Full moon blogworld Saturday

There's a full moon out in the sky tonight.

I find it to be so provocative, so alluring, yet so frustrating somehow. It's a killing moon for me in certain ways...not that I want to kill anyone. Just something. Maybe.

It seems to vacillate between taunting me and soothing me as it peeks through my window. Cruel as it seems to be, its beauty set against the inky night sky is undeniably magnificent - in a peaceful yet provocative kind of way.

It almost makes me want to dance in the pale moonlight (except for the fact I rarely dance outside), my white dress flaring around me as I whirl round and round (except I rarely wear pure white), and my jet-black hair streaming in the wind (though there's no wind tonight).

So I'll leave the dancing to DaddyPapersurfer, who has a most educational and entertaining series of blog posts this week about various kinds of dances in Europe (and some other universal dances). And he has cool pictures of them too!

Chacha, tango, cancan, and of course, lovely moonbeam-bathed-slow-dancing wishes to all of you for the weekend.

Blogworld Saturday

Her eyes closed, strains of David Sylvian's Darkest Dreaming streaming through her thoughts - a peculiarly haunting song that almost never fails to bring a lump to her throat and tears to her eyes (because she can be such a sentimental idiot sometimes) - wondering how the year could have gone by so fast, everything and nothing within a span of 12 months and forever.

Stay tonight
We'll watch the full moon rising
Hold on tight
The sky is breaking
I don't ever want to be alone
With all my darkest dreaming
Hold me close
The sky is breaking

She's so glad, though, for blogs and blog posts like the following she's read recently, brightening her days and nights.

Baby, When the Lights Go Out, at Unfinished Business Part 2. Power cuts can be so inconvenient, whether you live in the tropics - like Anusha and I do - or elsewhere. But it's interesting to read about another person's differing take on candlelit dinners and showering by candlelight (I find the latter to be most soothing).

One More Hackney Summer, at Papersurfer.com. Transliterating thoughts into words can be so hard sometimes, but Penfold (along with another friend of his) did well when they wrote about a friend of theirs who no longer walks this world. I really like how Penfold uses words and images to express his thoughts and feelings. Plus, he's a good guy (as many other people, especially the tantalizing Tango, can confirm). I'm lucky to have met him - at least virtually.

Visions of Vulva and Forget the Pigeon..., at Gimcrack Hospital. Nursemyra in Australia NEVER fails to educate and entertain - especially when it comes to sexual matters. To my male blogger pals: head on over to Nursey's site to learn about your penis' personality, and what you can call it besides "dick" or "cock." Female readers, go to the vulva post and learn more about what you can call your vagina according to its characteristics. (I used to call mine "The Secret Garden." A former colleague called hers "The Well of Loneliness." I think I'm going to have to steal that one. *sigh*)

Where the Winds Blow, at The Death of Retail Price. I love an introspective post that's a rant at the same time, especially when I can relate to said rant, and when said rant is so passionately written. Several other people identified with Orhan Khan's post too: about the prospect of entering into a relationship where the other person doesn't even know himself/herself all that well, and the possibility of losing one's own personality upon entering a relationship. How can two halves become a coherent whole when those halves haven't found themselves and/or get sucked into a vacuum?

An Epiphany (or Paradigm Shifting), at A Blue State of Mind. Another heartfelt rant, this time from Debo Blue. The urge to belong can sometimes lead us to abandon or compromise our beliefs for a while...until we wake up and realize that our efforts to be part of certain cliques are stupid and pointless. Debo Blue speaks (or writes) her mind - a mind that most definitely comes across as level-headed and strong.

Enjoy your weekend, folks.

Oogy wawa!!! (That's Zulu for cheers! You learned something new from me today.)

Blogworld Saturday

Restless, on edge, cranky enough to bite my offspring or kick puppies - I was those things and more the past few days when I didn't have my Internet connection because of some technical issues over at my ISP. But all is hunky-dory now, and it's back to sweetness and light, or some semblance thereof.

Time for you guys to check out some of the stuff I enjoyed recently. And you will check them out, won't you? Because you're all cool that way.

My brother's Internet shopping site. If you like online shopping, then head on over to this site. My brother and his wife feature more than 400 retailers there. Right now the company they're affiliated with delivers only to the US, I think. So to my buddies in America, visit my brother's page and shop in good environmental conscience! And tell them I sent you. :-)

Ask Diesel About Language Stuff Part II, at Mattress Police. He's funny, he's smart, and he makes sense! Meet the coolest member of the grammar police. For those of us who love to split infinitives and dangle prepositions, it's good to know we have Diesel on our side.

November 11, at A Little Off Kilter. Citizen of the World's post about finding dead birds near her house is simple, yet so thought-provoking. Autumn over at her place is wonderful, with all sorts of loveliness and yumminess in her kitchen, front yard and back yard. But as this post shows, the beauty can be tinged with sadness.

Strawberry Vanilla Swirl, at Worth a Thousand Words. Photo Cache has the most breathtaking pictures of all sorts of flowers in her "Flower Parade" series. Be sure to look at the other photos in the collection - they are soooo pretty.

Relaxing After Work, at The Other HNT. Unwinding with a glass of wine at the end of the day can be blissful - and healthy! Wine is good for the heart, you know. I absolutely adore this photograph because it features wine...along with some other things I like. :-D Riveting, and absolutely beautiful. ***NOT SAFE FOR WORK!!!***

Have a cardiovascularly healthy weekend, everyone.

Skinny Blogworld Saturday

Blogworld Saturday

I'm feeling a tad nostalgic for what used to be - at least when it comes to blogging. When I started this blog two years ago, it never even entered my mind I'd "meet" some terrifically awesome people online through their own blogs. Sadly, some of these people don't update their blogs anymore, which I think is a crying shame since they're among the people whose writing I really, really enjoyed reading.

Two noteworthy blogger friends who have been missing from the blogging world come to mind:

The World of Yaxlich. This young Englishman has shared so much of his life with us: from his experiences with agoraphobic Peruvians to the raison d'etre of Daddy Longlegs to the effectiveness of curing hiccups with a digital rectal massage. Wherever he is and whatever he's doing now, I hope he is well.

The Moving (Middle) Finger Writes. I was entirely seduced by how Prometheus wrote when I first read his blog posts two years ago. Over the months and years, this fantastic Indian blogger touched on topics such as Celtic poetry, leetspeak, samurai songs, and many others. I know he's been very busy, hence the very sporadic blog posts. And especially now, when he's just reached a major turning point in his life. Mon ami, if you're reading this, you know I and your other blogging pals share in your joy.

I'm happy to say, though, that many of my other blogging buddies are soldiering on. Which is just another way of saying I'm glad they keep posting regularly. Here are two of them:

- When it comes to sex it isn’t about whether or not, at my age. It is all about compatibility. You have to actually like doing the same things. I do not care how “hot” a woman is if the sex sucks. No, no, no, those aren't my words. They're by Mr. Bud Weiser, from his post Long Ride to Beantown, at WTIT Tape Radio. Bud occasionally lets loose some sublime insights every now and then on various topics, such as incidences of civil status discrimination - even though they're sometimes committed unwillingly - which are a pain in the ass. But lots of guys will be glad to know that Bud regularly posts lots of pictures of semi-naked chicks.

- Diesel's back-to-back posts about murdering the English language over at Mattress Police: This is not a compendia of erratum and Ask Diesel about language stuff. Ever wondered about the consequences of scratching your scrota behind podia? Be more terrified of misusing the apostrophe and comma. I'm kidding. Diesel's not actually a card-carrying member of the Third Reich of Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation; he just has kittens whenever he sees flagrant misuse of the English language in business communication. Personal bloggers are safe from his red pen, thank goodness. Heaven knows just how many times I've inadvertently (?) bludgeoned this language.

Have a non-violent weekend, folks. Next up, I'll talk about a movie I saw very recently (like a few hours ago) and how it made me think - an activity DaddyPapersurfer actively discourages - and for good reason!

Oh, and I almost forgot. You can call me Ingrid if you manage to somehow forget my name. Eerie how spot-on (or way off the mark) these crazy online quizzes can be sometimes.

Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Ingrid!

You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique" [just like billions of other people, I guess]

Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.

How to Get Along with Me

• Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.


• Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.


• Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.


• Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.


• Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!

What I Like About Being an Ingrid

• my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level


• my ability to establish warm connections with people


• admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life


• my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor


• being unique and being seen as unique by others


• having aesthetic sensibilities


• being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me

What's Hard About Being an Ingrid

• experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair


• feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved


• feeling guilty when I disappoint people


• feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me


• expecting too much from myself and life


• fearing being abandoned


• obsessing over resentments


• longing for what I don't have

Ingrids as Children Often

• have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games


• are very sensitive


• feel that they don't fit in


• believe they are missing something that other people have


• attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.


• become anti-authoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood


• feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)

Ingrids as Parents

• help their children become who they really are


• support their children's creativity and originality


• are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings


• are sometimes overly critical or overly protective


• are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Blogworld Saturday

The right side of my upper lip got bitten by an ant and now it looks like I had my upper lip collagen-ed. Too bad I killed the ant before it ever got around to biting my lower lip. Now my mouth appears unbalanced.

Oh, well. Where was I? Oh, yes. It's Saturday again - at least in my part of the world - and, stiff upper lip or not, here are some of the blog posts I've enjoyed the past week. Hope you take a look at them too.

Gang tattoos, at My Sarisari Store. After a long absence (don't you just hate it when good bloggers go on hiatus?) Sidney is back with another intriguing set of photos. This Belgian photographer braved some of Manila's jails to photograph inmates' tattoos, and describes some of the designs' why's and wherefore's.

Lazy Photo, at Worth a Thousand Words. Here's another talented photographer for you. Photo Cache's series about the sky and the clouds are simply awesome.

Wedding Is Off, at Bagwine Ruminations. Is there anything about your significant other you've recently discovered that can make you have second thoughts about making a lifelong commitment with him/her? Matt-man recently discovered something he found horrifying about his better half, Schmoop, something that might cause him to at least jump off a cliff.

As Good as Vegas, at The Pole Affair. Isn't it just wonderful the way one's day turns out to be terrific despite its seemingly inauspicious beginnings? The pole dance princess known as Glamourpuss had this happen to her a few days ago - something she richly deserves.

Bland One, at Mattress Police. Diesel and I probably won't see eye to eye when it comes to Jodie Foster's movies. I've enjoyed Ms. Foster's movies over the years, but even though Diesel didn't like The Brave One, I still enjoyed reading his review. And not just because it has the word penis in it.

Speaking of movies, I'm both anticipating and dreading the movie "Twilight." I enjoyed reading the books for the most part and am almost hyperventilating at the thought of watching the first movie in the installment. Yet I'm dreading the possibility that the movie will suck, even though the trailer and other movie scenes released seem promising. I really, really hope the film adaptation of the book doesn't suck.

I've been having Edward Cullen dreams (the book's Edward, not the movie's Edward) since I finished reading the Twilight saga. Still, watching 0:36-0:42 in the film clip below makes me wish he, and not a stupid ant, was the cause of my swollen lip - even though I'm no Bella. *sigh*



Have a bloody good weekend, everyone.

Blogworld Saturday

Saturday here where I am once again, the start of a bright and lovely weekend (I hope). So, which posts/blogs from/by my fellow bloggers did I enjoy the past week? Here are just some of them. Hope you like 'em too.

1. Blue Whales and Bubbles at Mimi Writes. You probably know Mimi Lenox as the Queen of Memes and as the leader of Dona Nobis Pacem - Blogblast for Peace. In this touching post, she writes about re-discovering innocence in the purest sense of the word - in the eyes and words of someone very close to her heart, and at bathtime, no less!

2. The Toy Closet. Everyone has a story to tell and this includes the beloved companions of our childhood: our teddy bears! (or dolls or toy robots or sock puppets) On this site you'll find the stories of much-loved (and probably much-abused) toys like Piglet, Raggedy-Ann, and an assortment of Teddy Bears. What do they have to say about life with their owners? Click the link to find out.

3. Because It's Never Too Early for Bacon at the Jannaverse. Janna stumbled onto an awesome idea for an alarm clock. I want one like it! Except mine would have coffee instead of bacon. Mmmmmmm...

4. Big Boy Biomechanics at the Gimcrack Hospital. Nursemyra's posts are so educational. I never thought I'd learn so much about the different sizes, shapes, and bone structures of mammalian penises in just one post. It's a boner of a post, if you will. Her Corset Friday specials are not shabby at all either!

5. Those online mosaic picture generators are amazing things. A friend of mine generated one for me a while back, and it made me laugh. Click on my thumbnail to see why. I had to retaliate, of course, and you can see his mosaic here.

Have a spankin' good weekend, everyone!

Blogworld Saturday

Once upon a time this blog had a feature called Blogworld Saturday where various bloggers' posts during the week were highlighted. Today (though it's early Sunday morning here already) that feature comes back with just one post, one that moved me deeply. It's from My Marrakesh, written by Maryam, an American woman who lives in Morocco and who is known for her vibrant and endearing stories and images.

This week she told us about a woman called Vestine.

Vestine. An unusual name for an unusual woman. A woman who has experienced things I've never even imagined could happen to a woman. Not that way, at least.

Read her story as told by blogger extraordinaire Maryam, who spent time with Vestine and who's doing what she can to help her. When you read her story, maybe you'll find it in your heart to want to help too.

Can't change the whole world, but I think helping even just one individual like Vestine is a step in the right direction.


Click on the link to read Vestine's story.

Blogworld Saturday

Betcha thought Blogworld Saturday was over and done with. You thought wrong, but I'm not blaming you. The year is almost half over - jeez, time does fly - and here's my first Blogworld Saturday post for 2008. It's early Sunday morning already where I am, but when did I ever let something like time stop me from doing what I want to do?

Here are some of the posts I've enjoyed reading the past few weeks.

East Coast Dweller. Wise and gentle he may be, but he doesn't put up with ignoramuses. God knows there are so many of them. Here he stands up yet again in defense of womanhood.

Kadi. I've been lurking on her blog, which I like veddy much. This magnificent lady has seven young kids, and lovely as they are, I can imagine the maelstrom they can cause in her household. This post is an example of one such stormy day. No wonder she says "Shitballs!" regularly. Also, this post, The Talk, just made me laugh.

Glamour Puss. She's sexy, but more importantly, her excellent and heartfelt writing reaches out to me and to many others. I most certainly can relate to her post on her darkness and her light. Well, most of it. Not the erotic asphyxiation part, though.

Aileen. Does the way other people refer to you bother you? It does me, sometimes. Aileen talks about what gets her goat other than being addressed as "Ma'am."

Mimi Lenox. On June 4, 2008, Peace Globes will once again float, soar, and dash through the Internet. Participating is simple; just download the Peace Globe picture you like, scrawl your signature across it (and add an image if you desire) and blog about what "peace" means to you. Some people have banners that say something like "Make Poverty History" or "I Need to Get Laid" on their blogs." Achieving either one would certainly bring a measure of peace to one person or many people. Mimi's Blog Blast for Peace would, too, I believe. Positive energy and goodwill through pictures and personal thoughts and stories are something I'm look forward to.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. See you all again in a few days. Stay naughty!

Blogworld Saturday

It's Saturday once again (at least in my part of the world). My, how rapidly time does flap its wings. The month is drawing to a close...and I didn't get to go to an Oktoberfest shindig! But I did read a good many wonderful posts the fast few days as I was bidding October tata.

Travis. Speaking of tatas, Trav focuses on boobs and boots in this post. Well, mostly boobs. More specifically, fun ways to cover boobies. Kinda steamy. Hoo ha!

Beer Haiku. As many of you probably already know, I loves me beer. This haiku pretty much covers how I libate.

Christy. Some of you maintain more than one blog. This woman has eight. That's right, boys and girls. Eight. Some of them she writes on her own; others are collaborative efforts. Very informative, the blogs cover entertainment, wellness, design, children, geekdom, music, books, and the environment. What a superwoman.

Marlayna. First off, I loved the title of her post. Marlayna is a remarkable woman who writes very powerfully. She's received some negative feedback from anonymous people, and she wonders about the pyschology of so-called trolls.

H. Calling someone dumb is awful. Strangely, calling someone intelligent can be just as bad. My dear Indian soul sister explains why in another extremely well-written diatribe.

Burton. Burton is a theatrical actor/director and a blogger whose posts are a breath of fresh air for me: soulful yet invigorating. Here he talks about wanting to "sound his barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world"--of wanting to really live. Perhaps he already is, he just doesn't realize it yet.

Penfold. One of the funniest replies I've read in a blog's comments section this week, by Penfold himself, on his own blog (the post itself was pretty good too):

"Fracas - I appreciate that you have the best intentions but the day that I let DP (Daddy Papersurfer) help me in any decision making process is the day I have my testicles peeled, dipped in salt and lemon and slammed on the bar in the Coach and Horses.
Thanks anyway…"

**********

Have a safe weekend, everyone. Don't run into any stampeding cows.

Blogworld Saturday

It's Saturday afternoon here now. The sky is grey over my part of the city, but I don't find that depressing at all. I hope it rains. I love the rain.

Here are some of the posts I've had the pleasure of reading the past few days. I haven't caught up on everyone's blogs yet. I will though, I promise.

The Dragon. This insightful writer said "I remember when something would happen almost everyday that would inspire me to sit down and blog, whereas now, I sit down and look for inspiration instead of letting it find me." Does anybody else relate to that? I do. But I still enjoy the way he writes, how he articulates his thoughts in a way that's easy to understand yet powerful.

Bond. Tragedy happens on a daily basis from which, strangely, redemption and blessings can also result. Bond's post about how Jason Kendall Ray and his family helped save and improve a number of other people's lives is very moving. It's a long post, but well worth the read.

Dona Nobis Pacem. Mimi's Blog Blast for Peace movement turns a year old on November 7, and it's great to see more and more people using their mad Paint and Photoshop skills to advocate for peace. A simple thing to do, really, but the good will it generates is priceless.

Scott. What's your all-time favorite song? Hard question to answer, isn't it? But if you do have one, head on over to AELEOPE where several bloggers have shared theirs. You might get free pretzels if you do.

Glamourpuss. I love me a good fairy tale, and the one Glamourpuss wrote a few days ago was no exception. I liked that it had chocolate marzipan, a bar, a princess, and a grubby frog in it (even though I normally abhor frogs, with an unbridled passion).

Technogad. Shiny, high-tech electronic gadgets impress me, and this is one is something that I really, really want to own someday. I'd give my left booby for it. Having this would make me a very happy (and drunk) girl.

Have a yummy weekend everyone. Stay safe. And sexy.

Blogworld Saturday

Bet you thought Blogworld Saturday wasn't coming back anymore. Well, it's back, so boo for you.

Seriously, I hope you enjoy the following posts/blogs that I did the past few weeks. You guys are so talented, it blows me away sometimes. There were so many that I enjoyed reading, here's just a sampling of them.

You just never know.... Marlayna finds several things she has in common with someone she met. It's uncanny sometimes how we relate to other people, share common experiences with them, when at first glance they seem to be inhabiting a universe different from our own.

Daydreaming at the car wash. Debo Blue's posts aren't the bells-and-whistles type. She writes straightforwardly, which draws me in. I identify with a lot of her posts. Like this one: making up stories in her mind about the people she sees. I wonder, though, if she gets the strange stares I get whenever I do that.

Duct tape, 9-11, and coffee kiosks. My friend Victor and I were talking earlier about things we missed about working in a regular workplace (since we both work from home), and I remembered Scott's post about some conversations he had with a colleague at work. Interactions like the one Scott has with the wigged guy sure can brighten one's day.

The Unintentional Question Effect. Stu's blog posts always make me laugh. This Englishman has been living in the Netherlands for a few years now, and I enjoy his witty descriptions of how he adapts to various aspects of life there -- like learning the language. I took a few foreign language courses many years ago; Spanish, Italian, and French were fun to learn, but I had trouble with German. And Dutch is similar to German, isn't it? Nevertheless, still a very interesting language to learn.

You shall tremble before the meme-wraith! Diesel doesn't like memes, so what did he do to deal with the memes that were extended to him? He chickened out from doing them himself, and hired Grundir, one of Tolkien's ring-wraiths, to do the dirty work for him. But....a ring-wraith who can tell a good knock-knock joke seems so hot somehow. I just hope Diesel doesn't forget to remind Grundir to take showers regularly.

Hot haiku redux. Naughty Turnbaby invited everyone to participate in her sizzling haiku experiment. A whole slew of bloggers rose to the challenge. One of Turnbaby's hot haiku offerings:

His finger slips in
Hot wet heat enveloping
A touch of heaven

Now how the hell can one top that??? It has to be five, seven, five syllables. So let's give her Hot Haiku experiment a go:

Uh, uh, uh, so deep
Oh, God. I'm coming honey!
Oh oh yes! Uh uh

I know, that sucked. But accurate, eh? ;-)

Sidney's Quiapo series. There are places in every city that are so full of character they pulsate any which way you look at them. Quiapo in Metro Manila is one such place. Sidney's photos of Quiapo are most enlightening: the fortune-tellers, the mystics, the religious processions. It's been quite some time since I've been to that place, but revisiting it through Sidney's site is a treat.

Something smells fishy. Christine is a gypsy soul, and she's been to almost everywhere and back. Her travel itinerary doesn't pass up these lovely islands of ours -- and the local culture. In this post, Christine talks about a delicacy beloved by many Filipinos: the dried fish known as daing or tuyo. It isn't the most pleasantly aromatic of dishes (the smell of it being cooked has been likened to that of unwashed pekpek (I'll leave it to you guys to figure out what that means) but eaten with garlic rice, a fresh tomato and perhaps a freshly-fried egg -- sunny side up! -- it's a culinary masterpiece in its simplicity.



Have a rockin' and rollin' weekend, everyone! See you all next week.

Blogworld Saturday

I know it can be disorienting for many of you to come here and see Blogworld Saturday when you're still doing TGIF celebrations, but it really is Saturday where I am. Honest! But if it makes you feel any better, you can just pretend it's Saturday already where you are.

Here are just some of the many, many blog posts I've enjoyed over the week.

Kyels. Sometimes the magnificence of things we usually take for granted stops us in our tracks. This lovely young blogger/photographer in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, wrote about the emotions that filled her upon seeing the dawn break.

Paula. For many of us, pets aren't just living, breathing toys; they're also part of the family. You can just feel Paula's love for Sammy the Surf Dog in a very touching post about their very special relationship.

Wendz. This feisty lady has seen a lot, has experienced a lot. Yet things manage to catch her by surprise every now and then, such as an unexpected act of kindness and thoughtfulness by someone who scared her a bit at first.


Glamourpuss. Puss participates in a weekly feature called Elegantly Dressed Wednesdays. For those of you who don't know, Puss is a pole dancer in England, and I think the outfit she showed here is sexy and elegant in its own way. It certainly isn't tawdry! Her other EDW posts are illuminating, educational, and always very well-written, such as this one. Read it, you won't be sorry you did.

It's the Little Things. This post is breathtaking in its passion, gut-wrenching in its intensity. It's not just about sex, it's not just about love, it's not just about honesty, but the whole host of complications that can arise when those three elements come together.

Mist1. The things this hilarious lady does for her friends. Most recently, she came flying to the rescue when she was called for her opinion of her friend's date. Man purse + first date = not pretty. Let Mist1 tell you. She does it so well!

Sognatrice. This comely woman is holding her first blog contest, and the winner gets a nifty bag from Bella Bags by Marcía. The rules are simple: leave a comment after her contest post and be included in the random draw. The bags are pretty, and very useful, too! Me likey the book bag. Sognatrice writes about some of the cool things about living in Italy (like authentic gelato, mmmmmm), and shares Italian recipes. Her words and pictures combine to paint a vivid picture of small-town Italian life.

That's all for this week, folks. Have a cheery weekend! And don't forget to clean behind your ears.

Blogworld Saturday

Last Saturday of the month! And we know what we usually see here on Saturdays.

Sunrunner. Her frustration with media, gun-buying, and the death of someone she once knew is palpable in her post.

Debo Blue. There are people who curse the rain and there are those who embrace it. Debo's introspective post about trying to hear God's voice in a thunderstorm was moving. A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now (that's from a song that just came to mind. Odat, I know YOU know this one.).

Odat. You know how in some languages nouns have genders? For example, a table is female in Spanish (la mesa), but it's masculine in Italian (il tavolo); friendship in German is feminine (die Freundschaft). Asshole, on the other hand, can be either masculine and feminine all over the world. Odat tells us why photocopiers are female and trains are male, among other things.

Michael C. He has a new feature called Q and A Tuesday, in which he answers questions about almost anything. Such as: "What are your views on the current global warming crisis?", "Can you dance as well as Sammy Davis Jr.?" and "Betty or Veronica?"

Ian. His 400th post is up and he's asking for input on which of his posts we think are the best. Ian's book, The Milkman is available at bookstores near you. Well, not literally. But everything's just a click away online.

Diesel. Speaking of books, Robert Kroese (also known lovingly as Diesel) will be releasing his own book, Antisocial Commentary, and it can be pre-ordered now. If you want to learn about Harry Potter's slide into Satanism or how James Blunt came up with the hit song "You're Beautiful," you can find out from his book (if you're too lazy to delve into his archives). He and the missus are also celebrating their anniversary and he's given us all permission to raid his fridge.

Blankestblank Blog of the Year. Created by Bobby Griffin, who's also behind Bestest Blog of All Time. Bobby was kind enough to include me in the list of people in the running for the award. I'm in great company; so many of my blog buddies are there too: The Dragon, Sanni, Bond, Irene Tuazon, Morgen, Matt-Man, Bud Weiser, and Mimi Lenox. Voting seems to be a bit difficult, but head on over there for a look-see anyway.

Have a kickass, devil-may-care weekend, everybody! Stay randy...but sweet.

Blogworld Saturday

Saw the new Harry Potter movie with the kids on Thursday. Meh.

Blogworld Saturday today. In staccato. Enjoy!

The Rising Blogger. Collection of great posts. Many of my blog pals there. Yay!

Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar Blog. Examples of how English is murdered. Informative site. Funny. Fun.

Natalia. Pro-choice. Doesn't want to have little Natalias. Speaks (writes?) her mind. Powerful writer.

Glamourpuss. English pole dancer. Ex-teacher. Terrific writer. Excellent, excellent, breathtaking post about the heaviness of love. And of trying to let go.

Mist1. Vacationer par excellence. Shows off her boobs at the beach. I wonder why, since she admitted to having no boobs to speak of show off. Hilarious post. As usual.

Diesel. Had an epiphany. Jesus Christ has returned as a hero. In the form of Peter Petrelli. Who is my second-favorite Heroes hero next to Hiro. Another funny writer. (Diesel, not Jesus. Or Peter. Or Hiro.) Funny as in ha ha, not funny weirdo. On second thought, maybe that too.

Robert. Testing the waters of Internet dating again. Prolific travel writer/photographer. Living in Buenos Aires and loving it. American. Gay. Hot-hot-hottie!



A lively weekend. My wish for everyone.

Blogworld Saturday

I would never disavow a friend because of a lame joke. Unless I was really, really sober. But I thought this one was funny. Happy 07/07/07 Blogworld Saturday, everyone!

Daddy Papersurfer. Eviction is within sight for him because of things he does which he pretends he had no idea he was doing. :-D I never thought DaddyP had it in him to become an unknowing flasher and an unwitting molester of venerable ladies. I dissolved in laughter at the thought of him in the scenario he described, imagining what he was doing in real time.

Mr. Fabulous. I like reading movie reviews sometimes, but his fabulous review of an abomination of a movie of years ago made me laugh. I really disliked that movie (unfair of me, I suppose, since I never saw the whole thing. But the bits and pieces that I did see didn't make me think I missed much.). I like a good love story; my heartstrings are tugged on easily, but this movie? No thanks. I'd rather lie naked on an iceberg.

Silverneurotic. It doesn't take much to make another person feel better. A sympathetic gesture can bring precious results in return, feelings that have no price tag, through words that warm and uplift.

Iz. Anyone who says romance is dead should go read her post. There is romance even when death is involved. Her brand of romance transcends the flowers and chocolate stuff.

It's the Little Things. A bit of fun teasing, revisiting old memories all in good fun, and knowing that a friend from way back is still proving to be a good friend -- these are all good things. Marlayna has had her share of challenges, but she has a wonderful support network. Best of luck to you! (She'll be posting nekkid pics too?? In addition to the preggy pic she posted a few months ago.)

Scott. He has a series of stories posted, and Part 12 is in pictures, among them a most fine-looking canine, a younger Scott looking like he's contemplating jumping off a somewhat high place, and the same younger Scott almost showing off something. Oh, okay. I won't tease. There's a pic of his younger self nekkid. A nekkid pic of a male blog buddy, finally! Haha!

Jenn. What does it take to get a consumer's attention? The quality of the product itself, of course. And packaging. And it doesn't hurt if the person selling it is also eye candy. Jenn loves cheese where she's at, and the side benefits she gets whenever she buys it!

Dan. From cheese, we move to buns. Dan departs slightly from his regular blogging fare to show off his good-looking buns. Asanas done well and regularly result in one fine, firm ASS-ana. Yep, yep, they surely do. Dan has always had a gazillion readers and I'm guessing his foray into HNT (Half-Naked Thursdays) will rocket his standing in blogworld even more! But even if he doesn't show anything else, his readers will remain steadfast because he always tells such wonderful stories. Ladies, stop salivating now! He doesn't show his buns in the buff in that post anyway. He's such a tease.

It rained a lot yesterday, and I'm feeling all cool and warm at the same time, but peaceful and happy. Have a beauteous-buns weekend!

Blogworld Saturday

Hahahahaaaaa!

Another week has passed, and as usual, high and low moments were shared by you guys out there. Here's just a handful.

Michael C. The Wonderful World of Nothing Worthwhile just celebrated its first anniversary. He obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into writing his posts, which usually make me chuckle and think "what if?" simultaneously. Happy blog anniversary, Michael! I promise not to sing Sinatra's My Way the next time I go to a videoke bar.

Surftwin. Another writer who just celebrated her first blog anniversary. Congratulations, NMM! I got to know only quite recently about her blog (and Paula's blog too -- the Queen of the Surf Pirates herself!) through a mutual buddy who, if all goes well, will be sending me (and maybe several others) nekkid pics. My own 1st blog anniversary is coming up in a few days, come to think of it.

Wendz. What would you do with your money if you had a bajillion dollars, and then some? What this gutsy, endearing lady in France has in mind is nothing too grandiose and high-profile (which is right, I think. I just hate it when people trumpet the amount of money they donate to charity). The people who would benefit from Wendz's idea wouldn't find it to be earth-shattering. Instead, it would bring a much desired measure of stability in times of stress.

The Laughorist. I never realized how provocative, how tantalizing, how sexy the word "or" can be, until I read Pawlie's post about it. It's orgasmic, really. I love words, and the way Pawlie explores the paths that words can lead us to leaves me quivering in delight sometimes.

Odat. The always effervescent Odat's week started out well...until a mishap at the office found her on the floor yelling "Fuck!" repeatedly. Even when she writes about shouting "fuck" in agony (I think this is the first time I've seen her use the word on her blog), she's still cheerful. That's our Odat! Cyberspace is all the much sunnier because of her.

Oh, look at the pretty plants! They make me want to take up gardening. Have a cooool, laid-back weekend, everybody!

Blogworld Saturday

And I have two daughters. Good Lord. Remind me to chill and to take deep breaths when they're old enough to have sex -- and not to kill any guy they bring home.

It's Blogworld Saturday time again. Without further ado, here are some of the posts I've enjoyed this week. Hope you like 'em too.

1.Laura. Sometimes maggots masquerade as people. You know the type: those whose days revolve around trying to make others' lives miserable. Squashing them underfoot would be too good a punishment.

2. Natalie. The darkness to which the human soul can descend is appalling. Her post about a terrible Juneteenth incident and how things like it sometimes makes it seem like there's no hope for humanity. Thank goodness the brighter side of the human soul always brings hope.

3. Ian. His book, The Milkman, is now available through Amazon.com. I'm so happy for Ian; his passion and tenacity are bearing fruit once again. And this book is just the first of many, I'm sure.


4. The Dragon. Some surprises we can do without, especially the one that involves an impromptu visit from the Grim Reaper. It isn't just missing the chance to say goodbye; it's also the guilt one feels when somebody dies suddenly and the words we last had with him or her were angry ones. Then there's also the regret at not having told them just how much we loved them when they were still alive.

5. Silverneurotic. She is celebrating her 25th birthday on Sunday! She's hosting a Blog Carnival to celebrate it with us online. We can participate! Just write a post about your most vivid or special memory of the past 25 years and email the link to your entry to her at silverneurotic@gmail.com. She'll write a post linking to all the entries she receives -- and we can all party together. :-)

Here's to hoping everybody has an itch-free and enjoyable weekend. I'll leave you with two cool sculptures on which to ponder (The Penis Fly Trap and the Reclining Venus). Getting to know how Daddy Papersurfer's mind comes up with these things is an exercise in futility, but it's fun. Besides, I learn cool stuff from him, like how to say seagull shit in Portuguese.

Blogworld Saturday

My week went well, thank you. I finished episode #10 (I think) of Heroes on DVD, the episode titled "Six Months Ago" -- or something like that. I'm totally giddy. Going to watch a few more episodes bed in a bit, though.

How was your week?

Papersurfer. He goes into a good bollocking session with his employees when it's warranted. But this week it was all just group hugs and lots of lovey-dovey for him and his workers. I wish he'd been my boss when I was still gainfully(?) employed.

Mist1. Playing Scrabble is so cool. I sure would like to play a round with Mist1 and her mother. I'm sure I'd learn a few choice words from them.

Bud. Women rock! Well, so do men, but in his post, Bud lists the best female rockers according to him. I love the song made popular by his top choice (but I must confess I prefer George Michael's cover version).

Silverneurotic. If you have a brother or a sister, or both, chances are you've clashed with them. She did, and this reinforces my feelings that siblings, as much as we love them, should be shipped off to somewhere out of sight (like Pluto) for a few days every now and then.

CS. She lives with somethingone who's predisposed to moving suddenly and whose meals sometimes probably consist of things that are still alive. But her sinuous, slithery housemate is also a kickass fashion accessory!

Burton. Otherwise known as Sony. I'm a long-time fan of his; I so enjoy reading his blog. His way with words conjures up the most delicious images in my mind, even when he posts about sad things or even when he rambles. And he put up a video blog post! It is such a treat to see and hear my blog buddies, and to get a glimpse of their parts of the world.

Migs. He had a mid-young-life crisis of sorts recently. Thankfully, it's all behind him and he's now on high (and dry) ground. Hope it doesn't happen anytime again soon, Migs. A bit too early for a golden years dry run. [the lame puns here make me want to kill myself]

H. Another person whose way with words just captivates me. I'd hate her if I didn't already love her so much already. I, too, have my stress points, when I am weighed down by angst, but I can never write about those moments the way she does.

Probably the RHCP song I like best. I used to have this one in my *sob* phone. Along with a host of others I used to drink beer to. Phone's dead. Songs live on, though.



I hope everyone has a bollocks-free, word-worthy, rocking, respectful, fashionable (but comfortable), visually vivid, continent, and gravitas-free weekend. See you in a few days. [Hiro, here I come!]

Blogworld Saturday for Peace

Blogworld Saturday this week is dedicated to Mimi Lenox's Dona Nobis Pacem initiative, also known as Blog Blast for Peace. Which, if you think about it, is actually for all of us.

If you're the type of person who gets his (or her) jollies from making other people miserable, go away. If, however, you're someone who believes war, strife and turmoil are overrated -- in other words, if you advocate peace -- why not sign a Peace Globe to express it? Just go to Mimi Writes for all the info you need: from how it all started to maps that indicate the locations of participants in many countries... and to download a Peace Globe like this one if you wish to submit your own:


Sign your name on it, dress it up or down the way you want to. Blog Blast for Peace isn't a contest. It's a fun, easy, yet meaningful way to creatively express your thoughts on peace in tandem with other bloggers all over the world. Non-bloggers are likewise invited to participate. Email your submission to Mimi: mimiwrites@yahoo.com and watch all the Peace Globes fly all over cyberspace on June 6, 2007. Mine is on its way to her.

Oh, sowers of misery? On second thought, don't go away. Blog Blast for Peace is for you, too.