Some service animals get freaked out by fireworks and have to be tranquilized for days because of people setting them off for days before 7/4, and often when & where it is illegal.  Similarly, many people with PTSD suffer greatly from firecracker noises (think of people who have been in war zones).  It might be bearable for one day, but days on end is something else.  Please consider this before setting off fireworks illegally - you could be incapacitating someone's mobility or seizure dog or re-traumatizing someone!

Feel free to copy.
4 people on facebook have already reposted this.  It may not help my friend who already had to tranquilize her dog, but maybe someone will see this who will reconsider their plans and help someone else's animals.

Edited 6/29 11:40p.m. to add people with PTSD

"Look at your comment. Back to mine. Back to yours NOW BACK TO MINE.
"Sadly, it isn’t mine. But if you stopped trolling and started posting legitimate crap it could LOOK like mine.
"Look down, back up, where are you? You’re scrolling through comments, finding the ones that your comment could look like. Back at mine, what is it? It’s a highly effective counter-troll. Look again, MY COMMENT IS NOW DIAMONDS.
"Anything is possible when you think before you comment."
Posted by MiniWeskr on a comment stream on a YouTube video

This.

The Case Against Buying Christmas Presents

Let's send a better message to the kids: "for the joy of opening a few presents for a couple hours on Christmas day, we’re imparting on them consumerist values that will last them a lifetime. I think, instead, this can be a great opportunity to have an open discussion with kids about buying and spending and debt."

Let's find more happiness: "Richer happiness can be found in simpler things that don’t involve spending"

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Related: Fun Christmas/Winter crafts
  LED Throwies http://www.bitrebels.com/geek/led-throwies-colorful-holiday-lights-for-geeks/
  3D Christmas ornaments & snow flakes http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2007/12/paper-3-d-holiday-ornament-tutorials.html  (several of the links no longer work)
  Paper (or fabric) wreath of leaves http://realliving.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=325223
  Paper plate angels http://www.marthastewart.com/good-thing/paper-plate-angels?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/easy-holiday-crafts#slide_49

I just read the first known utopian novel by an American woman:
"Three hundred years hence"
by Mary Griffith (1772-1846), published 1836
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/griffith/hence/hence.html
I enjoy speculative and historical fiction - and this is both in one!  Her story reveals a lot about life, views, and values of an American woman 174 years ago.
I found her views on men & women very interesting - her view of equality still had a lot of segregation of roles.

I kept reminding myself that her picture of the United States in 2135 might not have included anything west of the Louisiana Purchase. I looked up an 1836 map to see what the contemporary view was: http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~538~60176:North-America--Entered-----1836-by-?sort=Pub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:United+States+1836;sort:Pub_Date,Pub_List_No,Series_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=39&trs=462
(We could have Cascadia! - just saying)

Edit: Here is the lj entry by the woman who republished the story so we could read it online:
http://merrigold.livejournal.com/82577.html

 

( Cut to save your LJ pageCollapse )

<input ... >

Fun story fragment about a pirate robot!

The Profane Secrets of Doctor N

Posted using ShareThis

Marvin, my parents, and I were all at my grandmother's house from 10:30 a.m. until just a bit ago. We opened stockings, opened Xmas presents, had ham for dinner about 2pm, sang Xmas songs, played Yahtzee, had cookies & Gluhwein, and finally packed up when I was almost ready to fall down & go boom.

I find myself responding to many posts lately with simply "((HUGS))".
I hope everyone receiving them knows that they are sincerely meant.
I often simply have no words to go with them.

naamah_darling journaled about the meta haiku that Heather McDougal had created.  They are really cool & innovative, so I want to pass on the link:
www.mobiushaiku.com/index.html

Enjoy!