Just Added |
There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.
~ W. Somerset Maugham
Shiatsu Massage - Shoulders & Scapula
- YouTube - Shiatsu 2
- This work on shoulder and scapula looks awesome...So deep and effective.
(:youtube WXCe1K3Sizk:)
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - A Fable About Following Your Dream
The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho is an absolutely beautiful story. I received the book as a gift from a dear friend many years ago. I'm sorry it took so long for me to read this enduring work of art.
The Alchemist tells the story of Santiago, a Spanish shepherd boy with dreams of finding treasure at the pyramids of Egypt. Pointing the way are gypsies, an alchemist, and mysterious omens. But it's the boy's trust and courage that propel his journey. With The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho crafted a true fable, filled with symbols and simple truths. It's a story about following your dreams, yes. But the fable's greater message is to pay attention to the "omens" of life -- the voice of spirit. Do that and your happiness is assured. Which isn't to say the journey is without suffering. But the Alchemist in the story says...
I highly recommend this beautiful book, The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream.
Nerf N-Strike Maverick - My Favorite Nerf Gun Toy
Nerf N-Strike Maverick
Nerf N-Strike Maverick Toy Gun - I bought my son a toy, and I'm the only one playing with it.
I did this with a Nerf N-Strike Maverick toy gun, a Nerf dart six-shooter. Since it was ridiculously cheap ($8 each), I bought two so my son and a friend could have shootouts...
...I suppose that's not smart parenting on so many levels, but I won't go there.
As soon as my son unwrapped them, I opened one and starting shooting anything convenient.
NOTE: I refrained from shooting at the cat.
That was hard to resist! -- but few other temptations avoiding being a target. My wife was a favorite, as were the much too delicate ornaments on the Christmas tree.
Predicting the Stars - Sasha Pieterse
Sasha Pieterse
Mark my words, Sasha Pieterse is gonna be a star.
Saw her in a second season episode of Fox's medical drama series House. In the episode, simply called Autopsy, the (then) nine year-old actress played a nine year-old terminal cancer patient, and gave a performance well beyond her years. Second time I've seen it, and again was choked up by her portrayal. Powerful stuff.
South African born Sasha Pieterse's talent totally reminds me of the Sixth Sense phenom, Haley Joel Osment. I wonder if she'll be picked up for any heavy roles as Osment was. Doubt there's much to pick from, but if I were a screenwriter, watching her performance would have inspired me to write something just for her. What a talent.
Sasha Pieterse will be a star.
The Wiki Way - by Leuf and Cunningham
The Wiki Way: Quick Collaboration on the Web by Bo Leuf and Ward Cunningham.
Been looking for this book for quite a while now. As with Hidden Connections, I found it at a used bookstore today.
I first encountered the wiki way on Wikipedia.org, where anyone--even me--can edit and add articles. I started a few stubs, enjoyed watching them evolve, even when my precious writing was updated. Almost always, the evolution of the articles made them better. Of course there comes a point of diminishing returns.
So I played with installing various wikis, including Wikimedia (wikipedia's engine) and PmWiki, the PHP script running this wiki. Wikimedia was a monster. Huge resource hog, database driven. PmWiki was relatively resource light, no database, flat file, which at first I disliked, but as I read the developer's reasons for choosing flat file, I bought into the idea. In fact, I've become very enthusiastic, in large part because updates are a breeze. I have a Drupal blog that is MySQL driven, and version updates are a nightmare--mostly because of the damn database.
What It Feels Like Being Shot
What It Feels Like to Be Shot - Found this on Google answers. It was written in response to a question about what happens to a person if he is shot. Does he fly back from the bullet's force and drop dead/unconscious like a rock, etc. (as portrayed in movies)? Or does the victim writhe in agony as he bleeds out? The answer is...very sad.
My name is Jesse (online name Danny Bishop). I myself was shot--in the chest--on November 27th, 1994, at point-blank range with a .22" magnum revolver (single-action, convertable--to.22" LR with alternate cylinder). The bullet was likely 40-grain; the type: .224 caliber high velocity (WMR--Winchester Magnum Rimfire, MAxiMag), with a nominal muzzle velocity of 1,550 fps, from a likely 6.5" handgun barrel (applied pressure, point blank: 324 foot pounds per sq. inch). I can tell you--not from watching it happen--but from actually experiencing it, exactly what it was like...
Steve Jobs ~ Rest in Peace ~ October 5, 2011
Saw this on the Apple.com site after announcement that Steve Jobs died. He was only 56 years-old.
It's All About the People - by Lynch & Worden
It's All About the People — This article by Doug Lynch and Jennifer M. Worden compares complex, "human-capital-intensive" services/businesses: teaching/education, luxury hotel, business consulting with the goal of taking what works in business and applying it to teachers/education. My take aways...
Mother Teresa's Faith ~ In Her Own Words
Mother Teresa expressed grave doubts about God's existence and pain over her lack of faith...
Barry Kibrick Goes Between the Lines
Barry Kibrick
Between the Lines - Accidentally discovered this marvelous interview program when I stumble on Barry Kibrick's interview with photographer Robert Zuckerman. I wanted to hear more of Kibrick's interviews and found a Between the Lines archive list that includes links to interviews with Ridley Scott and Stephen Shapiro (Goal Free Living). I gotta check these out.
Is Cheap Gas Bad for Your Car
Cheap Gas and Your Car - It's a question I always ask myself when gas prices go up:
Is cheap gas bad for my car?
As I fill up the tank at Peter's Petrol, I promise my car I'll make up for this abuse and feed it better gas next time. But is there anything wrong with cheap gas?
Here's what I found.
Unified Theory of Heart Disease - by Linus Pauling
The story of coronary artery disease (CAD) begins with where artery blockages occur and where they don't. Typically, blockages occur in the coronary arteries on the outer surface of the heart. However, blockages are not often found in arteries or veins in any other part of the body (though carotid blockages are becoming more common). Furthermore, the CAD blockages do not naturally occur in other species. What's different about the coronary arteries of the human species that make them vulnerable to heart disease?
To explain the difference, Linus Pauling posited a theory, his Unified Theory of Heart Disease. Pauling observed that the CAD blockages occur in areas of high mechanical stress. Due to their location, these arteries are subject to continuous squeezing, pulling, and tugging from the ceaseless contractions of the heart. Like a garden hose that's repeatedly compressed or squeezed, this mechanical stress has the potential for causing damage. Normally, the body quickly repairs that damage, and in most other mammals (those that do not naturally suffer from CAD), the repair is seamless. In humans, however, the repeated repair process leads to CAD. Why?
Children of Men
Clive Owen - Children of Men
Children of Men - Directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), the film seems to be shot almost entirely with a hand-held camera, and most scenes play out without any cuts (single shot sequence), so you get the feeling your walking through the events as a participant or observer. Very cool. That climactic scene at near the end looks like it's entirely one shot, no cuts, and it goes on for many minutes, all with bullets, sfx, movement, action, dialog...amazing accomplishment for a single shot...though it turns out they did use CGI to blend some cuts and elements, but still...the impact is substantial. You feel like you're right there.
Cure Cancer with Rice Bran?
Rice Bran Cures Cancer - This article exposes a potential cancer cure from Japan that's been overlooked. Here's the basic idea:
Cancer cells contain more iron than other cells (to support growth). Seed and rice bran contains a compound (inositol hexaphosphate or IP6) that "chelates" or binds iron, making it unavailable to fuel the tumor cell's growth. Man-made chelating drugs can work, too, but most have dangerous (even toxic) side effects, and their effectiveness appears to be inferior to the natural sources found in seed or rice bran.
Portrait of a Father - by Karyn Sigurdsson
Love this image by Karyn Sigurdsson. She titled it Portrait of a Father...which I think is perfect.
Aurora Borealis - Superb Time-Lapse Video ~ Terje Sorgjerd
Wanna experience what the Aurora Borealis is like?
Watch this incredible video by Terje Sorgjerd.
(:vimeo 21294655:)
Dalai Lama's Instructions for Life
Can't vouch that this really came from the Dalai Lama, but it's good advice.
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs:
- Respect for self
- Respect for others and
- Responsibility for all your actions.
Average Playboy Playmate by Jason Salavon
Jason Salavon created a photo of the Average Playboy Playmate. As Salavon describes:
Unfortunately, the resulting image IS safe for work...
Andy Rooney on Atheism (Quote)
Spielberg's Munich
Ayelet Zorer
Recently watched Steven Spielberg's Munich with Eric Bana. It's a long film, about 2 hrs. 45 min. Eric Bana was great, as were all the other actors, but I was particularly mesmerized by the woman who played Bana's wife, though she was in only a few scenes.
Turns out she's a very well respected Israeli actress. I get it. She was perfect, communicating the whole/soul of her character in seconds. Her name...well, she seems to go by a few. The movie credits her as Ayelet Zorer, but I've seen Zurer and variations of Ayelet too. Her middle name seems stable and is "July." Maybe it was because she was one of the few women who appeared in the film, but I found her performance right on, rich and textured. All in probably less than five or ten minutes of screen time.
>>Next page>>