Blindfold or No Blindfold?

The Columbian Exchange was a dramatically widespread exchange of animals, plants, culture, human populations (including slaves), communicable disease, and ideas between the Eastern and Western hemispheres (Old World and New World). It was one of the most significant events concerning ecology, agriculture, and culture in all of human history. Christopher Columbus’ first voyage to the Americas in 1492 launched the era of large-scale contact between the Old and the New Worlds that resulted in this ecological revolution, hence the name “Columbian” Exchange. The term was coined by Alfred W. Crosby, a historian, professor and author, in his 1972 book The Columbian Exchange.

Before the Columbian Exchange, there were no oranges in Florida,

for the love of three oranges

 no bananas in Ecuador, no paprika in Hungary,

now "only" $12 per kilo in Australia!

no tomatoes in Italy, no coffee in Colombia, no pineapples in Hawaii,

Ham and pineapple pizza......nom nom nom

no rubber trees in Africa, no cattle in Texas, no donkeys in Mexico,

No comment

 no chili peppers in Thailand and India, no cigarettes in France,

Mild, ultra-mild, regular, menthol, low-tar, lone star

………….. and no chocolate in Switzerland.

 

There's a bear in there, and a chair as well. There are people with games and stories to tell. Open wide, come inside. It's Play School.

Image Sources

Oranges ~ porridgelegs.blogspot; bananas ~ bilbo.economicoutlook.net; pizza ~ centrestatefoods.com.au; donkey’s arse ~whoreallycares; blind seer ~ my.opera.com; toblerone ~ deceptology.com

Nine of Aries

Bizarro Aries 9: A duck brooding over a pond

 

William F. Nolan’s wife tells him he invented the Internet. In Nolan’s 1967 science-fiction novel “Logan’s Run,” a vast computer network called the Thinker controls the world.

“Science-fiction writers do extrapolate. They try to take a trend of today and move it into the future: What would happen if,” the lanky, effervescent 81-year-old said.

Plot twists in his own life — a marriage in need of a tune-up, a professional collaboration that blossomed into a friendship — led the famed and prolific author to move to Vancouver, where he lives in a book-filled one-bedroom apartment.

Nolan has 83 book credits to his name. He’s best known for his work in science fiction, fantasy and horror. In January, he was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Horror Writers Association, and he was voted a Living Legend in Dark Fantasy in 2002 by the International Horror Guild. Still, Nolan bristles at being assigned to any particular genres.

“I have too many irons in the fire, too many interests,” he said. “I don’t believe in limits.”

[Quoted from  interview with Bill Nolan, published 28 Feb 2010, The Columbian]

Things that make you go………

Footprint Fountain, 9/11 Memorial Park, New York

Image Credit: Joe Woolhead

Fort Worth Water Gardens, built in 1974, featured in "Logan's Run"

Image Credit: David Kozlowski

“For me, fantasy must be about something, otherwise it’s foolishness… ultimately it must be about human beings, it must be about the human condition, it must be another look at infinity, it must be another way of seeing the paradox of existence.”

—George Clayton Johnson , co-author Logan’s Run, 1967

The Blueprint of Blame

Image raided from bythegods (blame Loki)

Handy Hints from Olympus

Amor and Psyche

Image Found: Bridge To Better Days

How to Clean Feathers

1. The soap and water method:

Note that you cannot use any soap and not all types of feathers can tolerate certain kinds of cleaning solutions. Usually Woolite and water is recommended. You need this and a bucket, blow dryer, and basin (or tub).

To start, fill the washing basin or tub with warm water. Then, add about a capful or two of Woolite to it. After that, swish the water around with your hand to help agitate it but do so carefully so you do not damage the feathers.

The next step then would be to drain the water basin or tub and rinse it out before filling it with clean, soapless water. Then, reshape the feathers to the way they originally are supposed to look. You can let them air dry while sitting on a towel for best results, or you can blow dry them on a very low (lukewarm or cool) setting.

Pheronome Eros

Image credit: Alpha Designer

2. Gasoline method:

First, gather together gasoline, white flour, and a bucket. Fill the bucket with a small amount of the gasoline and then dip the feathers into it. Rub the feathers in the direction of the tip and not against the natural flow of the hairs, then shake off excess gasoline and let dry.

For white feathers you can make a paste out of gas and flour. This can be rubbed over this strands of “bird fur” from the bottom to the tip. You should keep doing this until each feather is clean, then rinse in the same way you would using the soap and water method, but do NOT use a hair dryer on gasoline!

3. Dry cleaning method:

For this you need corn meal, white flour, powdered Borax, and a bag. Fill the bag with ½ cup flour, 1 cup corn meal, and 3 tbsp Borax. Put the feathers in the bag and close it. Sshake the feathers around in the powder and once each one is clean remove them and shake away the excess cleaning powder.

Final Words

These may not be the only way that you can clean feathers. However, these are some of the more popular ways they can be washed. You could also just try plain cold or warm water as it could rinse off most of the “gunk.” But if they smell you may need the Borax for deodorizing.

Pygar and Barbarella

Image Sourced: Chained and Perfumed

Kozminsky Symbol:

3º Scorpio: Blacksmith striking anvil, the impact causing a dazzling display of bright light.
Denotes one who strives to bring the light of truth into a world of darkness. It is not enough for him gradually to secure acknowledgments- individual minds won over, whilst useful, are not what he most desires. He must arouse the masses from their sleep, and the blow he strikes on inert materialism will bring into action a light more brilliant than the stars. It is a symbol of Penetration.

Thoo-ree-sawz

THURISAZ is ‘Energy in Motion.’

The third rune of the first aett is Thurisaz. This rune is the first of the ‘obstacle’ runes. These obstacles are not necessarily destructive, but are placed in our path to strengthen and teach us. They are there for us to overcome.

Thurisaz is a force of defence and destruction. In ancient times, as well as in some places today, bramble or thorny bushes were used to fence and protect boundaries. One form of Norse execution was to throw criminals into thorns. Thor is the god that protects sacred enclosures in much the same way that the thorny hawthorn, blackberry or rose bush does.

No matter how beautiful the rose, one should always be watchful of the thorns.

Thurisaz ~ artist Brian Froud

Runic Number: Letter: Old English Name: Meaning: Element(s): Zodiac Sign: Gemstone: Colour:

3 Th Thorn Devil, Thorn, Protection Fire Leo Sapphire Bright Red

Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace ~ Frida Kahlo

It’s mine, you understand? Mine! All mine! Get back in there! Down, down, down! Go, go, go! Mine, mine, mine! Mwa-ha-ha-ha!

THERE ARE NO OTHERS

 

Despite the truth of the claim that there is no reality but reality, and that wherever we look we see nothing but God or a manifestation of the universal divine consciousness, often in this weird universe we find ourselves with the unmistakable impression that we are faced with somebody else.

 A guru might say, “I am you and you are me,” and you might reply, “No, I am here and you are there.” But if all pronouns are abolished there is only one god in the bouncing universe.

…and now a break from our sure

a Bodyboarder contemplates life milliseconds before detonation. Waimea Shore Break

The frog is the totem of metamorphosis. 
It symbolizes coming into your personal power.
It reminds us not to become bogged down with day-to-day living.

It is the totem of water. 
Its voice calls forth the rains.
Emotions are associated with water and
a frog totem may be telling you to get in touch with your feelings.

People with frog medicine give support and energy
where it is needed. 
They can cleanse the negativity from an environment

~ Linsdomain

 

Buy the Ticket, take the Ride

The Screaming Squirrel

 First you’ll quickly climb to the top of the steep 88 foot tall lift hill where you quickly come face to face with the end of the world. The four passenger car quickly speeds up as it approaches and runs right off the edge of a cliff… only to flip you upside-down.

Just before the blood starts to rush entirely into your head you realize that all of your body weight is comfortably held in place by the new innovative lap restraint system, instead of jamming your neck and shoulders up into the bars. Before you know what’s happened, you hit another curve and the car rights itself back up once again… only to zoom off towards yet another plunge over the edge and under it once again.

 

Insult to Injury

My stove-top expresso coffee maker just died.

Now I’m pissed with this eclipse!