A Telling Timeline July 11, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Nature, Sustainable Living.comments closed
If you are wondering about what’s happened when in the Gulf of Mexico, and what Obama has been doing while BP continues to pollute the planet, perhaps this video will shed some light on the situation for you:
Oil Spill Timeline (Day 1 to Day 70)
It’s time for a change of leadership in this country:
* From reactive to pro-active
* From irresponsible to responsive
* From politics as usual to putting the planet first
* From Greed to Green
Quote: The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are. ~ J. Pierpont Morgan
Related posts: Politicians Still Protecting BP * BP: The Tyranny of British Rule * They’ve Murdered The Gulf * What does BP Stand For? * Ignoring The First Amendment??? * Big Oil, Big Lies! * Political Quotes * Before & After
My Facebook Aura –> Orange! July 11, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Humor.comments closed
The first day I joined Facebook, before I knew enough to stay away from identity-stealing apps, Which Color Is Your Aura? invited me to take a quick quiz to determine . . . the color of my aura.
The result?
Orange! (But you probably already guessed that . . .)
Orange personalities are the creative adventurers in the color spectrum. They have an inner urge to be creative, active and enjoy life to its fullest. They are also individual and independent and integrate physical and mental qualities. They enjoy the challenge and excitement of forming and shaping physical reality.
Orange personalities love to imagine and plan strategies for their next adventure or project and then put those plans into action. They need to be involved in the actual working process and want to physically shape and form their own ideas.
They have difficulty sitting back and letting other people do things for them. They are always busy building, organizing and shaping their projects and physical reality.
An Orange personality’s motivation in life is based on how much pleasure and satisfaction they get out of their own adventures, challenges and creative projects.
They want to be adventurous, creative and live out their own ideas.
Hmm . . . sounds about right.
On a related note, the color Orange does not appear anywhere in my not-so-extensive wardrobe.
Perhaps my inner spirit knew it would clash with my Facebook Aura.
Related posts: The Facebook Strobe Light * Facebook is NOT Vegas, Baby * Daisies -> Day’s Ease
Everything’s Amazing . . . Nobody’s Happy July 11, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Humor, Joke, People.comments closed
We live in an amazing world . . . so why aren’t we happy?
Here’s a few clues to consider:
* We’re impatient.
* We’re entitled.
* We fail to see the wonders of the world.
Here’s Louis C.K. sharing his views with Conan on what ails society today . . .
Follow up Q & A with Louis C.K. brought to my attention by Rik Scott over at Uphill Writing:
Quote: Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves ~ for they shall never cease to be amused.
How to Unmask Pretend Friends July 11, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Humor, Mindfulness, People.comments closed
Do you have any pretend friends?
You know the type . . . fake and phony kissee-kissee people who say one thing to your face while secretly dissing you behind your back.
Not sure?
Can you handle the truth?
Start by being yourself.
Be, say, and do exactly what you feel like doing starting . . . NOW!
Friends who accept you as you are, and applaud your efforts to “be real” are true friends.
Hang on to them. Tightly.
Those who resent your growing freedom, who ridicule the changes you are making, or who attempt to dictate how you should act, are not true friends.
They do not have your interests at heart.
“Friends” who are unwilling to accept the “new and improved you,” who get angry at you for being who you’ve always wanted to be, are pretend friends ~ people who like you only as long as you subjugate your needs to accommodate their desires.
During the transition from old you to new and improved you, pretend friends often allow their passive-aggressive masks to slip, just a bit, becoming openly aggressive . . . giving you a glimpse of who they really are.
If you’re lucky, they will share what they really think of you!!!
At that point, you can smile and nod, “I see who you are behind that mask.”
If they realize their “slip is showing” and/or that “their mask is slipping,” they often point the finger at YOU!
This is YOUR fault. If you just did what I told you to do . . . NONE of this would be happening.
The more aggressive and hostile they become, the better you will feel about leaving them behind as you continue your journey through life . . . picking up real friends along the way.
* * * * *
No, no. I’m not talking about anyone here. None of my readers is a fake and phony, passive-aggressive twit.
That’s why I love you. Kissee-Kissee!
Artwork by Maitte Van Arsdel ~ available at Island Gallery West.
Related posts: Actors on the Stage of Life * Fly High, Freebird * Live Your Life * Free To Be . . . Me * Impressionism & Abstract Expressionism
The Facebook Strobe Light July 11, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Blogging, Humor, People.comments closed
Last summer, I joined Facebook.
After I hooked up with a few friends from high school, college, and law school, as well as from life since graduation, Facebook began suggesting other friends to add to my growing list.
Frankly, I found that a bit startling ~ having a disinterested third party suggesting friends to me, with some degree of accuracy, gave me cause for pause.
Hmm . . .
What if Facebook is really “big brother” in disguise . . . watching every move we make? What if Facebook is recording everything we do, and listening in on all our cyber conversations, while reporting back to some Higher Power?
I decided to take my chances.
At first, running around and “friending” folks that I hadn’t seen in 10, 20, or 30 years felt a bit like hunting for buried treasure.
Within days, though, I became overwhelmed by the time required to slog through status updates on my home page as they scrolled past at the speed of light, like a ticker tape on steroids.
How could 67 friends have so much information of import to share with the world?
Well . . . as it turns out, many didn’t.
Instead of sharing information of actual import, they shared . . . TMI (Too Much Information), at least sometimes.
In no time, I learned more from cyber friends than I knew about my roommates in college . . . you know, actual people who had lived under the same roof with me!
Cyber friends share everything! They discuss eating, grooming, and shopping habits. They provide menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and between meal snacks.
They discuss what they are watching on TV . . . while they are watching it.
They not only share the title of books on their night stands, they post regular page updates ~ allowing us to read along with them (except, of course, if we don’t have the book . . . I never do).
They discuss the disgusting condition of their underwear, how much they spend on Spring, Summer, and Fall fashions, what doctors they are seeing (and why!), and how they plan to celebrate upcoming birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and TGIF.
They complain about boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers.
They disclose details about dating sites, love lost, love found, and love kicked to the curb.
We are privy to excruciating details about acid indigestion, acid reflux, chronic constipation, and its arch nemesis, diarrhea.
We learn about bathing preferences (baths vs. showers), who suffers from hangnails, and how long it takes folks to get ready for work in the morning.
Recently, we heard about X’s breast augmentation surgery . . . and her plan to share “before and after” photos on her profile page. (No, I’m not giving you her name so you can friend up for the big reveal!)
In short, the Right of Free Speech is beating the knickers off the Right to Privacy . . . exposing its naked underbelly to Facebook tenants.
After the novelty of being a peeping Tom wore off, and I recovered from my addiction to Bejeweled Blitz, I spent less time frequenting Facebook and more time engaged in other pursuits . . . like living life.
I still check in a few times a day, but no longer feel compelled to read through the entire day’s ticker tape parade to see what everyone’s been up to, down to, into, or out of.
Instead of reviewing intimate details about what people are ingesting (and discharging!), I use Facebook to keep up with matters that matter to me ~ animal rights, environmental issues, and how our politicians have let us down by allowing the interests of “We The People” to take a back seat to special interests groups (e.g., Big Oil, the Meat Industry, and the Dairy Industry).
Keeping up with friends on Facebook now is a bit like watching a strobe light in the Disco Days of yore . . .
I see bits and pieces of data swirling past and flashing by, and get a sense of the overall story line, but I’m missing some of the key dialogue.
Only I’m not missing it at all.
Annoyed? Don’t be. I’m not talking about YOU . . .
True words are not always pretty . . . pretty words are not always true.
Related posts: Facebook is NOT Vegas, Baby * Weekly Writing Challenge ~ Facebook, Mind the Gap * Facebooks Is {{GASP}} Broken!
Spirit Lights The Way 