Snoop Dogg -Sensual seduction

[Currently] this is my favorite video of ALL TIME INTO INFINITY AND BEYOND. Have I ever mentioned that I was recently inspired to learn how to play the keytar? That and now there's this tube thing (talk box?) that intrigues me greatly.

Poor Haitians Resort to Eating Dirt

Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt

By JONATHAN M. KATZ, Associated Press Writer

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - It was lunchtime in one of Haiti's worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud. With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies. Charlene, 16 with a 1-month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country's central plateau.

The mud has long been prized by pregnant women and children here as an antacid and source of calcium. But in places like Cite Soleil, the oceanside slum where Charlene shares a two-room house with her baby, five siblings and two unemployed parents, cookies made of dirt, salt and vegetable shortening have become a regular meal.

"When my mother does not cook anything, I have to eat them three times a day," Charlene said. Her baby, named Woodson, lay still across her lap, looking even thinner than the slim 6 pounds 3 ounces he weighed at birth.

Though she likes their buttery, salty taste, Charlene said the cookies also give her stomach pains. "When I nurse, the baby sometimes seems colicky too," she said.

Food prices around the world have spiked because of higher oil prices, needed for fertilizer, irrigation and transportation. Prices for basic ingredients such as corn and wheat are also up sharply, and the increasing global demand for biofuels is pressuring food markets as well.

The problem is particularly dire in the Caribbean, where island nations depend on imports and food prices are up 40 percent in places.

The global price hikes, together with floods and crop damage from the 2007 hurricane season, prompted the U.N. Food and Agriculture Agency to declare states of emergency in Haiti and several other Caribbean countries. Caribbean leaders held an emergency summit in December to discuss cutting food taxes and creating large regional farms to reduce dependence on imports.

At the market in the La Saline slum, two cups of rice now sell for 60 cents, up 10 cents from December and 50 percent from a year ago. Beans, condensed milk and fruit have gone up at a similar rate, and even the price of the edible clay has risen over the past year by almost $1.50. Dirt to make 100 cookies now costs $5, the cookie makers say.

Still, at about 5 cents apiece, the cookies are a bargain compared to food staples. About 80 percent of people in Haiti live on less than $2 a day and a tiny elite controls the economy.

Merchants truck the dirt from the central town of Hinche to the La Saline market, a maze of tables of vegetables and meat swarming with flies. Women buy the dirt, then process it into mud cookies in places such as Fort Dimanche, a nearby shanty town.

Carrying buckets of dirt and water up ladders to the roof of the former prison for which the slum is named, they strain out rocks and clumps on a sheet, and stir in shortening and salt. Then they pat the mixture into mud cookies and leave them to dry under the scorching sun.

The finished cookies are carried in buckets to markets or sold on the streets.

A reporter sampling a cookie found that it had a smooth consistency and sucked all the moisture out of the mouth as soon as it touched the tongue. For hours, an unpleasant taste of dirt lingered.

Assessments of the health effects are mixed. Dirt can contain deadly parasites or toxins, but can also strengthen the immunity of fetuses in the womb to certain diseases, said Gerald N. Callahan, an immunology professor at Colorado State University who has studied geophagy, the scientific name for dirt-eating.

Haitian doctors say depending on the cookies for sustenance risks malnutrition.

"Trust me, if I see someone eating those cookies, I will discourage it," said Dr. Gabriel Thimothee, executive director of Haiti's health ministry.

Marie Noel, 40, sells the cookies in a market to provide for her seven children. Her family also eats them.

"I'm hoping one day I'll have enough food to eat, so I can stop eating these," she said. "I know it's not good for me."

The Weather Is Sweaty Donkey Balls

I normally blog about events of extreme worldly importance, but today I'm blogging about the weather. The temperature dropped 10 degrees in less than an hour this morning. About a quarter to noon, I walked up two stories to see what the weather was doing, and it was totally fine, just a little bit of flurries, not sticking to the ground, no big deal. At noon, I was planning to do my daily "lunch walk," which hasn't been so "daily" lately, because the weather has SUCKED DONKEY BALLS. I got on my gym socks, white tennis shoes, tote back with iPod, coat, hat, gloves, scarf, etc and went to the lunch room to eat before my walk. In the fifteen minutes since I'd last checked the weather, it turned into a zero-visibility snow blizzard! Seriously! Who wants to walk around in that?? The wind was blowing fierce and everything was gray, blowing sideways. There was no way. It seems I'm destined to blow up into a giant fat cow, because I can never go outside.

In other news, I finally learned how to play "Silent Night." Praise Jesus, I can at long last move forward with my life. I feel like this is a major breakthrough stage in my musical career! It's STRAIGHT TO THE TOP from here.

Love Hangover New York

I designed this flyer. There's also a Kansas City one (waiting to hear back on the cost of the KC event before I finish that version).

Feist

Who is awesome.

Which Is More Important?

Seriously, this story is currently more popular in Yahoo news than the article titled "Study: False statements preceded war." This is a sad state of affairs for our culture and general humanity. This has to be one of the STUPIDEST articles I've ever read.
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"Pet" girl kicked off bus for wearing leash

Wed Jan 23, 1:24 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - A British bus company has apologized to a girl who is led around on a leash by her boyfriend and describes herself as a human pet after one of its drivers threw her off a bus.

Tasha Maltby, 19, told British newspapers she was the "pet" of her 25-year-old fiance Dani Graves.

Pictures showed her dressed in black Gothic-style clothing with silver buckles on a silver chain -- which the driver of a bus from the firm Arriva took exception to.

She told the Daily Mail newspaper Wednesday she was thrown off and told: "We don't let freaks and dogs like you on."

Arriva would not comment on specifics but said it apologized if the couple felt they had been discriminated against. It added, however, that the driver was worried about safety and the company told Maltby to take the leash off in the future.

"We have spoken to the driver who has talked about health and safety," a spokesman said. "Should she be attached to a chain and something happens on the bus, that could be dangerous. All we are saying is that she is very welcome to use the buses but not when she is on her lead."

Maltby -- who lives on state benefits and got engaged in November -- said her choice of lifestyle might seem unusual but was harmless.

"I am a pet," she told the Daily Mail. "I generally act animal-like and I lead a really easy life. I don't cook or clean and I don't go anywhere without Dani. It might seem strange but it makes us both happy. It's my culture and my choice. It isn't hurting anyone."

(Editing by Michael Winfrey)

Where Are You Going?

I started traveling, one place a year, in 2006 when I went with Steven to San Diego. Prior to that, I'd been in "Financial Boot Camp" for three years and prior to that, I'd been living with my HEAD UP MY ASS, spending more money that I was earning on really stupid crap.

So now I'm over that - I still struggle with managing my finances (on a daily basis), but I don't use credit so I can't spend more than I make, and I'm very aware of WHAT it is I spend my money on and thus have the freedom to make conscious decisions. It's kind of liberating. Plus that, and Steven helps! If it weren't for him, I don't know what I'd do.

With that in mind, 2006 was San Diego. 2007 was Memphis. 2008 will be Seattle, first week of August, I'm totally stoked!!! 2009 will be third world country with Craig, hopefully Guatemala but I'm not picky.

I had a strong, vivid dream recently in which I traveled out of the country. I woke up all excited and KNEW that I had to do it. I've never travelled outside of the country before, and while time is passing by oh-so-quickly maybe I should take steps to do that soon.

Caught the Tattoo Bug

Few things in life get me as excited at GETTING A NEW TATTOO. Currently I only have three tattoos, so I've only had the tattoo excitement three times in my life, and now I'm having it again. I'm getting a new tattoo, whoooooooooooooooooo. More to come, as I scan in my design and work it up to what I want this weekend.

The Blues Have It

I’ve purchased a set of Caran d’Ache, Swiss water soluble colour pencils and small sketch pad to keep at my desk at work in order to do art therapy in times of stress. It’s my new thing – I need to move the therapy knowledge from the realm of thinking to the realm of feeling, so am going to try using color.

When I feel stressed/worried/anxious, I bust out a pencil, some water, small brush, and my sketch pad, and I paint a soothing blue scene. So far I’ve painted a soothing blob, but that’s partially because I don’t have a brush. Once I get a brush though, MOVE OVER Van Gogh, ‘cause I’m in the house.

My Grandmother, 1940, Age 22

Gma Hunsicker Jones 1940 Age 22
Originally uploaded by desanders

From found.com

rosesaredead
Originally uploaded by desanders

Random Thoughts Friday

It’s amazing how something as simple as “Friday” can put one in a MUCH BETTER mood. And sun. Yes, there is sun today. I like rain, but I also like sun; there needs to be a way for both to occur in nature at the same time.

I read a news article today about twins who were separated at birth, adopted by different families, and then later in life – GOT MARRIED to each other. They didn’t find out they were twins until after they were married. How fucked up is that? They probably marveled at the deep level of connection they felt for each other, very deep. They probably could finish each other’s sentences and had the same habits. It almost lends credence to the notion of “fate,” doesn’t it?

Speaking of things that are fucked up – I feel compelled to admit that I have actually Googled “Britney Spears” in the news not once, but twice in the last two days. It’s like, now, I want to know exactly what she’s doing every day. This is the power of media over mind! I hope she’s enjoying her vacation in Mexico; I miss her.

I discovered a new kind of gum yesterday, which is exciting. Ice Breakers Ice Cubes, Dragronfruit Freeze flavor. I could eat it like crack.

Speaking of crack . . . ya know, that’s one drug I’ve never tried. Probably won’t either.

Snap, Crackle, and Pop

I’ve been having these feelings more and more often lately, while I’m sitting at my desk at work in the middle of the day, where if I don’t immediately get up and leave and change something about me/my life/my environment, that I’m going to die. Just explode and die.

I had one just now. So, I left, went to the Café, looked out a window at the gray drizzle sprinkling on the deMaria water sculpture, and bought a cookie and a diet coke. The diet of the coke will save me from the calories of the cookie. Shit, how can I ever lose any weight if this keeps up? I guess a more pertinent question to ask is, how can I make these soul-crushing, anxiety-inducing wanting-to-not-go-on-anymore feelings stop?

Sometimes I feel like I just can’t do it for another second; I can’t sit at my desk and churn through books like some kind of robot. I’m Michael Douglas in the movie “Falling Down,” I could just snap, walk away from my car, and start wandering around the bad part of town.

It’s times like these when I need to work through the cognitive behavioral therapy. Ask myself rational questions like,

“Is it truly feasible that I will spontaneously combust if I continue to sit here?”
“No.”
“Will I die if I continue to sit here?”
“No.”
“Will anything bad happen to me if I continue to sit here?”
“Most likely no.”

I don’t feel better yet.

“What is the root cause or trigger of my feelings?”
“Boredom, malaise, feelings of insignificance, expectations that are obviously too high.”

I guess that recognition only makes me feel more tired. I can continue the rationalizations until I come to the point where I admit that pretty much ANY job will produce the same effect. It’s not my job that I hate! It’s not my life that I hate! It’s just an overwhelming feeling of lack of choices, of the routines, that close me in. Yet, I feel disoriented if I don’t have routines, so pretty much I’m just a lost cause.

Yep, that’s it. I’m going to eat my cookie now.

Little House on the Prairie - Country Girls

This made me feel better today, when I was sad.

Yoga and Vampire Hunter D

Took my first yoga class yesterday. I had fun, but had to do a partner move, wrap my arms around a strange lady's ass, to help her do downward facing dog and stretch her hips, for which I was totally unprepared. It kind of freaks me out to have to touch other people like that, but otherwise I LOVED the class. Am really glad I'm taking it. It's mostly slightly chubby middle-aged people, which somehow comforts me. Also it’s a lot like my physical therapy moves that I already do and can tell will really help my back.

I’ve now twice seen a man who looks exactly like Vampire Hunter D, walking southbound on Brookside Blvd while I was driving northbound, on my way to work in the morning. I saw him today, at 8:50 am, across the street from the Russel Stover Headquarters.

He wears a long, full-length black leather trench coat, black leather boots/shoes, black pants, black gloves, a wide-brimmed black leather hat, and a black scarf across the lower part of his face so that all you can see is a black shape and his eyes. He’s walking at a swift pace, and his coat kind of billows mysteriously in the breeze.

Both times I’ve seen him, I became unnaturally excited and wanted to immediately pull my car over and stop to meet him and take a picture. Today I decided that I have to form a plan for this. It’s repeated behavior, so the chances of me seeing him again could potentially be high.

One option is the next time I have a comp day, on a week day, happen to be standing in by the sidewalk at 8:50 am with a camera in hand, and happen to want to take a picture of him. That seems unlikely to pass as plausible.

The second option is to, sort of, “follow” him to see where he’s going (some might say "stalk"). I can happen to be in a car, waiting at 8:50 am, and then trail him. You know, like they do in the movies! If he’s going to a public place of work, I can figure out what it is, and work up a disguise and figure out a way to happen to be there with a camera to get his picture. That might work. Anyone who has that awesome of a sense of style needs to be known, and I can make that happen, some way, somehow.

Shamanic Journeys

Last night I dreamt that I (as my animus) went on a Shamanic journey into the heartland of an extremely remote, mountainous region of Vietnam. I travelled by foot into the jungle, and when I finally happened upon a person, I asked him where I could find local lodging. He pointed up the mountain, with the basic directions of “Walk until you find it,” although I don’t speak Vietnamese, so the communication was primitive.

I found a small place, and the old man welcomed me in. Before I knew it, I was having a crazy, freak-out, mind-blowing, life-changing, deeply-moving-and-meaningful Shamanic experience, during which time I slaughtered a boar with my bare hands, and we cooked it and ate it that night. It was a marvelous time.

Afterwards, I felt compelled to swim across a wide river, which caused me concern in retrospect, because I had NO IDEA what creatures might have been in it and also didn’t consider the possibility of fatal river currents.

The Universal Goddess Of Plenty

I am SOOO glad to have my adult-contemporary-soft-rock radio stations back!!!! There are two of them that play the same music and they both "go Christmas" every year for two months in Nov-Dec. Since I hate Christmas music and/or have heard all of it A ZILLION times already, I can't listen during that time. It's like being cut-off from a necessary supply of xanax, a medication that soothes & calms during times of extreme crisis. Yesterday as I was driving home from work, all keyed up and tense from the stressful day, a cheesy Bryan Adams ballad came on the radio, and I just cranked it UP full volume and really felt gratitude to the Universe for all of its gifts of plenty.

New Year's Blah Blah Blah

It's the new year. Internally, I still feel as though it's more like Y2k - anything's possible, we just came out of the 90's, and what will the new millenium behold? With that mindset, my 1999 Ford Escort is only one year old, and I can drive ANYWHERE I want! Yay for new cars!

I'm always very excited about being able to switch to a new weekly planner. Clean slate, so many open days ahead of me; all the spaces aren't yet filled in.

I've decided that 2008 is the "Year of the Dress." I don't own enough dresses. Steven has started wearing suits all the time, and it's time for me to step up a bit. I'll never be the suit-wearing type, but I can see myself in a dress from time to time.

Also, 2008 is the year that I spend my money in healthier ways, that is, referring only to my extra "fun money" expenditures. Obviously most of what I make goes to bills and crap, but for what I decide to spend on myself, I think I'd like to buy less "cosmetic" things that make me feel better on a superficial level and instead buy more "meaningful" things that could actually lead to something with purpose.

That's all well and good, but I'm sure that come summer time, my ass will be standing in line outside of Sheridan's Frozen Custard along with all the other fat-asses, getting giant Butterfinger Concretes and eating them 'till I'm covered in hives. It's the American way!! However, thankfully, each day is a new day and a new opportunity for advancement in a positive direction. That's the eternal optimist in me. I am a Leo after all.