Miracles

Stories like this keep me going. I know someone with a similar story. She died in surgery and woke up a while later and scared the bejeezus out of the doctor.  Loves it:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Merry Christmas!

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Cabin Fever!

There is way too much snow outside and it just won't stop.  It's not so much that I hate snow; I just hate being TRAPPED by snow. Actually, I hate being trapped by anything.

Every time I look outside, I'm torn between awe (snow is pretty amazing) and terror.  I actually made circles in the kitchen today - yes, I walked in little frustrated circles.  That's when I knew it was getting to me.  I used to last more than one day stuck inside, but the infrequency of big snows here has spoiled me. My tolerance is much lower now.  I hate sitting still for too long and big blizzards like this always remind me of my general fear of being trapped.  Even windows - I hate it when a window is stuck shut. I could be breathing perfectly fine until I go to open a window in my home and it's stuck. Suddenly, I can't breathe, break out in a sweat, and bang on the window pane frantically. I hate that I can't crack my windows in Spring (allergies).  My dorm room window often got stuck.  And that room was actually a claustrophobe's worst nightmare (a small cinder block cell the width of a standard twin bed).  So being unable to get that window open would drive me to a tearful frenzy every once in a while.  I never told anyone this. Yet I'm not afraid of elevators or other confined spaces. I could hide in a closet all day long and sometimes tease friends by jumping up and down on elevators. Yet I can't be in a much larger space unable to come and go as I please.  Go figure.

Anyway, the upside to blizzards is that you have time to work on projects that have fallen by the wayside. If I were home, I'd clean the place. But I'm with the fam, so I guess I'll make collages or work on one of many other projects today...and tomorrow. God I hope it stops by tomorrow.

P.S. - I probably won't blog again until after the holidays. So check back in January and enjoy!

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God of Small Things

I recently had the privilege of attending a talk given by creative genius Willard Wigan. Described as the "8th Wonder of the World", Wigan grew up in England. Painfully shy and dyslexic, he was berated by teachers in front of other students and told that he would not go far in life. He could have given up; instead he turned lemons into lemonade (pardon the cliché) and created something no one else had before - microscopic sculptures. I found his story inspiring on so many levels and hope you will too.

I really wish there was video from the talk that I saw as I enjoyed it more than his TED Talk found here. Check out some of his work below. For a greater appreciation of exactly how tiny his sculptures are (they are invisible to the naked eye for goodness sakes), take a look at the following videos and visit his website.  Amazing

(Umm, I think they meant, "This is the most amazing thing I've EVER seen")

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New Alice?

How can this be? There are new Alice Smith singles, yet no album? Where is her album?? I need it now! Yes, NEED

I'm really loving this song because it reminds me of some changes I went through a little while ago (and would have been really cathartic had I stumbled upon it at the time). Besides, it's nice to hear a song that could be about friendship (or other) challenges sometimes as opposed to the usual (love, sex, etc.). There is more to life. Take a listen and have a good weekend:

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Sade's New Single!

I heard a song on the radio last night and immediately turned it up (unfortunately for my dog who was riding with me). I didn't even realize it was Sade!  Check out "Soldier of Love" here. It's HAWT

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Impatient Dog

Woooow

If my dog did this, I'd be afraid to sleep at night. Since it's not my dog, I giggled a little bit.

Actually, this reminds me of a story. My neighbor parked in a fire lane and ran into the store one day. He takes his dog with him everywhere so he left him where he always sat - in the passenger seat. While he's in the store, a police officer notices his vehicle in the fire lane. She proceeds to get out and write a ticket. When she approached the window and saw the dog, she jokingly asked him, "Can you drive?" Apparently, she didn't know how smart my neighbor's dog is and how well he understands you (let's just say, it's best to spell around him as often as possible). I guess he looked at her and thought, "Oh, you think you're funny? You think I don't understand English?? Watch this!"  And he hopped in the driver's seat, sat down, and looked at her. She was so shocked and amused, she decided against giving my neighbor a ticket. She did, however, wait for him to come out of the store so she could tell him what happened. True story

The Impatient Passenger @ Yahoo! Video

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Will Resume Posting Next Week

I'm feeling a lot like this lately:

(Poor Lauryn.) Rather than smear my face with clown makeup and step out the door looking mixed up, I listen to music and sing along, loudly and badly - usually in my car or bathroom where nobody can hear me (except that one dude who heard me in traffic once even though my windows were wound up tight - oops), or I do other things I will not share here. :o)


Here's one of my favorite songs for days like this. I dug in the crate for this one and keep meaning to add it to a "Mad at the World" playlist. Enjoy

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Weep Not

I haven't posted in the past week or so because my grandfather passed away. I have been blessed to know all of my grandparents for many years, and it always hurts to lose a loved one; however, my grandfather was just shy of 100 years (1 year and 2 months to be exact) on this earth and I imagine that's enough to make anyone weary and ready to move on - a fact he made clear to me not too long ago. "I'm old. People don't live forever. Death is a part of life." He was very blunt and no-nonsense that way - a trait I inherited, much to the chagrin of family and friends.

I appreciate the time I had with him and viewed his funeral as a celebration of life - a life during which he overcame adversity, witnessed change, and accomplished more than we can only hope to imagine or experience in our lifetime.

Grandaddy...


...sang in a quartet. 

...was a sharecropper who taught his suburban/city slicker grandkids where our food really came from.

...was a man's man. We had it out a few times when I was a "feisty" little girl because I couldn't ride with my male cousins in the back of his blue pick-up truck. He laughed at his mouthy little granddaughter and proceeded to leave me standing in the yard in the dust - literally. He taught me to be tough and that I couldn't always get my way.

...watched As the World Turns and baked a mean 3-layered jelly cake with chocolate frosting after a hard day's work on the farm (despite his manly man ways.)

...walked approximately 180 miles (a 3-hour drive) from his birthplace of Baxley, Georgia to Alachua, Florida in search of steady work.

...overcame illiteracy (having dropped out of school at a young age to support his siblings) to build a home for his own family, purchase property for all 8 of his children, and become a skilled carpenter.

...was forced to stop working when he was caught repairing the roof of his house at 80+ years old. He was a hard working man who would have likely worked until the day he died.

...told me to, "find a man with a job. Make sure he has a job!" That was the only dating advice he's ever given me. LOL


Grandaddy, Rest in Peace.

My grandfather and his brother circa 1933

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"Let the Good Times Roll"

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Miami Pt. II: Uhmaaaaaaah!

Since the point of heading to the beach was relaxation, I was forced encouraged to squeeze in some spa time. I'm not exactly a spa baby because - as I've said before - I don't like strangers rubbing me; therapeutic or not. But when someone is asking you every day if you're going to make a spa appointment, you tend to give in. I agreed, with the following caveats:

 - It must be an eco-friendly spa
- It must be affordable


Enter Uhma Spa - a green/organic spa in South Beach. Although walking distance from Ocean Drive, Uhma is in an urban neighborhood, so don't expect to get your treatments while staring out at the sea. Nevertheless, the spa itself is very much an oasis in the city.

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Meee Ahhh Meeee! Pt. 1

I know I haven't gone into detail, but some bad ish has been going down lately in tbyrd's world. I was dragging and getting on everybody's nerves, so I took a break and went to South Beach for some much needed sunshine (it was rainy and 40 degrees here at the time).

I honestly didn't think I would be able to enjoy myself but the sun really enhances one's mood. I also visited an amazing spa there;which I will blog about later this week. Anywho, here's a slideshow:

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Vintage Fab: Cricket Match

I stopped by to visit my grandparents yesterday and flipped through a book on Bermuda's history, to this photo of my grandmother (second from left) and friends headed to a cricket match in the 1940s. I took her to a demo cricket match once on the National Mall and that's when I discovered her love for the sport. She says she was about 17 years old in this photo.

(Since I couldn't carry the book home to scan the photo, I made do with my camera so her face is rather hard to make out here. Click the image for an expanded view.)

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Geeking

After managing to miss it the past few years despite my best efforts, I was finally able to catch the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon on the National Mall. I was really excited to actually see modular energy-efficient homes up close and personal.

The houses looked amazing - from the outside. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and long lines, I was only able to see the inside of three - not necessarily those at the top of my list; and yes, I'm bitter. Nevertheless, it was a cool experience. Next year, I hope to see them all. Until then, virtual tours of this year's homes are available online. Check it out.

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I've escaped to a warmer climate. Be back later...

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Praise Break!

Got some good news today that has given some serious anxiety attacks a break
So I'm doing my happy dance now and rotating the following songs by one of my favorite gospel music groups (I know some folks won't understand what they're about to see, and that's okay):





P.S. - They will be in Baltimore this Saturday at the 1st Mariner Arena. Sadly, I can't make the event. :o(

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Cool Design

I don't know who designed this flier but it's hot. I want to blow it up and hang it on my wall.

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Innovative Ideas

The voyeur in me loves this website. Custom Media Labs, an interactive marketing and communications firm in Wayne, PA, gives you a peek at the inner workings of their office life - literally. Their homepage background streams daily from webcams around the office. How cool!

Follow the link, be patient, and watch:

Customedialabs

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The Washington Post's Good Hair Feature

Everyone wants to discuss the hair thing now:



full article here

I found this young lady's view on Black hair particularly interesting. I have heard some White and Asian women make similar comments. Too bad most Black women don't have such a positive view of their own hair. A former colleague made the following comment once:
"When I die, I hope I come back as a Black woman because you all have the most versatile hair." She went on further to describe how her hair would not hold a crimp, curl or wave etc. I was a bit taken aback. Until she made that comment, even though I had long ago began embracing my natural hair and that of others, I had never thought about it that way. I must admit, I found both my colleague's and the young lady's comments refreshing in many ways.

At the same time, however, we (regardless of race, gender, etc.) should always be careful not to build ourselves up by tearing others down (even if others have done so to us); and likewise learn to appreciate differences in others without feeling bad about ourselves. I appreciate my hair for many reasons - versatility included - but I would stop short of calling my anything the "best" or better than others. I just think Black hair rocks just like anyone else's and I wish more Black people embraced our hair and stopped wanting someone else's. Due to the ugly root (no pun intended) of our problems with hair (and color for that matter), I think we still have a loooooong way to go before we reach a true appreciation of our natural selves and, at the very least, stop considering anything other than straight and silky or curly unattractive. But at least the dialogue has begun.

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I Want!

I adore these dresses by Red Prairie Press.
They will be at the Crafty Bastards! Fair in D.C. (Adam's Morgan) this weekend. Given my instant gratification issues with things like this, I may have to stop by.

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Random Thoughts

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Today's Playlist

because I haven't done this in a while...

Radiohead Dub via this cool video by way of Fly

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Thought-Provoking Film

African Booty Scratcher-Short Film by Nikyatu Jusu from Nikyatu Jusu on Vimeo.

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No. 5

i call this one "digital conversion"

since this is pretty much what every TV

w/o cable looks like these days

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Making a Collage

Please pardon the quality of this vid. I used two different cameras and had one on the wrong setting the entire time; and re-creating the collage ain't gonna happen.

The finished product:

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Don't Touch!

Bud woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. (Actually, he doesn't like feet to ever touch his bed apparently.)

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Cool Blogs

I Can Read

(click image for more)

We're Electric

(click image for more)

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Stylish Gal

I am loving Shingai Shoniwa's hair and makeup in this vid:

The Noisettes - Never Forget You (Official Video) HQ
by wonderful-life1989

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Lately, I've been feeling a lot like this. *sigh*
(art by Natalie Dee)

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The Serena Williams Meltdown: "You Cannot be Serious!"

Ummm, why are people making such a big deal over the Serena Williams outburst? She just had what I call a "McEnroe moment". I personally don't care for tennis but I could watch footage of John McEnroe lose his temper all day long. That's entertainment (poor sportsmanship aside). Serena is no different. I could go on, but this is my light and fluffy corner so I won't. All I will say is race and gender definitely played a part in the strong reaction to Serena's behavior. What’s more, the issue is further complicated by the widely different expectations of athletes who play particular sports (e.g. - is it more acceptable for a contact sport player to display aggression for some reason?) So another athlete had a hissy fit. Big deal!

Observe:

It gets better (see the 1 minute mark)...

I'm just sayin'

(Excellent post on reactions to the Williams incident here)

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Funny Stuff

LOL

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Art Therapy: My Doodles

Let me just say up front that I can't draw a lick. Nevertheless, illustrating your feelings can be quite therapeutic if I do say so myself. So I've added this little fellow to my repertoire of meeting doodles. I call him the Meeting Monster. And sometimes I call him Cancer.

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Mundane Mondays: "Lapdog"

I had nothing better to do this weekend, so I made this video. Actually, that's not true; it was just too HOT to do much of anything, so I got bored.

Anyway, this is my dog sitting on my lap. No biggie right? Maybe so, if he was a toy-sized breed...or a cat, but he's about 40 pounds (maybe more). He's a puggle and I adopted him from the shelter as a 4-year-old dog (no time to train puppies) so he came with quirks from his previous life; one of which is leaping into your lap. I'd actually forgotten how odd this habit was until a vet was stunned to see him do this last weekend.

The Vet (and Technician): Oh my God (giggle giggle)
Me: What?
The Vet: He just jumped into your lap-
Me: Yeah? He does this all the time.
The Vet: But he just jumped straight up in the air.
Me: Yeah. Um, are you calling my dog fat? I'll have you know he's very light on his feet...err, paws. hmph

(Okay, it didn't quite go down like that, but you get the idea.)

For a long time, I couldn't figure out who on earth let this heavy dog sit in their lap or why. What's worse is, he would jump up, get comfy and look back at me when I pet him as if I were doing something wrong. So one day, I just asked him. "What do you want me to do?? I'm petting you, but that doesn't seem like enough!" He promptly jumped down to the floor, pulled his brush from under the coffee table and brought it to me. Translation: "Brush me, you fool." Yeah, scary right?

I continue to let him do this because it brings him such joy and it's far better than other "quirks" he managed to communicate quite well when he initially arrived (like a nasty habit of touching breasts and putting his paw directly in the crotch of guests who were dog-friendly enough to sit next to him). Don't worry, I nipped those bad habits in the bud. I'm sure there are acceptable things he used to do for fun that are no longer a part of his life so I try to give him comforts of home and all that.
Anywho, enjoy the dysfunction!

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Inspiring

"I made my first shirt when I was around thirteen. One arm was longer than the other, but I was so proud because it was something I had made all by myself."

The talent of this young man is so inspiring. I would absolutely rock the dress pictured here if I had the gams for it!

(photo by Astrid Riecken for The Washington Times)

More on Bishme Cromartie here...

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Can't Wait!

I wandered over to a guilty pleasure I hadn't visited in a while (YBF) and saw the official trailer and release date for Chris Rock's "Good Hair" documentary is finally here. Marking my calendar now...


Official Site

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Hiatus Over

Though the unfortunate situation at home has not been resolved, I have decided to press on with blogging. I'm beginning to feel like a vulture the way I'm peeking over my family member's shoulder every 10 minutes. I haven't stayed home since this ordeal began and was informed - as politely as possible - that I'm becoming a nuisance. LOL So it stands to reason that I should resume my life despite the circumstances.
So, posts will be sporadic (more so than usual, okay?), but I'm still here.

Here's a heartwarming project I stumbled upon on Vimeo. Not only is the photography phenomenal, it amazes me how some people with so little do so much for others while others with a lot do little to nothing at all.

Val's Children from Abby Metty on Vimeo.

more here

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On Repeat

In the meantime, I must find this song and put the iPod on loop:

http://boxmp3.net/flash_player/flash_track.php?type=Michael%20White%20Featuring%20True%20Praise%20And%20Friends&id=4352854

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Hiatus

Because my family is going through a terribly difficult time right now, Mags & Choc is going on hiatus indefinitely. Hopefully, I will be back soon.

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On a Negative Note

If you visit this blog regularly, you know I try to keep it all about positivity and inspiration, but recently life has thrown my family a huge curveball, so, try as I may, I'm not feeling particularly positive or inspired today and I can't contain it. Actually, I haven't been feeling too hot all month because of this family issue. I'm a praying person and try to hope for the best, but I also get angry. Today, I am beyond angry. Simultaneously pissed and distraught

All I have to say is I effing HATE Kaiser Permanente (and HMOs in general). They do the bare minimum for their patients when it comes to screening and I hope they go bankrupt and/or burn to the effing ground (whichever comes first)! I hope their Board of Directors, administration, and any doctors who adhere to their rules just to save their measly jobs (if you're a doctor, hello, you can find another job!) are arrested for murder because that slaughterhouse serves as nothing more than an obstacle to the well-being of patients. They are not about preventative care - no matter what they claim. "Health and Wellness" my foot. I know plenty of people feel this way, so I'm just putting it out there. Holla if you hear me.

P.S. - I also hate effing cancer!

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Cool Art: Dawn Okoro

I adore the vivid colors used by artist Dawn Okoro.
Check her out.

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Cool Design: E. Spalding

I absolutely adore Esperanza Spalding's website design.

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This article really warmed my heart:

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Droolworthy

Ode to Nutella

Being the chocolate fiend that I am, you would think that I would have tried Nutella a looooong time ago right? Wrong
Though I've been meaning to (especially since I love the chocolate/hazelnut combo in general) I never got around to trying Nutella until yesterday. I was in the store picking up a few things to make Father's Day french toast (which was yummy - more on that in a minute) and finally grabbed a jar. Too bad, I didn't taste its creamy deliciousness before I served the french toast. Oh, Nutella, where have you been all my life? It was so good just by the spoonful alone that I wanted to hug myself (and thank God I don't have a hazelnut allergy). In retrospect, I'm sure I've had Nutella before (in crepes and Ferrero Rocher candy); I just didn't know it at the time. Now, I'm on the hunt for Nutella recipes. First up, crêpes.

"Stuffed" French Toast

In other greedy news, I made french toast yesterday for my dad. I'm working on perfecting my batter, but what I've really wanted to try is stuffed french toast. Unfortunately I had to work with what I had (read: NOT challah bread or anything nearly as thick) so I improvised. Instead, I just mixed strawberry cream cheese with organic strawberry preserves and placed a dollop on top of the toast (or between two slices). The results were delicious. Sorry, I don't have a photo. It disappeared too soon.

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Stop motion is so cool.

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Harem Pants Flashmob

I need a laugh today and this video certainly helped out in that regard.
This is exactly what I envision every time I see someone wearing Hammer Harem pants. Why would such ugliness come back in style? Why?! LOL



*I'm loving the enthusiasm of dude in the white dress shirt and tie.

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Dog Days: Some Humans Just Can't Take a Hint

My sister tries to get my dog to roll over...ONTO his feet
*sigh*
(This is long so, if you must, fast forward to about 3:10 into the thing and watch him try to shake her by playing dead.)

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Blast From the Past: Bernard Wright

Oh the 80s were so special. This Bernard Wright video is yet another reason I need more music channels in my life. I heart BET*J. Sadly, it won't wind up on my television any time soon in this economy.

Anyway, this is the same song LL Cool J and Total sampled. I love this song and how Wright sung with such intensity. What I really adore, however, is the tumbling effect. It's sickeningly sweet...in more ways than one. Awwww



PS - This group also sampled this song. I don't remember them at all...well barely. They should have called this one, "The Gold-diggers Anthem".

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Weekend in the City

Here's another St. Germain song I love. If you've seen the most recent Yaz commercial (and can stand to sit through the string of side effects and warnings), you can hear this tune playing in the background. Yet another one to add to my Saturday drive through the city soundtrack. Have a stellar weekend. ;o)

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Cute Vid

Cool imagery
Good song
Me likey...

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New Dress

I love a good deal and while I was out this weekend, I stumbled upon this dress that I just fell in love with. Nevermind that my goal has been not to shop for anything I don't NEED. I'm usually good at the whole dying to self thing (as far as shopping is concerned anyway), so I don't know what happened - temporary insanity perhaps. I was walking through the mall (from the hairdresser to my car - NOT shopping) and saw this dress in the window. I think it called my name. I swear. "Teeeeee Byyyyyrd" Next thing you know, I had a bag in my hand. No worries though, it didn't put a dent in my pocket. It was only about $35 so I don't feel too bad. ha!

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For the Grads

This is such a cool (and yummy) idea for the graduates in your life:

(click photo for info)

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Food for Thought: Creativity Killers

"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original."

This video is a few years old so stop me if you've already seen this TED talk with Sir Ken Robinson. Even if you have, it's worth watching again. Do schools kill creativity? What say you?

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Starting Your Day with Randomness: Furry Weirdos

What in the Son of Sam hell? Is this cat saying, "Hello" or "Mother, I'm the Devil"? lol
Seriously, this is sort of scary. I can't watch anymore.

Talking Cat Says "Hello" @ Yahoo! Video

This one is cute. Apparently, this...whatever it is (lemur??) loves to be tickled. Of course, it probably doesn't tickle to them. It just feels good. This little weirdo reminds me of my last dog, who loved to be gently tapped with a slipper or flip-flop. It was bizarre because once he discovered the joy of flip-flop massages, he would literally throw himself in front of you as you went to put on your shoes, roll onto his back or side and wait.
"Oooh, hit me again!"

Tickle Me! @ Yahoo! Video

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Random Question of the Day

Why do some birds insist on walking across the street when they could FLY?! I almost hit a little black bird that decided to RUN out into the street vs. flying across and this isn't the first time!

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Be Still, My Greedy Little Heart

Click photo for more...

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Good Food: Detox Day!

I've been bad lately - lots of cheese, meat, and processed food, and no fruits and veggies in too many days makes Tbyrd a grumpy gus. When I have these junk binges (it's a binge now, but when I was growing up, I ate poorly 24/7), I do what I call a "detox day". I mosey on down to the vegan kosher joint down the street and load up on veggies and/or fruit. Yum
Then I usually fast for the rest of the day.

Today's menu:



Garden Salad
Broccoli & Cauliflower curry salad (spicy!)
Vegan Macaroni Salad

Good stuff in, bad stuff out! ;o)

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Early Daiquiris

I love this song, especially in the morning...

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Blah!

I know we need the rain but I'm having a hard time appreciating it right now (even if it did wash the pollen away). I can't believe just last week I was basking in the sunlight with my pup. Doesn't he look ridiculously content?

(click to enlarge)

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I don't know what it is about blurred photos, and rack focused film, but I can't get enough of either lately; so when I came across the blurred photography of Trever Hoehne (courtesy of designworklife), I swooned...which is funny because these photos are pretty much what life looks like without my glasses. Welcome to my world, oh ye of 20/20 vision!

(click image)

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Around the Globe

an Afro-Swede connection? Interesting...

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Blacks Without Borders

I first heard Blacks Without Borders mentioned on the Michael Baisden Show. I wasn't really tuned in at the time, but the phrase piqued my interest nonetheless. I made a quick note to look into what I assumed was a site with information specific to Black travelers, kept it moving, and proceeded to forget all about exploring what exactly BWB was until some down time last week in the country (AKA my grandfather's house). What I found is what looks to be quite an interesting film on African-American expats who've settled in and found some fortune in South Africa. I'm chock-full of questions now, so I can't wait to check this film out. Looks interesting...




more info

Interview with the filmmakers

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Structure?

So, I've decided that the format thing isn't going to work for me - yes, that fast. I've just come across far too many cool things that fall through the cracks in the meantime. Sure, I could wait until the appointed day to share, but it's just too hard!

My latest exciting find is Hotel Fox. Located in Copenhagen, Hotel Fox boasts 61 unique rooms decorated by 21 artists. Themes range from lush to fantastic, to everything in-between. It's been around a few years, but this is the first I've heard of it. Take a peek.

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