Herbivores and pitcher plants

lovestory - oscar nominated russian cartoon 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:44:05 PST

Write text here...

The Gift of Validation

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:34:14 PST

by Michael Hyatt

Validation. Everyone needs it. Hardly anyone gets it. Yet it is the very thing that most people crave. More than sex. More than money. More than drugs.
I’m not a psychologist. But I think it’s safe to say that most people who have an unhealthy craving for anything are really craving validation. Why is it so hard to get?
Ultimately, our validation has to come from God. Parents, bosses, spouses, and even friends will disappoint us. They have their own issues. But God is the one Person who is wholly other-centered. He made us in his image and delights in us. He stubbornly loves us even when we are unlovable. If that’s not validation, I don’t know what is.
So while I want to look to God for my own validation, I want to be a validator to others—a reminder of God’s good intentions toward them. I want to affirm that God is for them not against them. That His plans for them are good. That He has given to each person I encounter unique gifts, talents, and strengths. May God give me the grace to see it and acknowledge it. This is leadership in action.
That’s also the beauty of the short film above. I hope you will take the time to watch it. It’s sixteen minutes long, but it’s well worth it. It was was written by Kurt Kuenne and is the recipient of a number of film festival awards.
It reminded me how easy it is to validate others. It means so very much and yet costs so very little. I can’t think of a better gift to give to others. Can you?
Who are you going to validate today?

Simon`s Pie Charts

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:39:14 PST

Dear Simon,

You are correct and I apologise. Your last project was actually both commercially viable and original. Unfortunately the part that was commercially viable was not original, and the part that was original was not commercially viable.

I would no doubt find your ideas more 'cutting edge' and original if I had traveled forward in time from the 1950's but as it stands, your ideas for technology based projects that have already been put into application by other people several years before you thought of them fail to generate the enthusiasm they possibly deserve. Having said that though, if I had traveled forward in time, my time machine would probably put your peer to peer networking technology to shame as not only would it have commercial viability, but also an awesome logo and accompanying pie charts.

Regardless, I have, as requested, attached a logo that represents not only the peer to peer networking project you are currently working on, but working with you in general.

Regards, David.

read the whole story...

"Are this fucking people kidding me?"

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:44:17 PST

VISUALIZING EMPIRES DECLINE

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:40:29 PST

from 3quarksdaily by Abbas Raza

Points of View

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:08:09 PST

from PaperTissue

Which Came First

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 03:30:02 PDT

What is a nana second ?

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:32:46 PST

Life in 1500 History Lesson

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:12:28 PST

Why I Recommend to NOT Stop Smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:26:47 PST

ooops!

more about "Why I Recommend to NOT Stop Smoking", posted with vodpod

no words

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:09:36 PST

Which Religion Should I Follow?

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:09:15 PST

This flowchart explains all:

Would you be able to sleep in one of these homes?

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:17:51 PDT

U N B E L I E V A B L E ! ! !
Could you go to sleep at night and not wonder if these houses would be there the next morning?
Take a deep breath and look below...

DON'T WANT VISITORS? JUST UNHOOK THE CABLE.

MOST PEOPLE USE TREES FOR A WINDBREAK

CONSIDER THE PANIC IF YOU HEAR A BRANCH CRACK...

HOW DID THEY GET THAT CAR IN THERE?

LONG CLIMB AFTER A DAY'S WORK!

TREE BELOW...FLOWERS ABOVE....SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST WEIRD!

NOT DURING HURRICANE SEASON, THANK YOU

GOT A LITTLE PROBLEM WITH DAMPNESS AT YOUR HOUSE?

I'VE HEARD OF PEOPLE'S BRIDGEWORK BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

BETTER TALK TO AL GORE ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING!

Russian retro by Billy`s band

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:30:16 PST

My first time

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:09:41 PDT

It was my first time ever
And I'll never forget
I'd do it again
Without a single regret.
The sky was dark
The moon was high
We were all alone
Just she and I.
Her hair was soft
Her eyes were blue
I knew just what
She wanted to do.
Her skin so soft
Her legs so fine
I ran my fingers
Down her spine.
I didn't know how
But I tried my best
I started by placing
My hands on her breast.
I remember my fear
My fast beating heart
But slowly she spread
Her legs apart.
And when I did it
I felt no shame
All at once
The white stuff came.
At last it's finished
It's all over now
My first time ever
At milking a cow . .

Philosophy of Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:11:36 PDT

Through a child`s eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:00:09 PDT

This is one of the better e-mails I have received in a long time!
I hope you take the time to share it, you know the kids would!

Awesome

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:02:14 PDT

This is a pretty neat story and an interesting thing that few of us know.It's brief, so please read on.

A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio...and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned....but I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.

He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is...how He spoke the universe into being...how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire...etc. etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) .....and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking....'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???'

Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.

And then I lost my breath.
And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!!
It was because he started talking about laminin.
I knew about laminin. Here is how wikipedia describes them :'Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.' You see....laminins are what hold us together....LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE.

But now I do.
And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)....
Here is what the structure of laminin looks like...if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see...

Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!!
Amazing.
The glue that holds us together....ALL of us....is in the shape of the cross.
Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.

'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth , visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER. '
Colossians 1:15-17

Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together...one cell to another....by the cross.

You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!!

We praise YOU, Lord!

"Peace is not the absence of trouble. Peace is the presence of God".

A Violinist in the Metro

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 09:48:34 PDT

From WAMU and the Washington Post.

A man stood at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the
violin; it was a cold January morning in 2009. He played six Bach pieces
for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was
calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of
them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician
playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then
hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman
threw the money in the case and without stopping, continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him,
but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he
was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother
tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist.
Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning
his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other
children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed
for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal
pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over,
no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best
musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever
written,with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a
theater in Boston and the seats average cost was $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station
was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment
about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in
a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive
beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an
unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best
musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many
other things are we missing?

Breakfast at McDonald's

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:10:20 PDT

This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.

The last class I had to take was Sociology.

The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.

Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.

I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.

It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then
even my husband did.

I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'

His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.

He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the
restaurant were set on me, judging
my every action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.

I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.'

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope..'

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers.

That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.

I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it.

Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.

She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son,the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:

UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to

LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS -

NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.

There is an Angel sent to watch over you.

In order for her to work, you must pass this on to the people you want watched over.

An Angel wrote:

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart

To handle yourself, use your head..

To handle others, use your heart.

God Gives every bird it's food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

Send it back, you'll see why !

A box of gold

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

With a secret inside

that has never been told

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This box is priceless

but as I see

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The treasure inside is

precious to me

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Today I share this

treasure with thee

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It's the treasure of

friendship you've

given me.

Why womens brains are cheaper?

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:06:36 PDT

In the hospital the relatives gathered in the waiting room, where their family member lay gravely ill.

Finally, the doctor came in looking tired and somber.

"I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news," he said as he surveyed the worried faces.

"The only hope left for your loved one at this time is a brain transplant.

It's an experimental procedure, very risky but it is the only hope.

Insurance will cover the procedure, but you will have to pay for the brain yourselves."

The family members sat silently as they absorbed the news. After a great length of time, someone asked, "Well, how much does a brain cost?"

The doctor quickly responded, "£5,000 for a male brain, and £200 for a female brain."

The moment turned awkward. Men in the room tried not to smile, avoiding eye contact with the women, but some actually smirked.

A man unable to control his curiosity, blurted out the question everyone wanted to ask,

"Why is the male brain so much more?"

The doctor smiled at the childish innocence and explained to the entire group, "It's just standard pricing procedure. We have to mark down the price of the female brains, because they've actually been used."

Live well, Laugh often, & Love with all of your heart!

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:29:11 PDT

I AM THANKFUL:
FOR THE WIFE
WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA
BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.
FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME,
NOT ON THE STREETS.
FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM EMPLOYED .

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.
FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,
WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,
AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME .
FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS
WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. .
FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION .
FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM WARM.
FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH
WHO SINGS OFF KEY BECAUSE IT MEANS
I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN
CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

Happy Women`s Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:26:16 PDT

WHO SAID POETRY IS BORING

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:59:36 PST

THESE ARE ENTRIES TO A WASHINGTON POST COMPETITION
ASKING FOR A TWO-LINE RHYME
WITH THE MOST ROMANTIC FIRST LINE,
AND THE LEAST ROMANTIC SECOND LINE:

1. My darling, my lover, my beautiful wife:
Marrying you has screwed up my life.

2. I see your face when I am dreaming.
That's why I always wake up screaming.

3. Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;
This describes everything you are not.

4. Love may be beautiful, love may be bliss,
But I only slept with you 'cause I was p!ssed.

5. I thought that I could love no other
-- that is until I met your brother.

6. Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.
But the roses are wilting, the violets are dead, the sugar bowl's
empty and so is your head.

7. I want to feel your sweet embrace;
But don't take that paper bag off your face.

8. I love your smile, your face, and your eyes
Damn, I'm good at telling lies!

9. My love, you take my breath away.
What have you stepped in to smell this way?

10. My feelings for you no words can tell,
Except for maybe 'Go to he!l.'

11. What inspired this amorous rhyme?
Two parts vodka, one part lime.

WHO SAID POETRY IS BORING

Hungry! (Bubbly Parody! Colbie Caillat!)

noreply@blogger.com (Bios) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:26:49 PDT

(1st Verse) I haven't eaten for a while now I'm kinda feelin like I'm starving now I might just go to a fast-food place I'll order everything and stuff my face! (Chorus) I'll have some nachos! And I like OREOS! Some pizza to go! And Sloppy Joes! I really like PIE! Yeah, it makes me smile now! I always have TIME for burritos! (2nd Verse) Me have some cookies sitting on me plate Yeah, me love cookies cuz dey really GREAT! Yah! Me also LOVE to have some CHOCOLATE CAKE! If you eat too MUCH youll get a stomach ache! (Chorus) I'll have some nachos! And I like OREOS!! Some pizza to go! And Sloppy Joes!! I gotta have my baked potatos and chives now Maybe some FRIES or marshmallows! (Bridge) What am I gonna weigh? I've been eating chips all day! I just.. ..? (Chorus) I'll have some nachos! And I like OREOS!! Some pizza to go! And Sloppy Joes!! I really like RICE! Crabby-patties are NICE now Maybe I'll fry a ....BUFFALO!!!? (???) Fajita-pizza-peanutbutter-toast Lotsa-butter-on-a-scone Whopper-BigMac-chicken-nugget Twinkie-Ding-Dong-casserole! Ooh-oooh! (3rd Verse) I've been eating for a while now Refridgerator's kind of empty now But I still think I have a little space There's gotta be some more food in this place! (Chorus) I'll eat my clothes! And my G.I.Joes! My garden hose! And my front window! I'll eat my TIE! And I might even FRY IT! Throw in a flashlight! I like cheese... and Slurpees.. I'll eat cheerios.. Theres noodLes.. And PoodLes...?? I think i am full.

Links for 2008-11-08 [del.icio.us]

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:00:00 PST

visagc - Green Card Lottery. live and work in the united state

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Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:00:00 PST

Solo - Desk & Office
Desk & Office - Solo Trading Limited - Silver Plated Gift Ideas | Leather Gifts | Promotional Gifts

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Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 PDT

Оффшорные механизмы и решения для Российских компаний

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RADAS - сайт для малого предпринимателя

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Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PDT

Болезненное суши и другие ошибки ценообразования

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Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PDT

Evening Fishing - Mozambique
This was taken a little while ago on a Mozambique fishing trip I went on. The colours were too good not to post!
Beached Jellyfish

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Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDT

Smokin` Koala