Cheap, fast, good. Pick two.
Everyday life
2007, July 16
Amazon.com and animal cruelty
I have learned that Amazon.com engages in the sale of literature for illegal animal fighting.
Admittedly a token gesture, I have removed all my links to Amazon.com. I have also stopped using them as a hub for online shopping. They will not miss my business, but I will be rid of a bad taste in my mouth.
Please see the links below for more information.
The Elephant Sanctuary ends association with Amazon.com
Humane Society of the United States vs Amazon.com
2007, April 25
Family Visit
A visit to my daughter and granddaughter.
A small child in a large world - she heads out to explore.
The family cats resting after a full day of avoiding being child-handled.
The family lives near a small beach and large hills in the central coast of California, great for hiking and exploring. She is becoming an outdoor child.
I spent most of my time reformatting and rebuilding my daughter's computer. It was a good visit, we accomplished a lot, and spent some very good time together.
2007, April 08
Farewell to Sister
Our household is diminished.
This week Sister, a cat who made her home with us, passed away. She had been ill for a long time and at last it was time.
She was the soul of the garden. I hope that where she has gone, she has a large, fragrant and sunny garden all to herself. We miss her.
2007, February 18
Stress Management Ideas
Making its way around the internet.
Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.
Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
Never buy a car you can’t push.
Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
The second mouse gets the cheese.
When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
--
2006, November 05
Winter and a Full Moon
Today is the beginning of meteorological winter and a Hunters' full moon.
Halfway between the Autumnal equinox and the Winter solstice, we are now at the beginning of the Celtic winter, now called meteorological winter. Already there has been snow, Loveland Colorado has 22 inches.
Here in the San Francisco Bay area, we have had a few days of rain, always welcome after the dry dormant season. So we begin our growing season while elsewhere the skiers buckle on their gear. Man-made snow has made it possible for some resorts to open early, hardware stores in the northeast are selling out of snow shovels, and people are changing to snow tires in the mid-west.
...our winter predictions are pointing towards widespread cold from coast to coast, especially for the western sections of the country,” shares Peter Geiger, Philom., Editor. Geiger continues, “The cold may not be as frigid as 30 or 40 years ago, but we do expect this to be the coldest winter we’ve seen for quite a few years.” And, after last year’s unusual warmth, this chill might make winter harder than usual.
The 2007 Farmers’ Almanac, released August 28, 2006, predicts the frigid temperatures, as much as 20 degrees below seasonal norms (and nearly 40 degrees colder than last winter), for Montana, the Dakotas and parts of Wyoming. For the Gulf Coast up through New England, unseasonably cold, or “shivery,” conditions are expected.
Snow, and lots of it, is also forecast for the nation’s midsection, parts of New England, and the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. "The Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley may be the only area spared the extreme cold," reveals Sandi Duncan, Philom., Managing Editor, "but this is not to say this area won’t be without its cold spells and significant snowfalls."
November in the NorthEast
1st-3rd. Clearing, colder. 4th-7th. Unsettled. 8th-11th. Pleasant. 12th-15th. Major East Coast storm! Heavy showers, with a few thunderstorms. Gale-force winds Mid-Atlantic Coast. Snow possible New England. 16th-19th. Windy, cold. 20th-23rd. Unsettled, with some wet snow or rain. Bundle up and bring an umbrella if you’re attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. 24th-27th. Fair, then very unsettled, with squalls. 28th-30th. Clearing, colder.
November in California
1st-3rd. Chilly. 4th-7th. Mixed clouds and sun, with a few showers possible. 8th-11th. Fair, becoming stormy, with rain and (over the Sierra Nevadas) snow possible. 12th-15th. Unsettled. Light snow on southern plateaus. 16th-19th. Mostly fair. 20th-23rd. Fair. 24th-27th. Very unsettled, then slowly clearing. 28th-30th. Turning much colder.
2006, June 25
Year half over
Those resolutions, how have they fared?
Well, it is the end of June, the year is half over. Time for checking in with those resolutions, made around Christmas last year. Simplify, Take a Break from Agendas (mine and other people’s), Take Each Day One Day at a Time.
I have succeeded fairly well. When I stopped making lists of things to do, I noticed that the most necessary projects came to the fore, and I was able to take care of them without distractions. I have had the time and energy to take unexpected changes in stride, and make decisions without driving myself crazy.
This is all very general, seems cliched when on paper, but there has been an improvement, less anxiety, better sleeping.
I hope the second half of the year shapes as well.
