HOLDING BALLOONS IN LALALAND

THE LAMA SAYS...

2012-01-30T05:45:00.000-08:00

"It's not what you can get away with
it's what you can achieve"

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED

2012-01-30T02:40:00.000-08:00

best breakfast ever!!!

AMEN!!!

agree!!!

i am VERY thankful.

i may just got addicted to it!!

2012-01-29T03:21:00.000-08:00

me LOVES unexpected mail...

2012-01-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

i always said that the american election system is the worst in the world... and it's election year!!!!

"The U.S. government has poured more money into helping other countries become democracies than it has into its own election system."

2012-01-26T23:22:00.000-08:00

me loves riding home with chris.

I CRIED (click on title)

2012-01-26T23:10:00.000-08:00

WE CANNOT WAIT!!!

2012-01-24T17:30:00.000-08:00

so cool to know d.g. will be working on the animated parts. also, very cool that e.l. got nominated for the oscars, hurray for talented friends!!

Though the Yellow Brick Road didn't lead to Anaheim over the weekend -- instead, it was snaking through the film set in Detroit -- director Sam Raimi and star James Franco sent over to the D23 convention a video that gave a quick first look and some new information about their upcoming "Wizard of Oz" prequel.

Titled "Oz: The Great and Powerful," the film, whichbegan shooting last month, casts Franco as Oscar Diggs, a huckster magician who gets swept up in a storm and delivered to the beloved land of Oz. Boasting a cadre of major co-stars -- his assistant will be played by Zach Braff, while the land's witches include Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and RachelWeisz -- and a director who specializes in epic, special effects-driven films, the project is in its early stages, but still offered some concept art for the fans and press members in attendance.

Here's a snippet of ComingSoon.net's detailed summary of those early pieces of art and video:

Concept art included several images of the lush, emerald green hills of Oz, with the yellow--but not always bricked--road winding it's way throughout. The impossible geography of Oz showed through as well, with arching rock formations seemingly miles long and a mountain shaped like an elephant. Pictures of the Emerald City showcased an art deco influence.

Disney also re-released an official synopsis for the film, which is due out March 8, 2013.

Walt Disney Pictures' fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot--fame and fortune are his for the taking--that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity--and even a bit of wizardry--Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

TATTOOS (click on title for some funny ones!)

2012-01-24T15:00:00.000-08:00

Tattoos for Moms: why celebrity parents get inked

By Joanna Douglas,
Many mothers will carry pictures of their kids in their wallets, post photo albums on Facebook, wear jewelry with their children's birthstones or initials, or even put bumper stickers on their cars declaring there's a "baby on board." But the Daily Mail claims a new trend is emerging where proud moms are celebrating their kids—and their womanhood—through body art. Men have often paid tribute to their children through ink, but "mommy tattoos" are on the rise and female celebrities may be responsible for leading the trend.

Check out these celebrities with tattoo regrets

Angelina Jolie (pictured left) displays love for her six children on her arm. The birthplaces of Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne (and last year she added Brad Pitt's) are written as earth coordinates covering up an old "Billy Bob" tattoo-the remnants of her old flame.

Heidi Klum has her soon-to-be-ex's name tattooed on her arm.

Heidi Klum has husband Seal's name tattooed on her arm (pictured below), but they just announced they're separating, so that may get removed! Next to his name are four tattooed stars symbolizing the couple's children, Leni, Henry, Johan, and Lou. Remember: a spouse may be temporary, but children are forever.

Likewise, Pamela Anderson once had "Tommy" (as in her ex, rocker Tommy Lee) etched on her ring finger, but after the romance failed she changed it to "Mommy," a name that will be more permanent in her life.

Julia Roberts has the names of her three kids tattooed on her lower back.

Forget "tramp stamps." Julia Roberts (pictured left) has the names of her kids, Hazel, Phinnaeus, and Henry, tattooed on her lower back.

Victoria Beckham has five stars tattooed on her back-one for her, one for husband David Beckham, and one for each of their three sons, Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz.

Brooke Burke got the names of her four children tattooed on her wrist in cursive. Now Neriah, Sierra, Rain, and Shaya will always be with her.

Mel B of the Spice Girls has a Phoenix on her arm as a tribute to daughter Phoenix Chi.

Let's face it--tattoos have a bad wrap. But that's because some people get them while intoxicated or choose symbols or characters in other languages without understanding their true meaning. Some people get random tattoos like a rose with no real meaning at all and later regret them. Others get caught up in passion and get a tattoo for their significant other that will last far longer than the courtship.

You know which tattoo most women wouldn't regret? One in honor of their children. Whether it's atattoo of your kid's name, their birth date, their baby footprints, or their portrait, a mommy tattoo has a meaning that people can respect. Tastes change, and relationships end, but your kids will always be your kids no matter what.

WE MISS MR WOODEN!! (we were so lucky to have met him!!)

2012-01-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

Joe Paterno could have taken a cue from John Wooden

Joe Paterno could have been to college football what John Wooden was to college basketball. But the former Penn State coach had too little time to recraft his reputation after the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

John Wooden, left, quit coaching at age 64, when his health started to slip a bit; Joe Paterno chose coach until he was 85. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images; Rick Stewart / Allsport)

By Bill Dwyre

In a perfect world, Joe Paterno would have been John Wooden.

College basketball wouldn't have cornered the market on respect and reverence. College football would have had an entry of its own.

But legacy-building is a tricky thing.

Wooden constructed his perfectly, although certainly not consciously. He quit coaching at 64, when his health started to slip a bit and when it was obvious that the only way he could build on his coaching success was to continually top himself. He knew you can climb Everest only so many times before the bad weather comes.

Out of the spotlight of coaching, Wooden slipped quietly into private life. There were occasional appearances, newspaper stories every once in a while using his expertise. But mostly, the reverence coming his way was from family, friends and former players.

In retirement, he lost his wife, Nell, and slipped further into a quiet life of reading, writing and keeping memories of her alive through the extended family they had created. For years, despite well-meaning efforts on the part of many people in the hierarchy of college basketball, he declined to attend the Final Four because it brought back too many memories of Nell.

He was into his 80s when public life started to heat up again for him. Retrospective newspaper articles spawned the idea of books about his life philosophies. Corporations fascinated by his homespun theories on ethics and fair play sought him as their messenger — and, as with most corporations these days, failed to listen. He made hundreds of public appearances and, at each, the audience was mesmerized.

He could have been overwhelmed, but he somehow managed to handle all the new attention with a smile and a tinge of gratitude that so many people still cared. He could have been angry at the intrusion, but he quickly understood that all those things he had been saying for years at the dinner table and at basketball practice had a wider audience, one that was suddenly finding the simplicity of his approach meaningful and even sexy.

Paterno never had a chance to do what Wooden did, to clear his mind and ponder his navel and see whether the aftermath of football brought life into better focus for him. It was his choice to coach until he was 85.

There still might have been time for Paterno, even in the aftermath of the horrible Jerry Sandusky mess. Remember, Wooden made it until he was only four months shy of his 100th birthday.

But health waits for no man.

One image is of Penn State's beloved JoePa, quietly slipping away to a cabin somewhere in the solitude of Montana and getting a better handle on things in front of a warm fireplace. Maybe a better explanation of his role in the Sandusky mess would have crystallized there, better than the one Paterno gave to the Washington Post's Sally Jenkins only days ago.

"I didn't know which way to go," he said.

We are a country that wants to forgive, even forget. Wooden had a skeleton in his closet, at least in the perception of many fans. They rationalized that his incredible success was partly driven and financed by former UCLA booster Sam Gilbert.

Wooden always denied knowledge of what Gilbert was doing. He was always direct when asked about it, never defensive. Eventually, time and the very essence of Wooden led most people to forget Gilbert altogether, or simply not believe that Wooden's life ethics would have allowed his involvement.

Paterno's problems were a world apart from giving athletes extra benefits. His failure to make his way to the steering wheel of the bus that was driving Sandusky out of town remains unconscionable and inconceivable. Unless there is a dramatic reversal of information forthcoming in the Sandusky case, Paterno's inaction is a legacy-killer.

Still, as a country that wants to forgive, and wants to be able to find at least some small way to rationalize the merits of our sports heroes, we might have softened with any semblance of defense of his actions. With time, even the "I was an old guy who didn't totally understand" might have grown on us.

But Paterno never got to sit on the witness stand, never got to write his memoir, never got to be introspective in front of Diane Sawyer and let a sincere tear slip down his cheek. There was no chance for time to heal, because he was granted no time.

The story of John Wooden did not end with his days as a coach. Very possibly, his work after basketball touched more people than his work during it.

The story of Joe Paterno, which will always be mitigated somewhat by his numerical success as a football coach, ended in controversy and confusion.

Wooden had time to further define his legacy. Paterno had none.

We will remember Wooden with blue skies, gentle breezes and a symphony orchestra playing in the background. We will remember Paterno with an asterisk.

2012-01-24T10:12:00.001-08:00

Spike Lee Sundance Rant

By Mike Krumboltz | Sundance – 20 hours ago

Spike Lee doesn't hold back. The Oscar-nominated man behind "Do the Right Thing" and "Malcolm X" went off on Hollywood after Chris Rock asked a question following the Sundance screening for Lee's new film, "Red Hook Summer."

According to Entertainment Weekly, the film was screened for a large audience, some of whom left after the film took a controversial twist. That didn't seem to faze Lee. However, when Chris Rock asked Lee about financing the film, the director went off on a bit of a tirade.

2012 Sundance Film Festival Portraits

Rock, who appeared to be joking around, said, "You spent your own money ... What would you have done differently if you'd actually gotten studio money? What else would have happened? Would you have blown up some (bleep)?"

Lee, apparently unamused, responded, "We never went to the studios with this film. I bought a camera and said we're gonna do this mother(bleeping) film ourselves. I didn't need a mother(bleeping) studio telling me something about Red Hook! They know nothing about black people! Nothing!" Lee then added, "And they're gonna give me notes about what a 13-year-old black boy and girl do in Red Hook? (Bleep) no!"

Yahoo! Movies: Sundance Film Festival 12

Lee later apologized for his outburst. "Sorry for that mother(bleeping) tirade," he said. "My wife is looking at me like I'm crazy."

"Red Hook," which stars Clarke Peters of "The Wire" and "Treme," is the story of a young boy from Atlanta who spends the summer in Brooklyn with his grandfather, whom he has never met. Lee makes an appearance as "Mookie," his character from "Do the Right Thing." However, Lee was quite clear when he told audiences that "Red Hook Summer" is not a "mother(bleeping) sequel" to "Do the Right Thing."

Got that, everybody? Not. A. Sequel.

2012-01-23T12:31:00.001-08:00

Why heavy coffee drinkers may have a lower risk of diabetes

Research shows that heavy coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and now scientists in China may have discovered why.

Prior studies have shown that people who drink four or more cups of coffee a day have a 50 percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, and that every extra cup of coffee brings another decrease in risk of almost seven percent.

Researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology,Wuhan University, and Wuhan Institute of Biotechnology in China have cited the protective benefits of compounds in coffee that inhibit a substance called human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), which has been linked to diabetes, stated science and health news website Science Daily last week in a report on the new study. The study appears in the latest issue of the Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemisty.

Last year, a Harvard University study in the US found that drinking coffee, either decaf or regular, can ward off the risk of deadly prostate cancer. Another recent study found that women who drank five or more cups of coffee a day were 57 percent less likely to develop estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer.

More good news for coffee lovers? Coffee has also been shown to improve brain function in mice studies, with researchers probing the possibility of using coffee as a treatment for people with Alzheimer's disease.

Still health experts don't recommend too much coffee. The US-based Mayo Clinic suggests no more than two to four cups a day, since more than that can cause insomnia, upset stomach, and anxiety.

2012-01-23T08:20:00.001-08:00

Felicity Aston skis across Antarctica

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- British adventurer Felicity Aston completed her crossing of Antarctica on Monday, becoming the first woman to ski across the icy continent alone.

She did it in 59 days, pulling two sledges for 1,084 miles (1,744 kilometers) from her starting point on the Leverett Glacier on Nov. 25.

"!!!Congratulations to the 1st female to traverse Antarctica SOLO.V proud," her Twitter message said.

[+] Enlarge

AP PhotoFelicity Aston, in a self-portrait days before she traveled to her starting point, crossed Antarctica in 59 days, pulling two sledges more than 1,084 miles.

She announced her achievement from Hercules Inlet on Antarctica's Ronne Ice Shelf, where she waited alone in her tent for bad weather to clear so that a small plane could pick her up and take her to a base camp. Other expeditions also have gathered there, preparing for the summer's last flight off the continent.

Aston also set another record: the first human to ski solo, across Antarctica, using only her own muscle power. A male-female team already combined to ski across Antarctica without kites or machines to pull them across, but Aston is the first to do this alone.

A veteran of expeditions in sub-zero environments, Aston, 34, worked as a meteorologist in Antarctica and has led teams on ski trips in the Antarctic, the Arctic and Greenland.

Her journey took her from the Ross Ice Shelf, up the Leverett Glacier and across the Transantarctic Mountains to the continent's vast central plateau, where she fought headwinds most of the way to the South Pole. Then she turned toward Hercules Inlet and a base camp where the Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions company provides logistical support to each summer's Antarctic expeditions.

She arranged in advance for two supply drops so that she could travel with a lighter load, one at the pole and one partway toward her final destination. Otherwise, her feat was unassisted.

Aston tweeted that she's been promised red wine and a hot shower after she gets picked up. "No plane tonight but I have my last Beef and Ale Stew to enjoy for my final evening alone -- yum!" she wrote.

And while she pondered her achievement in her last hours of solitude Monday, she shared more of her thoughts in a phone call she broadcast live online.

"It's all a little bit overwhelming. After days and days to get here, I seem to have arrived all in a rush. I don't really feel prepared for it. It feels amazing to be finished and yet overwhelmingly sad that it's over at the same time," she said. "I can't quite believe that i'm here and that i've crossed Antarctica, just over 1700 kilometers, just under 1,000 nautical miles, 14.5 degrees and 59 days and here I am."

"I'm just going to sit here and enjoy these last precious moments on my own, and running through my mind all those days behind me, the plane leaving me on my own ... the awful day when I thought I was going to get blown away, all those days of bad weather, slogging through those mountains, up those hills with my sledges, arriving at the pole, leaving the pole again, more bad weather and just empty horizons..."

"I remember all the bad times, sitting in my tent, thinking 'what on Earth am I doing?', but despite all that, this has been the most amazing privilege, to have the opportunity to do this, and just a huge thank you to all those people who made it possible.

HAPPY NEW CHINESE YEAR!!!

2012-01-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

The Lunar New Year: Enter the Dragon

The Lunar New Year is celebrated in China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, and Tibet, as well is in countries such as Singapore that have large Chinese populations. Christopher Livaccari of the Asia Society explains to Yahoo! Shine that it used to be celebrated widely in Japan, but now most Japanese people consider January 1st to be the main New Year's holiday.

Year of the Dragon

This year's Lunar New Year begins on January 23, which is the first day of the first new moon of the year. It ends 15 days later on the full moon. The Chinese calendar is divided into 12 cycles each represented by a special animal. According to Chinese Astrology, this year is the year of the Dragon, the only mythical animal in the zodiac. People born in the year of the Dragon are said to be energetic, charismatic, and natural born leaders. Some famous "Dragons" include Joan of Arc, Vladimir Putin, and John Lennon.

Lunar New Year Traditions

Celebrations of the coming year commence on the eve of the first new moon with a feast and fireworks. Families clean their homes to symbolize a fresh start and buy flowers and plants, which represent rebirth. Often, gifts of new money or money in red and gold envelopes are exchanged to bring good fortune. Livaccari told Shine, "I think some people tend to think of these holidays and celebrations as something very exotic, but most people in contemporary East Asia see this time as an opportunity to take a break from school and work and reconnect with family, much like we would on Thanksgiving or Christmas."

Lucky foods include dumplings and other stuffed delicacies which symbolize little packages of good fortune, oranges which in Chinese sound like the word for "auspicious," and apples which sound like "peace." Fireworks are detonated to ward off evil spirits. Boisterous dragon dances are also performed to scare spirits away.

A tradition that kids will like is that parents aren't supposed to scold their children during the Lunar New Year. Livaccari also points out that, just like in the West, "Your average 14 year-old in Beijing, Shanghai, or Seoul is probably more focused on this as a chance to get some more time to play video games or interact with friends online."

ME LOVES THE LIFE I LIVE

2012-01-23T02:33:00.000-08:00

funniest comment coming from a 6'11' big boy while watching football: "whoever broke adele's heart is the biggest asshole ever, but boy, didn't he give us something beautiful to listen to? couldn't we all go through heartbreaks and produce something as beautiful as all her songs??" funny how her songs speak to whoever went through break-ups and some of her songs are so damn hard to listen to sometimes... i was really happy to find out that i'm not the only one who feels this way.
lakers lakers... what the *(#$&*(^#$?
gifford... don't we all admire her? kudos for her husband too.
our beckham staying in LA, what not to love about that?!?!?
joe paterno... rip. cancer is a bitch and NOBODY deserves to suffer from it. we think that is better to die from cancer than from being embarrassed. we concluded that we could survey some people on this topic...
nothing like spending time with men in their dimensions: their comments and opinions are always amusing to me.
funniest comment #2: "i'm gonna start calling you madre teresa. you are such a mama bear. and before you say anything, yes, i can see not to mess up with you because i can tell that you play your cards really well and you fight like a big russian madonna." i don't think a stranger ever got to the point this quickly. yes, i have to agree that sometimes i don't play fair (but then we have to consider that if i get to that point - where i don't play fair, it's because people haven't been fair to me first). i can be incredibly sarcastic, ironic and harsh, I KNOW IT!! as a 7th grader told me the other day, "you don't lie, you just say the terrible truth."
just want to reiterate how much i love, still love and will love. that is the beauty of unconditional love: once you've been touched by it, you bask on it. whatever sounded and felt stupid and pathetic have been forgiven just because there is no damn space for that kind of crap in my life (karma is a bitch after all). i wish tl would know this, as well as mt. thanks gv and ns for you know what. mb... e.e. cummings is the answer.

2012-01-23T01:40:00.000-08:00

"when do you throw in the towel? admit that a lost cause is sometimes just that? there is a point where all becomes too much. when we get too tired to fight anymore... so we give up. that is when the real work begins: to find hope where there seems to be none. at all." m.g.

2012-01-23T01:24:00.000-08:00

Spike Lee presents President Obama with a special pair of Air Jordans

By Kelly Dwyer | Deep in the middle of an NBA Thursday night doubleheader, some friend of a friend re-tweetedsomething Spike Lee tossed out on Twitter. Surprised though we were that Spike Lee has a Twitter account, we pressed on to find this rather remarkable picture of Lee with President Barack Obama, and a particularly fetching pair of Air Jordan sneakers that Lee (a Nike endorser) apparently gave to the commander in chief.

The photo just about speaks for itself:

Spike Lee and President Obama (via Lee's Twitter account)

That is something else, hipsters and finger-poppin' daddies.

Friday morning, through Trey Kerby at The Basketball Jones, we learned that this particular style of Jordans will come out in February under the "Bordeaux" title, they'll be priced at a ridiculous $175 a pair, and the shoes also feature Spike's "40 Acres and a Mule" logo (the famed name of Lee's production company).

2012-01-22T08:08:00.000-08:00

"Speaking as the eleventh speaker and the only woman, I hope you will recall that it may be the cock that crows but it is the hen who lays the eggs."

The Iron Lady

gotta love her hair.

GOTTA APPRECIATE GOOD WORK

2012-01-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Jason Reitman brings memorable movies to life at LACMA

2012-01-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

i love the fact that a lot of the powerful men are failing because of their lack of respect and their lust for themselves. it's beyond time to have real men around!

i also love the fact that gingrich is talking about the media being vicious and negative, just the way he is with the democrats and president obama. ah, karma... art thou a bitch?

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.--Newt Gingrich angrily criticized the media for focusing on his personal life at the outset of Thursday's Republican presidential debate in South Carolina, disputing allegations made by his ex-wife in an interview that he had pressed her for an "open marriage."

Marianne Gingrich's interview with ABC News was the subject of the first question at the debate sponsored by CNN. Asked if he would like to respond to her claims about their marriage, Gingrich replied, "No, but I will." But first, he lashed out at CNN's John King, the debate's sole moderator.

"The destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office," Gingrich declared. "I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate with a topic like that."

He denied his ex-wife's claim that he had asked for an "open marriage" during the 1990s amid an affair with his current wife, Callista, calling the story "false."

"Every person in here knows personal pain," Gingrich declared. "Every person in here has had someone close to them go though painful things. To take an ex-wife and make it two days before a primary a significant question in a presidential campaign is as close to despicable as anything I can imagine."

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL VOICE IS GONE...

2012-01-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

AH MR OBAMA... (click on title)

2012-01-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

“WHERE DOES COURAGE COME FROM?” (maira kalman)

2012-01-19T23:58:00.000-08:00

day couldn't had gotten better when it started with the following, "do you like mcdonald's apple pie?" and the answer was pretty much, "is there anything i don't like to eat?"
the day couldn't had ended better with rick perry dropping his way to the white house. one less crazy man to worry about, phew!
yeah yeah yeah, our boys lost again...

2012-01-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

Video: Jason Richardson leaps off the bench to play defense

By Eric Freeman | Ball Don't Lie – 3 hours ago

Last Thursday, we noted a bizarre play in which Orlando Magic wing Quentin Richardson, on the bench at the time, screamed in Danny Green's ear during a 3-pointer. It was a weird way to play defense, both in terms of standards of sportsmanship and general NBA player comportment. Nevertheless, a guy has to do what he can to help his team win, and sometimes that involves playing defense from the bench.

Still, that's an extra bit of defensive help to the five guys on the floor — it's not as if Q-Rich leapt off the bench and ran on the court to be an extra defender. But apparently he was just setting the stage for such a move, because that's exactly what fellow Magic shooter Jason Richardson (no relation) did during their Monday game against the Boston Celtics. Check it out above via our friends at the Yahoo! Sports Minute.

It turned out to be a big help, too, because he knocked the ball away from Greg Stiemsma, who almost certainly didn't expect someone to appear magically from out of bounds. Since, you know, that tends not to happen in a professional basketball game with security guards and coaches.

Of course, J-Rich had good reason to jump, because the Magic only had four players on the court. Incidentally, it seemed as if they were playing a man down at the offensive end most of the night, with Orlando setting franchise records for fewest points (56) and fewest field goals (16) on their way to a 31-point loss. Maybe the referees should have told them to let people jump off the bench whenever they wanted. It might not have even made a difference to the result.

HURRAY FOR GOOD AND AWESOME AND RESPECTFUL MEN!!!

2012-01-18T19:14:00.001-08:00

"i have a good man.

so a few weeks ago E. messages me asking if we want to go to Blue Man Group. of course we do! his work was sponsoring the event so we were able to score a couple of tickets.

we got a babysitter and then - well, then there was Rosie.

we didn't feel good about taking her (a little loud) and we also didn't feel good about leaving her with anyone (she can be quite fussy in the evenings).

we thought about keeping the babysitter and gifting the tickets to someone else then just a few hours before the show E gets this great idea, "why don't you just take Ava?"

so that is what we did. Blondes and I got all dolled up and went to a show. we ran down Dixon St in our fancy black shoes - holding hands and freezing all the way. then we laughed, hooted and hollered, and finally shook our booties to Blue Man Group.

it was awesome!

i am so grateful for my good man who always puts me and our girls first.

he is brilliant."

2012-01-17T02:42:00.000-08:00

"i love you because you are a fighter. you never give up."

sometimes words of encouragement is all i need.

SORRY FOR THE CRAPPY VIDEO, COULDN'T FIND A BETTER ONE...

2012-01-16T17:30:00.000-08:00

funny how bad songs stick in my head like crazy glue!

2012-01-16T17:25:00.000-08:00

i've always loved mark, but now i RESPECT the man!! he is not just a pretty face/hot body, oh no no no!! me loves a real man, with balls to stand by what he believes and do the right things.

how not to appreciate and admire good and real man in this world?

"Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

2012-01-16T16:18:00.000-08:00

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." M.L.K.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

2012-01-14T02:04:00.000-08:00

marianne faithful. i kid you not.
419.
panna.
e para um bom entendedor, o meu silencio basta.

"THERE WERE NO TEMPTATIONS EXCEPT TO ASTONISH"

2012-01-13T02:51:00.000-08:00

IMAGES IMAGES IMAGES (click on title)

2012-01-11T09:58:00.001-08:00

2012-01-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

nothing like being a ref while injured, sipping coffee and having a bloody nose.

WHAT ABOUT 6TH SENSE? (click on title)

2012-01-10T09:51:00.001-08:00

QUOTE OF THE DAY (from the guardian)

2012-01-09T17:13:00.001-08:00

"I'm for honest elections, for a lawful state. I want politics to be polyphony, not monotone. It's the cynicism and the silliness of the ruling power that I can't stand any more."

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

"Quem teve a ideia de cortar o tempo em fatias, a que se deu o nome de ano, foi um indivíduo genial. Industrializou a esperança, fazendo-a funcionar no limite da exaustão. Doze meses dão para qualquer ser humano se cansar e entregar os pontos. Aí entra o milagre da renovação e tudo começa outra vez, com outro número e outra vontade de acreditar que daqui para diante vai ser diferente."

Carlos Drummond de Andrade

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2011-12-20T00:21:00.000-08:00

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

IT IS, INDEED, A BEAUTIFUL DAY!

2011-12-19T10:18:00.000-08:00

the old cliche and saying that it's all about attitude is so damn right on!!
i'm absolutely in peace and surrounded by peace and people who are so, i mean, SOOOOO dear to my warm heart!! i'm not just lucky, i'm damn blessed and i'm grateful for it.

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

2011-12-18T10:11:00.000-08:00

2011-12-17T14:49:00.000-08:00

SOMETIMES I STUMBLED THROUGH THE RIGHT THINGS... AND THEY FREE ME

2011-12-16T13:27:00.000-08:00

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

When you stop chasing the wrong things you give
the right things a chance to catch you.

As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Nothing could be closer to the truth. But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself. Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves. Read The Road Less Traveled.
Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you likeeveryone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else. Read Stumbling on Happiness.
Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. Evaluate situations and take decisive action. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Making progress involves risk. Period! You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you. Concentrate on beating your own records every day. Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself! And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too. If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Just do what you know in your heart is right.
Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done. Read Getting Things Done.
Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.
Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out. But making one person smile CAN change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus.
Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years?” If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

2011-12-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

TODAY GOTTA BE THE DAY TO LEARN A LOT OF THINGS!!!

2011-12-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

Menschkeit:
The Definition and Philosophy of the Space Between a Handshake

The Definition of a Mensch:

A person having admirable characteristics, such as fortitude and firmness of purpose: "He radiates the kind of fundamental decency that has a name in Yiddish; he's a Mensch." (James Atlas).
A person who is admired, respected, and trusted because of a sense of ethics, fairness, and nobility.

The Philosophy of Menschkeit:

This is the Philosophy of Menschkeit (including, but not limited to the following principles). No Mensch possesses all these qualities, but he does spend his life trying to attain them. No one knows how many or which of these qualities one must possess to be a Mensch, yet one Mensch knows another when he sees one. It is interesting to note that the Menschkeit ethics are parallel to those taught in Freemasonry.

Strength - physical, as well as of conviction
Honor - Every Mensch has a Code of Honor.
Integrity - A Mensch is honest with firm moral principles; his word carries the weight and trustworthiness of an iron vault.
Loyalty - fierce, to his fellow Menschs, loved ones, wife, children, mother, and family
Sacrifice - A Mensch's personal desires are subordinate to Menschkeit.
Uncompromising Ethics - A Mensch always strives to do what is right.
Intelligence - not necessarily academic, but raw intelligence
Control - A Mensch has the ability to forge/manhandle/bend a situation towards his will; if not in control, a Mensch will find a way to be in control. Alternatively, a Mensch will relinquish control in order to be in control.
Stoicism & Toughness - high pain tolerance; absence of complaining
Fairness - A Mensch always considers all sides.
Knowledge - may be specific to a particular area, as long as it is at the level of mastery
Killer Instinct - A Mensch goes after what he wants like a bulldozer, makes things happen, gets things done.
Independence - A Mensch draws upon the inner strength of Menschkeit.
Instinct to Protect - a Mensch's loved ones, wife, children, mother, family, and those close
Perseverance - A Mensch never quits until he succeeds, or until his intelligence tells him there is a better path.
Instinct to Survive - "never say die" attitude; A Mensch is reigned by wisdom (knowledge, intelligence, & ethics), but will fight like a cornered animal when necessary.
Open-Mindedness - A Mensch is not so foolish as to be complacent with his ideas.
A Certain Degree of Crudity - A Mensch realizes what is important and what is not; as such he is at ease with himself and not inhibited by meaningless proprieties.
Directness - A Mensch does not mince words; he says what he means and means what he says; "When I use a word, Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." - Lewis Carroll
Discipline - Every Mensch is Master over himself.
Work Ethic - A Mensch spends his life breaking his back; a Mensch enjoys hard labor, and the equivalent in any pursuit.
Self-Sustainability - A Mensch needs very little to survive, and, indeed, be happy; in certain cases, only Menschkeit alone is needed to sustain life.
Perceptiveness - A Mensch has the ability to see in a flash, like an X-ray, the core of a person, situation, and/or place, with 100% accuracy.
Judgment - Because of his perceptiveness, a Mensch possesses the uncanny ability to consistently make the best decisions possible; a Mensch always knows what to do.
Mechanical Inclination - Some of a Mensch's closest friends are his tools.
Camaraderie - Every Mensch possesses an unspoken bond with his loved ones, wife, children, mother, family, and those close.
Vision - A Mensch always has a clear goal in mind, and affects that goal with supreme efficiency through use of his Menschkeit qualities: If a Mensch sees it, it is done.
Absence of Fear - A Mensch knows that his Menschkeit qualities will carry him through to triumph over any situation.
Composure - A Mensch never appears perturbed or shaken, but maintains a mental evenness that allows him to navigate any situation.
Ingenuity - A Mensch has the uncanny ability to find novel and creative solutions, 10 out of 10 times.
Craftsmanship - Nothing satisfies a Mensch more than to have created something from scratch with his bare hands.
Dependability - A Mensch can be counted on as the sun rises.
Fertility of Mind - A Mensch always has some sort of project running on the side to satisfy his creative impulses.
Appreciation of Women - A Mensch appreciates a good woman and the beauty of the female.
Physical Endurance - A Mensch takes a beating and keeps on ticking; in fact, a Mensch welcomes a beating.
Awareness - A Mensch is simultaneously aware of all that is around him, his mind ever present, ever vigilant, his surroundings accounted for, every scenario considered, weighed, and chosen at will.
Quality - The job a Mensch does is the best. No question. Hands down. Finished.
Economy of Speech - A Mensch does not talk much; to those without Menschkeit he may seem reticent, but in reality a Mensch is a master of his spoken language, using as few words as necessary to precisely convey his message. In fact, most Menschs have transcended language. This explains why two Menschs hardly ever talk, yet never miss a step. Whereas the non-Mensch must blather on, a simple nod from a Mensch suffices.
Logic - In any stressful situation, a Mensch always chooses his path by logic; his logic is never swayed by emotion.

2011-12-16T10:05:00.000-08:00

ANOTHER LESSON OF THE DAY

2011-12-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

LESSON OF THE DAY

2011-12-16T10:02:00.000-08:00

2011-12-15T10:22:00.000-08:00

2011-12-14T14:44:00.000-08:00

12 MORE DAYS FOR MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY!!!

2011-12-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

2011-12-12T14:39:00.000-08:00

Penso que tu mesmo cresces

Quando te penso. E digo sem cerimônias

Que vives porque te penso.

Se acaso não te pensasse

Que fogo se avivaria não havendo lenha?

E se não houvesse boca

Por que o trigo cresceria?

Penso que o coração

Tem alimento na Idéia.

Teu alimento é uma serva

Que bem te serve à mão cheia.

Se tu dormes ela escreve

Acordes que te nomeiam.

Abre teus olhos, meu Deus,

Come de mim a tua fome.

Abre a tua boca. E grita este nome meu.

(Hilda Hilst)

FROM NPR

2011-12-11T14:08:00.001-08:00

What's Behind A Temper Tantrum? Scientists Deconstruct The Screams

by SHANKAR VEDANTAM

Listen to the Story

Morning Edition

[8 min 28 sec]

05:16 am

December 5, 2011

Anatomy Of A Tantrum

Children's temper tantrums are widely seen as many things: the cause of profound helplessness among parents; a source of dread for airline passengers stuck next to a young family; a nightmare for teachers. But until recently, they had not been considered a legitimate subject for science.

Now research suggests that, beneath all the screams and kicking and shouting, lies a phenomenon that is entirely amenable to scientific dissection. Tantrums turn out to have a pattern and rhythm to them. Once understood, researchers say, this pattern can help parents, teachers and even hapless bystanders respond more effectively to temper tantrums — and help clinicians tell the difference between ordinary tantrums, which are a normal part of a child's development, and those that may be warning signals of an underlying disorder.

The key to a new theory of tantrums lies in a detailed analysis of the sounds that toddlers make during tantrums. In a new paper published in the journal Emotion, scientists found that different toddler sounds – or "vocalizations" – emerge and fade in a definite rhythm in the course of a tantrum.

"We have the most quantitative theory of tantrums that has ever been developed in the history of humankind," said study co-author Michael Potegal of the University of Minnesota, half in jest and half seriously.

The first challenge was to collect tantrum sounds, says co-author James A. Green of the University of Connecticut.

"We developed a onesie that toddlers can wear that has a high-quality wireless microphone sewn into it," Green said. "Parents put this onesie on the child and press a go button."

The wireless microphone fed into a recorder that ran for several hours. If the toddler had a meltdown during that period, the researchers obtained a high-quality audio recording. Over time, Green and Potegal said they collected more than a hundred tantrums in high-fidelity audio.

The scientists then analyzed the audio. They found that different tantrum sounds had very distinct audio signatures. When the sounds were laid down on a graph, the researchers found that different sounds emerged and faded in a definite pattern. Unsurprisingly, sounds like yelling and screaming usually came together.

"Screaming and yelling and kicking often go together," Potegal said. "Throwing things and pulling and pushing things tend to go together. Combinations of crying, whining, falling to the floor and seeking comfort — and these also hang together."

But where one age-old theory of tantrums might suggest that meltdowns begin in anger (yells and screams) and end in sadness (cries and whimpers), Potegal found that the two emotions were more deeply intertwined.

"The impression that tantrums have two stages is incorrect," Potegal said. "In fact, the anger and the sadness are more or less simultaneous."

Understanding that tantrums have a rhythm can not only help parents know when to intervene, but also give them a sense of control.

Green and Potegal found that sad sounds tended to occur throughout tantrums. Superimposed on them were sharp peaks of yelling and screaming: anger.

The trick in getting a tantrum to end as soon as possible, Potegal said, was to get the child past the peaks of anger. Once the child was past being angry, what was left was sadness, and sad children reach out for comfort. The quickest way past the anger, the scientists said, was to do nothing. Of course, that isn't easy for parents or caregivers to do.

"When I'm advising people about anger, I say, 'There's an anger trap,"' Potegal said.

Even asking questions can prolong the anger — and the tantrum.

That's what parents Noemi and David Doudna of Sunnyvale, Calif., found. Their daughter Katrina once had a meltdown at dinnertime because she wanted to sit at one corner of the dining table. Problem was, the table didn't have any corners – it was round. When David Doudna asked Katrina where she wanted to sit, the tantrum only intensified.

"You know, when children are at the peak of anger and they're screaming and they're kicking, probably asking questions might prolong that period of anger," said Green. "It's difficult for them to process information. And to respond to a question that the parent is asking them may be just adding more information into the system than they can really cope with."

In a video of the tantrum that Noemi Doudna posted on YouTube, Katrina's tantrum intensified to screaming, followed by the child throwing herself to the floor and pushing a chair against a wall.

"Tantrums tend to often have this flow where the buildup is often quite quick to a peak of anger," Green said.

Understanding that tantrums have a rhythm can not only help parents know when to intervene, but also give them a sense of control, Green said.

That's because, when looked at scientifically, tantrums are no different than thunderstorms or other natural phenomena. Studying them as scientific subjects rather than experiencing them like parents can cause the tantrums to stop feeling traumatic and even become interesting.

"When we're walking down the street or see a child having a tantrum, I comment on the child's technique," Potegal said. "[I] mutter to my family, 'Good data,' and they all laugh."

Noemi Doudna said she now looks back on Katrina's tantrums and sees the humor in them.

Katrina often demanded things that made no sense in the course of tantrums, Noemi Doudna said. She once said, "'I don't want my feet. Take my feet off. I don't want my feet. I don't want my feet!'"

When nothing calmed the child down, Noemi Doudna added, "I once teased her — which turned out to be a big mistake — I once said, 'Well, OK, let's go get some scissors and take care of your feet.'"

Her daughter's response, Noemi Doudna recalled, was a shriek: "Nooooo!!"

More: Your Health

How To Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

To Keep Marriage Healthy When Baby Comes, Share Housework

Call Now To Get A Medicare Enrollment Extension

I USUALLY LOVE ACOUSTIC VERSIONS, BUT NOT FOR THIS SONG...

2011-12-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

LAURIE'S WISDOM OF THE DAY

2011-12-09T09:56:00.000-08:00

"Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting."

William Arthur Ward

... and my personal fortune cookie is right on again.

I WISH THIS WAS THE CASE...

2011-12-09T09:54:00.001-08:00

TODO HOMEM DEVERIA LER

(Texto de Arnaldo Jabor)

É melhor você ter uma mulher engraçada do que linda, que sempre te acompanha nas festas, adora uma cerveja, gosta de futebol, prefere andar de chinelo e vestidinho, ou então calça jeans desbotada e camiseta básica, faz academia quando dá, come carne, é simpática, não liga pra grana, só quer uma vida tranqüila e saudável, é desencanada e adora dar risada.

Do que ter uma mulher perfeitinha, que não curte nada, se veste feito um manequim de vitrine, nunca toma porre e só sabe contar até quinze, que é até onde chega a sequência de bíceps e tríceps.

Legal mesmo é mulher de verdade. E daí se ela tem celulite? O senso de humor compensa. Pode ter uns quilinhos a mais, mas é uma ótima companheira. Pode até ser meio mal educada quando você larga a cueca no meio da sala, mas e daí? Porque celulite, gordurinhas e desorganização têm solução. Mas ainda não criaram um remédio pra FUTILIDADE.

E não se esqueça...MULHER BONITA DEMAIS E MELANCIA GRANDE, NINGUÉM COME SOZINHO!!!

2011-12-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

perfect for what i need now: the world and drink more water.

LAURIE'S WISDOM OF THE DAY

2011-12-06T00:05:00.003-08:00

"Patience is also a form of action."

Auguste Rodin

i swear that sometimes i think laurie sends her wisdom just to me... she is definitely my personal fortune cookie!! :)

LAURIE'S WISDOM OF THE DAY

2011-12-05T10:57:00.001-08:00

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

Mahatma Gandhi

2011-12-04T23:16:00.000-08:00

"My head gets in the way sometimes: I latch onto something (an ache, feeling tired, etc.) and can't stop focusing on it. In those moments I have to literally force myself to think of something else - a mantra that makes me feel strong, a good song that transports me to a moment in time or that I can sing, a cute guy passing me on the path. Any one of these will usually get my mind in a better place so I can finish the run. Sometimes I play the grateful game - notice the beautiful scenery and thank the universe that I am healthy enough to get up and run today without issue. Not everyone has that luxury."
LeeAnn Webster

LeeAnn Webster, RW Challenger

FROM GIGGIO, WHOM IS BEYOND WISE WHEN NEEDED

2011-12-04T22:59:00.000-08:00

Esse diálogo, do Pushing Daisies, é um dos mais bonitos. Faz um tempinho eu o tinha publicado, na época que assistia o seriado. Vale republicar:

"- If you loved me…
- Yes.
- …And we could never, ever, ever touch, wouldn’t you eventually get over it and move on, letting someone else have the slightest hope that you might move on to them?
- If I loved you?
- Yeah.
- Then I would love you in any way I could. And if we could not touch, then I would draw strength from your beauty. And if I went blind, then I would fill my soul with the sound of your voice and the contents of your thoughts until the last spark of my love for you lit the shabby darkness of my dying mind."

ANOTHER REASON TO RUN...

2011-12-03T23:46:00.000-08:00

I MEAN... SHE IS SO DEAD ON!!!

2011-12-03T23:28:00.000-08:00

HUMBLY YOURS

2011-12-03T23:25:00.000-08:00

2011-12-03T23:24:00.000-08:00

"There's such a difference between love and lust. I know that when you really care for someone, you are concerned with their growth, happiness and fulfillment more than our own gratification and desires."

Suzanne Gardiner

ALL MY FAVORITE MEN IN ONE!! (click on title)

2011-12-01T09:56:00.001-08:00

THAT'S WHAT YOU DESERVE WHEN YOU CHEAT

2011-12-01T09:52:00.001-08:00

Tattoo artist Ryan Fitzgerald from Dayton, OH was hit with a $100,000 lawsuit last week by his ex-girlfriend Rossie Brovent. She claims that her boyfriend was supposed to tattoo a scene from Narnia on her back but instead tattooed an image of a pile of excrement with flies buzzing around it.

Apparently, Ryan found out that Rossie had cheated with a long-time friend of his, but instead of confronting her about it he acted like everything was normal and hatched a plan for revenge. Originally, Rossie tried to have Ryan charged with assault, but the ingenious tattoo artist had covered his bases by plying Rossie with wine and tequila shots and getting her to sign a consent form that stated the design was “at the artist’s discretion.”

No word from Rossie on whether the illicit night of passion with Ryan’s friend was worth it. Moral of the story? Never cheat on a tattoo artist.

AFTER THE THANKSGIVING GORGING... COOKIES EXCHANGE!!!

2011-12-01T01:14:00.000-08:00

Speculoos from the blog www.sucrissime.com

Speculoos recipe, from Dandoy
I found this recipe here and then adapted it to my own taste.

1kg flour
300g butter (best quality, unsalted)
600g dark brown sugar (might I suggest muscovado. The darker the brown sugar, the darker the speculoos will be – in Belgium people usually use sucre de candi brun)
100ml water
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 eggs (optional – makes the speculoos softer. I like mine crunchy, so no eggs)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ‘speculoos spice mix’ (see below)
optional: 2 small pieces of plain gingerbread (pain d’épice) soaked in water

For the spice mix, Dandoy suggests 3 parts cinnamon and 1 part clove. I would modify this mixture, and use more than a tsp – maybe 1.5tsp. I’d put extra cinnamon and definitely some nutmeg – more nutmeg than clove, but then again I’m not a huge fan of clove. A hint of grated ginger would make a nice addition.

Preheat oven to 175-200°C (350-390°F).

In a bowl, cream the brown sugar, butter, vanilla and spices. (add the gingerbread pieces if you wish – this binds the mixture).

Sift the baking soda, flour and salt, and add progressively to the creamed mixture. The dough should be thick. Don’t mix too much, as the dough should not be elastic. If the dough is too sticky, you can put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

Separate the dough into several piles and roll out on a floured work surface. If you have wooden speculoos moulds (although I’m guessing that anyone outside of Belgium does NOT have them), flour the moulds and fill them, making sure that the dough does not stick out from the mould. Then hit the mould on the side of the table to make the dough come unstuck, before placing the shaped dough on to a baking tray lined with cooking paper.

If making speculoos without a mould, place rectangular (should be say, 5cm x 3cm), thin pieces of dough on a baking tray lined with cooking paper. The thicker the speculoos, the softer they are, so I’d aim for 0.5 to 0.75cm thick.

Bake for about 10 minutes, and place the speculoos on cooling racks.

HAPPY THANKFUL DAY EVERYBODY!!!

2011-11-24T10:13:00.000-08:00

MY KIND OF CONVENT... (click on title)

2011-11-24T01:16:00.000-08:00

AND ALL THE ROADS LEAD TO... (click on title)

2011-11-21T03:41:00.000-08:00

ENOUGH SAID.

2011-11-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

2011-11-15T00:25:00.000-08:00

2011-11-15T00:18:00.000-08:00

once someone said that i live in lalaland. the other day i thought about it and i couldn't disagree more. granted, i live in lalaangels, but my life is no lalaland, oh god no!! i just wish i lived in lalaland!! my life would be marvelous!! yes, i do want to be peter pan and live in neverland (no michael jackson creepiness here, please!), but hey, my daily life is no lala and no never!!! one of the things the person pointed out to me was that i work with kids. yeah, so? what is so lalaland about them? quite the opposite if you ask me. working with children is one of the hardest jobs out there!!! we're shaping human beings. HUMAN BEINGS!!! HUMAN BEENS!!! that alone gets me close to cuckooland and far away from lalaland.
anyways... the person who pointed out that i live in lalaland could not had been more wrong and in fact, the person itself lives in lalaland- a land where it's been created based on lies, false promises, deceptiveness, illusion, fear. i mean, come on now.
i have more to say on this topic, but not tonight.

however, if a decent human being knows where lalaland is (besides the above bar), please contact me because i'm in need of some real lala, not bs-lala.

LIVIN' IT UP

2011-11-12T05:25:00.000-08:00

2011-11-09T22:42:00.001-08:00

changing martin lawrence's words a little bit: "i am single and not ready to mingle."
dl, does that remind you of anything?? :)

2011-11-08T00:51:00.000-08:00

pretty much my daily existence.

it goes pretty well with my tattoo!!

death always brings a lot of pain, memories, tears, deep thoughts. i've always seen death in a different light, thanks to the buddhists. i believe that we all have a mission in life and when our mission is over, it's time to go, no matter how old you are. even an unborn baby has a mission in his/her very short life. it's much easier in theory, i agree, but it's something that i try to put in practice whenever i have to face death. as someone said to me once, 'it's a damn huge black hole in my heart.' it is. i know it.
death also reminds me to celebrate life, to appreciate people, to be grateful and live in the present. because of death, i truly live in the present to the point where it hurts me (but that's another story); i make sure to say 'i love you' to people i truly love on a daily basis; i also make sure to show my gratitude, daily, to the universe, to the people who surround me, to myself for making through another day; i love unconditionally and i care like a freaking mama bear.
yes, i still have a freaking hard time dealing with death.

2011-11-07T00:51:00.000-08:00

"it's a little bit horrifying just how quickly things can fall apart. sometimes it takes a huge loss to remind you what you care about the most. sometimes you find yourself becoming stronger as a result, wiser, better equipped to deal with the next disaster that comes along."

meredith grey

ON THE ROAD WITH PEEPS I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

2011-11-05T00:07:00.000-07:00

...

2011-11-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

ME LOVES UNEXPECTED VISITS!!!

2011-11-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

2011-11-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

“No fundo, as relações entre mim e ti cabem na palma da mão: onde o teu corpo se esconde e de onde, quando sopro por entre os dedos, foge como fumo um pequeno pássaro, ou um simples segredo que guardávamos para a noite.”
Nuno Júdice

THAT'S THE WAY TO GO (click on title)

2011-11-01T13:35:00.001-07:00

HOLDING BALLOONS IN LALALAND

THE LAMA SAYS...

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED

i always said that the american election system is the worst in the world... and it's election year!!!!

"The U.S. government has poured more money into helping other countries become democracies than it has into its own election system."

I CRIED (click on title)

WE CANNOT WAIT!!!

so cool to know d.g. will be working on the animated parts. also, very cool that e.l. got nominated for the oscars, hurray for talented friends!!

TATTOOS (click on title for some funny ones!)

Tattoos for Moms: why celebrity parents get inked

WE MISS MR WOODEN!! (we were so lucky to have met him!!)

Joe Paterno could have taken a cue from John Wooden

Joe Paterno could have been to college football what John Wooden was to college basketball. But the former Penn State coach had too little time to recraft his reputation after the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Spike Lee Sundance Rant

Why heavy coffee drinkers may have a lower risk of diabetes

Felicity Aston skis across Antarctica

HAPPY NEW CHINESE YEAR!!!

The Lunar New Year: Enter the Dragon

ME LOVES THE LIFE I LIVE

Spike Lee presents President Obama with a special pair of Air Jordans

GOTTA APPRECIATE GOOD WORK

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL VOICE IS GONE...

AH MR OBAMA... (click on title)

“WHERE DOES COURAGE COME FROM?” (maira kalman)

Video: Jason Richardson leaps off the bench to play defense

HURRAY FOR GOOD AND AWESOME AND RESPECTFUL MEN!!!

SORRY FOR THE CRAPPY VIDEO, COULDN'T FIND A BETTER ONE...

"Free at last! free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

"THERE WERE NO TEMPTATIONS EXCEPT TO ASTONISH"

IMAGES IMAGES IMAGES (click on title)

WHAT ABOUT 6TH SENSE? (click on title)

QUOTE OF THE DAY (from the guardian)

IT IS, INDEED, A BEAUTIFUL DAY!

SOMETIMES I STUMBLED THROUGH THE RIGHT THINGS... AND THEY FREE ME

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

TODAY GOTTA BE THE DAY TO LEARN A LOT OF THINGS!!!

Menschkeit:The Definition and Philosophy of the Space Between a Handshake

The Definition of a Mensch:

The Philosophy of Menschkeit:

ANOTHER LESSON OF THE DAY

LESSON OF THE DAY

12 MORE DAYS FOR MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY!!!

FROM NPR

What's Behind A Temper Tantrum? Scientists Deconstruct The Screams

Listen to the Story

Anatomy Of A Tantrum

More: Your Health

I USUALLY LOVE ACOUSTIC VERSIONS, BUT NOT FOR THIS SONG...

LAURIE'S WISDOM OF THE DAY

I WISH THIS WAS THE CASE...

LAURIE'S WISDOM OF THE DAY

LAURIE'S WISDOM OF THE DAY

FROM GIGGIO, WHOM IS BEYOND WISE WHEN NEEDED

ANOTHER REASON TO RUN...

I MEAN... SHE IS SO DEAD ON!!!

HUMBLY YOURS

ALL MY FAVORITE MEN IN ONE!! (click on title)

THAT'S WHAT YOU DESERVE WHEN YOU CHEAT

AFTER THE THANKSGIVING GORGING... COOKIES EXCHANGE!!!

HAPPY THANKFUL DAY EVERYBODY!!!

MY KIND OF CONVENT... (click on title)

AND ALL THE ROADS LEAD TO... (click on title)

ENOUGH SAID.

LIVIN' IT UP

ON THE ROAD WITH PEEPS I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

...

ME LOVES UNEXPECTED VISITS!!!

THAT'S THE WAY TO GO (click on title)

Menschkeit:
The Definition and Philosophy of the Space Between a Handshake