerage ranks), while ma'am is short for madam, or madame, and it meant 'my lady' (ma.. dame). Other info gleaned is that ma'am is acceptably used when speaking to the Queen of Britain after the first 'Your Majesty' has fallen from the lips. Ma'am (marhm in the UK. Rhymes with 'arm) is also what you call female police officers, et al. in the UK.

OK. all that makes sense.. but again.. back to the 50/50 crap. There's absolutely no reason to call ma'am or sir as a sign of respect.. because absolutely everyone is either a ma'am or a sir (except for us Pats, but never mind, sake of discussion and all that). The fact is that any given Sir or Ma'am can be as pure of heart as Tinkerbell or as rotten to the bone as Dr. Mengele or Dick Cheney on a good night. So, the use of the titles for a term of respect is non-existant.

When I call you sir I'm basically celebrating your male-ness and squeezing your maaanly bicep. When I call you ma'am I'm basically saying 'hey woman.' while tugging my forelock and acting all meek...which, if your a decent type.. you would never require of me anyway.

If I respect you and you respect me, it wil be noticeable with or without the sir or ma'am. The sales clerk say sir in such a nasty way as to leave you with no doubt that no respect is intended. That same clerk can tend to all your needs and focus loving attention upon you without ever having to acknowledge your feminity.

But, whatever. What do I know? Maybe someone can tell me another reason they are used besides mindless tradition that slights gender ambigiuous individuals and firmly entrenches us further into the bondage of our genitals?

Sharing Another Jon Stewart Moment

Yes, yes. I'm not being original here, yes, yes ^_^ But it's so funny i have to share!




"Mahhhhhhh"

Cheny sounded like a sheep in this. Damn. Normally, I like sheep (but boy they smell).

Conversational Implicature

An Oxford philosopher, HP Grice, points out that our implications can be divorced from the obvious meaning of our language. Say we don't think much of our friend's idea on global warming but we don't actually wish to come out and bluntly say so.

When asked if his views of global warming have any merit, we could say: 'he did blow alot of air around yesterday." Our obvious meaning would seem to have no relation to the question but everyone would know that we didn't think much of that opinion.

I picked up this idea from Colin Mcginn's autobiographical/philosophical book The Making of A Philosopher. In it, Mcginn points out that politicians use this technique all the time. In his example, an interviewer qustions a senator about his opponant's alleged pot smoking. The senator replies "I think that anyone not tough on crime has a dubious past." If the reporter is aware of the coversational implicature concept she could confront the senator on it.

However, as we know, most reporters are either unaware of how polticians love to slam enemies without being culpable or they just don't care enough to call our illusturious, wonderful, public servants out.

Links Temporarily Down

My foraging into the world of blogdom has begun to rear it's ugly head! So, later I'll have to repair the links list to the right. Oh, well... maybe I can improve on the system now.

Ground Up Democracy

Random thought of the day...

Democracy is built from the ground up, yet America is run from the top down, with our president, congressfolk, courts, and big corporate media all telling us how America is and what, exactly, we need in order to be prosperous.

What's up with that?

Here are some questions to ask ourselves:

Are we involved in our local communities, or do we shut ourselves up at home at night?

Are we more aware of local politics or national politics?

What are the names of our neighbors?

Does TV replace good conversation?

A related question would be - when we talk to our friends do we talk to them on the cell phone even if they are right in front of us?*

Do we feel powerless to effect change?

If we have trouble answering these questions then we may have to admit that we don't have as much of a democracy as we once thought. If we don't what can we do about it?

I'm going to put this post on the side link board so I can put more questions up. Please, feel free to leave comments on suggested questions!!

_______________
*On NPR the other day I listened to this story of 2 college women talking on their cells. At one point they looked up and found that they were passing each other. One said to the other,

"Oh, there you are. I'm talking to you as I'm passing you. Helloooo!"

as she passed her. She didn't stop and hold any part of the conversation with her friend face to face. They both just kept walking and talking on their cells without even taking them time to hug each other or acknowledge their unplugged existance face to face. Wow!

Being Special

Did you ever have feelings of grandeur when you were a kid? Like you were special and that you probably had super powers. Maybe you were psychic, or telekinetic, or perhaps you could be the 'bad-ass' that could learn martial arts and take down all the baddies ala-Bruce/Jet Lee style , Haaaii YAH!

Then you got older and certain facts became clear to you. Bits of you started drooping and the only superhero name you could have now would be 'Stretchmark.'

In other words, reality sinks in.

That need to be special never goes away in most of us, however, which might explain why so many people feel entitled to things they have not truly earned. American ads prey on our needs of specialness by fostering those emotions of entitlement.

everyone has that need but some sublimate their desires in productive ways. They write, observe, create arts or crafts, or simply become as good as they can be in whatever given profession they feel compelled to participate in.

Perhaps others feel the need to be special by preventing others from exploring or considering the ways in which they themselves are special. Americans can be cut-throat competitors and they can gather round and cull any pack member that shows the least bit of weakness or difference from the main pack. So, enforcing comformity may be one way of feeling special. I eliminate the people who may stand out from the pack too much so I shine by comparison.. especially since I'm specially strong.

Special can mean different things to different people but I suppose that to be truly special means beign willing to explore the ways in which you're special and in not being afraid to let others be special as well.

More on this later.. maybe ^.^

New Links

I like to metalink... my word for making posts concerning broad subjects and then linking URLs within them so that you can always access them through the sidebar link list.

Today I'm beginning to work on my political metalinks. We'll have High Level (covering global and national) State and Fortworth/Dallas, each in their own lovely little link.

<3

EDIT: It's taking me a while longer because Blogger is doing some updating/having issues or something today. We'll get it done, though!

Sooo funny :')

World's Shortest Personality Test

Your Personality Profile

You are pure, moral, and adaptable. You tend to blend into your surroundings. Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends. You believe that you live a virtuous life... And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye. As a result, people tend to crave your approval.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Globalization Doesn't Work Pt 1

This blog is really about developing my thinking... so sometimes I will just sketchy things here and return to the theme later.

Here's one of those times.

I think globalization SUCKS.

Well, that's big news, isn't it. I just need to be a socialist to think that. But, here's my idea; The idea has failed because it's to far away to control properly.

Our environment is falling apart because we care more for our corporate headquarters 100-4000 miles or half a globe away than we do about the hibiscus plants in our garden or the food on our next door neighbors plates. We don't care about them because we get into our cars and drive 50 miles to and fro work each morning.

We drive AWAY from home so there's less need to take care of home. We put up with little boxy houses our little boxy apartments on little grid-like streets srrounded by so much concrete that it's 10- 15 degrees hotter in the cities than it is in the country. All so we can drive our cars and trucks up and down to give up our hard earned locally made product to China.. or Japan.. or Norway.

How can we live in someone else's city? How can we do someone else's sit ups? Is it easier to control your own life 2000 miles away or is it easier to control yourself in your own body?

Globalization doesn't work because we breath the air locally. We eat locally. We work locally. We laugh locally. We sing and dance and we fuck locally . We're messing up badly, because we care more about our profit there.. than our lives right here.

Bryon

Today we got a new fridge installed. Th eold one has been out for a while so it was a real relief to get the new one in. Luxury!

Meantime, here's a poem by Byron ^^ hope you're fans

When We Two Parted.
By Byron,


When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted,
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning
Sank chill on my brow -
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
And light is thy fame:
I hear thy name spoken,
And share in its shame.

They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me -
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
Who knew thee too well: -
Long, long shall I rue thee
Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met -
In silence I grieve
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee? -
With silence and tears.

*phew*

I know quite a few divorcees that would love this one

I'm Brand New, Baby

I took this online quiz from quizfarm.com (link is below..somewhere). While taking it, I was afraid that it would totally score me wrong. It was just a feeling I had.

But, when the results popped up I felt like I could identify with it. So it's good enough fur meh!

_______

You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational. Cultural Creative 94% Postmodernist 69% Idealist 56% Existentialist 56% Materialist 44% Fundamentalist 25% Modernist 19% Romanticist 6% What is Your World View? created with QuizFarm.com

Maxed Utilities

TXU (Texas Utilities) is reporting generation at peak capacity due to the heat today (it's reaching 104-106) in Fort Worth, Texas. If an interruption occurs we could face rolling black outs.

Incidentally, this is projected to be the hottest year on record. 2005 was the previous hottest year on record

I'm only aware of one thing right now - damn it's hot!!!

Aphorisms

Here I put aphorisms and other terse stuff that appeals to me

Don't find love, let love find you. That's why it's called falling in love, because you don't force yourself to fall, you just fall - a comment I found in a signature in a forum.

For myself I am an optimist — it does not seem to be much use being anything else. - Winston Churchill

Don't throw away pearls just because the clams have spoiled. - probably someone made this before me but I'll lay claim to it until someone comes forward. Sept. 10, 2006

Aphorisms - from Hippocrates

Sojourner Truth

Here's another Lovable Dictator - Sojourner Truth. She spent the first 40 years of her life as a slave and more than 40 as an abolitionist, reformer, and feminist. She was a tireless chapion of equal rights and she possessed so much spirit and grace that she is positively an inspiration to me.

This is from one of her speeches;

Keeping the Thing Going While Things Are Stirring

I am above eighty years old; it is about time for me to be going. I have been forty years a slave and forty years free, and would be here forty years more to have equal rights for all. I suppose I am kept here because something remains for me to do; I suppose I am yet to help to break the chain. I have done a great deal of work; as much as a man, but did not get so much pay. I used to work in the field and bind grain, keeping up with the cradler; but men doing no more, got twice as much pay; so with the German women. They work in the field and do as much work, but do not get the pay. We do as much, we eat as much, we want as much. I suppose I am about the only colored woman that goes about to speak for the rights of the colored women. I want to keep the thing stirring, now that the ice is cracked.

...for the rest read the above link...

If you can find better links than the ones that I used above please let me know

Altered Oceans

I was linked here through Albert via another website. I will not list the site as I want to keep my political affiliation a secret. It's not as if you can't really figure that out by the content I put up here but I wont spell it out.

Besides, I would rather have people be people first. They shouldn't have ideologies. There's ethics and morality, the right things to do and the wrong things. Ideology is a cheap short cut that takes the place of principled thought.

If you can take a stand and support what you have to say without resorting to saying things like "Liberals are fascists" or "Republicans are thugs" I will respect you.

Boy, don't I half beat around the Bush? Heres' the point of the entire post

Apparently, the world's oceans are going primeval on our asses and reverting to the primordial goop they once were when life first began to form. That is not a good thing since life has since evolved as the oceans have evolved.

The point of my blog is thinking positively. So...

Accept that global warming exists and spread the word. Talk about it with your friends and politiely, but persistantly, ask your representatives what they are doing to solve the problem.

Yes, I will say it again.

Together we will rule the world !


EDIT: This series is so good I'll add it to the 'Hot Global Domination' series of links for as long as LA Times keeps it up.

Sex is Evil!

Millions of Christians agree; non-procreative, recreational sex, is evil, immoral, and just plain icky.

So why are so many Christians doing it?

Additionally, 60% of the women who answered the survey confessed having "significant struggles with lust." 40% admitted to being "involved in sexual sin" in the past year.

"No one is immunized against the vice-grip clutches of sexual addictive behaviors," reads a release issued by the site. "The people who struggle with the repeated pursuit of sexual gratification include church members, deacons, staff, and yes, even clergy."

All this is really to say that even Christians are, apparently, human.

Hot Global Domination

Global Warming - Wikipedia

The La. Times Special on global warming's/pollution's Impact on the oceans

This is definitely a hot topic. As you can see, even on wikipedia the topic is uncontested. Global warming is a fact. What positive things can we do to improve our environment?

The environment we live in plays a huge role in the lives we live. It helps determine if we have a positive outlook on life or a pessimistic one.. It also helps us grow healthy and happy. A beautiful environment can help us become beautiful people who can in turn help the environment become more beautiful.

Let's make sure the world we live on is worth ruling.

That's right ! Together we will rule the world !

The links here will change as I find better.

Lovable Dictators

Great People To Rule The World With

Jack Kerouac
Socrates
Buddha
Mary Wollstonecraft
Alan Ginsberg
Emily Dickinson
Jane Austin
Sojourner Truth

NB: I make great use of Wikipedia for these names. I will have other links for them as well as time passes. These people are my inspiration.

This list will expand over time

Guerrilla Love

I aim to make this a strongly themed website devoted to 'Guerilla Love'.

Yes, this is basically a concept of my own invention but that's why I'm making a weblog, so I can develop the concept and maybe one day start a community site filled to the brim with people who want to effect positive change in the world. The tactics we'll be using are compassion, positive spin, humor (lots 'n' LOTS of humor), open minds, and a completely idiotic refusal to allow anything to stand in our way.

Yes, together we will rule the world !

David Hasselhoff Ist Schaurig

I apologize to any Germans reading if I used schaurig incorrectly. I had to look it up and I'm not sure I used exactly the right word.

But I got this from Booman Tribune and I'm sorry but this is sooo funny



If you can stomach it, check out when David pauses before singing his next line and dimples up and beams to the audience. It was like watching the scene in Harry Potter's second movie, The Chamber of Secrets, where the Dark Art's teacher (Kenneth Branaugh) does the same thing.

We all were supposed to know what an egocentric prat he was for doing that.

My favorite part was when they rushed the stage at the end...

Bush Solitaire

Bush apparently has fewer reporters dogging him than in the past. In the article they point out that he left his 'ranch' to go to some 'closed door ' fundraising events. This is a BAD thing, according the a Washington Post staff writer, because since there's less scrutiny more can go wrong.

Well, first off, let me point out that this is a Washington Post STAFF WRITER posting this up. Washington Post... staff writer.. Washington Post... Washington Post is not one of the nations largest media organizations, is it? So they couldn't possibly send more people to cover him, couldn't they?

Well, wait..

The cost of covering the president has risen dramatically at a time when the news media, anxious about economic pressures, are aggressively cutting costs. For a one-day trip to St. Louis, for instance, the White House billed The Washington Post $3,317. To go to Yuma, Ariz., for a day, the bill came to $3,795. A two-day trip to Europe cost $8,283, not counting hotel charges.

Well.. OH. Dear. It costs more money. Oh, well, that explains everything. Maybe WP is asking us to start buying more newspapers so they can continue feeding us useless information generated by all that scrutiny.

I seem to recall a day on Feb. 15 2003 when millions of people the globe over stood up and said "hey Bush, hey press, going to war is NOT a good idea!" Condi told us that we couldn't take chances because the consquences could be a mushroom cloud ... and the press scrutinized the pres. so well 3 years later we're still in a war and not a mushroom in sight.

Let us not mention the fact that we do not have to have a lot of brains to be able to put two and two together on the 'closed door' fundraising event. Let me guess, ummm, big business is going to woo Junior some more? Junior will accept their offers at the expense of the commonweal? :shock: The press didn't get the point after Bush called the wealthy "his base." why should they be of any help now?

I'd like to tell the WP that it's probably alright if they saved their money, since, you, know, they wouldn't actually be doing to justify the expense anyway.