Cats Training For Something

Exercise Video with Sparky and Jet:




Sparky: I'm Shparky, cuz I'm bright. I make mashine go.
Jet:      I gotta work off those treats. They call me Jet. Ready for takeoff, Sparky.

Sparky: I make mashine go fasht.
Jet:      Look. I run so fast my paws go blurry. 

Crowd:  Run Sparky, Run!

Sparky: Yeeeeeaaah! Look at me go weely fasht.
Jet:      I'm hungry.
Sparky: I make mashine go shloooow and shtop.

If you're celebrating a long weekend do not forget to exercise. What am I saying? I am not your coach.

Have a great weekend.

Deprived Cinephile

Summertime triggers fond memories of going to the movies and the anticipatory excitement I used to feel as a child and teen.  Back in my time, which was yesterday, there was a period where I had what seemed like unlimited access to University and Repertory theaters.  They showed the gems of film making, many foreign and art house, where the emphasis lay on telling great stories through a visual medium.

It was in those theaters that I first experienced the dark comedy "Delicatessen" by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, discovered the theatrical and disturbing vision of Peter Greenaway, watched and marveled at Ridley Scott's "Alien" and "Blade Runner", craved "The Scent of Green Papaya" or traveled through Italy with the quirky protagonist of "Caro Diario".

Repertory cinemas, where fellow film aficionados sit in respectful silence have been closing. The foreign film section appears to be getting smaller and I do not think I have watched a movie about an artist since "Pollock". As a fellow cinephile friend of mine often states: "They just don't make them anymore".

If you have any unique or original movies to recommend please do.

Within the current trend of CGI and remakes of remakes, "Immortals" looks original and visually interesting. Directed by Tarsem (who also directed The Cell) and starring Mickey Rourke as Hyperion. It may not be deep and profound, but I am hoping for at least some geekcitement.

Imaginary Conversation: Antimatter

The following conversation is fictitious. Any resemblance to living persons is purely coincidental.

Dr. Wu: Did you hear? CERN scientists just published an article that they have trapped antimatter for over 16 minutes.
Dr. Bernard: Yes. They confined antihydrogen for 1000 seconds. Incredible. This will bring us closer to studying and understanding the laws of nature and physics.
Dr. Wu: Whatever happened to America's Super Collider that they were building in Texas?
Dr. Bernard: The project was scrapped in 1993 due to budget cuts.
Dr. Wu: But they already built over $1 billion worth of infrastructure.
Dr. Bernard: Yes. It would have been the world's largest particle accelerator, 3 times as big as the Hadron Collider in Europe.
Dr. Wu: It would have been such a great contribution to science.
Dr. Bernard: About $8 billion dollars to complete it was too much, especially since antimatter cannot be used as an energy source or to make an antimatter bomb.
Dr. Wu: That was an entertaining book.
Dr. Bernard: Speculative fiction.
Dr. Wu: So, what have they been up to instead?
Dr. Bernard: Other than making movies? Advancing technology based on fireworks.
Dr. Wu: HA! That was a good invention, wasn't it?

June Awards and the Geek Award goes to...

A while back I received the Great Commenter award from Paulsifer and A Little Sprite. Thank you both, I really appreciate it. I am paying it forward to the following bloggers who show up regularly and take the time to comment.

Al Punwater, who leaves some of the funniest comments behind and makes me chuckle and laugh on a regular basis.
Jayne, for sharing her knowledge of and passion for the Arts with everyone.
Nubian, who still manages to rescue the world with kindness, compassion and humor, despite self-proclaimed consumption of copious amounts of wine.;)
Meg, who falsely claims that she is half crazed, when she leaves rather sane and funny comments about cats and geckos. Thank you for showing up and commenting.

***

Awards show our appreciation for what fellow bloggers post. Only in the blogosphere can one receive an award just for showing up, inspiring others or making someone laugh.  Even though some bloggers consider them BTDs (blogger transmitted disease) and they are ubiquitous and come with rules, which I usually ignore, (because, well, the award police has yet to make an appearance), they are welcomed, especially when sincere.

Before I joined the blogging community, which allowed me to meet some incredible people, I noticed that once again the geeks were being left out. There is nothing wrong with pink and pretty, but even when it comes to frivolous blog awards, the geeks are not being represented. That void needed to be filled and after laborious efforts and experimentation, (Oh. Look. My basic paint software has a spray can, but can't layer), I managed to create this:

It is a stunning work of art, isn't it?

*crickets*

Anyhooooow, this shiny new Geek Award is bestowed upon some fellow geeks, who write about science, nature, gaming or other geeky interests.

A Little Sprite, a fellow natural history buff, nature geek and wildlife expert, who knows everything or if she does not, will look it up. 

Paulsifer, who ponders the depth of human behavior and statistics and is an avid gamer.

Vinny C, another game geek, bird watcher (ask him, birds are his PASSION), who openly admits his interests, which include anime and scifi.

Doctor Cynicism, who is deeply involved with the study of "why aren't all humans using their brain?" and started a campaign called Darwin Weeps. He spends his spare time annihilating titans and creatures.

Jono, a proud geek, who shares what he finds with the rest of us geeks. I'm convinced he owns a T.A.R.D.I.S.

Rules? What rules? Give it to someone who is openly geek.

Thank you all for being part of this blogger's Jeesh.

The Creative Writing Project Written By Fellow Bloggers 1

This is a fun creative writing project written by fellow bloggers in 5 minutes or less. Feel free to continue the story, add some dialogue or whatever else inspires you. Silence that inner critic, better yet send him/her for a walk, this is not about writing well, but having fun at creating something. Some courageous fellowers have already contributed. There are no rules, add more than once if you like, just one request, please keep it "clean", I prefer to avoid search terms that will gravely disappoint some poor soul out there.  I will post it in the sidebar under Categories so that you can continue to read and add to it. The mystery so far...

Untitled

by

1. Antares Cryptos, 2. A little Sprite, 3. Jono, 4. Claire Beynon, 5. Marylinn Kelly , 6. Elisabeth ,
7. Vinny C, 8. Sprite, 9. Antares C, 10. Marylinn and...

1. He had no recollection of how he had ended up here, wherever here actually was.  Disoriented, he looked around but could not discern much detail. A strangely familiar scent lingered in the air. He thought he heard footsteps. "Hello?" he called, when...

2. ..suddenly there was the sound of metal scraping on reluctant ancient hinges and a door ponderously opened before him. A brilliant white light streamed in from the opening, blinding his eyes and he held a shaking hand to them while they adjusted to the glare. When he lowered his hand, there, before him, a dark figure outlined in the doorway was...  

3. ...beckoning silently. "Wh..Who are you?" he wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't come. He felt drawn, pulled even, he moved slowly toward the figure. As he got closer the familiar scent grew stronger and his eyes adjusted further. Stood before him was a woman dressed from head to toe in white robes. A hood covered her head and part of her face, but he could still tell she was extremely beautiful yet unfamiliar. She continued to beckon and he wasn't afraid. She moved aside as he reached and passed through the doorway into the light. Once through he turned briefly away from her to see...

4. . . . a giant plumb bob, swinging from West to East like the slowing pendulum of an old, old clock. Cumulus clouds gathered on the horizon, growing in volume as he watched - and increasing in dimension and momentum. He ducked as a flare of white lightning sparked across his path, glancing back to where she stood, silent and inscrutable, her ice-blue eyes taking everything in but giving nothing away. . .

5. except for a darting glance toward his clenched left hand, a look so quick he thought he imagined it. As he stood, just for a moment, to plan his next steps, he opened his hand and discovered a map had been drawn on his palm. There were few landmarks, nothing as helpful as a giant "X" and "You Are Here." But the lines were clear and unsmudged and indicated, he hoped, a path toward open country where, if luck was with him, he might find...

6. ...some clue, as to the identity of the woman in white robes, who shimmered in front of him as if she were a ghost. His name was Simon. How could he forget? But hers? What was her name?
The woman did not speak, not at first, but she held out her hand as if to welcome him forward into her ...

7. ... Once again, that mysterious power she had drew him in. Only for a second, he glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the door he had come through. It was gone. He knew he should be worried, but he wasn't. "Shouldn't I try to find an exit? Some way back?" Simon asked himself, No. Those feelings were strangely subdued. All he could think about was this strange place, that strange, beautiful woman with those piercing blue eyes. He turned to where she stood. She was...

8. ...still silently watching him, as if to see what he would do next. Simon was torn. He wanted to stay with her, but he desperately wanted to leave. He looked out over the land again, surveying this strange place, trying to find something familiar. Something to bring him a small amount of comfort. Something to strike out for. But the ever changing landscape and the ferocity of the darkening sky held him back. It was then that Simon realised what he was meant to do. He....

9. stepped towards her, only to discover that she had disappeared. Confused, he looked around. Had he imagined her? Gingerly, he ran his fingers through his hair feeling for bumps or cuts, but found none.
His surroundings were briefly illuminated by another lightning bolt, which revealed a path before him. He began walking towards it and flinched when he felt a burning sensation in the palm of his left hand...

10. and the faint sound of a distant engine, not too well tuned, rumbling in his head. Shaking his head did nothing to dislodge it, but instead increased the volume. What an odd time to think of how sharply he'd spoken to his dog, Renfrew, who had wanted to follow when he set out, saying...

Birds. Shut The FRAK Up!...Please.

I am tired. Why am I tired? Allow me to enlighten you.

My readers should be made aware that I have been rescuing birds and other wildlife ever since I have been capable of picking them up.

The universe has recently shown its deep appreciation for my life-giving rescue efforts by gifting me a nesting pair of birds, which have displayed their gratitude and trust by choosing the tree outside of our bedroom window as their precious new real estate.  I am usually delighted by the operatic performance of songbirds and birds in general, but there is something wrong with this pair. 

I suspect, given the fact that I am unable to identify them, that they may be illegal migrants.  They do not behave like the other birds.  For one thing they get up in what is presumably their own time zone; 3:42 am to be precise.  Initially, I thought they are just jet-lagged, but it is quite obvious that they do not comply with local cultural standards of birdness.

Their morning wake up call is neither song nor sound, but high-pitched, supersonic noise that breaks the sound barrier, as well as my nerves of steel.  This noise has turned me into a self-absorbed and cranky narcoleptic.  According to eyewitness reports, at precisely 3:43 am, my still unconscious mind has been offering my professional credentials to no one in particular or yelling any of the following into a dead cell phone: "Who died?", "GET EVERYONE INTO THE ESCAPE POD!" or "Where is my Mango?"

Approximately 15 minutes later, the witness alleges, neighbors are then woken out of their slumber by someone shouting: "STOP IT!!!! For Frak's sake!" at a tree.

Dear Mutant Birds,

Please kick your fledgling brood out of the nest,

teach them how to fly,

and SHUT THE FRAK UP!

Creativity Rules

I came across this and had to share it with dreamers, builders, innovators and creators.

I am curious, what do you create, build, take apart, improve on, make, upcycle or DIY (Destroy It Yourself)?

The Zombiepocalypse And Natural Disasters Are Here. Be Prepared!

It has been impossible not to notice the recent onslaught of "zombies" in popular culture. A previously subversive underground and at best B movie character, zombies have gone mainstream. An ominous sign of our times.  The ultimate vehicle for the "scary" monster, zombies represent some of our most primal fears.

Hollywood responds to what people want to see and watching slow moving, man-made cannibals is a mechanism to deal with something that appears to be more horrific than a global recession, catching an untreatable superbug or dealing with the thought that the natural disasters we have recently experienced are the result of climate change.  The Horror genre exaggerates the post-apocalyptic world of global warming, serving as a social commentary on living in denial, like the walking undead, pretending that everything is fine when it is not.

The CDC posted one of the best PSAs I have ever seen. They used humor to successfully inform the public to be prepared in the event of any emergency, which temporarily prevents access to modern technology. (The site had so many hits it crashed within a few days). You can view the article here:  CDC Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse. Everyone should have an Emergency Kit, Go Bag or Zombiepocalypse box, just in case we are on our own for a few days.

Not to worry though, after the Zombiepocalypse come the superheroes to save us all from ourselves.  Approximately 40 superhero movies are scheduled for release over the next couple of years.  Things are looking up.

Came across this:

You looked, didn't you? So, what is your "Weapon of Choice"? I will put my answer below.

Bruschetta Al Antaro

Ciao! Come va?

Dis iss Antaro. Antaro show yu ouw too maka da Bruschetta. Yu say "brusketta".

Bene, allora. Yu needa dis:

Tomato, Onion, Garlic
Basilico, Oregano, Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ciabatta or Baguette

Is molto importante too gutt de tomato and de onion,...come si dice piccolo?.....Eh?! Come?...."Smaaaall". EENGLEESH! *&%((#    %$#&  @%%&((*

As someone's Nonna, not mine, dice: "Vat iz dis? Tomato?!? It looka lika tomato. Diz iz not a tomato, diz iz garrbaatch! ONLY in Italia doo yu av tomato. Buon gusto. Diz? Gusto brutto. PHEH!!"

Yu kutt, yu mix, yu put on de bread, yu bake, yu mangiare, mangiare. Iz simpel and good for yu. Capisce? Bene! Buon Appetito.

Ragazza Klara mada me do dis, she say: "Ant. C - okay, so I nearly split my ribs laughing this evening, thanks to you! All because of a comment I came upon by chance on Think.Stew's blog. Your Tofu Burger recipe (with accompanying commentary) is hilarious and brilliant. I'd like to encourage you to copy/paste it to your own blog where others can delight in it as I did?"

In Italia, they maka de Ferrari, causa soma de uomini need it. "Smaaaaaal." I mada da funny, si? Klara calle everribuddy funny, iz much better than a Ferrari.

Allora. Iz too hot anda too much worka to show yu all de funny commenters. I show yu dis from: thinkstew-dbs

Dis iz Bella Italia. Iz made by Yanko Tsvetkov, designer graphico at Alphadesigner.com. He maka pictures called "Mapping Stereotypes".


Iz not nice, but tru.











Allora. I av to go on de Vespa to meeta miei amici.  

CIAO!