The drama, the drama...
For some reason the computers at school don't have winzip, so I can't send one of my favourite pieces of music to somebody via email.
I found a version of it online, and I might as well blog it.
This recording's not the best; I think they're playing it too fast and one of the horns is out of tune. Also you can hear the audience making noises in the background. Anyways, it's gorgeous so I hope you like it G!!!
Beethoven's 7th symphony in A major Op. 92.2 Allegretto
16 September, 2008
08 September, 2008
Second chances and taking them
I have no money, my future isn't the brightest, but I feel very lucky! I have been given another chance to do my old dissertation and get to re-do the previous years' exams at the end of May. This way I don't have to pay full fees at Trinity, and can devote more time to a) some sort of office job, and b) translating. There is probably no way I can save up enough in a year to be able to do my MBA right after I finish my undergrad, but hopefully I can work full time in Ireland after that, and if I still live like a student I WILL be able to do so.
I am also starting to blog again. Facebook still has its charms, but it's a bit too social for me. And since I'm getting back to being my old, introverted self, the blog thing is starting to appeal to me again.
In other news... I'm starting to get interested in helicopters.
I am also starting to blog again. Facebook still has its charms, but it's a bit too social for me. And since I'm getting back to being my old, introverted self, the blog thing is starting to appeal to me again.
In other news... I'm starting to get interested in helicopters.
01 July, 2008
HAPPY CANADA DAY!
While Canada officially became a nation in 1867, they spent many years without a national flag. Instead, they used the British Red Ensign with the Canadian shield on the fly.
It wasn't until the 1960s, when the public made it known that they wanted their own distinctive flag, that the first Canadian flag was designed. The first flag featured three Canadian maple leafs with blue on either side, to represent the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
However, this initial flag wasn't accepted by the Canadian people, so another effort was made. In 1965 a new Canadian flag was created, incorporating both the maple leaf and the country's colors. The maple leaf is on a background of white, which represents the snowy north of Canada. The red on either side of the maple leaf represents the sacrifice made during World War I by Canadians.
28 June, 2008
Seven Seas of Rhye
This is my Favorite Queen Song Ever!!!!
I had never heard it before until just now.
Believe it or not!
Here are all the words. It's for the kids!!!
Fear me you lord and lady preachers
I descend upon your earth from the skies
I command your very souls you unbelievers
Bring before me what is mine
The seven seas of rhye
Can you hear me you peers and privy councillors
I stand before you naked to the eyes
I will destroy any man who dares abuse my trust
I swear that youll be mine
At the seven seas of rhye
Sister I live and lie for you
Mister do and Ill die
You are mine I possess you
Belong to you forever
Storm the master marathon I'll fly through
By flash and thunder fire I'll survive
Ill survive Ill survive
Then Ill defy the laws of nature
And come out alive
Begone with you you shod and shady senators
Give out the good leave out the bad evil cries
I challenge the mighty titan and his troubadours
And with a smile
Ill take you to the seven seas of rhye
I had never heard it before until just now.
Believe it or not!
Here are all the words. It's for the kids!!!
Fear me you lord and lady preachers
I descend upon your earth from the skies
I command your very souls you unbelievers
Bring before me what is mine
The seven seas of rhye
Can you hear me you peers and privy councillors
I stand before you naked to the eyes
I will destroy any man who dares abuse my trust
I swear that youll be mine
At the seven seas of rhye
Sister I live and lie for you
Mister do and Ill die
You are mine I possess you
Belong to you forever
Storm the master marathon I'll fly through
By flash and thunder fire I'll survive
Ill survive Ill survive
Then Ill defy the laws of nature
And come out alive
Begone with you you shod and shady senators
Give out the good leave out the bad evil cries
I challenge the mighty titan and his troubadours
And with a smile
Ill take you to the seven seas of rhye
Facebook is scary!! In a good way!
My mom is on facebook!!! ha!
I got in touch with so many of my fellow students from so long ago on Facebook. It's so interesting to see what all the other gifties are up to!!!
So long ago, so far away. And yet we're all in the same place!
Very interesting.
Must not let it distract me though. Focus!
Focus.
I got in touch with so many of my fellow students from so long ago on Facebook. It's so interesting to see what all the other gifties are up to!!!
So long ago, so far away. And yet we're all in the same place!
Very interesting.
Must not let it distract me though. Focus!
Focus.
12 June, 2008
ARTIST CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES IN PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE
ARTIST CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES IN PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE
mailed-by panix.com
hide details Jun 11 (1 day ago)
Reply
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2008
CONTACTS:
Email: media@caedefensefund.org
Dr. Steven J. Kurtz: (716) 812-2968
Lucia Sommer, CAE Defense Fund: (716) 359-3061
Edmund Cardoni, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center: (716) 854-1694
ARTIST CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES IN PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE
Department of Justice Fails to Appeal Dismissal
Kurtz Speaks about Four-Year Ordeal
Buffalo, NY--Dr. Steven Kurtz, a Professor of Visual Studies at SUNY at
Buffalo and cofounder of the award-winning art and theater group Critical
Art Ensemble, has been cleared of all charges of mail and wire fraud. On
April 21, Federal Judge Richard J. Arcara dismissed the government's entire
indictment against Dr. Kurtz as "insufficient on its face." This means that
even if the actions alleged in the indictment (which the judge must accept
as "fact") were true, they would not constitute a crime. The US Department
of Justice had thirty days from the date of the ruling to appeal. No action
has been taken in this time period, thus stopping any appeal of the
dismissal. According to Margaret McFarland, a spokeswoman for US Attorney
Terrance P. Flynn, the DoJ will not appeal Arcara's ruling and will not seek
any new charges against Kurtz.
For over a decade, cultural institutions worldwide have hosted Kurtz and
Critical Art Ensemble's educational art projects, which use common science
materials to examine issues surrounding the new biotechnologies. In 2004 the
Department of Justice alleged that Dr. Kurtz had schemed with colleague Dr.
Robert Ferrell of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public
Health to illegally acquire two harmless bacteria cultures for use in one of
those projects. The Justice Department further alleged that the transfer of
the material from Ferrell to Kurtz broke a material transfer agreement, thus
constituting mail fraud.
Under the USA PATRIOT Act, the maximum sentence for these charges was
increased from five years to twenty years in prison.
Dr. Kurtz has been fighting the charges ever since. In October 2007, Dr.
Ferrell pleaded to a lesser misdemeanor charge after recurring bouts of
cancer and three strokes suffered since his indictment prevented him from
continuing the struggle.
KURTZ SUMS UP END OF FOUR-YEAR NIGHTMARE
Finally vindicated after four years of struggle, Kurtz, asked for a
statement, responded stoically: "I don't have a statement, but I do have
questions. As an innocent man, where do I go to get back the four years the
Department of Justice stole from me? As a taxpayer, where do I go to get
back the millions of dollars the FBI and Justice Department wasted
persecuting me? And as a citizen, what must I do to have a Justice
Department free of partisan corruption so profound it has turned on those it
is sworn to protect?"
Said Kurtz's attorney, Paul Cambria, "I am glad an innocent man has been
vindicated. Steve Kurtz stared in the face of the federal government and a
twenty-year prison term and never flinched, because he believes in his work
and his actions were those of a completely innocent man. Clients like him
are a blessing, and although I have had many important victories, this one
stands at the top of the list."
As coordinator of the CAE Defense Fund, a group organized to support Kurtz
from the beginning of the case, Lucia Sommer sees the end of the prosecution
as bittersweet, and like Kurtz, is thoughtful about the broader significance
of the case: "This ruling is the best possible ending to a horrible
ordeal--but we are mindful of numerous cases still pending, and the grave
injustices perpetrated by the Bush administration following 9/11. This case
was part of a larger picture, in which law enforcement was given expanded
powers. In this instance, the Bush administration was unsuccessful in its
attempt to erode Americans' constitutional rights."
Referring to the international outcry the case provoked, involving
fundraisers and protests held on four continents, Sommer said, "The
government has unlimited resources to bring and prosecute these kinds of
charges, but the accused often don't have any resources to defend
themselves. This victory could never have happened without the activism of
thousands of people. Supporters protested, vocally opposed the prosecution,
and refused to let it go on in silence. And without their efforts at
fundraising, Kurtz and Ferrell would not have been able to defend themselves
from these false accusations."
Sommer added that the next step for the defense will be to get back all of
the materials taken by the FBI during its 2004 raid on the Kurtz home,
including several completed art projects, as well as Dr. Kurtz's lab
equipment, computers, books, manuscripts, notes, research materials, and
personal belongings. The four confiscated art projects are the subject of
an exhibition entitled SEIZED on view at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center
in Buffalo, NY, through July 18:
http://www.hallwalls.org/visual_shows/2008/show_seized.html.
BACKGROUND TO THE CASE
The case originated in May 2004, when Kurtz's wife Hope died of heart
failure as the couple was preparing a project about genetically modified
agriculture for the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Police who
responded to Steve Kurtz's 911 call deemed the Kurtzes' art materials
suspicious and alerted the FBI. Kurtz explained that the materials (legally
and easily obtained basic life science equipment and two harmless bacteria
samples) had already been displayed at museums throughout Europe and North
America with absolutely no risk to the public. However, the following day,
Kurtz was illegally detained for 22 hours on suspicion of bioterrorism, as
dozens of agents from the FBI, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland
Security, Department of Defense, ATF, and numerous other law enforcement
agencies raided his home, seizing his personal and professional belongings.
After a federal grand jury refused to charge Kurtz with bioterrorism, Kurtz
and Ferrell were indicted on two counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire
fraud concerning the acquisition of of harmless bacteria for one of
Critical Art Ensemble's educational art projects. (Critical Art Ensemble is
the recipient of numerous awards for its projects, including the prestigious
2007 Andy Warhol Foundation Wynn Kramarsky Freedom of Artistic Expression
Grant, in recognition of twenty years of distinguished work:
http://www.creative-capital.org/index2.html.)
The Department of Justice brought the charges in spite of the fact that the
alleged "victims of fraud"--American Type Culture Collection and the
University of Pittsburgh--never filed any charges or complained of any
wrongdoing, and the fact that in bringing the charges the Department of
Justice was acting completely outside its own Prosecution Policy Relating to
Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud
(http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/43mcrm.htm).
For more information and extensive documentation, including the Judge's
dismissal, please visit: http://caedefensefund.org
mailed-by panix.com
hide details Jun 11 (1 day ago)
Reply
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2008
CONTACTS:
Email: media@caedefensefund.org
Dr. Steven J. Kurtz: (716) 812-2968
Lucia Sommer, CAE Defense Fund: (716) 359-3061
Edmund Cardoni, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center: (716) 854-1694
ARTIST CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES IN PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE
Department of Justice Fails to Appeal Dismissal
Kurtz Speaks about Four-Year Ordeal
Buffalo, NY--Dr. Steven Kurtz, a Professor of Visual Studies at SUNY at
Buffalo and cofounder of the award-winning art and theater group Critical
Art Ensemble, has been cleared of all charges of mail and wire fraud. On
April 21, Federal Judge Richard J. Arcara dismissed the government's entire
indictment against Dr. Kurtz as "insufficient on its face." This means that
even if the actions alleged in the indictment (which the judge must accept
as "fact") were true, they would not constitute a crime. The US Department
of Justice had thirty days from the date of the ruling to appeal. No action
has been taken in this time period, thus stopping any appeal of the
dismissal. According to Margaret McFarland, a spokeswoman for US Attorney
Terrance P. Flynn, the DoJ will not appeal Arcara's ruling and will not seek
any new charges against Kurtz.
For over a decade, cultural institutions worldwide have hosted Kurtz and
Critical Art Ensemble's educational art projects, which use common science
materials to examine issues surrounding the new biotechnologies. In 2004 the
Department of Justice alleged that Dr. Kurtz had schemed with colleague Dr.
Robert Ferrell of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public
Health to illegally acquire two harmless bacteria cultures for use in one of
those projects. The Justice Department further alleged that the transfer of
the material from Ferrell to Kurtz broke a material transfer agreement, thus
constituting mail fraud.
Under the USA PATRIOT Act, the maximum sentence for these charges was
increased from five years to twenty years in prison.
Dr. Kurtz has been fighting the charges ever since. In October 2007, Dr.
Ferrell pleaded to a lesser misdemeanor charge after recurring bouts of
cancer and three strokes suffered since his indictment prevented him from
continuing the struggle.
KURTZ SUMS UP END OF FOUR-YEAR NIGHTMARE
Finally vindicated after four years of struggle, Kurtz, asked for a
statement, responded stoically: "I don't have a statement, but I do have
questions. As an innocent man, where do I go to get back the four years the
Department of Justice stole from me? As a taxpayer, where do I go to get
back the millions of dollars the FBI and Justice Department wasted
persecuting me? And as a citizen, what must I do to have a Justice
Department free of partisan corruption so profound it has turned on those it
is sworn to protect?"
Said Kurtz's attorney, Paul Cambria, "I am glad an innocent man has been
vindicated. Steve Kurtz stared in the face of the federal government and a
twenty-year prison term and never flinched, because he believes in his work
and his actions were those of a completely innocent man. Clients like him
are a blessing, and although I have had many important victories, this one
stands at the top of the list."
As coordinator of the CAE Defense Fund, a group organized to support Kurtz
from the beginning of the case, Lucia Sommer sees the end of the prosecution
as bittersweet, and like Kurtz, is thoughtful about the broader significance
of the case: "This ruling is the best possible ending to a horrible
ordeal--but we are mindful of numerous cases still pending, and the grave
injustices perpetrated by the Bush administration following 9/11. This case
was part of a larger picture, in which law enforcement was given expanded
powers. In this instance, the Bush administration was unsuccessful in its
attempt to erode Americans' constitutional rights."
Referring to the international outcry the case provoked, involving
fundraisers and protests held on four continents, Sommer said, "The
government has unlimited resources to bring and prosecute these kinds of
charges, but the accused often don't have any resources to defend
themselves. This victory could never have happened without the activism of
thousands of people. Supporters protested, vocally opposed the prosecution,
and refused to let it go on in silence. And without their efforts at
fundraising, Kurtz and Ferrell would not have been able to defend themselves
from these false accusations."
Sommer added that the next step for the defense will be to get back all of
the materials taken by the FBI during its 2004 raid on the Kurtz home,
including several completed art projects, as well as Dr. Kurtz's lab
equipment, computers, books, manuscripts, notes, research materials, and
personal belongings. The four confiscated art projects are the subject of
an exhibition entitled SEIZED on view at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center
in Buffalo, NY, through July 18:
http://www.hallwalls.org/visual_shows/2008/show_seized.html.
BACKGROUND TO THE CASE
The case originated in May 2004, when Kurtz's wife Hope died of heart
failure as the couple was preparing a project about genetically modified
agriculture for the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Police who
responded to Steve Kurtz's 911 call deemed the Kurtzes' art materials
suspicious and alerted the FBI. Kurtz explained that the materials (legally
and easily obtained basic life science equipment and two harmless bacteria
samples) had already been displayed at museums throughout Europe and North
America with absolutely no risk to the public. However, the following day,
Kurtz was illegally detained for 22 hours on suspicion of bioterrorism, as
dozens of agents from the FBI, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland
Security, Department of Defense, ATF, and numerous other law enforcement
agencies raided his home, seizing his personal and professional belongings.
After a federal grand jury refused to charge Kurtz with bioterrorism, Kurtz
and Ferrell were indicted on two counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire
fraud concerning the acquisition of of harmless bacteria for one of
Critical Art Ensemble's educational art projects. (Critical Art Ensemble is
the recipient of numerous awards for its projects, including the prestigious
2007 Andy Warhol Foundation Wynn Kramarsky Freedom of Artistic Expression
Grant, in recognition of twenty years of distinguished work:
http://www.creative-capital.org/index2.html.)
The Department of Justice brought the charges in spite of the fact that the
alleged "victims of fraud"--American Type Culture Collection and the
University of Pittsburgh--never filed any charges or complained of any
wrongdoing, and the fact that in bringing the charges the Department of
Justice was acting completely outside its own Prosecution Policy Relating to
Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud
(http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/43mcrm.htm).
For more information and extensive documentation, including the Judge's
dismissal, please visit: http://caedefensefund.org
26 May, 2008
Interesting debate: should these divers pay for their rescue?
Interesting article. Considering the fact that couple got paid a cool million bucks for a newspaper printing their story, maybe they should pay.
But shouldn't rescue services do these things for free? I dunno.
I think that the couple should take the rescue crew out for a lavish dinner, buy them each a case of wine, and leave it at that. It would be a nice thank you pressie.
But shouldn't rescue services do these things for free? I dunno.
I think that the couple should take the rescue crew out for a lavish dinner, buy them each a case of wine, and leave it at that. It would be a nice thank you pressie.
25 May, 2008
Grandi gli italiani!!! Bella Volterra. I gotta go to this restaurant...
...better than dining with Valentino Borgia!!!!! I hope the chef isn't incarcerated for poisoning somebody...
23 May, 2008
All Saints - Rock Steady
Haven' a saintly moment...
...comforting the disturbed, disturbing the comfortable...
all saints - black coffee
Cool, just figured out how to post videos.
I think this song was written or produced by William Orbit or something. I like it. It makes me dream..
I wouldn't want to change anything at all. ...
22 May, 2008
Great headline!!!!! Rock and Blue Eyes Top Billboards Chart
Sounds strangely... familiar....
Rock being rock'N'roll, blue-eyes being FranK the YanK.
Rock being rock'N'roll, blue-eyes being FranK the YanK.
19 May, 2008
Interesting....
It's interesting how people's true characters can be revealed in times of stress.
It's interesting how much no matter someone says that they love you, many (not all) will consistently think of themselves before they think of you, no matter how little it would inconvenience them to help you.
It's interesting how difficult it is to distinguish between true love and a heart that is locked up as tight as San Quentin.
It's interesting how you can't convince some people to learn when they don't want to. I guess some people just don't want to be happy and at peace.
Pity.
It's interesting how much no matter someone says that they love you, many (not all) will consistently think of themselves before they think of you, no matter how little it would inconvenience them to help you.
It's interesting how difficult it is to distinguish between true love and a heart that is locked up as tight as San Quentin.
It's interesting how you can't convince some people to learn when they don't want to. I guess some people just don't want to be happy and at peace.
Pity.
16 May, 2008
15 May, 2008
OMG, that's gotta suck
Poor guy, five hours is a long time to be in the jacks' on a plane.
That doesn't say much for JetBlue's HR hiring process.
That doesn't say much for JetBlue's HR hiring process.
me and miss piggy at "Otelo" restaurant in Adaje, Tenerife, Canary Islands
me and miss piggy at "Otelo" restaurant in Adaje, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Originally uploaded by Kaiserina
nice mars-like colours
this is near the place where Planet of the Apes and Star Wars were filmed.
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
sun setting below clouds in Tenerife
the white stuff on the right is cloud cover. the peaky-thing is the Teide volcano.
thousand-year-old+ olive tree
from one of the many famous olive groves around Ostuni, Puglia
Looks really sexy. I never thought I'd used the adjective sexy to refer to an olive tree. Go figure.
There are many legends about these trees. I don't remember precisely what they are, but supposedly these olive trees have the trapped souls of widowed women in them. Or something.
Looks really sexy. I never thought I'd used the adjective sexy to refer to an olive tree. Go figure.
There are many legends about these trees. I don't remember precisely what they are, but supposedly these olive trees have the trapped souls of widowed women in them. Or something.
Masseria San Domenico, our hotel, one of the best small hotels in the world
this pool was fed by a natural seawater spring. dude. this was paradise.
surrounded by olive groves, gardens, and produce fields.
AWESOME!!!!
surrounded by olive groves, gardens, and produce fields.
AWESOME!!!!
cool old guy
wish i knew how to take pix properly. anyways, it was a spur of the moment thing and he didn't like posing.
ostuni, italy
ostuni, italy
a white 500 in the white city
a classic italian car
cinquino!!!! cinquecento!!!! i might buy one of the new ones.... someday... when i decide where i'm going to live....
cinquino!!!! cinquecento!!!! i might buy one of the new ones.... someday... when i decide where i'm going to live....
nice little road in Ostuni...
...with a well-placed italian flag. Looks like a tiny caprese salad inside a massive architectonic mozzarella. Not sure what the blue is.... water?
me in my cute white dress at masseria san domenico
This was at the party hosted by .. um.. . some Italian bank in the most beautiful hotel I've ever been to in my life. In Puglia, Italy. Masseria San Domenico. AWESOME!!!!
We all had to wear white, it being a "white party" and all. Some Very Important People were there that evening. The Italy-US soccer match was on and shown on a big screen. The food was amazing. The music was a tad cheesy though. Italians. Ya gotta lov'em.
We all had to wear white, it being a "white party" and all. Some Very Important People were there that evening. The Italy-US soccer match was on and shown on a big screen. The food was amazing. The music was a tad cheesy though. Italians. Ya gotta lov'em.
L to R: Marzio, Georgia, Luca
Taken at Vanessa and Andrea's pre-wedding party, Como, Italy, June 2005.
Marzio just had to close down the mythical Train Blues Pub in Desio, Lombardy. Wain. Good times were had at the Train Blues.
Marzio is Luca's bf from schooldays. Georgia is a nice British girl who lives near Vanessa and Andrea. Luca is... Luca. Not sure what he is right now. Cute picture though. Georgia and Luca kind of look like siblings here.
Marzio just had to close down the mythical Train Blues Pub in Desio, Lombardy. Wain. Good times were had at the Train Blues.
Marzio is Luca's bf from schooldays. Georgia is a nice British girl who lives near Vanessa and Andrea. Luca is... Luca. Not sure what he is right now. Cute picture though. Georgia and Luca kind of look like siblings here.
St. John's Point, somewhere in north Ireland
nice sunset was going down and made pretty colours on the white lighthouse and stone fence.
divers trekking back from dive
don't like shore dives, we had to walk a long way from the cars to the dive site. good dive though. my first Irish dive!!! Sometime in 2005, I think....
sharkface
Again, not menacing at all... but since it was the first shark I'd seen up that close, I do admit I was a tad apprehensive upon approach.
WTF
Ummm... I wasn't exactly 0.49 km away... I though that was funny for some reason but now I can't remember why.... haven't been to that site for a while. It's one of Generalissimo Ze Frank's site. Should try to find it some time....
Nice hair, not
That thing that I'm resting on is what the guys used to get rid of the sediment so that we could find stuff under the seafloor.
It's known as a sea-scooter, and usually divers use it to get places underwater quickly. The Ukrainian McGuyvers used it as an archaeology tool.
It's known as a sea-scooter, and usually divers use it to get places underwater quickly. The Ukrainian McGuyvers used it as an archaeology tool.
I dunno if the coolie hat matches the improvised toga
Me at the beach party with the kids in Novy Svet, Crimea. They liked to play dress up. Really great kids and future archaeologists to rival Indy.
yalta bunny rabbits
"Bunny rabbits" is the literal translation of "hitchhikers" in Ukrainian. I have no idea why. These are kids that were hitchhiking on the ferrry between Yalta City and Yalta Beach. Best tea I ever drank in my life I drank there.
Courtyard milan wo bin
Okay, a flood of pictures coming up...
A very nice person at www.whatsdrivingyoucrazy.com photoshopped the green bin that was in the lower left corner of this pic for me.
Big improvement. Thanks!
A very nice person at www.whatsdrivingyoucrazy.com photoshopped the green bin that was in the lower left corner of this pic for me.
Big improvement. Thanks!
Wow, I found my flickr account!
I had completely forgotten that I had already uploaded so much on there. Not necessarily everything, but quite a bit considering my lack of patience for uploading stuff.
I hope this works.
I hope this works.
MeTube
I hope I can eventually get more stuff up here. I'll take a "Computer Fun" holiday sometime, and just spend hours uploading everything I have on my home mojo.
14 May, 2008
Well, at lot can happen in a few days...
The ball was a blast. I was literally the last person out. They shut the front gates behind me.
Too many stories, too much to tell.
Vivir para raccontare... un giorno... prima o poi....
08 May, 2008
YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL!!!! REPRAZEEEENT!!!!
I kin hardly wait for the Trinity Ball tomorrow!!! Been preparing all week.
I wanna see Roni Size & Reprazent, among others. The link above is a song I used to dance to a lot. The video was filmed in my home town, T.O., and it's cool to see all the places that once were so familiar to me. Such an urban landscape that is now so foreign to me.
I like the magic egg timer. I want one of those!!!! ;))))
Step to the rhythm made out of brown paper.
IN OTHER NEWS
Check this space for lots of pix of the ball!!!!! Prolly won't post them until Monday-ish though. Going with the history bunch and staying with L-Boogie (Laura B.) and Cristina, but might go to a party beforehand with Fred Walker and his sis, Virginia. Tuscan-Zimbabweans from Piombino who study Mechanical Engineering and Law, respectively.
My get-up is--dare I say it--gorgeous. Very sexy, yet very demure--kinda like yours truly (when I'm not locked, that is). Lotsa black and lotsa pink. Black corset, black thigh-high fishnets with PVC tops, pink culottes, pink bodice, swishy black skirt, black and pink guccis, black vintage gucci purse, and long black gloves. Hair up, not too much jewellery (I lost too much at the ball in first year), and a tan that I've been working on for the past week or so. I don't think I've ever looked so pretty in my life. It's a bitch to get into though. Pity the fool that tries to get me out of it. He'd better have a pocket knife and a pair of pliers handy.
I wanna see Roni Size & Reprazent, among others. The link above is a song I used to dance to a lot. The video was filmed in my home town, T.O., and it's cool to see all the places that once were so familiar to me. Such an urban landscape that is now so foreign to me.
I like the magic egg timer. I want one of those!!!! ;))))
Step to the rhythm made out of brown paper.
IN OTHER NEWS
Check this space for lots of pix of the ball!!!!! Prolly won't post them until Monday-ish though. Going with the history bunch and staying with L-Boogie (Laura B.) and Cristina, but might go to a party beforehand with Fred Walker and his sis, Virginia. Tuscan-Zimbabweans from Piombino who study Mechanical Engineering and Law, respectively.
My get-up is--dare I say it--gorgeous. Very sexy, yet very demure--kinda like yours truly (when I'm not locked, that is). Lotsa black and lotsa pink. Black corset, black thigh-high fishnets with PVC tops, pink culottes, pink bodice, swishy black skirt, black and pink guccis, black vintage gucci purse, and long black gloves. Hair up, not too much jewellery (I lost too much at the ball in first year), and a tan that I've been working on for the past week or so. I don't think I've ever looked so pretty in my life. It's a bitch to get into though. Pity the fool that tries to get me out of it. He'd better have a pocket knife and a pair of pliers handy.
06 May, 2008
Weapons Training!!! Jayyyysus I miss this thing...
C9: This baby is the bomb. Well, a gun, not technically a bomb, but you know what I mean...
I had the old early 90s version though, i.e. without the new sight. Dunno about that. The iron sight worked pretty well. Heh.
http://www.army.dnd.ca/48highlanders/equipment-weapons-m72.html
The M72 was good fun to fire. Good. Fun. Wow.
http://www.army.dnd.ca/48highlanders/equipment-weapons9mm.html
Read the last bit of the description. And people thought the Canadian Army didn't have a sense of humour!! The feckin' 48th sure as hell did. Hey, they took me in, they must have one.
HOLY HANDGRENADE, BATMAN!! Perusing the 48th's site, and they made Darling the CWO of the 32nd!!!!!!! I don't feckin' belieeeeve it!!!! They must really have a sense of humour. ...
OMG he was in Bosnia-Herz.... I guess we've both changed, quite considerably.
"Private Werry-Worden, get the fuck outta there before I bust your ass into forty-eight separate pieces!"
Big ups, Mr Darling.
I had the old early 90s version though, i.e. without the new sight. Dunno about that. The iron sight worked pretty well. Heh.
http://www.army.dnd.ca/48highlanders/equipment-weapons-m72.html
The M72 was good fun to fire. Good. Fun. Wow.
http://www.army.dnd.ca/48highlanders/equipment-weapons9mm.html
Read the last bit of the description. And people thought the Canadian Army didn't have a sense of humour!! The feckin' 48th sure as hell did. Hey, they took me in, they must have one.
HOLY HANDGRENADE, BATMAN!! Perusing the 48th's site, and they made Darling the CWO of the 32nd!!!!!!! I don't feckin' belieeeeve it!!!! They must really have a sense of humour. ...
OMG he was in Bosnia-Herz.... I guess we've both changed, quite considerably.
"Private Werry-Worden, get the fuck outta there before I bust your ass into forty-eight separate pieces!"
Big ups, Mr Darling.
This post shall remain nameless
Why, oh why, oh why do so many people--particularly the inhabitants of two countries located in on a continent in the north of the new world--tend to see things from such a negative perspective?
What prompted me is Google's "motto": Don't be evil.
Why put it in the negative like that? Why are they telling us what not to do? Why is it always no no no no no???? Why not just say: Be good?
I guess it's the glass half-empty/full thing, again. Blah blah blah.
This could be the most inane post I've ever made. Nevertheless, "publish post" is getting hit in five, four, three, two...
What prompted me is Google's "motto": Don't be evil.
Why put it in the negative like that? Why are they telling us what not to do? Why is it always no no no no no???? Why not just say: Be good?
I guess it's the glass half-empty/full thing, again. Blah blah blah.
This could be the most inane post I've ever made. Nevertheless, "publish post" is getting hit in five, four, three, two...
04 May, 2008
One day I'll go to New York
This is Alan's movie!!! It is the shit!!!! It is the bomb!!! Buy it and watch it, today!! Instead of that feckin' Ironman movie, dude. Bless the Northside New Yorkers, WORD!!!!!
Blast from my past
Fuckin' 48th!!!! DILEAS GU BRATH
Reminiscing about my infantry days. Dem were the days. I'm lucky I was a Highlander. Still am, maybe? Dunno. I guess once a highlander always a highlander.
Weapons training hasn't come in handy yet, thank God.
Thanks to Alan Cook and Ashley O'Neal for reminding me. And for the great day in Howth!!! Today was gorgeous. Went for a dip in the sea. Haven't been in the sea for ages!!! Really nice and cold; helped me heal my Gaelic football battle wounds.
Link for them comin' up...
Reminiscing about my infantry days. Dem were the days. I'm lucky I was a Highlander. Still am, maybe? Dunno. I guess once a highlander always a highlander.
Weapons training hasn't come in handy yet, thank God.
Thanks to Alan Cook and Ashley O'Neal for reminding me. And for the great day in Howth!!! Today was gorgeous. Went for a dip in the sea. Haven't been in the sea for ages!!! Really nice and cold; helped me heal my Gaelic football battle wounds.
Link for them comin' up...
03 May, 2008
30 April, 2008
Happy Onomastico to me!
Today (or yesterday, depending on which calendar you use) is St. Catherine of Siena's day.
She's not the Katherine who I was named after (that would be St. Katherine of Alexandria, whether or not she really existed); but I like her because she's from Siena and was an inspired--and prolific--writer.
From her letter to Gregory IX:
"I tell you, sweet Christ on earth, on behalf of Christ in Heaven, that if you do this, without strife or tempest, they will all come grieving for the wrong they have done, and lay their heads on your bosom. Then you will rejoice, and we shall rejoice, because by love you have restored the sheep to the fold of Holy Church. And then, sweet my father, you will fulfill your holy desire and the will of God by starting the holy Crusade, which I summon you in his name to do swiftly and without negligence. They will turn to it with great eagerness; they are ready to give their lives for Christ. Ah me, God, sweet Love! Raise swiftly, father, the banner of the most holy Cross and you will see the wolves become lambs. Peace, peace, peace, that war may not delay that happy time!"
The other St. Katherine's day is on Nov. ౨౫థ్.
She's not the Katherine who I was named after (that would be St. Katherine of Alexandria, whether or not she really existed); but I like her because she's from Siena and was an inspired--and prolific--writer.
From her letter to Gregory IX:
"I tell you, sweet Christ on earth, on behalf of Christ in Heaven, that if you do this, without strife or tempest, they will all come grieving for the wrong they have done, and lay their heads on your bosom. Then you will rejoice, and we shall rejoice, because by love you have restored the sheep to the fold of Holy Church. And then, sweet my father, you will fulfill your holy desire and the will of God by starting the holy Crusade, which I summon you in his name to do swiftly and without negligence. They will turn to it with great eagerness; they are ready to give their lives for Christ. Ah me, God, sweet Love! Raise swiftly, father, the banner of the most holy Cross and you will see the wolves become lambs. Peace, peace, peace, that war may not delay that happy time!"
The other St. Katherine's day is on Nov. ౨౫థ్.
29 April, 2008
Thank you Anu!
I really liked yesterday's AWAD:
"So many mythological animals live on in literature, in our minds, and inour imagination, that they would fill a virtual zoo.
Because these creatures are myths, they're not bound by biological rules.Sometimes they're part human, part animal. They could have a human head and an animal body, or vice versa.
These permutations and combinations of body parts make it look as thoughthe gods were playing a mix-n-match game of combining parts to make composites. At times, one of these mythical animals had more than a single head.
Enjoy looking at the menagerie this week and feel free to use their attributes metaphorically in situations in your life.
chimera (ki-MEER-uh, ky-) noun
1. A fanciful fabrication; illusion.
2. An organism having genetically different tissues.
[After Chimera, a fire-breathing female monster in Greek mythology who hada lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. From Greek khimaira(she-goat), ultimately from the Indo-European root ghei- (winter) that isthe ancestor of words such as chimera (literally a female animal that is onewinter, or one year old), hibernate, and the Himalayas, from Sanskrit him(snow) + alaya (abode).]"
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=chimera
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"The government subsidies [for bio-fuel] may quickly dry up once policymakers face up to the reality of their euphoric chimera, and food shortages threaten political stability and national security." Abdullah A. Dewan; Fuel Versus Food; The Daily Star (Dhaka, Bangladesh); Apr 24, 2008.
"So many mythological animals live on in literature, in our minds, and inour imagination, that they would fill a virtual zoo.
Because these creatures are myths, they're not bound by biological rules.Sometimes they're part human, part animal. They could have a human head and an animal body, or vice versa.
These permutations and combinations of body parts make it look as thoughthe gods were playing a mix-n-match game of combining parts to make composites. At times, one of these mythical animals had more than a single head.
Enjoy looking at the menagerie this week and feel free to use their attributes metaphorically in situations in your life.
chimera (ki-MEER-uh, ky-) noun
1. A fanciful fabrication; illusion.
2. An organism having genetically different tissues.
[After Chimera, a fire-breathing female monster in Greek mythology who hada lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. From Greek khimaira(she-goat), ultimately from the Indo-European root ghei- (winter) that isthe ancestor of words such as chimera (literally a female animal that is onewinter, or one year old), hibernate, and the Himalayas, from Sanskrit him(snow) + alaya (abode).]"
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=chimera
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"The government subsidies [for bio-fuel] may quickly dry up once policymakers face up to the reality of their euphoric chimera, and food shortages threaten political stability and national security." Abdullah A. Dewan; Fuel Versus Food; The Daily Star (Dhaka, Bangladesh); Apr 24, 2008.
21 April, 2008
hhmmmmm.... interesting problematix
Sorry about the terrible pun...
Stock/stochastic .... argh, that was awful!!! what was i thinking???
Stock/stochastic .... argh, that was awful!!! what was i thinking???
reason vs. unreason
Great discussion.
Emotion, ambition, system, disruptive, innovator, resourceful, practical, impatience, confusion, paradigm....
SHARE.
TRANSFORMATIVE.
Encephalopods.
KOYAANISQATSI.
Interesting words.
Balance must be reobtained... or obtained; maybe we've never had it in the first place. But it is what want. Now.
Know ourselves; and may we live in interesting times.
And always remember who you are.
Emotion, ambition, system, disruptive, innovator, resourceful, practical, impatience, confusion, paradigm....
SHARE.
TRANSFORMATIVE.
Encephalopods.
KOYAANISQATSI.
Interesting words.
Balance must be reobtained... or obtained; maybe we've never had it in the first place. But it is what want. Now.
Know ourselves; and may we live in interesting times.
And always remember who you are.
20 April, 2008
Archive?
Thought it already was. Archived, that is.
Okay, so now we don't have to trash anything, but now we have to go through and select what we do or don't "archive"?
Or else????
And how do we know that where we archive it is safe?
Are we becoming too reliant on certain technologies? Should we trust the machines? Or ourselves?
Okay, sorry, getting way too Matrix for my own good.
Okay, so now we don't have to trash anything, but now we have to go through and select what we do or don't "archive"?
Or else????
And how do we know that where we archive it is safe?
Are we becoming too reliant on certain technologies? Should we trust the machines? Or ourselves?
Okay, sorry, getting way too Matrix for my own good.
16 April, 2008
Kaching! term coinage
"Forceful woman syndrome"
Not the same as being a bitch (hopefully).
Guess it means standing your ground when you think you're right, which can be an unattractive quality in women for guys who are used to pushing their shorties around.
Standing your ground, and making sure you got backup that is.
Big ups, D.
Not the same as being a bitch (hopefully).
Guess it means standing your ground when you think you're right, which can be an unattractive quality in women for guys who are used to pushing their shorties around.
Standing your ground, and making sure you got backup that is.
Big ups, D.
14 April, 2008
Oi, big ups for the Black Swans
Right on, Nassim!!!
Meanwhile..... Rothkopf's got it right.
Time for the (r)evolution?
There has to be a way that we can harness the power of markets, recognize the limitations of government, and still address the growing, glaring, unjust, and corrupting inequities in our world,'' he writes.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=a_eFNwcVrsA8&refer=home
Waddaya say?
Meanwhile..... Rothkopf's got it right.
Time for the (r)evolution?
There has to be a way that we can harness the power of markets, recognize the limitations of government, and still address the growing, glaring, unjust, and corrupting inequities in our world,'' he writes.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=a_eFNwcVrsA8&refer=home
Waddaya say?
03 April, 2008
Grandi, gli Abruzzesi!!!
ROME, April 3 (UPI) --
An Italian winemaker and philosopher has created three
wines he claims can help a person identify his or her true sexuality or
ambiguity.
This week, Franco D'Eusanio, who operates an organic vineyard in the Abruzzo
region, introduced the "masculine" red wine 'Is,' the feminine white wine 'Ea'
and the rose 'Id', for those with uncertain or ambiguous inclinations. Each
comes with a psychological test and a questionnaire on sexual behavior, the
ANSA news agency reported.
He claims the wine and material will help consumers "look within themselves and
discover their true sexual identity," the report said.
D'Eusanio said he's convinced that everyone is not purely male or female.
"Taking this into account, we have sought to link the right taste to the right
personality, starting with the choice of grapes used in the wine," he said.
His works are on display at Italy's most important wine trade fair, Vinitaly,
which opened in Verona Wednesday and runs through Monday, the report said.
You can get in contact with the winemaker himself here:
http://www.chiusagrande.com/
An Italian winemaker and philosopher has created three
wines he claims can help a person identify his or her true sexuality or
ambiguity.
This week, Franco D'Eusanio, who operates an organic vineyard in the Abruzzo
region, introduced the "masculine" red wine 'Is,' the feminine white wine 'Ea'
and the rose 'Id', for those with uncertain or ambiguous inclinations. Each
comes with a psychological test and a questionnaire on sexual behavior, the
ANSA news agency reported.
He claims the wine and material will help consumers "look within themselves and
discover their true sexual identity," the report said.
D'Eusanio said he's convinced that everyone is not purely male or female.
"Taking this into account, we have sought to link the right taste to the right
personality, starting with the choice of grapes used in the wine," he said.
His works are on display at Italy's most important wine trade fair, Vinitaly,
which opened in Verona Wednesday and runs through Monday, the report said.
You can get in contact with the winemaker himself here:
http://www.chiusagrande.com/
02 April, 2008
For D....
and V. and F.... and...
For my Englishmen and Englishwomen.
http://www.galeriemax.com/popup.cfm?ImageID=1153
Look closely!!! You'll find yourself in there somewhere.
Grayson Perry is absolutely brilliant.
For my Englishmen and Englishwomen.
http://www.galeriemax.com/popup.cfm?ImageID=1153
Look closely!!! You'll find yourself in there somewhere.
Grayson Perry is absolutely brilliant.
Kin hardly wait for the new Indiana Jones movie....and remembering the old....
Henry: Come on, Junior.
Indiana: Dad, will you stop calling me Junior?
Sallah: I don't understand. What is this Junior?
Henry: That's his name: Junior! Henry Jones, Junior.
Sallah: I thought his name was Indiana.
Henry: The dog's name was Indiana.
Marcus: Can we go home please?
Sallah: Haha, you were named after the DOG!
Indiana: I have a lot of fond memories of that dog...
25 March, 2008
The Swiss Book Lobby
http://www.buchlobby.ch/bldat/buchlobby_i.pdf
I love the Italo Calvino quote: "Scrivere e' sempre nascondere qualcosa in modo che venga poi scoperto." -- Writing is always to hide something in such a way that it is then discovered.
I love the Italo Calvino quote: "Scrivere e' sempre nascondere qualcosa in modo che venga poi scoperto." -- Writing is always to hide something in such a way that it is then discovered.
21 March, 2008
Karuna
Karuna is one of the most beautiful words I have ever heard.
karuna (KUH-roo-na) noun
Loving compassion.
[From Sanskrit karuna (compassion).]
"Once we experience and feel this inter-dependence of all living beings, we will cease to hurt, humiliate, exploit and kill another. We will want to free all sentient beings from suffering. This is karuna, compassion, which in turn gives rise to the responsibility to create happiness and its causes for all." Suresh Jindal; Interdependence of All Living Beings; The Times of India (New Delhi); Nov 13, 2003.
karuna (KUH-roo-na) noun
Loving compassion.
[From Sanskrit karuna (compassion).]
"Once we experience and feel this inter-dependence of all living beings, we will cease to hurt, humiliate, exploit and kill another. We will want to free all sentient beings from suffering. This is karuna, compassion, which in turn gives rise to the responsibility to create happiness and its causes for all." Suresh Jindal; Interdependence of All Living Beings; The Times of India (New Delhi); Nov 13, 2003.
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