Bali sea
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Nalgumas aldeias do interior do meu país ainda se usam os animais atrelados a estes carros para ajudar nos trabalhos do campo.
Esta imagem foi conseguida em São Simão de Gouveia, Amarante.
Como fundo temos a Serra da Aboboreira.
Continuação de Boas Festas.
Feliz Ano Novo para todos.
I had sleep issues last night, and I could not fall asleep, even after my not very original go to cure of half an Ambien, so I grabbed my crazy lil Rottweiler, and a petit four to nibble on along the way and went scampering about the online realms. He ended up with the petit four, and scarfed it down in one bite, of course, but he is a faithful and lovable companion, so that was not too terrible a price to pay for his cute furry presence by my side. I had discovered the lovely Kyoto sim a little while back, and I decided that this was the perfect time to go and explore further. The sim creators are so welcoming and kind, and I could not have enjoyed my visit with both them, and this sim more. I may need a nap today, but this made a sleepless night much more bearable! I hope everyone is having a fab start to the weekend! ♥
a rest stop on the side of the road, coming back from Kentucky to my home in WV
i had mistakenly thought that the ambien i had was really my pain medicine so i kept popping them, my pain was reluctant to go away!
i, for some reason, could hardly drive though. lol
The fruits were pack in the clear plastic packaging as you will notice the clear line at the middle.
camera setting
SS 8.0 / f/18.0 / ISO 50 / Focal Length 50.0 mm / .EV-1.67
Flash did not fire / Tripod _ yes
using light from my camera phone to the subject at the top to the subject, using black background,and the room quite dark,reduce Ambien light'
10 hours integration time. Bortle 3.5.
ZWO AM5 mount.
AstroTech EDP60 scope.
AsiAir Plus
2600 Duo (imaging and guiding camera)
Ambien T 20F
Moon waxing crescent 28%
Darks/Blats/Bias applied
Stacked in Astropixel Processor
Processing in Pixinsight
Crop and sig in PScc
Climbing The Mountain.
Koloristički epski tonovi snažni zeleni razočarani napadi kontrasti crvenim putujućim entuzijazmima umjetničko penjanje razvoj,
distempers girando el arte extático de la armonía sin restricciones las expresiones de composición penetrante, взаимно взаимно допълващи се методи полупрозрачни цветове експресивен поглед ярък стимул необичайни блестящи стойности,
visions larges touches impressionnistes surface ferme affichant la nature opaque puissant motif complexe processus spontané agencement,
béim strócanna ionsaitheach rithimeacha angularity faiseanta comhthreomhar timpeall céimeanna múnlaithe feiceálach,
linguae symbolicae circuitum ambiens parte contraria rationes efferat rumpitur,
les idées en lambeaux de l'indiscipline des directions expressives des œuvres déterminées des formes collectives des rideaux raides,
個人的な形成のユニークな紛争多数のパス醜いプログラム的な悪意のある力強さ主張できない解釈風変わりな絵画詩の性質.
Steve.D.Hammond.
Este pequeño chivo de rebeco cantábrico ( Rupicapra pyrenaica parva), se pega a su progenitora. Esta cría ha
pegado un buen estirón, desde la última vez que los fotografié hace un mes. Y ya empiezan a verse los penachos en su frente , donde emergen los cuernos.
This small goat of the Cantabrian chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica parva), sticks to its mother. This calf has
stuck a good stretch, since the last time I photographed them a month ago. And the plumes are already beginning to be seen on his forehead, where the horns emerge.
Lightning strikes
Inside my chest to keep me up at night
Dream of ways
To make you understand my pain
Clouds of sulfur in the air
Bombs are falling everywhere
It's heartbreak warfare
Once you want it to begin
No one really ever wins
In heartbreak warfare
If you want more love, why don't you say so?
If you want more love, why don't you say so?
Drop his name
Push it in and twist the knife again
Watch my face
As I pretend to feel no pain, pain, pain
Clouds of sulfur in the air
Bombs are falling everywhere
It's heartbreak warfare
Once you want it to begin
No one really ever wins
In heartbreak warfare
If you want more love, why don't you say so?
If you want more love, why don't you say so?
How come the only way to know how high you get me
Is to see how far I fall?
God only knows how much I'd love you if you let me
But I can't break through it all
It's a heart, heartbreak
I don't care if we don't sleep at all tonight
Let's just fix this whole thing now
I swear to God, we're going to get it right
If you lay your weapon down
Red wine and Ambien
You're talking shit again
It's heartbreak warfare
Good to know it's all a game
Disappointment has a name
It's heartbreak, heartbreak
It's heartbreak warfare
It's heartbreak warfare
It's heartbreak warfare
Coming to Flourish by Clarity Events March 27 - April 2
Optimized for EvoX Heads, EvoX Human & Elf Ears, and Swallow Dropped and Gauge S Ears. Fresh & Faded intensities.
magic Carpet to Flourish -> maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Enchanted%20Clarity/72/189...
Prices discounted for the duration of the event!
Momentarily in Explore at #469!
Friends, I am walking through that door. I *have* walked through the door. Well, technically I was pushed out the door.
Instead of one of the pills leading through the metaphorical door, these two pills helped me survive on the bad side, the 'closed-mind' side.
The blue pill is an anti-depressant. After weeks of increased crying at school, I caved and started Zoloft. It definitely helped the crying and I think it also helped me stay a little bit more patient and react less in difficult situations.
The yellow pill is Ambien. I was completely unable to sleep through the night on my own--during the week. On the weekends, I slept perfectly well.
It really, REALLY bothered me that I needed a drug to make it through the day and a drug to make it through the night, just for this job. I know that the year started off extra stressfully (is that a word?), with the moving and the new job and the new life. I knew this job wasn't healthy, but I'm not a quitter. I refused to give up. I figured I could grit my teeth and just get through it. My definition of an okay day was a day that wasn't terrible. Working so many hours and putting up with crap from students and crap from my supervisors, my standards kept lowering--but I was surviving, after all!
I dreamed of quitting starting halfway through September. The fantasy of throwing up my hands and walking out the door looked better and better as the weeks wore on, but I just kept gritting and surviving day to day. I desperately wanted to quit, but I worried about what that meant--about me as a person, about me as a teacher, about my classes, about my students who would be abandoned. I hated the thought of making that tough decision. I didn't want to face any of that, so I kept my head down and getting through.
But my principal made the decision for me. I know that it was the right decision, and I know that I feel so much lighter and happier and oh my god, the relief!
I no longer need to choose either of these pills, because I have been freed!
Calamity Song - The Decemberists
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJpfK7l404I
Had a dream
You and me and the war of the end-times
And I believe
California succumbed to the fault line
We heaved relief
As scores of innocents died
And the Andalusian tribes
Setting the lay of Nebraska alight
'Til all that remain is the arms of the angels
Hetty Green
Queen of supply-side bonhomie bone-drab
You know what I mean
On the road
It's well advised that you follow your own bag
In the year of the chewable Ambien tab
And the Panamanian child
Stands at the Dowager Empress's side
And all that remain is the arms of the angels
And all that remain is the arms of the angels
And you've receded into loam
And they're picking at your bones
We'll come home
We'll come home
Quiet now
Will we gather to conjure the rain down?
Will we now
Build a civilization below ground?
And I'll be crowned the community kick-it-around
And the Andalusian tribes
Setting the lay of Nebraska alight
'Til all that remain is the arms of the angels
'Til all that remain is the arms of the angels
I reallllly like sleeping, only problem is falling asleep.
I need some Ambien or something. haha
Forecast for this weekend is looking good. *Knocks on wood*
Might finally get a chance to shoot outside and get out of this dark picture feeling.
Ordered a Avenger Boom Arm
Ordered a Induro Tripod
My Sekonic flash meter comes Thursday, i am really excited.
Lighting Info
B1600 through beauty dish boomed above me
AB 40 degree grid on beauty dish
Fired by CyberSyncs
Cancun, Mexico
Dawn (from an Old English verb dagian "to become day") is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. This image was taken right before sunrise and the sky was at a brightness, not too dark nor too bright, that brought out the beautiful ambien lighting. In about 5 minutes, it would be too bright to see the lighting on the pool and buildings.
Despite the fact that I was feeling pretty lousy when I took this, and the Ambien had kicked in and I was feeling quite woozy, I perservered and got a shot for 365.
And there I am in 1976. Much better than last year's corduroy and plaid, now it's overalls and a little blue shirt with orange collar and cuffs.. My parents... gotta love them.
And yes, I am STILL a blond going into 1976. That'll change soon though.
*ZEROICHI* LONELY ALLEY Ambien tlight (MOD) @Access July Round
Magika - Angelica Hair @Access July Round
Michelle top/skirt by Little Fox @ Fameshed
I woke up a couple mornings ago and discovered the Ambien-induced rainbow dandelion I had edited the night before. I'm a very straight-forward, follow-the-rules, think-inside-the-box sort of person. Some times I think it must be fun to be a bit freer.
Chiedo scusa ad amici e contatti per esser stato in silenzio per più di un mese. La verità è che questa nuova versione di flickr mi piace sempre meno, anzi non mi piace per niente. Non me ne sono andato definitivamente solo per non perdere del tutto la vostra amicizia, ma mi accorgo che entrare in flickr mi diventa sempre meno attraente, anzi sta assomigliando ad un impegno pesante e stancante. Così ho pensato di postare in una volta sola le 8 foto più significative della mia ultima vacanza, logicamente senza pretendre che le andiate a visionare, le foto sono qui, per chi ha piacere di guardarle ed anche per ricordare a me alcuni momenti, alcune impressioni e, talvolta, anche alcune emozioni
Auguro a tutti una meravigliosa giornata e un felice fine d' agosto. Poiché a Trieste le pochissime belle giornate estive sono finite da un pezzo, io vado a cercarmi un ultimo scorcio d'estate in Grecia, a Lefkada.
Ciao, vi abbraccio con affetto
***
English
I apologize to friends and contacts, I have been silent for more than a month. The truth is that I like less and less this new version of flickr, really I do not like it at all. I do not leave it completely only for not losing all your friendship, but I notice that, lately, entering in flickr is less and less attractive, it looks like an a heavy and tiring job. So I thought to post, all at once, the 8 most significant picture of my last vacation, of course without pretending you go to view. The photos are here, for those who like to look at them and also for reminding me some moments, some impressions and sometimes even some emotions.
I wish you all a wonderful day and a happy end of August. Because the few beautiful summer days in Trieste, my city, are finished by a piece, I'm going to find a last glimpse of summer in Greece, Lefkada.
Bye for now, I embrace you all with affection
***
Español.
Pido disculpas a amigos y contactos, He estado callado durante más de un mes.. La verdad es que esta nueva versión de flickr me gusta cada vez menos, de hecho, para ser honesto, no me gusta para nada. No voy abandonar definitivamente flickr (al menos por ahora) sólo para evitar de perder toda su amistad, pero he notado que entrar en flickr se convierte cada vez menos atractivo, de verdad se está convirtiendo en un pesado y agotador esfuerzo. Así que pensé para mostrar a una sola vez todas las fotos (8) más significativas de mis últimas vacaciones, sin pretender que ustede las vas a ver, las fotos están aquí, para aquellos que gustan de mirarlas y también para recordarme algunos momentos, algunas impresiones y,a veces, ambien algunas emociones.
Deseo a todos un maravilloso dia y un feliz fin de agosto. Porque el verano de Trieste, con pocos días hermosos terminò por una pieza, yo voy a buscar un último pedazo del verano en Grecia, en la isla de Lefkada.
Hola, un abrazo a todos con cariño
***
Portuguès
Peço desculpas aos amigos e contatos, por ter sido em silêncio por mais de um mês. A verdade é que eu nào gosto desta nova versão do flickr. Eu não abandonei completamente flickr apenas para evitar de perder toda a suas amizade, mas entendei que agora para mim entrar em flickr torna-se cada vez menos atraente, parece um pesado e cansativo trabalho. Então eu pensei que eu ia postar em uma vez sò as 8 imagens mais significativas das minhas últimas férias, as fotos estão aqui, para aqueles que gostam de vê-las e, também, para me lembrar de alguns momentos, algumas impressões e, às vezes, até algumas emoções..
Desejo a todos um dia maravilhoso e um feliz final de agosto. Porque o poucos dias de verão de Trieste (a minha cidade) terminaram por um pedaço, vou procurar um último lampejo de verão na Grécia, na isla de Lefkada.
Olá a todos, eu os abraço carinhosamente
Back row left to right
Burnt monster, Dante Monster, Blaze Monster, Pluto Monster, Ambien Monster
Bottom row left to right
Imo Monster, Dani Monster, Dutchy Monster, Karalee Monster, Honey Monster, Harvest Monster, Mika Monster, Leelee Monster.
There are many more Monsters. It was a struggle to get this many online at the same time. <3
The prescription drug I take for my ADHD.
Widely abused as a recreational drug. They're known on the street as Fatty Addy, A.D., Study Buddies, Ralls, Headlight Through Fog, Smart Pills, Beenies, Amps, A-Bombs, Addies, Poopy, Blue Buddies, Blue Betties, Orange Tic-Tacs (name used for the higher-dosage orange versions), Blue Dutchman, Candy, A Candy, Blue Boy, Jollies, Smurfs, Rinky Dink, Diet Coke, Davies (for their founder, Dave Herrington), Team Blue, Derallo, The A Train, A+ (in reference to its stimulant effect -- Ambien is often referred to as "A-", the reverse effect of Adderall). In some regions of the U.S. they are known as Railguns and "That'da Boy(s)" (from noted increase in productivity).
On some college campuses taking Adderall is known as Taking the A-Train, most likely inspired by the song "Take The A Train" by Duke Ellington. The 5 and 10 mg doses are also known in the northwest as "BBs", which is short for "Blueberries", named for their blue color. Heavier users tend to use the term "GBs", short for "goof balls". Some Adderall abusers crush and insufflate the 5 and 10 mg. pills, to experience a stronger "rush" and a more rapid onset of the drug's effects. This has led to the term "Smurf Snot," used to describe how the pills color one's mucus blue.
Ten subspecies are currently recognized, although the reproductive isolation mechanisms such as vocalization and geographic distributions of these populations still remain to be studied:
H. l. psaroides - Vigors, 1831: Originally described as a separate species. Found along the Himalayas from the Kunar Valley (north-eastern Afghanistan) and northern Pakistan through Arunachal Pradesh (northern India) and the central Himalayas to north-western Myanmar
Assam black bulbul (H. l. nigrescens) - Baker, ECS, 1917: Found in Assam and Manipur (north-eastern India), and the Chin Hills (western Myanmar)
Burmese black bulbul (H. l. concolor) - Blyth, 1849: Originally described as a separate species. Found from eastern Myanmar and southern Yunnan (southern China) through Indochina
H. l. ambiens - (Mayr, 1942): Found in north-eastern Myanmar and western Yunnan (southern China)
H. l. sinensis - (La Touche, 1922): Found in northern Yunnan (southern China)
H. l. stresemanni - (Mayr, 1942): Members of this race have white heads. Found in central Yunnan (southern China)
H. l. leucothorax - (Mayr, 1942): Members of this race have white heads. Found in central China
H. l. leucocephalus - (Gmelin, JF, 1789): Members of this race have white heads. Found in south-eastern China
H. l. nigerrimus - (Gould, 1863): Originally described as a separate species. Found in Taiwan
H. l. perniger - Swinhoe, 1870: Originally described as a separate species. Found on Hainan (off south-eastern China)
New Yorkers Protest the US$850 BILLION (US$3 TRILLION) Wall Street BAILOUT: Wall Street, NYC - September 25, 2008
Phototgrapher: a. golden, eyewash design - c. 2008.
I swear, Jeremy probably thinks I'm stalking him. As a matter of fact, it feels like every time I'm photographing, or attending a lecture, there pops up Jeremy Scahill. Admittedly, I do have a bit of a crush. OK, a BIG CRUSH. What's NOT to love? Intelligent, good-looking, well-spoken, hard-working, a HUSTLER, an injustice investigator, a Puffin Foundation Writing Fellow at The Nation Institute, an accomplished writer. Perhaps I am stalking him, because every New York female knows a good man HERE is HARD to find. We simply take the hard portion of the latter when we can and consider ourselves fortunate. Hahaha! If anyone happens to be zero degrees of separation from Mr. Scahill, please let him know he has an blushing admirer!
For more information on Scahill:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Scahill
www.thenation.com/directory/bios/jeremy_scahill
Friends,
The richest 400 Americans -- that's right, just four-hundred people -- own MORE than the bottom 150 million Americans COMBINED! 400 of the wealthiest Americans have got more stashed away than half the entire country! Their combined net worth is $1.6 trillion. During the eight years of the Bush Administration, their wealth has increased by nearly $700 billion -- the same amount that they were demanding We give to them for the "bailout." Why don't they just spend the money they made under Bush to bail themselves out? They'd still have nearly a trillion dollars left over to spread amongst themselves!
Of course, they are not going to do that -- at least not voluntarily. George W. Bush was handed a $127 billion surplus when Bill Clinton left office. Because that money was OUR money and not HIS, he did what the rich prefer to do -- spend it and never look back. Now we have a $9.5 trillion debt that will take seven generations from which to recover. Why -- on --earth – did -- our -- "representatives" -- give -- these -- robber -- barons -- $US850 BILLION -- of – OUR -- money?
Last week, proposed my own bailout plan. My suggestions, listed below, were predicated on the singular and simple belief that the rich must pull themselves up by their own platinum bootstraps. Sorry, fellows, but you drilled it into our heads one too many times: THERE...IS...NO…FREE... LUNCH ~ PERIOD! And thank you for encouraging us to hate people on welfare! So, there should have been NO HANDOUTS FROM US TO YOU! Last Friday, after voting AGAINST this BAILOUT, in an unprecedented turn of events, the House FLIP-FLOPPED their "No" Vote & said "Yes", in a rush version of a "bailout" bill vote. IN SPITE OF THE PEOPLE'S OVERWHELMING DISAPPROVAL OF THIS BAILOUT BILL... IN SPITE OF MILLIONS OF CALLS FROM THE PEOPLE CRASHING WASHINGTON "representatives'" PHONE LINES...IN SPITE OF CRASHING OUR POLITICIAN'S WEBSITES...IN SPITE OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE PROTESTING AROUND THE COUNTRY... THEY VOTED FOR THIS BAILOUT! The People first succeeded on Monday with the House, but failed do it with the Senate and then THE HOUSE TURNED ON US TOO!
It is clear, though, we cannot simply continue protesting without proposing exactly what it is we think THESE IDIOTS should/'ve do/one. So, after consulting with a number of people smarter than Phil Gramm, here’s the proposal, now known as "Mike's Rescue Plan." (From Michael Moore's Bailout Plan) It has 10 simple, straightforward points. They are that you DIDN'T, BUT SHOULD'VE:
1. APPOINTED A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO CRIMINALLY INDICT ANYONE ON WALL STREET WHO KNOWINGLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS COLLAPSE. Before any new money was expended, Congress should have committed, by resolution, to CRIMINALLY PROSECUTE ANYONE who had ANYTHING to do with the attempted SACKING OF OUR ECONOMY. This means that anyone who committed insider trading, securities fraud or any action that helped bring about this collapse should have and MUST GO TO JAIL! This Congress SHOULD HAVE called for a Special Prosecutor who would vigorously go after everyone who created the mess, and anyone else who attempts to scam the public in future. (I like Elliot Spitzer ~ so, he played a little hanky-panky...Wall Street hates him & this is a GOOD thing.)
2. THE RICH SHOULD HAVE PAID FOR THEIR OWN BAILOUT! They may have to live in 5 houses instead of 7. They may have to drive 9 cars instead of 13. The chef for their mini-terriers may have to be reassigned. But there is no way in hell, after forcing family incomes to go down more than $2,000 dollars during the Bush years, that working people and the middle class should have to fork over one dime to underwrite the next yacht purchase.
If they truly needed the $850 billion they say they needed, well, here is an easy way they could have raised it:
a) Every couple makeing over a million dollars a year and every single taxpayer who makes over $500,000 a year should pay a 10% surcharge tax for five years. (It's the Senator Sanders plan. He's like Colonel Sanders, only he's out to fry the right chickens.) That means the rich would have still been paying less income tax than when Carter was president. That would have raise a total of $300 billion.
b) Like nearly every other democracy, they should have charged a 0.25% tax on every stock transaction. This would have raised more than $200 billion in a year.
c) Because every stockholder is a patriotic American, stockholders should have forgone receiving a dividend check for ONE quarter and instead this money would have gone the treasury to help pay for the bullsh*t bailout.
d) 25% of major U.S. corporations currently pay NO federal income tax. Federal corporate tax revenues currently amount to 1.7% of the GDP compared to 5% in the 1950s. If we raised the corporate income tax BACK to the levels of the 1950s, this would give us an extra $500 billion.
All of this combined should have been enough to end the calamity. The rich would have gotten to keep their mansions and their servants and our United States government ("COUNTRY FIRST!") would've have a little leftover to repair some roads, bridges and schools...
3. YOU SHOULD HAVE BAIL OUT THE PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HOMES, NOT THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BUILD AN EIGHTH HOME! There are 1.3 million homes in foreclosure right now. That is what is at the heart of this problem. So, instead of giving the money to the banks as a gift, they should have paid down each of these mortgages by $100,000. They should have forced the banks to renegotiate the mortgage so the homeowner could pay on its current value. To insure that this help wouldn't go to speculators and those who tried to making money by flipping houses, the bailout should have only been for people's primary residences. And, in return for the $100K pay-down on the existing mortgage, the government would have gotten to share in the holding of the mortgage so it could get some of its money back. Thus, the total initial cost of fixing the mortgage crisis at its roots (instead of with the greedy lenders) is $150 billion, not $850 BILLION.
And let's set the record straight. People who have defaulted on their mortgages are not "bad risks." They are our fellow Americans, and all they wanted was what we all want: a home to call their own. But, during the Bush years, millions of the People lost the decent paying jobs they had. SIX MILLION fell into poverty! SEVEN MILLION lost their health insurance! And, every one of them saw their real wages go DOWN by $2,000! Those who DARE look down on these Americans who got hit with one bad break after another should be ASHAMED.! We are a better, stronger, safer and happier society when all of our citizens can afford to live in a home they own.
4. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A STIPULATION THAT IF YOUR BANK OR COMPANY GOT ANY OF OUR MONEY IN A "BAILOUT," THEN WE OWN YOU. Sorry, that's how it's done. If the bank gives me money so I can buy a house, the bank "owns" that house until I pay it all back -- with interest. Same deal for Wall Street. Whatever money you need to stay afloat, if our government considers you a safe risk -- and necessary for the good of the country -- then you can get a loan, but WE SHOULD OWN YOU. If you default, we will sell you. This is how the Swedish government did it and it worked.
5. ALL REGULATIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BE RESTORED. THE REAGAN REVOLUTION IS DEAD! This catastrophe happened because we let the fox have the keys to the hen-house. In 1999, Phil Gramm authored a bill to remove all the regulations that governed Wall Street and our banking system. The bill passed and Clinton signed it. Here's what Sen.Phil Gramm, McCain's chief economic advisor, said at the bill signing:
"In the 1930s ... it was believed that government was the answer. It was believed that stability and growth came from government overriding the functioning of free markets.
"We are here today to repeal [that] because we have learned that government is not the answer. We have learned that freedom and competition are the answers. We have learned that we promote economic growth and we promote stability by having competition and freedom.
"I am proud to be here because this is an important bill; it is a deregulatory bill. I believe that that is the wave of the future, and I am awfully proud to have been a part of making it a reality."
FOR THIS NOT TO REOCCUR, This BILL SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPEALED! Bill Clinton could have helped by leading the effort for the repeal of the Gramm bill and the reinstating of even tougher regulations regarding our financial institutions. And when they were done with that, they should have restored the regulations for the airlines, the inspection of our food, the oil industry, OSHA, and every other entity that affects our daily lives. All oversight provisions for any "bailout" should have had enforcement monies attached to them and criminal penalties for all offenders.
6. IF IT'S TOO BIG TO FAIL, THEN THAT MEANS IT'S TOO BIG TO EXIST! Allowing the creation of these mega-mergers and not enforcing the monopoly and anti-trust laws has allowed a number of financial institutions and corporations to become so large, the very thought of their collapse means an even bigger collapse across the entire economy. No ONE or TWO companies should EVER have this kind of power! The so-called "economic Pearl Harbor" can't happen when you have hundreds -- thousands -- of institutions where people have their money. When we have a dozen auto companies, if one goes belly-up, we DON'T FACE A NATIONAL DISASTER! If we have three separately-owned daily newspapers in your town, then one media company can't call all the shots (I know... What am I thinking?! Who reads a paper anymore? Sure glad all those mergers and buyouts left us with a STRONG and "FREE" press!). Laws Should have been enacted to prevent companies from being so large and dominant that with one slingshot to the eye, the GIANT FALLS and DIES. And no institution should be allowed to set up money schemes that NO ONE understands. If you can't explain it in two sentences, you shouldn't be taking anyone's money!
7. NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD EVER BE PAID MORE THAN 40 TIMES THEIR AVERAGE EMPLOYEE, AND NO EXECUTIVE SHOULD RECEIVE ANY KIND OF "PARACHUTE" OTHER THAN THE VERY GENEROUS SALARY HE OR SHE MADE WHILE WORKING FOR THE COMPANY. In 1980, the average American CEO made 45 times what their employees made. By 2003, they were making 254 times what their workers made. After 8 years of Bush, they now make over 400 times what their average employee makes. How We have allowed this to happen at publicly held companies is beyond reason. In Britain, the average CEO makes 28 times what their average employee makes. In Japan, it's only 17 times! The last I heard, the CEO of Toyota was living the high life in Tokyo. How does he do it on so little money? Seriously, this is an OUTRAGE! We have created the mess we're in by letting the people at the top become bloated beyond belief with millions of dollars. THIS HAS TO STOP! Not only should no executive who receives help out of this mess profit from it, but any executive who was in charge of running his company into the ground should be FIRED before the company receives ANY help.
8. CONGRESS SHOULD HAVE STRENGTHENED THE FDIC AND MADE IT A MODEL FOR PROTECTING NOT ONLY PEOPLE'S SAVINGS, BUT ALSO THEIR PENSIONS AND THEIR HOMES. Obama was correct to propose expanding FDIC protection of people's savings in their banks to $250,000. But, this same sort of government insurance must be given to our NEVER have to worry about whether or not the money they've put away for their old age will be there. This should have meant strict government oversight of companies who manage their employees' funds -- or perhaps it means the companies should have been forced to turn over those funds and their management to the government? People's private retirement funds must also be protected, but perhaps it's time to consider not having one's retirement invested in the casino known as the stock market??? Our government should have a solemn duty to guarantee that no one who grows old in this country has to worry about becoming destitute.
9. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH, CALM DOWN, AND NOT LET FEAR RULE THE DAY. Turn off your TVs! We are NOT in the Second Great Depression. The sky is NOT falling, Chicken Little! Pundits and politicians have lied to us so FAST and FURIOUS it's hard not to be affected by all the fear mongering. Even I wrote to and repeated what I heard on the news last week, that the Dow had the biggest one day drop in its history. Well, that was true in terms of points, but its 7% drop came nowhere close to Black Monday in 1987 when the stock market in one day lost 23% of its value. In the '80s, 3,000 banks closed, but America didn't go out of business. These institutions have always had their ups and downs and eventually it works out. It has to, because the rich do not like their wealth being disrupted! They have a vested interest in calming things down and getting back into their Jacuzzis before they slip into their million thread-count sheets to drift off to a peaceful, Vodka tonic and Ambien-induced slumber.
As crazy as things are right now, tens of thousands of people got a car loan last week. Thousands went to the bank and got a mortgage to buy a home. Students just back to college found banks more than happy to put them into hock for the next 15 years with a student loan. I was even pre-approved for a US$5K personal loan. Yes, life has gone on with little-or-no-change (other than the whopping 6.1% unemployment rate, but that happened last month). Not a single person lost any of his/her monies in bank, or a treasury note, or in a CD. And, the perhaps the most amazing thing is that the American public FINALLY didn't buy the scare campaign. The citizens didn't blink, instead telling Congress to take that bailout and shove it. THAT was impressive. Why didn't the population succumb to the fright-filled warnings from their president and his cronies? Well, you can only say 'Saddam has the bomb' so many times before the people realize you're a lying sack of shit. After eight long years, the nation is worn out and simply can't take it any longer. The WORLD is fed up & I don't blame them.
10. THEY SHOULD HAVE CREATED A NATIONAL BANK, A "PEOPLE'S BANK." Since they're really itching to print up a trillion dollars, instead of giving it to a few rich people, why don't We give it to ourselves? Now that We own Freddie and Fannie, why not set up a People's bank? One that can provide low-interest loans for all sorts of people who want to own a home, start a small business, go to school, come up with the cure for cancer or create the next great invention. And, now that we own AIG - the country's largest insurance company - let's take the next step and PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR EVERYONE. MEDICARE FOR ALL! It will SAVE us SO MUCH MONEY in the LONG RUN (not to mention bring peace of mind to all). And, America won't be 12th on the life expectancy list! We'll be able to have a longer lifespan, enjoying our government-protected pension and will live to see the day when the corporate criminals who caused this much misery are let out of prison so that We can help re-acclimate them to plain old ordinary, civilian life -- a life with ONE nice home and ONE gas-free car invented with help from the People's Bank.
P.S. Call your Senators NOW !!! ---> www.visi.com/juan/congress/
Since they voted against passing the extension of unemployment benefits and skipped out to "campaign" to us to be re-elected...call them and tell them you will vote for the other "guy" if they don't get their act together!
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UPDATE: THE PEOPLE HAVE VOTED! A HISTORIC MOMENT: NOVEMBER 4th 2008!
------> THE Historic ELECTION <------
"A work in PROGRESS."
Nov. 4th, 2008.
A great American leader once said, "As individual fingers We can be easily broken. But TOGETHER We make a mighty fist." These words too were spoken by a minority leader. He was the venerable Chief Sitting Bull. No, Barack Obama's not the first American minority to speak eloquently and he most certainly won't be the last. Though, in the end, this election wasn't even close !!! The world watched as, "YES WE CAN!" turned into, "YES WE DID!" as it now ushers in, "YES WE MUST!" time is NOW!
What WE do with this moment shall define US, forthright. America has now elected a man with a background of partial African - American descent as President elect. A new leader with roots from Kenya to Kansas (with a step-father from Indonesia), will be working in conjunction with a vice-Presidential of Anglo-European roots. This is something in which citizens of ALL races - both here and the world 'round – have loudly REJOICED. Why talk about race? Is race important? You bet! Because - like it or not - race has dominated and governed Our daily lives for thousands of years. After all: "To know where We're going, We must first know where We've been".
We've come a LONG Way baby! What was once "acceptable" in 1965 is no longer in 2008 and THANKFULLY.
This is a changing of the guard. Especially since forty-percent of America's population is considered to be a "minority". Only four generations removed, the repression of African slaves by Anglo Saxons caused hundreds of thousands of brothers to kill brothers in a viscous and bloody battle that changed the fundamental principals of this Constitutional Republic from rhetoric to reality. This too was a significant changing of the guard.
For the first time in the history of the country, the ancestors of these very same people who so passionately fought for slavery have now OVERWHELMINGLY voted for a minority leader. This too ushers in a new chapter in the history of America. This is a tremendous nod to those great American leaders before Us who risked everything so that We find ourselves at this precise moment in time. We must give thanks to these men and women who both tirelessly and unselfishly gave their lives to cross and to help shatter the racial, sexual and social boundaries imbued in the history of the United States of America.
It has now taken place. There's a palpable renewed sense of HOPE for a better tomorrow – a HOPE that these same crippling boundaries shall finally once and for all be erased. Yet it is wise to also remember the adage, "Actions speak louder than words" and Our rhetoric must now be turned into action. The ability to truly rise above differences and to not just speak of doing so, tells much of Our long and continuous journey. If We remember the old North American Indian saying, "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." We might just have a fighting chance.
The People have spoken! A record-setting 130 million Americans' turned out to vote in Tuesday's election, in which Barack Obama made history on a Democratic tidal wave of victory. Polling suggests voters came out in record numbers because of growing concerns over the economy, jobs, health care, energy, and the war in Iraq.
Clearly, the Obama administration and the new Democratic majority in Washington have a chance to make profound changes in Our lives - stretching from Wall Street to Main Street. Yes, this moment shows decency about human possibility and let's face it, We could use just a little decency RIGHT NOW.
Perhaps more importantly, this moment speaks volumes as it's an utter rejection of the right's politics of fear and greed? It will now be decades before there's another Republican majority in Congress. Never have the words, "Ask not what Your country can do for You, but what You can do for Your country," seemed more true for SO MANY. For, We-Are-Our-country. And We're at a MAJOR crossroads. Where, oh where to begin?
OBAMA / BIDEN Campaign.
Here in New York, Working Families voters, members, affiliates, supporters and chapter leaders poured everything they had into critical campaigns that proved successful. Many are now understandably exhausted - though more than a little proud of what was accomplished. And, the results were terrific ~ if not downright Historic. For the first time since the mid-1930, the State Senate will NO LONGER be controlled by Republicans. It's now in the hands of a Democratic Working Families majority! Just-take-one-moment-and-soak-this-in. MASSIVE Democratic majorities in BOTH the HOUSE and the SENATE!
Together, the W.F.P built a solid partnership with Senate Democrats, knocking on more than half a million doors for progressive CHANGE. And, in the end, "We the People" overwhelmingly responded. This is a MILESTONE. There's now a renewed sense of real HOPE resonating from Washington, indeed, around the world. This is powerful. Because, without HOPE, there's simply nothing to gain.
However, We must be careful not to fall prey to disillusionment. If illusions tear People asunder, then disillusion outright kills the human spirit. In other words, divided THEY conquer, united, WE stand. That this historic moment was ushered in during Native American Indian month is apropos. Because, We must not forget the very real foundations of this idealistic country and pay homage to the 500 plus year struggle of Our First Peoples' for the basic rights afforded them in Our own Constitution. Obama's victory is indeed a victory representing the multitudes. It is precisely because his success mirrors the masses, rather than a few wealthy, power-elite that this is so electrifying. A VERY palpable, "Finally!" was the expression heard 'round the world.
The world woke up WEDNESDAY with the real possibility of a very RARE OPPORTUNITY - the best in most Our lifetimes. This is a chance to truly transform America.
But, We mustn't forget the VERY hard realities existing in this country. Just ask any woman…any "person of color"…or, any First Peoples living in this "great" land. For, as long as Native American Indians in Our country still live in policies of containment on reservations without the very basics, such as running water, electricity, or heat… as long as more than 75% of the prison population includes African-Americans, First and Taino Peoples …as long as We continue to allow Our tax dollars spent to be three times more for each of these prisoners per head than on Our own school childrens' education…as long as American women continue to earn less than men for the SAME work…as long as We allow privately held corporations to exist without extreme MAJOR reform…as long as We continue to allow Our children to trample on foreign soil to kill and to be killed in "Our" names…as long as We sit idly by expecting or content to let others to "Do the right thing," for us… as long as We DON'T ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE TOGETHER in challenging and fighting for OUR OWN WELL-BEING for the betterment of future generations… as long as We choose to remain ignorant and in denial to Our faults…TRUE CHANGE can, and will NEVER HAPPEN.
Though, like anything rare and unique, We must first take proper time to Honor…to give thanks to those before us who, without their dedication and sacrifice, made this moment possible. We must come together. Immediate formulation and a real plan to guard and to protect this moment with fierce determination is required. New leaders are needed and will emerge so We ensure moments like this become the norm, rather than a mere token fluke. If We HOPE to transform Tuesday's results into a real break from the shipwreck of the most immediate last thirty years - We MUST start by realizing this election represents just that – a START. It's Round One of Our LONG and CONTINUOUS struggle.
And, Round Two will be just as tough, if not more so. Staying the course can easily be forgotten when People are dying from inadequate health care; when they've found themselves on the streets for lack of shelter and as they grow ever more desperate due to lack of job opportunities. Just ask people of Native or African American descent. Or, one of Our homeless veterans living on America's streets of plenty.
Yes, the house of cards has fallen HARD and FAST. And, President / V.P. elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden have inherited many seemingly insurmountable challenges. REAL CHANGE - not rhetoric - is what's needed. And to get it, We MUST demand it. We MUST march and be watchdogs for the sake of the coming generations. Communication with Our politicians is a MUST. MOST importantly, We MUST stand TOGETHER and be willing to fight to protect what is right and what is good for the MANY, NOT the FEW.
UNITED We STAND, DIVIDED, We FALL.
A President Obama will need to be simultaneously supported AND pushed. His training as a community organizer gives one confidence that he'll not only understand, but should also expect this dynamic. It's imperative for us to mind the trusty, "Follow the money" strategy. Don't forget, President elect Obama dually made history by raising the most unprecedented amount of campaign dollars in the HISTORY of U.S. Presidential elections. According to CNN, if annualized, the Obama campaign's ad spending on the post-primary Presidential campaign would come to US$750 million. This amount is only exceeded amongst large corporations such as Verizon and AT&T - both heavy sponsors of the Republican AND the Democratic national party conventions.
At the start of October, the Democratic National Committee announced it raised US$49.9 million with US$27.5 million sitting in the bank. The party raised money through joint fund-raising events with Obama and was able to use that money to assist his candidacy. These numbers were only possible because he opted out of the public financing system for the fall campaign. John McCain chose to participate in the system, which limited him to US$84 million for the September / October stretch prior to the election. After initially promising to accept public financing if McCain did, Obama changed his mind after setting primary fund-raising records. In fact, by the time the primaries hit, Obama was raising as much as US$5 million each and every day. The Obama / Biden campaign raised more than US$150 million in September alone - a stunning and unprecedented eruption of political giving. This extraordinary fund-raising is bound to set a new standard in politics that could doom the current taxpayer-paid system set up in the 1970's.
HOPEfully NOT.
The party presidential nominees – Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain – together spent more than US$1 BILLION, also an unprecedented figure. According to White House for Sale, a nonpartisan group that tracks political giving, Obama had 605 bundlers, or donors who collect money from friends and associates and bundle them together. Four years ago, Democrat John F. Kerry had 588 bundlers and, in 2000, Al Gore had none. McCain had 851 bundlers working for his campaign, compared to 557 who raised money for the Bush-Cheney re-election committee in 2004. George W. Bush is largely credited with institutionalizing the role of bundlers in 2000, when he recruited a then unprecedented 555 surrogate fundraisers.
Ask Yourselves: Who really benefits most from having donated to the Obama / Biden campaign?
President - elect Barack Obama & John McCain's U.S. Presidential campaign funds details:
OBAMA:
Total:US$750,767,963
Bundlers:605
LobbyistBundlers:17
MCCAIN:
Total: US$372,525,058
Bundlers: 851
Lobbyist Bundlers: 77
See the Center for Responsive Politics Presidential campaign monies for a better perspective:
2008: Obama AND McCain - US$5.3 BILLION
(Obama: US$750,767,963 million / McCain: US$372,525,058 million)
2004: Bush AND Kerry - US$4.2 BILLION
2000: Gore AND Bush - US$67.56 MILLION
1996: Dole AND Clinton - US$61.82 MILLION
1992: Clinton AND Bush - US$55.24 MILLION
* TO SEARCH FOR MEGA-DONERS, CLICK here: www.whitehouseforsale.org/searchDonor.cfm?CandidateSelect... McCain&StateSelect=&SortOrder=Last_Name, First_Name, Middle_Name, Suffix.*
Democrats in Washington and will be under enormous pressure to "play it safe", even as everyone knows We need bold action and some kind of new, New Deal. And, if We allow the "play-it-safe" crowd to dominate, then Obama (and We) will not succeed. Make NO mistake: the corporate big-wigs and free-market fundamentalists see this for exactly what it is: THE FIGHT OF A LIFETIME. They want nothing more than for the Democrats to disappoint, because then the HOPEfulness that Obama represents can be stuffed back in the bottle and cynicism can once again regain its place in Our national political culture.
WE Can't Let This Happen!
Whether it's revamping our health care system…implementing a new fair-based trade policy…creating a sound, realistic and well thought-out immigration plan…jobs programs…organizing rights in Washington, or campaign election reform, family leave or fair taxes, this election has set the stage for an ENTIRELY NEW social contract between the government and the People. This election opens up a real possibility – small, but real - that We could make genuine progress as a society, in terms of equality and freedom and true sustainability. In other words, the democracy We preach, but don't teach. What comes next is up to US. And, We need to seriously ready OURSELVES.
In short, the real meaning of this election hasn't yet been decided.
Overall, there's a lot of work to do. It's imperative that EVERYONE do his share - whether this means attending a neighborhood or union meeting, signing a petition, organizing or riding a bus to a demonstration, going on a lobby visit, making a financial contribution, or just talking to a stranger about the need and desirability of the common good.
Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-C-E !
"Only thing that I remember is how pretty the streetlights looked through the store window. But there I was, naked... That's when Dr. Fitzpatrick stopped prescribing me Ambien. "
I spotted this guy in the city centre -he was quietly sitting under the light of the street lantern, going about his business. It doesn't get any more theatrical than this, does it?:-)
or.....
late night dining with jones and gracie
the backstory:
years and years ago I started on ambien for my insomnia. I took a whole 10mg pill plus a benadryl. [I still don't sleep the whole night.] but about 6 or 7 years ago I started sleep eating, I'd wander downstairs and chow down on sugared nuts. quiz would join me, and then jones, and then gracie. sometimes I'd wake up leon.
when I started on my nutrisystem diet 3 or 4 years ago I had to force myself not to eat at night, and I cut down to half an ambien, but about 6 months ago I started craving peanut butter.
it's definitely not on my list, but I'd slip down and have about a tablespoonful [90 calories].
I decided rather than be followed down, I'd bring the jar up here. jones needs to gain weight, and it can't hurt gracie so I thought they could get some bits of it.
since I'm gaining weight again, I can't have any late night snacks. but......
gracie goes to sleep after dinner, probably snookered by her carprofen [rimadyl] at dinner.
after a bit of whining and changing beds, she goes to sleep.
then somewhere between 12:30 and 1 am, I look up from my reading to find a rhodesian ridgeback sitting and staring unwaveringly at me. I can't stare her down. I can't keep reading and avoid her, the stare is too strong.
so I get up, turn on another light and get the peanut butter jar and the spoon.
they get several teaspoon tips of their snack. if I'm brave I get to lick the spoon.
late night dining.
life with dogs.
Music: youtu.be/Oxzg_iM-T4E
Story by Ashlynn
Photo by Iris
Thank you princess for writing this funny story! :-)
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"Well what if it doesn't work Iris!......We haven’t done this in forever!"
Iris and Ashlynn's trapeze act was set for it's big comeback. The acrobatic twosome had amazed crowds all over the globe for years, until Ashlynn's brush with death three years ago. More, a brush with the jaws of a Great White shark, but regardless, the incident ultimately set Ashlynn down a dark destructive path and tore the team apart. (The picture can be seen here: www.flickr.com/photos/122256055@N07/16565233780/in/album-...)
While Iris joined a Village People Cover Band and performed at a local casino, Ashlynn could often be found in the alley behind a bakery in Simmieville, digging through the dumpster in search of any whip-it's that were prematurely tossed out with the trash. Now, three years later, Ash and Iris have reunited and were preparing to make there grand debut for the second time.
"It's gonna be fine Ash.....we've practiced this over and over and over......and we've nailed every time!.....Here drink this and try and get some sleep please"
Iris handed Ashlynn a glass of strawberry milk that she spiked with Ambien. Ash took the glass from her partner and took a slow sip while looking Iris up and down. "Now tell me why you’re dressed like one of The Village People", Ashlynn asked as she licked the strawberry milk mustache from above her upper lip.
"It's part of my band's act!......why are you a grown woman in a onesie?" Iris fired back and stormed out the front door.
"BECAUSE IT'S PART OF MY ACT IRIS!", Ashlynn yelled back just as the front door slammed shut.
The ambien took no time at all to kick in. By the time the curtain was raised and Iris' group began belting a very enthusiastic rendition of YMCA, Ash was face down on Iris' couch, passed out in a puddle of her own drool.
"It Takes a Village" brought down the house. Iris' final performance with the group was a rousing success. They even recognized Iris at least five times during the show and the group received countless standing ovations.
After 3 encores and a personal curtain call for Iris, she finally said her good byes to the audience she had mesmerized for the past three years. Backstage she gave each member of the group a ginormous hug and thanked the leader of the group, the one dressed as an Indian, for the opportunity to perform while her trapeze partner was working through some "issues".
"Good night Ms. Okiddo", the driver said for the last time when he dropped her off in front of her house. Iris smiled and simply waved as the black Lincoln town car with the blacked-out windows pulled away. "What a night", she said to herself, her heels clicking along the brick walkway toward the front entrance of her home. The night was absolutely perfect, until Iris noticed a pink blur scurry across her front lawn. It was Ash!
"Hey tard-o!.....where you off too in your onesie?", Iris shouted. Ashlynn kept running. She ran across the road without hesitating to look for on-coming traffic as if she was making a B-Line for the Fokker Dr1 that was parked at the small landing strip adjacent to Iris' home.
"ASH!.......WHAT ARE YOU DOING?.......ASH!......I AM TALKING TO YOU!"......Something was wrong. Iris began to run awkwardly in her high heeled thigh high boots after her friend. She watched in horror as Ashlynn climbed into the Fokker and immediately fired up it's engine. "She can't fly that thing", Iris thought to herself and watched the plane begin to slowly rumble down the runway. "OH NO!", she yelled out loud and began running as fast as she could.
Iris managed to catch up to the bright red tri-plane just as it started to really pick up speed. She dove onto the left wing and pulled herself up, crawling on her hands and knees toward the fuselage. Ash leaned out of the cockpit, her eyes were wild, her short raven black hair blowing wildly in the wind as the small aircraft hurtled down the runway.
“HE AIN’T GETTING WAY WITH THIS SHIT!”, Ash screamed over the roar of the Fokker’s engine. “WHAT!?”, Iris replied while white knuckle clinging to one of the Fokker’s wing supports. “THAT DIRTY PIECE OF SHIT BEAGLE……NOT ON MY WATCH!......NOW HOLD ON”, Ash yelled and pulled back on the control stick, lifting the WWI aircraft into the air.
Before Iris realized what was happening, the plane climbed to an altitude of a little over 800 feet. She pulled herself into the cockpit behind her partner.
“GOOD IDEA!......YOU TAKE THE CONTROLS!.....I’LL CLIMB TO THE BACK AND JUMP SNOOPY WHEN WE GET CLOSE TO HIS DOG HOUSE!”
Iris was so confused, she just watched as Ashlynn climbed out of the cockpit and crawled back to the tail of the plane. “Wait what?”, Iris said out loud……”Ash no!”, she stood up in the cockpit, as she turned around in an attempt to grab Ash, her thick ass bumped the control stick, the nose of the plane immediately dipped and the plane began rocket toward Simmieville below.
Ashlynn lost her footing with the sudden movement and slipped, smacking her head on the tail of the plane. The blow to the noggin snapped her out of her trance. She screamed out and quickly clung to the Fokker’s rudder. “IRIS!.......IRIS!.........WHY ARE YOU STILL DRESSED LIKE SOMEONE FROM THE VILLAGE PEOPLE!”
One of my fav actors of all time Heath found dead today at his apt. in NY , they found sleeping pills with him.. He was 28 years old !
He has very amazing movies: 10 things I hate about you, Brokeback mountain, and there is an upcoming movie for him this July called ''Dark Nights'' where he plays the Joker ..
So sad that he end up this way !
NEW YORK - Heath Ledger, the talented 28-year-old actor who gravitated toward dark, brooding roles that defied his leading-man looks, was found dead Tuesday in a Manhattan apartment, face-down and naked at the foot of his bed with prescription sleeping pills nearby, police said.
There was no obvious indication that the Australian-born Ledger had committed suicide, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.
Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the SoHo apartment that is believed to be the home of the "Brokeback Mountain" actor, Browne said. The massage therapist and a housekeeper found his naked body in the bed at about 3:30 p.m. They tried to revive him, but he was already dead.
"We are all deeply saddened and shocked by this accident," Ledger's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, said in a statement Tuesday night. "This is an extremely difficult time for his loved ones and we are asking the media to please respect the family's privacy and avoid speculation until the facts are known."
Outside the building on an upscale street, paparazzi and gawkers gathered, and several police officers put up barricades to control the crowd of about 300. Onlookers craned their necks as officers brought out a black body bag on a gurney, took it across the sidewalk and put it into a white medical examiner's office van.
As the door opened, bystanders snapped pictures with camera phones, rolled video, and said, "He's coming out!"
An autopsy was planned for Wednesday, medical examiner's office spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said.
While not a marquee movie star, Ledger was an award-winning actor who chose his roles carefully rather than cashing in on big-money parts. He was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as a gay cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain," where he met Michelle Williams, who played his wife in the film. The two had a daughter, now 2-year-old Matilda, and lived together in Brooklyn until they split up last year.
It was a shocking and unforeseen conclusion for one of Hollywood's bright young stars. Though his leading man looks propelled him to early stardom in films like "10 Things I Hate About You" and "A Knight's Tale," his career took a notable turn toward dramatic and brooding roles with 2001's "Monster's Ball."
"I had such great hope for him," said Mel Gibson, who played Ledger's vengeful father in "The Patriot," in a statement. "He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss."
Ledger eschewed Hollywood glitz in favor of a bohemian life in Brooklyn, where he was one of the borough's most famous residents. "Brokeback" would be his breakthrough role, establishing him as one of his generation's finest talents and an actor willing to take risks.
Ledger began to gravitate more toward independent fare, including Lasse Hallstrom's "Casanova" and Terry Gilliam's "The Brothers Grimm," both released in 2005. His 2006 film "Candy" now seems destined to have an especially haunting quality: In a particularly realistic performance, Ledger played a poet wrestling with a heroin addiction along with his girlfriend, played by Abbie Cornish.
But Ledger's most recent choices were arguably the boldest yet: He costarred in "I'm Not There," in which he played one of the many incarnations of Bob Dylan as did Cate Blanchett, whose performance in that film earned an Oscar nomination Tuesday for best supporting actress.
And in what may be his final finished performance, Ledger proved that he wouldn't be intimidated by taking on a character as iconic as Jack Nicholson's Joker. Ledger's version of the "Batman" villain, glimpsed in early teaser trailers, made it clear that his Joker would be more depraved and dark.
Curiosity about Ledger's final performance will likely stoke further interest in the summer blockbuster. "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan said earlier this month that Ledger's Joker would be wildly different from Nicholson's.
"It was a very great challenge for Heath," Nolan said. "He's extremely original, extremely frightening, tremendously edgy. A very young character, a very anarchic presence that taps into a lot of our basic fears and panic."
Ledger told The New York Times in a November interview that he "stressed out a little too much" during the Dylan film, and had trouble sleeping while portraying the Joker, whom he called a "psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy."
"Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," Ledger told the newspaper. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going." He said he took two Ambien pills, which only worked for an hour, the paper said.
Ledger was a widely recognized figure in his Manhattan neighborhood, where he used to shop at a home and children's store. Michelle Vella, an employee there, said she had frequently seen Ledger with his daughter carrying the toddler on his shoulders, or having ice cream with her.
"It's so sad. They were really close," said Vella. "He's a very down-to-earth guy and an amazing father."
Before settling down with Williams, Ledger had relationships with actresses Heather Graham and Naomi Watts. He met Watts while working on "The Lords of Dogtown," a fictionalized version of a cult classic skateboarding documentary, in 2004.
Ledger was born in 1979 in Perth, in western Australia, to a mining engineer and a French teacher, and got his first acting role playing Peter Pan at age 10 at a local theater company. He began acting in independent films as a 16-year-old in Sydney and played a cyclist hoping to land a spot on an Olympic team in a 1996 television show, "Seat."
After several independent films, Ledger moved to Los Angeles at age 19 and costarred opposite Julia Stiles in "10 Things I Hate About You." Offers for other teen flicks soon came his way, but Ledger turned them down, preferring to remain idle than sign on for projects he didn't like.
"It wasn't a hard decision for me," Ledger told the Associated Press in 2001. "It was hard for everyone else around me to understand. Agents were like, 'You're crazy,' my parents were like, 'Come on, you have to eat.'"
___
The Bailey schoolhouse is one of the few remaining one-room schoolhouses in Michigan. It was built in 1907 at a lumber camp west of the town of Mikado and was in use until 1941. It was made of Norway pine logs, chinked with concrete. In 1998 it was disassembled and moved to the grounds around the lighthouse at Sturgeon Point, where it was reassembled and restored. It is furnished with period items, including desks, chalkboard, coal stove drinking-water bucket, maps, etc. The windows are original and have the wavy glass from that time period. The school is open for visitation when a docent is available on weekends in the summer.
The photo was taken, w/o flash, through one of the side windows, using HDR (+/- one stop), then tweaked for shadows and highlights.
K3I34818 c.
This baby looks like something I might have dreamed on Ambien or NyQuil, after a tequila binge...
...or maybe it's just 1974 again.
Olympus OM2
Vivitar 28-90 f2.8/3.5 Series One lens
Kodak Ektar 100
Economy scan by NCPS
Kodak Ektar 100
Shamelessly post-processed in LR3 and PSCS5
Long exposure from the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge in background. No tripod involved, not that it would have made a difference with all the vibration of the bridge from the passing vehicles.
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys: EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
yeah
Yeah I'm out that Brooklyn.
Now I'm down in Tribeca.
Right next to DeNiro
But I'll be hood forever
I'm the new Sinatra
And since I made it here
I can make it anywhere
(Yeah they love me everywhere)
I used to cop in Harlem
All of my Dominicanos (Hey yo)
Right there off of Broadway
Brought me back to that McDonalds
Took it to my stash spot
560 State Street
Catch me in the kitchen like Simmons whipping Pastry
Cruising down 8th street
Off-white Lexus
Driving so slow
(but BK, it's from Texas!!)
Me I'm out that BedStuy
Home of that boy Biggie
now I live on Billboard
and I brought my boys with me
Say what up to Ta-ta
Still sipping Mai Tais
Sitting courtside
Knicks and Nets give me high-5
N**ga, I be Spiked out
I could trip a referee
...tell by my attitude that I'm MOST DEFINITELY FROM...
New York!!!!
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can’t do,
Now you're in New York!!!
These streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
I made you hot n-gga,
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game,
sh-t I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can,
you should know I bleed Blue, but I ain't a crip tho,
but I got a gang of n-ggas walking with my clique though,
welcome to the melting pot,
corners where we selling rocks,
Afrika bambaataa sh-t,
home of the hip hop,
yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back,
for foreigners it ain't fitted act like they forgot how to act,
8 million stories out there and they're naked,
city it's a pity half of y’all won’t make it,
me I gotta plug a special and I got it made,
If Jeezy's payin LeBron, I’m paying Dwayne Wade,
3 dice cee-lo
3 card marley,
Labor Day parade, rest in peace Bob Marley,
Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade,
long live the king yo,
I’m from the Empire State thats…
In New York!!!!
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can’t do,
Now you're in New York!!!
These streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
Welcome to the bright light..
Lights is blinding,
girls need blinders
so they can step out of bounds quick,
the side lines is blind with casualties,
who sip the lite casually, then gradually become worse,
don’t bite the apple Eve,
caught up in the in crowd,
now you're in-style,
and in the winter gets cold en vogue with your skin out,
the city of sin is a pity on a whim.
good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them,
Mommy took a bus trip and now she got her bust out,
everybody ride her, just like a bus route,
Hail Mary to the city your a Virgin,
and Jesus can’t save you life starts when the church ends,
came here for school, graduated to the high life,
ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight,
MDMA got you feeling like a champion,
the city never sleeps better slip you a Ambien
New York!!!!
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can’t do,
Now you're in New York!!!
These streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
One hand in the air for the big city,
Street lights, big dreams all looking pretty,
no place in the World that can compare,
Put your lighters in the air, everybody say yeaaahh
come on, come,
yeah,
New York!!!!
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can’t do,
Now you're in New York!!!
These streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
Pensé que solo estábamos saliendo
Así que por qué me besaste en la boca
Pensaste que tu sabor me haría sentirme bien
This is an Alder Flea Beetle (Altica ambiens) found in the woods near Portland, OR. These guys don't usually come out for another couple months, but the warm weather and rain are moving up the schedule for everything and I found it in early April. It's only about 6mm long (the face you're looking at is about 1mm). Seeing it in the wild, you wouldn't think twice. Just a little black dot on a leaf. There's a reason they're called flea beetles! But I caught a glint of blue and took a closer look. Tech: 7x on APS sensor (Mitutoyo Plan Apo 10x, Zeiss 135mm for a converging lens). Stacked with Zerene stacker from about 300 shots. Single flash diffused with two layers of vellum. Dead bug posed on a dead rose. Much photoshopping for contrast and fixing artifacts.
Confession: I love my glasses!
When I was like 10 I faked being not able to see clearly. My parents took me to the doctor and I pretended I couldn't see as well as I really could. My 2 best friends had glasses and I wanted some! In the end all I ended up 'needing' reading glasses and my parents bought me a cheap pair at Wal-Mart. Now years later I really do need them. I hate that I need them but I don't hate that I have to wear them...if that makes sense. I never understood why people would make fun of someone for having to wear glasses, I mean if you can't see, you can't see and that's all there is to it. I've never felt negative about myself for having to wear glasses. I don't think they're nerdy or geeky or embarrassing and unfashionable. I I think I look cute in glasses! I've been pressured to get contacts and I did consider it for a while just so I could get the coloured ones but I tried them out once and couldn't get used to the feeling of something i my eye. Plus it just seems to me like they're more complicated than glasses, glasses are easier you just put them on. I don't have the patience to sit in front of a mirror fiddling with trying to get them in. Plus I like my glasses! I never realised that I hardly wear them in my self portraits, it's just easier for me to take them off instead of trying to get the light right so I don't have a glare on them. But got alot of comments on them in the last few pictures I've put up so I've decided to try and wear them more in my photos.
I'm kind of pissed off that I got nothing done yesterday. I was supposed to call people and do laundry and stuff and I ended up sleeping all day. I hate how messed up my sleep schedule has gotten and I can't find my Ambien so I can sleep at night instead of during the day. Anyway I woke up at like 8PM and was up all night again but I was trying to just suck it up and stay awake all day today but I ended up having to take a nap. I woke up at 3 and I'm going to try and find my sleeping pills so I can get back on a regular schedule.
I wanted to go out and get lights and fabric for my studio but it's too late now because I'm going to see Wall-E tonight and by the time that's over Lowes will be closed. :(
Anyway I have to go take a shower now, my armpits smell like death. Haha.
<3
Point of order unrelated to this photo:
Yesterday, due to the notoriety of the day, what with it being Tax Day and the day of the ill-named "teabaggers" (heh, snicker, titter), I had an unusual number of hits on all photos tax- and teabag-related.
So, thanks America. Or Google or whoever is putting these pictures front and center.
Also, as a followup to the bunny story (see prior pic), yesterday the neighbor's cat was found munching happily on a baby rabbit next door (by "happily," I mean, "angrily," because the cat looked to be taking no pleasure from eating the bunny's head). Thankfully, it appears that this did not come from the bunny burrow in our yard, as those kits are still in the burrow, undisturbed.
I suspect that's it, for now.
A reminder: I'm all a-Twittery these days (www.twitter.com/ChuckWendig), so find me there if you care to hear my inane ramblings throughout the day.
This is a picture of a waterdrop, in case anybody was confused about that point. It's one of those "happy accident" shots. I don't even remember taking it. I was probably high on a cocktail of Ambien, rhino horn powder, and bathtub gin. These things happen.
Had been busy with work and not posting for 3 months! :(
13, Black Bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus) @ Taiwan
The black bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus), also known as the Himalayan black bulbul or Asian black bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in southern Asia from India east to southern China. It is the type species of the genus Hypsipetes, established by Nicholas Aylward Vigors in the early 1830s. There are a number of subspecies across Asia, mostly varying in the shade of the body plumage (ranging from grey to black), and some also occur in white-headed morphs (as also suggested by its specific epithet leucocephalus, literally "white head"). The legs and bill are always rich orange-red. The related form from the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka is often treated as a separated species, the square-tailed bulbul (Hypsipetes ganeesa).
Description
The black bulbul is 24–25 cm in length, with a long tail. The body plumage ranges from slate grey to shimmering black, depending on the race. The beak, legs, and feet are all orange and the head has a black fluffy crest. Sexes are similar in plumage, but young birds lack the crest, have whitish underparts with a grey breast band, and have a brown tint to the upperparts. They have a black streak behind the eye and on the ear coverts.
Taxonomy and systematics
The taxonomy is complex with this and several other currently recognized species earlier treated as subspecies of Hypsipetes madagascariensis. Within Asia, ganeesa has often been considered as a subspecies of H. leucocephalus, but is here treated as a separate species restricted to the Western Ghats (south of somewhere near Bombay) and Sri Lanka, the square-tailed black bulbul. The subspecies from Sri Lanka humii is then placed under this species.
The nominate race leucocephalus (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) is found north and east of the Himalayas in south eastern China, Myanmar and Indochina. The race psaroides Vigors, 1831 is found along the Himalayas from Afghanistan (Kunar Valley), through, Pakistan and India (Arunachal Pradesh) into northwestern Myanmar. Race sinensis (La Touche, 1922) is found in China, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Race nigrescens Stuart Baker, 1917 is described from Assam, Manipur, Myanmar (Chin Hills). Several other subspecies have been proposed including stresemanni, ambiens, concolor (may include impar), leucothorax, nigerrimus and perniger. Of all the races of this bulbul, stresemanni, leucothorax and leucocephalus have white heads, while all the others are black-headed. One of the white-headed races of this bulbul has been reported from Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India in 2009. The reproductive isolation mechanisms such as vocalization and geographic distributions of these populations still remain to be studied.
Behaviour and ecology
This bulbul is found in broad-leaved forests, cultivation and gardens mainly in hilly areas, but Himalayan populations are known to sometimes descend into the adjoining plains in winter.
Black bulbuls feed mainly on seeds and insects, and they are often seen in small groups, either roosting or flying about in search of food. They are particularly fond of berries. They are known to feed on a wide range of berries including Celtis, Rosa, Melia and Ehretia in the Himalayas. They feed on the nectar of Salmalia, Erythrina, Rhododendron and other species. They make aerial sallies for insects. They can be quite noisy, making various loud cheeping, mewing and grating calls. The Himalayan form has been reported to make a call resembling a goat kid, throwing back its neck when calling.
It builds its nest in a tree or bush; the nest is a cup placed in a fork and made from grasses, dry leaves, mosses, lichens and cobwebs. The lining is made up of ferns, rootlets and other soft material. Both sexes participate in nest construction. Two or three eggs form the usual clutch.
[Credit: en.wikipedia.org/]