We have an issue that's a real hornet's nest. Specifically, a hornet's nest on the back of the house. Lord John will be coming by to deal with it sometime tomorrow. We'll have to move Skye to the other side of the house to keep her away from any fumes from the poison he'll be spraying.

Google News used to be a great source of news. It returned sources and stories from all over the world, encompassing a wide variety of points of view. I liked getting different angles to the story, even if I didn't agree with all the angles I was getting. But ever since they changed their aggregation algorithms, little other than the standard mainstream sources and their derivatives show up. There doesn't seem much a point to using it as my primary news page anymore. Does anyone have another news aggregation service that would be more in line with the old Google News?

Baby rutabagas are so cute!!

the tide has sunk deep
the quiet has found a home
i can still hear the wind
if i listen hard enough

i am not here

Poll #1360868
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Where will the Dow be at the end of the year?

I haven't had much of a response at naturesbeauty itself, so I'm going to ask here. I have been around LiveJournal less often these days and am therefore less able to keep track of problems that arise in the community of its size. Is there anyone that would be interested in signing on as an additional maintainer?

I've been using StumbleUpon a lot lately. If you have a account, feel free to friend or follow my StumbleUpon account. :)

Thinking of downloading antivirus software? Don't trust google sponsored links (the links that appear both above and beside the actual search results). I've known several people who have ended up with malicious "antivirus" software at this point, and this is one way that they can get on your system. Even searching for the name of a specific antivirus package can yield malicious sites in the sponsored links masquerading as what you are looking for.

If you need to download antivirus software, go directly to a trusted site such as avast.com.

Today is the last day of Bush's presidency. Tomorrow, Barack Obama takes the oath and becomes the 44^th President of the United States. There is a palpable excitement in the country surrounding Obama. There are of course many reasons for this, but I believe there is one that dominates the others. Americans have thirsted for an inspiring leader. The last couple decades have brought many leaders, some better than others, but none in the league of Kennedy or Roosevelt or Lincoln. No larger-than-life leaders that almost seem ascended from us mere mortals. Such inspired reverence is dangerous in that it can move the masses and sweep society in dark and dangerous directions, but it can also move the masses away from apathy and towards a brighter and better future.

Waldorf died a few days ago while I was visiting my aunt in Florida. I should have been here. He was an old budgie and Lake told me he died in his sleep. He couldn't fly in life, but I wonder if he could fly in his dreams.

I'm glad he spent his last year with us, where we made sure he got the good food and love his previous people didn't give him. I miss him so much, my Dorfy Dorf.

Good journey Waldorf. Good journey.

The new law, in effect since Friday, replaces criminal penalties with a $100 fine for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. The text of the law also forbids any repercussions whatsoever, from denial of student loans to inclusion in a criminal record to consideration during applications for status as an adoptive parent.

But in what is likely a clever sleight of hand by legalization advocates, the law, by pulling arrest off the table as an option, deprives police officers of any means to compel people caught with marijuana to show identification. Anybody willing to say "Donald Duck" to a cop who nabs him with a joint and asks for a name can escape even the $100 fine.

full story

I wish I actually had some pot. I don't smoke much nowadays, but now that marijuana is not just decriminalized but as legal as you can get without actually being legal... well I may just want a toke to celebrate! Go Massachusetts!!

As I've already failed at resolutions #2 and #3, I need to put a double effort into making #1 happen. I'm not going to have an all around bust.

The second of my new year's resolutions is to post to LiveJournal once a day. LiveJournal used to be a great outlet for me both emotionally and creatively. While at times perhaps I have become too engaged, in general LiveJournal has been healthy for me. As the graph below shows, I have lost touch with that and in 2008 I was particularly absent. As I attempt to move forward in other ways, I hope that my LiveJournal can again provide the mechanism for reflection and emotional release that I will need.

Happy New Year!!

May this new year bring many good and happy things.

New Years Resolutions:

Get a job.

Post to livejournal once a day.

Take at least one photo a day.

Good is not something one can become, at least not in totality. Good is only something one can work towards. It is our nature to do bad or wrong things sometimes, we cannot be perfect beings of light. However, we can try to do less bad things and more positive things. We can strive to minimize harm. In doing so, we can become closer good.

While there may be a few benefits to living in Woburn, the significantly decreased mobility due to the lack of reasonable public transit far outweighs any of those pluses. I hate being stuck out here with my only option for going anywhere an hourly bus that can literally be hours late. I wish we never moved, it was a huge mistake.