It is 11:02 GMT (6:02AM CST), our planet has aligned with the sun just so and - in the northern hemisphere where the NiftyFamily resides - spring has officially begun!
The March Equinox occurs each year on either March 19, 20 or 21. It is the moment when the sun crosses the imaginary line we call the equator and on that day, living things on earth experience roughly even hours of daylight and darkness. Equinox comes from the latin for "equal night".
Now, we in the north can look forward to lengthening days and shorter nights until June, while our southern hemisphere neighbors will experience shortening days and longer nights. Best of all, in my garden the earth is beginning to awaken. Yes it is! Even if you have a late winter snow, the earth feels that sunlight!.
Spring has sprung!
Lines Written in Early Spring BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ’tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.
The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:—
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.
The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?
For your musical inspiration today in the first moments of spring: a lushly beautiful rendition of Vivaldi's Spring (from the Four Seasons) performed by violinist Julia Fischer accompanied by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields at the National Botanical Gardens of Wales. Enjoy the glorious music punctuated by birdsong, presented in a gorgeous garden conservatory. This is about as good as it gets!
Seriously, listen to this and give yourself a little gift for spring.
Long we were searching
These serpentine streets for the signs of a spark
Fucking around in the dark
Then long we were held
In the thrum and the desperate heat of the clubs
Drinking deep from that cup
We'd drink it up
Each step was something
The beat in the blood and the heat in our hands
Of twelve regular men
So when we come down cathedral street
Hollow and beaten, to the room that I rent
I'm going back up again
I'm going up
But while everything is blooming
You know the wilting always waits
To steal away your body, to steal away your brains
Oh man I hate this part,
When the car sails off the bridge
Am I the knuckles white inside? or am I the water rushing in?
Am I rising up?
Singing:
Silent night, holy night
Take my eyes, take my mind and lay me down!
Oh! sweet winter kiss on these heavy lids!
Sweet winter gift of dreamless sleep, lay me down! draw me out!
No!
Doctor unbandage my eyes
I feel the light and I'm ready to be out in it
Doctor uncover my ears
I hear the chorus weeping, I see the people singing:
Doctor unbandage my eyes
I feel the light and I'm ready to be rising!
Doctor uncover my ears!
I hear the chorus weeping! I see the people singing:
When my children were young, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a party! Green food, seasonal crafts and of course, the wearin' of the green!
One of their favorite childhood songs was "The Unicorn". They knew all of the words, and we would sing along with Will Millar and the Irish Rovers on car trips, but on St. Patrick's Day a rousing rendition was a must!
For any NiftyReaders out there with young children (and to all the NiftyReaders who are young at heart and have a little bit of Irish in your soul), here is that song and the lyrics.
Top o' the morning to you all!
TheUnicorn Song (listen to the classic recording here)
A long time ago, when the Earth was green,
There was more kinds of animals than you've ever seen.
And they'd run around free when the Earth was being born,
And the loveliest of 'em all was the unicorn.
There was green alligators and long-necked geese,
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees.
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born,
The loveliest of all was the unicorn.
Well now God seen some sinnin' and it caused Him pain.
And He said, "Stand back, I'm going to make it rain!"
He said, "Hey, Brother Noah, I'll tell you what to do,
build me a floating zoo,"
"and take some of them".......
"Green alligators and long-necked geese,
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees.
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born.
Don't you forget My unicorns."
Well Old Noah he was there and he answered the callin',
And he finished makin' the ark just as the rain started to fallin'.
Then he marched in all them animals two by two,
And he sung out as they went through,
"Hey Lord,"
"I got Your green alligators and long-necked geese,
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees.
Some cats and rats and elephants, but Lord, I'm so forlorn,
I just can't see no unicorns!"
And Noah looked out through the driving rain,
Them unicorns were hiding, playing silly games.
They were kickin' and splashin' while the rain was pourin',
Oh, them silly unicorns!
There was green alligators and long-necked geese,
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees.
Noah cried, "Close the door 'cause the rain is just pourin',
And we just cannot wait for no unicorn!"
The ark started moving, and it drifted with the tide,
And them unicorns looked up from the rocks and they cried.
And the waters come down and sort of floated them away,
That's why you never seen a unicorn to this very day.
But you'll see green alligators and long-necked geese,
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees.
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born,
You're never gonna see no unicorn!
-words and music Shel Silverstein, new verse Andrew McKee
For fans of the Irish Rovers or just anyone who would enjoy it - a blast from the past! This video is a compilation of clips from over the years as The Irish Rovers delighted audiences young and old with their beloved hit. This video was produced via CBC Vancouver, for their Silver Anniversary special.
Today, March 14 (3.14) is Pi Day! The number π (pi) is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, and is approximately equal to 3.14159. It is an irrational number...wait, you can go here to find out everything you ever wanted to know about pi, and here you will find probably a lot more than you want to know!
I don't know about you, but all this talk of pi has made me want to go straight to the kitchen and bake a pie!
Happy Pi Day!
Consider humble pi. It is a number never ending. It never repeats itself as its value keeps ascending. Based upon a circle, many men have tried
to calculate the ratio of its width to its outside. It is called irrational because it can not be made a fraction. The challenge of its nature has been a call to action. The number pi has played a role in every life on earth. From physics to statistics, its always proved its worth. The tires that you ride on, the table where you dine, little pi was there throughout its concept and design. Humble pi is constant - its been a great addition and quietly serves us each day without recognition. If you can not appreciate why I hold this number high, then shame! It is you that should be eating humble pie. -- Ken Johnson
Uh-oh, but is there trouble in the kitchen? It looks like math whiz Vi Hart has a pretty convincing argument in the debate between Pi and Tau. Yes, that's right, there is a debate in math circles (heh) over Pi! Who knew? Watch this entertaining video and decide for yourself!
For your Tuesday Tonic, Comedian Dusty Smith gives a hilarious (but NSFW) recap of the History Channel's The Bible series. In under 10 minutes, Dusty strips away the religious mind-twisting (no, really! evil is good, brutality is love, insanity is a "plan"! Check it out in the Good Book™) and gets down to what the Bible actually says.
Seriously, I need to hire Dusty to revive my Barmy Bible Study series!
For your Monday Music, The Sweetest Taboo by Sade. A little sunshine and heat on a dreary March Monday when we have to suffer not only the last kick of winter (we hope!) but also a stolen hour due to Daylight Savings Crime. Waking in the dark this morning was only an inch short of too damn far.
Keep on, keep on bringing out the best in yourself!
The Sweetest Taboo
If I tell you
If I tell you now
Will you keep on
Will you keep on loving me
If I tell you
If I tell you how I feel
Will you keep bringing out the best in me
You give me, you give me the sweetest taboo
You give me, you're giving me the sweetest taboo
Too good for me
There's a quiet storm
And it never felt like this before
There's a quiet storm
That is you
There's a quiet storm
And it never felt this hot before
Giving me something that's taboo
(Sometimes I think you're just too good for me)
You give me the sweetest taboo
That's why I'm in love with you (with you)
You give me the sweetest taboo
Too good for me
(Sometimes I think you're just too good for me)
I'd do anything for you, I'd stand out in the rain
Anything you want me to do, don't let it slip away
There's a quiet storm
And it never felt like this before
There's a quiet storm
I think it's you
There's a quiet storm
And I never felt this hot before
Giving me something that's taboo
You give me the (you give me, you give me the) sweetest taboo
That's why I'm in love with you (with you)
You give me, keep giving me the sweetest taboo
Too good for me
You've got the biggest heart
Sometimes I think you're just too good for me
Every day is Christmas, and every night is New Year's Eve
Will you keep on loving me
Will you keep on, will you keep on
Bringing out the best in me
For your Sunday entertainment, I am reposting an essay from the NiftyUniverse archives wherein my alter ego rails against Daylight Savings Time, NPR and whatever else that scattered mind gloms onto other stuff:
Good Day, NiftyReaders!
It's another glorious springlike morning, the kind that just makes you leap out of bed ready to greet the day! I love days like this, and I'd love them even more if they began on time instead of an hour too early! As it is, I was forced to drag my protesting limbs out from under the duvet in the pre-dawn murk, call the boys for school, start breakfast and take the dog out before the first life-giving rays of that beautiful sunshine had even peeked over the horizon! If a planet (or star?) could talk, I'm sure the good ol' sun would have said to me, "What the heck are you doing? I'm fixing to shine down on you and the rest of this wonderful world in about 17 minutes--get back in bed!".
Unfortunately for me and the rest of civilized humanity, the Powers that Be™ are deaf to the whisperings of the stars and blind to the natural order of the universe. They insist on the lunatic scheme of daylight savings time and because they are the Powers that Be, they can force the rest of us to arrange our affairs accordingly. There ought to be a law against that. If I had more time in my day (ahem! stolen hour?), perhaps I would organize a grass-roots protest, but I am a busy woman and with even fewer hours in my day, I must redouble my efforts with the important tasks already on my To Do list!
TO DO
Blog Post (obviously- in progress)
Photo Project (another obvious priority, although more difficult- don't know if I will get to it today)
Laundry-sheets, etc (a friend is arriving tomorrow for a quick overnight) Lose Weight
Start Supper (hmm..)
Exercise (right after I finish this post! Going for a walk in the lovely spring sunshine!)
Passport Application (Oops! Forgot again!)
Plan Spring Roadtrip/ reserve hotel rooms en route (I have one already booked! Good!)
I've noticed that the order of priority seems a little off here. Perhaps that has been the problem with my To Do lists. Let me try sorting them in order of importance, then I can start at the top and work down, getting the most urgent tasks completed in a timely manner. I am so glad that I have been blessed with good organizational skills!
TO DO
Blog Post (always job 1!- started and first thing, too--excellent!) Passport Application
Laundry (we need the sheets for tomorrow, so this must come first) Passport Application
Start Supper (we have to eat!!) Passport Application
Photo Project (good lord! this should be at the top of the list! It is job 1!) Passport Application
Plan Spring Roadtrip (won't need any passports if we have no trip planned!)
Passport Application
Exercise (technically, this ought to be number 2 because it is the next thing I am going to do) Lose Weight
Pay Bills (oops! Nearly forgot that one! thanks for the reminder, Comcast, although I must say that terse attitude was uncalled for)
Hmmm...there is a problem with the priorities on this list, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Oh well, it doesn't matter- it is the process which counts and I am nothing if not dedicated to the process! Now that that's done, I can get started on my great day!
But first, I ought to mention something a little disturbing that I noticed this morning on the drive to school. I had the radio tuned to NPR as usual, and they are in the throes of their annoying annual Spring fund drive. I tune in to NPR in the mornings because it is the only station from which I can get unbiased news and so forth without a load of irritating commercials and shouting deejays. Every few months, however, I am subjected to annoying whining and begging for "pledges" and "support" (they call them "annual" Spring/Fall fund drives but they are lying through their teeth - they have them at least twice per year!). It's really very aggravating! I don't see how they can claim to be "commercial-free" when they subject their listeners to an hour or two of nearly non-stop pan-handling every six months, and I for one have had enough of it.
Certainly, I barely noticed the unnecessary interruption of my normal morning routines until this morning - when they mentioned a "special group of members" who are encouraging new members to join - but the principle remains the same: they promise annoyance-free radio and I expect annoyance-free radio! Sure they have no commercials, but is it not equally irritating to subject their listeners to this fawn-fest of shout-outs to their little favorites? I bet that "special group of members" spends all their time annoying people instead of contributing to humanity like Yours Truly and Those in the Know!
Apparently, this is actually the last day of the Spring drive and I hadn't noticed it before now, but standards are standards and I think NPR is letting down the side a little here. Just what do they mean by a "special group of members" anyway? I would have thought that I would definitely belong in the "special group of members" as I listen to the station every single day, but it appears that I have missed the memo! Or rather, NPR has committed a grievous faux pas* by failing to recognise their real quality listeners! I'm a little put out, if the truth be told, although Those in the Know will remember that I am far too tolerant, not to mention busy with important stuff, to give it a second thought.
(Fulminating pause) Who are these people whose membership is more special than mine, anyway? It is all too vexing. I'm going to have to ring them up and give them a piece of my mind...
(PAUSE FOR TELEPHONE CALL TO NPR)
Well, I've wasted enough time today on this blog post and going off half-cocked to call NPR, resulting in humiliating realization that I have forgotten to renew my membership for the past 3 years other stuff. I am a busy woman and people depend on me to make things happen!
Good Day to All!
* Those in the Know can "learn something new everyday" simply by reading my blog and soaking up the sophisticated foreign references! Take that, NPR!
In honor of International Women's Day, may I present a great story about a remarkable woman. This story has it all: a courageous heroine, vicious enemies, conflict, cultural relevance, tension and drama. And a very satisfying conclusion. It's like the best video game ever!
Anita Sarkeesian is a young feminist. She has also been an enthusiastic video gamer since childhood. As she grew from happily video-playing child to thoughtful teen and feminist adult, Sarkeesian became increasingly disturbed by the portrayal of female characters in video games. It seemed that the vast majority of female-identified characters were either victims, trophies or wily (lying) temptresses - always, always hyper-sexualized and all too often brutalized as some part of the storyline.
Sarkeesian talked about this portrayal of women in video games on her video blog as part of the overall discussion of the issue of the negative depictions of women in all aspects of popular culture. She discussed it with other gamers, too, and while she did receive encouraging feedback from many, she also received angry blowback from some. Recognizing that this sexist portrayal of women characters was not accidental, Sarkeesian decided to try to examine the issue a little more closely.
But, it's just a game! Why can't these b****es lighten up?
In 2012, Sarkeesian made the "mistake" of launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund a series of videos examining the prevalence of sexist gendered stereotypes in video games. While the project was hailed as a great idea by many feminist gamers (both men and women), it was met with outrage by a significant subset of gamers and misogynists on the internet. The resulting firestorm of misogynistic harassment ranged from expletive-laced comments on the website to threats of rape, torture and death. Her blog, Feminist Frequency, was hacked. Enraged gamers created "games" featuring Sarkeesian as a character who is raped, beaten or killed (or all three) - one was called "Beat up Anita Sarkeesian" and featured the *fun* of punching the animated Anita until the blood-spatter turns the screen red. Furious gamers sent videos of the violence being done to her "game character", perhaps meant as a warning and a threat, but undoubtedly meant to harass, intimidate and silence her.
Fortunately for young women everywhere - and more directly for women gamers - Anita Sarkeesian did not let the harassment silence her. She persevered in her quest. Other feminist gamers supporting her effort spread the word about the Kickstarter and the rest, as they say, is history. Here is Anita Sarkeesian speaking at TED+Women last fall telling the story in her succinct, engaging and calmly awesome way:
Online harassment - even harassment that reaches criminal levels - is almost never successfully prosecuted. The law has not caught up to the technology yet and in any case the anonymity and enormous size of the online population makes enforcement of any laws problematic. The internet is the perfect home for enraged cowards who lob verbal and visual attacks at their targets before scuttling away into the shadows of the interweb. While it is likely that most of these lowlifes would never risk their own hides by coming out into the open and attacking the object of their wrath in real life, the sobering fact that no one can be certain about what rage-filled people might do is often enough to frighten a victim of online harassment into silence.
What? It's just a simple beach shot!
Why do those feminazis always get
their thongs in a twist, anyway?
The goal of the anti-feminists who perpetrated the campaign against her was to silence Anita Sarkeesian through online harassment so vicious and threatening that it is actually nauseating to read about. Instead of achieving their goal, however, they inadvertently assisted her in her goal of funding the video series. With great courage and determination, Sarkeesian not only continued to promote her project but she actually used the online campaign of terror against her as a case in point supporting the need for exactly the series her kickstarter was attempting to fund.
The Fighting F#@k Toy - Video #2 The Sexy Sidekick - Video #3
The Sexy Villainess - Video #4
Background Decoration - Video #5
Voodoo Priestess/Tribal Sorceress - Video #6
Women as Reward - Video #7
Mrs. Male Character - Video #8
Unattractive Equals Evil - Video #9
Man with Boobs - Video #10
Positive Female Characters! - Video #11
Top 10 Most Common Defenses of Sexism in Games - Video #12
In addition to what looks to be a fantastic series of videos about this issue, Sarkeesian is developing materials for a classroom curriculum kit to help educate a future generation of gamers and internet media participants. As she pointed out in her TED+Women talk, "video games are the fastest growing form of mass media today". This is a huge communication tool, with enormous power to influence and shape our culture. As a society, we can sit back and allow it to more deeply entrench harmful tropes which dehumanize, objectify and exclude women or we can use it to help build a more just and equitable society.
Clearly, a significant, vocal and vicious subset of society wishes to enforce compliance with the first option. But feminists like Anita Sarkeesian and her supporters have fought for and achieved a small step toward ensuring that the second option has a chance to flower.
In short, Anita Sarkkeesian pwned the very people who wanted to force her to shut up and go away.
Well done, Anita Sarkeesian!
Take a few minutes to view the masterfully done video below. It is entertaining, quick-moving, and makes its points clearly and concisely. The video clips from some of my favorite games are fun, too!
Best quote:
"In the game of patriarchy, women are not the opposing team; they are the ball."
I have left my preferred place by the fire to stay with her.
But do you see this? Do you see who is lying beside MY Human?
Yes, that is Artemis. I am on the dresser
(shooting freeze-rays at Artemis out of my supercat eyes).
Do you see what I have to put up with?
Thank gods it's FreyaDay!
"his"? "he"? "him"? Oh, the humanity!
My Best Friend
Each morning I awake, my best friend beside me, his eyes are wide with love, and my heart sores again. As I go through my day, expectations on me, my friend is always near, to soothe my troubled mind. When nighttime descends on us, and the world is through with me, at last I can meditate, and give loving thanks for him. My friend is very special, a truly amazing soul, he's very soft and gentle, for he's my cat, after all!
Hello there! Do you want to read this book? Let's read! I will help you! <sniff rustle sniffsniff rustlerustle> (snort) Hmm. Do you know that there are no pictures in this book? Silly book! I can find you a better book. Sit down right here and I will find you a good book. (scamper scamper scamperscamperscamperscamper)
<rustlerustlerustlescritchscritchscratchthump!> (shhttp! tictic shhhtp! tictic shhhhtp!ticticsshhhhttppp!) Here is a good book! Look! Look! -> This book is the best! Let's read! You'll love it! Let's read! Isn't that just Ducky!
Go Dog Go! (excerpt)
Dog Big dog. Little dog. Big dogs and little dogs. Black and white dogs. "Hello!" "Hello!" "Do you like my hat?" "I do not." "Good-by!" "Good-by!"
For your Tuesday Tonic, some classic remarks about human existence from Bill Hicks (who died on this date in 1994 from pancreatic cancer) and George Carlin, delivered inside one of melodysheep's excellent autotunes.
Lyrics:
Is this real?
Or is this just a ride?
The world is like a ride You think it's real - it's just a ride
And we can change it any time we want
It's only a choice - between fear and love
The ride goes up and down and round and round
It has thrills and chills and it's very brightly colored
Up and down and round and round
And it's very loud
Don't worry, don't be afraid
It's just a ride
And we can change it any time we want
It's only a choice between fear and love
Why are we here?
I think we're part of a greater wisdom
That we won't ever understand
A higher order - call it what you want -
Know what I call it?
The Big Electron. Whoa whoa.
It doesn't punish.
It doesn't reward.
It doesn't judge at all.
It just is.
And so are we...
for a little while.
For your Monday Music break this week, let's go Down Under and listen to Men at Work!
Down Under
Traveling in a fried-out combie
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast
And she said,
"Do you come from a land down under?
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."
Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six-foot-four and full of muscles
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich
And he said,
"I come from a land down under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."
Lyin' in a den in Bombay
With a slack jaw, and not much to say
I said to the man, "Are you trying to tempt me
Because I come from the land of plenty?"
And he said,
"Do you come from a land down under?
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."
Yeah!
Living in a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover!
Living in a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover!
sleeps with its wicked claws,
and with its unfeeling blood,
sleeps with all the rings--
a series of burnt circles--
which have formed the odd geology
of its sand-colored tail.
I should like to sleep like a cat,
with all the fur of time,
with a tongue rough as flint,
with the dry sex of fire;
and after speaking to no one,
stretch myself over the world,
over roofs and landscapes,
with a passionate desire
to hunt the rats in my dreams.
I have seen how the cat asleep
would undulate, how the night
flowed through it like dark water;
and at times, it was going to fall
or possibly plunge into
the bare deserted snowdrifts.
Sometimes it grew so much in sleep
like a tiger's great-grandfather,
and would leap in the darkness over
rooftops, clouds and volcanoes.
Sleep, sleep cat of the night,
with episcopal ceremony
and your stone-carved moustache.
Take care of all our dreams;
control the obscurity
of our slumbering prowess
with your relentless heart
and the great ruff of your tail.
There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being,
evolved.
There has been an effort to have February 12 officially declared "Darwin Day" in honor of Charles Darwin who was born on this date in 1809. The famous naturalist is the author of The Origin of Species (full title: On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection) his seminal work which first introduced the public to the theory of Evolution.
A simple demonstration of natural selection.
"As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected. From the strong principle of inheritance, any selected variety will tend to propagate its new and modified form." Charles Darwin
To mark Charles Darwin's 204th birthday, here is a BBC Horrible History performed by (an actor portraying) the man himself! As if this awesome video about an awesome man and an awesome subject is not enough of a treat, you get an extra bonus: the entire thing is set to the tune of David Bowie's awesome song, Changes!
Yes, I am in the exact same place where I was last week.
Is this a problem?
Did you not get the memo that we have moved to Minnesota? In the winter?
Humans perplex me.
It is cold outside. It is warm inside by the fire. I am dozing by the warm fire.
It all makes perfect sense.
The twins are off somewhere doing whatever it is that foolish kittens do.
My Human is busy scribbling away. (She is the perfect companion.)
And I am sensibly comfortable. Now go away, do human things and enjoy your day!
Thank gods it's FreyaDay!
Cats Sleep Anywhere
Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair.
Top of piano, window-ledge, in the middle, on the edge.
Open draw, empty shoe, anybody's lap will do. -->
Fitted in a cardboard box, in the cupboard with your frocks.
Anywhere! They don't care! Cats sleep anywhere.
This week, the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada are bracing for a snowstorm projected by some news sources to be "historic" in snowfall and disruption. While nor'easterners are battening down the hatches and preparing for the coming excitement, The Weather Channel and its affiliates NBC and Weather Underground have gleefully "named" the storm Nemo, and have wallpapered the internet and TWC with hysterical "reports" about the possible magnitude of the storm. This naming of winter storms is an effort to equate (in the public psyche) regular winter events with massive, life-threatening but far less regular occurrences such as tropical cyclones. So, let's talk about that.
The northeast has endured wicked winter storms for centuries.
The people really do know what to do and how to handle themselves.
Winter storms are a pain. They also have the potential to cause life-threatening conditions, but nearly always of the sort that can be avoided by sensible people preparing for normal winter events. Slippery roadways and cold, while potentially deadly, are nearly always avoidable or manageable - unlike 120mph hurricane winds taking the roof off your only shelter or massive flooding caused by a cyclone which inundates every shelter for miles. Except in rare circumstances, winter storms are just a costly nuisance. That is the reason why very little is being made of the possible aftermath of "Nemo" - because the truth is that it will cause a lot of headaches for a couple of days and then nearly everyone will get back to normal life.
In this age of easily roused rabbles and the 24-hour panic-of-the-week news cycle, it is a refreshing change to come across an elected official who behaves like an adult, calmly assessing the situation and then sensibly describing the reality instead of throwing out hyperbolic statements to score political points. Upon learning that a similar storm was bearing down on his city a few weeks ago, Mayor Dennis O'Keefe of St. John's advised the citizens to be prepared for a lot of snow and possible power outages, stay off the roads and try to enjoy the unexpected day at home.
Mayor O'Keefe: leading by example
“Enjoy the day and get ready for the clean up. Don’t panic, don’t sweat it. The power will come back.”
Mayor Dennis O'Keefe
Solid advice. Most valuable, however, was the Mayor's calm demeanor. You've been through this a hundred times, he seemed to say. You know how it goes. There is nothing to be gained from scurrying around in a panic. There will be plenty to do later. Get ready, then relax and rest up for the work to come. That night, the storm came and the storm raged and there was, indeed, a "heavy snowfall". Nearly two feet fell over most of Mayor O'Keefe's city. The wind howled - blowing heavy wet snow in front of it. The power did go out in a lot of places, but people were mostly prepared.
People hunkered down, lit candles, fired up the grill and made hot beverages. They joked with their neighbors, embraced the unexpected long weekend, griped about losing power or rejoiced about power restored. Facebook friends offered to deliver hot food and drinks to friends without power, and everyone kept tabs on everyone else in case help was needed. People settled down for a long winter's night. As they have done for years.
And in the morning, the clean up began. The power did come back - not as quickly as some people would have liked, understandably - but it did come back thanks to the efforts of linemen and power crews who braved the elements to repair lines thrown down by the gale force winds. Neighbours and friends worked together again to shovel driveways and dig out cars and clear a pathway to the front door.
"Nemo" may dump up to two feet of snow on parts of New England before it finally pushes off to the north Atlantic. But, like Newfoundlanders, northeasterners are used to winter storms. They know what to do!
Whipping people into a frenzy with hyperbolic projections of "historic" storms is really not helpful for anyone but those who stand to benefit from increased viewer ratings (ahem, NBC). The northeast has endured wicked winter storms for centuries. The people really do know what to do and how to handle themselves. The damage and the scope of the coming storm may indeed be greater than most storms in the past, but not so much greater that it should be used to pad TV ratings, stoke the panic machinery and drive storm-related purchases. The stuff you did to prepare for the regular old snowstorms before the naming nonsense began in 2012 is still the stuff you will always need.
It's probably going to be a blizzard. Judge yourselves accordingly. Stay informed and stay prepared, but don't let the panic-mongering of modern commerce rattle you. You know what to do. Do it.
Preparedness tips from Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency here.
According to this article, diver Keller Laros was taking a group out for a night dive to swim with the manta rays when a lone dolphin appeared and seemed to be asking for help. Mr. Laros, an experienced diver with over 10,000 dives to his credit, quickly spotted a fishing hook imbedded in the animal's pectoral fin. While the dolphin bobbed patiently next to him, Mr. Laros was able to remove the hook from the fin and then used his diving tools to cut the animal free from the attached fishing line in which it had become entangled.
Because the diver regularly takes groups out for these dives, he often has a professional photographer along to record the experience for the group. On this occasion, videographer Martina Wing managed to capture the whole amazing encounter on film.
Above is a version of the encounter that Mr. Laros has posted with captions explaining what is happening. For the full eight minutes of raw video of the event (with captions, too), look here.
For your Monday Music fix: a thought-provoking song and a really cool video!
You're going to love this. Watch it all the way through - in full-screen if possible.
Four and a half near-perfect minutes: Enjoy!
( Nifty PSA: "Nous sommes" = "we are" (en français))
New Sum (Nous Sommes)
oh see the great citizens
with all their white sticks tapping brick
they can't see the wire strung in between them
and all that young scum reeling
but oh you do your blinded best
with all these arrows through your chest
feel em forcing through and they're forcing you
to follow through to where they want you
was it a trick of light? shook my head from side to side,
i seen a million lines, the finest thread strung spine to spine
animals run on the sidewalks
animals run in the national parks
and all the bankers and all the beggars and all the bears are brothers.
is it a trick of light? i shake my head from side to side
we rub our eyes and shake our fists at the passersby
we scare the kids but mama it's all for the best
what is the new sum, us tied up? with no thumbs?
is it a noose hung? and us tied up? with no thumbs?
yeah but in the new sum you gotta count us, we see the lines run
we see the lines run, can you see them? can you see them?
can you see them?
The Unicorn Song 
