-
Flickr Photos
More Photos -
Archive for the ‘Observations on Life’ Category
Book Arrangement Fail…or Win?
Monday, April 27th, 2009
Over the weekend, I found this fascinating arrangement of books at our local Barnes & Noble bookstore:
Tags: barnes and noble, bipolar, books, depression, happiness, psychiatry
Posted in Books, Observations on Life | No Comments »
Earth Day
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
I had known this day was coming ever since I flipped our wall calendar to “April”. There was the announcement – April 22 : Earth Day or Tag der Erde. To be honest, I was actually kind of excited. I’m no environmentalist, per se, but I am willing to do my part to keep my “carbon footprint” down while I tread on this planet (once I get to Mars, all bets are off).
Yesterday, I received a funny e-mail from Tech Support at my place of work, stating that they would be turning off all lab computers in honor of Earth Day. I thought that was pretty cool (save energy, why not?), but then the rest of the e-mail stated that they would be turning off all network switches, servers, etc. “Ah, a joke!” I realized. I just smiled to myself and thought nothing more of it.
At Bible study later that night, someone mentioned “Earth Day” with a snort. I was confused. Either the lady had something stuck up her nose, or she did not think too highly of Earth Day. A couple other ladies were nodding in agreement to whatever she said, and at that moment, I figured I should probably find out a bit more about this Earth Day.
Well, today has come, and the e-mails have also come – forwards of funny pictures and stories that held slightly anti-Earth Day sentiments. “God is going to destroy the earth anyway” was the vibe I was getting, and that is true. God will indeed destroy this Earth someday, but I don’t think He needs our help. Stop and hear me out here…
The Earth Day Network has this to say on the history of Earth Day:
On April 22, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. Denis Hayes, the national coordinator, and his youthful staff organized massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values…click here to read the full history
Oil spills? Pollution? Raw sewage? Okay, freeways do seem a bit much, but what I gathered about this group’s message was this: It is not okay to blatantly continue to use or contaminate Earth’s resources. Stop and think about what you are doing to the environment. What are the consequences of your actions?
Indeed, what are the consequences of our actions? And what if we could do something to lessen them? Whether it be recycling, using energy efficient lights, less water, etc., each little bit helps. Few Christians would argue against the idea that God has called us to be good stewards; I believe the Earth is one of those gifts He has left for us. Heaven is an even bigger gift, but are we going to abuse the gift we have right now?
Of course, anything can be turned into an idol. I am not obsessed with saving the Earth, but I do not think we should cite the example of those who are as reason for why we can make fun of times set aside to remind others about doing their part or even as an excuse for us not to do our part. I think it would be an amazing witness to the world to take care of the creation we claim our God has made. Finding a balance key – don’t go to either extreme of saying nature is supreme or who cares about nature? Creation is groaning like we are and waiting for the day of the Lord, we don’t need to add reasons for that groaning.
Cut the normal environmentalists a little slack and instead, go outside and marvel at the wonders God has given us in creation. They may not be here for long.
Tags: balance, Christians, earth, earth day, environment
Posted in Observations on Life | 4 Comments »
Why I left Facebook…for now
Monday, April 20th, 2009
It has been a week and a day since I declared my Facebook fast online, and I’m still alive! No one is more surprised than I am, believe me. Part of me thinks I wasn’t completely in my right mind when I arbitrarily declared the fast (waaay past Lent, I might add), but the other part of me is grateful for the break.
Since I left Facebook, I have received a few questions as to why I left. Granted, those questions might actually be more, but I can’t log in to Facebook to check. :P I figured now would be as good a time as any to chronicle the amazing things I’ve discovered on my self-imposed journey.
Here are some questions that have been asked/you might be thinking, and my answers to them:
- Why did you leave Facebook?
Initially, out of spite, bitterness, and frustration. Hey, I’ll be honest. Let’s just say that there are some people on Facebook who frustrate the heck out of me, and I was getting really irritated with their online actions on Facebook. That led me to wonder, “Would I even know this if I wasn’t on Facebook?” When the answer was a very obvious, “No”, I decided to pack my virtual bags and leave for a one month vacation. I believe the initial frustration led me to declare one month since, right now, I believe one week would have sufficed.Later, my motivation to leave Facebook changed a bit. I wanted to see how much more I could get done in my life if I didn’t choose Facebook as my main mode of procrastination. Again, I’ll be honest. I did not give up procrastinating – I don’t think I ever will – but I wanted to see if I could find another, more productive outlet for those times when I itched to get on Facebook. Success! Since I left Facebook, I have spent more time with my husband, rediscovered Twitter (some might consider this a “fail”), progressed through a book I wanted to read, sort of learned how to crochet, abandoned crocheting for knitting after I realized I had no idea what I was doing, started knitting an awesome scarf, got new birds, rediscovered Halo 3, finished Fallout 3, caught up with my studies, got behind in my studies, made a fool of myself on our XBOX DDR game, kept up with lessons for my Bible study, and cleaned our room. The list is continuing to grow (as is the scarf, I might add).
Also, I have rarely been able to keep something up consecutively for a month. Just ask Mike about my passion for exercise (or lack thereof). I can do a week. I can do two weeks. Three weeks is tough. I want to see if I have the self-discipline and will power to see this thing through to the end (May 10th, btw).
- You’re on Twitter. Your Twitter feeds into your Facebook status. You really didn’t leave.
Oh, shoot. Good point. When I left Facebook, I made a very hasty retreat, and I didn’t set some settings to the way I had wanted them to be, i.e. turning off the Twitter-updates-my-status-thing or being e-mailed about different posts that include my name in it, etc. Oh well. Maybe next time. I’m not going to log in to fix it until May 10, so please bear with me. :) Mike has offered to log in for me, but that kind of feels like cheating.
- Can you see my posts to your wall? Comments? Etc?
No, I can’t. Mike is still on Facebook, and he occasionally glances at my profile to make sure everything is kosher. :)
- Do you hate Facebook?
No, on the contrary, I think it is a great social networking tool. When used correctly, it is great. If you start letting it get to you and take you over, then you better log off for a little while and ask yourself why you’re on there in the first place. Facebook has been a great tool for me to keep in touch with friends I don’t see on a regular basis, friends from grad school, professional contacts (although we seem to have migrated over to LinkEd), and marketing.
- Should I leave Facebook, too?
I don’t think so. Do you think you should? An interesting phenomenon happened when some people found out I declared a Facebook fast. They started telling me why they were on Facebook! That’s great and all, but why do you feel the need to justify yourself to me? I’m not lobbying for a worldwide Facebook boycott. I don’t even hate the thing. But, if you feel the need to justify your time on Facebook, then maybe take a step back and really think about what you’re doing on there, how much time you’re spending on there, etc. If you find it consumes a large part of your life, maybe take a break. Knitting isn’t so bad…and Fallout 3 has a great storyline!
- What’s your biblical motivation for all this?
I cannot point you to a Bible verse that convicted me on my Facebook addiction/frustration. However, I believe that anytime something gets in the way of what God wants you to be doing or your relationship with Him, you should reconsider its place in your life.
Some articles that may be of interest to you, regardless of your take on Facebook:
- The Dangers of Living in the Facebook Generation
- How Facebook Challenges Narcissism
- What Facebook Users Share: Lower Grades
If you need to reach me, e-mail me. :) My contact information can be found on Facebook…
Tags: facebook, Fallout 3, fast, Halo 3, Twitter, why i left facebook
Posted in Observations on Life | 2 Comments »
Can you see it?
Friday, April 17th, 2009
For the past month, a wild rat has been running by my window at work. I keep telling co-workers that he’s real, and most of them believe me. However, there are still those who are skeptical…rightly so, I think. It has since become my quest to document the little bugger’s existence.
I have thought of setting up a webcam that trains on the window he runs next to, but I’m too lazy to set it up. I got lucky today, though – instead of running by quickly like he usually does, the ran meandered through the bushes in front of my other window long enough for me to capture him on digital film!
Okay, so the picture is a bit Loch Ness-ish, but I think you can spot him in there amongst the bushes (at least his tail, back leg, and rear). Next goal: capture a clear picture of the bugger…
Tags: office, rat, wild rat, window, work
Posted in Observations on Life | No Comments »
Grab that disco ball – woo hoo!
Friday, January 9th, 2009
At work, I have a habit of turning on Yahoo! Music and listening to a station customized for my tastes. Overall, it does a great job of including my favorite artists, new artists who are close to my favorite artists, etc., but every now and then, some random weirdness manages to slip through.
Today was one of those days, and today’s r.w. comes compliments of Laura Branigan.
“Who?” you might ask. Yeah, that’s what I asked myself, too.
Apparently, she was popular in the 80s and 90s, a time I’d like to forget in my short life as I’m sure I looked and acted like a dork most of the time.
Her hit, “Gloria”, came on my playlist and shocked me into writing this post…
…and feeling like I should grab a leotard, some leggings, tease my hair, and dance wildly about a dance studio with wooden floors. Disco ball not included, but if you have one I could borrow, feel free to drop it by.
Well, Laura, rest in peace and thanks for brightening my day. Now to get a disco ball…or a leotard…I don’t know which is scarier.
Tags: 80s, 90s, dance, dance floor, disco ball, Gloria, Laura Branigan, leggings, leotard, music, song
Posted in Observations on Life | No Comments »
“GO! TELL it on the MOUUNNNNTAAAAAAAINN!!!”
Monday, December 15th, 2008
Have you ever heard children sing? I mean the really small ones – the ones who are so small, you worry about stepping on them when they’re around.
We had a few of the children’s choirs sing in church this past Sunday, and I must admit that the youngest (“Littlest Lights”, I think they are called) entertained me the most. Granted, that could have been because Mike and I were playing musical chairs with the other parishioners as church was amazingly full. But those little buggers…I tell you what…
I never realized such small bodies could produce so much sound.
And the sounds produced…
I think some songs are inherently given to being enthusiastically shouted at the top of one’s lungs when one is under three-feet tall. Enthusiastically shouted, especially if hand motions are involved.
It was fun watching the smiles in the congregation as everyone braced themselves for the next “GO!” or “MOUNNNNNTAAAAAAAINNNN!!!”
It was even more fun to watch the expressions on those kids’ faces, especially those who were waving at their parents between the hand motions for “Tell” and “Mountain” *insert wave here*
Okay, so the kiddos were not as polished as the grown-ups, but you know what? That’s awesome. I hope those little kiddos sing their little lungs out for years to come.
Go ahead and scream the Good News from the tops of your lungs, little ones. Because some of us old folk seem to forget how to.
Tags: children, christmas, church, go tell it on the mountain, singing
Posted in Observations on Life | No Comments »
Good Morning, Mrs. President
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
I used to have aspirations of becoming a president of the United States. I was crushed in 8th grade when I found out that foreign-born American citizens need not apply. Then my hopes were raised when I was told that foreign-born American citizens could become president…as long as both parents were citizens of the US at time of birth. Awww, drat!
Congrats to Barack Obama and all, but I think I have finally reached the end of my presidential aspirations (or delusions, at least). After reading this article in the New York Times, I will never again want to become president…ever. I cringe when I think of what Obama is going to have to go through once he’s sworn in.
I know you’re all about change, Mr. President-to-Be. But I think this is definitely one rule you should get changed ASAP, for your sake and for those of us techies who dream (or used to dream) of holding the highest office in the nation.
Maybe I should txt him…
Posted in In the News, Observations on Life, Technology | No Comments »
A Rat’s Tale (and Tail)
Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
The Thomas household experienced a rather scary event a few days ago – our “The Choco-rat” had a little accident involving a mean shredder and the tip of her tail.
We recently started letting our two rats run around the house as they pleased. They are very well behaved and well trained – no random pooping or nibbling on cords (okay, maybe the occasional nibble), so we do not necessarily watch them as they run around. On this particular day, we suddenly heard the shredder run, and my initial thought was “Why is it running?”. Since our shredder has an auto-off for skin (i.e. you can put your hand on it and the shredder will stop), I did not think our little “tussen” was in any serious danger. Sadly, the “skin” rule does not apply to rat tails, as we found out. :(
Our little Choco was there with a bleeding tip of her tail. We were surprised that she wasn’t squeaking in pain or running around like mad. She seemed to be handling the situation very bravely. We eventually caught her (after she had trekked blood all over our carpet) and cuddled her while trying to get the bleeding to stop. After a few minutes, she was calm enough to put in a clean box to rest and recover, and I went to Google some information on how to help a poor rat who has lost part of its tail. My experience resulted in a rollercoaster of emotions because of both the good and bad information out there, and that is why I am writing this post.
Note: I am not an expert on rats, but what follows below is based on my experience with this and what I read online.
What you will find when you Google “rat tail cut off”
Generally, results will fall in to the “answers” category. Read all these with a grain of salt as the people assume you purposely hurt your rat (what the heck? I just want to help my rat who had an accident!). You will probably be anxious for your rat as it is, so try to filter through results to find the more factual answers and ignore the rants on how terrible the person who asked the question is. It’s okay – rats have accidents. Apparently, losing part of a tail can be quite common, so take a deep breath and try to stay calm. Your rat will probably be more calm than you!
What to do if your rat’s tail gets cut off
First of all, there is a technical term for a rat losing part of its tail – degloving. Actually, it’s a technical term to describe a type of injury where skin is completely torn off. Not cool, so here’s what you can do:
The best article I read can be found here.
- Stop the bleeding
- Some suggest using clean, print-free paper towels to try to stop the bleeding. This would be great if you can get your rat to hold still for long enough to put pressure on the tail. Our rat did this, and the bleeding stopped in about 5-8 minutes.
- Others have suggested putting liquid band aid.
- Some also suggest using flour.
- Clean the area if you can – some suggest using a saline solution.
- If you rat was just purely degloved, then you will see a white bone-like looking thing sticking out. This is their tail sinew. Don’t try to cut if off!
- Apply a topical antibiotic ointment if you can (we used Neosporin, and it helped the bleeding stop, too)
- I would be cautious about this.
- Some people recommend giving the rat something to help with the pain while others say take the rat to the vet Immediately.
- I would say this choice is up to you. We gave our Choco about a 10th of a regular Ibuprofen pill mixed with peanut butter, and that made her very calm and happy.
- We put Choco in a clean cardboard box with an old, clean shirt to lay on and some water and food. We taped a cover over the box (with air holes, of course), so she would be forced to stay in there and rest, which she did.
- In about 6 hours, she decided she was well enough to get out. The smart little thing dumped her water out onto a corner of the box to dampen it, pushed through, and escaped into our bedroom where she climbed up in bed with me and woke me up at 1:00 in the morning. :) Somehow, she got passed my husband who was working in the living room where her box was. Sneaky little rat!
And that’s about it as far as steps you can really take, aside from taking your rat to a vet. A word on vets, though – from what I read, not very many vets specialize in small animals. It doesn’t sound worth it to take your sick rat to a regular vet as they may not even know what to do. You’ll have to do some research to find a vet in your area that can handle rats.
It has been about two weeks now, and our “The Choco-Rat” is doing great. The end of her tail has clotted and is starting to heal up over the sinew. Unfortunately, rat tails do not grow back, so she’ll have that little stubby end of a tail for the rest of her life. So far, she doesn’t seem to mind it.
I hope you never have to experience having your poor rat suffer degloving from anything (cage, too much pulling – yes, that can happen, shredders), but if you specifically looked up this post, then I want you to know that I feel your pain and hope your little baby gets better quickly.
From a relatively new rat lover,
CT
Additional Resources:
- Answers at Yahoo.com
- “Pet Rats” – Tail at AllExperts.com
- Rat Tail Degloving at AllExperts.com
- You can always Google “rat tail cut” or “rat tail injury”
Tags: rat, rat degloving, rat tail, rat tail cut, rat vet, rat's tail, rats, what to do if your rat's tail gets cut off
Posted in Observations on Life | 4 Comments »
Life is Beautiful
Thursday, May 15th, 2008
I saw a squirrel eating a nut on top of my department today.
He looked so peaceful. He eyed me as I approached him with my camera phone, but he didn’t move from his perch.
I’ve been kind of sad lately about different things, but when I saw him…I stopped to rethink my life and my attitude.
And I realized something…
Life is too short and too beautiful to be sad about stupid things…and stupid people.
:)
I’m going to live in joy again…and you can do the same.
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.” – Psalm 28:7
“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10b
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
Tags: beautiful, Life & Opinions, short, Squirrel
Posted in Observations on Life | No Comments »
Souvenirs
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
Mike and I are in Anaheim right now (he’s at a conference), and our hotel just happens to be right next to Disneyland. When I say “right next to”, I mean…thiscloserightnextto. I believe the Matterhorn is that large thing looming over there.
Anyways, while Mike is off being brilliant at his tech conference, I have had the privilege of working from the hotel room/Starbucks, reading, and exploring at my leisure. On the way back from a recent jaunt to the local Wal*Mart and SuperCuts, I got stuck at a traffic light right across the entrance to Disneyland.
That’s when I saw them.
There were so many of them.
Since I was stopped behind a bus that didn’t seem to want to move anytime in the next century, I had no option but to entertain myself by looking around me.
They were everywhere!
And they…had souvenirs.
Throngs of people from all over the world and the nation – Caucasians, Asians, Europeans, etc. They may have been from all over the world, but they all shared something in common – souvenirs.
The light changed, and the bus still hadn’t moved, so I looked a little more closely at those around me.
There was a family of four; all of them were sporting Mickey Mouse ears but with various elements. The mom had a simple hat. The daughter had a bow in hers. The son had what looked like a wizard’s hat attached to his. And the youngest had pink synthetic silk flowing from hers. (I wonder where the dad is?)
There was an Asian family. The daughter had been showered with Disney items. The mother held a small box in one hand that looked like it housed some fragile Disney charm while her other hand protectively clutched her daughter’s. The husband, not to be left out, was lugging a jumbo-sized Disney plastic bag, the contents of which anyone can probably guess – more souvenirs.
I saw an older lady walking next to a woman I assumed to be her daughter. They were happy. They were laughing. And they were both sporting those princess caps one can find in Fantasy Land.
The bus moved, and I was finally on my way. As I drove, I mused on this idea of souvenirs. I have traveled the world my whole life (until recently – now I just travel America…dang it!), and I rarely brought home souvenirs for myself. Granted, I really didn’t have a home in America, and my mother didn’t have much money, but we managed to scoop up a few cultural things from the countries we lived in to give to donors or friends in America. And they thought those souvenirs were pretty amazing. Many would display them proudly on some shelf in their houses.
I wonder what people do with souvenirs from Disneyland. Do they get put on a shelf to be displayed proudly or thrown in a closet to be forgotten?
My husband and I love to travel, and we’ve come to an agreement about souvenirs. We get a magnet from each place we’ve been to. That’s it. If I happen to want something more (like jewelry), I really need to think hard about it because…well…let’s be honest. How often am I going to wear that oh-I-so-want-it-right-now ring or handbag from insert location here? Plus, souvenirs can end up costing lots of money, and if it’s something you’re not going to ever look at again or wear again, it’s probably not worth it.
Then my mind took a different turn…
You know, there are souvenirs that last your entire life.
I thought about that and shuddered. It’s true. They are the kind of souvenirs that can make you stronger or break you.
I have a scar under my lower lip. It looks like I had a zit there at one point. It was actually a very bad infection that almost took up a quarter of my face. That scar is the only souvenir I have left of that experience.
Oh yeah. It’s fading away now, but I have a dark mark on the middle finger of my left hand from where I got electrocuted as a 7-year-old. That’s actually a souvenir I’m proud if. Wow. That was 16 years ago, and the mark is still here…
I wear glasses. I’m nearsighted now. I didn’t used to be. My sight started failing when I got electrocuted by an exposed laptop in Moldova. I was in 6th grade. I lost my sight for two days. I’m glad I got it back. I guess my sight is a sort of souvenir from that experience. (Wow, I got electrocuted a lot!)
My back is pretty much shot. Souvenirs from the car accidents I’ve been in (so far, none of them have been my fault!)
Those are just some physical marks that I will have to live with for the majority (if not the rest of my life), but…there are other souvenirs, too…
I have memories.
I have memories of triumphs. I have memories of moments that could have only come from God. I have memories of joy when joy would not have logically been present.
I also have memories of pain. I have memories of foolish, stupid actions that I wish I could reverse. Sure, they made me the person I am today (who is a bit more wary), but I still live with those memories…souvenirs of past experiences.
Philosophers and basically all people from around the world have this built-in, gut instinct that what you do impacts you for the rest of your life. I’m only 23, but I’ve experienced a lot already, and I can testify that that truth is definitely true. And life’s souvenirs are not free. Both the good and the bad take work.
In short, God has graciously allowed us to choose the kinds of souvenirs we keep – we can choose to get good ones or bad ones, but that choice is made everyday. Actually, some souvenirs come naturally with certain actions.
Disneyland souvenirs are fun for the moment, but they will most likely be tossed in a closet. Not so with life’s souvenirs.
I wonder what kind of souvenirs I’m picking up right now…
What kind are you getting?
Tags: bad, Disneyland, God, good, Life & Opinions, memories, souvenirs
Posted in Observations on Life | No Comments »