Lessons from a blood-thirsty bat
October 27, 2009
Heed the lead of the vampire bat, and play nice with your neighbor. Tit for tat.
In bat world, if one guy doesn’t snack on a bloody meal every two nights, he will need a kiss from a friend or face death.
Bats are probably more altruistic than some of us. A donor bat will help his hungry buddy and share some dinner (blood) through a succulent smooch. When a group of vampire bats keep each other alive, the whole colony is more likely to survive. No need for greed.
Selfish souls will not stumble upon success.
Lesson: Share your toys & snacks with friends and foes (if they are in your Facebook network). Give lots of kisses. Help the needy.
Want to be a baby’s mama? … for a bat? Sponsor one.
Be anonymous this Friday
October 9, 2009
A digital self-portrait created by Anonymous in Pennsylvania. A happy holiday weekend to everyone.
Poignancy and charcoal with Emily
September 29, 2009
Art by Emily Charlotte Pearl Safford of Salem, Oregon
“I recently met a girl who told me ‘I could put you in a box’. I never really thought I was in a box; I always considered myself to be a nonconformist. Ever since she said that I’ve been wondering exactly which box she thinks I’m in, and whether it’s the same box that other people who have known me throughout my life would think I am in.
There is a quote from the Tao Te Ching that says ‘He who defines himself cannot know who he really is.’ I’ve always believed this, but only now am I really beginning to realize how trying to live with this idea in mind affects me. I have been told I have a lot of integrity and that I am true to myself.
I am a freshman in college, and living away from home for the first time has caused me to question who I am. How can I be true to who I am when I don’t even know who I am? How can I make decisions when I don’t yet know what I want from life? Do I still have integrity if act differently because I feel different, or do I have to act consistently with some set of values I claim to have?
I am a different person from moment to moment. I do not want to live my life based on a set of morals I have picked simply because everyone wants me to have an opinion. We go through life having to make quick decisions, because life is constantly changing and it goes on whether we have enough information to make the right choice or not. Maybe the constant change means I will never know who I really am. But I’m starting to think it means that I may not be able to know who I used to be, and I may not be able to know who I will be, but I will always know who I am.”
-Beautifully stated by Emily Charlotte Pearl Safford
Time management mantra
September 27, 2009
I was in search of the latest technology for time management. Must find a cure for my saturated life. I found these words of wisdom more useful than any wired application:
“Protect your time; this is how to banish pollutants. I know a fierce painter here in the Rockies who hangs this sign on the chain that closes off the road to her house when she is in a painting or thinking mode: ‘I am working today and am not receiving visitors. I know you think this doesn’t mean you because you are my banker, agent, or best friend. But it does.’”
-Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D.
Playing with idioms
September 4, 2009
Personality Purchases
August 29, 2009
What were your last three online purchases?
What do these items reflect about you? The investments could possibly suggest an eccentric taste in film, a secret interest in paleontology or a tea cup fetish.
My last three online purchases:
Bathtub Crayons
Book: How to Raise a Millipede
A Jump Rope of Speed
I think best in the shower, and my memory mirrors that of a fly. I need to transfer thoughts on the tile while shaving the legs.
Also, crayon messages are an excellent way to doodle friendly notes for the roommates: “We need more toilet paper … have a good day!”
I’m still waiting for a millipede. Possibly a friend or sibling will get the hint and deliver it this Christmas.
I’m preparing for a winter hibernation, and I refuse to let the cold hinder my exercise regimen. I will jump rope in my TV room. Measurements were taken, and there are a few inches of space to spare.
I shared my latest splurges. What are yours?
I’m buying a house.
August 24, 2009
Go wild. Color in your Dream House and send it to me.
Grandma Stromatolite’s Gift
August 19, 2009
September 13, 2009 -
It’s approaching. Insert National Grandparents’ Day into your planner.
After you send flowers to Florida, don’t forget your Great, Great, (add a million more Greats) Great Grandma, Mrs. Stromatolite.
The Precambrian rock may not play a weekly Bridge game, but the ancient lady’s cozy home is always open in Western Australia.
On this day of gratitude for the elderly, we should thank Grandma Stroma for the oxygen she gave our atmosphere thousands of millions of years ago. Without this gift, you and I would not be here today.
Drink and Draw: Experience Not Required
August 18, 2009
My sketch from the NYC Drink and Draw Event at 3rd Ward
Experience not required. PBR’s and Chex Mix were served. Ten bucks (when you bring a friend) included eclectic music and a nude model. It’s the best way to get your perspective back in focus.
The Drink and Draw at 3rd Ward Design Center in Williamsburg, NYC was an ideal way for my friends and me to dip back into the drawing groove.
My sketch above was not actually our “model”, but the 3rd Ward artist posed for our group while we were waiting for the actual model to show. Train delays.
The event concept is clever, and I’m looking into other open art opportunities in the city. Do you know of anything? If not, start one. I’ll go.
