tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-208075522024-03-07T00:05:17.006-05:00Mischievous MuseAnniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.comBlogger632125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-29683977119832799102011-12-08T12:06:00.008-05:002011-12-08T12:39:50.231-05:00The One Turtle<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPcYlWSkD2mYFInfpnGGELuEIkmywWgca5YR0LDCCzCXPw6P6mezSNtp2ojue0gjEBFgwkcytwl0CAt-sCBM15XB5H9Rdz8VU2jgy58_vmGTKCw6kJ5MqPJ7EcU6VHxU-8qcfwg/s400/turtle.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683812177967276306" /></center><br />There was a story about baby turtles' race to the sea, after hatching, while the sky was black with seagulls. A man began to fling the turtles into the sea, one by one, while thousands perished. His friend told him he couldn't make a difference, to which he replied: "It makes a difference to that one turtle that makes it." Similarly, no single person can wipe out poverty or all the world's ills, and people often tell me not to try. I always tell them, "It's about that one turtle."<br /><br />A few days ago, I encountered the website/charity "<a href="http://www.wishuponahero.com/">Wish Upon a Hero</a>." Through it, people in need can post their wishes, and anyone can help. Some of the wishes are small: "Our Christmas will be meager, but if people could send Christmas cards, maybe with some stickers, our children would be delighted." Some are wishes for small gifts or donations. The most heartbreaking, to me, are the ones where parents ask for warm winter clothes they cannot provide for their children. If you can spare the money for a card and a stamp, you can be a hero. If you can send old children's clothes, you can be a hero. If you can purchase a set of crayons or a toy from a parent's wishlist, you can be a hero. You can help within your means and make a difference.<br /><br />There are hundreds of posts, and reading them can be disheartening—no matter how much you, or I, or all of us together, do, we can't help everyone. But it's not about that. It's about "that one turtle." <br /><br />If you can, be a hero. Thank you.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.wishuponahero.com/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zBNeNW6vBIvpat784RkC8MoTtkiXDC9MTWHlggLVx2HpDCXOj8-Es6U84cbbLKX0PJbvJTDs_pb-q53QLpzHw43TvRlCNSfOs6mkFsfq4KZ61D465ssuPrR2lANq5DfCTZNs5w/s400/wuah.gif" border=0></a></center><br /><br />LINK: <a href="http://www.wishuponahero.com/">Wish Upon a Hero</a><br /> Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-28439530271808190822010-11-11T14:13:00.008-05:002010-11-11T15:21:20.256-05:00Thoughts on the Day After<p align=justify><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisK1oecMEZyDBDYyQ-DlX_hiZfagFFwjJPM03e_u2qpQtmlRoG5Z1fJHvwWtWHZMZupEsqzI2EBWeydJIjOTT2HWOXBN2zJpA5hyphenhypheng1EvJ3Fy1YsM7dz_E8Ug00gpBscPmMcIDkPQ/s400/amazongoliath.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538388978319075026" align=right hspace=8 vspace=1 />Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity and emotion. Nearly from the time I woke up to when I went to bed, the <A HREF="http://alaydhien.blogspot.com/2010/11/open-letter-to-amazoncom-re-pedophiles.html">Amazon/Pedophilia</a> case consumed me. I was hooked up to the phone, email, Twitter, and Facebook without pause (except for a quick trip for groceries), talking and writing to anyone and everyone who would listen (and to many who wouldn't). <br /><br />The number of people around the world who were horrified and ready to act grew exponentially by the hour, everyone waging their own grassroots-level activism against Amazon's unethical behavior. Individually, our voices were being dismissed by Amazon one by one, but as the number of us grew, we became a nuisance to Amazon's customer reps (whose hands were quite tied). Two Facebook pages of people ready to boycott Amazon, and Twitter full of enraged customers, and people bombarding newsmakers with requests for coverage finally began to turn the tide. Our voices combined finally began to reach the ears of those with real clout — big-named journalists with respected news outlets. <br /><br />After CNN's Anderson Cooper reported on the matter last night (see two clips at <A HREF="http://www.cnn.com/video/">http://www.cnn.com/video/</a>), interviewing Dr. Phil, under the title of "Peddling Pedophilia", Amazon suddenly and silently removed the book from both its US and UK Kindle stores. It took a while before most of us could believe it, and many reloadings of the page, but sure enough, the book was gone. I received an email from Amazon at 3:25am ET/2:25 CT, stating simply "Hello. This book is no longer available for sale." Clearly, Amazon still has a long way to go in the PR department. Even a two-liner stating: "Thank you for your concerns over [Book Title]. We have reviewed the matter and the book has been removed from our site," would have been smoother. <br /><br />Considering the hours and hours we spent trying to effect that result — the shock, horror, disgust, anger, and even grief most of us felt throughout the process — would, in my opinion, have merited a better statement from Amazon. It would have been nice, even if they were not sincere, to issue an apology to their customers for having to wage the battle in the first place, for leaving us feeling betrayed, and for the outrage they made us feel over their first, callous responses. Where was the PR? Why did a company with Amazon's revenue not hire a special Damage Control PR Team?<br /><br />The book is gone. That is the result we wanted and achieved. And while most of us will probably slowly trickle back to Amazon over time, their handling of the entire process, ending with a surreptitious concession without gracious apology... leaves a bad taste in the mouths of many, myself included. <br /><br />For over a decade, Amazon has been my go-to online store. All of my experiences have been positive ones — until yesterday. And yesterday, they irreparably damaged my image of the company and, more importantly, my <i>feelings</i> toward them as a customer. Many of our buying decisions, where the product and price are near equivalent from one store to the next, are based on emotion: "I'll get it through Amazon because I've always had a good experience with them and I like them." They've damaged my trust, and damaged the relationship. <br /><br />I will not be moving my baby registry back to Amazon, even though most items are a few dollars cheaper there. I don't know when I'll be buying books or other items from them again. Someday, certainly, but not in the near future. Their behavior throughout the whole issue was... sleazy... underhanded. It will be a long time before I can forgive, and even longer for me to forget.<br /><br />I want to thank everyone who called or emailed Amazon, everyone who tweeted and retweeted, everyone who got up in arms, everyone who did their own, particular, important part. Individually, our voices might have been too weak to reach the necessary ears, but together, we little mice made a mighty roar!<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br />Anniina<br /> <br /><br /><font size=1 face="Arial">Image tinkered by "Yours, Truly" from a royalty free Image Zoo Illustration<br /><br /><A HREF="http://alaydhien.blogspot.com/2010/11/thoughts-on-day-after.html">Link to this post</a></font>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-23418724485785230462010-11-10T15:50:00.015-05:002010-11-11T00:47:18.670-05:00Open Letter to Amazon.com Re: "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure"<p align=justify>I was appalled to find out you sell a book promoting pedophilia in your Kindle store. The book in question is <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/Pedophiles-Guide-Love-Pleasure/dp/B0049U4CF6"><u>The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure</u></a> by Phillip R Greaves II. I immediately called customer service (<span style="font-weight:bold;">1-800-201-7575</span>) to complain, and the first customer service representative was appalled right along with me. I was sent an email saying Amazon is looking into the matter and I will be notified of developments.<br /><br />Some hours later, I called again. This customer service representative said "Amazon has a policy of non-censorship." I answered her that, while the First Amendment protects the author's right to say, write, and even publish his thoughts, the First Amendment makes no requirement for booksellers to sell any given book. <br /><br />Booksellers have free reign in what they choose or do not choose to sell. There are many books on, for example, Medieval Literature which Amazon does not carry, not because they are offensive or poor in quality, but simply because they are not found appealing or marketable. Nobody is raising a question of censorship in that case. A bookseller can choose not to stock his shelves with books on birds, if he finds birds repulsive. Or he can choose not to order a book on Linguistics, if he thinks it is not interesting or will not sell. Similarly, a bookseller has the right to not order books he personally finds offensive. There is no law, no amendment to the Constitution that requires a bookseller to sell every book ever published.<br /><br />By Amazon.com not pulling the book in question off their shelves means implicit endorsement of the subject matter. It means this bookseller, Amazon.com, finds some merit in the book; does not find it morally repugnant. <br /><br />Thus, it begs the question: would Amazon.com similarly choose to offer for sale books with titles such as "How to Torture Animals: Step-by-Step Instructional Manual", "Serial Killer 101", "The Rapist's Guide: How to Excel", or "School Shootings: How to Kill as Many People as Possible in the Least Amount of Time"? If someone wanted to self-publish such titles through Amazon Kindle, would Amazon just shrug and say "We don't want to be accused of censorship", as they have so far done in the case of "The Pedophile's Guide", or would Amazon actually show some ethical backbone?<br /><br />I have been an Amazon.com customer since the first day Amazon opened its website over a decade ago. I buy everything from books to Kindle books, from shower heads to decalcifiers for my coffee maker, from birthday presents to Christmas presents. I've been part of Amazon Prime from almost its inception and our family spends hundreds, some years thousands, of dollars through Amazon.com. Currently, even my entire baby registry is through Amazon. Please feel free to check my purchase history for the last decade.<br /><br />I am distressed and grieved that Amazon would hesitate for a minute to pull this title. Where does it say it is acceptable in the name of profit to throw ethics and basic human decency out the window?<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Anniina Jokinen (<A HREF="mailto:anniina@luminarium.org">anniina@luminarium.org</a>)<br /><br /><img src="http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/herbert/line.gif" align=center><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*** UPDATED TO ADD (5:30pm ET/4:30pm CT) ***</span><br /><br />Immediately after posting, I sent this over to Amazon as an email. When I got back from getting groceries, I had a reply awaiting. Here it is in its entirety:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">On 11/10/2010 3:25 PM, Amazon.com Customer Service wrote:</span><br /><br /><blockquote>"Hello,<br /><br />As a retailer, our goal is to provide customers with the broadest selection possible so they can find, discover, and buy any item they might be seeking. That selection includes some items which many people may find objectionable. Therefore, the items offered on our website represent a wide spectrum of opinions on a variety of topics.<br /><br />Let me assure you that Amazon.com does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts; we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions.<br /><br />Amazon.com believes it is censorship not to sell certain titles because we believe their message is objectionable. Therefore, we'll continue to make controversial works available in the United States and everywhere else, except where they're prohibited by law. We also allow readers, authors, and publishers to express their views freely about these titles and other products we offer on our website. However, Amazon.com doesn't endorse opinions expressed by individual authors, musical artists, or filmmakers. <br /><br />We value all feedback from our customers, and I thank you again for taking the time to send us your comments about this issue. Although we won't be able to comment further on this topic, we hope you'll allow us to continue to serve you.<br /><br />Best regards,<br /><br />Prince A.<br />Amazon.com"</blockquote><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">!!! </span><br /><br />I, of course, wrote right back:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">On 11/10/2010 4:17 PM, Anniina Jokinen wrote:</span><br /><br /><blockquote>"Hello,<br /><br />Your reply is a form letter and it is woefully inadequate. It does not respond to the specific points I've brought up in my letter to Amazon (see <A HREF="http://alaydhien.blogspot.com/2010/11/open-letter-to-amazoncom-re-pedophiles.html">http://alaydhien.blogspot.com/2010/11/open-letter-to-amazoncom-re-pedophiles.html</a>). This is not a case of "gray area" or run-of-the-mill objectionable or offensive content. This is content that directly promotes crimes against children. This is a black or white issue and as such there are only two options here: 1) Amazon keeps selling it, which means Amazon thinks promoting child rape is acceptable; 2) Amazon pulls it, thereby clarifying its position and sending a message saying child rape is not right. How does your CEO, Jeff Bezos, feel about this matter? Are all the stockholders also quite alright with Amazon selling a book that is a guidebook on how to successfully rape children?<br /><br />Anniina Jokinen</blockquote><br /><br /><br />No response as yet.<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/herbert/line.gif" align=center><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*** UPDATED TO ADD (6:45pm ET/5:45pm CT) ***</span><br /><br />Amazon terminated the customer service email thread. I called them again just now and spoke with two people. The first was a woman who had no idea such a book was being sold by Amazon and who was, understandably, horrified. She transferred me to the Kindle department. The gentleman told me he was not allowed to say anything more than what Amazon had released in their formal statement (which is nearly verbatim to the email they sent me). See MSNBC's article:<br /><br /><A HREF="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40112145/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Amazon defends 'Pedophile's Guide'</span></a><br /><br />He made it clear no further statement would be made by Amazon, but agreed to forward my further complaints.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/herbert/line.gif" align=center><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*** UPDATED TO ADD (7:55pm ET/6:55pm CT) ***</span><br /><br />I have removed my baby registry from Amazon.com. I can't have people purchasing gifts for my baby from a company who at the same time sells a book on how to molest that same baby. This whole thing makes me want to vomit.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/herbert/line.gif" align=center><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">*** UPDATED TO ADD (12:45am ET/11:45pm CT, Nov 11) ***</span><br /><br />After Anderson Cooper did a segment on this on CNN tonight,<br /><br /><A HREF="http://www.cnn.com/video/">http://www.cnn.com/video/</a><br /><br />Amazon has quietly made the page for the book unavailable through either direct link or through their internal search engine, on both the US and UK sites.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Thank you to everyone who tirelessly campaigned for this today.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><A HREF="http://alaydhien.blogspot.com/2010/11/open-letter-to-amazoncom-re-pedophiles.html">Link to this Post</a><br /> Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-18890338456386990632010-02-18T12:24:00.012-05:002010-02-18T13:11:19.716-05:00Lolo the Jaguar Plays With Her Cub<center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWcL4HqvTloJOeFj9WA2he4eb1uS9wDY50UkyCIFHXAFUip7OIDdWus826l-PQWA24z2Dddc5lzICA678PqYMPFDfuDxOEtzGoS5a7gQgqbo6IRZS4417BQKnaLztIZHfSN78oA/s1600-h/lolo1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 331px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIOnGm73rW3g6Eryq9nFizfn7oR0Edhh88zUmvPPumqoVULKnPSM-qfD-y2bFhKwUX9WOwF19pAnENYs2X0pcB7RxVXOFbU9y5DZ0KBPFG3PMnaANfcl0XYAtSUU_Jpjf4RsonQ/s400/lolo1b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439637672651753490" /></a></center><br /><p align=justify>A rare black jaguar named Lolo played with her two-month old cub a few days ago at the Yaduda Zoo in Jordan during the (yet unnamed) cub's first public appearance. Jaguars are usually spotted, like the cub, but about 6% of them have a condition called "melanism" which turns them all black, like Lolo. Lolo and the cub's father, Falah, are both originally from South America. The father is separated from mother and cub for the cub's safety. These pictures are priceless:<br /><br /><center><table><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa_npWfyHt0hiCS3IOeBBJ-47ozq95SXf7lBccIlU-LQjKdxTxR4pkefGa7cXVicgnVGo1_UzdawE5U3uNtrkk5qeptFAwC6BHZvRopY3ZBXWbweBm388tyVvOfjq30kmLqgnUA/s1600-h/lolo2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDx8MspzsTBGsaig8HYIS_kqbpKnUPOxSi8GEu4Wcej4clspr_Jbcnzpmgn7gOUZs9cqgmcfahbg9HRNoHe5QjxlUx7u9T8zV6Xvo6klUGXz4jiI5LxjYY_R-DcYzB29URKOCgDg/s400/lolo2b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439641940437933922" /></a></td><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rXNGknQyLnjFbWLXgPOu-H-nfYyAJPM-H4QuybgGuI1m4D7eTFa9RN66tlq3dpuacvRC72q0r1AI0B-lPrW_B4QM_aQPK6oK8c7i_i9lbjSYxiGzaXynZlL4QVg94A-emJQhoA/s1600-h/lolo3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyidDQtSgPCI-I3QzOCWzUSlJRRXk-jSz_IFqu43OZsJ92V0GZsIrO6ZO0LXqoR_yiJ7IPL_9bCkWg-OThgnfOUm9FvLHXojlMDHQIDnD8TYRdmNV3jOROLh4xp5qV6Nb9OVfEvg/s400/lolo3b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439642082970105042" /></a></td></tr></table><br /><table><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuF2688G1_PHgKnHtKVN_pcdJHpROJolw-rJQnsx1RJNBiOIGF40MdyVgcbfjh1yPhRQAcqeNnGSAh_XU7xkulLhx7GWSrLGXTTK8qUqIWOy9FG74FMV4ZP0FQlc3Mya0iL2OAPg/s1600-h/lolo6.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRsfqPB3-lXUx4phKjVymsQhkYpilfHKjHJX0RzVaKSZSppGaynTirqbr6WIcqyolgS-FUGs0FMxvPglGjQdpDQWkMv3kkUQ2Jmam5iUPdX62jSP7fvilrn4DfnzmoR1PY68b2w/s400/lolo6b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439640738193760514" /></a></td><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7WIZiCkHbaFlir_nq2E3ylPKMT6Cv-jH_m1swkfTm3lXgLGl4OkChhFyzUk0yxgsGWZWZszrphXbImsp_wev-oQlVtwaet63IiiQCRJqEUcW0YQlhqNmNEz4l_sq85RhcvcJJw/s1600-h/lolo7.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 199px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRf8sSjAEz7SoC9Lv7iRKUknyC2OfkAtS9EozWD4xK_yWdDOk1jNJaM0zxNgo77pymKkO1s3YgqQo458RgAnACYnWcZKUfOP360M-v8l719j7gOOFCC3PO4aKyLlm8x_bEdhmRzQ/s400/lolo7b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439640731746845810" /></a></td></tr></table><br /><table><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnjoYqf1mChm1Sp3Ux39zYoL0GWR-yIgDY7ovAjCJBQeCci56Od-bGirfmfTwe1GHfguyFSeMZl0pvg3up2GzuuxvJCO5xLvx8CoAz-EJkd507qaz74B5mXOVhaqMlaZ75xTgFA/s1600-h/lolo4.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6HjUS6mqjFYcj7p1mCyRSjUWK89RXVI0RZ1TBlIVIePyeZPSpsSMk24EpCXoMCFVkIOpZ3f4R0vNjWRc2KsbmWq0zleAX23IRWF4S9m17IurNHpV1BNBxXyn2t24ZEETRtvDTQ/s400/lolo4b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439639421683309266" /></a></td><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhh0hWMlx-6_OzR1eK6VuR-KH4ke_5TwkkyerXyeWIyPnz3dOl5AGIdADKGdnWmPCFQ-UvyGeIExJ18zlJOSq9VRFFmuUZwP-P3D_tU2OrHxENmGcrYnGNOSvcogtON6amF-5pA/s1600-h/lolo5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zNnH94meDBcvW7LaAYmAs0C7nclOUn5hp1MdsPUKn3Qkmieh-s8er_d8kMGz_3gU2UyEHA56Dqc_d2s2ZYIT5JJJvZTWk2oDlWYM2UdyE2SY3Qlf75lTXZUud0EpN49NOYtgXw/s400/lolo5b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439639415750736898" /></a></td></tr></table><br /><table><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-TpN85mRIV0Hly2jYv7isFP3g2to334mOhN8UZckA6ca17AGAanactfx95pyLkBuS6q0Dedj3bgIKh5jJwuh9U6tFpjJMs8BIiJdxWOR7PeAnSaUgddhSeouIWOAPGMe1hoRDA/s1600-h/lolo8.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGw9pDT5IwUrq1LmqPvIsr_ec1rIKGaOed7vk3YZV7Ke3exwUBiiEOJDtxwFOMlmjsx549SDZs-CSjLJjqqSPZPP9M0zbpG5Z8AfGXeLVyWAwO05vFGmNGEQrNgMW9rfsFX-pw0g/s400/lolo8b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439643222737663234" /></a></td><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypPWb4xqzn0ZfbsIEiw27RNYrRfP_XX3-TZ0B6YrZY49un34yjGPmwlsrh2QSx7-lN75m_c-MFK_eKufChZGecmEIb-IQ6uageM6chzj_4RLQL03yRldWdFD7yLNMrmmoC2_WGg/s1600-h/lolo9.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgA7Cr2mqVrZ3PS9S11DvFEV-g3B3S5qDWLvYql31B-rV0jXjLb-Yir6xn7rz1cm0SGkjBbYmsu8Q-6IWzLXeYdllNSAF4A3k3XtdjNBM0_GgiVMFDTIKCQrcJcZcuN9OH5be5g/s400/lolo9b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439643209616623986" /></a></td></tr></table><br /><table><tr><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbHQmw1ljKhxG4W-R2-ZMecj5qUjxXP0Gya3rdjmb1hT694sF7MAtmC-w06UdiYZT0lNtgNp4WlwSgfY4FFDzFkP-I_a7AzqObo0VPE9G5xiONPe6Eg_BBozOe67Ontpwmm4cGg/s1600-h/lolo10.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJcgcti-H-mio1uQIydH2CVc1UZbpF-Y3rwbohdktfgGC8eQ5U_pDxO0ORbFMqMjKEJ0oSJjYsd6Ffvh5-Vhu2qQo2vNfy60XFrHncOLFTEZ30Qyi94m-gs3fAPKVpcAj2Z-XIw/s400/lolo10b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439644212809781314" /></a></td><td><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcqJBCyHd4IWU_noEZItoA_D5xds6wbdwtSwTgZUGFvl0Ar5r0lHYRCbUo27gynX4Z9YsQPWzkS20HeqCCrPS93rknDjNSAdAdY6VFOzhLrek3KdZ21zOFpICtB4u7-QGEMdr6A/s1600-h/lolo11.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 168px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mPnuEORRwQ3YZLczYN48hxbiDzFdsbsa0f9sADfSgsfo9oK9A0FA_Rlmm5GgAS6-O_tfjT2IJuuR9d8-8XE_gvXTyoMky2nKxWbFuvdbkSnN8D71jXOaXDQC3qVnFMU2YDsD7A/s400/lolo11b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439644203322053634" /></a></td></tr></table></center><br /><br /><font size=1>Photos: Reuters Pictures</font>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-1141281241783569512009-02-22T14:27:00.009-05:002009-02-22T15:58:13.682-05:00After Long Silence: Memories of Mamma<p align=justify>I haven't posted since the night before Christmas. On Christmas Eve morning, right after we had finished breakfast on the sunlit terrace, my sister and I called our mom and dad to wish them a merry Christmas. I was on the phone, when my dad answered the phone and said: "I have to tell you some sad news. Mamma has died." I couldn't do anything, it was like someone had punched me in the soul. I just pushed the phone into my sister's hand and sat down, tears streaming.<br /><br /><center><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5aELAL1exNfNLFKBhW_duv4nUa3UFw6lCp5BgUgSNdupY2jgR6cpTDTOvlHW7BtGLawW9EfoTHIE1qgxwALMIGPYyjt_IhzgGX56H5vJU8DhTe-g5dWMgTVgAFcK1kVakLepSdw/s400/mamma1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305683080409906738" /></center><br /><p align=justify>Mamma was my grandmother on my mom's side. She was born Annikki Helena Aaltonen on 24 Dec 1919 — she died on her 89th birthday. She had lost her own mother at age 12; one of her most vivid memories was running down the street after the ambulance. Her father abandoned the children, leaving her to look after her 15 year-old brother and 8 year-old sister. Earlier, they had lost their baby brother, perhaps to influenza. <br /><br />Mamma eventually entered nursing school, becoming a nurse specializing in the care of newborns and infants. During the beginning of World War II, which in Finland meant that all Finnish men went to war trying to repel the Russian invasion (for more detail, see <A HREF="http://alaydhien.blogspot.com/2006/12/lyrics-to-finlandia-by-jean-sibelius.html" target="_new">this post, here</a>), Mamma lost her true love, Pauli, whom she never forgot. Some years later, she met my grandfather, and after courting a while, they married in 1949.<br /><br /><center><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8LIv4hMLMemJVu_RcwZw3OQRcOyp3hXzDtbLImg4lcvo-OX3y45LhHEwluSTWFMY45r-tdOmNmtolcqyiRqVxFwuNoFJIMsGMPRXvzE0RtM5nVON3CvMpiVkCG06hCuEn0mzuw/s400/mamma2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305683669534538258" /></center><br /><p align=justify>They went on to have 4 children — my mother, the eldest, and my uncles, three boys. In the 1950s, Finland was in the grips of the post-war depression. My grandfather, a Master Builder, convinced Mamma that they should move to Toronto, Canada, where work and prospects were said to be good. He moved to Toronto first, but due to being a foreigner with fledgling language skills, he could at first only find manual labor in the construction business — from being a foreman in Finland, he became a "cement finisher" in Canada. <br /><br />Mamma and the children began the long trek to Canada in 1958 — my mother was 8, the youngest of her brothers was 1.5 yrs old. Mamma and the four young children first travelled to Norway, where they boarded an ocean liner to New York city. The trip across the Atlantic took two weeks and everyone was seasick nearly the entire time. My mother remembers throwing up what seemed almost like the seawater they were surrounded by. Imagine! My grandmother alone with four small children, she herself seasick while trying to care for them, and not speaking any languages.<br /><br />The family stayed in Canada for 4 years, after which both homesickness and the improved economy drew the family back to Finland. My grandmother became a nurse at the Turku University Central Hospital, my grandfather became a very respected Master Builder, and the children entered school. My mother now holds a high position in one of the largest insurance companies in Finland; all my uncles are Master Builders themselves.<br /><br />Mamma worked until her retirement with hundreds of babies born in the city of Turku. When I was born, my grandmother was the one who bathed me and wrapped me in blankets. When I was one day old, she brought me a rattle. She was loved and respected at the hospital — several of her dear colleagues came to her memorial and it was apparent how important she had been to them.<br /><br />At every important and not-so-important juncture in my life, Mamma was there. She babysat us, travelled with us, went swimming with us, picked mushrooms and berries in the forest with us, made juices and porridges and soups for us, slid down water slides with us in water parks. One of my earliest memories is walking in the park with her, on the way to feed the birds in the ponds, and crossing the lawn which had a "No stepping on the grass" sign. Mamma said if someone tried to stop us, we would just tell them that, in America, people walk on the grass all the time. On winter nights, Mamma would sit in the back seat of the car, in the uncomfortable middle spot, between my sister and I, so we could each burrow ourselves in her fur coat to keep warm.<br /><br />Mamma had an amazing ability to connect with people. When I was little, it used to embarrass me that she would strike up conversations with total strangers — on the bus, in the grocery store, on the street, wherever. But it stemmed from an interest in the people around her, and only later did I understand how a few kind words, a human connection, could make another person's day. She also had a knack for keeping in touch with people, of not just making connections, but staying connected. She called everyone, visited everyone — in our extended family she was the glue that held everyone together. She had a natural warmth, sweetness, sunny optimism, and kindness one rarely, if ever, encounters.<br /><br />Mamma's ability to make friends everywhere, with anyone, served her well in her many travels. She went to Italy, Morocco, and even Israel, and though she used to say: "My English is very short", her enthusiasm and efforts to communicate always got her understood. I forget which country she was in when someone offered to purchase her for many, many camels. She visited me twice in the U.S. — the first time with my mother, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the second time by herself, in Pennsylvania, where she spent most of her time in the garden. She had a green thumb like nobody I've ever seen and though I haven't inherited her talent, I've inherited her love of gardening.<br /><br /><center><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 387px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3j2JP3K5sjWiwLkMH-4-2CvIzX94aPVCkzMjazPBykgL5wS1LtXQMFeAOx_5BNNrJuHbXMbiisviRrnJPSLNu7ocO-gSbR_LJCGEkG0nxM8FyE8nYf53pnGSigcGE59h_5G22Q/s400/mamma3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305726031193479826" /></center><br /><p align=justify>In the last few years, Mamma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, which started slowly stealing her memories away. She wouldn't always remember who had visited her, whether she had eaten or taken her medicines, or whether she had left the stove on. Most of the time, however, she was entirely lucid and sometimes distressed because she knew she was forgetting things. She was also very lonesome and, till the end, kept saying that when she won the lottery, she'd come visit me in America one more time. It wasn't a function of money, however. She wasn't in any shape to travel the long distance. Towards the end, she lost her will to live, saying to my father that a person should be allowed to leave this world with dignity, without suffering.<br /><br />The end, though it could be foreseen, was still sudden. Mamma had most likely suffered a stroke which had caused her to fall and hit her head. Though the hospital had been able to restore her physical health, she had no wish to continue. In the end, she refused to eat. After most likely suffering a second stroke, she didn't wake up again, although she reacted to my mother's voice talking to her about America and singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." My youngest uncle, still "little Lassi" to Mamma, though he was 50 years old, held her tiny, birdlike form in his arms on his lap, as he sang Christmas songs to her. She slipped away quietly, being held like a baby by her own baby. <br /><br />Mamma loved music, loved singing, especially when my sister and I would sing songs in harmony. So on Christmas Eve night, on a darkened terrace lit only by Christmas lights, half a world away from her, my sister and I sang every beautiful song we knew, to her. We know she was listening.<br /><br />The funeral was in January and everyone came to remember her and to strew her coffins with beautiful flowers — how she would have loved them! The memorial service was a small, intimate gathering, in which we talked about her, sang songs to her, and shared our memories of her. By the end, we were filled with smiles and even laughter, sad though we were. It was perfect, it was a celebration of who she was and what she meant to us, and Mamma would have been pleased. She would have said, "What a lovely party."<br /><br />I will always love her and, as I said to her as I was leaving the chapel, I will never, ever stop missing her.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dylPYzjVQDKRUX8b7__9k08wUsoIhqY_o-gs_sZKar2zo-6-EfxFEX7r-DhV-xnaSp7OS4eJk42EOw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><a href="rtsp://rtsp-youtube.l.google.com/video.3gp?app=blogger&fmt=13&cid=ba6e6178079be696" type="video/3gpp"><img width="320" height="266" alt="video" src="http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app=blogger&contentid=ba6e6178079be696&offsetms=5000&itag=w320&sigh=L0bYmybCbF7iccR6maaen0dcWuk" class="BLOG_mobile_video_class" id="BLOG_mobile_video-ba6e6178079be696"></a>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-76388470646317144392008-12-23T00:33:00.000-05:002008-12-23T00:34:27.602-05:00Merry Christmas Everyone!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiILqDP-Ti1iJljaXHxwZHduRUKAHDY8OH_xGUxOzzZu72mrKLEeh75usvG28lT74XKxTsNyeVvE_24RsgPG5GD1qG_BvFD1DhO4aLIVYaqSB5mHqu0Vu7MlhqlgKjM7pUdZRAQ/s1600-h/peanuts2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 318px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiILqDP-Ti1iJljaXHxwZHduRUKAHDY8OH_xGUxOzzZu72mrKLEeh75usvG28lT74XKxTsNyeVvE_24RsgPG5GD1qG_BvFD1DhO4aLIVYaqSB5mHqu0Vu7MlhqlgKjM7pUdZRAQ/s400/peanuts2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282854677937761698" /></a>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-50656597138909449602008-12-07T19:09:00.000-05:002008-12-07T19:10:02.887-05:00*FLEX*<a style=" background: #000 url(http://www.bunkbeds.net/velociraptor/img/badge.jpg) no-repeat 0 0; display: block; width: 322px; height: 157px; text-align: center; padding-top: 150px; text-decoration: none; font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 30px; color: #ff9900; " href="http://www.bunkbeds.net/velociraptor/"> <span style="display: none;">I could survive for</span> 60 seconds <span style="display: none;">chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor</span> </a> <p>Created by <a href="http://www.bunkbeds.net">Bunk Beds.net</a></p>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-33511915905778795572008-12-04T13:33:00.003-05:002008-12-04T13:43:16.703-05:0099 Meme<font size=1>Nicked from <A HREF="http://szelsofa.blogspot.com/">SzélsőFa</a></font><br /><br />The rules are simple: bold the things you've done. Explanations are optional. Fun is guaranteed.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. Started your own blog</span> (d'oh!)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. Slept under the stars</span><br />3. Played in a band (does singing count?)<br />4. Visited Hawaii<br />5. Watched a meteor shower<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6. Given more than you can afford to charity<br />7. Been to Disneyland/world</span><br />8. Climbed a mountain<br />9. Held a praying mantis (no way I will EVER do this)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">10. Sang a solo</span><br />11. Bungee jumped (not gonna happen)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">12. Visited Paris<br />13. Watched a lightning storm at sea</span><br />14. Taught yourself an art from scratch<br />15. Adopted a child<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">16. Had food poisoning <br />17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty<br />18. Grown your own vegetables <br />19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France<br />20. Slept on an overnight train<br />21. Had a pillow fight</span><br />22. Hitch hiked<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill<br />24. Built a snow fort</span><br />25. Held a lamb<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">26. Gone skinny dipping</span><br />27. Run a Marathon<br />28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">29. Seen a total eclipse<br />30. Watched a sunrise or sunset</span><br />31. Hit a home run<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">32. Been on a cruise<br />33. Seen Niagara Falls in person<br />34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors<br />35. Seen an Amish community<br />36. Taught yourself a new language</span><br />37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied<br />38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person<br />39. Gone rock climbing<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">40. Seen Michelangelo’s David<br />41. Sung karaoke</span><br />42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt<br />43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant<br />44. Visited Africa<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">45. Walked on a beach by moonlight</span><br />46. Been transported in an ambulance<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">47. Had your portrait painted</span><br />48. Gone deep sea fishing<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person<br />50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris</span><br />51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">52. Kissed in the rain<br />53. Played in the mud</span><br />54. Gone to a drive-in theater<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">55. Been in a movie</span><br />56. Visited the Great Wall of China<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">57. Started a business</span><br />58. Taken a martial arts class<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">59. Visited Russia</span><br />60. Served at a soup kitchen<br />61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (we don't sell cookies in Finland, we sell Xmas calendars)<br />62. Gone whale watching<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">63. Gotten flowers for no reason <br />64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma</span><br />65. Gone sky diving<br />66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">67. Bounced a check</span><br />68. Flown in a helicopter<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">69. Saved a favorite childhood toy<br />70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial<br />71. Eaten Caviar</span><br />72. Pieced a quilt<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">73. Stood in Times Square</span><br />74. Toured the Everglades<br />75. Been fired from a job<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London</span><br />77. Broken a bone<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">78. Been on a speeding motorcycle<br />79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person</span><br />80. Published a book<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">81. Visited the Vatican<br />82. Bought a brand new car</span><br />83. Walked in Jerusalem<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">84. Had your picture in the newspaper</span><br />85. Read the entire Bible<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">86. Visited the White House</span><br />87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (unless fish count)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">88. Had chickenpox</span><br />89. Saved someone’s life<br />90. Sat on a jury<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">91. Met someone famous<br />92. Joined a book club<br />93. Lost a loved one</span><br />94. Had a baby<br />95. Seen the Alamo in person<br />96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">97. Been involved in a lawsuit<br />98. Owned a cell phone<br />99. Been stung by a bee</span>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-48003304635945003482008-12-04T03:23:00.004-05:002008-12-04T03:29:30.129-05:00The North Wind<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nJoOILQzTPtJBoeTgMCIJSQxFPsepCVGgoG29npm9LzRXu-zxsNXEfWIwojdwGLb-egRHA-BIBVvbrWbvmYrY_ahH_4E6KiP6eWZZmNmeE-oaINOmTWy8aaUwzgWe4cUZK2AuA/s1600-h/woman.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 204px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nJoOILQzTPtJBoeTgMCIJSQxFPsepCVGgoG29npm9LzRXu-zxsNXEfWIwojdwGLb-egRHA-BIBVvbrWbvmYrY_ahH_4E6KiP6eWZZmNmeE-oaINOmTWy8aaUwzgWe4cUZK2AuA/s400/woman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275847882164301106" vspace=10></a><br />The North Wind comes,<br />Ripping and howling,<br />Nipping and yowling,<br />Gnashing its broken teeth.<br />It beats the trees,<br />Bites passers-by,<br />Tormenting all in its path;<br />The sun itself flees<br />The cloud-driven sky,<br />Escaping the frigid wrath.<br />Summer is gone and winter is nigh;<br />Cold times, they are ahead: —<br />I wrap my cloak tighter with a sigh<br />And take me to my bed.<br /><br /><br />(AJ 12-3-08)<br /> Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-2070592562714955242008-11-29T14:54:00.002-05:002008-11-29T15:09:40.168-05:00The Fly in the Dog BowlA fly in the dog bowl — poor thing!<br /> Drowning is not a fate<br /> To be wished, even on a fly.<br />I lean down to take the bowl<br /> When he winks at me and, <br /> Smiling widely,<br />Does the butterfly,<br /> The backstroke,<br /> And even the dog paddle!<br />Perhaps this sly charmer<br /> Is in training<br /> For the Buglympics!<br />I pour the water into the flower<br /> Thirsting<br /> On the back porch —<br />With great dignity,<br /> My new, wingèd friend<br /> Climbs on a stalk<br />And towels himself off on a petunia leaf.<br /> Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-3816084218521606922008-11-19T12:09:00.004-05:002008-11-19T12:31:01.291-05:00First Poem in Austin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYKWdg0RyjBehS6E-SD0aWM97_P4dqbmwJS4b2tOsXfccrWqxXML9SyTN5Q41EyeqkcQ8Ix3gq_-UYuY4gQA1fv4CkzC-4bXLftIetIzQaiUKE4JFYVDnj2nOFkSBfE5csVCn3g/s1600-h/rooster.gif"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYKWdg0RyjBehS6E-SD0aWM97_P4dqbmwJS4b2tOsXfccrWqxXML9SyTN5Q41EyeqkcQ8Ix3gq_-UYuY4gQA1fv4CkzC-4bXLftIetIzQaiUKE4JFYVDnj2nOFkSBfE5csVCn3g/s400/rooster.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270422231848463394" hspace=18 /></a><br /><br />The neighbor's rooster<br /> hootles and crows,<br /> and it is nearly noon.<br />Fancy that! A rooster!<br /> in this day and age,<br /> in this urban suburban place!<br />I cannot help but wonder if<br /> he got the bird<br /> just so he could say<br />To his less fortunate friends,<br /> over beers<br /> (and leers):<br />"Just look at my indomitable cock!"<br /><br /><br />(AJ 11/08)<br /> Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-30968803041504264612008-10-30T21:45:00.002-04:002008-10-30T22:47:38.177-04:00Officially in Austin, Texas<center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKyaFeMrNKR7meEydILr56znE2invx9Kcpu3LFj56UNtkP_CHk2V7l6oBWwzO68wDY9rZaEwQwuo4Hn118Y03wbwj-sD72DTjPOdsxmuNqiiRxyFSIVnNkJyrtNPcHdyGT7rqsA/s1600-h/austin.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKyaFeMrNKR7meEydILr56znE2invx9Kcpu3LFj56UNtkP_CHk2V7l6oBWwzO68wDY9rZaEwQwuo4Hn118Y03wbwj-sD72DTjPOdsxmuNqiiRxyFSIVnNkJyrtNPcHdyGT7rqsA/s400/austin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263143440834590674" /></a></center><br /><p align=justify>Well, the move to Austin, TX, happened last week.<br /><br />Vik and I flew with the dogs to Houston on Continental. That way, it was a direct flight and Continental has the best reputation with pet transportation. They did great. Then, we drove to Austin. The trip should take 3 hrs or so, but took us 4+, what with frequent stops to give Ariel breaks — at age 14, the car ride was the hardest part of the trip for her. <br /><br />The furniture arrived on Thursday and for the past week we've been slowly unpacking the 150+ boxes of stuff. Sounds like a lot (and it is), but not when I tell you the boxes themselves are quite small (liquor store boxes mostly).<br /><br />The weather here is still in the 80s during the day, though night time temps have dropped as low as 45. I can't tell you how divine it is to sit on the terrace with my morning coffee! In the afternoons, I've been taking the dogs to the lake. Wilbur has been intrigued and has waded as deep as his chest into the water — one of these days the kid will swim, I can feel it. Ariel looks at me like, "You and what army?" when I say I want her to come in the water with us.<br /><br />I bought a GPS system before coming here, and so far I've not gotten lost. I've scouted out all the most important things — Starbucks, grocery store, video store, burger joint — and next week I'll try to do some real exploring. I want to start horseback riding and to find a nice yoga place for starters. It's been 4 weeks since surgery, so I think it's safe by now.<br /><br />Tomorrow is Halloween and I'm just hoping we get some kids, because I have soooo much candy, it better not stay here making eyes at me! <br /><br />That's all she wrote for now. More updates when I've more to tell :)<br /><br />Stay well everyone!<br />Anniina<br /> Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-1746987790260193272008-10-24T11:51:00.000-04:002008-10-24T11:53:13.221-04:00New TerritoryAriel has already barked at everything real and imaginary:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJmHLW0qpnXoSyMvxTCyGC6Mtrzu6NOFlRFN6Cymba9ry1JmMfsFCuzte83BX6fZHoWueL-7iuxN-GVhZ7ZKTct8bGTND4Ebz3vpgOHZCqAkPJUzYzvN_LQ02m5nmMPQ1v9iD8g/s1600-h/bark.gif"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJmHLW0qpnXoSyMvxTCyGC6Mtrzu6NOFlRFN6Cymba9ry1JmMfsFCuzte83BX6fZHoWueL-7iuxN-GVhZ7ZKTct8bGTND4Ebz3vpgOHZCqAkPJUzYzvN_LQ02m5nmMPQ1v9iD8g/s400/bark.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260748956109608066" /></a>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-26612205406809888092008-10-23T02:59:00.001-04:002008-10-23T03:00:53.298-04:00Quiz: What Animal Are YouThis is like the weirdest quiz ever, and I'm not so sure I'm any wiser for taking it. Still, quizzes are fun, right? :)<br /><br /><table style="width: 320px; border: 1px solid gray; font: normal 12px arial, verdana, sans-serif; background-color: white;"><tr><td colspan="2" style="background: white; color: black; padding: 5px;"><b style="font: bold 20px 'Times New Roman', serif; display: block; margin-bottom: 8px;">ANIMOLOGY: What Animal Are You?</b> <div style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 4px;">Your Result: <b>Ocre and Gray Dolphin</b></div><div style="width: 200px; background: white; border: 1px solid black;"><div style="width: 78%; background: red; font-size: 8px; line-height: 8px;"> </div></div><p style="margin: 10px; border: none; background: white; color: black;">Sea! You're a very hearty person being a good friend. You attract many friends because of your lovely personality, but you're sometimes pretty weird. Your soul mate is the Bronze Goat. You hate the Peach Pig.</p></td></tr><tr><td style="color: black; background: white; padding: 3px;">Gold Falcon</td><td style="background: white; padding: 3px;"><div style="width: 100px; background: white; border: 1px solid black; margin-top: 4px;"><div style="width: 76%; background: red; font-size: 8px; line-height: 8px;"> </div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="color: black; background: white; padding: 3px;">Silver and Red Wolf</td><td style="background: white; padding: 3px;"><div style="width: 100px; background: white; border: 1px solid black; margin-top: 4px;"><div style="width: 66%; background: red; font-size: 8px; line-height: 8px;"> </div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="color: black; background: white; padding: 3px;">Red Jaguar</td><td style="background: white; padding: 3px;"><div style="width: 100px; background: white; border: 1px solid black; margin-top: 4px;"><div style="width: 58%; background: red; font-size: 8px; line-height: 8px;"> </div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="color: black; background: white; padding: 3px;">Blue Fox</td><td style="background: white; padding: 3px;"><div style="width: 100px; background: white; border: 1px solid black; margin-top: 4px;"><div style="width: 57%; background: red; font-size: 8px; line-height: 8px;"> </div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="color: black; background: white; padding: 3px;">Teal Cat</td><td style="background: white; padding: 3px;"><div style="width: 100px; background: white; border: 1px solid black; margin-top: 4px;"><div style="width: 43%; background: red; font-size: 8px; line-height: 8px;"> </div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="color: black; background: white; padding: 3px;">Tan Giraffe</td><td style="background: white; padding: 3px;"><div style="width: 100px; background: white; border: 1px solid black; margin-top: 4px;"><div style="width: 29%; background: red; font-size: 8px; line-height: 8px;"> </div></div></td></tr><tr><td style="color: black; background: white; padding: 3px;">Yellow Trout</td><td style="background: white; padding: 3px;"><div style="width: 100px; background: white; border: 1px solid black; margin-top: 4px;"><div style="width: 11%; background: red; font-size: 8px; line-height: 8px;"> </div></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; padding: 8px;"><a href="http://www.gotoquiz.com/animology_what_animal_are_you"><b>ANIMOLOGY: What Animal Are You?</b></a><br><a href="http://www.gotoquiz.com/">Quiz Created on GoToQuiz</a></td></tr></table>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-2520066384517759412008-10-17T04:24:00.003-04:002008-10-17T04:37:42.782-04:00Moving, et cetera<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_xPunhkZdKwPFQPte6C47gC7gssPGU28McXBHfiXmOR-RfbUtO2DWFVR6VYzlLukJKh3Yiax8iR3kgP4sn6uxA6_MdPbebP_EZfcj_H0_WZs3QUHBls8cuqsPXnEKgQIBOLqaQ/s1600-h/south.gif"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_xPunhkZdKwPFQPte6C47gC7gssPGU28McXBHfiXmOR-RfbUtO2DWFVR6VYzlLukJKh3Yiax8iR3kgP4sn6uxA6_MdPbebP_EZfcj_H0_WZs3QUHBls8cuqsPXnEKgQIBOLqaQ/s400/south.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258039006429255538" /></a><br /><br />I've been so busy with other things and feeling a need to recreate myself that blogging here has felt difficult. Lots of things are happening in my life, which I'll fill you in on anon. <br /><br />The most important news is that Vik and I are moving to Texas. Well, Vik has been there for some months already, but the dogs and I are moving on Tuesday next week. I'm excited and nervous, but mostly just exhausted from packing and trying to fix up the money pit.<br /><br />Of secondary import is that I had major abdominal surgery 2+ weeks ago. If you've ever seen "Total Recall" with that alien in the dude's stomach, that's pretty much what I had. I had a huge tumor and a big cyst, both of which got taken out. Neither was cancerous. The surgery was done by a Transformer-sized (and looking) robot with 5 arms laparoscopically. They didn't have to take out anything and I've healed pretty brilliantly, so good news in the end. I'm waiting for the swelling around my midsection to go down, because I'm hoping my waist will be skinny like Scarlett O'Hara's. <br /><br />I'm thinking of closing down this blog and starting a new one, to give myself a chance to recreate and refresh. If I do, I'll let you "regulars" know the location of the new one. <br /><br />Until then, keep well and keep out of trouble :)Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-45624758448711556912008-10-17T04:20:00.001-04:002008-10-17T04:21:49.224-04:00Seven Deadly Sins Quiz"Your sin has been measured. You have committed many sins, but Lust is the mortal sin that has done you in."<br /><br /><table style="width: 400px; background-color: #000000; border: 1px solid #110000;" cellspacing="1"><tr><td style="width: 85px; border: none; padding: 7px; background-color: #331111;"><b style="color: #ffffff; font: bold 13px arial, 'sans serif';">Greed:</b></td><td style="background: #330011; width: 85px; border: none; font: normal 13px arial, 'sans serif'; padding: 7px; color: #ffffff;">Medium<br /></td><td style="border: none; background-color: #331111; width: 200px; vertical-align: middle; padding: 5px; padding-left: 0px;"><div style="height: 14px; border: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; font-size: 8px; padding: 0px; line-height: 8px; width: 66px; background: #660033;"> </div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 85px; border: none; padding: 7px; background-color: #331111;"><b style="color: #ffffff; font: bold 13px arial, 'sans serif';">Gluttony:</b></td><td style="background: #330011; width: 85px; border: none; font: normal 13px arial, 'sans serif'; padding: 7px; color: #ffffff;">Medium<br /></td><td style="border: none; background-color: #331111; width: 200px; vertical-align: middle; padding: 5px; padding-left: 0px;"><div style="height: 14px; border: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; font-size: 8px; padding: 0px; line-height: 8px; width: 108px; background: #660033;"> </div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 85px; border: none; padding: 7px; background-color: #331111;"><b style="color: #ffffff; font: bold 13px arial, 'sans serif';">Wrath:</b></td><td style="background: #220011; width: 85px; border: none; font: normal 13px arial, 'sans serif'; padding: 7px; color: #ffffff;">Low<br /></td><td style="border: none; background-color: #331111; width: 200px; vertical-align: middle; padding: 5px; padding-left: 0px;"><div style="height: 14px; border: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; font-size: 8px; padding: 0px; line-height: 8px; width: 46px; background: #330077;"> </div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 85px; border: none; padding: 7px; background-color: #331111;"><b style="color: #ffffff; font: bold 13px arial, 'sans serif';">Sloth:</b></td><td style="background: #330011; width: 85px; border: none; font: normal 13px arial, 'sans serif'; padding: 7px; color: #ffffff;">Medium<br /></td><td style="border: none; background-color: #331111; width: 200px; vertical-align: middle; padding: 5px; padding-left: 0px;"><div style="height: 14px; border: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; font-size: 8px; padding: 0px; line-height: 8px; width: 94px; background: #660033;"> </div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 85px; border: none; padding: 7px; background-color: #331111;"><b style="color: #ffffff; font: bold 13px arial, 'sans serif';">Envy:</b></td><td style="background: #220011; width: 85px; border: none; font: normal 13px arial, 'sans serif'; padding: 7px; color: #ffffff;">Low<br /></td><td style="border: none; background-color: #331111; width: 200px; vertical-align: middle; padding: 5px; padding-left: 0px;"><div style="height: 14px; border: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; font-size: 8px; padding: 0px; line-height: 8px; width: 34px; background: #330077;"> </div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 85px; border: none; padding: 7px; background-color: #331111;"><b style="color: #ffffff; font: bold 13px arial, 'sans serif';">Lust:</b></td><td style="background: #440011; width: 85px; border: none; font: normal 13px arial, 'sans serif'; padding: 7px; color: #ffffff;">High<br /></td><td style="border: none; background-color: #331111; width: 200px; vertical-align: middle; padding: 5px; padding-left: 0px;"><div style="height: 14px; border: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; font-size: 8px; padding: 0px; line-height: 8px; width: 120px; background: #770022;"> </div></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 85px; border: none; padding: 7px; background-color: #331111;"><b style="color: #ffffff; font: bold 13px arial, 'sans serif';">Pride:</b></td><td style="background: #110022; width: 85px; border: none; font: normal 13px arial, 'sans serif'; padding: 7px; color: #ffffff;">Very Low<br /></td><td style="border: none; background-color: #331111; width: 200px; vertical-align: middle; padding: 5px; padding-left: 0px;"><div style="height: 14px; border: 1px solid #000000; border-left: none; font-size: 8px; padding: 0px; line-height: 8px; width: 28px; background: #110099;"> </div></td></tr></table><br><br />Take the <a href="http://www.4degreez.com/misc/seven_deadly_sins.html" target="_top">Seven Deadly Sins Quiz</a>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-55584463189650075532008-09-24T09:08:00.000-04:002008-09-24T09:08:00.244-04:00Today's To-Do List<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNYrAN2MFP5KtY0s9stuxe3gEAnju1TOAUQmMMJDGtRdbfUDtu8BPLBJcOLSDBRhZHDRQYSq58MlSPWC0QUcMx8aVZMDeDVaLZHCgRg2RgZehNr9Pck7_ETZwyNswl1WX007IXg/s1600-h/mutts1.gif"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNYrAN2MFP5KtY0s9stuxe3gEAnju1TOAUQmMMJDGtRdbfUDtu8BPLBJcOLSDBRhZHDRQYSq58MlSPWC0QUcMx8aVZMDeDVaLZHCgRg2RgZehNr9Pck7_ETZwyNswl1WX007IXg/s400/mutts1.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249233919015404034" /></a>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-72769576381402743182008-09-23T10:06:00.004-04:002008-09-23T10:40:07.966-04:00Nine Killed in School Shooting in Finland<center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp3NTc0zyy1QFAmgFDFoLiVsDxkY0_8BQD7eGfc_B5mqDpOrMVrWB3yXcTJqvBwuHDdhhrGNhLAQx6iKoKgfI_mYPZt5ngMs04CmPqw3-zsGjIX_QySktaVygST5jyY1WItzcaw/s1600-h/ampuja.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp3NTc0zyy1QFAmgFDFoLiVsDxkY0_8BQD7eGfc_B5mqDpOrMVrWB3yXcTJqvBwuHDdhhrGNhLAQx6iKoKgfI_mYPZt5ngMs04CmPqw3-zsGjIX_QySktaVygST5jyY1WItzcaw/s400/ampuja.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249226481077996082" /></a></center><br />Today, nine students are dead and others critically wounded in a school shooting in the little town of Kauhajoki, Finland (pop. 14,000). Like school shooters before him, the gunman had posted videos on YouTube ahead of time. The videos have been removed at this time. The police had questioned the suspect on Monday, but had not taken his gun. After killing others, the shooter shot himself in the head and is now in a coma.<br /><br /><A HREF="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/nine-killed-in-finnish-school-shooting-939395.html">http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/nine-killed-in-finnish-school-shooting-939395.html</a><br /><br />What a sick world.<br /> Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-70257126562506811272008-09-22T17:02:00.003-04:002008-09-22T17:06:44.466-04:00What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?I don't suppose they have any science behind this, but still :P<br /><br /><table width=380 align=center border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=10><tr><td bgcolor="#EEEEEE" align=center><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style='color:black; font-size: 14pt;'><strong>What Anniina Means</strong></font></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><center><img src="http://www.blogthingsimages.com/whatsyournameshiddenmeaningquiz/name.gif" height="100" width="100"></center><font color="#000000">You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. <br />You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. <br />You have the classic "Type A" personality.<br /><br />You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.<br />You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.<br />You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.<br /><br />You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.<br />You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.<br />You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.</font></td></tr></table><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyournameshiddenmeaningquiz/">What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?</a></div><br /> Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-42244363265378144972008-05-29T04:25:00.002-04:002008-05-29T04:33:16.410-04:00<div style="text-align:left; width:100px; height: 100px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.addglitter.com/glitter-image.asp"><img alt="Add glitter your Myspace or Piczo Image" src="http://i26.tinypic.com/j0bskl.jpg" alt="" style="border: 0px none ;"><div style="opacity: 0.8; width: 15px; height: 15px; margin-bottom: -15px; position: relative; left: 43px; top: -26px;"><img src="http://www.addglitter.com/g/15-15f.gif" style="border: 0px none ;"></div><div style="width: 14px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: -14px; position: relative; left: 33px; top: -99px;"><img src="http://www.addglitter.com/g/11-11a.gif" style="border: 0px none ;"></div><div style="opacity: 0.8; width: 15px; height: 15px; margin-bottom: -15px; position: relative; left: 77px; top: -69px;"><img src="http://www.addglitter.com/g/15-15h.gif" style="border: 0px none ;"></div><div style="width: 14px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: -14px; position: relative; left: 68px; top: -76px;"><img src="http://www.addglitter.com/g/11-11e.gif" style="border: 0px none ;"></div><div style="width: 14px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: -14px; position: relative; left: 3px; top: -15px;"><img src="http://www.addglitter.com/g/11-11c.gif" style="border: 0px none ;"></div><div style="opacity: 0.8; width: 15px; height: 15px; margin-bottom: -15px; position: relative; left: 61px; top: -63px;"><img src="http://www.addglitter.com/g/15-15e.gif" style="border: 0px none ;"></div><div style="width: 14px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: -14px; position: relative; left: 90px; top: -36px;"><img src="http://www.addglitter.com/g/11-11e.gif" style="border: 0px none ;"></div><div style="opacity: 0.8; width: 15px; height: 15px; margin-bottom: -15px; position: relative; left: 20px; top: -61px;"><img src="http://www.addglitter.com/g/15-15c.gif" style="border: 0px none ;"></div><div style="opacity: 0.8; width: 15px; height: 15px; margin-bottom: -15px; position: relative; left: 72px; top: -34px;"><img src="http://www.addglitter.com/g/15-15f.gif" style="border: 0px none ;"></div></a></div>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-11265262531517139042008-05-09T00:35:00.003-04:002008-05-09T00:45:33.884-04:00Trying to Emulate CummingsA friend commissioned a poem from me in the style of e.e. cummings. It was quite difficult, since my muse usually brings me poems of a different kind, as those of you who've had to put up with my poetic outpourings for some time already know. On the other hand, it was quite exhilarating, because my mind was exploring new territory. The commissioned poem was not worth posting here, but I couldn't stop myself and I wrote a second one, which I'll share with you. The first line is 'borrowed' from cummings, but what follows is mine:<br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJt05HqN3QYo2SahxXJ8yX1lC68fuMzvHhOfYjyzjn4o9rlSLiBoW8jn0zuOPeO8ZlWDC07tNEA7oqrnnemp2ijrLEYOC0ZRlMKi5yPPS-B-uABbAR_b0SWFnfRZKc3RI90AGUVA/s400/inthestyleofcummings.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198234345011674082"></center><br /><br /> Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-83386441982369790812008-04-19T19:49:00.005-04:002008-04-19T20:12:50.261-04:00Saturday Chatting<p align=justify>I know, how awful am I to promise better attention to the blog, then disappear again for two weeks, right? Life has just been very busy and chaotic for a while.<br /><br /><img align=right hspace=16 vspace=5 src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvjYd7Ud_S738FkRWFWXPziu4XSG8MCVXy9BhRXbKr24r-wEbXxqtlKgfNYssKcUKVnQu77rpuDEp153o1MmU9rlcV61kcin35CHUkG9uoW-X0juPoZcKB0COYoMmVzkKeh-y8Q/s400/birds.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191113336771988226">Spring is suddenly here full force — it has been around 75°F all week, and the birds, who so plagued me last spring with their cacophony, are back. For some reason, they don't stop me from sleeping this year. Could it be I have grown old and deaf? Or perhaps it is because I've been sleeping like a log — a train could run over me and I wouldn't know it.<br /><br />I lost a few rose bushes and one tree over the winter, and I have 5 roses outside waiting to be planted. I'm telling myself I'll get it done tomorrow. Knowing me, however, it is only 50/50 likelihood. Procrastinators unite... tomorrow! The garden also needs raking, mulching, clipping and you name it. As much as I tout that I love gardening, I doubt I'd be very opposed to having a gardener who would come and do all the grunt labor, leaving me with the fluffier aspects of tending a garden. <br /><br />Workwise, I'm also busy — I haven't had any translating for a few weeks (which is just as well), but I've had a few websites to do and <i>Luminarium</i> of course is a jealous mistress. Sometimes the task seems so daunting that I have to take a break entirely. One human life doesn't seem long enough to get everything done that I'd like. So if anyone has an interest in Medieval/Renaissance English literature and/or history and wants to volunteer, drop me a line :D Also hiring houseboy, cook, and laundryboy. All interested parties are requested to apply in person, tehee!<br /><br />Well, that's it for right now — running to a dinner and a movie.<br /><br />*mwah* AAnniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-81730968855042416902008-04-01T11:13:00.001-04:002008-04-01T11:14:38.648-04:00April Fool's Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoeqeBy37g5y5OX4jq8TNO3uXjCuPpLps_sfvpi5pRX7OENy5Pd_jAWO3KbtfsAdM3ySmJZHdGS3aH5crRrHu93PThwfi9wtroImd7wfub-sgyniCTI-HFTJlVM8-CN9sCsYdNA/s1600-h/aprilfollpeanuts.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoeqeBy37g5y5OX4jq8TNO3uXjCuPpLps_sfvpi5pRX7OENy5Pd_jAWO3KbtfsAdM3ySmJZHdGS3aH5crRrHu93PThwfi9wtroImd7wfub-sgyniCTI-HFTJlVM8-CN9sCsYdNA/s400/aprilfollpeanuts.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184295513384394466" /></a>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-66047781271497420402008-03-31T18:55:00.005-04:002008-03-31T19:16:01.777-04:00Quiz: What Does Your Birth Date Mean?Here's another silly quiz, since Mophia specifically requested one :D<br /><br /><table width=350 align=center border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2><tr><td bgcolor="#EEEEEE" align=center><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style='color:black; font-size: 14pt;'><strong>Your Birthdate: August 18</strong><br /></font></td></tr><br /><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><br /><center><img src="http://www.blogthingsimages.com/whatdoesyourbirthdatemeanquiz/birthday.gif" height="100" width="100"></center><br /><font color="#000000"><br />You are a cohesive force - able to bring many people together for a common cause.<br /><br />You tend to excel in work situations, but you also facilitate a lot of social gatherings too.<br /><br />Beyond being a good leader, you are good at inspiring others.<br /><br />You also keep your powerful emotions in check - you know when to emote and when to repress.<br /><br />Your strength: Emotional maturity beyond your years<br /><br />Your weakness: Wearing yourself down with too many responsibilities<br /><br />Your power color: Crimson red<br /><br />Your power symbol: Snowflake<br /><br />Your power month: September<br /></font></td></tr></table><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourbirthdatemeanquiz/">What Does Your Birth Date Mean?</a></div><br /> Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20807552.post-16168998217458284032008-03-30T18:02:00.004-04:002008-03-30T18:05:34.763-04:00SonnetsdayHere is one I've posted before, but a good poem deserves several reads :)<br /><table><tr><td><br /><center><img src="http://www.luminarium.org/blogpics/shakespeare.gif" border=0><br /><b>XCI.</b></center><br /><img src="http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/s2.gif" border=0 hspace=1 vspace=3 align=left><b>OME</b> glory in their birth, some in their skill,<br> Some in their wealth, some in their bodies' force,<br> Some in their garments, though new-fangled ill,<br> Some in their hawks and hounds, <br /> some in their horse;<br />And every humour hath his adjunct pleasure,<br />Wherein it finds a joy above the rest:<br />But these particulars are not my measure;<br />All these I better in one general best.<br />Thy love is better than high birth to me,<br />Richer than wealth, prouder than garments' cost,<br />Of more delight than hawks or horses be;<br />And having thee, of all men's pride I boast:<br /> Wretched in this alone, that thou mayst take<br /> All this away and me most wretched make.<br /><p align=right>W.S.</p><br /></td></tr></table>Anniinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293294133521209973noreply@blogger.com0