Go play with your own spider:


This is as close as I would willingly come to touching one.

It is creepy.







and if that doesn't do it for you, you can:

break dance:



sketch and paint:


eat mice in a snake game:


or..

play with a drum machine:

I was looking through yahoo news photos from around the world. I took particular interest to ones involving an Australian bushfire. I believe this took place around the 8th or so of this month? Not sure if anything about it has been posted around here, as the more I looked into the story, the more I realized how much of a global interest it has, especially in regards to a Koala named Sam (Samantha) and a fireman, David Tree, who helped her**.

This is the picture that initially attracted my attention:


"A koala named Bob (top), rescued from last week's deadly bushfires, puts his paw around new friend and fellow fire survivor Sam as she recovers from her burns at Southern Ash Wildlife Centre near Melbourne February 11, 2009. A love story about two koalas rescued from Australia's deadliest bushfires has provided a glimmer of hope after days of devastation and the loss of more than 180 lives."
(Southern Ash Wildlife Centre/Colleen Wood/Reuters)


Then this picture followed, which made my heart ache a bit. I immediately wondered how he came to approach her and what the scenario was like (which we get to find out... )


"A firefighter finds a koala moving gingerly on her scorched paws after wildfires sweep Australia. "Sam" accepted a bottle of water and is now recovering at a wildlife shelter."


Then I did another search, which brought me to this video of the fireman approaching the Koala and giving her water.


"A koala named Sam is given a drink of water by Country Fire Authority volunteer fire fighter Dave Tree as he rescued her after deadly fires swept through the area of Mirboo North, about 120km (75 miles) southeast of Melbourne, February 8, 2009."
(Mark Pardew/Reuters)



A few more photos from news.com.au- Tree and Sam reunited..
insanely sad and cute- I want to kiss and hug and squish her with love!











Taken from above link, the following article is one of many available.
[box] Feb 12, 2009 04:30 AM
Comments on this story (2)
Belinda Goldsmith
Reuters News Agency

CANBERRA-A love story between two badly burned koalas rescued from Australia's deadliest bushfires has provided some heart-warming relief after days of devastation and the loss of more than 180 lives.

The story of Sam and her new boyfriend Bob emerged after volunteer firefighter Dave Tree used a cellphone to film the rescue of the bewildered female found in a burned-out forest at Mirboo North, 150 kilometres southeast of Melbourne.

Photos and a video of Tree, 44, approaching Sam while talking gently to her, and feeding her water from a plastic bottle as she put her burned claw in his cold, wet hand quickly hit website YouTube.

But it was after reaching the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter that Sam met and befriended Bob.

The shelter's Colleen Wood said both koalas were doing well, while other animals like possums, kangaroos and wallabies were also starting to emerge from the debris.

She said Sam had suffered second-degree burns to her paws and would take seven to eight months to recover while Bob had three burned paws with third-degree burns and should be well enough to return to the bush in about four months.

"They keep putting their arms around each other and giving each other hugs," said Wood.

"They really have made friends and it is quite beautiful to see after all this. It's been horrific."

Tree, a volunteer with the Country Fire Authority Victoria, said the pair have "really taken a shine to each other," adding that after the devastating fires "it gives people a bit of hope."

Meanwhile, police in the state of Victoria have detained two people suspected of deliberately lighting one of the bushfires that tore through rural towns north of Melbourne on the weekend, fanned by strong winds and heat-wave temperatures.

"The investigation is in its initial stages. Two people are assisting police with inquiries," a police spokesperson said today.

The fires have burned 1,033 homes and left 5,000 people homeless. Authorities say the death toll is expected to rise beyond 200 as more bodies are discovered in the charred remains of houses.[/box]

• There are some conflicting articles regarding the timing of the video. Firefighter, David Tree took the picture and video about a week before the fires? So while nothing above appears to be untrue, the timing if the video is in question. Regardless the pictures are what they are, an animal has been rescued and things are going well.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10556565

[box] Footage not what it seems * Prue Vincent-February 12, 2009

'Koala Man' Dave Tree woke up this morning to find he'd made front-page news across the globe.

NBC, Fox, CNN, even Ellen Degeneres have been on the phone, propelling Dave into the spotlight.

Unfortunately nobody appears to have asked the relevant question 'when was this video filmed?'

The video of the Mirboo North resident stroking a singed koala was actually taken in the week leading up to the deadliest bushfires in Australian history, during preventative backburning operations.

The video shows Dave feeding water from a bottle to the koala, now universally known as 'Sam'. The wounded animal also rests its paw on Dave's hand.

Now Dave has become a household name from London to Los Angeles, but he says all the media interest has taken its toll.

"I think it happened about a week and a half ago, but you'll have to bear with me - I'm losing track of the days.

"I've had all these phone calls for interviews, I've lost contact. I can't get my head around it. I don't think it's finished yet.

"But if Oprah Winfrey called and wanted me to come over to be on her show, I'd have to say No - I'm terrified of flying. I can't get in a plane.

Dave says there was no intention to deceive the public or court publicity and fame.

He says he only took the video to show his daughter.

"I emailed the photos out to a few people to cheer them up. And it's just snowballed from there.

"It's just gotten so out of control, I definitely wasn't up for it. My head's spinning. I'm having a hard time dealing with it...Mentally...it's just, wow. I'm really outside my comfort zone.

"I'm a country boy. I live in a small town of 1800. "

"If people see it as a distraction and a good news story amidst all the tragedy we're going through, then that's great.

Despite the time-lag, the photographs of Tree stroking Sam the Koala have come to symbolise the plight of native animals left homeless after thousands of hectares of bushland burnt.

"At first she was really wary, then she just plonked down and it was like "You're a big predator, but I'm sore, I'm beat, I'm done." She was in pain. And she just looked up at me. So I yelled out for the bottle of water. And she started lapping it up.

Tree was reunited with Sam after she'd been taken to the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter for bandaging.

"It was great to see her again. She had a sniff and I got a bit up close and personal, and I even got a bit choked up.

"So I got in there and got a few happy snaps but I had to bail because I was getting a bit chocked up.

Tree is full of praise for the CFA and DSE's work.

"I don't think there's a word in the English vocabulary that sums up the work these guys are doing. The CFA is a massive family. If one stands we all stand, if one falls, we all fall.

"We got off scot-free in our hometown. My heart goes out to those guys out there still fighting. It's just tragic what's happened.

"So many people have cried over it and I think people needed a release. I think that's why they've related to the koala so much."
[/box]

Relevant post title but nothing risque..


I've now turned my reading attention to the late sci fi and mainstream writer, Philip K. Dick. His novel, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", was the basis to the 1982 film, "Bladerunner" and was the novel that spurred my interest to revisit his work.

Although I read books from any genre, there are few authors** that I formally collect. I am always looking to latch on to a new author or be introduced to an established one that I had not yet 'met' or had simply forgotten about, as is the case here.

My boyfriend bought me, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" awhile back, and then a recent jaunt to the book store, led me to seeking out another novel. I decided on, The Minority Report, a book of short stories. It was here that I realized that there are many novels and short stories that have been used as a movie premise:
-Minority Report (based on the short story, The Minority Report),
-Total Recall (same book title)
-Screamers (based on, Second Variety)
-Next (based on the short story, The Golden Man)
-Paycheck (same as book title)
-A Scanner Darkly (same as book title)
-Impostor (same as book title)

and several adaptations, such as Ubik Video Game based on his story, Ubik and an Opera, "Valis Opera", adapted from Dick's book, Valis. And there are others.

Many literary critics and scholars in Western and Eastern Europe, Japan, and throughout North America agree that Philip K. Dick will be remembered in years to come as one of the great novelists of the 20th century.

Although this assessment is largely based on the power and continuing relevance of Dick's science fiction novels, these critics argue that he is most accurately regarded not only as a great writer of science fiction but as a major literary figure whose works make an important and ongoing contribution to world literature of all genres.

I'm happy to see that there are several books that I have yet to read by Philip K. Dick. I won't read them all back to back, as I don't want the stories to morph into each other, but I will purchase them regularly, officially adding this writer to my collection.

I normally gulp down books, yet with science fiction, I find myself reading a bit more slowly and carefully. Often the context of a novel can be assumed, a logical progression ensues and the environments are rational and logical. In sci-fi, nothing is like that, so to glaze over a sentence could mean the difference between truly getting what the author is saying and just having a muddled sense of the story, losing the intricacies and oddities. I like to envision every detail and absorb the voice of the writer, and therefor prefer a fresh mind when settling down to read.

The one pet peeve I have about newer printing cover art is anything that is adapted to have a modern image especially when the novel was made into a movie. I do not want to see celebrities on the cover of a classic work, and while I am at it, nor do I want to see, "Oprah's Book Club" stamp of approval. Or, "now a major motion picture" label plastered across the cover. I appreciate the original cover or something that maintains the integrity of the original context. Yet, whatever gets people to buy/borrow books and read is the most important prerogative in my mind.

Another pet peeve is the failure to incorporate the original publish date. When multiple publishers print a book, they need only to include the years that they printed it, not the year that the book was originally written. Some include this information somewhere, but not always, and definitely not in a casual search. ie; a book may have a copyright of 2008, but was originally written and published in 1934.

picture of a young P.K.D.


older author


The Minority Report- the book with cover that I bought. Not sure what the original work is, if this is it or not. There are other versions.


another cover from The Minority Report


another cover art version of, The Minority Report. It is a Greek cover, but it is an example of what I don't like- a cover with a celebrity from the movie adaptation (Tom Cruise).


all pics from www.philipkdick.com


Back to collected authors..

• These are just a few authors that I add to my collection as they come out and/or as money permits.

Chuck Palaniuk
Kurt Vonnegut
Naomi Wolf
Toni Morrison
David Sedaris
Jennifer Lancaster
Paco Ahlgren
Norah Vincent
Issac Asimov
Madeline L'engle
Octavia Butler
Alexander Dumas
Augusten Burroughs
Frances Hodgson Burnett

Also, anything classic, significant, culturally revealing and impacting- ie;

Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, Kate Chopin, John Steinbeck, F Scott Fitzgerald, Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, Maya Angelou, Rudyard Kipling, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Upton Sinclair, JD Salinge, Ralph Ellison and so forth. Many works that are often listed as 'must reads' in ones lifetime. There are many I am forgetting as I am just trying to visualize my shelves, but you get the idea.

My books are beat up and smell old. There are many that I wold like to read again, as perspectives change over time and I simply forget much of what I read and the impact of it. Yet there are so many that I have yet to read, that I get overwhelmed. I know I write about books a lot, but it is truly a passion of mine, so I am bound to say the same things over and over again as though I was saying them for the first time. My excitement never wanes. I vacillate between fiction and non fiction. I read for mindless pleasure, for reflection of life and culture over time, for learning something entirely new and/or adding to my knowledge base.

From the purely informational choice of reading material, I gravitate and own several pertaining to the sciences, health, medicine, nutrition, neuropsychology, behavior modification, business, systems thinking, entrepreneurial books, quantum physics, nature, photography, art, inspirational thinking and philosophy. These naturally take me longer to read and it can take a little while for me to get into the groove of the subject matter; so I enjoy them most when I have a large chunk of time to devote to reading.


As much as I do a lot of reading online- blogs, articles, etc, I've never been fond of reading ebooks. Staring at a screen is bothersome to me, and the experience lacks the 'feel of the experience' that I am looking for. What do you think?

well, although related, this was a disjointed post. Thanks for reading, if you got this far.

Time to clean, get some work done, and run a few errands. The sunshine these past few days combined with the greenery after the snow melted, makes me think that it is warmer out than what it is. Even though it is still cold out there, it is psychologically uplifting to experience the longer day full of sunshine.


WOW!! Just looked at my calender..
Did you know that in less than three weeks we forward our clocks ahead?! and in less than five weeks it will be officially spring? yay! Good thoughts to have...

Made me laugh..

a lot.





Catchy lyrics.. sure to get stuck in your head.

I'm sad and feel a little sick inside.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of those people on the plane and in that house.

I need to turn off cnn and close out of news websites. It is too much.


A little too close to home..

came from a LOL meme, but made me feel more sappy than anything.

• sniff*

Since contemplating in (e:theecarey,47659), I decided and I've got cable now. The super basic plan of broadcast channels. Every single station 2 through 23, plus 95, 98 & 99. $5/mo for 12 months, then $9/mo thereafter. The stations through the 50's almost come in, I almost want to tweak it somehow. Sort of seeing Comedy Central is a tease.

I kinda barked at the TW guy today. I had made the appointment for them to turn the cable on today. My apartment is cable ready and other than needing to turn it on outside, I did not see a reason for anyone to come inside. I had asked questions pertaining to this matter before confirming my order. I was told that it would not be necessary for anyone to come in as long as the tv produced a picture once the cable was turned on outside. If it was anything other than broadcast, they would need to come in and check everything. I was happy to hear this, as I did not want to round up my two super curious felines and lock them up, nor move their food bowls, water bowls or food container out from the doorway leading to the basement. I go down there on occasion, and although it doesn't require any real effort, I just didn't want to do all this prep work just for someone to may or may not have to come in. Also, my cats would fly down those stairs in search of adventure upon opening that door (hence my needing to lock them up, etc). Once told that no one had to come in, I didn't bother to do anything.

Forward to cable guy ringing my doorbell.

He proceeds to come in and take off his shoes.

I proceed to question his actions, leading to him saying that he needs to check the wires, etc. I understand that TW wants to make sure everything is up to standard as this helps them to cut out time and effort on potential problems, but I had done my homework, asked the questions, know how old my wires are, where they go and when the last they had broadcast and digital coursing through them, and was therefor adamant against him coming in. I told him what questions I had asked and what responses I received. He then called TW and received the same answer, "go turn it on outside, and only then if there is a problem will you need to go in".

exactly, you go outside and do your thing, and I will stay inside and do my thing. wires and cables aren't all that complicated especially a simple one in this case.

All the while he was doing just that, I tucked my cats away into the bedroom, moved the food bowls, water bowls and food container away from the door...

just in case.. hahaha

so there is not a whole lot going on on tv during the day. I have never watched a day time soap opera, and I never intend to- even though it appears to be the only thing on mid-day. Yikes..

But I am sure to find something as background when I am working on things, and want something more lively than a dvd or music.

made me think of, "dyslexics untie!" when I wrote the title. It was almost hard not to write, "untie". I think I read it that way now!

anyway, a friend pointed me in the direction of a site geared towards book lovers. It is a virtual bookshelf!


actually, it is more than that. It is a place to write reviews, blog, socialize, discover new books, read reviews, exchange ideas, etc.

I 'eat' so many books that it is easy to lose track of what I have read, when and what the book was about, author, etc. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before recently to start writing down what I read. I made this decision a couple of months ago, and have been since tracking my books on a piece of paper. I remembered a lot of books from 2008, so I jotted down those as well. I may remember a couple dozen from 2007, but not likely all of them. The two years or so prior to that, I won't remember much, or even I read anything much outside of school texts. So, 2008 will be my start date. But why oh why didn't I start when I was, say, four?? haha That would have been awesome.

for me.

So, this Shelfari looks fun. I like the idea of having a virtual shelf, and share what I have read with others. I imagine that I would be able to find even the most obscure of books and topics that I have read, and to find other people who have read things that I have and/or things I will want to read. It is great to get new ideas for what to read or be introduced to authors and bios I may never have come across otherwise. I'm glad to say that I'll read anything, pretty much, so it should prove to be a positive addition to my life.

Now to go take a close look at this site. If not this one, then there are sure to be more out there that will suit my purpose, needs, wants, nerd cravings.

enjoy the 'heat wave', peeps!

I don't have cable. I haven't in some time.

Well, actually, I had it turned off back in 2005 when I realized that I never have time to watch it (I was a few classes into my Masters at that time pkus f/t work), and it was pointless to pay for something I didn't use anymore.

This led me to calling Adelphia, and having them turn it off.

Forward to the cable guy knocking on my door and retrieving the cable box (this was prearranged, since I lived far from drop off station). Before he left, he said something to the effect of, "in case you didn't know, if you hook your cable into the back of the tv, you will continue to have cable until someone comes along and turns it off at the street'.

No, I never would have thought to do that, figuring it would have been cut off immediately.

So I did this.

and had cable.

For like three years.

Until the new TW came along and did their giant neighborhood sweep.

I had called Adelphia on two occasions. Twice to to remind them that I had turned the cable off and I was still receiving cable, and would not accept a bill if one came to me.

Anyway, I did watch more tv once finished with Masters and all that, so when it was finally turned off, I felt the absence; but not enough to do anything about it. I never even bothered to get an antenna (or converter box), because it really doesn't matter whether I have it or not.

...except when I want a little background noise other than music or a movie. So, when an offer from TW came in recently for a basic cable package of $5/mo, I am kind of tempted. Likely a 1 year contract/offer? Do I, don't I? I have to find out more, before I do anything. This is still not a necessity in my life.

but it might be nice.

what is even on tv anymore? I wonder what is considered, "basic"- likely the local channels?


Happy Friday!

Blogging. Public. (often)Personal. Informative.
Incriminating?

I usually write as I think. Not too concerned with spelling, grammar or flow of thought. My writing is usually for me, even with the awareness that there is an audience somewhere, it isn't enough to edit anything of what or how I write. Only once here do I recall making a post private after ranting, blowing off steam about family and religion. For various reasons, I couldn't keep it "out there" for long. However, most everything else is out there for good, for better or worse in any form that I present it. If I were more conscientious of what I wrote I would either not write at all or I would be more productive and acclaimed. But I am neither, and I just sit somewhere in the middle, fluctuating in my style, voice, content, basic English writing ability and presentation. Often my writing aim is vacillating between the effects of buckshot and that of a sharpshooter.

Only recently have I really wondered about who reads my stuff and more specifically, who among my family and close friends, if any? I never really put it out there where I write, but this past year or so, I have added visible links to some of the places I write or mentioned it in conversations, or showed them something on my laptop. Have they checked it out beyond that? Would I be made to know if they had? Would I care? Do I?

There are a lot of journals out there. Over time, I have written at estrip (obviously), at two of my LiveJournal accounts, two Myspace accounts and a blogspot/blogger account. Facebook format (and all that it is, sorry) annoyed me too much, and the old Friendster format has long been abandoned, although blogs still exist there (I've been lazy in removing them, or bothering to log in). Pen/Paper journals are not included as part of this discuss, but there are many of them, tucked away). Those sites that I listed are the main ones, anyways, for longer random write-ups. Then there are the less regular yet more specific posts at political, art, theater, writing and book oriented sites. It is weird, when on occasion someone has stumbled upon a blog, or when they have intentionally sought it out, to be made aware of it. I used to have estrip distinctly linked to many of the other blog place and/or social network sites- which was good and bad. Good for some readership in general, (and the ensuing comments, private messages etc), bad for the 'stalkerishness' of some readers I came to know about. Due to the increasing of the latter, and the location and familiarization of the context of this blog (and site in general), I took down the link. That was awhile ago, and a lot of those issues have simmered down, respectively. A lot of readers still find me here (via related and unrelated searches), but it is with good intent. Maybe now I can re link again.

I happened to be in a conversation today with my mom that benefited from my showing her some pictures and accompanying write up from a few old posts. This made me realize that she has not been privy to my writing world, well, not my blog world, anyways. Not in the way that reading to her/showing her would allow. So in contemplating all this, it is what brings me to writing this post today. It is one thing to wonder about who reads your stuff quite another to know for sure, and how that makes me feel. It isn't bad nor good, just kind of weird. The known difference between fluid conversation and interaction and those that are electronically 'set in stone' and limited in personal nuance.

The writings in this blog from the past year and a half have been topical; nothing too deep or revealing. It is the first 2 years that has much more depth, reflection and insight into me. Still an insignificant snapshot compared to all that it there, all that I 'contain', but still a view inside nonetheless.

In hindsight, it really doesn't matter who reads what. It is humbling to know that people do, especially those that do so on purpose. (thank you)

I'd like to pull more of my writing into one accessible spot- something that anyone can read, if they choose. Something that is easier for even myself to look back on, refer to, track and make mental notes on.

We do a lot of living 'out there'
but we have a lot of it documented right 'here'.

Happy Wednesday, folks.