Positively Puzzled

brothers at the beach , originally uploaded by I, Puzzled .

I see it’s been nearly three months since I composed a full blog entry. I seem to have lost my voice. I never intended to drop out for so long, but that’s how it turned out. It’s not for lack of an earnest desire to speak out on a myriad of issues and deep concerns, particularly about the state of the union. It has been a difficult period for me, which would have been unbearable without the solace and support, the love and blessings, of my family. I’m so grateful that they’re here for me. I thank them for their patience in dealing with the vagaries of my funk and splenetude. Frankly, just about every day it seems, I’ve felt overwhelmed and depressed by the accumulation of things I hear and read about in the news. So many of my days have seemed joyless, and I’ve come to sorely miss my sense of humor. Also, I’ve been extremely frustrated by the very fact that, despite a sense of urgency, I’ve been unable to write about it. I’ve been backed into a corner, mainly b...

tatong lightning , originally uploaded by Andrew C Wallace .

Happy Birthday, Gabriel! , originally uploaded by I, Puzzled . Today, January 21, 2008, is Gabriel's 5th Birthday, which just happens to fall on MLK Day this year. No, we didn't get him a pony. This was at the school carnival earlier this year. The last ten movies I watched: Christmas in Connecticut (1945) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) Boy's Town (1938) The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) The Goonies (1985) The Lady from Shanghai (1947) All Through the Night (1941) Lost in Space (1998) Jane Eyre (1944) Roxanne (1987)

lemmings , originally uploaded by I, Puzzled .

Gemina Giraffe , originally uploaded by I, Puzzled . Santa Barbara Zoo's unusual attraction, alas, is no more. Gemina Giraffe died Wednesday, January 9, 2007. story . "One of the most popular animals at the Santa Barbara Zoo is the Giraffe with a neck deformity, Gemina. This Baringo Giraffe was born normally in the San Diego Wild Animal Park in 1986, but as she grew she developed a bend in her neck. The deformity does not cause her pain and is likely caused by a benign bone tumor in one of her joints or from an incident from her youth." ─from wikipedia . Click here to see more photos of Gemina the Crooked-Necked Giraffe.

last sunset of the year , originally uploaded by I, Puzzled . Happy New Year, Everyone! Some of this season's listening included: We Need A Little Christmas─Michelle Jordan─ Christmas by the Bay I've Got the Blues & I Can't Be Satisfied─Mississippi John Hurt A Prayer─Madeleine Peyroux─ Dreamland Uncloudy Day─Willie Nelson Miss Perfumado─Cesaria Evora William Byrd: Ave Regina, caelorum (Hail, Queen of the Heavens)─Chanticleer─ Intempore Paschale Strange Fruit─Billie Holiday Donald MacPherson (lament)─Winnie Chafe, violin─ Highland Melodies of Cape Breton Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas─Judy Garland and the David Rose Orchestra─ I'll Be Home For Christmas: Songs That Won The War Psaume 91─Abbaye de Keur Moussa, Senegal A couple books I just finished reading: The End of America: Letter of Warning To A Young Patriot , Naomi Wolf Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House , by Valerie Plame Wilson (extensively redacted by the CIA), with after...