Whatever the true origin of Valentine's Day, legend has it that St. Valentine, a real priest who performed secret marriages for lovers during the reign of Claudius II, who had banned marriages of young men, was caught & while waiting to be executed, fell in love with his jailer's daughter and before he died left her a note, signed 'from your Valentine'....
Then in Great Britain in the 17th -18th century
it became popular to exchange small tokens of affection and notes between friends & lovers....
Today, the greeting card association estimates
that more than one billion valentine cards are
sent each year...with Christmas the only other
day when more greeting cards are sent....
However it started, to all of you have a Happy
Valentine's Day......
Today is also the start of Chinese New Year...It is the Year of the Tiger...the 3rd year in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac...
Today is also the start of Chinese New Year...It is the Year of the Tiger...the 3rd year in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac...
The animals of Chinese astrology are believed by many to dictate personality traits. Tiger yearsare 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, and 2022....The tiger is admired for
its vivid stripes that symbolize the balanced forces of 'yin' and 'yang'....Tigers are a force of nature, dependable, unpredictable, fearless, while tender and loving....
The legend of Chinese New Year says that a monster called the Nien or Nian would come the first day of the New Year to attack and eat crops, livestock and even children...Children dressed in red seemed to ward off the Nian, hence red is the color that is considered safe and lucky during Chinese New Year celebrations....Red lanterns, red scrolls, and red firecrackers are used
to scare off the evil Nian....A custom is for elders and married couples to give red envelopes filled with money to younger family members for luck....
Wishing you a year of health and prosperity....or 'Gung Hei Fat Choy!' (loose translation....Congratulations and be prosperous.....
77 comments:
Good morning everyone
Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Chinese New Year....here's to the Year of the Tiger....
Carol,
the krewe of barkus parade is neat...dogs are
so co-operative allowing themselves to be
dressed up....looks like great fun for all....
And I thought it was wonderful that last night
at the Olympics, the first U.S. gold medal was
won by a woman....Hannah Kearney, moguls skier...
And was it luck or karma that the 2 of the 3 korean skaters, about to sweep the medals, fell just before the end of the race, so that Apolo Ohno could pick up the silver medal in the 1500 meter short track skate, tieing him with Bonnie Blair for the most U.S.
medals in winter olympics....& also letting JR
Celski, win the bronze for the U.S. as well...
after he had suffered an awful fall injury several months ago, which could have sidelined
him from competing....but again luck, karma,
whatever it was...Go U.S.A.!!!
Great Post Coreen, and it is finally going to be my year. I'm a tiger(1950). I better make the most of it.
I watched the Olympics last night and saw Ms. Kearney win. Third place, in that event, went to an American also, Shannon Bahrke.
I'd like to say that I knew that you were a tiger, Carol, but I will leave it to just dumb luck on my part....
And sure hope that for you & Mary it is a
lucky & healthy year!!!! Time for some good
karma...
And I was too anxious in posting & left the
bronze medalist off, glad you made sure we didn't forget Shannon Bahrke....
Now outside to get the papers & feed the birds....it is still pretty cold here, but the sun is out...at least for one more day, maybe more snow Monday night....so depressing...but not so much that I need any meds...(just kidding guys)....
I also saw the short track. They do make that skating look so graceful and easy. Doesn't even look like they working that hard. And I can't even figure out how they speed up and pass one another.
I found and downloaded an Olympic application for my Iphone. I can now keep up with the events and winner.
Coreen, You did the perfect Valentines Day post. I can't believe you found all that red!
I`didn't know it was the Chinese New Year either. Great post Coreen.
Coreen, beautiful post. You did a great job of pulling Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year and the Olympics together.
The olympics were so exciting last night. I think I was happiest for JR Belski. What an amazing story he has. There is something very appealing about him.
I had a difficult time sleeping after the excitement of the olympics last night. So glad it is Sunday. I can take a long nap.
Happy Valentines Day and Chinese New Year to all ( and especially to Carol and Mary). Since joining Carol's blog, each of you has made holidays more special for me. I love waking up and coming in to visit with you.
... from the last thread:
Carol said... "I went to look at the site you linked yesterday Chloe and found a link to depression. Very interesting information there. Gives good advice for dealing with depression and seldom recommends use of anti-depressants except in extreme cases and only until they lift a person to the level where they can use other strategies. Lift depression " February 14, 2010 5:35:00 AM PST http://www.lift-depression.com/
Carol, Thanks for linking that. I'm glad you brought up that site again - the main thing that interested me on that site was the video (that I ran across trying to find out exactly what Aspergers was, after you mentioned it).
This morning, going back to it, I noticed a couple of interesting comments underneath the video written by people who have symptoms of Apsergers and Autism. The way they experience it, is that they are the normal ones, and that the way they think is the way the brain is meant to be used. They think that our emotions cloud our thinking (in my case, I'm sure they're right).
One of them even talks about the evolution of the brain in much the same way that Solar does, and I think that Solar would agree with the comment in many ways.
As far as medication, you said it yourself yesterday: We're all looking for crutches in some way or another. I just don't think it's right to question other peoples needs too much (at least to their face). There are many things that people do that I don't understand, but ... it's important to them, for whatever reason and I know they probably think the same thing about something I do. http://www.mindfields.org.uk/blog/?p=228
... sorry, you didn't say that yesterday Carol, but a few days ago, if I remember correctly.
"Since joining Carol's blog, each of you has made holidays more special for me. I love waking up and coming in to visit with you."
Jan! Well said!
Carol, Jan's right. You've done such a good thing here. Constructive and inspiring, being able to come here to discuss, vent, share, and learn. Thanks Carol!
And thanks to Jan and all the rest of you too. It's a very interactive experience here.
Jan,
Pretty sure that we all feel as you do about
stopping by here....I know I do....Carol, your
idea for this place has proved to be a success.....
Chloe,
Just wanted to add a little 'color' to the
weekend...the holidays provided the opportunity...
One thing guys...take another look at the heart & what do you see?....
" I just don't think it's right to question other peoples needs too much (at least to their face)"
Not sure what you are getting at here Chloe. I express my opinions here as we all do. I don't think my opinions are any better or worse than anyone elses. I hope we can continue to express our opinions. I don't mean it to be a put down of anyone. You might not agree with mine and that's great. Debate is how I learn.
<.......HAPPY VALENTINES.........
Coreen,
Nice job again....I did take a look at the heart, and decided that I would try to read it later...trying to also watch Fareed Z. had Paul V. on ...not much new there.
Thanks for my very own card tho......
Coreen, The words I find in that heart are: Adore, Sweetheart, Devotion, Love, Hugs, Kiss, Joy, Darling and Be Mine.
But I may be missing some.
Carol, It sounds like you took what I said personally, and I didn't mean it that way.
Coreen,
Nice Picture of my hood...today is one of a few day's that the stars, change into hearts....Nice find.!!
Carol,
I re-read that comment and it looks like one of Choles usual over all general comments...
Solar,
Did you watch our favorite Sunday morning show on CBS? It was all about Valentine's Day. They did a nice feature on the "Sweetheart City" of Loveland, Co. I mailed all my cards before I left town from their special red mailbox in the post office lobby. Everyone received them Friday or yesterday. The ones that were most delayed went to the northeast, but all arrived in time.
Sweetheart City
Loveland may be best-known, but turns out is not the only loverly place that has a Valentine mailing program.
"VALENTINE'S DAY: Loveland
No city takes Valentine's Day to heart quite like Loveland, Colo. For the past 64 years Loveland has made Valentine's Day postal cancellations a tradition, sponsoring a competition for a winning design for the Valentine's Day rhyme and the postmark that will grace all the cards that come through Loveland. An army of volunteers helps put the special Loveland Valentine's Day stamp on all the cards and letters that come through the post office. This year it's expected that the number could reach 220,000.
As it turns out, there are more than a dozen cities that also offer special Valentine's Day cancellations - everything from Bliss, N.Y., to Loving, N.M., to Romeo, Mich. and Juliette, Ga.
We met one couple who have been exchanging Valentine's Day cards like this ever since they fell in love, sixteen years ago. This year they sent Valentines cards to 16 different post offices to get the special cancellations. It's a way they seal their love with a stamp." (CBS)
Here is a link to a listing of all the zipcodes that have a Valentine mailing program.
Please Mr. Postman
Chloe,
Thanks for that link; liked it.! this is from the article. Im definitely not 'caetextia'.!!
"‘Caetextia’ is defined as context blindness caused by an inability to keep track of multiple interconnecting variables and to reprioritise any change in those variables by referring to a wider field that contains the history of them. This causes people with caetextia to resort to one of two mental modus operandi: logical, straight-line thinking or thinking by random assoc"
Yes the comments were interesting..and agree with most of it...what they did not get right is that they make no connections to emotions, and the feelings that come from them; or the lack of having them...they play a decisive role in social behavior.!
Like this person that did not get tenure...wonder if she ever had any injury to her head?? if there was any damage to the brain regions necessary for the deployment of certain classes of emotions and feelings, t heir ability to govern their lives in society is extremely disturbed..
Ivy,
I taped it for later viewing. Im starting to like the cnn line up of Candy Crowly, Fareed Z, and Howard Kurtz....they are starting to replace (since Geroge S. left abc sunday show) all of the regulars channel ones.....I can't stand to tune in and see that whiny Peggy Noonan..or Liz Cheney, the daughter of The dick-cheney...did see a little bit of it.....that show is a must to watch, thanks ....
it turns out that readers have more exalted tastes, according to the Penn researchers, Jonah Berger and Katherine A. Milkman. People preferred e-mailing articles with positive rather than negative themes, and they liked to send long articles on intellectually challenging topics.
Perhaps most of all, readers wanted to share articles that inspired awe, an emotion that the researchers investigated after noticing how many science articles made the list. In general, they found, 20 percent of articles that appeared on the Times home page made the list, but the rate rose to 30 percent for science articles, including ones with headlines like “The Promise and Power of RNA.” (I swear, the science staff did nothing to instigate this study, but we definitely don’t mind publicizing the results.)
“Science kept doing better than we expected,” said Dr. Berger, a social psychologist and a professor of marketing at Penn’s Wharton School. “We anticipated that people would share articles with practical information about health or gadgets, and they did, but they also sent articles about paleontology and cosmology. You’d see articles shooting up the list that were about the optics of deer vision.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/science/09tier.html?ref=sciencehttp://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/index.html
Did you:
give your love a cherry without a stone?
give your love a chicken without a bone?
give your love a ring without an end?
or give your love a baby with no cryin'?
If you did, he/she probably would have preferred a box of chocolates.
Carol, LOL - I love your little pome. Perfect for today.
It has been a quiet day. We met Bill & his wife for brunch this morning. It is hard for me to believe they have been married 26 years. They met at the Univ of Montana and married when they both graduated. They moved to Alb and have lived here since. I am binding both baby quilts. The baby from Colo will be here next weekend and there is a reception planned for both babies and their parents next sat. Bob and his wife are coming too.
Do you remember that song? I sang it in campfire girls.
Can't believe Bill is old enough to have been married for 26 years.
Are you watching the ice skating? You were pretty good at it yourself, I remember. You were a roller skater first, weren't you?
That Japanese couple, husband and wife, were great and had a great story. I love the stories of these athletes. It makes watching them so much more interesting.
I do remember the song. I never participated in ball-type sports, but grew up on rollerskates. We must be behind you - have not had ice skating yet. Still the speed skating here. I am waiting for the ice skating.
He will be 50 this year.
Sorry that couple was Chinese.
How old were the kids when you moved down here?
I should have put a comma in that. Sorry, that couple was Chinese. Kind of changed the meaning of my statement. Made it sound like I was sorry they were Chinese.
Coreen, About your post:
I ain't took a shower in..........??.....well I smell real good according to this article.!!!
Im your man:
In the interest of science, a group of men have volunteered to peel off their T-shirts for a sniff test by young women visiting a "love laboratory" at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) on Feb. 14. Aoife McLysaght, a curator of the exhibition, bubbles with enthusiasm when describing how the sense of smell can indicate whether a person is a suitable reproductive match. As an experiment to show that lovers prefer mates with different genes, she and her colleagues persuaded 30 male volunteers to wear T-shirts washed in odorless detergent for two straight days so they leave their unique “scent.”
“By smelling a T-shirt a woman can establish if the wearer is the right man for them,” said McLysaght, a lecturer in the School of Genetics and Microbiology at TCD. “Women will tend to prefer the T-shirts of men with a more diverse immune system. If we try to rationalize why, it is because the offspring would be more robust.”
Scientists in white coats at the love lab in the Science Gallery in central Dublin Wednesday were busy taking DNA samples to show a correlation between those of sniffers who find the T-shirt odor attractive and those who have different immune genes. In scientific terms they will be seeking with their noses traces of the pheromone androstenone, which in male testosterone is a strong indicator of certain immune genes. more at
http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/ireland/100213/love-lab-trinity-college-dublin
http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/ireland/100213/love-lab-trinity-college-dublin
Are you saying that if you found the right woman, she would like your stench, Solar?
I did see something on TV about that a while back. They tested that theory out. I don't remember exactly what happened.
Wow, the Chinese couple were fantastic. Those jumps amazed me. I am rootin for them.
Carol, LOL - about the Chinese couple.
Hmm, how old were the boys when we moved there, Lets see - they were 3, 8, & 9
Naw, science has proved that a long, time ago. Women can even pick out the natural smell, over all of that girly, girly stuff that some men smell...but not often..the natural clean smell is the best way to go...with just a little of what ever you want to put on...I used to like Canoe.
When I was young(er) and single, I liked being able to dance with a guy. I could tell by their smell if was going to like them or not. Some guys I thought were attractive I did not like (in a romantic way) because of their smell.
That was almost 41 years ago Jan. Doesn't really seem like it was that long ago. How time flies.
I remember Canoe, Solar. That's an old one also. Is it still around?
I thought that I would be able to get Coreen, or Chloe out with that one.....but I guess not. Had a bad night last night, and couldn't sleep..will go out for a walk and see if I can do better tonight...later.
Now that was another great Olympic moment...the Canadian skier brings Canada its first gold medal...and he honors his brother as well....
Yes Coreen, I was very happy for him and for his brother. Isn't it amazing how many people with disabilities, who certainly have a good reason not to be, are some of the happiest people.
Yes Carol, makes me want to just shut my mouth
when I complain how sore I feel...must try to keep perspective....
Interesting that this woman had to change countries just to try to fulfil her dream, her destiny.
I marvel at all of the skaters, I can't even
walk on ice let alone stand on skates & boy do you have to trust your partner.....
All kinds of scary things are coming out about that woman accused of shooting her fellow faculty members.
"The college professor and mother of four who is charged with opening fire on a group of colleagues at the University of Alabama Friday was also eyed as a suspect in the attempted mail bombing of a Harvard professor 17 years ago."
Professor Accused in Shootings Was Suspect in Bomb Plot</a
Also there are reports that when she "accidentally" shot her brother, she fired three shots and even pointed the gun at someone in a vehicle passing by. That doesn't sound like an accidental shooting. Sounds like she was a walking time bomb.
Missed up on that link,
http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/amy-bishop-alabama-professor-accused-in-shootings-was-suspect-in-1993-mail-bomb-plot/19358072
I don't care much for her, but I bet Nancy Grace will snoop out this case.
She specialty was neurobiology.
Her specialty. Changed the sentence and forgot to change it all.
I am sick of these baby quilts! Enjoyed the pair skating tonight. How interesting that the Japanese skater gave up her citizenship for the Soviet Union. The announcer said that was a twist - how often do you hear of someone defecting to Russia. She did well until the chinese couples overtook her.
I think Amy Bishop (Too bad for us Chloe - her name is Amy) has some problems that are mainly mental. So few of these shooters are women - so it is a real shock when this happens.
My neck and shoulders hurt from bending over to put bindings on the quilts. I tried doing the binding on my sewing machine and it was bunching up. I probably need to get my machine cleaned and adjusted. No time now. must get them done.
Carol, I don't where the time went. It has certainly moved much faster these past 25 years.
Thanks for posting that link about Bishop. It is strange that no one, saw anything strange in her behavior that day.
Really scary stuff.
Jan, someone dropped the ball on this lady at the time she "accidentally" killed her brother. That's the time she might have been stopped. Being that it was so long ago, it might be difficult to get all the facts and for some reason, the file seems to be missing. Did you read where her mom had some job on some police board or something?
Ivy, you don't live that far away. Drive up north and do a little investigating. We'll write that book with you, a murder mystery. I'm sorry, but I've always been a little fascinated with murder mysteries. Keep an eye on me peeps. Don't let the fact that I can't kill spiders throw you off.
Also, I'd love to be a detective but they don't make any money. Probably more than I used to make when I taught at the University. And they do get a car. Solving mysteries and making a medical diagnosis is so similar. You take in all the clues, analize the data and try to come up with a diagnosis. Not much difference. Make the wrong decision and someone can die. No difference.
And her husband dropped her off at school that day. She called him to pick her up, didn't mention to him that she just blew away several people. You'd think if you were planning to take out several people, you'd at least take the car that day. "Honey, I really need to take the car today, I might want to come home early"
I know she is mental but I think anyone who kills anyone is "nuts" even though they seldom meet the criteria for insanity. I think anyone who abuses their children is mental or those who commit most of the crimes these days. Even many of us who work at the jail taking care of them are nuts. Who you looking at?
And a thought did pop in my head last night, maybe she is a multiple personality. Need a little more drama here, like there's not already enough. No one saw anything strange about her before the incident. She told the cops that no one was killed, they were still all alive. Ya know with those multiple personalities, they had to have some serious trauma in their early life. I think she did.
Why, with her credentials, did she not meet the qualifications for tenure?? She had been teaching there since 2003 and, so far, no one said she was awful. Where I worked, you just had to be able to breath to get tenure. Well, maybe a tad more than that. You had to be willing to work for peanuts when there were good paying jobs out there.
Oh, a title for the book Ivy? Let's see...."A neurobiologist whose synapses went awry". Nahh. Has to be a catchy title.
Thanks again for the valentine's card Coreen. It was the only one I got. Did you send any chocolates?
If anyone is interested in the six page report of the "accidental" shooting of her brother, here it is:
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/22558993/detail.html
Anyone thinking that was "accidental" doesn't need to be working in law enforcement.
It is not easy to achieve tenure in many universities. It depends on the university and the department or School. Where I have taught the general requirements in nursing departments/colleges/schools are a federal grant that pays part of your salary and numerous peer-reviewed research publications.
Jan, I was kiddin about the tenure. It isn't easy to get, especially at large and well known Unversities.
But it wasn't real tough back at my U and in our Dept.
Isn't it sad about how that luger, who lost his life, told his dad that he was worried about that track and the turn where he was killed. Maybe he had a premonition. I have heard of others who expressed concern over doing something where later they died.
I had a friend who lost his wife in a boating accident. She was deathly afraid of boats and water and the one time she got in one, she was killed in a boating accident.
We used to hear about how we should be concerned when someone expresses the fear of dying in surgery.
If you want to find out what's in store for you in the Year of the Tiger, check out this site:
Chinese Astrology
Carol, I agree, when someone has a fear of something and especially fears dying I certainly don't want to influence their decision to do something they fear. That is why I am so glad I did not go into medicine. I don't think I could live with some of the decisions the docs make. You are having to make some of those tough decisions too. I admire you so much for the work you do and the decisions you have to make.
I wonder if it is that easy to get tenure now at the school where we both went. I chose not to go for tenure. I saw too many people get disappointed. I am greatly in favor of doing away with tenure. I think it allows some people to just sit back and do very little. I was on a tenure track for 5 years in Little Rock. When it came time to begin work on the "book" you have to prepare to go for tenure, I opted out and changed my career goal to "non tenure track." The non-tenure track means that a faculty's goals and scholarly work are education-focused rather than research-focused. That worked for me because I liked teaching more than doing research.
Jan, was there a lot of politics involved in getting tenure with your other teaching positions? I don't know what things are like now at our place. Remember, years back it wasn't easy to come by faculty to teach nursing. I do think about all the salary I passed up continuing to teach for as long as I did.
Also, if a professor is denied tenure, are they at some point terminated. Seems I read that Ms Bishop only had a few months left at the University.
Carol, yes, If a person is denied tenure they are only granted one more year at that university. That gives them a year to find a position at another institution. They have to leave.
I have not had long term positions other than in education, but yes, there are lots of politics. In the program I was in before coming here 5 people were denied tenure within a 2 year period (1994-96). One of those denied tenure had a federal grant & several research publications, etc. In other words everything the job required for promotion and tenure. She had been recommended by the Tenure and Promotion Committee but the Dean denied her tenure. She went to another university of equal status and was made associate Dean and then Dean. The same dean in (in the previous program) granted tenure to a guy who had done "nothing" to deserve it other than he was a nice guy, good looking and "kow-towed" to the dean. There is nothing that guarantees you tenure. I call the process for getting tenure a "crap-shoot."
That is another big reason I don't like the tenure process. I think promotion in the system is a good thing. That is how a faculty needs to be judged. That is how business does it too. What business is going to assure you of a lifetime job if for a few years you jump through the appropriate hoops.
I love the Chinese astrology site. What fun. I am a snake and John is a rat. Some of the stuff in the site fits too.
How did it say the snake and the rat get along?
In real life, sometimes the snake wins, sometimes it's the rat. I guess it's the same with people.
Hi guys,
Ok, I know I'm a cat, but it says a dog!!!
I think I need to read all the animal signs & see which is really me.....
Anyway, that may fit with my new post.....
All I can say Jan is, I'm glad I taught at Podunk U. We did have a good nursing program though and we had high State Board passing rates. It was getting more snooty at the end of my time there. And to have to take a big cut in salary to teach, it wasn't worth it. If you were going to teach it was better if you had a husband with a nice salary and most the people who I worked with did.
I did not see anything about how the signs get along with each other. John and I get along most of the time. We both have short fuses. We talk our disagreements out - which is the most important thing. I can truly say, there is not anyone else I would rather have as a lifelong partner.
I think Podunk U was a good school when we went and taught there. I don't think I know more than 1-2 of the faculty teaching there now.
Coreen, when I read about the rat (John), it said the rat is thought of very differently in Western society than in Chinese lore. Probably same for cats and dogs.
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