I learned something today

*blush*

Recently I learned something...I was talking about the cat meme below (I was saying it "meee meee") and J stopped, puzzled and asked me if it was like a "meme"...and then kindly told me where the term meme originates...along with...um...how to pronounce it properly...and it's actual meaning. Apparently meme has a long and interesting origin...not just a lolspeak shortened version of talking about your self...which I...um...actually thought it was. Soooo I thought I'd pass my newfound knowledge on to you...in the hopes that I'm not the only dolt out there who was unaware of meme being quite more profound and culturally developed as a concept. It's good to brighten up the place a bit once in a while.

*ahem*
According to Wikipedia:
"A meme (pronounced /miːm/) consists of any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that gets transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another. Examples include thoughts, ideas, theories, practices, habits, songs, dances and moods and terms such as race, culture, and ethnicity. Memes propagate themselves and can move through a "culture" in a manner similar to the behavior of a virus. As a unit of cultural evolution, a meme in some ways resembles a gene. Richard Dawkins, in his book, The Selfish Gene, recounts how and why he coined the term meme to describe how one might extend Darwinian principles to explain the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena. He gave as examples tunes, catch-phrases, beliefs, clothing-fashions, and the technology of building arches.

The word meme first came into popular use with the publication of Dawkins's book The Selfish Gene in 1976. Dawkins based the word on a shortening of the Greek "mimeme" (something imitated), making it sound similar to "gene". Dawkins used the term to refer to any cultural entity that an observer might consider a replicator. He hypothesised that people could view many cultural entities as replicators, generally replicating through exposure to humans, who have evolved as efficient (though not perfect) copiers of information and behaviour. Memes do not always get copied perfectly, and might indeed become refined, combined or otherwise modified with other ideas, resulting in new memes. These memes may themselves prove more (or less) efficient replicators than their predecessors, thus providing a framework for a hypothesis of cultural evolution, analogous to the theory of biological evolution based on genes.

Dawkins defined the meme as "a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation", but memeticists in general promote varying definitions of the concept of the meme. The lack of a consistent, rigorous and precise understanding of what typically makes up one unit of cultural transmission remains a problem in debates about memetics."

So there you go.

Makes me wonder what else I "know" about that I don't actually know...or know how to pronounce. J is kind to not mock me too much when he points out something I don't know. He's good that way. Together we are on a constant quest to stop me from having my foot permanently stuck in my cheekpouch :)

Constant Vigilance!

Note to self...plan ahead

If you discover you are going to go on heavy medications for a week, don't get a bunch of tasty stout right before you do and put it in your fridge so that it taunts you...it sits there all dark and milky, covered with beaded condensation...glinting in the sunlight...mocking you for your inability to have any of it.

You foul temptress
(...how I miss you...*sniff*)

In 6 days you will be mine.
OH yes...you will be mine

Meme cat - Geek's turn to waste your precious time

Diddums gave out a general meme tag from her cat Samson. Geek, (AKA Zeke/Ezekiel/furbag) my Maine Coone, is taking up the challenge, seeing as his life is far more interesting than mine at the moment. Mine consists of hacking, napping, medications and copious amounts of tea...his seems much more relaxing...

1. What I was doing 10 years ago.
I was trying to escape out of the 2nd story building of Geo's apartment by waiting for unsuspecting passers-by. Their heads were a perfect halfway hopping down point to freedom...No screens on the windows helped me hone my ninja skills of escape and concealment. I also helped Geo study for her analytical chemistry exams by keeping all her notes and books warm while she tried to read through me...what? I was helping!

2. 5 things on my to-do list for today.
Mightily hunt for the demon socks lurking in the bedroom, singing about my victory over the dreaded sock, hovering about in the kitchen for falling scraps while Geo cooks supper, napping in the sunbeams on the bed and annoying Gavin by going wherever he goes and nudging him out of his cozy spots once he's settled in. It's hard to find good help these days.

3. Snacks I enjoy.
Oh...pretty much anything. I'm rather fond of raw mushrooms and scones, but I'll take anything...even an entire muffin, and run away with it.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire.
Renovate the home to have water fountains in every room and skylights above all my comfiest nap places. Oh, AND there will be treats in all rooms...but not for you.

5. Three of my bad habits.
I desperately need to help Geo stretch out after a run...I think she appreciates the ankle biting and nuzzling her - the extra weight on her back during pushups will help her build muscles faster right? I also like to scratch the couch...I do it at night when noone can see or catch me...I just know there's something cool in there. I also tend to knock things off of shelves and ledges if they're in my way...hey, I'm walking here!

6. Five places I’ve lived.
I was at the SPCA shelter for a little while until Geo and her roomate took me home. Then we lived in 3 apartments while Geo was in university...then I was forced to endure the indignity of J's cat Gavin when they got married...but J is a cool guy, so I put up with his mumbly cat. I liked their apartment but the best place is the house we live in now...so I can be outside all day on the deck in the summer...nice.

7. Five jobs I’ve had.
Ninja, jedi, moth exterminator, lap warmer, nose licker

I tag your pet. *poof* A big grey silver Maine Coone cat appears and nibbles your ankles so you know you're next...

Go Speedracer Go!

I'm not sure what all the "oh it's not gonna be good" backlash was about around the Wachowski Brother's Speed Racer film...it seemed it was another case of people deciding they didn't like something when it hadn't even been out yet. And this by people who knew nothing about the film or the original show...I decided to ignore the local blehs and go.

All I know is, I went to see it on opening day and I loved it.
It had a surreal supercoloured stylish world (think Edward Scissorhands only brighter) and the characters were well acted - they seemed deeper and more real to me than a lot of films I've seen. And the racing...man. Everything was done so very well and stylishly. It was funny at times (good humour, quirky and odd at times) and great over the top characters. I've never seen the original Speedracer cartoons, so I have nothing to compare it too, but the occasional cheers and grins form the 30-something comic book/anime crawd in the theatre when I went to see it seems to show the film had a fans approval. It was a good film. I left happy and excited (and excited to someday have a segway...and maybe a monkey too...). It made me forget being sick for a few hours. I'd really reccomend it. It was like a happy alternate world full of techinicolour...and fast cars.

It didn't hurt that after we'd picked up our tickets before the show we went for a walk...and SpeedRacer drove by (no I wasn't medicated yet then). A white convertable old car with the number on the side was being driven by a man in a white leather jacket, white helmet and yellow gloves (and red socks no doubt). Never saw him again...but he was there.

Go Speedracer. Go.

I'll have an avelox with a side of prednisone straight up...

And don't forget the salbutamol chaser...

Hey hey.
Guess what? I'm sick again. Yup. And not half assed either...it's an all out lung infection...came up over a matter of hours on friday and got bad fast...would've been pneumonia if J hadn't bugged me to go in to go checked out yesterday. I get an xray today to be sure I'm not needing more fun medication or actually *do* have pneumonia. I think the pharmacy I've already been given has started to work already. Not being able to breathe is not fun...it's rather frightening actually. I'm enjoying the breathing part.
Definitely.

BUT...all will pass I'm sure. I was mad about it, but what can you do?

I'm balancing this with the new knowledge that Coldplay is coming to Edmonton and Calgary in the summer and I am going to see Phantom of the Opera tonight. Unfortunately I'll be medicated to the gills, so as not to dsturb the other patrons, but I can't wait. I haven't seen it for a loong loooooooooong time. We're going to get dressed up and try to have a great time. It sucks to be sick, but I'm determined to enjoy it. J hasn't seen it, so I'm determined to not ruin it for him by hacking through it. I'm also determined to try by best to get tickets for Coldplay...they're not on sale for a while though.

But I'm going off to bed for a while. I took the day off to rest...figured if I need to go for an xray, noone at work would be interested in catching this. I so rarely take a day off that I don't feel a bit lazy.

Hug and sneezes to all.
Later...

Bubble wars!

OK...OK OK OK
Seriously.
My niece got this dual barreled bubble super fan gun for her birthday and ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
So many bubbles.
We're talking hundreds on one dip. Clouds of them...My brother in law and I kept blowing bubbles at my niece and she was in heaven!

I do believe I will be ambulating to my local market forthwith to purchase such wonders for myself tomorrow.

Happy birthday Widget

Happy 3rd birthday kiddo...being your aunt is amazing.
I'm looking forward to snakes and ladders and cake tonight...

Oh my, it's a mirage, I'm tellin y'all it's sabotage!

"the "normal" world is populated by space aliens. Those around you are an entirely different, substandard, sedentary species with strange eating and spending habits and short life spans. You don't "get" to do what they do anymore than you "get" to drink water out of the toilet or poop on the sidewalk just because your dog does."

Crabby McSlacker of Cranky Fitness wrote this today...and echo of how I've been feeling lately. There's no end, it seems, of the advertising world telling us to "treat ourselves" and that "we deserve" all the rewards and things we think everyone else is having. Do I need a chocolate bar? No. But some days I really really want one...and why not? It's when the rewards come every day...and you have them even when you don't really want them, but feel entitled to them so you have them anyways that the problems begin.
In a world of consumerism and excess it's very difficult to try and find your own balanced way to go through life. Eating well and not sabotaging your health with too much snackery and booze can be tricky...remembering to move your ass on a regular basis to be healthy and live a longer, healthier life is also not easy as well. I have a love/hate relationship with running. I love how it makes me feel, and most days, although it can be a struggle sometimes (like today after a week or so off from illness), when I'm done I feel refreshed and full of energy. I like being able to do more. I like feeling healthy.
Even in the realm of the home base - your sanctuary from the world at large, there are those trying to tell you what you need. In planning a paintup of our living room I've found how deceptively easy it is to get sucked in by adding things I don't need, but look cool in a store to my grand schemes. There are even fakey cakey room scents to fill your house with smells...and even a 3 scent one that will rotate the smells so you can smell a different smell every hour if you want to...it's getting out of hand. How about choosing what you like, smelling what you like and doing what you like. Don't know what you like? Well, look around. Try things. *DO* things.

I like to think I'm not alone in thinking the regular world at large are somewhat insane and heading in the wrong direction... I hope that by trying to shop locally, and with a conscience, and living a healthy balanced life I can find what it is that makes me happy...and pursue those things. I know I can't be happy all the time...that's absurd. But I want joy in my life...the kind of contentment that comes from being able to look yourself in the mirror and not being ashamed by the individual there...I'm not talking appearance - but how I treat others and myself. How I use my time...the stuff that matters.

I've had a lot of time to think while sick and indisposed and I've come to the conclusion that I will endure this alien wasteland with all the dignity and strength I can, and hopefully impart to it a bit of sanity and stewardship that will make a difference to myself and others.

And I'll remember to make the time to brew a batch of strawberry wheat beer now and then, make some muffins, scritch my cats and hug my love at any and every opportunity I get...cuz y'know...it's the little things. *Those* are my rewards...
Have a good day all.

It's alive! ALIVE!

Indeed.
I am going declare myself officially well.
Hot damn.
It's been a long LONG week of nastiness but I think I'm back...baby....honey lamb...honey child...oh my sweetness.
Food has flavour and stays where I put it.
I have energy. I can wear fitted clothing and look at bright lights.
It's a whole new world out there!
Tomorrow I'm even going to go for a run...it's been a week off my training for the 10K and I'd like to get back at it so I can actually *d0* it in June.
Nothing like feeling horrid to remind you how fantastic it is to feel normal.

Normal - babe, I salute you.

Bwahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Friday Favoties Vol.8 - The Dream, by The Orb

After a TRULY horrid day I'm feeling much better...and thought I would post a long delayed new friday favourite. This album is new...it just came out late last year in the UK actually - I had to snag it through ebay to get it here at any reasonable sor tof price, but it was indeed worth it.
I've beena long time Orb fan...they often have hits and misses, but their first Ultraworld album is my favourite of all time.

Their new album, The Dream
is nothing less than fantastic. It has a real reggae dub influence, with a few good dance tracks and a few good ambient ones and everything in between. The whole album is solid and I've enjoyed listening to it many times over. It has fast become a favourite of mine. Alex Patterson has been working again withh Thomas Felmann and it shows...there is a solid bass reggae influence and a smooth flow to the tracks that makes it, by far, their best overall alnum in a while. Tracks 2 and 8 are particular favourites. The album rises and falls, ending in some nice ambientness.
Seeing as they aren't on any major label I don't know how easy this album will be to track down, but if you see it, grab it.
As for me..I'm off to tape Galactica and more Arrowroot cookies and gingerale. J is on his last night (yay) and perhaps I won't be sick much longer (I hope I hope).
Ta.

Getting sick of it

I've managed to somehow transfer my cold sick, which is nearly gone, to another realm of sick, with stomach pains and such. Too much yummy chili or Halls perhaps... Regardless, I'm doing a few necessary things and then I'm going home to bed. I've had to come in to work all week despite sickiness and today I should be able to get off at lunch. I'm crossing my fingers. The thing about doing lab work is often, on some days, I can't just call in sick as there are things midstream...how I wish.

I am, very much so, quite sick of being sick.