I’m Still Howling!!

Posted on the Merc recently:

Police: Teen makes mistake of trying to rob former U.S. Marine


“…The boy said, “Old man, give me your wallet or I’ll cut you,” Bair said. The man told the boy he was a former Marine who fought in three wars and had been threatened with knives and bayonets, Bair said.

“The man then put his bags on the ground and told the boy that if he stepped closer he would be sorry. When the boy stepped closer, the man kicked him in the groin, knocking him to the sidewalk, Bair said. The ex-Marine picked up his grocery bags and walked home, leaving the boy doubled over, Bair said.…”

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Now playing: Led Zeppelin - You Shook Me (Live BBC Sessions) ["One Night Stand" Version]
via FoxyTunes

Rain Numbers - 29 March 2008

.02", for today
.14", for the storm
.35", for the month
36.86", for the (rain) year

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Now playing: Anonymous 4 - Vision 3 "The fiery spirit": Et imago
via FoxyTunes

Rain Numbers - 28 March 2008

.12", for today
.12", for the storm
.33", for the month
36.84", for the (rain) year

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Now playing: Steve Petrunak - Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
via FoxyTunes

Inspiration

Today’s Daily Reflection from the Society of the Little Flower:

He guides and inspires me every moment of the day. Just when I need it, a new light shines on my problems.

-St. Therese of Lisieux

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Now playing: Cyprian Consiglio - Third Divertissement: The Visitation
via FoxyTunes

A Blessing

Gratefulness.org’s Word For the Day today:

May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being.

-Apache Blessing

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Now playing: Grateful Dead - Attics of My Life
via FoxyTunes

Exquisite Imponderability

Gratefulness.org’s Word For the Day today:

Love is so exquisitely elusive. It cannot be bought, cannot be badgered, cannot be hijacked. It is available only in one rare form: as the natural response of a healthy mind and healthy heart.

-Eknath Easwaran

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Now playing: Bryn Terfel, Gareth Jones, Meinir Heulyn, The Black Mountain Choir, The Risca Choir & Welsh National Opera Orchestra - Hiraeth
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Friends’ View

Today’s Daily Thought from Real Simple:



A friend is someone who sees through you and still enjoys the view.
— Wilma Askinas

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Now playing: Yolanda Kondonassis - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
via FoxyTunes

It’s That Sudden Stop…

Spotted in a .sig, on a genealogy list (thanks, Kenny!):

Age is relative - when you’re over the hill, you pick up speed :)

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Now playing: Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy - Hares on the Mountain
via FoxyTunes

Truth In Advertising

Spotted on a Celtic (of course) list:

The presidents of Budweiser, Miller, and Guinness brewing companies all go to a bar for a drink after work. The president of Budweiser orders first. “I’ll take a Budweiser,” he tells the bartender. The bartender serves an ice-cold Bud from the tap.

The president of Miller orders next. He says to the bartender, “Make it a Miller”. And the bartender once again taps out an ice-cold brew, this time a Miller.

The president of Guinness then orders his drink. “I’ll have a big tall glass of ice water,” he tells the bartender. The other two men look at him. “Water???” one asks in disbelief.

The president of Guinness replies, “Yeah. If you guys aren’t drinking beer, then neither will I.”

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Now playing: Mary McLaughlin - Seacht nDólá Na Maighdine Muire
via FoxyTunes

Teach Your Children Well

The quote on The Literacy Site today:

Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.

-John W Whitehead

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Now playing: Voices of Ascension - Missa Papae Marcelli - Kyrie eleison
via FoxyTunes

Life Lessons

Gratefulness.org’s Word For the Day today:

The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.

- Rachel Carson

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Now playing: kuscaudio96.mp3
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Going Up

Today’s Daily Reflection from the Society of the Little Flower:

It is your arms, Jesus, which are the elevator to carry me to heaven.

-St. Therese of Lisieux

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Now playing: G. Palestrina - Lamentation 2
via FoxyTunes

Faith

A quote from St Cyril of Jerusalem, whose feast day it is today (thanks to AmericanCatholic.org’s Saint of the Day):

“It is not only among us, who are marked with the name of Christ, that the dignity of faith is great; all the business of the world, even of those outside the Church, is accomplished by faith. By faith, marriage laws join in union persons who were strangers to one another. By faith, agriculture is sustained; for a man does not endure the toil involved unless he believes he will reap a harvest. By faith, seafaring men, entrusting themselves to a tiny wooden craft, exchange the solid element of the land for the unstable motion of the waves. Not only among us does this hold true but also, as I have said, among those outside the fold. For though they do not accept the Scriptures but advance certain doctrines of their own, yet even these they receive on faith” (Catechesis V).

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Now playing: Donald Brinegar Singers - Ubi Caritas et Amor
via FoxyTunes

Not One of His Fables

Gratefulness.org’s Word For the Day today:

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

-Aesop

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Now playing: kuscaudio96.mp3
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Wonder

Gratefulness.org’s Word For the Day today:

To be alive in this beautiful, self-organizing universe — to participate in the dance of life with senses to perceive it, lungs that breathe it, organs that draw nourishment from it — is a wonder beyond words.

-Joanna Macy

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Now playing: The Tallis Scholars - Credo
via FoxyTunes

Wrack and Ruin

Lo and behold: rollerderby???? can fill the Civic. From the Senile this morning:

“…More than 1,000 people got to see the wreckage, and even more wanted to. A long line of people looking to buy tickets for the sold-out event started forming near the Civic’s box office an hour and a half before its scheduled start.…”

Say what???

Lowest common denominator strikes again…

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Now playing: Herbert Von Karajan, Luciano Pavarotti, Michel Sénéchal & Wiener Philharmoniker - Madama Butterfly: Act I, "E soffitto e pareti"
via FoxyTunes

Quacking About

Just as I woke up this morning, I heard an odd noise out the bedroom window; sounded suspiciously like quacking. Sure enough, the mallards (a pair of them) from the river were back in the big pond, paddling about like they owned the joint.

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Now playing: Amanda Jane Kelley - Let It Be Done To Us
via FoxyTunes

Rain Numbers - 15 March 2008

.12", for today
.21", for the storm
.21", for the month
36.72", for the (rain) year

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Now playing: Polyphony, Britten Sinfonia/Stephen Layton - Ave, dulcissima Maria
via FoxyTunes

In the Mood

Went to see In The Mood at the Santa Cruz Civic with Kelly last night.

Wow!

Now, I’m not really a fan of big band/swing, but this was a spectacular show! The singing was pretty good, the dancing was great, and the orchestra, String of Pearls (rightly described on the Web site as sensational) made the show!! A great time was had by all.

I didn’t notice before the show (Kelly and I were busy chit-chatting), but was utterly gobsmacked to notice afterwards that the place wasn’t even half full… Santa Cruz, you missed a great time!

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Now playing: Andrea Bocelli - O Sole Mio
via FoxyTunes

Rain Numbers - 14 March 2008

.03", for today
.09", for the storm
.09", for the month
36.60", for the (rain) year

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Now playing: Crosby, Stills & Nash - Southern Cross
via FoxyTunes

Rain Numbers - 13 March 2008

.06", for today
.06", for the storm
.06", for the month
36.57", for the (rain) year

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Now playing: Peter, Paul And Mary - Weave Me the Sunshine
via FoxyTunes

A Master’s Take on Action

Today’s Daily Thought from Real Simple:




Action is eloquence.
— William Shakespeare

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Now playing: Josh Groban - Un Amore Per Sempre
via FoxyTunes

Procrastination Is *Still* the Thief of Time

Today’s Daily Thought from Real Simple:




A year from now you may wish you had started today.
— Karen Lamb

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Now playing: Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You (Live BBC Sessions)
via FoxyTunes

We Make Our Own Luck

From Quotes of the Day, today:

I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.

- Thomas Jefferson (attributed)

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Now playing: Dougie MacLean - Turning Away
via FoxyTunes

Super Speedy!!

Bob mentioned seeing in his weather pokings that, in conjunction with the lovely weather heading towards Ireland and Great Britain, the jet stream tomorrow will likely enable a 777 to make the trans-Atlantic in about two (yes, that’s 2) hours.

The lovely weather includes barometric pressure down to about 937 millibars or so, which translates to about 27.67" Hg…

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Now playing: The McCalmans - The 12 Folk Days Of Christmas
via FoxyTunes

A Near-Tomaine Tommy Experience

We went to the Brewery for dinner. Perusing the specials menu, my eye first caught clam chowder, then bruschetta, then fried mozzarella, then the Italian sausage sandwich.   :::sigh:::   I haven’t had a decent Italian sausage sandwich in forever (Togo’s hasn’t had ’em in years…).

I was ready to settle in with the mozzarella and the sausage when my eye slid up the menu and there was Goddess salad with Goddess dressing. Instant time warp back to Tomaine Tommy’s and Green Goddess salad. Oh! Hope certainly springs eternal!!

After scaring me half to death telling me they were out, Burke doubled-checked with the chef, and sure enough, this was not some new-fangled, neo-something-or-other Santa Cruz thing with “goddess” stuck in the name for show; it was green, avocado-based dressing. There is a God, and He continues to love me!!

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Now playing: Led Zeppelin - Since I’ve Been Loving You
via FoxyTunes

The Inaugural 2008 (Private) Deck Sit

Tonight was the night!!

Got to sit on the deck with the husband and admire the view and weather whilst the sun went down. Looked over some stain/sealer/caulking brochures, and a good time was had by all, including Glenkerry.

A glass of wine, the furry dog, and thou! Aaaah!

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Now playing: Peter, Paul And Mary - The Times They Are a Changin' (Live)
via FoxyTunes

Silence

Today’s Daily Reflection from the Society of the Little Flower:

Silence does good to the soul.

-St. Therese of Lisieux

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Now playing: Bob Hurd - Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration
via FoxyTunes

“Have it Shipped to Someone Who Can”

Get mail delivered to the house, that is…

I went to the SkyMall Web site to pick up a couple of things I’d spotted in the in-flight catalogues. I added my treasures to the shopping cart and, since they didn’t specify a shipping method, put the p.o. box in the shipping address section. Clicking the button resulted in a quick “P.O. Boxes not welcome here” message.

Their telephone customer service is available 24/7 (a point in their favor), so I called, and the nice young man to whom I spoke informed me that the various “partners” shipped their own goods, some via UPS, some via FedEx, some via the post office. Well, then, why did the Web site reject my P.O. Box? P.O. Boxes are never accepted, says the nice young man. But, but, we don’t get mail delivered to our house. Well, then…

That’s three, straight off.

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Now playing: The Sixteen - Salve Regina
via FoxyTunes

Bela and the Boys Rock on Hoedown

Bumper Snicker

Spotted in a Freecycle post this morning:

”Whether You Believe You Can Do A Thing Or Not, You Are Right.”
- Henry Ford

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Now playing: Led Zeppelin - Since I've Been Loving You
via FoxyTunes

The Wildlife Brigade

I looked out the bedroom window at the big pond this morning, and lo and behold, there were three ducks paddling around, two mallard drakes and a hen, undoubtedly from the river. This was a pair and a third wheel, according to Bob. Wikipedia has a very interesting article, with great photos, on mallards.

About the same time there was a whole herd (comparatively speaking) of deer lounging on the point, basking in the sun. From the bedroom, I could make out a couple of what seemed to be fawns; Bob reported there were several more deer, including a buck. I hope his photos turned out; stay tuned.

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Now playing: Wright Sisters - Orange Blossom Special
via FoxyTunes

I Think the QuizMaster Is a Bit Confused!!

What Is Your Cardinal Superpower

Your superpower is MENTAL. This can take the form of psychic powers (like telepathy, precognition, or mind control), extreme intelligence, or some form of ability, like “photographic reflexes” (being able to copy any move you see another person make). Such persons are usually leaders and visionaries, the ones the other powers rally around.
-Flight
-Invisibility or Shapeshifting
-Intangibility, Invulnerability or Healing
-Force
Take this quiz!








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Now playing: Los Angeles Master Chorale - Ave Maria
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Living Life

Gratefulness.org’s Word For the Day today:

I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.

-Diane Ackerman

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Now playing: Makem and Clancy - The Cobbler
via FoxyTunes

That Guy, Plato…

…knew what he was talking about…

Gratefulness.org’s Word For the Day today:

Music… gives wings to the mind, a soul to the universe, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, a life to everything.

-Plato

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Now playing: Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
via FoxyTunes

Love and Hate, Friends and Enemies

From Quotes of the Day, today:

The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

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Now playing: Don McLean - Empty Chairs
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