The month of September is backed up with project deadlines, so:
- Plan to post pictures for the next couple of months, on Fridays.
- Talk to you in November.
- Do stop in to see the pics before then though.
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Archive for August, 2007
… literally.
Took my grandson to a dog show a couple of weekends ago. (His mommy said he really, really wanted to go. And he, all of 14 months old). I’m the practical grandma. The doting grandma lives 6 hours away. I’ll say one thing for grandkids: they take you to places you never imagined you’d go.
Don’t ask about breed names… ended up with way too many of them floating around (and outside) my memory.
(below) The ‘dreadlock rasta’ dog. All that was missing was a rasta-colored outfit.
(below) Was told these dogs date back to the pyramids
(below) Die Rottweilers
(below) Miniature schnauser
(below) Afghan – before
(below) Afghan – after
(below) 2 of 101? (dalmatians)
(below) My current favorite: a hound of baskerville [ok, so it's not exactly... it's an irish wolf hound]
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I’ve attempted twice(!) to blog about this very disturbing matter. Hope third time’s a charm.
Behavior change.
The one and only key to containing the HIV/AIDS scourge.
By behavior change, I mean:
1. Abstain. (the one and only way – that we know of so far – that keeps you and your ‘nads away from the whole ’sexual transmission’ business).
If you will not do 1, then do 2 and 3:
2. Be faithful TO ONE PERSON! (not to multiple partners).
3a. Buy yourselves chastity belts. When the person you’re being faithful to is not within your line of sight, lock the suckers up and hang on to that key for dear life. (Yes. That whole “don’t you trust me?” debate is superseded by “human nature“).
3b. Bribe all the locksmiths in your ‘hood and anywhere else you may travel, to tell anyone who wants their chastity belt unlocked “sorry, we don’t have the requisite technology.”
FORGET CONDOMIZING!
Why? you ask. Have I suddenly joined the moralist camp and am preaching abstinence until (and beyond) marriage?
No, I have not joined them. I am simply acknowledging that they were right all along! They argued that behavior change was the way to go, and clearly, it is.
’nuff said. See for yourselves.
20 million condoms recalled in South Africa. Because a person at the South African Bureau of Standards was bribed by the manufacturers to pass faulty condoms. This just after government had managed to convince a large number of people to use condoms.
Wooptie-freaking-do!
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I finally got the answer to a question I’ve been asking for the past 3-4 years. Copper sulphate.
All I remember of the substance was that we used it to grow crystals in a high school lab. And my last known sighting of it was while watched Mandingo in high school (oops, had I said the lust affair (with muscle) started in college? Revise that to high school). If I remember correctly, it (or something as blue as it) was used to kill the .5 baby that resulted from the sexual relations between mandingo and massa’s wife.
Sexual relations is a great segue into the start of my search for the substance. Remember back when Clinton was getting impeached for errant ways? That wonderful man at 60 minutes suggested they put into Clinton’s water what they used to put into the army’s water supply in world war II (and probably the korean war and vietnam). It would lower his libido to manageable levels.
I’ve been asking around about it ’cause sometimes you just get tired of this war going on between the body and the brain, and of course the brain wants to have the last word, so it goes in search of something that will silence (preferably forever) the nuisance body that can’t see that the brain keeps blocking ‘the action’ for a darned good reason! (how’s that for a run-on sentence?)
I mentioned it casually, unconsciously, in conversation today. Color me surprised when someone volunteered the answer. Though I was cautioned that it is only known to cool male libido. (And please let’s not get into the myth of males wanting it more than females ‘coz it’s just that. A myth).
Next step: do additional research on possible fallout from consuming it. If it turns out not to be thaaat bad: consume it, fire ‘the talent’ and finally lead an ascetic, cerebral life. Even if temptation comes at me from all angles, I’ll simply look up from what I’m reading/writing and think to myself “why is he behaving so strangely?” Or better yet, amuse myself with writing ethnographies on human male attempts to mate with unresponsive (and untormented) females. Hah! finally mind wins decisively over matter. (one is allowed to live in hope).
If it turns out to be worse than the alternative? The search continues…
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Did the movies the other day. Die Hard 4 and Bourne Ultimatum were going to start within 20 minutes of one another and I wasn’t sure which one to pick. Wanted to watch both but only had time for one. The ticket salesperson was very helpful. Indicated they were both good. Finally went with my teenage hero, Jason. We forged a bond all those years ago, with the background audio being bellows of “who took my books?”, which would be answered by my very practiced and polished look of wide-eyed innocence which said “do you suspect lil’ ol’ me of such an unspeakable act?”
The two things that struck me most (apart from everyone’s complexion being really sallow!).
1) The Morocco footage. Stunning. The tiles were orgasm-inducing. Don’t ask. I just… have this thing about tiles. They do things to me…
2) The credits. If you ever sit in a movie theatre after everyone else has left and the lights have come on; and you see someone else sitting there and watching the credits roll by, you’ll know you’ve happened upon me. I think the credits are like a movies 101 lesson, and every so often, they yield a reward e.g. in XMen 3.
Those bourne ultimatum credits were long! They had to run through teams in spain, london, morocco, and lord knows where else (they were that long). The word “post-production” jogged my memory about something I recently heard. That Morocco’s trying to make an impact on African movie making. Since they don’t have the billions of cash to fund such a move, they’ve gone the route of providing post-production and editing facilities. Can’t find online evidence at the moment (my google skills, v. limited and unimaginative), but the info did come from a credible source.
Hmmm wonder if the scripting of Tangiers into movie was something the Kingdom lobbied for? Or if it was simply that opportunity knocking on the door and they managed to leverage it?
Just finished (finally!) watching Love & Basketball. Loved the plot though I kept thinking “how would bell hooks break this one down?” Liked that Monica didn’t give up her career to be with Quincy. Hated that her sticking to her guns meant she had to go so long without him.
I did find it disturbing that little Quincy was so violent (to the point of scarring for life) towards little Monica, and then they end up getting together. What was that about? Plus Sanaa was the main character in the story, so why doesn’t her name come first? But I quickly suffocated that voice and allowed myself to pretend blissful ignorance for the rest of the movie.
My two favorite things? (other than all those beautiful brown people:)
1. The chemistry between Monica and Quincy. I felt that sizzle all the way in my chair! I’d love to know how actresses manage to turn all those sparks off and to move on to the next gig. Lord knows I could use some of that wisdom.
2. The muscle! Outstanding. Totally envied Monica that cut look, and melted at the sight of Quincy’s shoulders (sigh!) and washboard abs (drool!).
It plunged me right back to my jock undergrad days. [Why can't life just be one (great) college experience?] I played on a JV team, held down the bench and occasionally saw play time. Attended every practice though. The discipline and focus, going back to school in the summer to start practice. The freshly-mowed grass, sprinklers, water fountains, sweat dripping from the body, muscle definition, hanging out during non-practice time in track suits/shorts and muscle shirts and slippers, being able to eat anything and not have it stick to you, icing sore ankles or shins, wearing knee or ankle braces…
Worked the equipment room and got to know something of the kit required by different teams (especially when packing for away games): baseball, basketball, lacrosse, hockey, soccer, swimming… Guys would get free jock-straps, girls would get an allowance to buy sports bras. Hooray for equality! and anchored flapping bits.
Some smart alec guys would wait until a girl was (wo)manning the equipment room, then they’d walk on over to the counter and ask for a LARGE size jock-strap. One girl would make a point of leaning over the counter, sizing them up with a glance and saying, “you just need a small”. It had to do with hip size… nothing else. Must have been where my lust affair with muscle began 
Back to present-day my world, and to dealing with well-insulated mid-sections while stealing glances at sport honed ones. I know, I know, the depths of shallowness.
Speaking of which… trying to figure out what sport to get into. Running is so! B.O.R.I.N.G! (can you tell the endorphins haven’t kicked in yet?) So is cycling. Can’t swim right now ’cause “my pool” is still being attended to by the collective molasses that is the guys tiling it. So difficult to get industrious help these days… you’d think there was a pool tiler strike on at the moment (Lord knows there are enough strikes currently ongoing), given the pace they’re moving at.
Dismissed thoughts of soccer or hockey. Feel (and probably am) too old, inflexible and horribly unfit for either. Squash was considered… we’re still playing around with that idea. I’d have to learn to play it with my non-dominant arm though ’cause I messed up my dominant arm back when I used to play it. Tennis sucks (ok so I’ve always spent most of the time searching for balls hit out of bounds). Golf might be cool but it’s not really that physical. Sigh!
Maybe I should explore boxing. Give myself a perfect excuse (knocked on the head by punching ball/bag) for some of the dumb stuff I get up to. Or perhaps it is time to gracefully give in to age, and go the martial arts route
Happened upon this here scrybe software. It looks absolutely incredible and user-friendly. Only downside would be that any (net-savvy) person would be able to see what your daily schedule looks like (yep! watched one too many spy movie).
Anyone know how to get on the beta testing list? Puhleez hook a sista up.
