Just When You Thought You Had to Drink a Lot of Beer for Karaoke...
YouTube Karaoke is a collection of YouTube music videos and lyrics. The idea is that you press play, scroll to the lyrics, sing and be merry. Alcohol and audience are optional! To request a video email us.
I didn't even write that. They did! That's all that needs to be said. It looks almost automatic in nature, there is no personal blogging. You've got to check out this blog.
Go! Scoot! Click! I'll be here when you get back. Promise.
Labels: Blog Sites to See
Consolation Prize for the Other Bidders
This was so difficult to choose. Once you see these blogs, you will understand why it was particularly difficult.
The Lost Girls are still on their trip around the world. A previous renter, they are on my links list and I often go there to see what they have been up to. I always wonder how many bags they are packing and if they ever lost any and what do they do with souvenirs and so many other things. There is an amazing picture of a train in India and the people who are riding it. There's also the most darling child on there listening to Amanda's Ipod. Click and travel with them.
Through a Dark Glass is an interesting blog. Okay, I'll be honest here, the most current posts are not my cup of tea, but the third post is interesting. Okay, I'll be honest here, the second half of that post. This is a personal blog and I almost feel like I'm invading someone's privacy here. I'm even hesitant to let Phillip know that I've even mentioned him. Please give him a click and scroll down or click on his links. He's a St. Louie guy, and that's enough for me to tell you to click him.
By the Way is so adorable! I am quoting Montchan when she says on her blog, "Yes, I am 31. Both officially, and otherwise. Which doesn’t really matter all that much, as I still feel about 12. 17 on a good day, and 83 when my cats are throwing up." If that's not inspiring you to click, then click anyway, dad gum it.
New York Nitty-Gritty is a photography blog, but this is very interesting. This blog is educational in the writing; each picture is described in wonderful detail. I felt like I was reading a guide on analyzing pics. Worth a click, y'all, worth a click.
Give them a click and have a good new year.
Labels: Blog Sites to See
New Year's Resolution Tips--From Beliefnet.com
Resolutions That Stick
To follow through with the goals you set for yourself this New Year, you must change your attitude and behavior.
By M.J. Ryan
"This year, I’m going to stop worrying so much."
"I will get in shape, once and for all."
"I’ll stop spending beyond my means."
"I’ll get along better with my family."
"I’ll start that business I’ve always dreamed about."
Have you made a resolution similar to one of these? Some of us want to lose weight, become more organized, or quit smoking. Others want to find a sense of purpose, more work/life balance, the courage to leave an unfulfilling career and start over. Whether it’s New Year’s Day, an important birthday, or just because we’re fed up, at some point we vow to make that one leap or give up the thing that plagues us. But by the time the rosy blush of good intentions wears off, the resolution gets pushed aside. Not because we don’t still long to have what we want, but because we just don’t know how to change.
We say we’re going to change, we may even do it for a little while, but soon we find ourselves back to our old habits. Depending on what survey you’ve paying attention to, approximately 45 percent of us make New Year’s resolutions, but only 8 percent succeed. Ninety percent of heart patients don’t stick to the lifestyle changes they need to live longer and healthier lives. Even faced with the dramatic choice to change or die, they can’t do it. I don’t believe they want to die. They just don’t know how to make the choice for life.
Part of the problem is that we’re flooded by bad advice. Right now, I’m staring at a women’s magazine. It’s the November 28th issue and the headline blares: YOU, 43 LBS SLIMMER By Christmas! I’m sorry but you, no matter who you are, are not going to be 43 pounds slimmer in 28 days using their diet or anyone else’s. Such irresponsible "advice" does a great deal of harm. Because it creates unrealistic expectations, it increases the probability we’ll give up before we get where we want to go.
You and I can change. Not just superficially, or temporarily. We can stop doing the things that hold us back or cause us suffering and create a life filled with meaning and happiness. But it’s not easy, as anyone who has tried to change a habit or do something new knows.
To bring new behavior into being takes work. Our brains have enormous "plasticity," meaning they can create new cells and pathways. But our brains create strong tendencies to do the same thing over and over. Here’s why: our neurons (brain cells) that fire together wire together. Meaning, they have a strong tendency to run the same program the next time. That’s why lasting change takes lots of practice; you’ve got to create a pathway to the new options. (Six to nine months, say many brain scientists--so much for those seven-day wonder programs.) The process is not about getting rid of bad habits—the pathway to your current behavior is there for life, baby—but building new, more positive ones. Even stopping doing something, like smoking, is really about creating a good new habit, nonsmoking.
Our brain structure is also why you’ve got to put external reminders in place, at least in the beginning. Unless we have a trigger from the outside—a note, a email reminder, a friend who shows up at the door to go to the gym with you--it’s very likely you’ll keep defaulting to the old behavior because it’s automatic. That’s also why it’s so important to be willing to start over no matter how often you blow it or get discouraged.
Do you keep hoping that a magic fairy will appear to make your dreams come true? That if you just read enough issues of Shape those thunder thighs will disappear? You’re not alone. Most of us are also not concrete enough about what we want and unrealistic about what we can reasonably ask ourselves to learn.
Here’s what a new client of mine said he wanted to learn in three months: "to be less nit picky and fearful; to be more optimistic, to be more responsible and empathetic; to be more creative; to be more productive; to live a healthier life and to take better care of myself." "How about create world peace while you’re at it?" I replied. "And what does `more’ mean anyway? Even if it were possible to focus on all of this in that time frame, how will you know if you are more of any of these things?"
As this client so touchingly demonstrated, we expect too much of ourselves and we expect to change overnight. When that doesn’t happen, we resign ourselves to staying the same, convinced that we are hopeless, weak, or unmotivated. Which makes us even more stuck. As another of my clients, eager to lose weight, puts it, "Once I eat the first cookie, I figure I might as well go through the whole box."
Top Ten Resolution Pitfalls
1. Being vague about what you want
2. Not making a serious commitment
3. Procrastinating and excuse-making—no time, wrong time, dog ate homework
4. Unwilling to go through the awkward phase
5. Not setting up a tracking and reminder system
6. Expecting perfection, falling into guilt, shame, regret
7. Trying to go it alone
8. Telling yourself self-limiting rut stories
9. Not having backup plans
10. Turning slip-ups to give-ups
To truly change requires three things: desire, intent, and persistence. You have to identify what you desire enough to be willing to stick to, make specific, measurable, achievable goals ("stop yelling at my kids" rather than "having more patience," and avoid the common pitfalls (see above).
Armed with these attitudes and behaviors, you can cultivate any new habit or behavior. When you have this invaluable tool in your arsenal, you’re not just getting fit, becoming more patient, or writing that novel. You’ve become empowered to experience greater satisfaction and fulfillment in your life because you can now bring anything you want into being. You’ve become the master of your fate rather than the victim of old choices. How’s that for a Happy New Year?
Labels: Feel Goods
Wha Cha Doin'?
"So long as man remains free he strives for nothing so incessantly and so painfully as to find something to worship...[W]hat is essential is that all may be together in it. The craving for community worship is the chief misery of...all humanity. For the sake of common worship they've slain each other with the sword." - Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky
So what were you doing Saturday night? I ask because I know nobody will see this now. On my Saturday night, I did not much. In fact, save four people, I led a secluded day. Yesterday I braided this guy's hair, but today... nothing.
I was supposed to go home, drive there, but I procrastinated. I know that I'm procrastinating right now. I'll be too tired in the morning to go straight to hopping into the car and zipping to my hometown to be at church. I'm going to try, though.
So today I had a lot of crap on my mind. I washed clothes and my bed stuff to prepare to straighten my room before my trip. (have you ever gone away and had to come back to your residence to find that not only did you have to unpack from the trip, but you had to clean up what you left behind and what you brought with you? I hate doing it.) While I was washing clothes, I was working in my Spanish workbook, work I hadn't done throughout the semester because it was taking me hours to do my Spanish homework in the first place. I'm trying to figure out what the heck happened to all of the stuff I had in my head. Where did it go to? I do understand how people can forget the language they were forced to learn.
Well, now is the time that I'm hoping that you are reading. Anybody got any sites I can go to where I can listen to Spanish?
I'm not looking forward to going home. I don't want to realize what I was before I came here. I think that is the reason. I feel like I've left things undone there. There is so much work to do in that house. It's been over two years since I've inherited that house, yet all of the stuff that is in there represents three generations of stuff. I'll be leaving tomorrow though. I won't be back in my dorm room for a week. I may be able to go to the library in my hometown, who knows. Anyway, before I sound any more melancholy, I'm going to post a poem I came up with and then I'll see you when I see you!
Labels: Calls for Response, Thoughts
- Cher
So this is something I wrote in response to a challenge. The challenge was the poem was supposed to be about not getting something you wanted in your childhood or being disappointed about something in your childhood at Christmastime. Maybe y'all can tell me about your grumpiest Christmas--hopefully something you can look back on and laugh about. I just wrote something that came to mind, not from my personal history.
Enjoy!
“He’s real! He’s real! I know it for sure!
I know he’s as real as the snow is pure!”
Some idiotic parent told their kids the truth
and now I’m dealing with dreams gone poof.
“Honey, Santa’s real. You’re the one who’s right,
but only by faith, not by touch, not by sight.
He’s real in the snowflakes, he’s real in the stars.
But most of all, honey, he’s real in our hearts.”
I could bear no more as I saw a trail appear
upon that cherubic cheek from one single tear.
Her eyebrows furrowed when she said, “Aw, shucks.
How else will my lil’ brother get those Tonka trucks?”
Labels: My Writing, Poetry
What Cha Doin'?
I'm a wild and crazy person. You know that. I know you know that, you know that I know that and so on and so forth. I'm so wild that I've set my clock at 5:30 just to wake up and turn it off. I do nothing afterwards, mind you, but I made the effort. This morning it took me only seven minutes to flick the switch on sucker.
I've got man stuff that I'm going through. Safe to say that I need to protect the guilty, so I will be ambiguous. There's this guy that has become a good friend to me. I'd like more, but at the same time, phooey on him. There's another guy that's become a good friend to me, but I've been told that I'm interested in more because of what I don't say apparently. I guess I'm supposed to be acting differently around him than when I'm around other people. I don't see it, so phooey on him, too. There's another guy (I'm talking like I have huge man problems, like they are swarming over me like chestnuts to an open fire--are chestnuts good?) who has been a good friend to me that I could not have anything to do with because either out of fear or because I've smelled some interesting scents from him. Phooey on him.
Besides, none of them spell well. I'm not sure if any of them can correctly spell my real name. I digress. But not before I say that spelling my name is a plus.
So last night, while I was working at my computer, I did a couple of things. One thing that I did was put an ad in an online thingie. I wrote that putting down the toilet seat and the lid is a plus, among other things.
(Has anyone realized that I'm blathering? Have you? You know you are probably the only one that's reading this, right?)
Okay, actually, I'm procrastinating. I'm on Christmas break and what do I have before me? My Spanish book, my Spanish workbook, some index cards, a red Sharpie, a pencil, my notebook, and highlighters. I am working on my Spanish for next semester. I'm going over previous homework and writing flashcards for the next class. (Shhhhh.... promise not to tell? I'm nodding off and I'm trying to keep awake by typing. Besides, I need to have some kind of original thought in here, right?)
I've got some other stuff to do. It's cloudy outside, but it's in the 60's or 70's here. If you are in snow, would you make me a snow angel and send me a pic of it. The only angels I could make here would be of dried leaves.
Labels: Thoughts
Technically, It's a Techie Kind of Blog. Technically.
Give this site a click. It's work browsing. As soon as I can, I will browse. I will be here when you get back. Promise.
Labels: Blog Sites to See
Consolation Prize for the Bidders
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
I hadn't had a chance to actually put the love and care that I normally do when I have consolation prizes, but I will give you a very short synopsis with hopes to give more detail on the people who did not get to sit in my square:
Tom Jackson Online A news blog. I can't wait to go back and read some of the stories.
The Screaming Pages Darn cute. Just plain darn cute.
By the Way Awfully cute cat on the profile.
They are all good contenders for my square. I hope they all will try again. I equally hope that the next time my square is up for rent that I will be able to tend to them before they expire. There were some good blogs that I would have loved to plug, and I feel dirty for neglecting my bid.
Give them a click. You know I'll be here when you get back. Promise.
Labels: Blog Sites to See
I Screamed
I thought that this poem might be appropriate. My stats say that this would mark my 200th post. I beg to differ since I've posted more than one unoriginal thought. This is my poem, though, and I hope it awakens you. I have to remind myself that this is a calling I made within me for so many reasons. I hope this inspires you as much as it inspires me.
I Screamed
I screamed.
I screamed at the whole, wide world.
I screamed at a handful of people.
I screamed at myself.
I screamed at the ruthless nemesis that lies within.
My scream opened at the dark, hovering, clouds
Getting some spirits’ attention.
My scream cracked the earth’s crust
Informing some demons to take notice.
My scream reached through time
Angry at my forefathers’ slack
Demanding my offspring that of excellence
Exclaiming one to have wanted more
The other to accept no less.
My scream reached
Through dendrites
Through capillaries
Through epidermis
To atoms
My scream adjusted spirit.
My scream adjusted soul.
My scream adjusted consciousness.
My scream shook them.
My scream funneled them.
My scream made them agree
That enough is enough.
That finger-pointing is no more.
That progress and discipline are psalms of praise.
I screamed.
I screamed.
I screamed.
I screamed.
I screamed.
Until all I could do was inhale.
Labels: Feel Goods, My Writing, Poetry
A Daily OM Dose of Thought
What You Think Is What you Get
The Law Of Attraction
The law of attraction is surprisingly simple: Like attracts like. It becomes a bit more complicated when it comes to training our minds to think in ways that will bring what we desire into our lives. The term “self-fulfilling prophecy” describes the same law. This well-known term explains that we create the circumstances our mind dwells upon, whether positive or negative. So our goal is to practice consistent presence of mind to make sure our thoughts are always directed toward the positive and that which we want to create.
A key to the process is the word “frequency.” This is true for two reasons: 1) The frequency you use when you passionately dwell upon or revisit a thought, dream, desire or goal provides the energy your musings need for creation; and 2) just like a radio station broadcasts on a certain frequency, like the radio you must be “tuned in” to receive it. This means preparing for the arrival of your dream on every possible level—material, physical, and spiritual. You don’t have to know how it will come into your life, just trust that it will. Your job is to lay the groundwork, follow any leads you can find, and prepare for its arrival. This can mean cleaning out your garage to make space for a new car, taking a tour of a model home to get the feel of it in order to feed your fantasies, or thinking of what you want in a mate and then living up to that list yourself.
Just like with any skill, the law of attraction must be practiced. We must decide what makes us feel abundant, and use our imagination to create the feeling. It isn’t enough to just want something; you must use the power of your thoughts to attract it. A series of choices is what brings us everything in our lives right now, every moment. When we know the direction we want our choices to take us, it is as if we’ve placed an order with the universe. Then we can await its arrival with joyful anticipation. If we find ways to experience our dreams right now, we make creating joy a treasure hunt in which the seeking is just as much fun as the finding.
Labels: Daily OM, Feel Goods
A Daily OM Dose of Thought
Divergent Directions
Coping With People You Dislike
As much as most of us wish we could exist in harmony with the people we encounter throughout our lives, there will always be individuals we dislike. Some simply rub us the wrong way while others strike us as deliberately unaware. We may judge others as too mean or abrasive for us to interact with them comfortably. Yet no person should be deemed a villain because their beliefs, opinions, mannerisms, and mode of being are not compatible with your own. You need not embrace the rough traits they have chosen to embody. There may be times in which the best course of action involves distancing yourself from someone you dislike. But circumstances may require that you spend time in the company of individuals who awaken your aversion. In such cases, you can ease your discomfort by showing your foe loving compassion while examining your feelings carefully.
The reasons we dislike some individuals are often complex and, at first, indecipherable. Often, we are automatically averse to people who are different because they compel us to question our values, spirituality, culture, and ideologies, threatening to undermine our self-assurance. Realistically, however, those you dislike have no power to weaken your life�s foundations. In fact, your aversion to specific individuals may actually be your response to your fear that specific qualities you see in them also exist within you. Their presence may force you to face internal issues you would rather not confront. If you meet someone who inspired an intense, largely negative response in you, ask yourself why your reaction is so laden with powerful emotions. Remember that you control your feelings and, if necessary, you can minimize this individual�s impact on your well-being by choosing how you will respond to them.
Though you may not have an immediate breakthrough, your willingness to consider your dislike rationally can help you better understand the root of your feelings. Your aversion to certain individuals may not wane over time, yet the comprehension you gain through reflection can help you interact with them sympathetically, benevolently, and with a greater degree of kindness. There is nothing wrong with recognizing that you are incompatible with some people. You may never achieve a shared harmony with those you dislike, but you can nonetheless learn to modulate your reactions to these individuals and, ultimately, to coexist peacefully with them.
Labels: Daily OM, Feel Goods
Just So You Know...
"Intelligence is almost useless - Alexis Carrel
I'm still here. I just am going through finals week. don't give up on me, y'all. I still loves you. Here's a pic I took just for you!
Daily OM Dose of Thought
Hidden Gems
Experiences We Don’t Understand
Sometimes we have an experience that we don’t understand, but if we look deeply, or wait long enough, a reason for that experience will usually reveal itself. All the events in our lives lead to other events, and all that we have manifested in this present moment is the result of past events and experiences. We cannot easily tease apart the many threads that have been woven together to create our current reality. Experiences that don’t make sense, as well as any that we regret, are just as responsible for the good things in our lives as the experiences we do understand or label as “good.”
This is especially important to remember at times when we feel directionless or unsure of what to do. It is often at times like these that we take a job or move to a place without really knowing if it’s the right thing to do. We may ultimately end up leaving the job or the place, but often during that time we will have met someone who becomes an important friend, or we may have an experience that changes us in a profound way. When all the pieces of our life don’t quite make sense, we can remember that there may be some hidden gem of a reason that we are where we are having the experiences we are having.
It’s fun to look back on past experiences with an eye to uncovering those gems—the dreadful temporary job in a bland office building that introduced you to the love of your life; the roommate you couldn’t tolerate who gave you a book that changed your life; the time spent living in a city you didn’t like that led you into a deeper relationship with yourself. Remembering these past experiences can restore our faith in the present. Life is full of buried treasures. Chances are, you’re sitting on some right now.
Labels: Daily OM, Feel Goods
Ten Things This Tuesday
Ten things I miss about sleep:
1. My pillow. It's a thick, deep, egg-crate puckered slath of spongy stuff.
2. My second pillow. It's become a flat thing, but it's not it's fault.
3. My sheets. The ones I have on my bed are cheap, powder blue sheets, but they are so soft.
4. My afghan. It's a purdy thing. It's multicolored and in that zig-zag style. I made it.
5. My blanket. My grandmother made it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
6. My comforter. It reminds me of Yolanda. She and her mother gave it to me. I like it. It matches all of the sheet sets I have.
7. Waking up when it's daylight. I have my bed next to the window, and if the alarms don't awaken me, the sunlight from the bed does. It's so hot.
8. My eyes. They were once so brown and clear. I didn't feel them as much. Right now, they feel like sandpaper against my eyelids.
9. My sanity. I've lost my mind. It's somewhere around here, I know it is. I'm gonna go check under my bed.
10. Time. It seems to be going so fast. Next week is finals; a month break and it starts up all over again.
I'm going to try to perk myself up with soap and water. I promise to not forget deoderant.
Labels: Humor, My Writing, Ten Things This Tuesday
A Daily OM Dose of Thought
Setting The Tone
Starting Your Day Well
The choices you make upon waking can have a profound impact on your day. If, still drowsy, you hit the ground running, rushing to prepare yourself to face your worldly obligations, you will likely feel fatigued and overwhelmed for most of your day. A leisurely and relaxing morning, on the other hand, can energize and excite you, as well as give you the courage to meet the challenges waiting for you. By beginning your day in a focused and centered fashion, you make it your own. You set the tone of your expectations and choose the mood you will use to respond to your circumstances. A gentle, reflective, and thoughtful morning will prepare you to create a gentle, conscious, and thoughtful day.
The simplest way to eliminate the rush from your morning routine is to rise earlier. Getting children into routines and getting themselves ready as much as possible will also give you more time. Though this may seem like a hardship at first, you will soon grow to love the extra minutes or hours that afford you an opportunity to really enjoy watching the sun come up or connect with your loved ones before you go in your separate directions. There are many more ways you can constructively use the time you gain. A mere half-hour of introspection in which you examine your goals, thank the universe for the richness in your life, and contemplate the blessings you will receive this day can lift your spirit and help you formulate lasting positive expectations. Likewise, you can solidify your day’s intention through spoken affirmations or the words you record in a journal. Or, if you want little more than to enjoy your day, devote a portion of your personal time to activities that bot! h ground and delight you, such as meditation, yoga, chanting, singing, reading, or listening to music. If you feel, however, that there is little room for change in your start-of-the-day routine, try to make each activity you engage in upon waking a ritual in its own right. The time you spend everyday savoring a soothing cup of tea or washing away tension in a hot shower can serve as a potent reminder of the need to care for yourself no matter what the hour.
Your morning is yours and should reflect not only your practical needs but also the needs of your soul. When you center yourself at the start of your day, you will likely find it easier to remain centered during subsequent work, play, and downtime because the overall sense of serenity you create through your choices will stay with you throughout the day.
Labels: Daily OM, Feel Goods
Pointless Pic Post
I went on a tour of the Eudora Welty house. I was unable to take pics inside, but I found a few things outside to take. I clearly have a peculiar eye for things, but I hope you like this shot...