July 22, 2008
A Fishy Pedicure?
Would you let a fish give you a pedicure? Or more aptly would you put your feet in a bowl of fish and let them eat off your dead skin? Sounds weird to me, but to each their own. Where are they doing this? DC.
What will they think of next?
Read more here.
Posted by Dianne at 4:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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April 3, 2008
Queen Rania Tackles Stereotypes
I think this is an interesting experiment she is undertaking. I love when people meet stereotypes head on and blow them out of the water!
Posted by Dianne at 9:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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January 31, 2006
No Two Are Alike!
This is a really awesome look at just how varied snowflakes really are! There are some amazing pictures at snowscrystals.com. They have information on natural snow, created snow crystals, the physics of snowflakes, etc. It's a project at Cal Tech. Check it out! It's neat!
Posted by Daffodil at 1:08 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
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I love that site. :) I used several of their pictures both years when I was teaching preschool and did a unit on snow / winter. We also used the book Snowflake Bentley -- about William Bentley - the first guy to actually photograph snowflakes. His pictures aren't as high tech, but he was the first! :) Isn't nature amazing???? :)
Posted by: katherine at January 31, 2006 3:08 PM
Here is another awesomely cool snowflake site!
http://www.popularfront.com/snowdays/
Make paper snowflakes virtually. It amazingly easy to make really, really complex looking designs.
Posted by: cjmr at January 31, 2006 7:58 PM
Now that's neat! I'm going to post a blog entry about it! Thanks!
Posted by: Dianne at February 1, 2006 10:25 AM
October 28, 2005
Who is your 80's teen movie persona
You are Andie Walsh from Pretty in Pink You are original and clever person. Although your family may not be able to buy you all the cool stuff you want, you are able to make cool stuff for yourself. Like a rocking 80’s prom dress. |
Posted by Daffodil at 8:53 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
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I was "Farmer Ted" from 16 candles according to the quiz, but since they didn't have an truly appropriate answer for me for 3 of the 5 questions, that really isn't very valid.
(I didn't fit in in high school because I was socially inept, spent most of my time avoiding the in crowd and had a really nice principal--not at all evil.)
Posted by: cjmr at October 29, 2005 6:36 PM
What religion do you fit in with?
|
You fit in with: Taoism Your ideals mostly resemble those of the Taoist faith. Spirituality is the most important thing in your life. You strive to live by all of your ideals, and live a very intellectually focused life. 60% spiritual. 0% reason-oriented. |
||||
| ||||
Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com |
Posted by Daffodil at 8:51 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
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Humanism
Your ideals mostly resemble that of a Humanist. Although you do not have a lot of faith, you are devoted to making this world better, in the short time that you have to live. Humanists do not generally believe in an afterlife, and therefore, are committed to making the world a better place for themselves and future generations.
20% spiritual.
40% reason-oriented.
Posted by: ManDrake at October 28, 2005 10:32 PM
I took the test. My ideals mostly resemble that of a Humanist ;)
Posted by: Night Bird at October 28, 2005 11:19 PM
Buddism. I've got to get reno to take this.
Posted by: cjmr at October 29, 2005 6:39 PM
Agnostic. 60% scientific. 20% reason-oriented.
Nicely accurate in my opinion. Now I just need to convince my wife to take more Buddhism classes, I guess.
Posted by: reno at October 29, 2005 6:45 PM
October 20, 2005
Which Fantasy/SciFi Character Are You?
Dianne
A strong-willed herald of causes against injustice, you passionately strive to right the wrongs around you.
Somebody has to save our skins!
Jamison
A stern yet benevolent organizer who often knows best, your wits are keenly fixed on aiding efforts you deem worthy.
Why do I always get the tragic hero people!!!
Found via WWdN: In Exile
Posted by Daffodil at 7:58 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
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Darn, I got a server error and it recommended I turn off my firewall. I was hoping for Kosh, though.
Posted by: cjmr at October 20, 2005 8:10 PM
I got Marcus Cole. Cool, he was cjmr's favorite.
For those who didn't, follow the WWdN link; funny to see who Wil got!
Posted by: reno at October 21, 2005 8:42 AM
I know, it's hilarious that he didn't get the character that he played. I could really see you as Marcus, speaking of tragic heroes.
Posted by: ManDrake at October 21, 2005 9:56 AM
I do admire Marcus, but I should point out that I don't want you to give your life for mine like Marcus did. Got that, dear?
Posted by: cjmr at October 21, 2005 10:33 AM
I'm the same character Ms. Dianne is... I even took the test twice...
Posted by: Jamie at October 21, 2005 12:11 PM
Jerry got it to work on the Mac. I'm Galadriel. Apparently I serenely dominate my environment.
Posted by: cjmr at October 21, 2005 9:23 PM
August 28, 2005
Shoreline Workshop and Planting with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Yesterday Jamison and I went to a Shoreline Workshop and Planting Workshop done by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and several other sponsers. I received and email earlier in the week and asked Jamison if he'd go with me. It went like this:
Our annual workshop and planting for landowners and communities to learn Bay-Friendly techniques (such as using native vegetation and bio-engineering) for shoreline protection.Interested volunteers are needed for CBF's annual Living Shoreline Workshop and Planting event on Saturday, August 27, beginning at 9 a.m. We will be installing and planting up biologs with trees, shrubs, grasses and wetland plants. The permit process, design issues and native plant selection will also be covered.
Surprisingly he said yes right off the bat so I talked to Amber and arranged for her to baby-sit so we could go as a friend of mine said and "hang out with the tree huggers". Little did she know how much that used to irritate me, given that I don't think someone who is concerned about our planet should be ridiculed, but then I decided tree hugger was a cool moniker and even though initially people intended it as a slight, it's actually a very cool way of explaining how much you love nature. I'm proud to be a tree hugger, but again that's neither here nor there.
We set off yesterday morning around 8 and headed to the Back Creek Nature Park in Annapolis. We arrived a little before 9 and after we signed in we were immediately immersed in helping getting the plantings going. Our first task was to carry flats of water grass to the edge of the lagoon so that they were where they needed to be to be planted. We each took one flat to the water's edge and then we were assigned the duty of planting trees, shrubs and plants. We started out with a large magnolia tree to plant and let me tell you he was a bugger! But after we got the kinks worked out the next one was a breeze!
The next tree we planted was also a magnolia. It was taller than me! He was easier to plant as I mentioned above because we got the kinks out with the first one, and a landscaper who was also volunteering showed us the trick to get big root bound plants out of their pots. With her trick the rest of the plants were a breeze to remove from their pots!
After we got the second tree planted things went downhill from there for me. I started planting marsh grasses, mallow plants and black eyed Susans, while Jamison tackled some shrubs in the same area. The dirt was compacted by the water and was very claylike. It was a bit difficult to shovel, but not impossible. Even with gloves I managed to get the nastiest, largest blister that ended up being more wound like that I think I've ever had. Seriously folks, it's ugly! I would take a picture and post it, but I don't want the collective internet community to gag so I'll spare you. I got our first aid kit out of Jamison's trunk and cleaned the wound, slathered on some antibiotic cream and covered it with a gauze pad before I put my gloves back on and got back to work.
With the wound there was no way I was going to be shoveling anything anymore so Jamison and I devised a system where he would dig the hole, I would take the plants or shrubs out of the pots and put them in the hole, he'd fill in the hole and I'd take the pots and markers to the recycling area. Yes, yes he had a bit more physical labor, but it was working. We work pretty good together, what can I say, but it became apparent that I was making my hand worse so after we got the plants planted in our area and they had the workshop portion of the day we ended up heading home earlier than we had intended.
This event was a wonderful experience and I can't wait to participate in similar events again! The diversity of people who showed up to help was astounding! (Jamison has a blog post brewing in his head something along the lines of the "Sociology of Ecologists" that should prove to be interesting, but I digress.) Anyway, it was nice to see everyone working together as a team, even though there were a few minor ideal clashes that were relatively quiet, everyone managed to work through any issues and get done what needed to be done. It's amazing the little things that can restore some of your faith in humanity.
I really wish I had batteries for my camera, because it was amazing the transformation that took place around the lagoon while we were there! Hopefully the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will post some pictures on their website. I'll post a link here if they do. Also check out their section on Bay-Friendly Landscaping. It covers a lot of the things we were doing at the lagoon on Saturday and gives an idea of how you can get started on your own property.
Overall the whole day was fascinating! To be able to see some of the Best Managment Practice principles I've read about for the past few years in action was phenomenal and it was also good experience. Jamison was teasing me about finding "my people" and though he was being silly, he was right! I felt very at home amongst the aquatic biologists and the ecologists.
All in all it was a fun day, wounded hand not withstanding. The Back Creek Nature Park is beautiful and the environmental education program they are setting up is a very good program. I can't wait to take Alexis over there to check things out. I told Jamison the minute we got there that Alexis would have loved that place! If you ever get a chance check it out. And if you ever get a chance volunteer for a workshop/planting with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation or something similar in your area. You'll learn a lot and have fun in the process.
Posted by Daffodil at 9:07 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
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I have pictures of the magnolia planting, but I'm leaving for two weeks. Will send copy to Marcy, CBF.
Posted by: Creek geek at September 2, 2005 11:17 PM
Thanks!
Posted by: Dianne at September 3, 2005 8:46 AM
August 20, 2005
Goddess called in to scare off tsunami ghosts
BANGKOK (Reuters)With Asian tourists still shunning its southern beaches, Thailand is calling in a revered Chinese sea goddess to ward off the restive spirits of the thousands who died in last December's tsunami.
A statue of Godmother Ruby, known as Mazu in Chinese, will be brought to the Thai island of Phuket from the Chinese coastal province of Fujian next month for ghost-clearing rites, said Suwalai Pinpradab of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
"After the tsunami, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Chinese and other East Asians dare not come because they don't want to visit places where mass deaths took place," Suwalai told Reuters on Friday. "It is inauspicious."
Mazu, a Taoist goddess of the sea, has a huge following among fishermen and shipworkers in coastal provinces of southern China and Taiwan.
Read more here.
Posted by Daffodil at 6:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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August 15, 2005
The American Cancer Society's Blog For Hope
Check out Yahoo! and the American Cancer Society this month and their "Blog for Hope". It's a great way to raise awareness about the issues surrounding cancer. Hillary Clinton's blog entry on breast cancer is especially good. Stop by and show your support and you just might learn something in the process.
Posted by Daffodil at 8:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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June 23, 2005
Catholic woman in secret ordination
A woman has been ordained as a priest in a secret ceremony in central Europe as an act of defiance against the Roman Catholic Church. The woman who was "ordained" does not want to be identifiedThree years ago, the Vatican moved decisively against an international movement for the ordination of women when it excommunicated the so-called Danube Seven.
Seven women had claimed the status of priests after a form of ordination ceremony held on a boat moored on the river Danube.
Now a similar ceremony has taken place in a private chapel in central Europe.
Very interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes. And before any Catholics get all up in arms about this and start yelling about how women shouldn't be in the clergy and blah, blah blah, I'm well aware of your beliefs and most religions views on women. I just think this little occurrence is an interesting turn of events that should prove to bring attention to what I see as the denigration of women across the religious globe.
Read it all here.
Posted by Daffodil at 7:11 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
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Interesting turn of events. How does a secret Priest thing work?
Posted by: ManDrake at June 23, 2005 10:48 AM
I'm not sure about that part, but she appears to be practicing from the pictures. There is another woman behind her in the same red robes. I wonder if she is a nun? And obviously it isn't mainstream Caltholic anything as mentioned above because I don't know of any branches that wear red anything.
Posted by: Dianne at June 23, 2005 8:29 PM
June 22, 2005
Buy Blue
I came across the most interesting website today. The website is called "Buy Blue" and this is their mission:
You may have voted blue, but every day you unknowingly help dump millions of dollars into the conservative war chest. By purchasing products and services from companies that donate heavily to conservatives, we have been compromising our own interests as liberals and progressives.
As a progressive I was immediately intrigued. So I looked up some of the companies that I buy products from on a regular basis and here are some of their ratings in blueness:
Starbucks = 100% Blue
Whole Foods = 50% Blue (this one surprised me a little bit, but since the Whole Foods originated in Texas, I guess it shouldn't have surprised me that much.)
Trader Joes = 50% (Again a bit surprising)
Tom's of Maine = 100% Blue
TiVo = 50% Blue
Target = 17% Blue
T-Mobile = 28% Blue
PetsMart = 0% Blue
Panera Bread Company = 100% Blue
Outback Steakhouse = 2% Blue
Netflix = 72% Blue
Michael's = 0% Blue
Luxottica Group S.p.A. (Owner of Pearle Vision) = 100% Blue
L.L Bean = 97% Blue
Krispy Kreme = 0% Blue
IKEA = 50% Blue (This one surprised me too. I thought it would be a bit higher given their environmental stance.)
Home Depot = 18% Blue
Hewlett Packard = 41% Blue
H&R Block = 55% Blue
Wells Fargo = 42% Blue
eBay = 57% Blue
Dominos = 0% Blue
Darden Restaurants, Inc. (Owners of Olive Garden and Red Lobster) = 9% Blue
Comp USA = 50% Blue
Burlington Coat Factory = 100% Blue
BJ's Wholesale Club = 50% Blue
AT&T = 44% Blue
Amazon.com = 41% Blue
Looks like I need to do some work on this. Some of the other companies I use on a regular basis aren't listed, but it's an interesting idea.
Check it out here.
Posted by Daffodil at 8:41 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
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My favorite (not so surprising) 100% blue company: Frederick's of Hollywood. I guess Republicans don't know how to be sexy.
Very surprising to me was the number of California-based companies who were full on red in such an obvious blue state.
Posted by: Leann at June 23, 2005 10:45 AM
I think Republicans think being sexy is a sin. It's like the 31th commandment or something in their version of the bible. "Thou shall not allow your wife to prance about like a street tart, less ye fall under her spell and be distracted from harming your fellow man." It's something like, I don't have my KWV (King W Version) close at hand.
I was surprised too, I think they may need to refine their methodology some. I would like to see all the employees contributions compared to the CEO's contributions to make that ruling. Because most rich people are Republicans, but their employees probably make many smaller donations that cancel them out. If not it could be a matter of great concern and would deserve a boycott.
Posted by: ManDrake at June 23, 2005 11:01 AM
Jamison
Whole Foods should not surprise you
anyone who sells No Carb. Beer has to be
on the Fence.
JDM
Posted by: Jason at June 23, 2005 3:30 PM
What's that got to do with anything?
Posted by: Dianne at June 23, 2005 3:35 PM
June 7, 2005
Dolphins use sponges as tools
WASHINGTON (AP)A group of dolphins living off the coast of Australia apparently teach their offspring to protect their snouts with sponges while foraging for food in the sea floor.
Researchers say it appears to be a cultural behavior passed on from mother to daughter, a first for animals of this type, although such learning has been seen in other species.
The dolphins, living in Shark Bay, Western Australia, use conically shaped whole sponges that they tear off the bottom, said Michael Kruetzen, lead author of a report on the dolphins in Tuesday's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
"Cultural evolution, including tool use, is not only found in humans and our closest relatives, the primates, but also in animals that are evolutionally quite distant from us. This convergent evolution is what is so fascinating," said Kruetzen.
Researchers suspect the sponges help the foraging dolphins avoid getting stung by stonefish and other critters that hide in the sandy sea bottom, just as a gardener might wear gloves to protect the hands.
I'm not sure why this is such a surprise given that dolphins are very intelligent. One might even argue they are smarter than humans, but I digress.
Posted by Daffodil at 1:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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Mayors sign 'urban environmental accords'
SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP)Mayors from around the world on Sunday signed an international treaty calling for increased use of public transportation and drastic cuts to the amount of trash sent to landfills.
The signing of the "Urban Environmental Accords" capped the United Nations World Environment Day Conference in San Francisco. The nonbinding accords list 21 specific actions that can make cities greener.
San Francisco was the first U.S. city to host the annual conference. Much of the conference focused on global warming and what mayors can do to curb emissions of "greenhouse gases" such as carbon dioxide that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere.
Mayors participating in Sunday's ceremony came from Zurich, Istanbul, Melbourne, Seattle and dozens of other cities. They signed the agreement before heading outside to hear a 500-member gospel choir sing a song composed for the event called "Together We Can."
"What you are doing here today is taking a different approach _ a united approach -- on the stewardship of the environment," U.S. House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi said.
The accords call for policies to expand affordable public transportation coverage for city residents within a decade. They also call for increasing access to safe drinking water, with a goal of access for all by 2015.
Other goals include creating an accessible park or recreation space within a half-mile of every city resident by 2015 and achieving zero growth in the amount of waste being sent to landfills and incinerators by 2040.
Among the most pressing issues was a recommendation to increase the use of renewable energy to meet 10 percent of a city's peak electric load within seven years.
"The challenge is to take these goals and ideas and to manifest them. We are accountable to getting things done," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said.
This is very encouraging! I hope to see more efforts like this one in the years to come. There are some very good ideas put forth here.
Posted by Daffodil at 1:53 PM | Comments (3)
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I think when they put out the next generation solar panels that the renewable energy requirement will be easily met. Of course, green building codes would help a lot more than that. Also using something like they have in Hawaii for cooling buildings is a must for most major cities. Heat and cooling buildings is a massive challenge. Most coastal cities should be able to implement something like that.
Posted by: ManDrake at June 7, 2005 2:27 PM
The U.S. Green Building Council has some good ideas in terms of this sort of thing.
Posted by: Dianne at June 7, 2005 2:33 PM
Interesting, I had forgotten about them.
Posted by: ManDrake at June 7, 2005 2:46 PM
May 25, 2005
What's Your Thinking Style?
Your Dominant Thinking Style: |
| Visioning
You are very insightful and tend to make decisions based on your insights. An idealist, thinking of the future helps you guide your path. |
Your Secondary Thinking Style: |
| Exploring
You thrive on the unknown and unpredictable. Novelty is your middle name. An expert inventor and problem solver, you approach everything from new angles. |
Posted by Daffodil at 4:10 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
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Too funny, exactly the same!!
Your Dominant Thinking Style:
Visioning
You are very insightful and tend to make decisions based on your insights.
You focus on how things should be - even if you haven't worked out the details.
An idealist, thinking of the future helps you guide your path.
You tend to give others long-term direction and momentum.
Your Secondary Thinking Style:
Exploring
You thrive on the unknown and unpredictable. Novelty is your middle name.
You are a challenger. You tend to challenge common assumptions and beliefs.
An expert inventor and problem solver, you approach everything from new angles.
You show people how to question their models of the world.
Posted by: ManDrake at May 25, 2005 4:15 PM
Okay. I can really, really, tell that you're waiting on someone else to finish some school work, because you're doing way too many of these "What's your . . . " quizzes this week. See, if that was me, I would be doing them to avoid finishing whatever project it was, but not you. You're so much more focused with school stuff than I am. :)
Posted by: Katherine at May 25, 2005 6:57 PM
She's ruthless about school work. So what did you score on the quiz?
Posted by: ManDrake at May 26, 2005 12:27 PM
May 24, 2005
How Extroverted Are You?
Your Extroversion Profile: |
| Cheerfulness: High |
| Friendliness: High |
| Assertiveness: Medium |
| Activity Level: Low |
| Sociability: Low |
| Excitement Seeking: Very Low |
Posted by Daffodil at 1:19 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
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Your Extroversion Profile:
Assertiveness: High
Cheerfulness: Low
Sociability: Low
Activity Level: Very Low
Excitement Seeking: Very Low
Friendliness: Very Low
I don't know that this one is very effective. Because right now the only people I deal with are related to work really. So there isn't much need for these kinds of behaviors with them. I'm always cheerful and sociable at home, just not at work which is where I spend a majority of my time.
Posted by: ManDrake at May 24, 2005 1:32 PM
What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?
| Your Dominant Intelligence is Spatial Intelligence |
 You would make a good navigator, sculptor, visual artist, inventor, architect, interior designer, or engineer. |
Posted by Daffodil at 1:14 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
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Your Dominant Intelligence is Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
You are great at finding patterns and relationships between things.
Always curious about how things work, you love to set up experiments.
You need for the world to make sense - and are good at making sense of it.
You have a head for numbers and math ... and you can solve almost any logic puzzle.
You would make a great scientist, engineer, computer programmer, researcher, accountant, or mathematician.
BTW, I make a horrible accountant, I tried it. Double entry bookkeeping is counter intuitive to my mindset. I'm ok at all the others.
Posted by: ManDrake at May 24, 2005 1:26 PM
You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.
Don't know about some of that. Especially the parts about elegant speaker and convincing others.
Posted by: Le Puritan Postmoderne at May 25, 2005 2:51 PM
May 18, 2005
What is Your World View?
 | You scored as Idealist. Idealism centers around the belief that we are moving towards something greater. An odd mix of evolutionist and spiritualist, you see the divine within ourselves, waiting to emerge over time. Many religious traditions express how the divine spirit lost its identity, thus creating our world of turmoil, but in time it will find itself and all things will again become one.
What is Your World View? created with QuizFarm.com |
Found via An Etherealgirl's Adventures in Cyberland.
Posted by Daffodil at 1:28 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
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I can honestly say that I'm not surprised that we ended up with the same result on this. I've never come across a more like mind set of people in my life than us.
You scored as Idealist.
Idealism centers around the belief that we are moving towards something greater. An odd mix of evolutionist and spiritualist, you see the divine within ourselves, waiting to emerge over time. Many religious traditions express how the divine spirit lost its identity, thus creating our world of turmoil, but in time it will find itself and all things will again become one.
Cultural Creative 94%
Idealist 94%
Modernist 81%
Postmodernist 69%
Materialist 56%
Existentialist 38%
Romanticist 19%
Fundamentalist 6%
You can see where your radical right wing upbringing sneaks into your answers and boosts your Fundamentalist score so much higher than mine. I find it interesting that I'm nearly a third higher on the idealist score than you as well. What's interesting is that my idealism world view comes from the profound effect that reading Plato had on my life. Have you ever read Plato?
Posted by: ManDrake at May 18, 2005 2:09 PM
Cultural Creative
75%Romanticist
63%Postmodernist
44%Fundamentalist
38%Existentialist
38%Idealist
19%Modernist
0%Materialist
0%What is Your World View? (corrected...hopefully)
created with QuizFarm.com
Interesting. Not sure I agree, but then again I see certain nuanced answers to some of the questions that the originator of the quiz may not have considered
Posted by: Le Puritan Postmoderne at May 18, 2005 2:24 PM
Yeah, I was just reading over the Cultural Creative movement, it sure doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard you talk about. I think that the entire religious aspect of the questions mislabeled you from a Fundamentalist to Cultural Creative. Now that label fits pretty well on me.
Posted by: ManDrake at May 18, 2005 2:28 PM
Probably from your perspective fundamentalist would fit. I tend to not like the term because there are Christians who gladly label themselves fundamentalist, and the things that seem to distinguish them are not beliefs I share. Which are KJV-onlyism, prohibitionism, dispensationalist eschatology and (usually) are strictly credobaptistic. If you mean someone who believes in absolute truth and, the law of noncontradiction then I guess I am one.
Posted by: Le Puritan Postmoderne at May 18, 2005 2:46 PM
I actually wasn't making a political statement. I mean literally using the definition of fundamentalism, it fits you better. I've heard you express all these views.
"Fundamentalist" describes a movement to return to what is considered the defining or founding principles of the religion. It has especially come to refer to any religious enclave that intentionally resists identification with the larger religious group in which it originally arose, on the basis that fundamental principles upon which the larger religious group is supposedly founded have become corrupt or displaced by alternative principles hostile to its identity.
Posted by: ManDrake at May 18, 2005 3:26 PM
'"Fundamentalist" describes a movement to return to what is considered the defining or founding principles of the religion.'
Well yes and no. I mean, I don't think Christianity is something meant to be static, but at the same time I do believe there are founding principles that should be adhered to which will in turn guide its progress.
"It has especially come to refer to any religious enclave that intentionally resists identification with the larger religious group in which it originally arose, on the basis that fundamental principles upon which the larger religious group is supposedly founded have become corrupt or displaced by alternative principles hostile to its identity."
Well I guess I have some ambiguity there. While I do identify with a particular tributary of Christian thought, I see it as a small part of a whole, and that whole encompasses a large history of shared tradition and theology, and see other representatives of other traditions within that whole as legitimate contributors to Christian thought and tradition. I don't see Presbyterians as the only "real" Christians. We all share certain core beliefs and understandings about God, Christ, scripture and humanity. There are also differences of belief between different Christians, but the things we share in common, I believe are far more numerous and "fundamental" such as the Trinity, deity of Christ, the incarnation, virgin birth etc. So in that regard, I do not think the term "fundamentalist" really applies.
Posted by: Le Puritan Postmoderne at May 18, 2005 3:57 PM
On the other hand, I am irked that way too many evangelicals act and think like gnostics. I am irked that way too many evangelicals take the likes of Benny Hinn and TBN seriously. So in that respect, maybe I am a fundamentalist.
Posted by: Le Puritan Postmoderne at May 18, 2005 4:17 PM
I just cut and pasted the definition from wikipedia, once again, I wasn't splitting hairs trying to accuse you of anything.
Posted by: ManDrake at May 20, 2005 4:00 PM
May 10, 2005
Ultimate Judgment
Neo-cons have the mistaken belief that I don't see shades of gray, which is laughable. So one of the more virulent Neo-cons at work passed this site along to me, because it's a perfect fit to my "worldview". Basically it's a website dedicated to deciding on what is good and bad in the world once and for all. I think their blurb sums it up pretty completely.
"At UltimateJudgment.com, we aim to end all disagreement, by deciding once and for all what is GOOD, and what is EVIL. You vote, and we tally the results. This democratic process gives us the absolute answer to every issue. After all, doesn't every "sophisticated" argument boil down to a simple choice between GOOD and EVIL? Stop thinking and start judging!"
While I'm not convinced this is an effective enterprise for solving the world's problems, it does lead to some amusing things and you're allowed to post pictures and comments to why you've decided something is good or evil. So if you have some time to kill, drop by and cast your votes to see if your thinking matches the rest of the world and we can come to consensus as a world.
Read more here.
Posted by ManDrake at 6:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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April 27, 2005
Buffalo Herd Catches Maryland Suburb by Surprise
Sometimes you have to see something to believe it. Evidently some rogue buffalo decided it was time to go roaming around Baltimore yesterday. The police herded them into the tennis court of a local apartment complex. There are a massive number of jokes that can be made, I leave that up to you.
Read more here.
Posted by ManDrake at 7:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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April 14, 2005
Man Returns $2,000 Found in Shirt Pocket
"WEST BEND, Wis. - Larry Hoffman brought home a bargain shirt from the Goodwill store — only to find $2,000 in cash stuffed in a pocket. The 69-year-old retiree returned to the store the same day to report the money."
If this had been in the South, this story would have never been told. They would have just taken the money and laughed all the way to the mattress where they would have hid it. I think it's great that the man returned the money and he's a better person than most people in this country. Hopefully it's the first sign of a change in how we do business in this country.
Read more here.
Posted by ManDrake at 2:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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February 18, 2005
Tsunami Uncovers Ancient City in India
"MAHABALIPURAM, India - Archaeologists have begun underwater excavations of what is believed to be an ancient city and parts of a temple uncovered by the tsunami off the coast of a centuries-old pilgrimage town."
Now that's kind of cool.
Read more here.
Posted by ManDrake at 1:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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February 10, 2005
Flaws inflate some quarters' worth
Just yesterday I was encouraging Dianne and Monica to work together in their collection of State Quarters from the Denver and Philadelphia Mints. And on the car trip home last night, what do I hear? The Wisconsin state quarter has some flawed versions running around and they were already going for hundreds on EBay. So anyone out there with Wisconsin state quarters from Denver should probably give them another look. Most of them appear to have gone to the Arizona area, but who knows where else they could have ended up. The article I linked to shows the flaws if you think you've got one.
Read more here.
Posted by ManDrake at 2:17 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
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oooh! I'll have to see if I have any of those...
Posted by: Monica at February 10, 2005 4:21 PM
That's so cool! I've been collecting the quarters as well. It would be curious to see how much of this country's currency is present in these types of collections.
Posted by: InsaneIdiot at February 10, 2005 6:22 PM
I literally have hundreds of dollars of state quarters. I don't spend any state quarters that come into my posession. I call it my "Ireland Fund".
Posted by: Dianne at February 11, 2005 10:30 AM
lol! Unfortunanely, my state quarter collection too often becomes my "laundry fund." I can't wait to move into a house with a washer and dryer. sigh.
Posted by: Monica at February 15, 2005 1:54 PM
November 17, 2004
Twists of Fate: Irish Butter, Safeway and a Fellow Kerry Supporter
This morning I needed to run to the grocery store to pick up a few things. I didn't need a whole lot, just what I couldn't pick up at the Whole Foods Market on Friday when I do my big shopping for Thanksgiving. I usually go to the Giant store near our house but today I thought, "I think I'll go to Safeway instead. I need to get some Irish butter for Thanksgiving." Then I talked myself out of going to Safeway because I wanted to check myself out and Safeway doesn't have that option. Something in the back of my head kept telling me, "Go to Safeway. Get the butter. Go to Safeway. Get the butter." If I've learned anything over the years it's to listen to your inner voice. (Note: If you've never read the Celestine Prophecy series (it's still ongoing) you should check them out!)
So Alexis and I set out for Safeway to get some Irish butter along with a few other odds and ends. (Side note: I'm also a butter snob. I usually use Horizon Organic Butter on a daily basis and if push comes to shove and I can't get a hold of Horizon I can tolerate Land O Lakes. But for special occasions I love Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter! If you get a chance give it a try.) Safeway is actually a bit closer to our house and on the way to Giant but Giant has a better selection of organic products and they have the self check out option which is always a plus in my book, so I usually go there.
As we were turning into Safeway's parking lot I noticed a green minivan behind us and for some reason took note of the driver. Once I parked I pushed the minivan driver to the back of my mind and got Alexis out of the car. We walked to the front of the store, went in, grabbed a buggy,got situated and headed off to the produce department being that we were desperately low on bananas. I say desperately because Alexis loves bananas and eats at least one a day. I was picking out bananas (1 bunch that was green and one that was ripe...we go through bananas that fast around here!) and I noticed Alexis was studying someone intently. That's when fate stepped in and I noticed the woman from the earlier mentioned minivan.
"She's looking at me so intently!" the lady laughed.
"Alexis, can you say hi?"
Alexis simply blinked at the woman and smiled shyly.
"I saw your bumper stickers on your car in the parking lot and called my husband immediately!" the lady gushed.
At this point I wasn't sure what to think given that some people have made extremely rude comments about my bumpers stickers over the past few weeks. I have a "ReDefeat Bush" sticker, a "Join the MOB: Mother's Opposing Bush" sticker, a "Kerry-Edwards" sticker, a "Gore" sticker from 2000 and an American flag.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked her.
She laughed, "It's good! So how are you taking all of this?
I knew immediately what she was talking about and I felt that all too familiar feeling of a common loss wash over me. That's when it hit me...half of our country is still in mourning and will be for some time.
"I'm doing ok. You know how it goes," I told her.
She nodded, "We still can't believe this is happening."
"We can't either. We feel like something fishy happened in Ohio and Florida." I informed her.
"Especially Ohio," she agreed.
"I guess since they stole the election in 2000 they were confident they could do it again without any repercussions," I replied.
"Yeah, I know," she agreed.
Alexis is just watching us talk and nodding here and there as if she's in total agreement with what we are saying. I was feeling all warm and fuzzy having met someone that was feeling and thinking exactly what I was thinking.
"Have you seen that quote from H. L. Mencken..." she started.
I laughed, "The one about the moron? Yeah I saw that yesterday!"
We both laughed.
"I just wish the Democratic party had selected someone that was a bit more..."
"Charismatic?" she asked.
"Exactly! I like Kerry but maybe someone with a bit more flare!"
"I know what you mean."
We wrapped up our conversation and went about our grocery shopping. When we passed on various aisles we smiled at each other in that knowing way and I felt a lot better just having had the conversation with her and I think she did too. It's funny how fate works. I truly believe God brought her into my path today and made sure I remembered how good the Irish butter is so I would be where I needed to be.
NOTE: THIS IS THREAD IS BEING LEFT OPEN FOR ANYONE THAT WANTS TO DISCUSS OUR COMMON LOSS. HOWEVER IT IS NOT BEING LEFT OPEN FOR EVERYONE TO COMMENT AS THEY WISH. IF YOU VOTED FOR BUSH OR HAVE SOME "SMART" REPLY MOVE ON AND LEAVE THIS THREAD ALONE!!
Posted by Daffodil at 10:17 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
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We use Horizon Organic Butter too. In fact, I made not-so-organic chocolate chip cookies with Bella this morning using the butter. :)
I sincerely hope that you feel better soon; nobody likes being down. (Would some cookies help?)
Posted by: MoneyMan at November 17, 2004 10:23 AM
Cookies are always good! :o)
Posted by: Dianne at November 17, 2004 10:32 AM
September 21, 2004
19-year-old goldfish defies odds
"At the ripe old age of 19, Max may be swimming a little slower in his suburban Chicago tank, but still this is quite fish story -- a goldfish story."
And everyone tells me Killer has been alive longer than they expected! Amazing!
Read it all here.
Posted by Daffodil at 9:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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September 5, 2004
Only In Tennessee
"HAMPTON, Tennessee (AP) -- A Tennessee man has beaten his own record for staying underwater with scuba gear after five days in a lake -- complete with recliner, a checkerboard, music and good friends to keep him company."
Well ok folks! A recliner and a checkerboard. How novel. This is the second time he's done this. He holds the world record and decided to beat it. His wife made him sign a paper when he surfaced saying he'd never do it again. Only in Tennesse folks, only in Tennessee!
Read it all here.
Posted by Daffodil at 10:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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August 31, 2004
When I Die I want to be Turned Into a Diamond!
Apparently there is company out there called Life Gem that takes the cremated remains of a loved one and turns them into a yellow diamonds. Weird but interesting!
Check it out here.
Posted by Daffodil at 5:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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August 16, 2004
Tickle Your I.Q.
What's your IQ?
I'll not give you a number but this is what my results say about me:
"Your Intellectual Type is Insightful Linguist. This means you are highly intelligent and have the natural fluency of a writer and the visual and spatial strengths of an artist. Those skills contribute to your creative and expressive mind."
Posted by Daffodil at 12:52 PM | Comments (5)
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"Your Intellectual Type is Word Warrior. This means you have exceptional verbal skills. You can easily make sense of complex issues and take an unusually creative approach to solving problems. Your strengths also make you a visionary. Even without trying you're able to come up with lots of new and creative ideas."
Basically true. What I hate is the fact that my IQ keeps dropping because I'm old. That's really not fair. It's not like people are getting any smarter in the world. Who cares that I have decades of experience, the age of the canidate should not matter when it comes to logic and reason.
Posted by: ManDrake at August 16, 2004 1:42 PM
OK, I'll join the fun:
"Your Intellectual Type is Visionary Philosopher. This means you are highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways. Like Plato, your exceptional math and verbal skills make you very adept at explaining things to others — and at anticipating and predicting patterns."
I don't know...I take this stuff as entertainment, honestly. Besides, me not smart, me want cooookieeeee! (Sorry, watched Sesame Street with Isabella...)
Although Dianne, you can get quite "creative" in some of your posts... :)
Posted by: Tom M. at August 16, 2004 1:44 PM
Thank you...I'll take that as a compliment! ;o) LOL
I take this stuff more at entertainment value as well.
Actually the artist thing is me to a tee. And the writer thing isn't off either. I'm in the process of writing a children's novel.
Posted by: Daffodil at August 16, 2004 1:47 PM
Really? Let me know when you're finished; I'll be first in line.
I'm thinking of writing a cookbook, myself.
Posted by: Tom M. at August 16, 2004 2:36 PM
I'm working on a cookbook too! LOL My main problem is figuring out how to get things published. I'm thinking of opening my own publishing firm so I can have full rights. Maybe call it Daffodil Lane Presses or something of that nature.
Posted by: Daffodil at August 16, 2004 6:27 PM
August 14, 2004
Oprah Winfrey Scheduled for Jury Duty
This just great news as far as I'm concerned. It's good to see Americans not avoiding their civic responsibilities. I wonder what Oprah is going to do with the $17.20 a day she gets? Maybe an endowment for education or something.
Read more here.
Posted by ManDrake at 7:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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June 11, 2004
Sasquatch or Big Brown Bear?
"Yukon Men Convinced They Saw Sasquatch"
Read it all here.
Posted by Daffodil at 8:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack