Would you believe this?!

Stranger than fiction -- Today's post gathers a number of links sent by my regular contributors, "betmo" and Jon.

Birds descended from dinosaurs -- Popular Science: "Scientists find a missing link*" (1/20/09) "A new fossil sheds light on the evolution of feathers and a rare group of dinosaurs."

See it to believe it -- BBC News: "'Spookfish' has mirrors for for eyes*" (1/7/09)

Hard to believe -- Yahoo! News: "Fishermen saved off Australia after 25 days at sea# - (1/20/09)

Who would believe that honey bees could be threatened? McClatchy: "Beekeepers worry about water*" (1/8/09). If there is not enough water for the almond growers, then pollination could be threatened. One-third of all U.S. bee colonies have already been lost due to Colony Collapse Disorder.

I thought I had heard everything -- MSNBC: "Sand thieves stealing Caribbean beaches#" (10/27/08) To quote:

Sand stolen across Caribbean for construction. 'We will lose our beaches' unless crime is taken seriously, one official says.

My favorite animals are forever surprising me -- MSNBC: "African elephants equate roads to poachers#" (10/27/80) To quote:

New roads across Central Africa are forcing endangered forest elephants into smaller and smaller habitat areas, a study released Monday found. It's not vehicles that are a danger, instead the intelligent animals seem to know that the roads bring poachers.

This is very hard to believe -- The Poor Mouth: "Banjos in brain surgery*" (10/13/08). Our friend, Dan'l, joked, "Talk about fiddling while Rome burns!" To quote the story:

According to the BBC a musician undergoing brain surgery to treat a hand tremor played his banjo throughout to test the success of the procedure.

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

Technorati tags: news oddities science

Good to Look At

People -- Family albums are always fun. This one is timely, from Time Magazine: "An Album of Presidents and Their Children#" (1/12/09).

This fascinating tale is full of irony. Snopes.com: "Pink Lady*" (11/6/06). This is the true story of an urban legend, "the infamous Pink Lady, a 60-foot tall drawing of a naked woman which mysteriously appeared overnight on a sheer rock cliff above a tunnel on Malibu Canyon Road. . . in October 1966." It was painted by a woman named Lynne Seemayer, a 31- year-old secretary. Read the rest of the saga, it is just amazing.

Places astronomical --

Sort of like us, astronomy adds another piece to the mystery of, "are we alone? This is from McClatchy: "Evidence found of solar system around nearby star*" (10/27/08) Space - the final frontier. To quote:

For the first time, astronomers think that they've found evidence of an alien solar system around a star close enough to Earth to be visible to the naked eye.
They say that at least one and probably three or more planets are orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani, 10.5 light-years — about 63 trillion miles — from Earth. Only eight stars are closer.

The host star, slightly smaller and cooler than our sun, is in the constellation Eridanus — the name of a mythological river — near Orion in the northern sky.

• Cozy Shack: "There Has To Be An Invisible Sun*" (10/14/08).
• Uncommon Sense: "Enceladus*," One of Saturn's icy moons.
• CNN: "NASA Captures Stunning Pictures of Earth#" (12/28/08)
  

Things --These are very strange critters seen at National Geographic*, " Photos: Alien-like squid seen at deep drilling site." Strangely, this squid has "elbows."

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

Technorati tags: news human interest stories astronomy

Landing On the Hudson

Landing On the Hudson

The birds had ended the engines' song.
The plane's still flying but not for long.
Not land, but liquid. This place that beckoned,
All cold and swift.

The only lane left, and it's not right.
The path means a turn-around tight.
Here we go. "Brace for impact," Sully said.
Oh no. Cold and swift.

Heads down the riders gave no cry.
Perfect was the line down from the sky.
Thin tail in. Fat nose out. Hold it, hold it.
Blam! Cold and swift.

Are we there yet? Oh, yes, we are.
Heads up. Look around. Landed, 5-star.
Wheels up, the winged boat floated
Downstream, cold and swift.

Window-doors loosed. Out, out. Get out!
Women and children first, came the shout.
All headed forward after trying aft.
Outside. Currents cold and swift.

Wet wings floated just long enough. Not wide.
Slides turned to boats. Sit or stand side by side.
Twice Sully patrolled the bird. Quickly all out.
Water rose inside, cold and swift.

Boats everywhere. Angels gathering souls.
All hands safe. First responders consoled.
It was the Miracle on the Hudson,
So cold and swift. Impossible.

They all said ditching could not be done.
All points in place. White head, plan begun.
Steady hands, he'd trained all his life for this.
Calculations were cold and swift.

It all came together, landing on the city river.
And it worked. Riders in blankets all a-shiver.
Amazing. Grace. It was a song
On the Hudson, cold and swift.


Copyright by Carol Gee
January 23, 2009


Update -- ** Hero's welcome for Hudson pilot **

BBC News (1/25/09): "The pilot who safely landed a jet in New York's Hudson River gets a hero's welcome in his home town in California."

Inauguration events --

(Image: wordle.net)
Inaugural Events Update -- from Emmett S. Beliveau, Executive Director, 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee
To quote:

This will be an inauguration for all Americans, and we have an exciting list of events planned . . . an update about some of the items on the agenda:

Sunday, January 18th -- We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, free, live broadcast on HBO -- At 2:30 p.m. EST, HBO will offer a free nationwide broadcast of the We Are One concert featuring Bono, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend and more. Check your local listings to find out where you can watch the free HBO broadcast.

Monday, January 19th -- Renew America Together: National Day of Service -- The Obama and Biden families will be participating in volunteer service in the Washington, D.C. area, and would like you to take part in your community. Join any one of more than 10,000 service events already scheduled across America, or host your own:
http://www.USAservice.org/calltoservice

Kids' Inaugural: We Are The Future -- After being part of the day of service, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden will host a free Kids' Inaugural concert for the children of military families. Performances by Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Bow Wow and others will be broadcast on the Disney Channel and Disney Radio beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Tuesday, January 20th -- The Neighborhood Ball -- On the night of the Inauguration, the newly sworn-in President and the First Lady will attend the first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. Join the celebration by hosting or attending a Neighborhood Ball in your own community: http://www.pic2009.org/ball

ABC will broadcast the Washington, D.C. Neighborhood Ball, and the Presidential Inaugural Committee will be live blogging from the ballroom.

These are just a few of the events planned in the coming days. Visit www.pic2009.org to find out more. And to make sure you get up-to-the-minute updates about these and other Inaugural events, text OPEN to 56333.

I thank everyone who has committed to volunteering at the Inaugural events, or supported us with a donation. You make all of this possible, and have helped us to organize the most open and accessible inaugural in our nation's history.

We look forward to celebrating with all of you. Thank you, Emmett

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

Technorati tags: inauguration

The End of 2008

You just thought you were through with last year. Today's post is a round-up of some neat links that my regular contributors, "betmo" and Jon. My good friend, Betmo, who writes a blog, Life's Journey, sent me the links marked at the end of the title with a *. And my other good friend, Jon, reads good stuff, sends me links to it, but is not a blogger. His links I mark with a #. It is all hot stuff. Enjoy!
Worsts --
Huffington Post: "Bye-bye 2008: Things I want to Forget#" (12/29/08)
Yahoo! News" "The Worst Predictions About 2008#" (12/29/08)
Newsweek Periscope | Newsweek.com: "The Dignity Index: The Worst of 2008#" (12/27/08)

No "merry, merry" here --
McClatchy: "Commentary: A battle of merry vs. happy*" (12/16/08)
The National Review: "A TNR Holiday: The Grinch Had It Right*" (12/24/08)

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

Technorati tags: news [news and politics 2008

Life goes on.

Life Goes On

Life goes on because hearts still beat
And forces beyond ken are incomplete.
Life goes on when another's life ends.
We can't stop forces we don't comprehend.

We say, "life goes on," and leave unsaid,
"How? I don't know how. It hurts my head."
We know life goes on because we live.
The one who left we must somehow forgive.

Life goes on but never forever.
The truth existential - we're not clever
Enough to avoid the abyss owned by all.
We discover "Life's Meaning" for the shortfall.

We lose ones we love if we live long enough.
We miss them. Finding good days is so tough.
Life goes on however, because that is The Plan.
Moving on is hard, but we all have a Wing Man.


Copyright by Carol Gee
January 12, 2009


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.
Technorati tags: poetry loss writing existential

The Bestest List

The Best Hubble Picture - "Cat's-eye Nebula*" Outstanding work by NASA!

The Top 10 Everything of 2008 - News Stories, Editorial Cartoons, Election Photos, TV Series, etc#. (Time Magazine). Worth exploring. Stories included.

The Best in the Online World - "The 50 Best Websites 2008#" (Time Magazine) To quote:

TIME.com's 2008 picks for the best the Web has to offer

The Best at Bonding - "Troubled Australian Fairy Penguins Protected by Friendly Sheepdogs#" (Huffington Post 1/6/09). To quote:

A colony of fairy penguins on Warrnambool's Middle Island off the south coast of Australia has dwindled dramatically due to attacks by foxes and wild dogs. However, their numbers are rising again thanks to their new bodyguards - two Maremmas, an Italian breed of sheepdog that bonds with the flock or herd of animals it is protecting.

The Best Old First Cat - "US First Cat 'India' Dies*" (The Raw Story 1/5/09) To quote:

The president, Mrs. Bush, Barbara, and Jenna are deeply saddened by the passing of their cat India ("Willie")," press secretary Sally McDonough said in a statement.

"India was a beloved member of the Bush family for almost two decades. She will be greatly missed," she said.

The Best Old Bugatti - "Rare 1937 Bugatti Supercar Found in English Garage#" (Yahoo! News 1/3/09) To quote:

It was the equivalent of finding an old Picasso or an unknown Beatles tape hidden away in your uncle's attic. . . only 17 were ever made, and when it's cleaned up and auctioned in Paris next month, experts believe it will fetch at least 3 million pounds ($4.3 million) and possibly much more.

The Best Nutty Idea - "Scientists find nutty risk reducer: Eat more nuts#." (Yahoo! News 12/8/08) To quote:

Eating a handful of nuts a day for a year — along with a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish — may help undo a collection of risk factors for heart disease.

The Best Things To Do To Be Happy - "Do five simple things a day to stay sane, say scientists#" (Times Online 10/22/08) To quote:

Steps to happiness

Connect
Developing relationships with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours will enrich your life and bring you support

Be active
Sports, hobbies such as gardening or dancing, or just a daily stroll will make you feel good and maintain mobility and fitness

Be curious
Noting the beauty of everyday moments as well as the unusual and reflecting on them helps you to appreciate what matters to you

Learn
Fixing a bike, learning an instrument, cooking – the challenge and satisfaction brings fun and confidence

Give
Helping friends and strangers links your happiness to a wider community and is very rewarding

Hat Tip Key: Regular contributors of links to leads are "betmo*" and Jon#.

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

Technorati tags: news 2008 best

2009 Index - Carol Gee On the Web

Carol Gee - Online Universe -- my Netvibes personalized homepage: a assemblage of all my websites, blogs, and social networks; photo albums, and everything else I enjoy on the web - all in one public place.

Political/news/analysis posts are put up daily at South by Southwest. And these same South by Southwest blog posts are cross-posted most days to these websites:

• The Reaction -- Edited by a Canadian, it is a small but up-and-coming community of progressive political bloggers, who also occasionally write about other things.


• The Sirens Chronicles -- It is an interesting and edgy community of progressive women bloggers, with a few men thrown in. I post in the "Daily Featured" section on Tuesdays, and in other categories most every other day of the week.


• Carol Gee's Blog at TPM Cafe -- Daily posts at the Cafe, which is a smaller, very conversational and thoughtful cohort within Josh Marshall's well known Talking Points Memo blog.

Posts that are more personal and creative, or writing on dreams and dreaming, and occasional space posts are updated several times a week at Making Good Mondays.

Networks to whom I belong include these, which I invite you to join. Posts to these sites are occasional:

• Scrap Paper, is a creative community that is laid back, fun and easy going.


• GoodReads, is a community of readers to which a number of my online friends belong. We share what we have read, or plan to read, and write reviews.


• Political Voices of Women, is a community of women bloggers of all political persuasions.


• Texas Kaos - is Progressive Politics and News, Texas Style, to which I occasionally cross-post from one of my main blogs.

Miscellaneous websites --unusual and interesting

• Red Gage, an experimental website that pays for all kinds of content (photos, blogs, videos, documents and links). Post to blogs here most days
  


• Blogowogo - the people powered blog directory. Readers rate and rank the posts. This site gathers and lists all my posts from South by Southwest, The Reaction and Making Goood Mondays.

Technorati tags: blogs blogging internet writing social networking blogosphere online community politics creativity