Politicians and the media are often at odds, but they do share one strong preference: for neat resolutions and happy endings. Unfortunately, the struggle for Kosovo does not look likely to provide either.

Kosovo is that province of the former Yugoslavia, and more recently Serbia, which has recently unilaterally declared independence and been recognized by the U.S. and some, though not all, European Union nations.

On the surface, this looks like a no-brainer. Serbia is an Eastern Orthodox Christian nation and ethnically Slavic; Kosovo’s population is somewhere between 90 and 95% ethnically Albanian, who also make up one of the few blocks of vigorously pro-Western Muslims in the world.

Combine that with our American predilection for freedom and self-determination, and the terrible record of Serbian oppression and genocide back in the 1990s, and the answer seems obvious: Kosovo should be free.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. To begin with, there are clashing scholarly accounts of just who are the original inhabitants of Kosovo. Albanian Kosovars claim they are the native inhabitants of the region, being descended from the ancient Illyrians.

The Serbs, according to a BBC report, assert that Kosovo lay at the heart of its medieval kingdoms and that during the Middle Ages few, if any, Albanians lived amongst them, buttressing their claim by pointing to the ancient Serbian monasteries and churches which dot the landscape.

Furthermore, their history includes the Battle of Kosovo, in which Serbian Prince Lazar fought a valiant, if ultimately futile, battle against the invading Ottoman Turks in 1389. Following that battle, and the Muslim Turkish takeover which followed, Serbs began to emigrate out of Kosovo and Muslim Albanians began to move in. This trend accelerated in the 17th century.

In 1878, Serbia became an independent state, and in 1912, banded together with other independent Balkan states to drive the Turks out of that part of Europe, again according to the BBC account. Serbians in Kosovo regarded this as a liberation; the now-majority Albanians, of course, saw it as an expulsion.

Conflict would continue throughout the 20th century, although suppressed by the Yugoslav police state of Marshal Tito in mid-century. It is important to note that atrocities and massacres were committed on and by both sides throughout this 700-year or longer history. No one’s hands are clean of blood, Serb or Albanian.

This is the background to the Balkan War of the 1990s, which included the attempted ethnic cleansing of Kosovo by Serbian militants under ultimate command of Slobodan Milosevic, and the eventual U.S.-led military intervention which stopped it.

With our relatively short national history, combined with our current educational emphasis on math and science and de-emphasis on history and the humanities, Americans tend not to understand or appreciate the way history remains deeply and passionately alive for people in many parts of the world, including Europe. When we think “history,” we think of the last 20 or 40 years, or at most the last century.

Consequently, we tend to view the situation with Serbia and Kosovo in terms of the Milosevic era only, and not the 700+ years which preceded it. Another reason, I suspect, that Serbian complaints are ignored is that Serbs are Orthodox Christians, and Orthodoxy is simply below the radar of most Americans. I suspect that were Serbia either Roman Catholic or Protestant, most Americans would look at the situation in a more nuanced fashion.

Even taking the short-term view, Serbian claims are not without merit. A Serbian commentator, speaking on PBS’s Washington Week recently, pointed out that Serbs feel betrayed: they have made significant efforts to reform themselves politically and militarily since the Milosevic era, even attempting to qualify for EU membership, and as a “reward,” have had their history heartland province stripped from them.

What’s the answer? Well, that’s the problem: as I indicated in the beginning, there is no easy answer. But the only solution that might help minimize continued sectarian strife is to engage in still further partitioning: allowing the heavily-Serbian enclave of Mitrovica to rejoin Serbia.

Following that, NATO’s KFOR peacekeepers, operating under UN mandate, must ensure that remaining Serbs in other areas of Kosovo are not mistreated by Albanian Kosovars, and have a “right of return” to Serbia, if they choose to exercise it.

Will even this be sufficient to head off continued conflict? Hard to say. But the alternative, which could include military clashes between NATO and a staunchly pro-Serbian Russia -- as the latter has threatened -- is too bleak to contemplate.

Got this from my friend chaeri, who got it from who-knows-where. I don't usually post these, but decided why the heck not...  :-)

TELL ME...
1. your name:
2. birthday:
3. place of residence:
4. what makes you happy:
5. what are you listening to now/have listened to last:
6. do you read my lj:
7. if you do, what is particularly good/bad about it:
8. an interesting fact about you:
9. are you in love/have a crush at the moment:
10. favourite place to be:
11. favourite lyric:
12. best time of the year:
13. any pets?

RECOMMEND
1. a film:
2. a book:
3. a band, a song and an album:

PLUS
1. one thing you like about me:
2. two things you like about yourself:
3. a picture of yourself!
4.. put this in your lj so i can tell you what i think of you if you want.

I wish everyone celebrating it a very, very Merry Christmas! Whether your interest in the holiday is spiritual or purely secular, may you have a warm and enjoyable Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and many blessings in the New Year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Tom (Robin)

On this date, December 7th, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy," the naval air forces of Imperial Japan made their "unprovoked and dastardly attack" on the American air and naval bases at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Flying from the fleet carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku and Zuikaku, the Japanese air armada caught the Americans sleeping -- metaphorically, and in some cases literally -- on that peaceful Sunday morning and wrought carnage on the moored dreadnaughts of Battleship Row and the grounded aircraft of the naval and U.S. Army Air Corp squadrons on nearby Hickam Field. The surprise attack was intended to cripple the American fleet. It nearly succeeded.



A nice bit of poetic justice, and a fine conclusion to the story of Pearl Harbor, that "day of infamy" sixty-six years ago today.

Some of my friends here may, and some may not, know that while I am generally a very peaceful person, I back that peacefulness with both the willingness and the capacity to defend it with force of arms, if need be. So when I found this online, I decided it had to post it here. These 25 points make the case far better than I ever could...

Firearms refresher course

1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.
2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
3. Colt: The original point and click interface.
4. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.
5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?
6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.
7. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.
8. If you don't know your rights, you don't have any.
9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.
10. The United States Constitution (c)1791. All Rights Reserved.
11. What part of 'shall not be infringed' do you not understand?
12. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.  [emphasis mine]
13. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.
14. Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.
15. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.
16. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.
17. 911: Government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.
18. Assault is a behavior, not a device.
19. Criminals love gun control; it makes their jobs safer.
20. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.
21. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.
22. You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.
23. Enforce the gun control laws we ALREADY have; don't make more.
24. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.
25. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.

As I say, that about covers it...

But just in case anyone misses the point, Pete, a maker and seller of reproduction historical firearms, aptly elaborates:

Remember that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance! The battles at Lexington and Concord on April 19th, 1775 began when the British troops set out to confiscate the arms of the militia. The resulting war led to the freedoms that we all enjoy today in every aspect of our lives. We owe it to the people who fought and died for us two centuries ago (and ever since) to not squander the rights that they won by being too lazy to speak out or even to vote.

Needless to say, I agree.

As some of you undoubtedly know, Samhain (pronounced "sah-wen" or "sow-an," not "Sam Hane"!) is the ancient and reborn Celtic fire festival commemorating the end of Summer and the conclusion of the harvest season. Because the Celts typically began their reckoning of time from the evening before something happened, rather than our usual dawn of the day itself, Samhain is generally known as the Celtic New Year.

Coming as it does at the juncture of Summer and Winter, it is a time of cusp, and all such "edge" times and places -- evening and morning, which are neither day nor night, the beach, which is neither land nor sea, etc. -- were seen by the ancient Celts as not only liminal but numinous: times and places where the "veil between the worlds" is thin, and communication, sometimes even transportation, between the Otherworld of Spirit and our own physical/sensory/material world is possible.

Beltane, the end of Winter and beginning of Summer (the old Celts recognized only two seasons), was another such time, but because that was the transition from darkness to light, from cold to warmth, the spirits evoked were likewise more inclined to be filled with warmth and light: fairies and other such beings, as are celebrated (for example) at the May Day Fairie Festival at Spoutwood.

Samhain, by its very nature, is a darker and more inward-looking festival. It comes at a time when the Wheel of the Year is moving from light to darkness: the days are much shorter, the air is turning sharply colder, and in the agrarian culture of our forebears, even survival through the winter was not guaranteed. Similarly for many people, even those not overtly affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder, this is a time of turning inward, becoming more introspective, turning from outward activity to inward pondering: a time when for those who did not have to be outside for their livelihood, attention turns from the chill and windswept fields and forests to the hearth-fire of home. Little wonder that there were and are close links between darkness in the physical world and darkness in the inner worlds of the individual...

That does not mean that Samhain, or this time of year, is evil! That misunderstanding has been promoted by Christian clerics over the last two thousand years who perceived anything that was not specifically Christian as dangerous and potentially demonic, drawing a firm distinction between light as "good" and darkness as "evil," and saw only two alternatives: to "baptize" it, or to demonize it. With Samhain, they did both, eventually transmuting the original three days of the festival into All Hallows Eve (October 31st), All Saints (Hallows) Day (November 1st), and All Souls Day (November 2nd), while at the same time demonizing those elements of Samhain (such as communication and travel between the worlds, including spirits "haunting" the physical world we know) which were not amenable to such baptism.

Since then, the "spooky" elements of Samhain/All Hallows/Halloween have predominated, either feared (as they were in the Middle Ages and beyond, even to this day in some quarters) or treated as a source of light-hearted fun and merriment (as with the "ghosts" and other spooky creatures many trick-or-treaters portay in costume). Of the two, I definitely prefer the latter! But there is indeed something fearful about this time of year, both psychologically (as with S.A.D.) and literally (as rising costs of food and fuel give the impoverished, at least, reason once again to wonder if they will survive the Winter), and it is no bad thing to face such fears and, in facing them, rise above them. Similarly, merriment has its place as well: indeed, taking on one's fears directly (through costumed play, for instance) is one good way to overcome them! And laughter is another.

Even at this time of encroaching darkness and building cold, when wolves both internal and external may howl, it is good to remember the Balance, and strive to maintain it. Light without darkness is exhausting. Darkness without light is ennervating.

This Samhain, may you be given the opportunity to rest in the healing dark, to face your fears constructively, and to enjoy merriment with friends and loved ones. And if the growing dark oppresses you, remember the old saying, that it is always darkest before the dawn: that there are only six weeks or so until the Winter Solstice, after which the light will start to grow again.

And at this time of remembrance, may the memory of ancestors who have gone before bring you not fear, but peace and encouragement, wisdom and strength.

Samhain blessings!

  ...
 /|\

[for more musings, from an OBOD perspective, check out "The Thinning Veil," here.]

I don't think LJ counts as a "competitor" to the Carroll County Times, so I'm probably not transgressing the terms of my contract by posting this here ahead of time... but just to be on the safe side, please don't "print or distribute" before this coming Tuesday. Thanks!

----------

Wildfires that burn more than 700 square miles and trigger an evacuation of nearly a million people would have attracted my attention under any circumstances. But the fact that I have a special female friend in California definitely has served to focus my attention on the area, and its troubles.
 

----------

It is, of course, impossible to do more than touch lightly on the high points of as wide-ranging and complex an incident as the current fires in a a 750-word column... it hasn't even been possible to do so in the several "reports" I've posted here!

Case in point: just read an interesting article in USA Today about how among the resources California has hurled at these fires are crews of inmates, led by an experienced wildlands firefighter. Supposedly "non-violent offenders only," meaning no one convicted of rape, murder, or arson (!!!), they get a dollar a day (good money in prison, apparently) and more importantly, one day off their sentences for each day they spend on the fire line. I'm sure some, maybe most, volunteer for that reason, but I wouldn't be surprised if some, at least, come back walking just a bit taller, with just a bit more of a sense that they can do something worthwhile with their lives. Hope so, anyway!

One further note: these fires have hit hard at the agricultural industry in Southern California, including the destruction of about a third of the state's avacado production. The cost of food, and particularly guacamole, is bound to rise... though the rest of us should count ourselves lucky if that's the only impact we feel from such devastating fires.

This past weekend saw an event the like of which hasn't occured in many years... possibly as many as twenty years, although that might be a slight exaggeration: I went to an amusement park! It's all thanks to my good friend chaeri and her husband Dave, who invited me to come along with them and some friends (all of whom are on here) to Hershey Park, in Pennsylvania. And it was (quite literally, in at least one instance) a blast.

If it's been 20 years since I've been to an amusement park, it stands to reason it's been equally long since I've been on a roller coaster. And man, has the technology changed since then... I remember when Rocket Ride Through Space Mountain (at Disney World) and the Super Duper Looper (then I think at Busch Gardens, now at several theme parks) were the most intense coasters around. I learned this weekend that they're actually rather tame, compared to some of the newer ones out there.

There are five categories of rides at Hershey: 1 is basically a “kiddie ride,” while 5 is classified as an “aggressive thrill ride.” I went on two class 4’s, and two class 5’s. Actually, one of those would better be described as a Class 5+!

That one, the StormRunner, was an amazing experience. It began like no other coaster I’ve ever been on: they must use a modified version of the pneumatic catapults that shoot jet fighters into the air off of aircraft carriers, because you are accelerated -- on the flat -- from zero to seventy miles per hour in 1.8 seconds. And you are shot right at the first up-grade… so basically you see a giant steel mountain screaming toward you at 70 mph. Then you’re shooting up it, dive almost straight down, and are immediately hurled into the most intricate series of loops, rolls, and corkscrews I have ever imagined for a coaster, still less encountered.

The Great Bear, a suspensory coaster we went on first, I thought was extreme enough… but it didn’t even come close to the StormRunner. And I was right in the front seat, too, in what I think of as the “driver’s” position: left side, front. It’s probably that which helped me, I do better in avoiding motion sickness when I’m in that position. And in fact, despite the incredible torque, violent changes of direction, and times when it was only the harness that kept my from flying out of the coaster, I had less motion/equilibrium issues in that one than I had in any other! It is, thus far, the closest thing I have experienced to my childhood dream of being a fighter pilot.

As I say, I went on four coasters Saturday, the first was the Comet, a class 4 wooden coaster; the next was the Great Bear (5), then the StormRunner (5+), and finally the Lightning Racer, a fast (class 4) wooden racing coaster, in which the two coasters follow a path which mirrors each other, meaning that occasionally they cross above or below one another. I could have gone on a fifth, but passed up the chance to ride the Wildcat, another class 5, as I had just gotten off the StormRunner and wanted nothing to detract from the experience!

A thoroughly enjoyable day, at a fun place, in great company, doing excellent things. I have mentioned elsewhere, possibly even in this journal, that since this spring I have felt like in many ways I am coming alive again... So I chuckled when my Aunt Molly said tonight, after I'd told her about my weekend experiences, that I was "growing younger." Might could be! 42 going on 24... I like it!

Well, I finally did something I probably should have done many years ago. I joined the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, and signed up for their home-study course. It was a decision which coalesced for me rather suddenly tonight, but considering that I have been drawn to things Druidical for somewhere close to a quarter-century, now, I'm hardly rushing into anything! Nonetheless I'm glad to have finally taken the step, which I've danced right up to the edge of, but then backed away from, more than once. OBOD seems to be the most relaxed, yet serious, non-political, and non-polemical of the Druid Orders -- based in the British Isles, which is important to me, given my strong sense of connection to my Anglo-Celtic heritage, but active here in the U.S. too.

Here's what the Order has to say about itself, from the website:

The Druid Tradition represents one of the wellsprings of inspiration of the Western Spiritual Tradition. Even though its roots are ancient, it is as relevant and alive today as it ever has been.

All spiritualities grow and change, and Druidism has changed too - and now it is experiencing a Renaissance. Druidry has become a vital and dynamic Nature-based spirituality that is flourishing all over the world.

It is a spirituality that unites our love of the Earth with our love of creativity and the Arts. And flowing through all the exciting new developments in modern Druidry is the power of an ancient tradition: the love of land, sea and sky - the love of the Earth our home.

Those are sentiments with which I resonate, deeply. Nor do they require breaking with any other spiritual elements or paths which are important to me -- another vital consideration.

I will begin with the Bardic grade; each grade (Bard, Ovate, and Druid) takes a year to work through. But in a general sense, I guess I can now say with some accuracy that I am, indeed, a Druid. Considering that I am already a Green Man and a passionate lover of the Earth, a conservationst, naturalist, and outdoor educator, and an academically-trained amateur historian and scholar of ancient Celtic and other Northern European traditions, I would venture a guess that this is the logical next step. If not, as I say, something I should have done many years ago...

 ...
/|\

What are you doing on the 29th or 30th of September? Better yet, both days? Well, I'd like to strongly recommend that you come out to Spoutwood Farm in Glen Rock, PA, in southern York County, for our newly relaunched, more-or-less annual Mother Earth Harvest Fair! Click on the link for more information about this celebration and showcase of sustainable, healthy, and balanced living in the Chesapeake bioregion. Music, food, exhibits and demonstrations will abound, as well as "green" vendors of many types. Hope to see you there!

As I noted in an earlier post, I am a relative late-comer to the cultural phenomenon known as Harry Potter. However, with the strong encouragement of a couple of good friends, I was finally convinced to give it a try. Somewhat to my surprise, I’m glad I did. I’ve read all seven of the books in just a few weeks, and have also watched the most recent movie, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" -- three times, in progressively better theatres, ending with the IMAX at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg, PA.

In addition to being able to fully appreciate the technical and cinematic aspects of the film, multiple viewings plus reading the book have also enabled me to let the story -- and its implications for our own world -- sink in, and it’s really that which is the subject of this essay. Warning: spoiler alert! If you haven’t already read the story or watched the movie, you may not want to read any further.

Many o' ye scurvy swabs may know this'n already, but them as don't, be it known that today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day! So whatever yer doin' today, be sure ye talk like the scurvy Sea Dog that ye arrrrrrrrr.

Those who know me well know that I do not readily jump on every pop-culture (or even counter-culture) bandwagon that comes down the pike. In fact, more often than not, a raised eyebrow and and an amused smile (if warranted) tends to be the way I greet most announcements of "the next big thing," be it a popular book, blockbuster movie, or some other icon of mass media faux couture.

However, there have been exceptions: popular, sometimes wildly popular, works of creativity which have nonetheless touched something in me that caused me to sit up and take notice, and sometimes more. The mega-movie Titanic, some several years ago now, was one of those. Though I didn't like everything about it, by a long shot, the combination of my long-time interest in the saga of RMS Titanic and the iconic love story of Jack and Rose sparked my interest, and indeed resonances in my soul.

Another such phenomenon, somewhat to my surprise, is Harry Potter. It has taken quite several years, incessant badgering on the part of certain friends, and indeed a special lady friend with a liking for the series to get me to read it (I apparently read part of the first one, shortly after it came out, but put it down unfinished). But now that I have read the first four books, I find myself frankly impressed with, and thoroughly enjoying, J.K. Rowling's tales of the young wizard and the magical world he inhabits.

Rowling is no J.R.R. Tolkien, but she has something of the great professor's ability to make both worlds and characters come alive -- and more than that, to imbue them with significance and meaning beyond the mere adventure tale in which guise they masquerade. This began to become apparent by the third book, and became decidedly so by the fourth. Actually, when I started this, I was only about two-thirds of the way through the fourth book... for those familiar with the series, it will not surprise you to know that I look at Rowling's world and its inhabitants through much more sober eyes than heretofore.

At any rate, I shall give no spoilers, for anyone who has not read them and wishes to, but I will say that I have definintely come to appreciate why those who love the series do so. And if you're turned off by all the Harry Potter mania that's around these days, I sympathize, but I also recommend you read the books and then draw your own conclusions.

And yes, there's some outright silliness in there. But it's tongue-in-cheek silliness, and quite good fun.

Reaching apprehensively into a bag of Bertie Potts Every-Flavor Beans and wondering what I'll get...

Tom

.... to address the fact that I haven't left any notes, quick or otherwise, for a long time. Of course, there hasn't been any discernible outcry at their absence! So I must conclude that the world continues to turn on its axis quite effectively without me posting on here. However, in case anyone notices, I thought I'd reveal the secret.

I'm busy.

And when I'm not busy, I'm tired. We've been shortstaffed at Spoutwood for a while (anyone who'd like to work on an organic produce farm, in exchange for really good veggies and maybe a small monetary compensation, please contact me!), so when I'm in the field, I'm working hard and coming home tired. And we've also been working hard on the upcoming Mother Earth Harvest Fair, so even when I'm working from home -- and frequently online -- I haven't had much of a chance to post here.

In fact, I'm taking a short break from MEHF business to write this.

Hope I'll have a chance to post something of more interest soon, but until then, au revoir...!

Tom

Arrrrgh.

The good news is, I really like my new apartment. I mean, I really like my new apartment! Although there are (of course) things that I wish I could tweak (not enough drawers in the kitchen, for instance), I could happily stay here for a good long time. It's a pleasant location, my "neighbors"/landlords are nice folks (which I already knew), and I really like being "out in the country."

There is, however, a problem with being out in the country: erratic telecommunications. There is no high-speed internet at all out there, period. No DSL, no cable, no nuttin'. And although I now have a land line, I am experiencing a huge amount of trouble connecting with it, despite having purchased an external modem (my laptop only does wireless). It either fails to register a dial tone, or there is a "modem error" when it tries to connect. I'm not sure if the problem is with my modem or with the phone line, which seems to have a good deal of interference on it, and I don't know whether one or the other results from the major storm we had last week. At any rate, it's frustrating to have to come in to the library (as I am now) when I want to communicate.

And to make matters worse, even my cell phone reception is erratic, at times. I lost my connection repeatedly during a recent conversation with Stephanie, and it seems I hardly ever talk to her without losing it at least once. That's annoying, to say the least. As I said above, arrrrgh. Oh, well. the more we have, the easier it is to get spoiled. At least I have a nearby library with wi-fi... that helps!

But when I have a place of my own, I think I shall need to make sure it is capable of receiving hi-speed internet, by satellite if need be.

Well, the Big Day has finally arrived. Today I leave my home of 18 years and move off into a somewhat uncertain future. How long until I find more permanent quarters? What will they be: a house? a farm? Will I continue in my present employment at Spoutwood Farm, or does some other twist or turn in the vocational road await me? And how much longer will I have to be alone? But these cosmic questions must be back-burnered, for the immediacy of the arrival of the movers, and my imminent relocation, looms. It's now almost seven-thirty, and in little over an hour, they will arrive. And off I go on what I sincerely hope will be a Grand Adventure.

I will miss this place, of course. But on some level, it is time to go. Perhaps past time, even. A move to Manchester, MD, is not exactly "life on the open road," but it does reflect movement in a life which has been allowed to become stagnant. May the All-Wielder, Ever-Lord, grant that this move opens the flow, washes me out of the backwater, and sets me on my course again!

Urrrrrghk! It's official: I hate moving. I suspected this, strongly, long before this, but now I know it to be true. Of course, this particular experience is worse than some both because of the circumstances and because of the sheer amount of stuff in the house (now much reduced by auction, dumpster, etc.), but moving in general leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I like travelling, but I like to have a settled base of operations. And I like to know where things are, and have easy access to whatever I need, and so on... So this is a major pain in the hindquarters. But by this time next week -- even sooner, hopefully -- it'll all be behind me.

Until the next time! I've recently learned that the friends into whose "mother-in-law suite" I'll be moving may need to put their mother-in-law there, so I'll probably only be there for a couple of months. That, I'm even less crazy about. But of course, moving a small apartment's worth of stuff will not remotely compare to moving a four-bedroom house's worth of stuff. Even so, spending all this time, effort, and money (possibly nearly $1,000 for the professional movers) to just do it over again a month or two down the road is kinda depressing. *sigh* Well, we shall see. No telling how things might work out.

Anyway, I have to get back to packing, so this must be a short entry. Anyone who reads this, keep a good thought for me! Thanks.

Never heard of "lolcats" until this morning, but I was "inspired" (if that's the right word) to take this by my friend  jeriendhal's posting his results...  'tis a mite amusing, indeed:


My score on The Which Lolcat Are You? Test:

**************************************

Your Score: Lion Warning Cat

60 % Affection, 51 % Excitability , 48 % Hunger

  

You are the good Samaritan of the lolcat world. Protecting others from danger by shouting observations and guidance in cases of imminent threat, you believe in the well-being of everyone.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on Affection

You scored higher than 99% on Excitability

You scored higher than 99% on Hunger

Take it!
http://www.okcupid.com/tests/6348388576689378978/Which-Lolcat-Are-You-

**************************************

How could I not be amused...?

MEEEEOOOOOWWW!

All kidding aside, this is an excellent reminder from our Taoist friends:

Cultivating the Nine Fields

If more of us, regardless of our spiritual paths, would practice these things, the world would be a better place.

Thanks for posting this, runefaery!

Okay, first it was coffee, red wine, and dark chocolate being good for you because they're positively rife with antioxidants. Now we find that people who are, shall we say, on the stouter side do a better job of surviving heart attacks then their thin brethren (and, presumably, sistern, too).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6768365.stm

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/09/ap/health/main3033031.shtml

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jul09/0,4670,DietFatandHeartAttacks,00.html

Of course, authorities point out, people who are overweight are also more prone to heart attacks in the first place. However, it's still interesting that if you do have one, you're better off being a little on the portly side.

As someone who is neither a beanpole nor a ripped hunk with abs of steel, I find that... encouraging.