Monday Musings: The Marilyn Monroe Meme

On facebook Marilyn Monroe has been hailed as an example of beauty that counters the love of  the thin model..  I do think she rocks but this blog post here suggests we need something even better to counter society's shackles. Do we want anyone telling us what is beautiful.  Do we want to compare ourselves to each other?  Read the blog post she has some good points.

I think Dar William sings it up in her song Cool as I am 

 "I will not be afraid of women."

Japanese Proverbs?

Coming out of hibernation to share:

I am not sure if these are really Japanese Proverbs. I'm curious where they come from. Even if it has nothing to do with Japan. They are pretty cool.

This one is my favorite:

Attitude: Japanese Proverbs
We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.

Here are more:

Courage: Japanese Proverbs
Fall seven times; stand up eight.

Courage: Japanese Proverbs
Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.

Business: Japanese Proverbs
None of us is as smart as all of us.

Character: Japanese Proverbs
The reputation of thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.

Action: Japanese Proverbs
Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.

Attitude: Japanese Proverbs
We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.

Character: Japanese Proverbs
When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.

This is just wrong!

I am flabbergasted, shocked! I can't believe this. We institute the stupidest legislation called the No Child Left Behind Act, thinking our children will be better educated. Then we close libraries? What?

Go here to see what the world is coming too. Today, please stop the world, I want to get off.

I'm feeling thankful despite the lack of modernization at my local library it's still there and standing. We don't get much federal money, I don't think so. If so, it looks like that's a good thing, because federal money=closed=stupid acts.

a quote or two

Dear blog reader(s) I really am alive and well just busy an distracted and not very wordy these days.

I came across a quote that has got me thinking:

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.
- Greta Randolph, character from the Traveling Pants series - Yes, I am reading them, so there.

Well...that's just deep!

Another quote from the book:

Fill what is empty, empty what is full, and scratch where it itches
-Tallulah Bankhead

that could be just as deep or possibly frivolous if you are thinking what I'm thinking that my glass needs more beer. It is empty.

I'll be back, really, after I finish this beer.

Why Fiber Star

I've been meaning to explain little bit more about my blog's name. It's true to some extent I have always wanted to be a star. Now, being the "Fiber Star" means more to me than that.

I call my blog Fiber Star because I was trying to think up a coolish title and to honor what I have learned from my kids, to dream big. When they imagine their future they see themselves as Virtuoso's or Artists or Expert Skate Boarders. They see themselves purchasing the rights to Astro Boy and redubbing it. They see themselves as fully capable of reaching whatever goal they imagine. They don't let their dreams get trampled by reality. They are always the star of their dreams no matter where they are on their journey.

I think as adults we can remember that even if we do need to make sure the rent is paid and there is food on the table. We can still dream big and shine!

Could someone please explain to me...

why "we" or anyone thinks that adversity is a good thing? Granted bad things happen to good people and we grow and learn form those things. BUT Why do we connect adversity with something we might want to learn?

I would really like to learn how to spin wool and lots of other fibers on a spinning wheel but it was really challenging for me. I will learn how to do it on my own dang terms. I will do it through the tears and probably a little cussing too.

"Kids, leave the room mamma's going to spin!"

I won't be living through adversity. I will be challenging myself. Adversity to me are things you can't control, like your cat dies.

I refuse to believe that life needs to be a struggle. Sure some days it "feels" that way but I'd rather live my life in joy and exploration. I'd rather tackle things not to "live through it" but because it's worth doing even if I am the only person who thinks so!

So, I guess tonight I am back and I am cranky. LOL

Why Base 8? and other random thoughts...

Why base 8? Some say the Yuki Indians used base 8 because it made more sense to them to count the spaces between their fingers instead their ten fingers. But for some reason base 8 boggles my mind and I keep seeking out how it was used before computers. There is a plethora of information out there about base 8 and computers. So does this mean that computers were meant to be? I'm probably thinking too hard but I like knowing the why of things then the how of things makes more sense to me.

Number bases are like another language and my preferred number language is base 10, thank you very much. I can count by fives and tens. I can use all my fingers. Yet, some think base 12 makes the most sense. I kind of agree. Base 12 makes sense because there are 12 months in a year, 12 eggs in a dozen eggs, 12 hours in the day and 12 at night. Ultimately number bases are just a way to name the patterns we observe such as phases of the moon in the sky and the length of a day. Except base 8 doesn't make sense to me because I didn't grow up with it. I didn't live it. It's like I'm culturally clueless with numbers.

So I've decided that to be less clueless I must believe: Some things are the way they are just because they are. There is no grand scheme to it all. The Yuki Indians used base 8 because they saw the spaces between their fingers, the Mayans used base 20 because they saw all their fingers and their toes too, and "we" likely use base 10 because of the ten fingers on our hands.

Someday I will count, add and do things in base 8 to comprehend what the Yuki Indians did and maybe then it will make sense. Someday I will do this because I can, if I want to. Someday, just because.