Aggressive bloggers

Hey all,

I am still a little in shock. I just had a very bad run-in with an angry guy at one of my regular business blogs. I had made a feminist assessment of a situation that was presented, and an anonymous poster came at me with fangs. He even made a statement that "not being accountable is another woman's trait." What an ass!

Has anyone else dealt with uber-aggressive bloggers. I can't believe someone could have such a major chip on their shoulder.

Prozac, buddy.

Grrrr,
jane

200 things you didn't want to know...

I stole this from Jeremy at Ensight, who stole it from Big Pink Cookie

Realization: 200 Things

This is mucho fun. I have highlighted all the things I have done, in case you're bored and care about my past - and that's just scary. :-)

01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins (NO! I am totally against this. It's stressful for the dolphins and just plain stupid.)
03. Climbed a mountain

04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula. (I lived in Arizona and happened to find two in my apartment.)
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (Although it has been a long while since I have done this - showers are where it's at.)
08. Said ‘I love you’ and meant it (every day)
09. Hugged a tree (I do this when I am camping - don't you?)
10. Done a striptease
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long, and watch the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights (Although I plan to now that I'm in Canada.)
16. Gone to a huge sports game

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Doubtful)

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables (I've had quite a few gardens.)
19. Touched an iceberg
20. Slept under the stars (This is the best feeling.)
21. Changed a baby’s diaper (Unfortunately, I'm the oldest of 7 kids!)
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon (NOT cool)
23. Watched a meteor shower
24. Gotten drunk on champagne (Bad news, that bubbly.)
25. Given more than you can afford to charity
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight (I hate people who play with food)
29. Bet on a winning horse
30. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (Ahem)
31. Asked out a stranger (Sure, why not?)
32. Had a snowball fight (With brothers, this is unavoidable.)
33. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier (This gives me an idea....)
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
35. Held a lamb (I love lambs - and not eating them.)
36. Enacted a favorite fantasy
37. Taken a midnight skinny dip (Lots of them.)
38. Taken an ice cold bath
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar (Just last summer.)
40. Seen a total eclipse
41. Ridden a roller coaster (Several)
42. Hit a home run
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days (New Orleans in three days.)
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (All the time.)
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day (Does a Southern accent count?)
46. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment (I'm happy most of the time. Life is good.)
48. Had two hard drives for your computer. (Of course!)
49. Visited all 50 states (Almost)
50. Loved your job for all accounts
51. Taken care of someone who was shit faced (Although it was usually me as the shit-faced person needing taken care of.)
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends (still do)
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country (Viva Mexico!)
55. Watched wild whales (off the coast of Washinton state)
56. Stolen a sign
57. Backpacked in Europe
58. Taken a road-trip (I'm planning on seeing Canada next summer via car.)
59. Rock climbing
60. Lied to foreign government’s official in that country to avoid notice
61. Midnight walk on the beach
62. Sky diving
63. Visited Ireland
64. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love (God no)
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them (Reluctantly. As I assumed, it was an awful experience.)
66. Visited Japan (We will do this some day.)
67. Benchpressed your own weight
68. Milked a cow (Does a goat count?)
69. Alphabetized your records
70. Pretended to be a superhero
71. Sung karaoke
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude in front of strangers (Don't ask...)
74. Scuba diving
75. Got it on to “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain (Just last summer - it was bloody hot!)
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
80. Done something you should regret, but don’t regret it. (Although I regret about 5 things total. I try not to hold on to things I cannot undo.)
81. Visited the Great Wall of China
82. Discovered that someone who’s not supposed to have known about your blog has discovered your blog
83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better
84. Started a business
85. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken (Here's hoping...)
86. Toured ancient sites
87. Taken a martial arts class
88. Swordfought for the honor of a woman
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten married
91. Been in a movie (A stand-in for Hard Rain.)
92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone you shouldn’t have (Oh, too many times to count.)
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy (Huh????)
95. Gotten divorced
96. Had sex at the office (I'm expecting to)
97. Gone without food for 5 days
98. Made cookies from scratch
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
101. Gotten a tattoo
102. Found that the texture of some materials can turn you on (Flannel...so sexy-hah!)
103. Rafted the Snake River
104. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
105. Got flowers for no reason
106. Masturbated in a public place
107. Got so drunk you don’t remember anything (I don't remember.)
108. Been addicted to some form of illegal drug
109. Performed on stage (as a child)

110. Been to Las Vegas (lived there)
111. Recorded music
112. Eaten shark
113. Had a one-night stand (Who hasn't?!)
114. Gone to Thailand
115. Seen Siouxsie live
116. Bought a house
117. Been in a combat zone
118. Buried one/both of your parents
119. Shaved or waxed your pubic hair off (Does anyone really want to know this?)
120. Been on a cruise ship (Lots of gorgeous cruise ship employees and a bottle of wine. *wink*)
121. Spoken more than one language fluently
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
123. Bounced a check
124. Performed in Rocky Horror
125. Read - and understood - your credit report
126. Raised children
127. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
128. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour (I am not disclosing any info on this - too embarrassing.)
129. Created and named your own constellation of stars
130. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
131. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
132. Called or written your Congress person (MP)
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (Lots of times. Do you want me to move to your town? Just dare me.)
134. …more than once? - More than thrice?
135. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
136. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
137. Had an abortion or your female partner did
138. Had plastic surgery
139. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived.
140. Wrote articles for a large publication
141. Lost over 100 pounds
142. Held someone while they were having a flashback
143. Piloted an airplane
144. Petted a stingray
145. Broken someone’s heart (I'm a cold bitch.)
146. Helped an animal give birth
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
148. Won money on a T.V. game show
149. Broken a bone
150. Killed a human being
151. Gone on an African photo safari
152. Ridden a motorcycle (Miss it!)
153. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

154. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
155. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (All three, I'm Amer-i-can.)
156. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
157. Ridden a horse
158. Had major surgery
159. Had sex on a moving train
160. Had a snake as a pet
161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
162. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
164. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
165. Visited all 7 continents
166. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
167. Eaten kangaroo meat
168. Fallen in love at an ancient Mayan burial ground
169. Been a sperm or egg donor
170. Eaten sushi
171. Had your picture in the newspaper
172. Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime
173. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
174. Gotten someone fired for their actions
175. Gone back to school
176. Parasailed
177. Changed your name
178. Petted a cockroach (Giant Madagascar hissing cockroach.)
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
180. Read The Iliad
181. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read (Books are my life. No one ever had to force me to read, and I have the glasses to prove it.)

182. Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because your apartment needed them.

183. …and gotten 86′ed from the restaurant because you did it so many times, they figured out it was you
184. Taught yourself an art from scratch
185. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (Fish...but I won't do it now.)
186. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
187. Skipped all your school reunions. (Jesus, I would never go to those.)
188. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
189. Been elected to public office
190. Written your own computer language
191. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
192. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
193. Built your own PC from parts
194. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you (poems)
195. Had a booth at a street fair
196: Dyed your hair (Just last week.)
197: Been a DJ
198: Found out someone was going to dump you via LiveJournal (No, but that would be pretty pathetic.)
199: Written your own role playing game
200: Been arrested

Okay, that was fun. Now don't you feel so enlightened?

jane

House dreaming

Sorry I have been out of commission for a few days...lots of work and house searching. Toronto rent is outrageous, but I am desperate to get a house. The basement apartment is no longer suitable - and I'm dreading another long winter in the hobbit hole. I need natural light, a yard, windows. Nothing fancy, mind you. Still, it's going to take a lot of creative visualization and intense budgeting to pull it off.

Rick's freaking out that I am even looking at this point. The business absorbs every cent, and our office location, as nice as it is, makes our business overhead pretty hefty.

Of course, this is all fairly tentative - I'm doing a lot to try and increase our monthly income so we can make this move a possibility (by year's end, I hope).

Is anyone else struggling with rentals? The city offers a plethora of opportunity, but at a cost. My country gal background is overwhelmed. After pricing property in Toronto, Fort Wayne, Indiana never looked so good.

If anyone is interested in business and marketing tips, I've been more prolific as of late at the Ricksticks blog...

Incite by Design

Cheers,
jane

Celebrity RIP Blogging

I completely missed this, but apparently B movie filmmaker, Russ Meyer, died this week...

Legendary filmmaker Russ Meyer dead

Has anyone out there seen Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! ?

I have written a lot about this particular fantasy genre and always, although irreverent and somewhat ridiculous in its subject matter, shared a bit of delight in the idea of ass kicking women. What's tolerable about his movies is the single-mindedness of them, unlike some of newer movies which features tough, beautiful women (i.e. La Femme Nikita, Charlie's Angels, etc...).

Rather than trying to make a statement, Meyer's movies simply are, in essence, the voyeuristic fantasy without a contrived, pseudo feminist message. I like that.

There's nothing subversive about a film that portrays a tough, gorgeous woman. Of course men are comfortable with this! Of course society wants the hot disciplinarian. Women are wasting their time with the message that women can kick ass in spandex. Duh! This is about has earth-shattering as featuring a menage-a-trois with two gals and a guy as a revolutionary step forward for lesbian acceptance. As if the mainstream ever had a problem with two hot chicks getting it on.

Meyer was a silly, horny filmmaker with an honest message: He liked women with big boobs and enjoyed the idea of women as perpetrators of violence / revenge. He knew the market was there, so he made the films.

There's a purity about Meyer, no matter how shallow and sexist he happened to be. You always knew what you were going to get, and it certainly was never whitewashed with some political veneer. I wish other filmmakers could be as honest as that about the tripe they produce.

jane, kicking ass in faux leather

O Canada!

I love this travel blog - such a great way to celebrate Canada's beautiful wild spaces.

Lynn and Laurie Stewart: Seeing Canada with Oscar and Oreo

Autumn Equinox

Happy Mabon

My favorite things to do for Autumn Equinox

1) Walk through a field during sunset
2) Bake
3) Make a harvest alter or wreath
4) Go through summer items and give away anything I didn't wear or use
5) Listen to music, light candles
6) Breathe...pay attention to my breath
7) Let go
8) Forgive
9) Mend clothing (my husband has a million pairs of hole ravaged socks)
10) Make career decisions
11) Drink tea on the back porch
12) Organize
13) Light incense
14) Burn a list of things that have needlessly troubled me
15) Call a friend
16) Snuggle
17) Air out winter blankets and coats
18) Go to an orchard
19) Get a massage
20) Make a list of fun projects to work on over the upcoming long winter

Happy Mabon!
jane

Wild animals should not be pets...

This just burns my ass.

Cat News



First off, it takes hundreds of generations to successfully domesticate a wild animal. Dogs have been around for 10,000 years, and yet they still attack on occasion, and sometimes without warning, so what makes an owner of a bottle fed caracal think they have the answer to unprompted attacks? Second, exactly how much of an animal lover are you if you believe it's okay to cage a wild animal, denying the animal of its natural habitat and full range of behaviours? Finally, and most absurdly, contrary to the exotic pet owner's claim, exotic pet breeding programs do not help conservation efforts.

For example, there are more than 7,000 tigers in North America owned privately. There are only 5,000-7,000 native species in the wild. The tigers that these so called conservationists breed are hybrids. They are unreleasable. We are not experiencing a tiger shortage. We are experiencing a loss of indigenous, genetically intact species, such as the Siberian Tiger.

Furthermore, the trade in exotic animals has been responsible more than half of the species depletion crisis in the wild, including the pet trade and the trade in Traditional Chinese Medicine products (which can contain the parts of different types of animals). The demand fuels the likelihood of illegal poaching by enticing people living in dire poverty to do the crimes, while Westerners enjoy the pets and the products. If people stopped buying exotic fish, reptiles, birds, mammals, along with products that contain endangered animal parts, 80% of the problem would be solved.

The rest is up to each nation and how they/we set out to protect wild spaces. If acreage is effectively protected, many species would also be protected, particularly the small mammals, insects, birds, and reptiles, because the bigger the land space, the greater number of species will be encompassed and therefore protected.

There have been some great conservation efforts in China and Africa, which have been pretty successful in establishing and protecting wildlife preservations. I will find some examples and post those soon.

As for personal experience, I have been to half a dozen roadside zoos and private menageries and can tell you that exotic pet ownership is not humane or safe. It is nothing more than a way to make money. Most people who own end up breeding and selling, or get overwhelmed and dump the pets somewhere (which is another HUGE problem for native ecosystems). It's like some kind of sick, redneck club. I have seen tigers kept behind chain link fencing, monkeys in basement cages, without natural light or behavioural enrichment, and foxes in back rooms, the stench of urine and feces so bad I could hardly breathe.

The only thing we have going for us now are the few municipal bylaws that prevent exotic pet ownership. This is why it pains me to hear other animal advocates condoning exotic pet ownership as an expression of a true concern for animal protection. Nothing could be further from the truth.

jane

Interesting ethical question

Caitlin over at Cat Out Loud has a thought provoking post for today:

A moment to care about humans

I encourage everyone to read and comment.

jane

You can go with this or you can go with that...

Monday. Monday. Monday.

I got pooped on by a pigeon sniper this morning. That gives you the general theme of my day.

I have been lambasting a bunch of marketers as of late, so have had little time to rant here. I love getting into arguments about ethics with marketing and PR people. They get so offended when I say to them that there is a moral dilemma that must occur if one is at all conscious of the products they help launch.

No matter how you slice it, you have to at least exaggerate to be a marketer. You may not be a bald faced liar, but you exaggerate to create a "sell." It isn't something I am trying to say to cause outrage. To a certain extent, we all do a bit of exaggerating in our jobs. Still, they get so tight assed about it. It's kind of amusing, really. I'm in the design / marketing business and have strong ideas about what products I will be involved with, and draw very clear lines.

Still, I don't live under some veil of ignorance about what the job entails. There will be businesses our firm assists that I don't particularly care for, but I can live with it.

I could go back in to fundraising. This is selling at it's purest. However, I also need to state that there are some charities that are as caught up in the greed machine as any for profit. Again, it's a matter of personal conviction and research.

For now, it's building a business time and getting the firm to a point where I can do whatever my little cynical heart desires, which will likely be writing and fundraising work.

Careers are funny. Seems like every time you draw the line at what you'll do to make ends meet, there you are with the eraser.

Off to make sure the bills get paid...

jane

Resisting oversized homes, part 2

I came across these amazing little houses...

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

There houses are the cat's pajamas. I am so interested in the concept of living in a small house, thus reducing the amount of energy we consume and increasing our desire to go outside. I've always envisioned buying a smallish home with enough space to accommodate a home office, a couple of kids, a cat, and, oh yeah, a husband.

My ideal home would have a couple of bedrooms, a large bathroom, an open concept living area/kitchen and a nice full basement for my office/cat space. The yard should be ample, too, for a vegetable garden and some large trees. I envision spending most of the summer in the backyard with the bugs and veggies.

If I lived in a climate that provided year round warmth, I would definitely go for a small cottage. Now I just want a two bedroom with a big basement, and enough space to keep us from going postal in the winter. At least until I can convince my husband to move back to Arizona with me.

How big is your dwelling? What's your idea of a "dream home"?

jane

Random thought of the day...

Is there anyone sexier than Chris Isaak? Okay, helmet hair and sexist bravado aside, gotta love those car-obsessed crooners.

Me-ow!

Messing with my "chi"

Today is definitely a Friday. I am making a grocery list, thinking about my fall cleaning ritual, and what I will put on my Mabon alter. I almost always make seasonal alters. Nothing fancy - just some natural items that correspond with the changing of the season. I already feel the long, dark days coming on and am fearful of the gloomy, Canadian winter. I don't know why Canadians are such good natured folk? The weather sucks 3/4 of the year. Ah well.

I am pretty uninspired to go into a rant or topic. It could be that I spent so much time on the business blog today that I have released all the negativity I was currently feeling about a certain client who has made it a point to fuck with my chi (pardon my language). Sometimes I really wonder what drives people to be raging imbeciles?! However, I have had to deal with a surplus of stupid lately. An influx of half-wits. A gaggle of Gumps. You get the idea.

Anyway, I am feeling fairly meditative now and am going to start creating my new alter and maybe do a little cooking. The small things in life make such an incredible difference. I think Terry over at Farbled mentioned going to the grocery - not because he needs something, just because he likes to go. I can relate to that. It's the same with me and cleaning. A mindless, yet necessary task can do wonders for an end-of-week meltdown frame of mind.

Off to create some kind of magical bliss at home...Happy weekend!

jane

Shameless self-promotion

The 2005 edition of the Women's Daybook is out!!

My friend, Elizabeth Siegfried's image 'Forest Dancers' and the poem I wrote to go with it have been chosen and included in the book. 'Forest Dancers' was also chosen for the cover (yea)!

The Women's Daybook is a great little calendar - with lots of space per day for notes and appointments. And, it's published by a wonderful women's press, Sumach Press.

For ordering info, go here...

'Forest Dancers' (both the photo and the poem) originated from our collaboration, Extinct, which is a collection of poems and photos that explore the loss of the natural world. Extinct is slated to be published (we are hoping) sometime late this year / early 2005. I'll let you know when it is hot off the presses.

Thanks!
jane

Random thought of the day...

I really dislike musicals. I mean, really dislike them. I think Andrew Lloyd Weber and the like to be musical hacks. Mama Mia! - Come on! Did we really need to revisit the "musical genius" of ABBA?

It's my belief that there are two kinds of people in the world: A) those who like musicals and B) those who would rather be clubbed than sit through one.

So which is it? What group do you fall into? If you care to defend musicals - go ahead. Give it your best shot. :-)

Jane

More on Cat Killing documentary...

So protesters gathered as expected at the premiere of the (in my opinion) complete waste of time, "Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat," a documentary about the torture and killing of cat by students', Powers, Wennekers and Kaczorowski. While the documentary is supposed to have a moral message: it's not OK to kill in the name of art, I cannot help but agree with all the protesters in wanting this doc canned.

Personally, I feel the director, Zev Asher, was just riding in on controversy, and using poor judgment for personal gain. I don't think a documentary about this topic could mean much in the big picture. I mean, most sane folks believe it is wrong to torture and kill an animal for art. Is this a highly confused subject? I don't think so. I believe even meat eaters/hunters/butchers think that is sociopathic behaviour.

If Zev Asher wanted to make a provocative film, why not do one on why society can tolerate certain types of slaughter versus others, or why animal torturers aren't given harsher punishments, or why animals are considered "property" under the law. There are so many thought provoking topics, but none would have created the havoc, outrage, and ultimately, attention that the Asher and crew most certainly wanted.

Still, people are free to make whatever lameass movie they want. It's up to us to make that connect between voyeuristic trash and intelligent commentary.

WSPA has a good assessment of the tone and overview of the "film"... read more...

Sorry to all you would be scholars

I am going through the process of adding Haloscan to my blog, and have wiped the Blog-slate clean, so to speak. Gone are all those brilliant, insightful postings ... I loved them well.

Now start posting (this time I promise to print them all out and keep them in my keepsake box - yeah, uh-huh.)

new poem

Like Air

i'll kiss you but you won't feel it
it's not media
it's skin
the smooth latex over polished
alabaster bones
soft as a bruised fruit

i'll kiss you but you won't know it
i'm tiny hallucinogenic
small scalpel cutting your throat
with my eye lashes
biting you with a sweet honey nectar
fit only for summertime

when you open your window
i will steal inside
i will lay on your pillow
where volumes of english literature
stay uncracked
i could be the flower you press
between pages
a specimen
miniscule microbe

when you go home with the others
it won't bother me
not anymore
you could never find me anyway
now i am so light
i float off this paper
down the highway
like cigarette
cellophane

© Aleah Sato

A Little Afternoon Taste of Karmic Justice...

Too bad the shot hit his wrist....

Man charged with shooting puppies gets shot

Gluten intolerance

So my two week cleansing proved what I had suspected all along, I am fairly allergic to wheat/gluten. This presents some problems since almost everything out there has wheat and sugar in it. Anyone out there have some good recipes and meal ideas?

This, by the way, will be my only self-pitying post this week.

One can only each so many raw vegetables.....

9/11

If you want to remember the tragedy of all that elapsed on this day, three years ago, I suggest a private ritual. Nothing fancy. Light a candle, say a prayer, look to the forest, where the leaves are starting to turn, and remember that all things change and are once again renewed.

I am making it a point to not turn on my TV or radio (or surf the news). Let's not let the Bush Administration use this sad day to score votes. The lives of the lost are worth more than that. I refuse to let the Bush Administration steal this day of remembrance.

jane

"Food" becomes Thought

I am going to go and see this documentary next week and have lots of questions.

Peaceable Kingdom

While I am not against the concept of meat eating per se, I am completely against factory farming and bio-engineering (and other means of altering animals so they become little profit machines).

My first question is this: Is anybody out there talking about what would happen to animals used for food once we stop eating them (if that's a possibility)? I'm not being flippant, I would really like to know if anyone has a solid approach to taking care of all the animals we have domesticated for food and labour.

The idea of "freeing" currently misused animals is nice, but naive. I would love to see someone come up with a humane solution to surplus animals. Obviously, we have a problem taking care of domestic pets. People seem fairly incompetent when it comes to spaying/neutering and providing good care for cats and dogs. Who, then, will be responsible for cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, etc? Will municipal laws change to accommodate larger mammals?

Again, I am not knocking the idea, I really do have sincere questions about this which comes from an open heart and mind.

jane

One word: Brilliant!

From one ex-Hoosier to all you non-Hoosiers out there...

Indiana coroner giving demonstration on gun safety shoots self in leg

And on a side note, spell check suggested "hookers" in the place of Hoosiers. Which insult is worse, I ask you.

One of those pure poetry moments...

I recommend that everyone journey of to Echidne's lair and read her beautiful poem, a tribute to the children who have suffered and died during the senseless violence of war...

ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES 's Tuesday, September 07, 2004 posting.

Poetry has the power to shape the world....

jane

Crap Science Says: Ugly People Suck

This is a new study that was recently conducted by a team of scientists (and I use that term loosely) in the UK, proving (and I use that loosely, too) that babies prefer to look at "pretty" people.

Babies prefer to gaze upon beautiful faces

According to Alan Slater of the University of Exeter, “Attractiveness is not in the eye of the beholder, it’s innate to a newborn infant."

I see...

But it gets better. According to the article's source, NewScientist.com, Slater "suggests the reason for this preference is simple - pretty people actually have the prototype of a human face."

So, ugly people look like baboons? Giraffes? Automobiles?

The control variable is even more laughable.

Nice to know money is being spent on such a useful conclusion.

jane, spitting in the face of crap science

My preference, outside of being naked...

I love vintage clothing. Before it became trendy, I used to get bags of clothing at flea markets, second hand stores, and antique stores for next to nothing. Now times have changed. It's getting harder to find vintage clothing at a reasonable price. I refuse to pay over $20 for a top that's older than my mother. Forget about it. The whole point was to save some money and wear something unique. But in came the celebs and fashionistas, and now sellers want me to pay $120 for some stained under the pits, moth infested bygone blouse. Grrr.

Don't get me wrong. I still buy second hand clothing. Buying second hand is such a wonderful way to cut back on consumerism and mass produced brands. My rule is, so long as it isn't undergarments or sandals, I will buy. I bought my very warm winter coat last year online (second hand) for $45. -- and it arrived in wonderful condition (I will have to post a pic of me not freezing to death in the awesome frock). Most of my suits are from the 40's, and I have about 12 party dresses all from different eras ranging from 1900 - 1970.

But I am having a difficult time finding cool, quality vintage clothing sites that aren't overpriced. I'm sorry, folks, but just because you loved your Aunt Betty, that doesn't mean I want to spend $50 on her old purple cardigan. Come on. Where's the spirit of recycled clothing, people. Let's get back to our anticonsumer roots by keeping second hand threads reasonably priced.

If you feel me, and you know you do, send me the name of your favorite garment site.

jane

An assault on our wild spaces

elk near Yellowstone

I am so angry about this...

Bush Administration Unleashes Drilling Onslaught in Western Wildlands

If you want a Cliff Notes version of this (it is the weekend after all), basically the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service have opened bids for drilling in various parts of the American West, affecting New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. According to my calculations, at least 200,000 acres of previously protected land is now at risk.

Species affected include Canada lynx, gray wolves, grizzly bears, cutthroat trout, bighorn sheep and bald eagles (in Wyoming); mule deer, elk, black bears and the endangered Mexican spotted owl (in Colorado); and pronghorn antelope, black-footed ferret, mule deer and black-tailed prairie dogs (in New Mexico). Not to mention the old growth forests that are also in peril.

I am outraged. Particularly, now that I am in Canada and realize how much wild space I have been denied growing up in the US, where everything has been paved and commercialized. I feel like someone is threatening to burn all of my photo albums, my keepsakes, my home. I'm definitely following this and will follow up with posts as new information is released....

jane

Ps: and thanks to Cat for being the first source of info on this...

Places

I was thinking about the gorgeous old Victorian I lived in a few years ago. A 120 year old structure in the middle if cornfields, the only neighbor being a small cemetery, this was my haven for recuperation from a terrible break-up of a 4 1/2 relationship.

The few months I spent there were both painful and wonderful. The isolation of what the place represented was mirrored by the incredibly snowy Indiana winter. Each night, after work, I would make my way home along the ice covered country roads, the banks of snow only slightly blocking the achingly cold winds, through absolute darkness.

And then I would see my wonderful old home -- its fiery windows alit with half-heartedly strung xmas lights, illuminated stained glass, a single porchlight -- a definite lighthouse amid cornfields.

My cats would greet me as always when I entered and the smell of oil burning in the old furnace would remind me just how ancient this house was. The root cellar was the kind you'd find in movies like Psycho and Amityville Horror.

Back in the livingroom, with three cats and blankets piled high, I would cocoon there and watch bad tv- just to get some noise. The quiet was maddening at times.

During weekends, I'd pull on my boots and stomp around through the depleted corn fields and around the ponds. I was fortunate enough to have an incredible lake across the road, and a pond behind the house, where geese and a wide variety of ducks would come in throughout the day. A birder's paradise!

On a couple of occasions, I pulled in to the driveway to spy a wild turkey on my front porch. Another time, a pheasant.

I miss that place, that quiet. Even the pain, sometimes, that seemed to engulf me. Learning to live alone was never so difficult. There were times I thought I'd burn myself into ash from nights of unbridled rage and grief. Some days seemed endless -- I was a zombie once I left work and headed to my empty house. I never felt like unpacking. I slept and crept around like a crazy catlady, or Miss Havisham.

Then things gradually changed.

I started to rather enjoy the peace and solitude. Going to bed alone didn't seem so bad. The cats even took less interest in competing for my lap, preferring play-fighting and investigating all the nooks and crannies of the dwelling. My heart didn't ache as much anymore. The solitude was freeing. The heaviness was lifting.

When spring came, I moved.

There are times when I think about that old house and all the memories it holds for me, and wonder if other people think about places as "healing," or as "containers for healing." There was such a profound parallel between my processing my hurt and the harshness and wisdom of that 1880's farm house. I am wondering if this isn't the true source of hauntings, the memories that were never fully dealt with...But that's a little esoteric for even me, so I will stop and ask you...

What place speaks to you...

jane

Pre-Friday potty humor...

Okay, so I am one week in to my naturopathic detox cleanse. I cannot eat wheat, or any gluten based products, sugar, red meat (no prob there), dairy (cheese is 2/3 of my food pyramid, I swear!) or drink coffee, alcohol, etc.. The worst part of the detox was giving up coffee. I had headaches akin to migraines for three days, and now I walk around in a perpetual haze. It's amazing how addicted I was to caffeine.

In conjunction with the diet, I take vitamins, a liver enhancing supplement, and fish oil. Yes, fish oil. This helps clean out all the toxins and is also supposed to make you, well, "regular." Like traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathy and homeopathy tackle constipation as if it were the Darth Vadar of your digestive system. Before any other health issues can be explored, the digestive system must be balanced, lest it negate any changes you make to other aspects of your physical being.

Now, this is fairly straightforward. Nothing humorous in that, unless talking about constipation sends you into fits of giggles, and well, I am afraid I can't help you there.

What is funny to me is the many years we have teased my grandfather for his method of figuring out if we were sick. He would ask the same question of his kids when they complained of a stomachache or headache, and he asked the same of us, his granchildren:

"Have your bowels moved?"

I mean, it didn't matter what the ailment, it was always the same question about our relationship with the toilet.

scenario 1: Little me comes into the house, holding my stomach, crying...
Grandpa: "Have your bowels moved?"

scenario 2: Brother Shawn breaks arm in farming accident and asks Grandpa to drive him to the ER..
Grandpa: pauses..."Looks bad, but could it be that your bowels haven't moved?"

I am not kidding. This was his question and answer to every problem a person could possibly have.

So you can imagine my chagrin and amazement when I sat down at the naturopath's office, and after giving her a list of things I wanted to tackle, the very first question she asked was....

sigh,
jane

More on Toxic Fish

From my eco-hero, David Suzuki...

Toxins in food supply signal need for change

One Fish, Two Fish, Toxic Fish, Lice-y Fish

As we are all busily avoiding farmed salmon for its toxicity and what commercial salmon farms are doing to wild stocks,

Farmed Salmon More Toxic Than Wild Salmon, Study Finds


it looks like BC's wild salmon stock is still very much in danger as lice levels remain high in salmon caught in the Broughton Archipelago region and, as predicted, open net-cage salmon farms are the culprit...

DFO must take leadership on salmon farm issue, says Suzuki Foundation

GMO veggie burger, anyone?

Grrr,
jane