Random Flickr Blogging Returns!

365 Days Project - Day 70 - Stress Relief, originally uploaded by Irina Souiki.

For those who read my last post and are angry with me, I'm sorry.

RFB explained here. Othe rcontributors can be found here.

One Sick Story After Another

Why do I do this to myself? Otherwise known as, the stupid, it burns. What the heck is wrong with people? Jeering at disabled veterans, accusing them of scaring children and thinking that just because you paid money your recreation time is more important than the rehabilitation time that soldiers need to regain some semblance of their lives? These women should be "named and shamed". Then they should be ostracized, just like they are trying to do to these unfortunate veterans.

And if the children are scared, maybe it will be an incentive for them not to go to war in the future.

Arrests for sex crimes are falling and have been for many years. Quite a few reasons are postulated, without ever mentioning the most logical one. Rape hasn't disappeared, too many high profile cases were more about the victim than the criminal and so women stopped reporting it. Since only children are innocent victims...

Our "friends" in Saudi Arabia handles their cases even more barbarically. The victim is punished along with the perpetrators. And if she protests, her sentence is increased and then she mysteriously confesses to committing adultery in the moments immediately before the rape. Convenient, but this is from a country that believes that a girl raped in her own home has brought dishonor to the family. Doesn't matter how old or young, whether strange men broke into the house, she is still at fault. Even when she's covered head to toe in concealing robes, she must have done something to lead them on.

The high cost of health care. I wanted to be a doctor at the age of three. I was hit by a car and this nice doctor sewed me up. When he walked into the room, everything got calm and I remember thinking "I want to do that". As I got older that dream never died. My dad refused to pay for my schooling because I actually wanted to help people, not just get rich. I have nothing against being rich, but I believe that a good doctor is one that cares about his patients more than he does his business. Because that is what medicine has become. A business. And like every business, everyone wants their cut. Even companies who literally do nothing but push paper. Lots of it and then they do their best to keep the lion's share for themselves. Heaven forbid that someone would want to get well.

This crap is just depressing. I'm going to go take the dogs to get their shots.

You Know It's Bad

IMG_2571.JPG, originally uploaded by photo hound.

When even Fidel's illegitimate son Fido, in full battle regalia, feels the need to demonstrate against another stupid war.



Random Flickr Blogging is played here.

Torn Between Two Lovers

IMG_4063.JPG, originally uploaded by dmbernasconi.

Holy Joe demonstrates his political grandstanding even when on vacation. The odds of a sharp stick in the eye look pretty good, don't they?

Random Flickr blogging explained..

Random Flickr Blogging 1237

IMG_1237, originally uploaded by tony swales.

After the decline of the railway industry, the little engine that could moved to Germany to live out its life making little children happy. Unfortunately, the new paint job and face lift made it look stunned rather than happy.

Random Flickr Blogging explained here.

How Roman Of Us

Last year PSoTD posed the question "what does Labor Day mean to you?' I missed that one and haven't a clue as to how to answer this year's, so I thought I'd combine Random Flickr Blogging with my feelings on the subject.

IMG_4159, originally uploaded by skiltondennis.

Labor Day has become one more of an endless and worse than that, meaningless, string of holidays trivialized to evoke artificial happiness but in reality designed to market wares that people can't afford and don't need, at a so-called discounted price.

When I was a little girl, the holidays had individual atmospheres, they all looked, felt and smelled different. The great part was you occasionally got a day off on odd days of the week, which was a big thing to a kid. It broke up the monotony of school, sort of like a snow day. Then they combined Lincoln's birthday with Washington's and it became President's Day, occurring only on Mondays, no matter what the real birthdays were. Now everyone that wasn't a boss could have an occasional three day weekend. Wasn't that thoughtful? It also meant that everyone was now competing for for the same vacation spaces at the same time. At that point all the holidays started to run together into one big yearlong shopping extravaganza.

We start with January, a month that was barren until it got its token holiday a few years ago. February has the delicious shopping whammy of Valentines Day ($ and guilt), closely followed by President's Day. They can hardly switch the ads fast enough, six o'clock on Valentines Day and now you're looking at the linens on sale instead of diamonds. March has St. Patrick's Day with Easter making an occasional appearance. April starts with Othe Fool's Day, which technically doesn't count. Yet. It's getting bigger every year.

Advertisers would prefer it if Easter showed up about the second week of April because depending on a holiday that is based on the first full moon after the vernal equinox, has a little too much variance and the distance to Mother's Day in May can be almost two months. That's a long time in the advertising world. Now, I'm rather fond of May since it contains my birthday, but that is the weekend that all the prices for everything from vacations to movies increases in price. No discounts for me.

Memorial Day kicks off the summer with the first big barbecue, not that anyone remembers why, but you can wear white shoes without Miss Manners getting upset. Flag Day used to be a big thing before it was discarded in favor of the shopping highest day for collect calls opportunity called Father's Day. But it's okay because they get to wave the flag a few weeks later on July 4. Independence Day is one of the big three, it gets celebrated on its day. Like it was Christmas or New Year's except there aren't as many parades and you get hot dogs.

August has no individual holidays, it's considered the vacation month, but that would have changed if it had been August 11 instead of September 11. A new national holiday would have been created because they had the space. Have no fear they are able to market the back-to-school sales without a disguise. It used to be just clothes and supplies but now it includes expensive electronics and new cars. Plus as a bonus, they start with the not so subtle pre-Christmas sales such as artificial white trees with orange and black decorations.

Oh my, it's Labor Day. The holiday that is supposed to celebrate the "common" workers and all they have done to make this country great. Well, since the majority of the people don't "labor" and even after watching the recent coal mine tragedies they still don't comprehend the work that goes into keeping this country on its feet. It has become the excuse for the end of the summer party and the last official day for those white shoes. And nothing else. Labor is for those who get dirt under their nails and if they know their place, they aren't seen in town.

It's a long time until the next holiday which isn't all that big, imagine what could happen if Ramadan and Rosh Hashana counted. Oh, the opportunities they are missing. Instead they have to wait for six weeks until the kids celebrate Columbus Day, a fake holiday if there ever was one. Meanwhile, the adults rev up for Halloween. It used to be a kid's holiday, but now it is more of an excuse for adults to run around in costumes all day long since it isn't safe for kids to go trick-or-treating and nobody gets home at five anyways.

On to the buffet, otherwise known as Thanksgiving. Yes, I know that Veteran's Day is in between, but it doesn't mean as much as it used to, it's just an excuse for banks and school kids to play hooky. Besides those veterans are dying off and since they don't have any money to spend it isn't really a holiday anymore. Support those troops. Back to Thanksgiving, where families get together and stuff themselves with rarely the slightest thought as to how precious that food would have been to the original settlers.

Finally! It's the last big push towards Christmas. Shop till you drop. Diamonds, toys and car commercials everywhere you turn. Everyone you know must receive a gift, Santa says so. Never mind that it used to be a religious/pagan holiday, now it's the holiday that determines the retailers whole year.

Only seven more days, which now include a new holiday called Kwanzaa, until the last/first holiday of the year. Guess what? There are still the end-of-the-year sales before you start drinking champagne. Everything that hasn't sold needs to go because they don't want to count it for tax purposes and they want to downsize all the extra help they brought in for the shopping season.

Just like the guy who used to operate the equipment above.

Random Flickr Blogging is a project of If I Ran The Zoo.

Crossposted at 3Bs.

Reactions To Gonzales Resignation

IMG_2918, originally uploaded by SabriniC.

Spread quickly throughout the blogosphere.

IMG_2918.JPG, originally uploaded by mk545.

As expected, reactions were mixed. Some happy.

IMG_2918, originally uploaded by tollady.

Some sad.

IMG_2918, originally uploaded by mark comstock jr.

But most felt that a celebration was in order.

IMG_2918, originally uploaded by jcassidy.

The news that Michael Chertoff might replace Gonzales was met with ...dismay.

IMG_2918, originally uploaded by lauraludo.

Today's timely entries in the Random Flickr Blogging project.

Random Flickr Blogging 1844

IMG_1844, originally uploaded by bakaichick.

Berry, berry good.

Random Flickr Blogging explained.

Random Flickr Blogging 1922

IMG_1922, originally uploaded by datkat.

Tired of crowded airports, anxious children and obnoxious flight attendants? Are you worried that your pilot may had more to drink than you? The new Short-Range Hydrogen Individualized Transport Service has you in mind. You control everything, from the time you leave to how high and how far you go. Enjoy the peace and quiet as you travel to your destination with the brilliant panorama of nature floating beneath you.

Individual landings may vary in speed and intensity.

Random Flickr blogging explained.

The Tape Never Lies

IMG_3588.JPG, originally uploaded by mcclarinj.

It isn't your imagination Frank, you are getting bigger.


Today's entry into the Random Fllickr Blogging project.

Random Flickr Blogging IMG_2991

IMG_2991, originally uploaded by Johnny Gun.

The White House Press intern picks out the talking points.


Random Flickr Blogging explained.

Hold On To Your Hats

IMG_6327, originally uploaded by Toms World.

The opening performance of The Full Monty: The College Years, wasn't going as well the director had hoped since some of the performers didn't understand the definition of full and didn't look comfortable playing their parts. The red and white thongs were a nice touch, don't you think?

Anther random entry in the Random Flickr Blogging project from those fine people at If I Ran the Zoo

Random Flickr Blogging 5788

IMG_5788, originally uploaded by Em Darling.

The worms crawl in and the worms crawl out, but the caterpillar steadily munches (up to 27,000 times its body weight) on its way towards beauty.




Another random entry in the Random Flickr Blogging project.

Random Flickr Blogging 1515

IMG_1515, originally uploaded by peelwheel.

One of my favorite sayings and the one most Americans forget. RFB reminds me of the shuffle function on the Ipod, not all that random.


Another entry into the Random Flickr Blogging Meme.

Random Flickr Blogging 3655

Okay, here's the plan.
Cinnamon, Rollin, and this week's red-shirt, martial arts guy, are going to capture Eric (crazier than a loon) Chen directly after his false victory speech and before he meets up with Maxi-Me. Willy will get him out of town using unconventional means and another threat to the security of this nation will be averted. What do you think?

Jim, what the heck did they put in your bottle? You don't expect me to believe you thought all that up yourself. That sounds like an old tv show, are you going to have music too?

Another entrant in the Random Flickr Blogging project.

Links, in order of appearance. Jim, Cinnamon, Rollin, martial arts guy, Eric Chen, Willy and the supposedly impartial observer.

Random Flickr Blogging

The sand wizard focuses on creating a sand storm

IMG_3318, originally uploaded by cifu.

As the army of stones gathers beneath their leader,
,
originally uploaded by Martin Thomas,

preparing for the final assault on the soft beach people.

Random Flickr Blogging started over here.

Random Flickr Blogging

IMG_4374, originally uploaded by randytownley.

Take them off! I don't need rose colored glasses, Besides, they are too big and they don't match my outfit.


RFB explained here.

Revisiting The Past

IMG_5900, originally uploaded by vmh.

Wow! Doesn't she look great? One of my first entries in the Random Flickr Blogging meme was an older version of the Atomium, before it was refurbished.

This looks nice and modern, very lovely and futuristic. What were the odds of bumping into it again> Randomness is highly overrated.

A big thanks to Tom for starting this weekly project.

Do I Have To Stamp My Foot Too?

IMG_5633.JPG, originally uploaded by EMalakoff.

The revolt started quietly. Tired of wearing the same outfit every year for the Christmas party, Scarlet, Ivy and Iris listened as Daisy stood her ground. "I'm tired of being dressed like a lemon! Just because our dads want to run around dressed like fruit, doesn't mean we want to be dressed like matching leaves. We're not going to be made fun of any more. We're not!"


Random Flickr Blogging explained.

Random Flickr Blogging

IMG_6236.JPG, originally uploaded by tomglennie.

I'm not a donut, quit dipping me! What's with the death grip? This isn't the kind of water I remember and what is that thing hanging in the front? I wanna go home. Waah!


Random Flickr Blogging explained here.