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Thursday, 16 July 2009
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Aren't Flowers Great!
Women don't usually give men flowers or candy as gifts, but if I had to choose, I would rather receive flowers than candy. Aside from diabetic considerations, there is another aspect that intrigues me.
Flowers are one of the few things in life which are pleasant, yet do not fulfill any basic need for humans.
As a general rule, we don't eat them. I suppose that in a round about way, they might facilitate mating, though not directly. Most people don't wear flowers (not since the 1960s), and certainly not as garments. No flowers that I'm aware of offer us shelter from the elements.
So what good are flowers?
They please us.
My favourite flowers are Scottish Thistle and Irises, but I can't begin to tell you why. I just like the looks of Scottish Thistle and Irises.
Actually, Scottish Thistle has a kind of symbolism attached to it. As flowers, they don't try to hurt anyone, but if you try to hurt them, you may be surprised to get hurt in return. Thistles are the perfect flower of Scotland. Like the Scottish motto: Nemo me impune lacessit, no one harms them with impunity.
Beyond symbolism though, flowers do nothing but please us with their variety of colours and fragrances.
Some might argue that certain flowers produce chemicals which can alleviate pain or cure illness, but these have to be processed to yield the chemicals. The average person doesn't eat flowers for medicinal purposes anymore than he eats willow bark to cure a headache.
In conclusion, the great thing about flowers is the fact that their only purpose (for humans) is to please us.
Sunday, 05 July 2009
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How Jaime Is Like Independence Day
It sort of occurred to me that my friend, Jaime, is like Independence Day in some ways:
1) I see FIREWORKS when I see her online
2) She puts up with a HOT DOG like me
3) She's usually very CHIPper
4) She's there for me when my emotions DIP
5) I feel FREE to be myself around her
6) She's interested in what's going on in my life, but she doesn't GRILL me about things
7) We get a BANG out of each others jokes
8) She makes Xanga SPARKLE
9) She thinks my poetry is "gooder than APPLE PIE" (or at least as good lol)
10) She's a real AMERICAN (Georgian) peach
11) My zeal for chatting with her never FLAGS
12) As a friend, she's a STAR in my heart
Monday, 29 June 2009
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Currently
Back to the Egg
By Paul McCartney, Wings
The Broadcast
see relatedMissing Jaime and Mary
This post willn't be of interest to most people, but that's okay. I want my friends Jaime and Mary to know that I miss them. They might get a chance to see this soon. If not, they'll know when they do see it that I was thinking of them and missing them. (Btw willn't isn't a word, but it should be. It's a contraction of will not. I think it sounds better than won't. What is that a contraction of? Wo Not?) Anyway, Mary has been without internet for quite a while. Jaime has been without for several days. (W/o internet, that is.)
So, Jaime and Mary, I miss you both. I was going to call you tonight, but everyone kept dragging their feet so it was about 9:00 before we got home. I didn't want to call too late. I'll probably try to call sometime tomorrow, though I'm not sure when. We're expected at a birthday dinner at 4:00 p.m. our time tomorrow (Tuesday 30th). If I don't call during the day, I'll call in the evening if I get home by 6 or 7.
Btw, this type font is Georgia in honor of you two.
In case I don't get to talk to you very soon, here's what's been going on...
Tabby got the job she applied for! She went for orientation this aftnoon, filled out her tax paperwork and all, and was scheduled for her first day -- July 2 .
Amber is in town -- sort of. She spends most of her time on the phone with her boyfriend. Part of the time, she's lying to him about having quit smoking. The rest of the time, she's begging him not to leave her. He threatens to leave her a couple of times a week on average. For one thing, he has told her that if he catches her smoking, he's leaving. I think it's rather amusing to hear her telling him on the phone that the best thing she ever did was to quit smoking. This between drags on a full flavor 100. I'd love to see her genuinely quit, but I don't issue any ultimatums. By the way, Jaime, aren't you at about three months now? I'm sorry I'm losing track, but I do have a three month reward for you though.
Well, anyway. As for me, I've been staying fairly busy with my various projects. You know me, always building a nuclear submarine, traveling around the world in eighty days or traveling to the moon and back. Oops! No, wait! Those were Jules Verne characters who did those things. Well, I guess I've been designing notepads, maintaining a website or three or five, editing and printing newsletters, etc. That's almost as exciting.
Whenever you see this, you'll know that I've been thinking of you. You've heard the old saying, "Out of sight; out of mind". Well, it's true. Since you've been out of sight, I've been out of my mind.
Hope all is well with you, and with any other fellow Xangans who happen to read this. Take care, all!.
Friday, 26 June 2009
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I'm Surprised
I was quite surprised at the number of angry remarks I've heard and read about media reporting of Michael Jackson's death. I understand that not everyone was a fan. I wasn't. I wasn't a fan of Farrah Fawcett. I did enjoy watching Ed McMahon on the Tonight Show. I suppose I've never been a particularly big fan of any celebrity, but I recognize that some people are. I know some people follow the daily lives of their favourite celebrities closely, so it doesn't surprise me when they follow news of their deaths. So, why the outrage over media coverage of Michael Jackson, who obviously had a huge fan following? Btw, you're going to be hearing about this for some time to come. The death of any 'icon' is going to draw the media.
I suppose that some people don't care about Michael Jackson just because they weren't a fan. I'm sure that some people don't care (or even hate) Michael Jackson because of those accusations of child molestation in 2005 or so. He was acquitted by the way. Did he do it or not? I don't know. Guilty men have been acquitted before, and innocent men have been punished. Even if you believe that the law was subverted in this case, who but God is qualified to judge him? Even if I felt supremely qualified to judge him and believed the worst, there is such a thing as mercy and forgiveness.
Bottom line is that Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and all the other people known as celebrities, both living and dead, are just people. They simply have some quality or talent which interests others.
Because I am not particularly impressed with a certain celebrity's quality or talent, does not make them any less a person.
I have always agreed with this quote from John Donne:Any man's death diminishes me, because
I am involved in Mankind; And therefore
never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee.
Friday, 19 June 2009
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Currently
Back to the Egg
By Paul McCartney, Wings
Rockestra Theme
see relatedPresident Obama and the Fly
I have just written a letter to the editor of my local newspaper, but I decided that I would share it with my fellow Xangans.
Dear Editor,
It is my considered opinion that President Obama should apologize for the recent fly-swatting outrage.
It is also my opinion that he should issue a statement vowing that he will no longer swat annoying flies, but will instead swat a PETA executive each time a fly annoys him.
Major pest control companies like Orkin and Terminix should be required by presidential mandate or an act of congress to cease treating homes and businesses for insect and rodent pests. They should instead treat the nation for PETA workers.
United States citizens (and our millions of illegal aliens) should be encouraged to refrain from stepping on roaches and other pests. They should, instead, step on PETA volunteers.
It is sad that it took an incident of this magnitude to make us wake up and look at the way we, as a nation, treat our insect friends.
After all, insects spare farmers the hassle of hauling thousands of tons of agricultural products to market each year. This is according to the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Fruit flies, for instance, eliminate between 40 - 100% of local produce crops world-wide each year. This helps reduce the amount of fuel needed to transport those crops to market, boosts world produce prices, and helps keep farmers from having to deal with large annual incomes.
We will definitely be looking to our national leader for guidance and inspiration in this current crisis.
[End of Letter]
I guess the bottom lines are: 1. Are people so anxious to see the President make mistakes that we have to watch him swatting flies? 2. Isn't there a bit of difference between killing a fly and say torturing a cat to death?
As seems to be the case a lot lately, we as a nation seem to be focusing on non-issues. That is the issue, but few people seem to be aware of it.
I am reminded of an old saying (Chinese proverb, I think): When a finger points to the moon, an imbecile will look at the finger. We are overlooking matters of monumental importance by looking at the finger.
Celtone
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- Name: Shawn
- Birthday: 8/28/1961
- Gender: Male
- Member Since: 8/18/2007
About Me
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I'm a prrroud Celt!
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The world is a disturbing place, but all it takes to fix it is love for each other. Why can't we see that and just get on with it?
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The world is a disturbing place, but all it takes to fix it is love for each other. Why can't we see that and just get on with it?
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I'd just like to take this op to say hi to my sister. She's surfing Xanga looking for new friends. Got tired of the chatroom sex scouts.
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