Yesteryear

Anticipation aka Fear

So, we are indeed without internet.
We need to get an ADSL modem as well before we will be back up and running. I've had people recommend trying EBay, but that just sits wrong with me for some reason, perhaps a lack of accountability. So, probably it will be a trip to Microbytes... someplace I have never gone to get anything. But my usual sources don't carry them.

I am somewhat worried what the complete lack of internet access will do to Munin... I have access at work, she doesn't even have that benefit.
I'll have to remember to make sure that during our walks I steer her clear of internet cafes. It wouldn't do to have her salivating on their windows...

Anyways, if I go missing we all know to chalk it up to my being an MIA. Munin's Internet Access victim.

I'll try to blog more later, when my headache clears up.

Bye-Bye Internet

We're losing our Internet access for a week while we switch servers. A week!!! [faint] I am hoping that it will be a week and no more otherwise I fear that I may go insane. Hence, due to my total lack of net access Hugin will be the only one to update the site. [sniffle] Hope y'all have an absolutely fabulous week, see you on the flipside, hopefully!

Hugs and Snorts
M.

Woozy Tired.

Woozy tired, molasses entombs my thoughts, and my body feels as if it is caught in a whirlpool of sounds and colours. Body caught between heaven and earth, drifting and then a slow spiral down towards sleep. Grit in me eyes, the Sandman beckons.

Mr Army; A Final Rant.

Having been forced to sit next to Mr. Army due to a lack of seating at lunch, I wondered if the drivel that he constantly spews would ever come to a point.

The conversation went as such. "I don't understand why companies aren't run like the army. I mean the army is much better at adapting itself, it is well structured, everyone is evaluated according to the same standards and everything is properly structured."

[long deep breaths, think calming thoughts, that's it, focus ... SNAP!] UMM, Excuse me?!? Ummm, no, no, No, NO, and NO! Yes the army does have its merits. Yes there are some aspects that might work well in the public sector, but as a whole it is bound to fail.

Granted that some people who are slated into managerial positions have absolutely no business being there, but the army's way is not infallible either. There are a few desk officers and career army people who have no business commanding troops and yet they have been promoted to that level because they knew the right people and made the right impression or were the only ones left standing.

As for it being a corps that is willing and ready to adapt to any situation on demand, well how about we review some of the facts. Hmm?!?

Lets start with a bit of history, for centuries, and I mean centuries warfare was fought in one way and pretty much one way only. [No I am not discounting the variations that occurred due to terrain or due to marauding masses] The two armies would march towards a battlefield, set up camp, send emissaries and if the conditions were deemed inappropriate or the emissary happened to be returned without his head then war was fought with the soldiers all lined up in nice neat rows, almost face to face. The victor was the one who was left with the most men standing or the one who gained control of the others camp. This method was utilized well into the 19th century, during many a war, including The Civil War, the Boer War, The War of Independence to an extent and many, many others.

A glimmer of change from the usual marching of troops into battlefield came during the First World War in the form of the digging of trenches. These, however, proved to be death traps and though many young men died in their grasp the army never saw fit to adapt and try something different.

Yes I know that this is a rather oversimplified account/view of warfare, but this is what I believe the gist of how things happened [granted I may be dead wrong], aside to go into any detail would require a whole Blog onto itself.

So lets sum up shall we? We have over a couple of hundred years of war being fought in exactly the same manner with very little in the way of progression. When the army finally comes up with a new idea, it proves to be fraught with danger and yet even though the casualties the army continues to employ the use of trenches with dogged determination, not much adaptability there. Perhaps we should look at the Army from a social standpoint?!?

The army's acceptance of Women, Homosexuality, Any Person of Ethnic Origin other then what is considered to be the 'norm'. Need I say More?

It is my opinion that the Army as an entity has always been slow to accept anything that is new, or that does not fit in with what is deemed appropriate and will only change its ways under duress with much kicking and screaming.

This does not mean however, that all the people with in it are of the same nearsighted dogmatic nature. I know that there are many adaptive capable people, who are open minded and willing to try other methods of accomplishing things if the current method proves to be outdated, dangerous or unsuccessful.

Unfortunately, you Mr. Army are too stubborn, nearsighted and too indoctrinated into the army way to see anything other then its glories. As much as I can see some of its merits I still do not think that the army way should be the world/business way. If you ever find yourself questioning why I say this I would suggest rereading the above, or better yet go to a library, a bookstore, anywhere where you can find books and read. There are many good books out there written about the military, its structure, tactics and history. Please I implore you, read before next you speak.

Rutted

It has been ages since I have done any of the usual memes. I have thoroughly neglected the Monday Mission, This or That and The Friday Five.

My excuse, that I am waiting until we finish sorting out the flat, which will allow me the time to move our site over to a new web server, where I can install MT without hassles before once again delving into the wonderful world of memes.

The truth of the matter is that I haven't been able to get into a question answering frame of mind. I have become complacent, sloth like even, ignoring my favourite peeps whose pages I would peruse daily, catching up on how they are doing and touching base with those where I wasn't too shy to comment.

It would seem for all intents and purposes I am stuck in a rut of blah!

A Warm Welcome

We would like to extend a warm welcome to Quisguillous who has just begun his/her quest into the world of online blogging. Welcome to the family girl/laddie, good to see you finally online!

Kitty

Kitty! Kitty! KITTY!!! The Monster Inc DVD came out this week! Wee!! [childish giggle] Kitty... kitty...kitty...kitty...kitty!!!
Can't wait to head home, lug the big overstuffed duvet into couch, plop in the DVD, crawl under the blankets, snuggle close to Hugin and spend countless hours watching Boo, Sulley and Mike. [giggle] Kitty! [giggle]

penned @ 10:00 anticipating end of the day, Monster Inc and Hugin await!

Getting Laid ... to Rest

Saw this on Neil Gaiman's journal...
As he comments, it isn't as good as if they had hired actual women instead of using an editor to place them in the pictures, but, what are they thinking?!

Die in one of our coffins and you'll get some?
Some strange reference to having a `woody'?
Making being laid to rest more explicit?

Perhaps they are catering to the view of the afterlife containing houris galore...

Yadda

Well, same goes here. I'm pretty much not able to think of anything interesting to say. So I guess I will sum up.

Had a visit from family member, which was very nice. [munin ~ very muchly so!!]
Went to a wedding, a very beautiful day that was. [munin ~ at a loss for words, the wedding was just incredibly amazing]
Apartment still not fixed up, what's done is nice... still.
Sitting on floors hurts after a while.
Cats shouldn't eat string. [munin ~ gods NO!!!]
French fries are really good with mayonnaise and gravy.

Bubble

Has not been in a talkative frame of mind lately, no real interest in babbling on as I usually do about the funny inconsequential things. More in a bubble state of mind where I feel apart from the world, just sitting back and watching, body taut in anticipation as if I am waiting for something to happen.

The Sweet Spot.

Sent by a friend and very reminiscent of most of the cats that I have had the pleasure of living with cat. Mornings are definitely for curling up in what can only be known as the sweet spot. [GASP!]

New and Improved

It worries me when companies market their food products as having a 'new and improved taste,' especially if the munchies in question were quite tasty to begin with. What do you suppose they have added to make it much yummier and do I really want to know?

penned @ 8:15 while munching away on a rice crispy square.

Respect

Today puts me in the mind to think about `respect'.
Respect for those who lost their lives a year ago.
Respect for those who lost loved ones a year ago.
Respect for the effort of all those involved in helping those struck by the attack last year.
Respect for people who have lost their lives since.
Respect for people I sit across from on the subway.
Respect for people I walk past on the escalator.

Respect isn't just for the dead, the grieving or your SO's parents.

Respect is what is lacking so much today and that causes so much grief.

Respect for people, sexes, beliefs, thoughts, words.
I'm not trying to confuse respect with agreement.
Not an easy thing respect, especially hard to respect those who have no respect for others.

Well, one letter at a time...

September 11.

I am not quite sure what to write, or if I am going to be writing anything on this day. For me it is a day still filled with raw emotion. I am still not able to watch any of the news clips taken during the events without tearing, I still am not able to read through articles and personal entries without breaking down and crying, my mind still reels at the thought of all those innocent people who perished on that day, people from different walks of life, people of different ethnic backgrounds, different religions, faiths and beliefs, people from various countries around the world. I think that I shall not be watching any of the memorial services, or any of the specials, but remember it in my own way with those I love. I think I am going to leave it to others, who are better equipped then I, to relate the stories and events of that day.

Obstinate Indignation

During one of our bedtime discussions, this time on chess, was busily mumbling along on the virtues of permutations required to produce a challenging chess game, and gibbered on about my somewhat bias view on strategies, that being that though I can see the value of them I find them to be a rather impersonal way of playing. Hugin pointed out that though it may seem to be an impersonal way of playing it does allow one to form a strong strategy early on in the game. I know all this, but still find it an unattractive way of playing. There are no allowances when memorizing the hundred moves and stratagems, of someone else, to form your own, nor does memorizing every single one of the great moves makes you a better player. It being late and me being a mumbling babbling mood, I went on a tirade of how one can/cannot be a strong chess player. All to be called Obstinate. [Humph!] Obstinate indeed!!! [warm teasing smile] I did say your points were valid love, just somewhat... wrong... [impish smile] Well at least I wasn't being obtuse!

Monday Morning, Bah! Am not mentally ready to be up at this ungodly hour, would be much happier curled up in bed, snuggled deep under the covers with Hugin, snoring blissfully away dreaming dreams of yumminess. Why does the working world insist that we should all leave the cosiness of our nests so early in the morning? I don't see much benefit to it, other then a bunch of grumpy souls trodding about the office muttering darkly to themselves, searching for coffee and barking at who ever deems it necessary to great them in that god awful 'cheery happy good to be awake in the wee hours of the morning way'. [groan] I think I may just go back to the bedroom, collapse in the bed and fall back to sleep.

Mis-Fortune Cookie

I always thought that Fortune Cookies always gave good fortunes.

You know, lucky in love/business/cards/etc...

It isn't so.
Here's the one I just got tonight: You would make a good lawyer.

That's just not right...

Water

What is it about baths, showers, etc that provide forums for thought? I mean Socrates had it, I have it...

Thinking some rather heavy thoughts; thoughts about the existance of God, mercy, evolution, existance...
Considering the egocentric perspective inherent in denying the existance of a God because a baby dies. When this occurs all the time in nature by the thousands all the time. As sea turtle young are consumed in the egg, after they hatch, before they even reach the sea... what makes us different? Our capacity to think? Hardly unique I'm afraid. Our capacity for compassion? Again, hardly something someone would consider unique in Man for anyone who has seen the animal mother of a her dead or sick infant...

So why should we assume because some God doesn't reach out a benevolent hand to save each and every one of us that there is no God?
It isn't as if we are the end all of the universe and creation. Without us, the universe may have lost something unique; there is no other race of humanity sprung from this earth. But the universe will go on.

We will be the only ones to lose out on what we might become, what we might evolve into. That is unless we stunt our own evolution, by twisting our environment to suit ourselves. By making it so we never have to change and adapt, because we compel the universe to change to suit us. And in doing so, we kill our own growth, our own future, our own potential. For what kind of evolution takes place in an environment without the need to change? None. Only stagnation exists in such an environment. And death.

In the absence of gravity, our muscles weaken, our bones become more brittle; things we do not need as much diminish.
In the absence of evolution, our race will diminish.

I'm not talking about evolution as in the survival of the fittest, but as in the overcoming of challenges. And overcoming a challenge does not mean taming, twisting, conquering something and bending it to our own will. A person who climbs a mountain, does not `defeat' the mountain.

As it is now, humanity is seeking to demolish the mountain, to put roads on the mountain, to control the mountain. But not to accept the inherent existance of the mountain and live with it.

Humanity needs to climb in order to grow.

Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo

Bustling about the house unpacking boxes and hum~singing*: "Sala-cadoola-metcha-caboola-bibbity-bobbity-boo! Put it together and what have you got? Bibbity-bobbity-boo" Yes, I am certifiable. Well, more boxes await.

*hum~singing: neither truly singing a song or fully humming a tune, but rather an eclectic mix of the two in which a word is partially hummed and sung, providing the melody and compensating for the fact that one does not actually know all the words.

Remember when...

Did you ever, on cold cold days, blow out long bursts of breath that fogged out in a gout of warmth and pretend you were a frost dragon? Or a steam dragon? Well, of course I did. And the further out and longer it lasted, well of course that meant the bigger more powerful dragon I was. It was good to practice.

Well, I am now a mage. Equal of Merlin perhaps, able to bring fog and haze and steam enough to blind the unwary... or at least to fill up a bathroom so it is hard to see anything because of all the steam... yes yes... I need more practice.

Abandon all eyesight ye who enter here.

Donkey: This'll be fun. We'll stay up late, swapping manly stories, and in the morning... I'm making waffles!

In a bid to maintain its sanity, my mind has started rambling on about all manner of quotes from various plays/movies and books. Am currently stuck on Shrek:

Gingerbread Man: Alright! Do you know...the muffin man?
Lord Farquaad: The muffin man?
Gingerbread Man: The muffin man.
Lord Farquaad: Yes, I know the muffin man. Who lives on Drury Lane?
Gingerbread Man: She's married to the muffin man--
Lord Farquaad: The muffin man?!?
Gingerbread Man: THE MUFFIN MAN!!!

penned a little while later

Torturous designs.

Two bloody days spent on one detail drawing! Two bloody days! [grunt of malcontent] Who ever designed the original part deserves some form of prolonged torture, preferably one that doesn't cause any physical pain, but one that will cause same form of mental anguish that I seem to be experiencing at present moment. GAH! Feel like bouncing head repeatedly off shiny desk, surely that would be time better spent.

penned @ 3:00 pm after having stared at computer screen in wild despair for past two hours.

Tattooed

My mom got a tattoo, my Mom got a Tattoo, my MOM got a TATTOO!!!

OK I think I am over the shock of it. Nope, still shocked. My MOTHER GOT A TATTOO!!! There that 's better. I can't believe my mother got a tattoo, it is not something completely unexpected, but she had never mentioned that she was interested in getting one. Found out yesterday that my aunt and cousin are also both tattooed, and here I thought that my mother would freak if she new I was considering getting a tattoo. [wry shake of head] Goes to show you just never can tell.

Swimming with the Fishies

2 fish in the morning. 1 fish at night. 1 fish has not become twice as big as in the morning.
No body, no evidence of foul play.

Just one innocent looking fish that refuses to talk even while under the harsh interrogation of the fluorescents...

I think the missing fish might be swimming with the fishies...

er...

Swimming with the people?

Blogging my Indignation

I have just been mildly repremanded by Munin for my eating ways, or lack thereof. I have been told that I have a habit of eating poorly, not eating very often, etc... I have been told that Munin eats better than I do, because of snacking more continuously.

Which is true, generally I will get by with dinner and snacks. When I am being good I would have two meals and snacks. I generally only have breakfast on the weekend... around 2pm... or whenever I am feeling snacky; breakfast is a great meal.

So sitting here, drinking my coffee and being generally reprimanded for not having any breakfast aspirations beyond Capt Crunch and thinking it is nice to have a three day weekend, I am truly a bad bad person.

Munin, finally gets fed up, and being somewhat on the ragged end of paychecks right now figures out what to have for breakfast/food while staying in and heads off.
I remain sitting here, considering my plight and what to do, and wondering what is so wrong with eating `just' breakfast cereal... which I was told was not a `real' breakfast...

A few moments later she comes back and sits down to enjoy a `real' breakfast... Ben and Jerry's coffee ice cream... with a teaspoon.

"It's breakfast, milk and coffee" -Munin

Truly, my breakfast is cheesed.
[coughhypocritecough]

Still, do love the minx.

Munin ~ "Defend Yourself," he says. Well you see. [long pause] umm.... The truth of the matter is [even longer pause] Yes. Well, you see I had had handfuls of dry Captain Crunch this morning while waiting for Hugin to rise from blissful slumber and could not swallow the idea, if you will, of having any more cereal and thought what could be better then milk. Ice cream has milk and other products that are good for you, like well eggs, yes that's it and umm... [vainly attempts to find other good things about having ice cream for breakfast, fails miserably] I never said that there was anything wrong with having 'Captain Crunch' I like my Captain Crunch for breaky honestly I do, i was just feeling the need for someting a little meatier for breakfast, which explains the ice cream.[sigh] Umm, this isn't going very well. Suffice it to say, that I am not the best when it comes to eating properly, either.

Ha! Minx indeed!?! You Rogue!

Hugin ~ Vindicated!