Hi, LJ. I've missed you. If your house burned down and the guy in the black hat shot your dog, and your Pa, and your dog's paw, and I totally ignored you, too bad sorry, it's not personal.

I was gone from LJ for long enough that I started to become afraid that I'd never see all the backlog. So I stayed away - for long enough that i KNEW I'd never see the backlog. And THEN I stayed away for long enough that I figured "ah, screw it."

So, I'm back. Hi. I'll be nice and ready for all the flame you like. Once I just finish reading these few old posts....

( The Shocking Conclusion )

I don't know who these people are, but they know what they're doing, I think.
http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/09/fan-made-frank-millers-charlie-brown/

SO, as is painfully obvious from the huge gaps between my posts, I much prefer to ramble on in OTHER people's posts.

But this year I have gotten more random shoutouts about my Barfday today than for any three other years combined, and i must say that I find it touching. My feeling touched, however, had nothing to do with my choice of icon.

That is all.

Have you at any time in the past had a nighttime fantasy about a couple of jaunty bandits playing the Question Game?

Can you imagine a new twist to the question game with ADDED limits?

Would you believe that when I awoke this dawn I had fixed in my mind a chat between two men swapping badinage that not only was all in questions, but also contained no instances of that bit of the alphabet between Q and S?

Could one even guess how long I spent talking that way, while I got my child up and out to school?

Would it shock you to find that without the added twist I spoke nothing but questions until ninety minutes had gone -- almost gone by twice?

Do you have any idea how stupefied I sometimes am that they let me continue to walk about loose?

...Well, that last was a gimme, I guess.

Mmmm, coffee.



See, the question ITSELF is mischievous enough. This was very educational.

Mudita
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mudita is a Buddhist (Pali and Sanskrit: मुदित) word meaning rejoicing in others' good fortune. Mudita is sometimes considered to be the opposite of schadenfreude.

The term mudita is usually translated as "sympathetic" or "altruistic" joy, the pleasure that comes from delighting in other people's well-being rather than begrudging it. Many Buddhist teachers interpret mudita more broadly as referring to an inner spring of infinite joy that is available to everyone at all times, regardless of circumstances. The more deeply one drinks of this spring, the more secure one becomes in one's own abundant happiness, and the easier it then becomes to relish the joy of other people as well.

The traditional example of the mind-state of mudita is the attitude of a parent observing a growing child's accomplishments and successes.

Mudita is also traditionally regarded as the most difficult of the brahmaviharas to cultivate. To show mudita is to celebrate happiness and achievement in others even when we are facing tragedy ourselves.[1]

The "far enemies" of mudita are jealousy and envy, two mind-states in obvious opposition. Mudita's "near enemy," or quality which superficially resembles mudita but is in fact more subtly in opposition to it, is exhilaration, perceived as a grasping at pleasant experience out of a sense of insufficiency or lack.

Schadenfreude, a german word also used in English, is the exact antonym of Mudita. Schadenfreude is enjoyment taken from the misfortune of someone else.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudita


I've definitely had it some, and it's great. I think we are more capable of understanding something if we are better at describing it. And I'd like to have more of it, and course share it with those who are close to me, to give it to them.

I came across it while trying to see whether any of the major dictionary sites define compersion or frubble (They don't, but reference.com points to Wikipedia. It's a little odd when the the Oxford English Dictionary has never heard of word that's got 300 words in Wikipedia, with lots of useful crosslinks.)

Wikipedia didn't list frubble, which is the UK synonym for compersion, until just now.

stolen from everyone

"If you saw me in the back of a police cruiser what would you think I had been arrested for?"

Since my last post I've linked to 3 or four other crying songs. I figure I'm stuck with this bloody thing ( until I post my other two vids )

"What song brings a tear to your eye? Pick one, find it, and post it for all your friends to see."




I've circulated this one before, but it remains one of my faves.

A friend of mine from Hidden Places on teh Interweb ( WROTE THIS )

At about 8:40, Pandoramianche, who assisted in the surgery, came out to the waiting area to say that isle-of-woman had come through with flying colours, and was doing quite well.

They brought her 'round at a little after 10 for me to see myself. She napped a little on and off til noon. isle-of-woman's mom came and brought H (who had stayed over with Gramma) to sit and watch her nap a little more. I think that my mother-in-law wanted to feel a little more maternal, so I was ejected, ostensibly to have lunch.

We just got home, and isle-of-woman is resting easily, though I do have to run this prescription to the Pharmacy, in case that stops being the case.

All looks well, and the surgeon says we can have the many little bandages off on Saturday.

isle-of-woman Is due to have her gallbladder out in two and a half hours.

She is a little scared. It's been almost 33 years and she's never had surgery. It's also six hours earlier than she usually wakes up which makes her just that much more joyous about the prospect of people poking about in her innards. We've had easier mornings.

I'm sure we'll be fine - they do this stuff millions of times a year. Thankfully, not to us... I think the schedule would kill me.

It supposedly takes 60-90 minutes, which has her getting out of surgery at 8:30-9:00. We'll keep you apprised of events as they occur.

First, listen to this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxqYGox0NNk
Neat special effects, no?

No. There are no special effects. Only one alteration was made to the recording. This is the unaltered version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvZErxPOSp4

Woodlice (also known as pillbugs) are crustaceans, which means they're MUCH more closely related to crabs than insects.

I just thought it was too cool a fact to pass up.

My favorite is "Terrorists hijacked my religion". Shame more Christians haven't noticed that the same thing has happened to their religion as well.

moar funny pictures

Just in case anyone is fearing (hoping?) that I've been called home to Betelgeuse IV, and/or points East, I've been Out of Town, and therefore off teh Internets for approximately 9 days.

Those of you who know some of my personal history may have some idea what kind of Not in Kansas Anymore that suggests.

For the rest of you, I'll tell you when you're old enough. But don't hold your breath.