photo courtesy of jakke(stock.xchng)

I turned on the news last night,to idily catch-up on world events before i went to bed(depressing i know..)and what a surprise the main event/headline news was the now frankly boring and old news now subject -the most vilified man in the uk-john terry and his affair.Who,apart from his poor family,really cares??Move on,so at least his wife can,she must be sick to death by now of having her dirty washing aired in public day in,day out.He is not the first and he certainly will not be the last man ever to do this,i suppose at least mr and mrs Woods are getting a break from this newsworthy(?) story,and as for the mistress,enough said-if she was as upset by all this as is claimed,it is a pity she didn’t think of that BEFORE enbarking on all this misery,no doubt the fees for her story will cushion her heartbreak!!However,i digress as i said whilst the news droned on about this crap,my eyes were following the news stories passing by at the bottom of the screen(yes,that news channel)amongst the awful news of death and destruction(the war,haitti,somali pirates etc)one caught my eye and made me sit up.nestled almost hidden between the pope visiting the uk(big yawn)and sir terry pratchet asking for assisted suicide to be made legal came the ominous lines;USA DEPLOYS MISSILE SHIELDS AGAINST IRAN.surely this announcement is more worldly important than bleating on about Mr.Terry??I know the war is daily news,with no end in sight but this affects everyone and has a more worldly impact and potential threat to our very existance than yet another sporting “celebrity”losing his trousers,as my other half pointed out,if he scores the winning goal for england in the world cup-all will be forgiven and he will be a national hero!(not in his families eyes obviously) A little light relief(no pun intended)from the usual doom and gloom maybe,but todays news is tomorrows fish and chip wrapper as they say,about all that will be left flying around in the event of world war 3!!

Mano: Oha~~, Tsunku-sama. Do you have a moment-chan, desu ne?

Tsunku: Yeah, sure. Kneel down.

Mano: That’s NOT what I meant! I want to talk about my carrier, desu ne! *pout*

Tsunku: *sigh* Be quick. I’ve got to caress my Eggs.

Mano: WTF? Khem, nevermind. I want a new PV-chan! And this time I want it to be interesting! I read on the net that they say that my PVs are boring! I need better props and a plot line and some awesome…

Tsunku: *snores*

Mano: Grr… so I’ve got to do it on my own, desu ne.

Jailbait Lion: Do you need a helping hand? I lubricated it!

Mano: NO! Get lost! Hm…where to start… Oh yeah, back up dancers. S/mileage-chan!!!

Yuuka: No way.

Kanon: Over my dead body, bitch.

Saki: It’s hard to sleep and dance at the same time, you know.

Wada: You can suck…

Mano: FINE. I don’t need you. I’ll pay some random Eggs that KNOW where’s their place in the industry and you can go back to your pathetic carrier! Come here Random Eggs, desu ne.

Random Eggs: You’re talking to us?

Mano: Duh, moron-chan.

Akari: Hey! I’m not random! I sung with Miya and Airi!

Mano: With who?

Akari: ….

Mano: You’re my back dancers. Here’s the deal-chan. I play the piano, DUH. You dance, double DUH. And then we’ll see. Let’s start.

Mano: G…B…D….

Random Eggs: Maybe, we should tell her that playing a piano is lame?

Akari: Did she really made up this choreography? It looks strangely familiar to Macarena…

Mano: SHUT UP and dance, desu ne! And look at my facial expressions! I own the close-ups!

Random Eggs: ….

Mano: I bet that  my fans are waiting outside for my PV ! I’ll visit them. *knock knock* Stupid ass wotas, are you there?

Mano: What the hell?! Where are my fans?!

Random Eggs: Probably snoring already in their homes, lucky bastards…

Mano: SILENCE, desu ne! I’ll wait for them. This room looks like a great setting for my PV. It just needs a few improvements.

Mano: So much better. Not enough pink but at least it’s calming…

Akari: …bland…

Mano:…and beautiful…

Akari:…childish…

Mano: Did you say something miss Random Egg? HUH?!

Akari: *gulp* Not really…

Mano: Peachy.

Mano: Flower-chan! Wait a sec, what’s that sudden breeze in a closed room?

Mano: Who cares. My hair looks splendid, desu neeee~~~~

Akari (to other Eggs): Psst, should I say that it was my fart?

Random Eggs: *vomit*

Akari: It’s not my fault! It’s the bean!

And that’s the story of Mano’s newest PV. Is there anything else to add? I don’t think so. She’s plain snoretastic and nothing changed here. Good night *yawn*

P.S. As you already noticed I changed the theme and made a new header Do you like it? I hope you do

Ladybird

Listening to: Kusumi Koharu “Mizuiro Melody”

SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH!

It seems that it is all the Democrats and Obama think that the American people want is to hear Obama make another speech and everything will be made right.

I am almost certain he may be onto something here though. They do not seem to care if there is anything of substance to his oratory, just that he stand up and SPEAK. Some even forget that he is black… Chris, just WHAT THE #### does Obama’s being black have to do with his giving a pathetically partisan, whining speech?

But… just WHAT did he say that was worth a minute’s worth of anything?

He called for the end of the military’s policy of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’… and this will do… what? Will it end the ban on gays and lesbians in the military? Mmmm… nothing said about that, just that they don’t have to keep quiet about it. Do you see anything of substance there? Neither do I.

Then there was his chest pounding about how he had cut taxes in the last year and how he was going to call for eliminating capital gains taxes on small business investments. He blathered on about how he is going to work for extending tax breaks for businesses to invest in new plants and equipment.

Oh, there was talk of some commission… what was THAT all about…?

What about healthcare… the debacle which ‘just HAD to be enacted before our collective next breath’ back in August, or was it September, or maybe it was by Thanksgiving…? no wait, it was Christmas… Obama called on Congress not to yield to public opposition but “to solve some problems, not run for the hills.”

But just how are these Democrats supposed to accomplish this Herculean feat? Did Obama have an answer for how they are to do that? Nope. all he did was his usual self-centered ‘Me, Me, Me, I, I, I,’ answer as he told the nation of his virtue, foresight, and determination to continuing the fight. What can these Democrats take away from this other than Obama is indifferent to their political needs and that they are on their own in an ‘every man or woman for themselves’ fight?

Throughout it all was his bullying and trying once again to throw the blame for his failures back on Bush. Correct me, but… didn’t Obama vote FOR most all of the programs and bills which have so drastically increased the Federal Budget in the past year? Hasn’t it been under his ‘rule’ that the deficit has increased by nearly a TRILLION dollars..? A trillion dollars increase in one year… How is Bush responsible for THAT?

Had it not been for his incendiary rhetoric and attacks against everyone from Bush, to the Supreme Court (the Third and SEPARATE branch of the American system – which he doesn’t control), to the Republicans, to the very people they are there to represent: the AMERICAN PEOPLE, more people than Harry Reid would have nodded off.

Actually, this was the main body and focus of his speech; point fingers and blame everyone else for his ineptitude, failures, and outright attacks on the American people.

Forgive me, I need to correct myself here: that wasn’t the main focus of his ‘State of Obama’ speech: it was his once again insisting that government is the answer to our problems.

He’s going to do this, he’s going to call for that… these
proposals probably won’t go any further in the Congress than last night’’s speech.

But ya know, throughout his babbling rant, Obama did nothing we have not seen before: follow Saul Alinsky’s teachings and in turn, The Marxist theory of “Dictatorship of the Proletariat”.

The Marxist theory “Dictatorship of the Proletariat” is defined as the use of state power by the working class against its enemies during the passage from a capitalist society to one of communism. This entails state control of the society and thereby the means of production.

Throughout all of the programs he has foisted upon the American people, every one of them can be shown to further this theory to lesser or greater degrees.

Obama’s State of Obama Address was nothing more than a reiteration of these principles and either a castigation or holding up to public ridicule of those who stand in his way of the adoption of a Statist society.

And even though the Democrats have the majority, and a good lot of that majority subscribe to the Statist ideals, they have come to see that the American people do not embrace those views.

Seeing their approval numbers tumbling and their membership withering right along with them, Senate Democrats won’t even give any of these grandiose ideas and proposals much chance of survival without a selective, piecemeal approach.

With the uncertainty they currently face: the fact that they just don’t have enough votes to muster a fight on any of his proposals…

…well, Obama made a speech… that like so many others of his, are nothing more than hot air that chills as it passes before his face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, did I think to mention that Hillary Clinton was conveniently not in attendance for this yawn-fest…? Hmmm…

This is the generation of sampling. Some do it better then others, and some do completely unlike anyone else. If you’re a fan of The Avalanches, like myself, you will enjoy this.

-DkP

I always find airports fascinating places. Fascinating in that dull, scratch your eyeballs out kind of way. So I’m sitting in an airport right now and in an effort to keep my fingernails away from my eye sockets I took a look around the newsagents. The one thing I noticed was how many magazines there are to help people with digital stuff. Which I find strange because I always use digital means to find answers to real world stuff. I was tempted to get one of these just for my own amusement but succeeded in restraining myself. Here’s a handful for your enjoyment.

Adam Thomson Study in Black & White

Hot on the heels of their freshman release comes a leaked track from their upcoming E.P.

SHITS FIRE YO!

-DkP

I yawn often. Especially in the morning. Especially on dreary rainy mornings like this one. And not in the positive way that Centered and Connected suggests. I had an 83-year-old Italian professor in college who, if he saw you yawning in class, would stop his lecture and either wait until you apologized to him for your lack of propriety, or would walk up to your desk and congratulate you—with as much sarcasm as the Italian language can convey (which is a lot)—for such an accomplishment. Then he would ask the offender if there was anything that he could do to make the lesson more interesting. An espresso? Some exercises? An early dismissal—permanently? Needless to say, after witnessing these events, yawning was the last thing on my mind in his class.

But yawning can be good for us. It’s a stretch for your face, and can ease tension that your muscles hold in that area. Have a look at the following two exercises on yawning, excerpted from Centered and Connected: A Therapeutic Approach to Mind-Body Awareness by Thea Rytz.

Yawning

Easing Tension and Refreshing Yourself
You can always stretch in your daily life, and you don’t have to lie down to do it. You can, for example, pull up your shoulders to your ears, make fists with your hands, and listen for the impulse to stretch.

The following ideas may serve as helpful reminders so that you remember to stretch and relax: Stick a note on your computer or have your computer make a sound at regular intervals. If you live with children, stretch and roll around with them, and maybe imitate lions and tigers growling and hissing. If you have to stand a lot, sit down from time to time and have a good long backstretch.

Stretching in bed can relax muscle tension and help you to fall asleep more easily.
In the morning before getting up, it may support you to make a gentle transition between sleeping and being awake. Feel free to yawn during breakfast and later on as well. Yawning refreshes your body with oxygen and often brings a release. Sigh sometimes, even if you don’t have a “reason” to do so.

Biting Off More Than You Can Chew
Consider situations in which you think you may have bitten off more than you can chew—situations that might be very demanding or distressing. In these situations, you could try to focus your attention on your jaw joints, gently placing your hands on them and massaging the musculature.

In bed in the evening after a stressful day, hold your head between your hands or place your hands on your forehead. Become aware of what you sense, feel, and
think. Try to relax your jaw. The next day may be stressful as well. Instead of worrying about what it will be like, try to focus on the present moment, the sensation in your head, jaw joints, and body. Get some rest and relaxation.

Notice situations in which you clamp your teeth together—for instance, when you are in great pain, or when you are disappointed and on the verge of tears. As soon as the unpleasant situation has passed, take some time to ease the tension. Holding back feelings can be useful and appropriate, but it is always connected with muscle tension. There’s nothing bad about muscle tension, unless the tension gets stuck in one’s body, where it will create stress or pain in the long.

CLICK HERE to read more about the book.

CLICK HERE to visit Thea Rytz’s website.

What about you? Do you notice your yawns? What are you doing to get your mind to listen to your body?

Scott Brown, the first Republican Senetor elected in Massachusetts in the last 30 years,  makes one heck of a Cosmo centerfold. Too bad he is going to kill universal healthcare. Looks like he’s okay with making his private option…public. What are the teabaggers going to say about this one? Is anyone going to comment on this Elephant in the room?

Okay. We’re sufficient in the pun department.

-J.

Yesterday: Amy’s party wasn’t that bad! In fact, it was actually really fun to see them all again. Of course, Amy was not exactly present most of the time- I am mainly talking about Miriam, Jade, and Celeste. But, all in all, it was not the torture I was expecting.

I spent the night at my dad’s. His house is in the… not as good part of Houston (for example, most of the houses have bars on the doors and windows). It is on the small side, compared to houses here, and needs some updating. But, it is nice enough. I made “Pasta Della California” from Veganomicon, but sadly did not have my camera with me to take pictures. It was very, very yummy. The next time I make it (my mom wants to try) I will definitely post the recipe (with pictures).

Today, my dad and I went to the contemporary arts museum. The building was really interesting, but the stuff inside was okay. I was not horribly impressed, but then again, I am not the biggest fan of contemporary art (unless it involves photography). Actually, the lower part was all photography, and some of it was really cool.

Here are some pictures of my dad’s cat, Milkshake. We get to take care of her for three to four weeks while my dad is in Europe.

After that, I went home, and my mom and I took Mona to the dog park and on a walk. And… then I read some Crime and Punishment, ate dinner (nothing special tonight), and tried to catch Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer on the red carpet (unsuccessful, but I saw AFP’s amazing outfit on Twitter). Tomorrow, Devon and I are going to hang out. We’ll probably go to the gym… oh, and watch Spirited Away.

Pictures of Mona:

She was really happy to see me.

Jewel : D

I think my mom texts more than I do.

blogging is difficult when I’d much rather go to sleep than blog.

tomorrow I’m babysitting Tasha’s cousins.  I kinda dont wanna do it, but I really want the extra $$.  I wanna go snowboarding this weekend and snowboarding ain’t cheap!

I just signed up to have a sex toy party.  I’m hoping I can recruit some people to come to it so it’s not just me, emily, and ashley….that would be awkward….

Today I worked, then went to the gym, then came home and ate dinner, then showered, then did dishes and now i’m watching american idol. Not the most interesting day, and not much interesting stuff to talk about.  I did teach tasha how to kick a ball today. woop! oh, and I almost have her trained to ‘moo’ when i say “what does a cow say?”  baby tricks are the best.

Anniversary Day is one of those Southland quirks that generally works well.  Whether it’s taken on January 17 (or the closest work day), Easter, or even at the start of duckshooting, who does the scattergun approach annoy?  Hardly anyone.  There might be some slight inconvenience if you want to shop on the 18th and your store of choice is closed, but big fat hairy deal.

So why bother with this?

“A Southland Anniversary Day that unites the entire region could be in place for the sesquicentenary of the province next year.  Venture Southland community development group manager Rex Capil yesterday confirmed it would investigate marking Southland Anniversary Day on the same date for everyone.”

I can tell you now, the status quo will remain.  Some outfits will add it to their Christmas holiday, and people like my wife and I will continue taking it at Easter (or any other time we feel like it).  That’s the beauty of it.  So don’t waste someone’s time (and more rates money) on an investigation that will be ignored by everyone.  How will forcing businesses to take a particular day be enforced?  Will the Councils employ ‘holiday wardens’ to monitor it?

PS The comment at the end that the Mayor hadn’t returned calls on this issue for the second time in two weeks was a bit unnecessary, wasn’t it?  Perhaps he sees it as a non-issue as well, not worth wasting oxygen on.

The "Rain makes me yawn" face.

Today, I woke up and it was raining. And it sucked. But later today, I am going to the Harmony for the Heart YouTube benefit concert with friends who are visiting UCI.

YAWN YAWN YAWN YAWN.

Did it work? Did you yawn? I hope so, or all of this was a waste.

Spent the day in again, but this time without anything to do, which is such a nice feeling. Since my new classes are starting, I thought I’d go through all the stuff I had from my classes last semester. It may not look like much in the picture, but there is quite a lot of paper. I’d say that I’m going to recycle them, but that might end up being a lie.

It started snowing again this afternoon, it was coming down pretty hard. Maybe I’ll have another day off tomorrow!

.. some people yawn.. some people check out their cameras.. and we don’t exactly know what others are doing.. lots of time to do many different things while waiting your turn to climb..

David, Nadine and Jason. Rock Climbing @ Star Chek, Cheakamus Canyon.

Why does CTV need to cover every single day of the torch route in excruciating detail?  I may have to skip the news until after the Olympics.  The insanity surrounding the torch relay is bizarre.  It feels like people are cheering simply because other people told them that they should cheer.  They aren’t cheering for something real.  They are just cheering.

By the way, the Olympics torch route looks like someone drew it on an Etch-a-Sketch while drunk.

Have they not heard of Mapquest?