WeatherGirl’s Station

The Beeb has finally sorted out the rights issues for Desert Island Discs so it is now available on the iplayer. *does happy dance* The only way to listen up to now has been live and I was not up for getting up around 5am on a Sunday. Big hussar to who ever fixed the problem, I appreciate the opportunity to listen.

Tomorrow’s episode looks particularly interesting with Ellen MacArthur.

Current temperature: here 48F/9C, there 12C/54F

This group was the first of this year’s Performing Arts series at the U. What a spectacularly great time. Being good Minnesotans we danced spectacularly well in our chairs! The music was wonderful even if we did not understand a word of it.

Check out the group’s web page here. They are from Nova Scotia, Canada and their name refers to the expulsion of the Acadians from the Canadian maritime provinces in 1775. The music they played was reminiscent of a lot of other Celtic traditions and their step dancing left us breathless!

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… but will anyone listen?

Sexual assault prevention tips guaranteed to work!

Maybe this should be posted in their bathrooms?

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This is so much fun!

You can find out more at the web page Where the Hell is Matt?

From Matt’s FAQ.

Why is the world so screwed up?

Men.

How do we fix it?

Women.

Right on!

Current temperature: here 81F/27C, there 13C/55F

Sweet. It’s not often these days that a movie is made with younger children in mind. This is such a movie and very pretty it is too, which is not surprising given that it is the Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki at work. While it did get a little preachy in places and Liam Neeson’s character was a mite annoying, the visual representations of the sea and its inhabitants was spectacular. Definitely worth seeing even if you don’t have little ones.

Current temperature: here 81F/27C, there 13C/55F

… where in I run for the hills, metaphorically speaking.

There are times when I wonder if certain US citizens think that it’s okay for them to lie, and cheat, and steal, because they think that they are God’s chosen people and that this absolves them from telling the truth and behaving like decent human beings.

The US healthcare debate is one of those times.

The levels of dishonesty regarding the delivery of healthcare in the rest of the world and what is going on in their own country (to their families, friends and neighbours) has reach epic levels of fail. I find myself incapable of stomaching the media coverage because there are so few people who seem capable of saying, “That’s not true,” or “Where did you get that mis-information from?” or even a simple, “Huh?”

When the sanest commentator and interviewer on the issue is Jon Stewart of the Daily Show on the Comedy Channel you know that we’re living in an alternate universe where lies are the truth, propaganda is reason and Big Media is laughing all the way to the bank, counting the millions of dollars that it’s being paid by the healthcare industry and its co-conspirators.

A Story of Violent Faith. By Jon Krakauer. This story reinforces my avoidance of organised religion. Any belief system that asks me to suspend rational thought and treats whole categories of human beings as less than or other, is not something I wish to embrace or promote. I wonder how many other, older, religions have such unsteady footings in their origins. Krakauer writes with an informed and accessible style and I highly recommend this book. (I’ve also read Into The Wild and Into Thin Air.)

Current temperature: here 75F/24C, there 16C/61F

Underwhelms. So, yeah, there are lots of explosions and action and speed but as a whole I was not wowed in the slightest. Where was the sharp snarky script? The super scary evil evol villan planning world domination? Or the hot half naked men? *sigh* The script was so blah and limp, I was not surprised to see it was written by committee. Channing Tatum did not do a thing for me and had zero rapport with Marlon Wayons which led to a queasiness about how their relationship was being portrayed.

Current temperature: here 73F/23C, there 16c/61F

So for a while now, may be close to a year, my poor old bicycle has been stuck in the same gear. I’m assuming it’s fifth gear, it’s been impossible to tell exactly but overcoming inertia has been tough and any incline quickly slows me to a snail’s pace and makes me look like your eighty year old granny.

Yesterday I stopped by Hardware Hanks and they said they’d give it a whirl and see what magic they could work. Five hours later, said bike was back up and running, and available for collection. The problem was easily discovered as the gear cable had completely snapped, probably due to the fact my trusty steed sits outside unprotected from the elements for most of the year.

So now I’m a very happy camper and don’t have to struggle like a granny to get over the one hill in town.

Current temperature: here 63F/17C, there 16C/61F

Oh wow!

Current temperature: here 68F/20C, there 15C/59F