October 13, 2006
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FRIDAY FIVEAppetizer – Approximately how many hours per week do you spend reading other blogs?
Hmmm, after a few years on xanga you start to know how to recognize
what you personally respond to and a glance is often enough to decide
to linger and read. I’m especially drawn to: original and
graceful creative writing pieces (prose and poetry both), unusually
beautiful photos, political commentary of a liberal bent, spiritual
observations from experience or with a slant from buddhism or atheism
or something different than straight ahead Christianity, daily life in
what seem to be to me intact loving families and how they do that, film
and book reviews, and stuff about people’s gardens and pets. How
many hours a week? Wild guess – 7.
Soup – Your community wants everyone to give one thing to put into a time capsule. What item would you choose to include?
Something that would express that some of us wanted peace.
Salad – What is the most interesting tourist attraction you’ve ever visited?
In 1962 I had the experience of traveling from Helsinki, Finland over
500 miles and 20 hours into Russia to be at the University of Moscow
with my then husband. It was a journey into the past. With
each mile, the people who boarded became less European and more like
very poor peasants. One man boarded with a live pig in his
arms. The train itself was a showpiece created during the
Stalinist era to impress the rest of the world with how well they
should think Russia was doing. For a girl off an Oregon farm it
was an unforgettable eye-opening experience.
Main Course – If you could give an award to anyone for anything, who would it be and what would the award be titled?
Well, they already have the Nobel Peace Prize and I guess two people
who pop to my mind that it would be nice to see recognized are Bono and
the Vietnamese buddhist peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh. This
year’s choice was a great one though (see below).
Dessert – What do you think your favorite color reveals about your personality?
Purple was my favorite color eons before I got old enough to qualify for “When I get old, I shall wear purple”.
Deep Thought:
“If you want to sue somebody, just get a little plastic skeleton and
lay it in their yard. Then tell them their ants ate your baby.”
Today I am grateful for: Poets and those who listen to them.
Guess the Movie: “There
are many things my father taught me here in this room. He taught me:
keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” Answer: The Godfather Part II, 1974.
Winner: RnBoW_SPOT.
Follow me and beat poverty, Nobel winner tells West
From Nick Meo in Dhaka
MUHAMMAD YUNUS, this year’s surprise choice for the Nobel Peace Prize,
used his award yesterday to make an impassioned appeal to the West to
overhaul the way it tackles poverty in the Third World. (Rest of
article here.)
Comments (23)
Loving the five…and the movie is the Godfather
Close enough – Godfather II! Yay!
Hey, I randomly stumbled upon your journal. It’s very interesting. Take care
just 7 hours? You are not doing it right…
(1) per week? No doubt too many once again, but I always have seven to ten Firefox tabs open, I’m always doing multiple things, and it’s a fascinating world out there.
(2) I might give a story, something combining the despair and the hope of life today.
(3) St. Pierre, that last remnant of Nord Amerique Francais. Amazing.
(4) I’ve always wanted to honor those who tried desperately, even in failure. Jeannette Rankin (famous for being the vote in the US House of Representatives against war in both 1917 and 1941) and Ivan Cooper (who led the Derry Civil Rights Association in the late 60s early 70s and organized the march that ended up as “Bloody Sunday“) are two of my heroes, and I wish the world knew them better. Give them the “Brilliant in Failure Award” because we need to honor effort, not just success. (the sports version of this award should be named for Harvey Haddix)
(5) Green? It is peace, and cool, and the softness of summer days, and it is what I am always chasing.
The Russian peasantry is definitely one of the most oppressed ever. They went from a corrupt monarchy, to communism, to what they now call democracy, and really nothing has ever changed. Maybe someday?
I notice lately that I’m over subscribed to blogs and I can’t do all of them justice as regards reading, though I have more time to do so than others. I’ll persevere though as most are active almost daily. I enjoyed reading this, my brother went to Russia in the early 60′s on a motorbike and said the same, there were broad roads with themselves ( motorbike club) on and the occasional horse and cart. A friend who lived there a while in the 90′s had to queue for ages for a chicken to cook and got one that was off, I wonder if it’s improved?
I’m the same way about other blogs. I stay away from the “what I did today” and lean toward the original stuff.
You is straight girly. No sexcapades? No Elvis sightings? No I’m pissed at the world rants? Well, come to think of it, that’s why we love you. Just a girl from an Oregon farm. Can’t get any better than that.
I love what you desire to put in the time capsule.
i read only blogs and band websites. record labels when im on the computer. I see no other point in the internet( except slightly faltured research for school papers)
1. 10 to 20. Two of my classes have class blogs I have to read everyday.
2. What would I put? hmmmmmm Something to represent love. I can’t think of what right now, but something.
3. The Grand Canyon – by far my favorite. Next is the Smithsonion Institute.
4. I would give my father an award for being the most spiritual man I’ve ever known.
5. All my friends say my favorite color is puke green. I am afaid to speculate on what that might mean…..
Have a great day!
What an amazing journey you had in 1962. I started the journey of life that year.
Hope all is well in your corner of the world!
I like anything funny. I dislike straight quotes taken from stories to fill the entire entry, and dry recaps (though lately, I’ve been guilty of the latter).
I will have to try this! I need to find new and interesting things to write about other than my rants about my children… blah!
I wish you a wonderful week!
godfather. i wish i had more time to read xanga…
re:the color question
there’s a question about what’s your fav color? and why?
the answer is supposed to reveal what other people think about your personality.
ex: i like blue because it’s calm and happy.
or, i like red because it’s fiery and uninhibited
there’s a question about what’s your fav animal and why?
that one’s supposed to reveal what you think you are.
ex: i like the gazelle because it’s graceful.
or, i like the elephant because it cannot be ignored.
That does sound like a wonderful, learning journey in 1962. We should all see these kinds of things.
Thank you.
The book of changes is a snapshot of a moment in time. The next moment the universe has changed.
Have a wonderful day!
I am honored you visit me…
thank for the comment! I love reading your posts!
= )
katie
I really enjoyed this post; the way you expanded on what you read and why captured the essence of blogging for me, especially, “…daily life in what seem to be to me intact loving families and how they do that.” And that story of the train ride–a live pig! What interesting insights. The 5-point buck photo is beautiful. What a magnificent creature.
your comment was beautiful.
Good heavens, I know I spend far more than 7 hours reading – I think the actual number would be shocking! I’d rather not know, really. I get attached to the people I read every day, so i just can’t skim, and I like knowing as much of their “backstory” as possible, to put the blog in its proper context. I enjoy reading about daily activities, though. I find them heartwarming, as though I have just spoken to a friend. That’s kind of the way I feel about my blog, as well.