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Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Went for a skinny dip this morning.
It's Autumn now, which is a nice time of year, the school holidays are over and most tourists/visitors have gone...Temperature's mid to low 20s during the day, cool first thing of a morning.
2
Fosdickin its eye are mirrored far off mountainsAlaska, USAVeteran
Our resident house weasel was seen on the kitchen counter for the first time. Cursed me shrilly when I surprised him/her - ( I hope her, and I hope for little weasels in the future ) The cursing was shrill and loud, like a smoke alarm but more resonant and irregularly timed. This weasel has been very shy, don't have much hope of ever getting a photograph.
We have three mustelid species in Aotearoa, ferrets, stoats, and weasels, all introduced to control rabbit plagues, but now they are seen as a significant threat to our native wildlife. a case of when biological control become out of control.
We also have a major possum problem. Possums were originally introduced from Australia back in the early 1850s for their skins/fur. now they are seen as a major threat to native fauna and flora. Last count there were around 70 million ...
All these introduced species have no natural predators or parasites to keep them in check.
2
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
I’m considering buying a digital copy of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit films, mostly because I don’t have a HD version of the Lord of the Rings and the old DVDs we have of those movies are breaking down, I was watching a bit of The Return of the King and whole scenes were gone to corrupted static. Also, once you have the digital version you can copy it and back it up, so you don’t have to buy it again…
It’s only 35 euros, so not that expensive, but I hate paying for these things twice.
@Jeroen said:
It’s only 35 euros, so not that expensive, but I hate paying for these things twice.
Would the Buddha approve of pirating the second copy if you paid for it the first time?
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
I suppose the Buddha wouldn’t mind, but having thought about it some more I will pay for it as a way of honouring the amount of enjoyment I have gotten from those films.
My scenic Jolk yesterday morning... the back of the joint property
It's quite a steep climb but worth the view.
1
personDon't believe everything you thinkThe liminal spaceVeteran
With the recent discussion of ancient history, You Tube has started recommending those sorts of videos to me and I'm liking it. It seems there is a ton of stuff out there about archeological finds.
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
It's currently 02:39. A short while ago it was 12:59. The clocks have sprung forward, it's officially British Summer Time I've lost an hour and I can't get to sleep.
Oh, and it Mothering Sunday,but I don't get a lie-in, because MY mother wants to go to Mass in the morning, so I have to give her a ride...
Ho hum... ah, Om.
..
@federica said:
It's currently 02:39. A short while ago it was 12:59. The clocks have sprung forward, it's officially British Summer Time I've lost an hour and I can't get to sleep.
Oh, and it Mothering Sunday,but I don't get a lie-in, because MY mother wants to go to Mass in the morning, so I have to give her a ride...
Ho hum... ah, Om.
..
Yeah, I'm also wtf-ed today. I've decided to stick to my old rhythm and will sync with the new one slowly and naturally.
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Last night I drunk my first morning coffee at 3 am. I promptly fell back asleep at 4 and slept until 7, which means I wasn’t totally wasted during the day.
About ruddy time! We've had the most marvellous 2½ - 3 weeks of unseasonably warm and sunny weather! True to form, people are bemoaning the bright, warm, sunny weather, stating 'we could do with some rain' and if it comes, give it 3 days - and they'll be moaning they want the sun back!
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
There are some white hairs in my moustache, I noticed this morning while I was trimming it. That didn’t used to be the case last year, when I last trimmed it. I’m slowly going white!
1
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
My progress with white hairs is thankfully slow - I would hastily add I sport neither moustache nor beard - but people keep asking me if I dye my hair! The infernal cheek!
I have today accomplished 68 circuits around the sun; I shall embark on my 69th tomorrow... that's enough to turn any head, white!!
My beard and moustache have gone almost completely gray. I have been shaving my head for about 15 years now, so I'm not sure how much brown would be there if I grew it out.
Happy Birthday Federica!
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Hartelijk gefeliciteerd Federica!
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
edited April 5
I had an interesting vision last night while going to sleep. It was of a temple, made out of smooth grey stone with columns decorated with white, black and gold symbols from eastern religion — things from the I Ching, I saw a mandala, I think there was an Aum as well. In the middle of the temple there stood a huge carving of my head, with an expression of laughter on my face. The statue was laughing so hard it was crying tears of laughter, it was a bit wild.
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
edited April 5
@federica said:
I have today accomplished 68 circuits around the sun; I shall embark on my 69th tomorrow... that's enough to turn any head, white!!
Then you have travelled 63.92 billion kilometers… the distance travelled in one year being 940 million kilometers. That’s a jolly long way.
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@Jeroen said:
I had an interesting vision last night while going to sleep. It was of a temple, made out of smooth grey stone with columns decorated with white, black and gold symbols from eastern religion — things from the I Ching, I saw a mandala, I think there was an Aum as well. In the middle of the temple there stood a huge carving of my head, with an expression of laughter on my face. The statue was laughing so hard it was crying tears of laughter, it was a bit wild.
Whatever you're having, may I have some? (I know what you Dutch folk like! 😆)
1
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
It’s been two thousand years, and people still know the stories of Julius Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus, Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Stories about life, death, liberty, the republic, generalship.
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
edited April 8
I went for an hours walk through the neighbourhood and the park… I had hoped to reach the woods but my knee was acting up and I took a shorter route. It seems I am 52 after all.
I would go for a walk but the sun is scorching. I tend to do my walks in the morning or evening.
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited April 8
I too delight in walking, but find the going tough, due to my wearing a calliper. So now, I trike. I would go for longer rides, but my dog begins to flag... rest assured, I do not run him all the time, that would be cruel; in fact, I very much let him set the pace, and at times he sets the run speed! I also always take water for him... I don't mind the occasional glug myself!!
@Kotishka said:
I would go for a walk but the sun is scorching. I tend to do my walks in the morning or evening.
My cousin went with a group of friends to Lanzarote for holidays. I told him I "know" someone from there. Small world, @Kotishka!
2
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
I’m currently reading Herman Hesse’s novel Steppenwolf, which I downloaded from holybooks.com … it’s proving to be engrossing, I am very much enjoying it even though I am reading it a few pages at a time!
I have a problem with my knees and the physio said it is time to move that ass (literally). Overweight + weak glutes = bad knees. Time to (quoting Lobster..I think..) Shakyabooty!
I have a problem with my knees and the physio said it is time to move that ass (literally). Overweight + weak glutes = bad knees. Time to (quoting Lobster..I think..) Shakyabooty!
We have interesting threads on the Keto/carnivore lifestyle. It's done wonders for me personally, and at going-on-69, I'm the fittest I've ever been. I'm never going back to carbs as part of my daily regular intake. They're reserved for high-days and holidays...
I have a problem with my knees and the physio said it is time to move that ass (literally). Overweight + weak glutes = bad knees. Time to (quoting Lobster..I think..) Shakyabooty!
Was not me. Seems like a good plan anyway...
However, these days I am repeatedly coming across strange things I may have written/said...
Must be time for lunch soon - stir-fry me thinks...
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
It’s raining, for the first time in weeks. We’ve had a really dry and sunny March and April this year, and so it’s nice to hear the rat-tat-tat of a good bit of rain on the windows.
Well tropical cyclone Tam is bearing down on the northern part of the North Island. The Auckland area including the island where I live, is also in its path. I was woken at around 4 am this morning by the sound of a very strong wind gust whistling through the trees. It's meant to last 40+ hours. The heavy rain is expected to hit Auckland sometime over the next day or two. Here we go again...
The strong winds have picked up and the gum trees are swaying ... I'm hoping that swaying is all they do...
Taken on my deck...
It's exciting and terrifying all rolled into one. Exciting in watching Mother Nature in action exerting her power. Terrifying when seeing those swaying trees which are right next to my apartment.
Weather watch is "Orange Warning" ...140 kmph in exposed areas.
All ferries have been cancelled until further notice, not that anyone in there right mind would risk a ferry ride during a tropical cyclone, well they are now calling tropical cyclone Tam, a tropical storm, not that it makes much difference, wind gusts are still strong enough to bring down power lines and topple trees.
Thousands of homes in the upper North Island are without power. There has been flooding in some areas.
The heavy rain has not arrived on the island yet, I think when the wind drops the heavens will open.
I went to work today, the wind gusts were still quite strong when I left my place (I was expecting to find toppled trees on the property driveway, surprisingly there weren't any). When I got to my place of work around 4 kms away , it was quite calm, hardly any strong wind gusts to speak of. Then this afternoon the wind started to pick up. Today is when it is meant to peak and Friday the weather is meant to start to settle down a bit.
I stopped by the beach on my way home from work.
And I'm sitting at home now, the power has just come back on, and the wind is still howling away like crazy .
Well, I was on the ferry heading over to the city for a vigil being held for all the Palestinian journalists and medical staff who have been killed, when I got a message from a friend back on the island: “Be careful, a mob of Destiny Despicable Church cult followers/thugs are in the square where the vigil is being held.”
Not long ago, Destiny cult thugs (or as many call them, the Deplorable or Despicable cult) attacked members of the Rainbow youth community, trapping them in a public library where they were holding an event to celebrate Pride Week. Some of the youth were hurt, and many feared for their lives. I think four members of the cult were charged with assault.
When I arrived, I got there early, about half an hour before the vigil was to start, fortunately for us, the thin blue line was out in force, forming a buffer zone between where the vigil was being held and the cult gathering.
Even though they had a group there singing upbeat gospel songs, the cult's intention in the square was clearly to provoke. Earlier on, a friend from the island who volunteers as a marshal at our rallies was followed by some of the cult members. At one point, they surrounded her, she managed to escape into a nearby food court.
A number of the cult members ride big motorbikes; many are former bikie gang members. I say 'former', but for the most part, they still operate as a gang. Wherever they turn up, their presence is quite intimidating.
That said, the vigil was mostly peaceful, I think the police presence helped. During the vigil, all of us with mobile phones received emergency alerts about a severe thunderstorm approaching. These alerts came through several times. The wind picked up, the sky darkened, but thankfully, it didn’t rain during the vigil.
Those of us from the island (there were around half a dozen of us) had to rush to catch the ferry, just in case sailings were cancelled. The ride back was a bumpy one, but the weather was fine when we arrived, the thunderstorm missed us.
2
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
Jeesh, @Shoshin1 , I clearly don't get out enough...! The most exciting thing I did today, was water plants - we need rain!
Comments
I’m drinking a triple espresso at 1.30 in the morning because I felt it was a good idea.
Went for a skinny dip this morning.
It's Autumn now, which is a nice time of year, the school holidays are over and most tourists/visitors have gone...Temperature's mid to low 20s during the day, cool first thing of a morning.
Our resident house weasel was seen on the kitchen counter for the first time. Cursed me shrilly when I surprised him/her - ( I hope her, and I hope for little weasels in the future ) The cursing was shrill and loud, like a smoke alarm but more resonant and irregularly timed. This weasel has been very shy, don't have much hope of ever getting a photograph.
We have three mustelid species in Aotearoa, ferrets, stoats, and weasels, all introduced to control rabbit plagues, but now they are seen as a significant threat to our native wildlife. a case of when biological control become out of control.
We also have a major possum problem. Possums were originally introduced from Australia back in the early 1850s for their skins/fur. now they are seen as a major threat to native fauna and flora. Last count there were around 70 million ...
All these introduced species have no natural predators or parasites to keep them in check.
I’m considering buying a digital copy of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit films, mostly because I don’t have a HD version of the Lord of the Rings and the old DVDs we have of those movies are breaking down, I was watching a bit of The Return of the King and whole scenes were gone to corrupted static. Also, once you have the digital version you can copy it and back it up, so you don’t have to buy it again…
It’s only 35 euros, so not that expensive, but I hate paying for these things twice.
Would the Buddha approve of pirating the second copy if you paid for it the first time?
I suppose the Buddha wouldn’t mind, but having thought about it some more I will pay for it as a way of honouring the amount of enjoyment I have gotten from those films.
My scenic Jolk yesterday morning... the back of the joint property
It's quite a steep climb but worth the view.
With the recent discussion of ancient history, You Tube has started recommending those sorts of videos to me and I'm liking it. It seems there is a ton of stuff out there about archeological finds.
It's currently 02:39. A short while ago it was 12:59. The clocks have sprung forward, it's officially British Summer Time I've lost an hour and I can't get to sleep.
Oh, and it Mothering Sunday,but I don't get a lie-in, because MY mother wants to go to Mass in the morning, so I have to give her a ride...
Ho hum... ah, Om.
..
Yeah, I'm also wtf-ed today. I've decided to stick to my old rhythm and will sync with the new one slowly and naturally.
Last night I drunk my first morning coffee at 3 am. I promptly fell back asleep at 4 and slept until 7, which means I wasn’t totally wasted during the day.
It's gonna rain!
About ruddy time! We've had the most marvellous 2½ - 3 weeks of unseasonably warm and sunny weather! True to form, people are bemoaning the bright, warm, sunny weather, stating 'we could do with some rain' and if it comes, give it 3 days - and they'll be moaning they want the sun back!
I iz awake
All is Well!
I iz awake too!
There are some white hairs in my moustache, I noticed this morning while I was trimming it. That didn’t used to be the case last year, when I last trimmed it. I’m slowly going white!
My progress with white hairs is thankfully slow - I would hastily add I sport neither moustache nor beard - but people keep asking me if I dye my hair! The infernal cheek!
I have today accomplished 68 circuits around the sun; I shall embark on my 69th tomorrow... that's enough to turn any head, white!!
Happy Birthday Federica!
Felicidades!!
My beard and moustache have gone almost completely gray. I have been shaving my head for about 15 years now, so I'm not sure how much brown would be there if I grew it out.
Happy Birthday Federica!
Hartelijk gefeliciteerd Federica!
I had an interesting vision last night while going to sleep. It was of a temple, made out of smooth grey stone with columns decorated with white, black and gold symbols from eastern religion — things from the I Ching, I saw a mandala, I think there was an Aum as well. In the middle of the temple there stood a huge carving of my head, with an expression of laughter on my face. The statue was laughing so hard it was crying tears of laughter, it was a bit wild.
Then you have travelled 63.92 billion kilometers… the distance travelled in one year being 940 million kilometers. That’s a jolly long way.
Whatever you're having, may I have some? (I know what you Dutch folk like! 😆)
And me with a dodgy leg, too! 😁
Oh, and, it's 20 years since I joined this forum. I actually joined in March, 2005. I was not yet 50. And here I am, 2 years off 70!!
Dear Friends of the second childhood.
As we get older and wider... sorry wiser, it is perhaps time to review what we have learned?
I'll start with... Nothing!
Zazen is....
It’s been two thousand years, and people still know the stories of Julius Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus, Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Stories about life, death, liberty, the republic, generalship.
I went for an hours walk through the neighbourhood and the park… I had hoped to reach the woods but my knee was acting up and I took a shorter route. It seems I am 52 after all.
I would go for a walk but the sun is scorching. I tend to do my walks in the morning or evening.
I too delight in walking, but find the going tough, due to my wearing a calliper. So now, I trike. I would go for longer rides, but my dog begins to flag... rest assured, I do not run him all the time, that would be cruel; in fact, I very much let him set the pace, and at times he sets the run speed! I also always take water for him... I don't mind the occasional glug myself!!
My cousin went with a group of friends to Lanzarote for holidays. I told him I "know" someone from there. Small world, @Kotishka!
I’m currently reading Herman Hesse’s novel Steppenwolf, which I downloaded from holybooks.com … it’s proving to be engrossing, I am very much enjoying it even though I am reading it a few pages at a time!
I'm preparing for my final exams to then start my LAST year to become a certified Neuropsychologist. Argh!
@federica
I have a problem with my knees and the physio said it is time to move that ass (literally). Overweight + weak glutes = bad knees. Time to (quoting Lobster..I think..) Shakyabooty!
For dinner..
Natural plain yoghurt with cashews and a small spoon of honey. Yum!
We have interesting threads on the Keto/carnivore lifestyle. It's done wonders for me personally, and at going-on-69, I'm the fittest I've ever been. I'm never going back to carbs as part of my daily regular intake. They're reserved for high-days and holidays...
https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/24694/low-carb-high-fat#Item_480
Was not me. Seems like a good plan anyway...
However, these days I am repeatedly coming across strange things I may have written/said...
Must be time for lunch soon - stir-fry me thinks...
It’s raining, for the first time in weeks. We’ve had a really dry and sunny March and April this year, and so it’s nice to hear the rat-tat-tat of a good bit of rain on the windows.
Well tropical cyclone Tam is bearing down on the northern part of the North Island. The Auckland area including the island where I live, is also in its path. I was woken at around 4 am this morning by the sound of a very strong wind gust whistling through the trees. It's meant to last 40+ hours. The heavy rain is expected to hit Auckland sometime over the next day or two. Here we go again...
The strong winds have picked up and the gum trees are swaying ... I'm hoping that swaying is all they do...
Taken on my deck...
It's exciting and terrifying all rolled into one. Exciting in watching Mother Nature in action exerting her power. Terrifying when seeing those swaying trees which are right next to my apartment.
Weather watch is "Orange Warning" ...140 kmph in exposed areas.
All ferries have been cancelled until further notice, not that anyone in there right mind would risk a ferry ride during a tropical cyclone, well they are now calling tropical cyclone Tam, a tropical storm, not that it makes much difference, wind gusts are still strong enough to bring down power lines and topple trees.
Thousands of homes in the upper North Island are without power. There has been flooding in some areas.
The heavy rain has not arrived on the island yet, I think when the wind drops the heavens will open.
I went to work today, the wind gusts were still quite strong when I left my place (I was expecting to find toppled trees on the property driveway, surprisingly there weren't any). When I got to my place of work around 4 kms away , it was quite calm, hardly any strong wind gusts to speak of. Then this afternoon the wind started to pick up. Today is when it is meant to peak and Friday the weather is meant to start to settle down a bit.
I stopped by the beach on my way home from work.
And I'm sitting at home now, the power has just come back on, and the wind is still howling away like crazy .
The wind has dropped slightly, and now comes the torrential rain to complete the cyclonic cycle.
We are having dust and sand after the rain. I do miss a bit of rain and storms. Thanks for your videos
Stay safe!
04:00 and our weather is silent
Good whether ‘weather’ or not
Yep, always their... 
Well, I was on the ferry heading over to the city for a vigil being held for all the Palestinian journalists and medical staff who have been killed, when I got a message from a friend back on the island: “Be careful, a mob of Destiny Despicable Church cult followers/thugs are in the square where the vigil is being held.”
Not long ago, Destiny cult thugs (or as many call them, the Deplorable or Despicable cult) attacked members of the Rainbow youth community, trapping them in a public library where they were holding an event to celebrate Pride Week. Some of the youth were hurt, and many feared for their lives. I think four members of the cult were charged with assault.
When I arrived, I got there early, about half an hour before the vigil was to start, fortunately for us, the thin blue line was out in force, forming a buffer zone between where the vigil was being held and the cult gathering.
Even though they had a group there singing upbeat gospel songs, the cult's intention in the square was clearly to provoke. Earlier on, a friend from the island who volunteers as a marshal at our rallies was followed by some of the cult members. At one point, they surrounded her, she managed to escape into a nearby food court.
A number of the cult members ride big motorbikes; many are former bikie gang members. I say 'former', but for the most part, they still operate as a gang. Wherever they turn up, their presence is quite intimidating.
That said, the vigil was mostly peaceful, I think the police presence helped. During the vigil, all of us with mobile phones received emergency alerts about a severe thunderstorm approaching. These alerts came through several times. The wind picked up, the sky darkened, but thankfully, it didn’t rain during the vigil.
Those of us from the island (there were around half a dozen of us) had to rush to catch the ferry, just in case sailings were cancelled. The ride back was a bumpy one, but the weather was fine when we arrived, the thunderstorm missed us.
Jeesh, @Shoshin1 , I clearly don't get out enough...! The most exciting thing I did today, was water plants - we need rain!
Never a dull moment in Aotearoa