Still trying to get the handle on FriendFeed

Exploring and trying to understand the best use of FriendFeed.

Raining and Raining

Beautiful, gentle, steady rain falling with the mercury...

QOTD

"If you're at that place where you're working hard but don't feel like you know what you're doing anymore, then you're on to something." Billie Joe Armstrong, Green Day in Rolling Stone, 5/28/09 - p. 53.

Proving that the Bible is repulsive

http://godisimaginary.com/video2.htm

Foreseeing

Foreseeing by Sharon Bryan

Middle age refers more
to landscape than to time:
it's as if you'd reached

the top of a hill
and could see all the way
to the end of your life,

so you know without a doubt
that it has an end—
not that it will have,

but that it does have,
if only in outline—
so for the first time

you can see your life whole,
beginning and end not far
from where you stand,

the horizon in the distance—
the view makes you weep,
but it also has the beauty

of symmetry, like the earth
seen from space: you can't help
but admire it from afar,

especially now, while it's simple
to re-enter whenever you choose,
lying down in your life,

waking up to it
just as you always have—
except that the details resonate

by virtue of being contained,
as your own words
coming back to you

define the landscape,
remind you that it won't go on
like this forever.

"Foreseeing" by Sharon Bryan, from Flying Blind. © Sarabande Books, 1996.

Texas - Let 'em go

Gov. Rick Perry - at it again - and here's saying to Texas - bye, bye!

http://www.dailykostv.com/w/001336/index.html

Welcome to Roanoke, Home of the Heavy Handed Cop

Ridiculous - simply ridiculous.  The arrest of a participant in a group 'happening' in downtown Roanoke yesterday stirs all kinds of thoughts - heavy handed is foremost.  Did you see it?

I saw ol' Reinhold driving around in his unmarked SUV (Green City?) on the Market today.

You gotta wonder - the point he rather strenuously articulated (?) as he manhandled Ms. Gwaltney was that she was "impeding pedestrian traffic".  Well today, there was a gaggle of elementary school kids 'impeding pedestrian traffic" in front of the Market building.  Arrest them all!

Ridiculous.  There is little sense of perspective in this whole ordeal.  Clearly, Ms. Gwaltney (and the others) would have been better off to skeedadle as soon as ol' Reinhold "moved 'em along" and set up TV Viewing in another, less "impeding" way.  But, ol' Reinhold was WAY out of line with his actions.  And some of his comments clearly indicated that he was just looking for trouble.

Let's see where our elected officials, especially Mr. Publicity - our fine mayor, weigh in on this.  I think it is a pathetic and sad use of policing.  Let's hope they have some sensitivity training to better prepare the cops for distinguishing between useful and useless police actions.

In the meantime....bring back the damn horses.

Look out leaves

Here I come....

Bicycle Ride to Work Today

Got out the old bicycle and rode in - down into Wasena Park, into Smith Park and over to Jefferson Street - a little dicey at the underpass by the hospital, but no problems.  Up Jefferson, onto Williamson, onto the Greenway passage, up past Community Hospital, through Elmwood Park, onto the Market and into the Center in the Square garage to park it.  Great ride in - a little cool, but rather invigorating.  Great way to start the day!

Just Finished Reading The Crisis of Reason

Wonderful book and a great overview of European thought and social trends heading into The Great War.  Fantastic!

Here we go on a new bike

So excited - bought a new bicycle - see picture. Bought it at Keirin Culture - Stratton Delany helped me decide on pieces/parts and it should be ready in a week or so. Can't wait and will keep you posted on how we go...

Here we go!

Looking forward to a good summer of riding and enjoying the roads!

Nice Ride on a Nice Saturday Afternoon

Saturday, May 2 - Decided to take the beemer out for a jaunt up 221, to the Parkway on Bent Mountain.  On the way, hooked up with 3 other cycles and at the top of Bent Mountain, dodged a wild turkey heading across the road just prior to where the road narrows down to two lanes.

Parkway was pleasant, but with considerable resurfacing going on. 

Down to 220 and over to Hershberger to go over to Roanoke Valley Harley Davidson.  In love with the VSCR - caught up with Doug P and then, headed on home.

A good 90 minutes out and about and home safe.

Ride to Work today - Wonderful

Had a great ride into work today - check it out:



And can't wait to ride home in the rain!

Totally enjoyable and helpful site

Looking for and at common errors in English -
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html#errors

Lots of fun using it.

Thanks to Beth Kephart

On Tuesday, 3/24, driving home from a long day on the road, I listened to two interviews on Pen on Fire podcast with Beth Kephart.  And the simple and poignant comments she made about 'moments of meaning' and how she chooses to live her life struck me so deeply.  And as I drove into the evening, I was really stunned by her clarity, her simplicity, and her courage.  I can't find her email, and I suppose she doesn't want it to be found, so instead, I put it out here - thanks for that Tuesday and for the restlessness you've stirred up in me.

Reflections on the Online Town Hall Meeting

First - the questions were dreadful - did you read any of them?  Spelling, grammer, content - dreadful.

Second - it sure looks like a typical campaign event.

Still on the first question - and talking and talking.  (Tired of talking)

Checking it out as I can

Online town meeting about to begin - gonna check it out.