down under term

The Lisleman Institute for Better Posting brings you an Australian term you probably never heard.

I first thought of down under back when I was a teen. Not that I think of Australia very often but send me tickets and I’ll go. Back then I bought a bush hat and thought it was so cool that one side of the brim could be turned up. I was just checking wikipedia and the reason for this feature on the bush or slouch hat is to allow the rifle to be slung over the shoulder. I didn't know that. I don’t recall how I lost the hat but I’m sure it was NOT from being chased by a joey. The only joey I’ve ever seen was at the zoo. 

By Original uploader was Kommando at en.wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Thryduulf using CommonsHelper., Public Domain,

If you search images for "down under joey pics" you'll get many pictures of cyclists holding a joey. At the race finish I assume. I don't know why. Maybe they race joeys.

But hold on - those above terms were not the new one I found. You probably knew about joeys since they are so cute - right?

The down under term for today is:

Hairy Panic

This year it is actually fast growing hairy panic. Now, over hearing a conversation about "hairy panic" would be great first off. I would suspect they were talking about, ear hair, nose hair, maybe wild eyebrows (I occasionally have all those issues). My guess would depend on the age and gender of the speakers. Planning a trip to the beach can bring on a hairy panic, I guess.

This hairy panic is a weed. Check out this person's front porch filled with hairy panic. My advice would be don't go out on the porch to have a smoke.

Do you think you could book a hairy panic tour?

serious hope

A Chicago Tribune columnist, Mary Schmich, wrote in Sunday’s newspaper:

“Targeted mass violence — bombs at a marathon — is more frightening than any other kind of violence.”

Boston bombing, ricin letters, Chicago shootings, Canadian train plot, and the list can go on for much too long. These tragedies not only frighten but harden your view of mankind. Is mankind kind?

I struggle at times like this to hold on to the idea that the vast majority of the world’s population are good, decent, and would rather help than hurt. Even in the chaos of violence you can find the accidental hero rescuing and helping. (remember the 1992 movie “Hero”) The common person who becomes courageous without realizing it as they run toward danger to help strangers in need.

If you can clear yourself of the fear and anger generated by these senseless horrors, you can still find people helping people around the world. Some dedicate their whole lives to charities. Some leave their careers and begin second ones as volunteers. Over the years I’ve done a little volunteer work and donated money to many causes. One of my favorites is Habitat for Humanity.

All this goodness convinces me we have a bright future. I have serious hope for the world improving. I suspect we will have more tragedies. I hope they become few and far between.

Here in Chicagoland two brothers displayed a courageous example of caring for fellow strangers. Ken and Dan were driving home from their restaurant when a horrible expressway accident exploded in front of them. It involved a semi-truck, two cars and large flames. The two brothers managed to pull three people from the burning wreckage. You can read the story and watch a video here.

These caring people didn’t wake up that day and decide to be a hero. They reacted to the situation by helping. I guess adrenaline helps too.

My blog visiting today had two posts by bloggers that I don’t think know each other. Hopefully, they will get connected better now. One, Peggy, living in Australia informed me that Thursday, April 25 is Pay It Forward Day. A wonderful idea for making our world better. The second, Laurie, wrote about the poor children she helps everyday in Honduras.
 
Could it be that there are many bridges over troubled water throughout the world?

I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

the end is nigh

(Warning: The post you are about to read contains Lisleman’s fact and fiction. It only takes a quick spin on my office chair to start my inner ear spinning. Think about it. If my skill of wild speculation was any good I would be rich, famous, and too busy to post here so often.) 

Nigh.  When is the last time you used that word?  It just sounds right with the words "the end is".

If you ate too much at Thanksgiving or at that last holiday party your end might be near most everything around it. But I’m not talking about butts. No the end that some people talk about being near is the end of the world. (watch for a spike in REM song “It’s the end of the world as we know it” plays)

There was that day I thought I was Superman.  I was inspired to make a video clip about it.



“...Yes it’s Superman, strange visitor who came from another planet with …”

Ha!  We often forget Superman was an alien. (well not that you are thinking of Superman very often)

“What’s wrong dear?
Oh nothing, I was just thinking of Superman being an alien.”

(a conversation that never took place in my house. My wife never calls me “dear”.)

Well back to my point. It’s more a smudge than a point really. What is your favorite ending? Do you think the end will be an alien invasion?

- or -

A collision with the mystery planet Nibiru

- or -
A zombie uprising
- or -
A supernova blast
- or -
The Brazilian Butt Lifts going viral across the world (their ends do look great)

Even the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard has gotten into warning us.  (her hair reminds me of Gillian Anderson. "The truth is out there")

 
If you believe scientists like I do there is nothing to fear between now and say the 2013 tax day. Nobody is going to pull the plug before tax day. Our government needs that money. Take a listen to this public service announcement from NASA. (more NASA facts and Q&A)

(these crazy ideas have been brought to you today by the crazy people on internet - thanks)



another circus 

Holiday piping

Down under in the land of Oz there’s a blogger named Lilly. I know some of you visit her blog because I’ve noticed comments from you there. Her recent post sent a brief thought (deep thinking it’s not) across my skull.

Only a scrooge would hate Christmas music right? Well alright, a poor clerk subjected to it through long hours of harassing cheery shoppers can be justifiably excused.

If you have not read Lilly’s post about Christmas music check it out. (oh hint, think bing)

While I’m in a holiday spirit, enjoy these stocking stuffers (not the same as stuff a sock in it right?)

Have you read Santa’s privacy policy? I could not find the 'opt-out' claus in it.

Just not the same since Santa became an app. Hey my smartphone believes in Santa!

In the long tradition of youtube holiday clips please enjoy the following from me to youtube.


 
My parody of a mind just can’t stop changing lyrics.

Silver bells, silver bells 
It's Christmas time in the mall 
Ring-a-ling, hear them scream 
Soon Santa will be deaf in one ear

Don’t over spike your egg-nog and get lite-up like a Christmas tree.

One more inappropriate lame joke. 

She was up all Christmas eve because she was a Ho Ho Ho.

gather around I’ll tell you a story

Comfortable?

No, I don’t want you comfortable you’ll likely fall asleep. Try this idea, let’s pretend Brad Pitt is telling this like he did in that Chanel #5 commercial. Or if you’re not persuaded by Brad, try Natalie Tran, an Aussie youtube wonder. Don’t have a clue what I’m talking about - good. Check Lilly’s blog for details.

A little blogging story -

Blogging is fun - sharing - exploring - and you don't even need all that clown makeup or a shave. I've had so much fun that I've created a few more blogs. It gets hard to water all the blogs in the house so those other ones are very secondary. Dark alleys ghost towns of little feedback.

I’ve been scratching and blogging for many years now. I don’t know how I could get on without either. Sure a good lotion probably would solve the first habit. But blogging? I've discovered many interesting people from around the world and learned a thing or two about something or other (like how to be vague).

I didn’t know what to expect from blogging. Blogging is full of surprises like the movie, Forrest Gump. And like Forrest, some bloggers just stop in the middle of the road and quit. I’m not ready to quit but I thought Lilly did back in 2010 (more info here if you like).

Still awake? Good, you might have noticed I’ve mentioned Lilly twice. Two reasons for that:

1- She writes a great blog and has inspired me with ideas in the past.
2- I won a giveaway she offered recently. I received the latest CD by Margo Rey. see Margo's website

Margo's pic with the album

So thanks Lilly and thanks readers because without you my blogging would be too much like my scratching.





another circus 

love expressions

This post had a convoluted path in getting here on my blog.

It’s the combination of reading another blog, recalling a memory, noticing a popular news story, and listening to a radio show. What connects these odd stories is their expression of love.

I’ll play this back in reverse order because I want to save my memory for last.

This first expression of love involves a man and his horse along with a good amount of alcohol consumption. A shirtless man riding on a horse does sound sorta romantic, but it takes more than losing your shirt and getting on a horse.

On the recent “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” show I heard about this love struck horseman who struck. Here’s a piece from the story:

“....when her drunken suitor – stripped to the waist – galloped up her garden path and smashed his way through the front door like a battering ram.”

Next up is photo that has gone viral on the internet. It now has be given the title:

“Vancouver Kiss”

The story behind the picture is a good one. The couple got caught in the riots. She was knocked down. He came to her aid to comfort and calm her down. Apparently kissing ensued. It would be great if all rioting ended like that.

He is an aussie and now is receiving a bit of fame for it all. Here’s a quote from his mum:

"...that's our boy. He has always lived in his own world, he's special like that. He doesn’t always connect with what going on around him...”

Lastly, I read this post on The Goat blog about putting handprints on a closet wall.

Her post immediately reminded me of our room painting story.

A few years ago we painted our daughter’s room. It’s been paint a few times with various colors and she had painted cartoon figures on the wall once.

Do you always paint the closets? We don’t. But this time we were painting the closet too. As I got into the closet I discovered some writing on the inside wall. 

An historical record of young love left on a wall.

Our daughter had taken a marker to the wall and expressed her love for Matt. She dated the writing. Then about 3 months later she expressed her love for Tony and wrote that she loves Tony much more than Matt. Of course we could not paint over her love expressions. Her love is still expressed there today.

Now in her 30’s she is married to Jim. Matt, Tony, and a few others just didn’t make the cut in the end.

Seriously nobody gets out alive

Death - do we discuss it much?

Depends on the situation.

Discussing living is usually more enjoyable, but death comes around and reminds us it’s still there.  If I think about what I just wrote, I conclude that I’m just stating the obvious.  I feel obliged to ease into this subject, but death itself is not so obliged to come on a slow easy track.

Lighten up - I’m OK and so is my family.  A close friend of my mother-in-laws recently passed away and maybe that brought up the subject in my mind.

But today, I found another death related story that shows the wrong thinking about death IMHO.

Catholic Church bans footy theme songs at funerals

(footy theme songs - unless you’re an Aussie you probably need a translation - football/soccer team songs)

This headline and story comes from Perth Australia.  Now it makes no difference to me since neither I nor my family plan any funerals over there.  But if this dumb restriction spreads through the church it may ruin my plans for my funeral theme song.  What doesn’t everyone have a funeral theme song?

C’mon, where’s the “fun” in “funeral” if you don’t have a little music?

Actually my funeral theme song is not related to any sports.  I just like the song and think the lyrics are very appropriate.  It’s “Spirit in the Sky “ by Norman Greenbaum.  If you don’t recall it (or you’re too young) I’ve included a youtube clip below.

What song would like to be played at your funeral?

The Aussie story list the top requested songs.  I’ll just list a few notable ones.

• My Way, Frank Sinatra
• Unforgettable, Nat King Cole
• Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland
• Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin
• Another One Bites the Dust, Queen
• Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, The Wizard of Oz

(the last one just cracks me up)

Don’t you think your funeral should be a celebration of your life.  I enjoy music so celebrate with some music.  I enjoy jokes but bringing in a stand-up comedian might be too expensive.  But hey, if you can get a good one to stop by for free - go for it.

I love humor which is why "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" is a favorite radio show (yes I listen to a radio show).  It was that show that alerted me to the funeral music story and the following story.  

Barbarba Sue Manire is a great example of offering humor even after you have expired.

That parking meter flag is up on her tombstone and it reads EXPIRED.  Her family honored her wish of having an expired parking meter on her grave.  I do believe "her humor lives on".  Here's a bit about her story (also a few more pics of it).

the birds and the bees - advance lesson

( warning - this post has some scientific terms related to sex - you might get excited)

Jillsy Girl has a blog game/offering that has the prompt of "Blossom". The following post has been refurbished for her game (see the blog hop at the bottom). One more update note - it so happens that a gift of orchids prompted Jillsy Girl into using "Blossom". Strange coincidence.

~~~~~

OK - I want to share some knowledge that this old man could have used about 40 years ago. It's not exactly birds and bees but more flowers and bees. Specifically, orchids, sexual deception, sex crazed males, and perfume.

My lesson in this started with reading a National Geographic article called Love & Lies. I've been able to read much more now than at any period in my life.

A couple of lines from the article that I found indicative of a problem males of many species probably share:
"....insects so foolhardy as to spend their time mating with nature's version of the inflatable love doll."
"On balance, having sex with anything that moves yields more offspring, even if it also leads to occasional romantic disaster."

This last line reminds me of my youth and first wife (offsprings fine, ex not so). (Oh BTW - I've never touch an inflatable doll - not that you care)

What all males could learn from this article is that we are subject to being blinded by sexual desire and often do stupid things because of it. Ok, that's not a new discovery for most adults.

But did you know that orchids (as in a flower) practice sexual deception very well.



So I learned there's a male Aussie wasp that gets duped by the exciting promising smell given off by the Australian tongue orchid. The stud wasp smells what he thinks is a sexy female and jumps in only to waste his time and sperm on the flower. The orchid drops some pollen on the confused wasp.

In this particular insect species the female can reproduce with or without sperm from a male. If this starts happening with humans, then guys are screwed just decorations.

If you have the time, go over and read the NGM article. It's very interesting.

Stupid me, I once thought the perfume business basis was women wanting to just smell nice. 




Slightly related news - Cougar Cruise targets the older woman If they don't already, they should provide plenty of orchids on-board for the cougars.

Well excuse me now - I need to smell the orchids.