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Showing posts with the label Index M

A Miracle! The Virgin Mary of the Forest!

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Our Virgin Mary of the Forest _________________________ I think all of us create our own miracles. – Michael Landon _______________________ The Virgin Mary walks the forest – at least that’s what your eyes are telling you as you look at the above photograph. But I guarantee you: this is no miracle, unless you believe that Photoshopping is a miracle. This photo is 100% fake. I know – because I’m the one who faked it. Lately, I have been seeing myriad Facebook photos on my timeline depicting miracles, usually a ghostly Jesus or the Virgin Mary floating in the sky or appearing as a misty figure in various places. Usually, these gems are accompanied by pleas to share the miracle so that good things can happen to those who share. In the old days, it took a lot of skill to create deceptive photographs, but with the advent of Adobe and other art tools on the computer, just about anyone can easily fake a credible “miracle” photo, which I have done here. It makes me

Maureen Faulkner, Widow of Officer Daniel Faulkner, Responds to Goddard College’s Choice of Commencement Speaker

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Where Was Maureen Faulkner's Voice At Goddard College's Commencement (2014)? ______________________________________ In Goddard College’s great tradition of giving voice to victims and as a Goddard graduate (MFA, 1994), I republish Maureen Faulkner’s statement in full, although I do not agree 100% with what she says: Once again, my family and I find ourselves being assaulted by the obscenity that is Mumia Abu-Jamal. On Sunday October 5th, my husband’s killer will once again air his voice from what masquerades as a prison, and spew his thoughts and ideas at another college commencement. Mumia Abu-Jamal will be heard and honored as a victim and a hero by a pack of adolescent sycophants at Goddard College in Vermont. Despite the fact that 33 years ago, he loaded his gun with special high-velocity ammunition designed to kill in the most devastating fashion, then used that gun to rip my husband’s freedom from him – today, Mumia Abu-Jamal will be lauded as a freedom fight

My Life Brand... and a Fable

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My Life Brand _______________ “We all have personal brands and most of us have already left a digital footprint, whether we like it or not. Proper social media use highlights your strengths that may not shine through in an interview or application and gives the world a broader view of who you are. Use it wisely.” – Amy Jo Martin, American author, speaker, entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Digital Royalty. Now I get it!!! The Memo, that is... For almost a year, “But I Never Got the Memo” was the subtitle of this blog... It was time to change it to reflect the brand aware and branded me. Whether or not an ordinary life like mine is worthy of branding is debatable. After all, I haven’t cured cancer, created the most-awesome-must-have tech product, or starred in a blockbuster movie. I have written and published some books and have been awarded a Fulbright Award – not too shabby for an ordinary life – but mine is not a famous life or brand. I hope that, as a te

Moonocababa -- New-ish Catchphrase

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Moonocababa ____________ It looks as though "Moonocababa" refers to a "Mom Text." I wonder if this particular mom knows its true meaning? ???

“Meet Your Pilot”: Ari Elpiloto’s Résumé (Aunt.Sexy Studies Her Pilot’s Résumé, Reads a Little Shakespeare, and Jots Down Some Notes)

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  NASA, Photo acquired May 18, 2013 International Space Station __________________ O wherefore, Nature, didst thou lions frame? Since lion vile hath here deflower’d my dear: Which is – no, no – which was the fairest dame That lived, that loved, that liked, that look’d with cheer. Come, tears, confound; Out, sword, and wound The pap of Pyramus; Ay, that left pap, Where heart doth hop: Thus die I, thus, thus, thus. Now am I dead, Now am I fled; My soul is in the sky: Tongue, lose thy light; Moon take thy flight: Now die, die, die, die, die. — Pyramus, Act V, Scene 1, A Mid Summer Night’s Dream , by William Shakespeare _____________________ The pilot’s submitted résumé reveals nothing remarkable: his education (degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University) and experience (10,000 miles, 1,650 on Boeing 777) seem impeccable. However, his work record contains an eighteen-month gap, which needs to be explained during the upcoming “Mee

The Mystery of the Stinky Laundry has been Solved!

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Dryer Fires are All Too Common _______________________ Your own safety is at stake when your neighbor ’ s wall is ablaze. — Horace _____________________ Last week, I noticed that when our clothes came out of the dryer, they had a strong stinky, organic burnt smell. I mean, it was gross and stunk up the whole house. I thought maybe lint had built up, so I asked my son Eric to help me check the lint in the vent tube. I’m obsessive about clearing the lint basket, but that stuff can still build up. But the vent was clear. Obviously, something else was wrong. I called Sears. They sent a repairman out, who checked everything out, but he found nothing definitive, just a burnt out bulb. He gave the innards of the dryer a thorough vacuuming and changed the bulb, which, by the way, had exploded, while he was fixing something else. He said that perhaps a stink bug had gotten in and stuck onto the heating element, and it needed to burn off. He suggested that I run the drye

Move Over, Dotcom: Here Comes the New .Whatever! The Ongoing gTLD “Debate”! And Let’s Go Viral!

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Public Domain Photo (Remixed) Wikipedia -- Royal Navy Official Photographer ______________________ He who frames the question wins the debate. – Randall Terry __________________ This post has been divided into three parts, targeted to the following readers: 1. End users and casual internet surfers 2. Domain industry investors 3. The gTLD registries, both new and established 1. For Readers NOT Involved in the Domaining Business: If you are not in the domaining business, you are probably not yet aware of the internet disruption coming your way: the proliferation of the new gTLDs (generic top level domains), the dot-anything revolution. Eventually – perhaps sooner than you might think – you will start seeing websites that look like this: www.Sioux.land (Disclaimer: this is mine) No .com, .net, or .org. Instead, the extension (gTLD) itself is a dictionary word or branded term, often focused on a niche product area (.shoes and .land), specific bran

My Own Heroin Story and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Overdose Death

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The Late Philip Seymour Hoffman Photo (cropped): Georges Biard (Wikipedia) ______________________ The death of Philip Seymour Hoffman  is shocking and very, very sad, especially since the cause of death appears to be from a heroin overdose (at this writing, news is still breaking, so this may change as autopsy and toxicology tests prove or disprove Hoffman’s cause of death as heroin overdose). I have always wondered why seemingly intelligent people use heroin – why they even start, knowing full well the addictive qualities of this drug. We can laugh and poke fun at Reefer Madness and its overblown hype regarding the addictive qualities of Mary Jane, but in the case of heroin, the hype, sadly, is all too true. One hit of heroin can be instantly addictive. Yes, you read that correctly: instantly addictive . That is not say that all heroin users become addicted the first time around, but the possibility should be enough for potential users to pause before shooting up. W

Masada, Cerca del Mar Muerto, Israel (Photo by Guillermo Barquero Chacón)

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___________________________________________ Caption: Quieres saber tu tamaño, entonces tienes que extasiarte de infinito. Translation: If you want to know your true size, just glance at the horizon. ___________________________________________ I have just returned from the 2011 Fulbright Association conference (Washington, D.C.), where I met Mr. Guillermo Barquero Chacón, President of the Fulbright Association of Costa Rica. Besides being deeply involved with promoting the Fulbright program in Costa Rica and assisting in special environmental projects, Mr. Chacón is a fine photographer who has published Instantes , a photographic journey depicting moments in time and in diverse places. For each photograph, he has added a fitting caption and has translated it into English. I was particularly drawn to the above photo and its caption, because it fits so well with the theme of this blog: the fact that physical size should not matter--and does not matter to at least one

Thought for the Day--May 10, 2011: My Nemesis--Procrastination

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A prototype book cover: I, Driven: memoir of involuntary commitment __________________________ Procrastination is opportunity's assassin. --Victor Kiam Yesterday, I vowed to get my memoir ready for publication. I have been procrastinating far too long on this project, and I'm not getting any younger. I have concluded that it was time to stop whining about situations for which I have little or no control and start working on those things that I can manage. Now I have finally figured out my status in my family's food chain, I figure it's time to branch out and move in a different direction--by starting right where I am right now. :=) I'm 99.9% certain that I will be self-publishing my memoir. I'm not a celebrity, so traditional publishers are less likely to be interested in my personal history--at least that's the message I have received so far. The good news: self-publishing is becoming more acceptable and even fashionable as traditional publishers founder

REMINDER: Honor Your Mother on Sunday, May 8 (Mother's Day!)

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All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother. --Abraham Lincoln If you are fortunate enough to still have your mother, stepmother, and/or mother-in-law, don't forget to honor her on Sunday. If you live geographically close, perhaps take her out to a nice restaurant (not necessarily expensive) and spend some time with her. She doesn't care about expensive gifts; she just wants to spend some time with you. If you are separated geographically, then send her a card and call her; although you cannot take her out, she'll be happy just to hear your voice. I lost my mother in 1979, my wonderful (albeit imperfect) grandmother (who acted as my mother) in 1987, and my beloved mother-in-law in 2006. I would give anything to have my "mothers" back. :=) Be cool, CF.

Memoir Madness: Driven to Involuntary Commitment