Happy Beltane.

The festival of Beltane is mentioned in the earliest Irish literature and is associated with important events in Irish mythology. It marks the beginning of summer and is traditionally celebrated on May 1 in Gaelic societies.  Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops and people, and to encourage growth. Special bonfires were kindled, and their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers. These gatherings would be accompanied by a feast.  Doors, windows, and the cattle themselves would be decorated with yellow May flowers.  In parts of Ireland, people would make a May Bush; a thorn bush decorated with flowers, ribbons and bright shells.  Beltane had largely died out by the mid-20th century.  However, the custom has been revived in some parts of the country, especially Wicklow, and is now a major social event in Edinburgh with ten’s of thousands of participants.

crown of roses

Pagan peoples crowned their statues with roses as symbols of their own hearts.
Reportedly as young virgins marched over the sands of the Colosseum into the jaws of death, they clothed themselves in festive robes and wore on their heads a crown of roses, bedecked, fittingly, to meet the King of Kings in Whose name they would die. The faithful, at night, would gather up these crowns of roses and say their prayers on them --- one prayer for each rose.
Rosary means "crown of roses"

marcellus shale

Dr Thomas Gold, the astrophysicist discussed in his 1998 book The Deep Hot Biosphere, was that oil and coal are not remnants of ancient surface life. Gold instead argued that these deposits are produced from primordial hydrocarbons dating back to when the Earth was formed. He claimed that volatile gases then migrate towards the surface through cracks in the crust, and either leak into the atmosphere as methane, become trapped in sub-surface gas fields.

Gold received many honours in his lifetime, having been made a fellow of the Royal Society and elected to the US National Academy of Sciences. He also served on the President's Science Advisory Committee.

From the Journal of Experimental Philosophy

My team has just completed a year long study of male and female perambulators to determine if they act and think differently when they walk past an open window.  The window is on the second floor and visibility into the room itself is not possible past the first couple feet.  To be seen one would have to be standing near the window.  We observed and noted more subjects than you could shake a stick at.

Experimental Philosophy is very much like other behavioral science disciplines with the exception that we skip all the difficult steps.

Results:  1. 85% of the males took the time to look up toward the window.  15% of the females did.
              2.  The team of crack philosophers agreed on the following explanation:
The males looked up in hopes of what they might see.  The women avoided looking up in fear of what they might see.  Conclusion:  men are dogs; Experimental philosophy is cool (though its hard to get paying gigs).

a famous mistake

Chocolate chip cookies were a one of life’s famous mistakes. Ruth Wakefield ran out of bakers chocolate one day so she decided to add some sweet chocolate pieces to her cookies. She was too busy running the Toll House Inn to stop and run out to the store. She thought they would melt and flavor the cookies into a chocolate flavor. Her mistake led to the invention of Toll House Chocolate Chip cookies. Her famous mistakes are happily eaten by chilkdren and adults daily.

Birthday customs in India

In India, where Hindu is the most common religion, it is customary for a child celebrating his first birthday to have his head shaved. This act symbolizes the shedding of negative energies associated with past lives. Additionally, the birthday child is adorned in bright clothing and hands out chocolates to all of his schoolmates. The children kneel at their parents' feet as a sign of respect. And the celebration also includes visiting a shrine for a special prayer.

The Rose Family by Robert Frost

The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only know
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose--
But were always a rose.                    

a famous dream

Abraham Lincoln Dreamt of His Assassination

President Abraham Lincoln recounted the following dream to his wife just a few days prior to his assassination:

"About ten days ago, I retired very late. I had been up waiting for important dispatches from the front. I could not have been long in bed when I fell into a slumber, for I was weary. I soon began to dream.

There seemed to be a death-like stillness about me. Then I heard subdued sobs, as if a number of people were weeping. I thought I left my bed and wandered downstairs. There the silence was broken by the same pitiful sobbing, but the mourners were invisible. I went from room to room; no living person was in sight, but the same mournful sounds of distress met me as I passed along. It was light in all the rooms; every object was familiar to me; but where were all the people who were grieving as if their hearts would break?

I was puzzled and alarmed. What could be the meaning of all this? Determined to find the cause of a state of things so mysterious and so shocking, I kept on until I arrived at the East Room, which I entered. There I met with a sickening surprise. Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments. Around it were stationed soldiers who were acting as guards; and there was a throng of people, some gazing mournfully upon the corpse whose face was covered, others weeping pitifully.

'Who is dead in the White House?' I demanded of one of the soldiers "The President" was his answer; "he was killed by an assassin!" Then came a loud burst of grief form the crowd, which awoke me from my dream."

country sayings

Your buckle don’t shine in the dirt, get up!

try it

"When one begins with joy in the morning the day becomes a feast."
~~Scripture

Cheetos hand puppets

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s5h0nf9FgOU

Jpr: imagination is the greatest stength of the mind.

World's Most Tattooed Woman.

Linda Gnuse of NYC holds the Guinness record as the world's most tattooed woman, 95% of her body.  What can you say.

Too Much Time On Their Hands?

Mobility scooters for the disabled are far more common in the UK than the US as the socialistic gov’t pays for them. Their commonality has led to the growth of various ‘motor sports’ using the slow moving electric carts.  Participants are rarely disabled themselves. Events include speed races with refitted lawn mower or motor bike engines, long distance races using original equipment (the record is 107 miles) and the infamous ‘banger races’ similar to an American demolition derby. Only the English.

spring

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

La Science des rêves ........................................... Science findings from COI

Researches from the COI-o Instituto Italiano have discovered that birds that fly together sleep together. Their new FOUND theory puts forth that these birds must share dreams including day dreams while flying which explains the plague of accidents with wind mills, large bay windows, and airplanes.

Spraying nesting areas with Nodoz is being considered.

Snakes in the Holy Land

There are 40 species of snake in the Holy Land, seven are poisonous with three deadly to man.

The most common viper the isIsrael, Vipera Palaestinae Is A Venomous Viper Species  Found In Syria, Jordan, Israel andLebanon

P

Jpr: Apparently they are left overs from the garden of Edan.

A Prayer For Spring

Though cloudy skies, and northern blasts,

Retard the gentle spring awhile;

The sun will conqu'ror prove at last,

And nature wear a vernal smile.

The promise, which from age to age,

Has brought the changing seasons round;

Again shall calm the winter's rage,

Perfume the air, and paint the ground.

Dear Lord, afford our souls a spring,

Thou know'st our winter has been long;

Shine forth, and warm our hearts to sing,

And thy rich grace shall be our song.

John Newton

Longing by Matthew Arnold

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For so the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.                                                

Come, as thou cam'st a thousand times,
A messenger from radiant climes,
And smile on thy new world, and be
As kind to others as to me!

Or, as thou never cam'st in sooth,
Come now, and let me dream it truth,
And part my hair, and kiss my brow,
And say, My love why sufferest thou?

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For so the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.



JPR: I like this very much!

Michio Kaku

born January 24, 1947 (age 64)
San Jose, California, United States
Residence New York City, New York, United States
Nationality American
Fields Theoretical physics
Institutions City University of New York
New York University
Institute for Advanced Study
Alma mater Harvard University
University of California, Berkeley
Doctoral advisor Stanley Mandelstam
Known for String field theory

Dr Haku may have found the "Theory of Everything" for which Einstein searched (unsuccessfully) over 30 years until his death.

by Robert Burns

The Book-Worms

Through and through th' inspir'd leaves,
Ye maggots, make your windings;
But O respect his lordship's taste,
And spare his golden bindings.

being irish

Having Irish children.

jpr: Look's like Mary McElwain's grand daughters.

an expensive "0"

Bling Bling Toilet Seat - Cost: $105,000

Ben Affleck got his girlfriend J-Lo,  a jewel encrusted oval seat. The device is encrusted with rubies, sapphires and diamonds.

Some attributes of a good wife

That she be of a beautiful soul, Eph 3:16
That she be not contentious, but with a mild and humble character, not given to arguing, That she loves not the things of this world, 1Jo 2:15
That she has a good sense of humor, Pro 15:15


jpr: Not unreasonable!

Manchester council considers plan for 'anti-wee' paint

High-tech "anti-wee" paint could be introduced across Manchester UK city center in order to deter drunken men from urinating in the streets.

Manchester City Council is considering coating public areas with the revolutionary paint, which simply bounces back anything sprayed at it.

The idea has been raised after the success of a similar scheme in the German city of Hamburg.

worst poet ever

William Topaz McGonagall, poet and tragedian of Dundee, has been widely hailed as the writer of the worst poetry in the English language..
A self-educated hand loom weaver from Dundee, he discovered his discordant muse in 1877 and embarked upon a 25 year career as a working poet, delighting and appalling audiences across Scotland and beyond.  

                                                                                                           

very special garden

How do you weed out this thing?

Thousand Origami Cranes

Thousand Origami Cranes is a group of one thousand origami paper cranes held together by strings. An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury. The crane in Japan is one of the mystical or holy creatures (others include the dragon and the tortoise), and is said to live for a thousand years.

Dick Vitale quote

"Twelve for 23... It doesn't take a genius to see that's under 50 percent."

famous monsters of the screen

The Vulture (1957): The big guy loved "canned" meat, and young women in tight skirts.
The latter proved his down fall. There is a little vulture in all men!

Locus

Coordinated swarming drones attack enemy targets.

http://rt.com/usa/250233-us-drones-navy-locust/

friendship

" Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter:
whoever finds one has found a treasure.
Faithful friends are beyond price;
no amount can balance their worth. "

~ scripture

being Irish

Being in your mother's prayers.

jpr: An preyen for her even when she is in heaven.

Enough!

Someone stpo this guy!

math quiz

 First one to solve this wins a "swell prize".

Stana Katic

Born Stana Katic
April 26, 1978 (age 33)
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Occupation Actress
Years active 1999–present

jpr; Just saw her work for the first time....excellent!

City of bones

st petersburg russia, was built by Tsar Peter the Great on wetlands. an estimated 30, 000 russians died while digging drainage system for the new city.

how much $

A prized Hereford Bull will sell for over $50,000.

"Old Men" by Ogden Nash

People expect old men to die,
They do not really mourn old men.
Old men are different. People look
At them with eyes that wonder when...
People watch with unshocked eyes;
But the old men know when an old man dies.

jpr: a bit of serious ogden

snakes in spring time

Here are some tips you can use to help minimize conflicts with snakes while hiking.

Stick to well-used, open trails.
Avoid walking through thick brush and willow thickets.
Do not step or put your hands where you cannot see.
Wear over-the-ankle boots and loose-fitting long pants.
Watch all snakes from a distance and be aware of defensive behaviors that let you know you are too close.


jpr: when the ground is warm under the sun snakes begin to move!!

The Romanovs

The rains of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, and all five children have been  found in shallow graves near Yekaterinburg in the Ural District of Russia. DNA matching confirmed these results.

Chinese Proverb

To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.

Chinese Proverb

If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.

It's been found!

Carbon dating of cookie remains buried at the base have confirmed that the Original Keebler Elf House has been located. Accompanying documents are being translated from early Elfen and a treasure trove of lost recipes are expected to be recovered.

from Mother Teresa

"Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty."

Quotes on Women

Behind every successful man is a surprised woman.
- Maryon Pearson

misprints

"This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Brown to come forward and lay an egg on the alter."

"Thursday at 5:00 p.m. there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All wishing to become little mothers will please meet the pastor in his study."

"This afternoon there will be a meeting in the South and North ends of this church. Children will be baptized at both ends."

"The first essential in the treatment of burns is that the patient should be removed from the fire." - First Aid Manual

"Like all papers written by people following an infinite end, the welter of have and have not, with regard to what may, if by any chance it ever, though it should, of course, is a little confusing. - Stockport Advertiser

How to Fail a Class of Any Kind

The first thing to understand about failing a class is that it is extremely difficult to do. You must reallywork at it in order to accomplish this goal! After all, rarely do teachers in the public schools or universities give F grades anymore. Simple lack of knowledge of the content will no longer suffice to earn you a failing grade; it might get you a C or a D with a bit of luck.

1. Cheat, and cheat often
2. Never attend class
3. Go to raucous parties every night
4. When taking multiple choice tests, pick a letter and stick to it
5. Always procrastinate
6. Sleep in class

An instructor can always count on one or two of such students. It takes about 2 weeks into a course for me to "make" the F candidates.

Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole

hear him...see him! hauntingly beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mountainapplecompany&annotation_id=annotation_578920&src_vid=V1bFr2SWP1I&feature=iv

World History According to Students

The Renaissance was an age in which more individuals felt the value of their human being. Martin Luther was nailed to the church door at Wittenberg for selling papal indulgences. He died a horrible death, being excommunicated by a bull.

 It was the painter Donatello’s interest in the female nude that made him the father of the Renaissance. It was an age of great inventions and discoveries. Gutenberg invented the Bible. Sir Walter Raleigh is a historical figure because he invented cigarettes. Another important invention was the circulation of blood. Sir Francis Drake circumcised the world with a 100-foot clipper.