Woman goes to hospital for baby, comes back...altered

Woman becomes quadruple amputee after giving birth.

There's just not much I can say about this.

Maybe you can say it for me, in the comments.

Lori

Another reason to not get a tattoo

Get a tattoo if that's what you want, but how much can you really trust the person who's doing the art?

Man sues over penis tattoo

A football fan is suing a tattooist who drew a penis on his back instead of his favourite team's badge.

The teenager asked to have the Boca Juniors logo etched on his back.

But the tattoo artist was a supporter of rival team River Plate and decided to have some fun at his young customer's expense.

The victim, who cannot be named, said: 'I could not see what he was tattooing because he didn't have a mirror. I only saw it when I got home and showed it to my parents.'

Poor guy.

Lori

A Positive Monday

Last week was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster (sorry, Metro), with money worries, cat to the vet (different one this time), other cat still peeing in corners (must be behavioural now), planning to go to Vancouver for a quick visit (fraught with a dentist appointment, but also a chance to see friends), hearing from the Children's Festival (one day I had the consolation prize job, the next, they apologized and offered the 2nd-in-command job to me)...and so on.

You know those weeks.

So, this Monday morning, I thought I'd start the week off right, with a bit of positive thinking. Without further ado, cribbed straight from Az's post, "a few favorite things", here are some of my favourite things:

• the first sip of beer going down a parched throat (esp. in summer)
• reading in bed in the morning, with cats, and my husband brings me a coffee
• leisure time, and a good book to enjoy it with
• crossing items off a To Do list
• washing dishes
• a really good sandwich
• saucy stuff on rice
• coffee with a friend (PJ, call me today if you've got time!!)
• Flow
• dark chocolate
• sunny, early spring days
• really deep backrubs
• roadtrips
  

Anything to add, folks? I know I could go on.

Lori

There's actually hope for Garfield

Found this forum thread out there in the ether today, that makes a superb point. The utter stupidity of the Garfield comic strip really gains something when it loses the cat's thought bubbles.


Now it's a rather poignant strip about a lonely, awkward man and his cat.

Lori

Some thoughts on habits...

The Nag posted a few days ago about Blue Monday -- the day 'experts' have decided is the most depressing day of the year, because you've realized you're utterly in the hole financially, and you're nowhere near to living up to any of your resolutions.

Metro posted yesterday about trying to be a bit more succinct, and blogging less.

And Healthbolt (a pretty nifty blog on health tips and body tidbits, compiled by a guy named Wade) posted today about simple, no-equipment, workouts. Wade makes a very important point:

Trying to start one habit is tough enough without adding other habits.

'Tis true. "I resolve to get up an hour earlier each day to work out." That's 2 resolutions. Waking up early is a whole other habit, and you want to add working out to it? Two chances for failure. He then links to this interesting little site called Habiq -- a site devoted a very worthy goal:

Habiq helps you improve your habits and make your days more productive and pleasant.

That said, I must admit I like my only resolution this year -- "I will stop caring about what the slut starlets are up to." Easy. Just stop reading the gossip blogs, and headlines on gossip rags in the checkout line. [I knew my limitations for real change.]

Lori

Speaking of Idealism...

One of my favourite actors, Mr. Kevin Bacon, has done something good with the whole 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' thing that has hounded him for years -- redirected that energy to a lovely new charity networking site, Six Degrees. It launched on the 18th of this month, and a few stars are already on board. Individuals can donate money to a star's cause, or you can sign up to "become the star of your own cause" (as Kevin so elegantly puts it), and raise money for something you believe in.

....

I was going to rant on fame, but have decided against it. I just sound like a prude.

Personally, I would not want to be famous. I'm not talking well-known in your community -- that's cool. But fame in the sense of worthy to be noticed by Perez Hilton? No way. [I've actually managed, all of the New Year so far, to stay away from his site, and GoFugYourself...I was starting to know too much about what Britney was up to!]

What do you think about fame? Rant away!

Lori

Sometimes the obvious is moving, not absurd

If you haven't watched this over at Raincoaster, then watch it here.

The Message:



And maybe someone can explain to me why, if these sentiments are universal, people in power lose sight of them?

Yours, in idealism,

Lori

I know I promised...

...but how could I resist a scuba-diving cat??

Here's the link to the video.

I'll try to go 2 weeks with no cat content. Promise.

Lori

The Blogroll Grows

I've felt the need to update my blogroll here, and at my Book Nook, with a few more of the blogs I read regularly, and who seem to be reading mine: cat-loving, Spain-living Azahar (Casa Az), spider-fixated, rather literary Archie (Archies Archive), and the amazingly economical David of the Very Short Novels.

Cheers,

Lori

*gasp* can't...stop...laughing

Okay, I've been stumbling about for a bit here, and have found loads of wonderful things to blog...but then this hit me -- Insane Japanese Costumes:


Seriously, go and read the whole site. When you regain your composure, come back, and I'll show you something else.

Don't worry. I'll wait.

[while waiting, we'll listen to some some mellow blues in the background, probably John Lee Hooker's album, The Healer (check out the samples on the Amazon.com page)]

Okay, now that you're back, I thought I'd throw some interesting anime your direction, found here.

Wonderfully weird.

Have a good night.

Lori

"Go" East, Young Man

A while ago (eons?), I lived in Korea for 3 years. Before that I worked at a big game store in Vancouver...and had been fascinated by Go. I had wanted to learn, but never did.

Then came Korea, where they take this game mighty seriously (as seriously as Japan? Don't know). They have a Go channel, with the camera on the board, hands moving in, placing tiles, running commentary in that voice shared with golf announcers. Seriouser and seriouser.

So one day, I went to a Buddhist temple with a su-nim (Buddhist monk) I had met. [One of my very few regrets in life is that I've lost touch with her -- my fault.] We popped into her friend's room before dinner (yum...Buddhist monks are well-fed...no garlic, hot pepper, or onions though, might heat the blood!), and he couldn't talk because he was so totally wrapped up in the game on the Go channel. 'Twas funny, but also taught me about my preconceptions of Buddhist monks...but that's another post.

Anyway, the point to all of this is that I found a great site today that teaches you how to play Go. So check it out, and if you come to visit one day, maybe we'll be able to play!

Lori

What everyone needs...

Found a company a little while ago that sells only 1 item -- the Weasel Ball.

Bragging Rights
All your life you have wanted to order something from a website called WeaselBalls.com. That day has arrived. If you order more than one, you can tell everybody you know that you "bought some weasel balls off of the internet." The story alone is worth the purchase price several times over. If you so desire, we will write, at no cost to you "CAUTION: WEASEL BALLS INSIDE" on the outside of the box. We are completely 100% serious. Your mail carrier will think you are so awesome. If you desire to be less awesome, we can mask the fact that you just ordered something from a website called WeaselBalls.com. We will work with you to fulfill your Weasel Ball needs.

They are serious. They will sell you a weasel ball, as many as you like, actually.

I'm not going to comment on weasel balls being a great cat toy...'cause I promised to hold back on writing about cats.

Lori

Always fun, always absurd

It's not new, it's not even topical, it's just something everyone needs to have around, on your shelf, or in your bookmarks: The Shakespeare Insult Kit.

Here's a sample...and if you've forgotten how to do it, start with "Thou..." and add one word from each column.

 Column 1            Column 2            Column 3 

  artless             base-court          apple-john
  bawdy               bat-fowling         baggage
  beslubbering        beef-witted         barnacle
  bootless            beetle-headed       bladder
  churlish            boil-brained        boar-pig
  cockered            clapper-clawed      bugbear 

Insult your literate friend today.

Lori

My addition to the iPhone babble

Just found this:
Yadda, yadda, yadda...

Lori

Honesty

Just had a lunch time run-in with Metro...when I placed a bowl of Habitant pea soup (that's an Amazon.com link, if you can believe it!) and a plate of hot baking powder biscuits in front of him, his response was: "Did you just make these?" I smiled, and said "yes." Something in my smile made him not believe me! "No, you just heated them up, right? Right?"

No, Metro, I made the damn biscuits while the soup was heating, while you were mucking about on the computer!

Anyway, I wasn't going to blog about that, until I StumbledUpon Dominic Wilcox' Honesty Stamps.

Love, you might want to get one, for future use.


Lori

On Procrastination

I just ran into a recent study on procrastination reported on on the Discovery Channel:

Jan. 12, 2007 — Procrastination in society is getting worse and scientists are finally getting around to figuring out how and why. Too many tempting diversions are to blame, but more on that later.
....
[and yes, the story does continue!]

Somebody was just having too much fun...

Lori

I know I promised, but...

...this is just too absurd to pass up.

In the midst of my cat's woes (and my cat woes), Metro thought he'd be helpful, and sign me up to a cat-related newsletter.

The first one wasn't too bad. "Does your cat have nine lives?":

I asked one of our writers to do a little research and tell us about this ancient proverb.

Okay. Cool.

Yesterday, I got another: "Can you read your cat's mind?"

"Okay. A cat psychology thing," I thought to myself. But then I went to the site and found:

Step 1. Believe in your psychic ability.

"Warning! Warning!" My bs-detector went off like a claxon.

Then there was the one this morning: "What's your cat's sign?"

Gadzooks.

Lori

My Murphy Trap Springs (Again!)

I'm sure I've explained my use of the Murphy Trap before...But since I don't feel like looking it up, I'll do so again.

We all know Murphy's Law, right? Well, instead of trying to avoid it, why not turn it on itself, and make it work for you?

We've all done it, in small ways. You're waiting for a phone call, so you take a shower...The bus is taking forever, so you start walking to the next stop...

I believe you can apply this powerful force to your career search. And I've done it, rather successfully in the past, and seemingly, in the present.

Right now, Metro and I are a little behind the 8-ball, financially. So, last night, I made a vow to contact this call centre here in town, get a 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. job there, so that I could still have part of my afternoons to network and be available for projects.

I had gotten my brain wrapped around that eventuality, and was ready to go. Then, I got the call. One of my networking seedlings has born fruit. I'm meeting the director of the local Children's Festival for coffee on Friday morning.

Cross your fingers, knock on wood...whatever works best for you!

Lori

A Cornucopia of Cats

Because of my recent focus on my kitties, and their health, I've received lots of new cat-related email lately.

So, thanks to Nag, this very disturbing video:



Yes, advantages exist, but...I get spine-tingling chills at this.

From Creatrix, and incidentally, from Japan as well (via Dark Roasted Blend), comes this adorable cuteness -- again with that disturbing element.






So, what are you supposed to do with these? Duh, isn't it obvious?

Look adorable.

Shake hands with someone as wacky as you.(for more, check out Akihabara News)

And I wasn't going to blog today.

Enough with the cats! (I promise)

Lori

But cats are supposed to be stress-free pets!!!

Well, Nabi's problem is medical. I can't believe that I'm (almost) glad my beautiful kitty has a health problem -- but then, it's cured with special food and, right now, some antibiotics. A behavioural problem is another matter altogether (check out azahar's cat fight head/heartache), so I'm somewhat thankful (touch wood!)

And this morning, getting the antibiotics down her gullet wasn't that difficult. The only question is, will she let me do it again?!?

Also via azahar:
Thought cat owners out there would appreciate that.

Lori

"...a befuddled bichon frisee..."

This post is from Subservient Worker's archives (over at Wide Lawns & Narrow Minds), but it is a delightful sample of the people she deals with every day in her work...and jaw-droppingly absurd.

Lori

Serial Diners achieve Boing Boing 'fame'

Years ago, (early 90s) I dated the founder of the Serial Diners...and went to a number of Friday at 6 p.m. restaurants -- right on schedule. (Hi folks! I've been lurking on your website on-and-off for years! How're you doing? Drop me a comment if you come by...)

Now, after they've been going strong for what? 20 years?... they get noticed in Boing Boing. You're a little late, guys. These intrepid diners suffered through the Bistro Year, and the Cafe Year -- where was their fame then?

Now, as they prepare to start their 2007 Season with the Ichi & Sushi Shoooow!, these people are going to be mighty healthy eating nothing but fish and rice for the next two months.

Ah, the memories...One night, after discovering that our spot was actually closed (foreclosed, I think!), we went around the corner and "Filled up at Harveys" (read the rules) at this wonderful Italian place. I had the most luscious meal of my young life there -- a cuttlefish pasta, with both the sauce and the pasta made from cuttlefish ink. Yum.

Lori

A Thought for 2007

Use what talent you possess. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.

Henry Van Dyke