What is real: in the world of blogging?

I was just thinking of what I can say that would take out a little bit of the sting that Ivy is feeling. I don't know her friend, but it is enough that she knows her, for me to sympathize.

I think that is an unexpected side effect that blogging does to us. We get to know each other for a little while, but then become good friends. This type of blog world is not any different, sometimes, than the real world. We get to know each other, little by little, and then at some point we are feeling the same things (as if we knew each other in the flesh).

Strange, this blogging world: that can bring so many diverse people together, that would never have known each other in the real world. I feel that this is part of my real world now!! I feel the happiness and the sadness of all 'here' at the swamp.

Copied and Posted for Solar.

Try not to get worried, try not to turn onto problems that upset you...

Ya know this little thing we are playing on, having so much fun on, so impressed with.....it may not be our best friend. With all this technology, they know everything about us and are at an advantage in trying to manipulate us. I thought that's why they wanted to get high speed Internet out to the deep piney woods. Don't want to miss anybody. But I ain't giving up my toys. I'll try to play nice.

And maybe worrying about it is the last thing we need to do cuz we can't change it. That's why we migrated over here to the Swamp. If you gonna have to deal with all that mud, I'd rather it be the kind you can stick your toes in and wiggle around.

Lately this song keeps popping into my head. I may have already linked it here, cuz recently I can't get it out of my head. Words are appropriate. I even sang it to one of my nurses last week. She just looked at me like I was nuts.

"Try not to get worried, try not turn on to, problems that upset you, don't you know everything's alright now, yes everything's fine and we want you to sleep well tonight, let the world turn without you tonight...."

Everything's Alright

One thing that working in the joint keeps reminding me is that we can't save people from their plight. Often they don't want saving even if they don't realize that.

And I have everything I need and am very thankful for it all. We can all still do our little part and be thankful that we can. Not worrying doesn't mean not caring or not trying to change things...but try not to get worried....


PS:

This may be coming to a city near you.



Coreen wanted to add a pic of one of last year's snow storms. Hope that we, down here in the south, don't have this. Maybe. Might be fun for a day. As long as there is plenty of milk, bread and toilet paper, huh Ivy?





Coreen sent a pic of some deer she photographed in her driveway last month.

This is one of my squirrel youngsters. She is eating a piece of wheat bread I threw out there for my little squirrels. Can you find the squirrel in the picture?

Reasons to be thankful

Thanksgiving, an American tradition, a day to give thanks and express gratitude, so for those who gather here, this is my tribute to you.

For Carol, who has welcomed us all to come and ponder at her exotic and beautiful 'swamp' along with her sister Mary and of course Carol's beloved Maggie......

She has made us feel comfortable and welcome, so that it is a pleasure to stop by.......

And here comes Chloe, with her precious Emma Nicole, she is always ready to extend a helping hand and helps keep this place together........

Along with Ivy Green, the world traveler, who has a gift

of finding just the right poem to brighten the day......

And there is Jan, who has provided us a glimpse of the land of enchantment, along with John

and Lobie......

And then there is Solar, our traveler through time, who not only engages in thought provoking

discussion, but remembers to make us smile and laugh, sometime all at the same time.....

And with him he brings some of his pals, Don,

aka 6p......., who is a wonderful source of knowledge of so many things, and even from

coast to coast, Solar's pals Rezdog and Tonyb, may jump right in when you least expect them.....

And for myself, I'm always thankful for my family, my friends, my home, I am truly a fortunate one, and to have been welcomed to this place, I am also thankful.....

So to all those who drop by, thank you again, and Happy Thanksgiving.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.... a day for 'Gratitude'.

Gratitude is more important than prosperity in determining happiness.

The field of positive psychology has established a link between gratitude and health. Grateful people sleep better than highly driven people. They take time to eat with their family rather than working late. They prepare their food more often than eating out. They value recreation and fitness about performance. These traits that coincide with gratitude contribute to physical and mental health, a stronger immune system, and fewer diseases.

Countries with high poverty, such as India possess happier citizens than countries with high prosperity, such as Japan. What is the difference? The people in India are thankful for what they have where the Japanese tend to strive constantly for more in a cultural quest for six-sigma perfection.

People with a healthy sense of well being have more self-confidence and friends, and they make more effective leaders. Therefore, it pays to be thankful for one's life and accomplishments. When someone is always striving for something bigger, better, faster, or more, this striving can be less productive than pausing to give thanks for what is here now.

"True Wealth is Psychological Wealth".
(sorry I can't credit the site that provided me with these facts - can't find it now)

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

"Most people in jail or prison, are not people who know what's going on in the world, only in their world. They are totally into their own needs and wants."

Carol has asked for a new post, and since I'm uncreative, I'm elaborating on something she said this morning, which I quoted above.

Reading that most prisoners are totally into their own needs and wants, it made me think of Don mentioning Abraham Maslow earlier in that same thread. As soon as I hear Maslow's name, whenever I think of Maslow, I always think of his Hierarchy of Needs' (of course). And I think that is the most obvious explanation for what Carol has observed in those inmates. . They are stuck in the bottom of that hierarchy, I think probably in the 'Safety' zone. I'm sure, sometimes (often?) they're even in the 'Physiological zone'.

In my opinion, it's always important that we stay aware of the importance of Maslow's 'Theory of Human Motivation', not only when judging others (something I try not to do), but also when tending to our own needs. It's interesting to focus on how high confidence and self esteem are on that pyramid, and that we need to satisfy all those lower needs before we can achieve our goals. We have to aim very high in order to achieve 'self actualization': Which seems to me to be the only route to real happiness and contentment.

Therefore, I see our most important goal in life, to be that of satisfying our own needs, and that being the only route to contributing to the world we live in and to others living here with us. I once read a book (many, many years ago) called the Art of Selfishness'. Now I realize, this is exactly what the writer was talking about, just using different words. We can contribute to others happiness 'only' by achieving happiness for ourselves. Maslow Hiercarchy of needs

Time Travel- part two

Time travel will be possible in the future: Once that we can stop them from collapsing almost as soon as they materialize. They are trying to do this by studying the effect of shooting light through it..it slows the process down, and the light appears on the other side.

This will involve looking further into dark matter; the problem with investigating dark matter is that it is reversing the life time of the Universe; as far as I know. Some think that the Universe will never end. This changes; because when you look into dark matter; and studying it; it alters it's positive energy, into negative energy when tampered with; and doing so..we could end the Universe. There are still studies being done all of this. Will explain this picture and book down the road:

Time travels--- part-one

The idea of time traveling into the past has numerous conceptual difficulties. The following paradox is well known: How about going back into the past and killing your own father before he even meets your mother? Then, you wouldn't be born. But if you're out of existence, who killed your would-be father?

Such hypothetic scenarios prevent many people from believing time travel is possible. However, the general theory of relativity allows various space-time deformations to take place and Kurt G�del, the famous mathematician, managed to prove that, according to this theory, time travel into the past can in principle exist (see the "worm hole" in the picture below).

Time travel isn't explicitly made impossible by quantum mechanics either. On the contrary, one's sense of causality is deeply challenged by it.

Some science-fiction writers tried to get around the paradoxes of time travel by using the idea of parallel universes. When one would go into the past and change something, the universe would continue on a different path. But the original universe would still continue to exist in parallel. This Oedipus time traveler comes from one universe and kills his father in a different universe.

By studying this science-fiction
idea with the help of quantum mechanics, three physicists, Daniel M. Greenberger and Karl Svozil on one hand and David T. Pegg on the other, have arrived to the same conclusion independently.

The idea in quantum mechanics is that all the possibilities do exist simultaneously in some abstract way, but they are not parallel, they influence each other. What is actually seen to happen is the result of a certain averaging process over all these possibilities - all the possible universes influence each other and blend together giving rise to the real universe. In this way, one can take into consideration even universes where time flows from future to the past - this is why quantum mechanics isn't explicitly and a priori anti-time-travel.

However, what Greenberger, Svozil and Pegg have found is that as time flows, the alternative universes that could have happened but haven't happened, get erased - these past alternatives cancel each other. Thus, if someone would manage somehow to go back into the past, one wouldn't see the universe as it was back then, one would see a simplified universe which is compatible solely with what has actually happened.

I thought I would start with Jan's hypothetical question; and will make a 2nd post that we can all tell... whom; when; why; we would like to see; share sometime with; from the past....I had 5 candidates going in...and finally settled on the one, that I think would be the most interesting and fun for me...a virtual trip would be worth the money to meet this person; instead of a complete vacation any where in the world. think about it and we can have fun on part two of this..sorry, but there is so much to talk about..that I felt getting the tech stuff out of the way first..would make the 2nd part a little fun.

CONTINUATION OF LAST POST

Carol is commenting from Houston

What about Sarah?

We needed a new post this morning because we were in the rollzone. That is when the comments go over 200 and it takes a rocket scientist to find the latest ones. I only have a few minutes and Sarah is an interesting topic for conversation these days.

I like her. She's an attractive women and that always helps. Attractive people catch your eye. She does seem real. I was impressed when she took on her own party while running for governor. You don't see too many people bucking their own party these days unless it is for personal gain and I don't really think her's was for personal reasons. She probably never thought she'd become the governor.

And being a govenor with a family and all those kids just ain't easy. Then having a special needs child really puts it over the top. She's been made fun of every which way she can be made fun of and let me tell you, what they do to her, they do to many of the rest of us women. Watch out people, one day women are going to realize their power, we'll get really tired of putting up and shutting up and wham, we'll just show ya.

And as for that stupid what did you read question that Katie asked her, that all the media thought was so funny, this is what I think. Well, being a govenor, with a large family, and still trying to enjoy a little of life, when in the hell do you have time to sit down and read??? I can't find any time for that and I don't have a family.

And my advice for Sarah is.. just talk from your heart and soul. Don't try to follow some party line. That's what will get you in trouble.

Sorry, I got up this morning in a pissy mood and this is what came out.

Crystal Blue Persuasion

Couldn't think of anything to lighten the mood

today, but then this 'oldie' came on the radio while I was driving & thought of Carol's ponders

& just knew I had to offer this. Whether it was inspired by Tommy James reading a bible passage or as others maintained a reference to drug culture, the words are inspirational, so

Carol & everyone else who may stop by today, this one's for you.

Crystal Blue

Persuasion

1989 - The year that defined today's world

What was going on in your world in 1989? 1989 was the year the Berlin wall came down, the Word Wide Web began, the oil spill of the Exxon Valdez, and the Tienanman Square massacre. I am sure I have neglected to mention other important events. When I read this in Time magazine last night, it brought back memories of 1989 for me. I too felt my world had changed - and not for the better. In May 1989 my ex remarried. He had been my best friend, despite our divorce 3 years before. His remarriage meant the true end of our relationship. One week later, my only brother was killed in an auto accident. I was living in a city I disliked more every day. I was in a relationship that was not going anywhere. I have heard it said that when one door closes, another opens. Twenty years later, I realize the truth of that saying. Toward the end of 1989, I decided I needed to move. I did move in 1990 to a city where I met John, my husband. I also found some new friends and a job I loved. I also found a great therapist there who helped me put myself back together. So, I have some questions of my old and new friends here on Carol's wonderful blog: Is there a year or a time in which your world changed? What was going on in your life in 1989? Did any of us realize the changes the WWW would bring in our lives?

Can you pass up a really good sale?

In just a little over a week there will be the infamous Black Friday sales. Are you one of those people who gets up early to go stand in long lines to get some of those deals that are on sale on Black Friday?

PARASKEVIDEKATRIAPHOBIA

Better known as Fear of Friday the Thirteenth

Are you superstitious? Do you avoid walking under a ladder.....Won't open an umbrella in the house.....Shiver if a black cat should cross your path.....If you break a mirror believe you will have seven years bad luck....when your nose itches, believe you will soon kiss or be kissed by a fool....

If so, don't worry you have plenty of company. Fear of Friday the Thirteenth ranks right up there with other superstitions. It is closely related to the fear of the number '13', otherwise known as 'triskaidekaphobia'. Believe it or not the fear of the number 13 is one of the most widespread superstitions in the United States.

There is no consensus as to the origins of these fears.

Some believe it stems from the Christian religion and the Last Supper, where there were thirteen present including Jesus and Judas. Thus the superstition that 13 people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners. And Jesus was crucified on a Friday.





Others believe its origin is in the 'goddess legend' from Norse mythology. Frigga or Freya was the free-spirited goddess of love. In order to stop the worship of the Goddess Freya, she was banished to a mountain top with her beloved black cats, where she was kept a prisoner.


One night the Goddess called to the 12 Wyches (healing wise women/priestesses) by coercing the wind to carry her voice down the mountain. She called the women to gather with her spirit under the light of the full moon & sent her beloved black cats to carry her essence to the circle. The women, thrilled to be reunited with their Goddess, were dancing wildly about, when as the legend goes, the devil was enticed out of the darkness and joined them creating a circle of 13. After that Friday, which had been known as the day of the Goddess, became known as the Witches Sabbath.

Also, from Norse mythology, the story goes, that 12 gods were invited to a banquet at Valhalla. Loki, the god of mischief, was left off the guest list and crashed the party, bringing the number to 13. True to his nature, Loki, the trickster, fooled Hod, the blind god of winter to attack Balder the Good, who was a favorite of the gods. Hod took a spear of mistletoe offered by Loki & hurled it at Balder, killing him, causing all of Valhalla to grieve. Again, the unlucky number of guests at the party was 13.

Going further back in time, to the very beginning, some claim that Eve tempted Adam with that forbidden fruit on a Friday, and as we all know, were then kicked out of paradise.

Another theory is that the origin of the superstition was a secret order given by King Philip to have all the Knights Templar in France arrested on Friday, October 13, 1307. The raid resulted in the death of most of the Templars and those that were captured were turned over to the Church charged with blasphemy, tortured and executed.

Regardless of its origins, the fear of Friday the Thirteenth and the number thirteen remains to to this day.

Make of it what you will, but for today.....here's hoping you made it through the day with no mishaps.

Turtles on a Log

Hope you enjoyed your day yesterday Solar cuz today you are just another turtle on a log, like the rest of us.

You've seen um, huh? All those turtles sitting on a log sunning themselves. They're cute. See them all the time in the summer here. When you get close they drop off the log, plop, plop, plop, maybe a few more plops, all depends on how many turtles are on the log.

We have about 8 or so turtles here, at least that is how many that have their heads out of the shell. May have a few more that think they're hiding. We see them. Might as well show yourself, you other turtles.

I woulda done a new post but didn't have a pic of a bunch of turtles on a log and didn't want to borrow one from somewhere else when I have so many I coulda taken a pic of out here. I just didn't know I would need a pic of a bunch of turtles on a log. I wonder if Ivy can find a pome about that. If I had more time I could probably write one. Yeah, if only I had more time.

I started this comment and got up to get some coffee. While I was gone, my computer decided to turn itself off to install somethin. I'm sure it probably asked my premission but I wasn't here to say no, don't do it. I just bet it knew I was out of the room.

When I got back and saw that "Window, installing updates, do not turn off your computer", I could have slapped this thing silly. But what good would that have done? It would have gotten me back by breaking. It would have had the last laugh.

It's not nice to screw with an old lady, that had to get up early, in a cold house, cuz it was hot when I went to bed and I didn't want to get hotter by turning on heat that I can't regulate, and it doesn't work that well anyway.

And then to do it before I had several cups of coffee in me. Well maybe if I woulda had those cups of coffee in me I would have slapped this thing and not cared about the consequences. We do have a Best Buy around here and these dumb things don't last that long anyway.

Well I decided to put up a new post anyway. This is not a pic of turtles on a log but if you get a magnifying glass, I'm sure there are probably some turtles on a log over there somewhere. Look really close.

On my way home from work I came up with my poem. Here it is:

Eight Little Turtles Sitting on a Log

Eight little turtles
sitting on a log,
while most of the space
Solar turtle does hog.

Little Carol turtle is
checking for warts,
while little Solar turtle
is looking for tarts.

Little Chloe turtle says
that ain't me,
and little Solar turtle
says he he he.

Little Mary turtle is
stringing some beads,
while little Ivy turtle
just sits and reads.

If little Solar turtle
find him that tart,
then little turtle clothes,
little Jan and Coreen turtle
must start.

While little Carol turtle
starts up the sup,
little Tony turtle
cleans it all up.

Veterans Day - A Remembrance

TO THE SWAMP'S RESIDENT VETERAN THANK YOU SOLAR,

Courtesy of Carol

And from Ivy: "Pome for Solar" you'll just have to squirm a little today and sit still while we thank you...

I am the flag

I look down upon this land called America.

I have been here since this great nation was formed,

I have seen each battle fought

I have seen the heroes die for me, for my country.

Thank you all those of you

Who have kept me flying in the breeze

Keeping this country united as one.

Thank you those of you who have sacrificed your lives,

Giving up all that I may still fly,

Watching over the citizens of this nation.

Thank you all those of you who have ever fought,

I am ever grateful for you.

You risked everything; you faced death each day,

Faced fear, faced many terrible things.

And because of you, my thank you's ring out,

Filling the sky, echoing from the hills

They find their way to the graveyards.

And to all of you still living,

You are a special kind of person.

To anyone who has ever served this country,

And to those serving today,

Thank you.

As I watch life from atop my flagpole,

As I think of all you've done,

My feelings become too powerful for words,

And all I can say is Thank You.

-by Jamie Burns

Today, the nation celebrates Veterans Day. A federal and state holiday set aside to honor military veterans. Historically, it celebrates the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I, when major hostilities were formally ending at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 with the Germans signing of the Armistice.

President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. Seven years later, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution requesting that the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 as the official designation. In 1938, November 11 was made the official legal holiday, a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'.

It was not until 1953, when an Emporia, Kansas shoe store owner, Al King, began his campaign to extend the celebration to all veterans, not just those who served in World War I resulted in the present day observance of Veterans Day. With the help of a U. S. Representative from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was presented to Congress and President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 25, 1954.

The act was amended by Congress on November 8, 1954, replacing Armistice with Veterans, and since 1954 it has been known as Veterans Day. Briefly as a result of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, in 1971 Veterans Day was moved to the 4th Monday of October, but in 1978, it was moved back to the original celebration on November 11 (with the exception of if it occurs on a Sunday, then the following Monday is designated the holiday & if it occurs Saturday then either Saturday or Friday may be so designated).

For me, the most striking reminder of the meaning of Veterans Day, is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (the Wall) in Washington, D.C.

For each, this day may hold a personal remembrance - a father, mother, sister, brother, family member, friend who may have served in the military. No matter who that may be for each of us, I hope that we all pause to remember, regardless of one's politics or beliefs, to remember those individuals who bravely served all of us, and to remember those that continue to serve, as they all deserve our utmost respect and honor.

A couple of weeks ago Jan mentioned that she gets scared when watching a movie even if she has seen it before. There is a reason for this. There were group studies that tested several people when watching something scary. They all knew what was going to happen; but were scared any way..when they were attached to wires, that scanned their brain...the brain re-acted in that way in order to protect the organism, that part tell us to run for safety....evolution is still very strong in our subconscious..

WHAT ABOUT GHOST'S?? Where do ghosts come from?





AS MEDIEVAL CASTLE bedrooms go, this one looks the part. Disturbing Flemish tapestries share the walls with stern portraits. On close inspection, the ornate fireplace's iron firedogs turn out to have devils' heads. This place is supposedly haunted by the ghost of Tom Skelton, a 16th-century jester said to have committed murder. The malevolent face of "Tom Fool" stares from a dimly lit oil painting just outside the bedroom.

Mystery Bone

This morning, while blowing the leaves off my back porch deck, I found a bone. It hasn't been there for long. It was on the far side of the top step going up to the deck. I would have seen it if it had been there. Even if I would have missed it recently, which I doubt, I would have seen it last week when I blew off my deck.

It doesn't appear to have been chewed on recently. There are no dogs running around unless, the neighbor's dogs get out and that usually only happens when the neighbors are not home and it doesn't happen very often.

The bone appears old and it is just over 5 inches long. What or who does this bone belong to? What or who left it there? Does someone or something want me to clear up this mystery?

We're continuing on Carol's Journey....

and are so grateful she is sharing it with us. Leave comments here. ANYTHING GOES!

CAROL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

....and many happy returns!!

November 6, 2009
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
Mark Twain

Carol, Hope you have the most wonderful Birthday you've ever had.

Hey, hey, hey it's a beautiful day

Well, as you all may know, I am very proud and happy today. And just in case you haven't heard, the New York Yankees are the 2009 World Series Champions.

The joy that the Yankees have brought me & countless others, makes me wonder, what are the things that makes one happy. Certainly sharing with family, including fur family members, friends, appreciating the world around you, the beauty that nature offers, one's accomplishments, music, art, knowledge, and yes being a 'fan' of a sports team.

Here we have shared with each other some of the things that provide us with pleasure & in keeping with how I feel today, my wish is that each of you get to enjoy something that provides you pleasure each day, even when the realities of daily life sometimes seem overwhelming.

Long Island Sound, Stormy & Serene

Last week on a rainy, stormy day we went down to the Seawall in Lordship, CT for lunch.

It was windy & raining, and I was able to get some views of Long Island Sound in a storm.

The visibility was very low & the waves were surging toward the shore, & I did get wet

taking them. It rained all that day, but the next morning the sun was out & I took a ride to the Seawall again. Just 24 hours later those storm tossed waves, had returned to the calm &

serene Sound that those who live nearby enjoy.

The shoreline in Lordship, as you can see is beachlike, at least at low tide. The long view of the shore shows a lighthouse about a mile away,which sits at the mouth of the Housatonic River as it

enters Long Island Sound.

The Seawall Lookout is a popular place to walk,& look out towards Port Jefferson, Long Island,

New York. The 2 photos of the Sound show the outline of Long Island, NY at the horizon

line. NY is about 20 miles across the sound, & there is a ferry that travels from Bridgeport to

New York, every day. If you enlarge the second sound photo, I think you will see two smokestacks at Port Jefferson, a visual point of reference for anyone who lives here. And you may be able to see a seagull in the rain as well as the sun beach scenes.