If ya read upside down like Chimpy here, then you better go elsewhere. But I know you read just fine, so continue we will to the bestest stuff I have found today in my wanderings through the Intertubes of information.
We have managed to have most of two days of no rain, and though threatening earlier, it’s sunning now. Not sure how long that will last.
Things are alleged to be getting all fired up again as evening comes on, when I shall be heading home from a meeting at church.
So without further ado, scan the following for anything that strikes your fancy. Where you fancy might be, I have no idea, and don’t mean to say anything untoward or sexually provocative or anything. As Vodka says, children read this blog. Keep that in mind. I believe in dressing appropriately at the computer. No skivvies if you are so enrobed. Get dressed before proceeding.
We start with a nice recipe for dessert, Mystery Mocha from Pioneer Woman. I’ve cut through all the pictures and gone straight to the recipe. It’s kinda like a lava cake, chocolaty and coffeey.
There is an interesting review of a biography of Marcus Aurelius at In Character. That might interest one person I know, but I thought it posed an interesting dilemma today. We all want so many answers to life’s questions, but we seldom seek the answers in philosophy, certainly not ancient Stoicism at least. We are more prone to the quick fix of self-help books. Perhaps a post might grow from this. . .who knows.
The Boston Globe has a really good article on the mind of the anonymous commenter online. The hard core make up about 1% of all online users. Should people be required to use their names? What is happening as a result of the anonymity generally allowed? Are comments even a good thing at all? Read on and see.
In case you didn’t know, Blisterina does some outstanding photography, usually in black and white which I just love. Please visit.
Religious Dispatches has a good piece on the Tea Party and how it attempts to re-write history. Now we are to understand that racism really played no part in slavery. No, it was a conspiracy is all. Do read on. Providing “proof” that racists don’t have to feel guilty about their racism. Takes the cake doesn’t it?
It appears we may have been walking longer than we thought. Kin of Lucy the most famous of our ancestors, is older than she apparently. Lucy’s ancestor is called “big man” because he was between 5 and 5’6″ compared to Lucy who was a mere 3’6″ tall. As you would expect, not all agree, and that’s the fun of science isn’t it?
We hear about it more and more. It seems to be the new “in” thing to suffer from. I’m talking about hoarding. I think there is even a TV show that features interventions. Anyway, I don’t get people like this, but I find it all quite fascinating as well. There is a book out about it, and it is featured at Huff Po. In our consumer obsessed lives, I can only guess it is on the rise. It’s a sad and complex disease. The book looks interesting for sure.
Will or will not President Obama fire Gen. Stanley McChrystal? Most think he will, but David Quigg has a very different take, and one that is worth thinking about. Obama is smarter than the average President after all.
And dat oughta keep you outa trouble today.
Holy smokes, that’s me! Thanks, Sherry.
That Boston Globe article on anonymous commenters was a long time coming, doncha think? It’s not as if this is a new issue among the online community; how funny that certain types refused to be interviewed. Hmmmm. Anyway, I’m glad it’s finally being discussed, because I’m just tired of rude people.
So in the spirit of nonanonymity (and say that three times fast):
Hello, my name is Dolly and I am a commenter on A Feather Adrift!
ROFL…so funny. I know you are Dolly because you list it as the author of the photog pieces! But I figured you must like Blisterina so I use it.
I agree, the flamers on some of these sites make it impossible to discuss anything. I quit going to one blog because the dude who was harassing my “ideas” was ex-military and I think probably a militia type. Scary dude with a very scary website.
I think anonymous comments should be disallowed.
Also (not to hog the floor or anything) my husband and I theorize that hoarding is becoming more prevalent because we’re fed all these contradictory simultaneous messages, i.e. “You need the latest/newest/shiniest thing” on the one hand, and “Recycle everything! Keep it out of the landfill!” on the other. And then we’re guilt-tripped to death if we don’t upgrade our material stuff or have the gall to throw a bottle in the trash.
So, I imagine if one has a predisposition to sentimentalize and hoard stuff anyway, these cross-purposes would just exacerbate the problem.
I just think it’s a fascinating subject. I am a bit of a peeper when it comes to what they term “abnormal psychology”. I took a course in it in Undergrad and the prof was therapist and brought forth a lot of his cases for discussion. This along with OCD leave me with great pity and sorrow for these people who are so destroying their lives by such compulsions, but I am, I admit utterly fascinated at the same time. I suspect I have a touch of some of this, that I’ve been able to submerge sufficiently well to not recognize but ends up being why I am drawn to read about it.