A colleague of mine in the UK apparently has a bit of a creative bent. However it's a creative bent on the "darker" side of nature.
I recently picked up his first published collection of short stories and poetry aptly called Dark Poetry, Dark Tales.
I'll never look at him the same way again. Some of the imagery used is just downright disturbing. Thankfully there are some lighter pieces that cleanse the pallet... but then just as quickly hurtle you back into general wickedness.
All in all a good read. I even gave him a positive review. But maybe that's because now that I've seen inside his twisted mind, there's a little part of me that's scared of him? ;)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Battle of the Water Bottles
I just recently switched to a stainless steel water bottle. I switched in part because of all those fears about plastic leeching into our food, our drinking water, etc. This feature article in Discover magazine was the real kicker for me.
But the big reason I switched was because I just don't like the smell of plastic water bottles. Seems like no matter how much you wash and rinse them, all you can smell is plastic when you go to take a big gulp of water. It's disgusting.
So now I have a shiny stainless steel klean kanteen water bottle. Problem is that every time I take a sip from it, all I can smell is metal.
*sigh* Sometimes you just can't win...
But the big reason I switched was because I just don't like the smell of plastic water bottles. Seems like no matter how much you wash and rinse them, all you can smell is plastic when you go to take a big gulp of water. It's disgusting.
So now I have a shiny stainless steel klean kanteen water bottle. Problem is that every time I take a sip from it, all I can smell is metal.
*sigh* Sometimes you just can't win...
Thursday, July 3, 2008
For Mr. Lem
While LB has been away skiing (yes, I do realize it’s July but he found snow to drag his athletes to) I’ve been puttering around the house pulling things out of places and putting things back in place. This is also known as “spring cleaning.”
One of the items I came across was a print out from a high school class given by Mr. Lem. Mr. Lem was one of those great teachers you never forget. He had a way of relating to his students and helping them learn on their terms. He was a history teacher who brought history to life.
I remember once – while we were studying the French Revolution – he turned our classroom into a mock National Convention where we acted out the trial of Louis XVI. (Unfortunately Louis’ fate was no different in our re-enactment and he was indeed sentenced to be executed.)
It was towards the end of the year when Mr. Lem handed out a recap of all that we learned over the semester as a sort of “primer” for our upcoming exam. The printout summarized all the movements, interesting historical figures and other events we learned about… but in relation to gardening.
It started with this opening statement and quote:
And now for something completely different…
“People are kind of like flowers… and its been a pleasure walking through your garden…”
- Lord Byron
And then went on to explain in further detail:
The Medieval Garden:
Thank you God, for this Garden. They will be done.
The Garden of the Scientific Revolution:
If you plant the see and you water it, and you make sure it gets some light… you will have a garden.
Louis XIV:
The flowers are mine. I am the Garden.
The Enlightenment Garden:
This is how flowers should be grown.
The Revolutionary Garden:
Down with the Gardener… Long live the Flowers!
Napoleon’s Garden:
I want to make a BIG garden.
Metternich’s Garden:
I like the way the garden looked before…
The Industrial Revolution and Its Effects on Gardening:
Now you can have your very own garden in minutes!!! It slices, it dices, it sows, it plants, it waters, it harvests…but wait, that’s not all!...
The Romantic Garden:
We should just let the flowers grow.
The Socialists:
You guys are working too hard…
The Nationalists:
I wish we had our own garden.
The Imperialists:
Let me show you how to make a garden JUST LIKE OURS.
Bismark:
Hey, can I borrow your shovel Sam? Hey Joe, if you give me some dirt, I’ll lend you my shovel. Jane, have you got any seed? (Hey Bill, watch this. We’re going to have a real neat garden when I’m done.)
Einstein:
Garden? What garden?
Tolstoy:
Well, I think it’s a pretty nice garden, but the bees think of it as dinner… and the cat uses it for a litter box.
20th Century Intelligentsia:
Well, what is a garden anyway?
Freud:
Tell me. Did your father have a garden?
The Cold War Garden:
You stay on your own side of the garden.
Robert Frost:
I’ve never seen this garden before…
Betty Friedman and Simone De Beauvoir and Gloria Steinham:
Well you’re not the only ones who can plant some flowers you know…
Nixon:
I didn’t put those rocks there. I don’t know how they got there. I am not a gardener!
Vietnam War Garden:
I’ve got some pretty wicked weed killer for you.
Martin Luther King’s Garden:
What do you mean all flowers are different?
The Tiananmen Garden:
I don’t care whose flowers those are, they’re growing all over the place.
Gorbachev:
I used to have a garden once
Ironically, I don’t know if Mr. Lem was really into gardening or not. But I do remember him telling the class that he had given his girlfriend at the time a special gift starting with the letter R and having only four letters. Naturally we all assumed it was a ring and that he was getting married. Instead, he just smiled and said it was a rake.
One of the items I came across was a print out from a high school class given by Mr. Lem. Mr. Lem was one of those great teachers you never forget. He had a way of relating to his students and helping them learn on their terms. He was a history teacher who brought history to life.
I remember once – while we were studying the French Revolution – he turned our classroom into a mock National Convention where we acted out the trial of Louis XVI. (Unfortunately Louis’ fate was no different in our re-enactment and he was indeed sentenced to be executed.)
It was towards the end of the year when Mr. Lem handed out a recap of all that we learned over the semester as a sort of “primer” for our upcoming exam. The printout summarized all the movements, interesting historical figures and other events we learned about… but in relation to gardening.
It started with this opening statement and quote:
And now for something completely different…
“People are kind of like flowers… and its been a pleasure walking through your garden…”
- Lord Byron
And then went on to explain in further detail:
The Medieval Garden:
Thank you God, for this Garden. They will be done.
The Garden of the Scientific Revolution:
If you plant the see and you water it, and you make sure it gets some light… you will have a garden.
Louis XIV:
The flowers are mine. I am the Garden.
The Enlightenment Garden:
This is how flowers should be grown.
The Revolutionary Garden:
Down with the Gardener… Long live the Flowers!
Napoleon’s Garden:
I want to make a BIG garden.
Metternich’s Garden:
I like the way the garden looked before…
The Industrial Revolution and Its Effects on Gardening:
Now you can have your very own garden in minutes!!! It slices, it dices, it sows, it plants, it waters, it harvests…but wait, that’s not all!...
The Romantic Garden:
We should just let the flowers grow.
The Socialists:
You guys are working too hard…
The Nationalists:
I wish we had our own garden.
The Imperialists:
Let me show you how to make a garden JUST LIKE OURS.
Bismark:
Hey, can I borrow your shovel Sam? Hey Joe, if you give me some dirt, I’ll lend you my shovel. Jane, have you got any seed? (Hey Bill, watch this. We’re going to have a real neat garden when I’m done.)
Einstein:
Garden? What garden?
Tolstoy:
Well, I think it’s a pretty nice garden, but the bees think of it as dinner… and the cat uses it for a litter box.
20th Century Intelligentsia:
Well, what is a garden anyway?
Freud:
Tell me. Did your father have a garden?
The Cold War Garden:
You stay on your own side of the garden.
Robert Frost:
I’ve never seen this garden before…
Betty Friedman and Simone De Beauvoir and Gloria Steinham:
Well you’re not the only ones who can plant some flowers you know…
Nixon:
I didn’t put those rocks there. I don’t know how they got there. I am not a gardener!
Vietnam War Garden:
I’ve got some pretty wicked weed killer for you.
Martin Luther King’s Garden:
What do you mean all flowers are different?
The Tiananmen Garden:
I don’t care whose flowers those are, they’re growing all over the place.
Gorbachev:
I used to have a garden once
Ironically, I don’t know if Mr. Lem was really into gardening or not. But I do remember him telling the class that he had given his girlfriend at the time a special gift starting with the letter R and having only four letters. Naturally we all assumed it was a ring and that he was getting married. Instead, he just smiled and said it was a rake.
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