Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Clouds Up Here Are ALIVE Today!

It is a gorgeous day outside today ... the clouds are dancing joyfully in the vivid blue sky ... truly amazing to behold ... inspirational ...



(Copyright @March 2010 Michelle C. of whatplanetareyoulivingon.blogspot.com)


More of my cloud photos from today on my Flickr page:





Remember the game you played when you were a kid (or still play in my case : ) ... What do you see in the clouds?  Well, I found a baby whale today ...



'Baby Whale'  : ) .... (E.J. says ... "It looks just like a Beluga Whale.")
(Copyright @March 2010 Michelle C. of www.whatplanetareyoulivingon.blogspot.com )



Don't really have time to be writing right now, but I wanted to make an upbeat post in honor of Easter, this upcoming Sunday.  I am going in for surgery on Friday, April 2nd ... so I won't be able to write again until after Easter, and I didn't want my last post to be my cemetery photos. 




'And I will raise Him up, on the last day (third day) ...'
(Copyright @March 2010 Michelle C. of www.whatplanetareyoulivingon.blogspot.com )




So Happy (early) Easter, one and all! 

May the joy of the Creator's Love, in His willingness to sacrifice His Son for our redemption, fill your heart and inspire you to share your light with others.  Peace, blessings ... and much love heading your way.  : )


Michelle




'Easter Joy' ... photo by me 3_31_2010
(Copyright @March 2010 Michelle C. of www.whatplanetareyoulivingon.blogspot.com )


Monday, March 29, 2010

A Walk on the Wild Side ...



What I did this weekend ... exploring a local cemetary ... trying to find interesting subject matter for photography class.  Here is the link to the album containing some of my photos ... nothing spectacular ... started out with some pretty intense late afternoon sun, but it softened a bit and then the sun went and hid behind some clouds for a time ...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/isas_fallingstar/sets/


I was surprised how tranquil ... peaceful ... and serene the setting was.  Not spooky at all ... I rather enjoyed myself.  Fun to explore and read the stories upon the various headstones.  You could feel the love all around ... in the air ... as well as on the various headstones.  Enjoyable way to spend a Saturday afternoon ...


... And a song for this post?  Well, this song fits with the title of my post ... and my album ... though, maybe not the subject matter? ... But what the hey!?!... This song is for a friend who just introduced me to this group ... The Velvet Underground ...



Song:  'Take a Walk on the Wild Side', by the Velvet Underground



Peaceful day to you!

M

Friday, March 26, 2010

Keepin' It Real ...

Ever had those moments where you just throw your hands up in the air and say "What am I going to do with you?" ... to your children? Well, my youngest has an answer for that one "Love me ALWAYS!" (SMILE and ((BIG Hug)) =).




[image removed]



EJ is my little photographer. She has quite the artistic eye and is always bringing me her digital camera loaded with hundreds of images to download and process. It's downright difficult to keep up sometimes, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  EJ is an inspiration, to me, and so in tune with the world around her.  To see the world through the eyes of a child ....

One of EJ's recent photos ...




So go and hug your kids, right now, with a giant hug ... Just for no reason at all . Just because you love them and they love you and that makes the wonderful world go round.  : )

Joyful day to you!

M

Sunday, March 21, 2010

I LOVE Jimi Hendrix!

Song:  "Power to Love", By Jimi Hendrix


I found yet another reason to LOVE Jimi Hendrix ...

He was an artist ... not just a phenomenal musician, but he painted as well.  I happened upon this website late last night ... via ArtMagick.com (love this site!) ...

 AtlasGalleries, Jimi Hendrix

The Atlas Galleries site had a short biography of Jimi Hendrix's life, as well as some of his artwork for sale. Here are my favorites ...



'Blue Woman', By Jimi Hendrix



'Seattle Waterfront', By Jimi Hendrix



'Oblivion', By Jimi Hendrix




'By the Mountain', By Jimi Hendrix



'Valley of Neptune', By Jimi Hendrix





I also did some research into the details surrounding Jimi's death, at a very young age ... 27 years ... this website has lots of interesting facts ... judge for yourself:   The Death of Jimi Hendrix  ... Site also some neat site seeing info too.

God Bless you, Jimi ... wherever you may happen to be right now ... and know that when I listen to your music, you bring a smile to face ... you warm my soul and often inspire me ... you are truly a muse ... and a beautiful soul.


"When I die, I want people to play my music, go wild, and freak out an' do anything they wanna do." ~Jimi Hendrix

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace." ~Jimi Hendrix

Song:  "Power to Love", By Jimi Hendrix


Peace to all who come this way ...


M

Friday, March 19, 2010

Shelter From the Storm ...

Peaceful ... beautiful day outside today ...





Not a storm cloud in sight ... the sun's warmth penetrates and dispells inner darkness ...








... I wonder, if perhaps, it's easier to empathize with others weathering their own storms ... when you, yourself, have moved beyond fighting your own inner storm?   If nothing else ... I can pray for peace in the lives of those that I love ...



Song:  'Knockin' on Heaven's Door', By Bob Dylan

Song::  'Shelter From the Storm', By Bob Dylan




P.S.  So good to catch up on your news tonight Monica.  Will pray that the job that is right for you is the one that comes your way.  I have a good feeling for you!  : )  God Bless!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Update on New and Final Version of House Healthcare Reform Bill ...

No VOTE yet ... but the House is now one step closer ...



Well the House has released its "new", and final, version of the proposed Healthcare Reform Bill. Apparently, the House has decided to take the version of the bill that passed recently in the Senate (Oct. 2009 timeframe) and modify this existing bill, instead of pushing forward with their own independent version of a Healthcare Reform Bill.

I guess, Nancy Pelosi and crew feel that have a better chance of getting the votes that they need this way? ... vs. a new and independent bill, as they had originally hoped for... Then again, maybe our Representatives actually decided that they would heed the will of 'We the People' ... So, JOB WELL DONE to all of you who took the time to call or write to your U.S. House Representative!!!!  We made a difference ... doesn't that feel good?

The unbiased Office of Management & Budget analysis reports that over the course of the next 10 years, this proposed bill would potentially save ?$100 Million dollars?, roughly an average of $10 Million dollars per year ... which is really insignificant ... like penniers ... compared to the interest (in Trillions of dollars) paid on the already staggering National Debt each year (approx. 1.4 Trillion in interest each year ... I believe ... and the reason that the United States may loose its 3-star credit rating) ...  but at least we are no longer looking at a major addition to the already soaring National Debt.  Or are we? 

The OMB has yet to complete its study with regards to the impact of this legislation on 'discretionary' spending .... And the estimated price tag for this piece of Healthcare legislation: a whopping $940 Billion!?!!  So, where would the money to pay for the proposed programs come from then? Most likely, the revenue would come from cuts in services availability and existing programs (e.g., Medicare and Medicaid) and from new tax revenues ($$$ from you and me!) ... tax revenues that would equate to about 1/2 Trillion dollars.

The Healthcare reform bill that passed in the Senate is a 2,000+ page document that is supposedly available on-line ... for anyone to read (I'll let you know if I find it). The House version of this Healthcare reform bill is 150 page document of amendments and changes to the original Senate version of the bill ... also supposedly available on-line.




Fox news has a speed reader going through both of the above bills. His most interesting comment so far? That he found legislation regarding Student Loans and Pell grants embedded within the bill -- not sure if he was referring to the original Senate Bill or the Amended House Bill? And I wonder what other non-healthcare related legislation will find its way into this bill?

I found this link ... posted just 6 hours ago and I think this link contains the orignal Senate Healthcare Reform Bill (2,000+ pages) text as well as the 150+ pages of House Amendments.   This site is an independent monitoring agency, which also tracks voting records of congresspersons.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/show


Here is another independent monitoring agency ...
http://www.govtrackinsider.com/articles/2010-03-15/bills-on-floor



Here is another link to the official legislative archive for the U.S. House of Representatives ... although I have not yet identified the exact document here myself ....
http://www.house.gov/house/Legproc.shtml


The current predicted VOTE count is: 240 FOR the 'House' Healthcare Reform Bill and 217 AGAINST ... thus, at the present time, the Democrats DO NOT have enough votes to pass this legislation.  An initial VOTE on the Healthcare Reform Bill is currently scheduled for this Sunday, March 21, 2010.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

URGENT: Do SOMETHING NOW to STOP HEALTHCARE REFORM BILL in Congress!

ATTENTION ... WARNING!!! ... SELF-DESTRUCT OF OUR FREEDOM AND OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURES ... IN T-MINUS 72 HOURS!




"VOTE NO ON HEALTHCARE REFORM!  OR YOU ARE FIRED!"

What can YOU DO? Email your Representative in Congress ... and send them the above message.

Why?  1) Lack of full disclosure ... Nancy Pelosi and her fellow Democratic supporters in Congress won't share what's going to be in the final bill with us (the American People) nor dissenting members of Congress ... 2) too much government control of choices that should be left up to us (e.g., what we eat, how much we exercise, who can have children ... who needs to have an abortion ...) ... 3) a reduction in medical services and control over who can have access to those services ... and 4) the biggest reason to VOTE NO:  too $$$COSTLY$$$ at a time when our country ... not to mention future generations ... our children and our children's children ... can no longer carry the burden of MORE NATIONAL DEBT.

The White House switchboards are jammed, at present, and time is of the essence ... so send your Represenative (Congressperson) an email ASAP!  A vote on the current House version of the Healthcare Reform Bill could occur as early as this Friday, March 19th.

Nancy Pelosi and crew are currently using backroom strong-arming and under-the-table deals in an effort to try to secure the votes that they desperately need to pass this healthcare bill.  If the latter tactics don't work: Pelosi and her Democratic supporters  plan to misuse a process known as "Reconciliation" (supposed to be reserved for purely budget driven issues) in order to ram their version of this healthcare bill through the House.  Use of the latter process of "Reconciliation" in order to pass the current Healthcare Reform Bill in the House should not stand up in a court of law.


So let your Representative know, in no uncertain terms, that (sample letter text):

"I, (INSERT NAME), as a concerned United States Citizen absolutely DO NOT WANT the Democratic version of the Healthcare Reform Bill that is currently on the table in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Further, I will hold you personally accountable (with my vote in Nov. 2010) should you VOTE FOR support of this bill and/or the process of 'Reconciliation'.


Thank you for concern in this matter and for endeavoring to represent the people who elected you to this office."



Here are links to help you find and contact your State Representative:

Find Your Representative ...
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml


Write to Your Representative ...
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml



As I always say:  Be informed ... Stay involved ... and pray a whole heck of alot!  God Bless!

M


P.S. I have been crunching numbers all day and my eyes are fried ... so please excuse typos!  Thanks!  : )

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Happy Birthday, Einstein!




A beautiful soul and a truly remarkable man ... Albert Einstein ...
... Born March 14, 1879.

My hero ...



Song: "Superman", By Five for Fighting

Friday, March 12, 2010

Looking for a USAF JAG Classmate ...



Heard a fighter jet streak by today and I wondered how you were doing these days?  Much better I sincerely hope!  







I have continued to pray for you since you posted your comment on my post regarding friends past.  Hope you were able to get in touch with Pat M.  He is a good man, with a good heart.  I feel as if good things and a sense of peace have finally come your way since you last wrote.  I will continue to keep you in my onging thoughts prayers though.  May God's continued peace, light and abundant blessings find their way to you.

All the Very BEST,
Michelle


P.S. Even though you may not see this message, per se, I still have faith that the universe will deliver my good intentions to you.  : )  I'm still trying to find a song to post for you.  If you happen to read this, maybe try and focus on a song or artist for me.  Then let's how close I get? Might be fun.

This is what I get from an initial reading ... just about you in general ...

Song:  "Kashmir", By Led Zeppelin ... from the album "Mothership"


I'll keep listening to see if I 'hear' anything else ...

3/15/2010 Okay, don't know if this is you, but this song popped into my head, out of nowhere this morning while having my morning cup of killer tea and I can't seem to get the soung out of my head.  I had to go onto Amazon and buy this, because I don't have it, but here it is.  Too noisy in my life right now to discern if this is you --sometimes my signals get crossed with lots of noise, personal strife.  Hoping after some quiet time alone tonight the signal will solidify. Then tomorrow I'll let you know for sure.

Song:  "Straight From the Heart", By Bryan Adams


Nope.  Signal cleared.  This wasn't you.  But someone was sending me this song?  I am still getting a metal vibe from you.  Am I right?

Monday, March 08, 2010

Taking People Out With Your Car & "Alice in Wonderland" the Movie







We went to see the movie “Alice in Wonderland” last night. On the way home from the theater a couple wearing dark clothing stepped off the street corner (out of nowhere?!@#!!) and into the road right into the path of our moving car. They weren’t even looking for oncoming cars?!  They were busy carrying on a conversation and just stepped off of the curb and kept right on walking?! Fortunately, the standard speed limit up here is 35 m.p.h. on most major roads (tres annoying at times ... especially coming from Texas where its at least 60 mph. almost everywhere and 45 mph. is going slow) … even six lane roads … three lanes each direction with a center turn lane: the speed is 35 mph. (light bulb moment … maybe people stepping off of curbs out of nowhere is the reason for this consistently low speed limit everywhere?).  Luckily, Ken also has fast reflexes: he saw the couple and was able to stop the car in time to avoid hitting them.

Ken’s remark to the above couple’s “blatant display of stupidity”?  “See that kids … that’s Darwinism in action.” Meaning that people totally lacking in common sense probably won’t be around long enough to contribute to the gene pool. Lauren laughs and adds, “Yeah that should be true, but that doesn’t seem to be true … stupid people seem to be everywhere and have a tendency to multiply much faster.” I cringe and think to myself … God help me … Big Ken and Little Ken … how do I compete? How do I instill a sense of love, compassion, and good will in my brilliant little genius of daughter? She’s already so critical and impatient with others at the young age of 12. Is that the price she has to pay for being so smart? Teaching Lauren the wisdom of compassion, I think, will be by far the biggest challenge of my parenting skills to tackle.





Anyway, we seem to see that a lot up here … people just wandering out into the road without even looking ... lost in their own 'wonderlands' perhaps?  It’s a totally different mindset up here … a lot more free form …. which I happen to like, but in some instances … like our near collision tonight: it scares the hell out of me?! It just boggles my mind … people don’t even bother to look before crossing the street … they just assume that they have the right of way up here and go without giving it a second thought … call me a skeptic, but when my life is on the line … I’m NOT going to assume that the cars will stop … I’m going to look both ways and make eye contact before I step off of the curb. I thought that was what we teach our kids, right? Look both ways before you cross the street? Maybe I'm wrong ... is that old school?





But, getting back to the movie … “Alice in Wonderland” was a wonderful movie … very entertaining … but I probably enjoyed it more than most people because I so relate to Alice. She was my very first heroine, at the tender age of 8.  I think Alice, in her return to wonderland, is an excellent heroine for young girls of today. Alice questions … reasons … rises to face her fears and challenges … is resourceful and most important of all she is imaginative … which in my opinion is a key factor to success later in life.




On a scale of 1 to 10 … 10 being the best … I’d give “Alice in Wonderland”, the movie, an 8. Tim Burton did an amazing job bringing Alice's wonderland to life and, of course, Johnny Depp was brilliant as always. 



The movie didn’t follow the classic storyline, because this movie explored a new story … a return to wonderland … or “underworld”. Still the storyline was well written, fast-paced and very entertaining. So much of the story spoke to me on a deeper level … parallels in my own life even today … silly, I know … I also loved the symbolism and underlying themes.






The animation was impressive, the costumes creative, and the characters well developed, portrayed … played.  We didn’t see the 3-D version, but I heard from friends that it was impressive. To my way of thinking, the storyline of “Alice in Wonderland” was actually better than the recycled and predictable story of the blockbuster “Avatar.” The animation in Avatar was truly remarkable … but I was disappointed in the overall story. The movie “Avatar” just didn’t live up to its potential in my humble opinion … but then again, what do I know?




Children of all ages will enjoy “Alice in wonderland” (return to wonderland) the movie.  It’s not too frightening … but 4 and under may not enjoy quite as much, then again ... it just depends on the child ... Lauren would have loved it at the age of 4.  So if you’ve been on the fence about seeing this movie ... I say:  you should go. My only caveat would be: Boys 9 and up may not enjoy the movie quite as much … doesn’t quite compare with “Transformers” or “Avatar” for action and animation.


Song: "White Rabbit", By Jefferson Airplane



Alice to her father after her dream as a child ...
"Have I gone mad?"  ... "The greatest ones usually are ..."

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

What affects the world going round?

Guess I wasn't far off yesterday when I asked the philosophical question: "What makes the world go round?"

Today the question being explored by scientists is "What affects the world going round?"




Apparently, the earthquake in Chilie was so strong (7th largest in recorded history) that it shifted the Earth's figure axis (not N-S spinning axis, on which Earth rotates, but rather the axis about which Earth's center of mass is balanced).  This in turn may have actually shortened our Earth day by 1.26 milliseconds ... which may not seem a whole heck of a lot, but is nonetheless significant.

One more thing for us to stress about?  A shorter day?  As if 24 hours was ever enough ... now we have 1.26 milliseconds less?  Well, I have faith in humanity's ability to adapt ... somehow, I think that we will all find a way to manage.

God Bless the people of Chile as they struggle to cope with loss of loved ones and the aftermath of surviving and recovering from this natural disaster. 

Peace ... which my middle daughter says makes the world go round ... to you ... 

M

P.S. Lunchtime .... So here's my next thought ... given that we just had a large quake recently in Haiti ... now a massive quake in Chile ... is it not probable that there could, in fact, be another massive quake ... possibly on the opposite of the globe such that the Earth's CM would be readjusted and hence the rate of spin reset? Is that an upside? Probably not ... Then again, there's always meteor impact and antripital focusing effects ... I hear 'Twilight Zone' music playing in the background now ; ) ... Bottom line:  it's probably best not to sweat the small stuff 'Nature' (the Creator) knows what she's doing.

Monday, March 01, 2010

What Makes the World Go Round?



I need a serious embracing reality check ... (among other things) ... so help me out here.  I posted this on my Facebook 'status' awhile ago ...

"Isabelle Bxxxx Sxxxxx. ...   Is wondering what makes the world go round?"


So far, the only response I've gotten is "Too deep for a Monday?!"


Yes, the people in my Facebook reality just aren't very deep, I guess ... on a Monday anyway.  But seriously, I often ponder this notion.  Am I that unique in this respect?  Don't normal, everyday people ever think on this? 

If you have ever pondered this notion ... or just find the idea intriguing, please share! ... I could really use some outside insight today ... And I don't think that there are any wrong answers ... just different perspectives ... which is what I need right now ... a different perspective ...




Is it money ... greed ... power ...  politics ... religion ... love (too cliche?) ... unwavering belief in an assumed reality ... a higher power ... all of the above?   .... You tell me (anonomously if you want) ...


... So far (via Facebook) I've gotten:  1) "Coffee and Chocolate" ... lots of chocolate! ; 2) "Supposed to be love, but it feels like money."; 3) 'Archer' TV show; and 4) pragmatically speaking ... "Isn't it gravity?".

I personally think ... today anyway ... that it is an unwavering belief in an assumed reality.  Ask me again tomorrow ... 

Q2:  Anyone have a song that makes the world go round?

Song:  'With a Little Help From My Friends', By Ringo Starr ... Live on Tour


Late p.m. .... seems my 'question' has now evolved into a contest of sorts ... I'm now on the line for $10.00 gift card for the best submission.  Hmmmm ... maybe money does make the world go round after all?  ; )  What the heck ... I'm game ... if it gets people thinking, I'll fork over the money.

So far the best entry is from my eldest daughter: "Pursuit of perfection makes the world go round."  But she's helping me judge, so her entry doesn't count.  Still, it's the best I've received so far ... contest ends tomorrow at 5 p.m.

*********************************

And the winner is .... DRUM ROLL please:  "Isn't it supposed to be love? But it feels like money right now." ... well done Kristen.  Your Starbucks gift card is on its way. 

Honorable mentions go to: "You'd probably need a pencil, paper and a lot of time for the answer that you're looking for ... but isn't the answer really like just gravity?" ~submitted by Rhett

and "The Earth is just one big giant hamster ball, with a  giant guinea pig running really really fast at the center.  Run guinea pig, run!" ~submitted by Angela

My daughter Lauren, now 12, was the judge ... she said that Kristen's answer says it best and that Rhett's was the most logical.  Angela's was the funniest ... and well God? ... she says "God is just too obvious." ... she gets that from her dad.

Thanks for playing for you all!  FUN! And nice to know that I do indeed have 'deep' friends after all.  ; )