Random Information: The Number 9

from thespeakersgroup.com

I’m sure you have heard of numerology, the belief in a mystical  relationship between numbers and  physical objects and or living things.  But the number nine holds a special reverence in many cultures to hold special meaning, power, or luck.

Nine is the highest single-digit number, and it symbolizes completeness as the end of a cycle before returning to the number one.

Also, in early Chinese mythology, the number nine was very common, such as nine fields of heaven and nine songs of heaven.

The center of Beijing has eight roads leading to the ninth, the city center.

The Forbidden City has 9,999 rooms.

Nine dragons are found on the emperor’s throne.

Nine mythical animals are found throughout the palace and temple buildings.

In other cultures such as Egypt, nine was very important to the religious and cosmological order.

To the Hebrews, the ninth letter of their alphabet is Tet, which symbolizes completeness.

In Christianity, hell has nine gates and is divided into nine sections.  At the opposite spectrum, there are nine choirs of angels in heaven.  Also, Christ died at the ninth hour.

Regarding life cycles, the human gestation period is nine months, and cats are said to have nine lives.  There are nine judges on the Supreme Court, and nine players on a baseball team.

Basically, the number nine is a universal symbol that has much  influence throughout many different cultures.  It stands alone in its importance.

To read more :

Wait — if September means “seven,” why is it the ninth month? Also, why is it “lucky seven?” | The Hot Word.

So I leave you with this question, if you believe in luck or lucky numbers, what is your number and why?

Lucky Numbers by Adam McCauley

http://www.adammccauley.com/personal/paintings/4.html

Read Full Post »

A Weird Dream Has Speedos, Explosives, and ModernWarfare II

Lately, my son has been telling me about his weird dreams. I like to listen to him, as well, I can never remember my dreams.

Here’s his from last night.

The Infamous Game

I was home alone, and I could see this old guy and some teenagers outside the house, and I could tell they were going to break in.

Then it changes to I’m sitting on the bench outside the house and talking to one of the guys, who has a gun….then he tells me “I’m gonna kill you now” So, I ask him if I can go check something over in the yard, and he says ok. So I go and set a C-4 to kill them. I get back to the house, and set it off, using my cell phone, but it doesn’t kill them……. but it worked as a distraction. So I decide to run to Austin’s house (a friend who lives three houses away), I get there and see his dad walking around the house with only a speedo on, and he’s walking around really funny, like it is giving him a wedgie. So, I think to myself, “no, I’m not going in there.”

Speedos for Jesus

I remember that dad gave me a survival kit with a gun in it, so I go back home, find the gun and kill the old guy.

This is what C-4 explosives look like

The dream ends there.

So, some background info now. My son is a swimmer, and he wears speedos, so we’re guessing that is why someone in his dream had a speedo on….even though it was a neighbor. That gave us a good chuckle.

I asked him, “What is a C-4?”, because I have no idea what that is. It’s an explosive..…..I’m not up on all the names of explosives etc. but my son is, because he plays Modern Warfare II, and apparently he utilizes various guns and explosives in that game. So this is the reason he used an explosive in his dream.

He told me it was really a cool dream as he was being all “James Bond” like. I’m laughing to myself now. Oh the mind of a teenage boy!

Read Full Post »

Why I Don’t Like Applying For Jobs.

I’m thinking to myself…”This sucks”, as I have been pretty spoiled when it comes to “work”.  I have mostly worked for myself, and prefer to keep it that way.  But, the work I was doing….well….lets just say “commission only” isn’t working out.

And NOW, of all times to have to look for work, it is just brutal…….the economy is on a nose dive to hell, and guess what?  There aren’t any jobs! (wait….I take that back….I could work at McDonalds….or somewhere like that…..I’d rather gag myself).

To begin, I have a real problem with the whole application process.  I am not joking, when I tell you I had to complete four online tests to see if I met the minimum requirements for knowledge regarding software, grammar, math, and a psychological evaluation.  And this was just the beginning!  Then, I had to go to an interview, which it wasn’t really an interview, mostly to turn in all the paperwork I had to bring, such as seven years…..yes seven….of W2’s of my past earnings.  Oh yeah, this is just the beginning of the “process”, there is a background check, and of course to top it….a drug screen test!  Lucky me!

One time, after completing a “personality evaluation”, it immediately told me, “The answers show us you are not a good fit for this position”.  It then went on to tell me, I should not apply for any other positions there until after six months.  I was answering these questions truthfully, so after that incident, I changed my strategy to answer according to what I believed they wanted for an answer.

Tomorrow I go to get my drug screen test, and I just spoke with my sister, and she told me, “Don’t eat any poppy seed muffins before you go…..that will show up as a positive.”  Is it true?  Eating poppy seed muffins will cause one to fail their drug test?  Anyone know?  Since I’m on the subject, if anyone knows of any other tips that I need to know about….please do share it with me.

I can’t go into details of the other seven pages of online “stuff” I had to fill out…such as “contract agreement”, “authorization for background check”, etc.  I mean it is a two or three day ordeal….just filling out paperwork (and you don’t know if you actually get the job, until AFTER these verifications are completed).

from: Platinumtestgroup.com

I can’t help but think to myself, “I can thank all the former criminals and liars for all this paperwork I have to do now….just for a job”.

So, I’m handing over my life history, all in good faith that they aren’t going to steal my identity, or lose one of those many W-2 forms I gave them (all with my social on them too).  I’m thinking to myself, “This better be worth it”, or I just wasted three days of my life.

Whatever happened to just filling out a one page application and shaking hands over the deal?  I miss the good old days when applying for a job was simple.

Read Full Post »

My Living Will

Read Full Post »

Random Information 06/09/2010- Hair Removal

My random information for today.….. there is a new cream to help remove facial hair!

This is for the ladies, however I don’t see why men can’t use this either (but you have to ask your doctor and get a prescription for this wonderful new cream).

The prescription is called Vaniqa (eflornithine hydrochloride) Cream, 13.9% and it:

• Is FDA approved & dermatologist recommended.
• Works for women of all ethnicities and skin types.
• Works by reducing the rate of hair growth, so over time you should be using your current method of hair removal less frequently.

How does it work?

It works during the growth stage of the hair cycle by blocking an enzyme in the follicle that is necessary for hair to grow.

For more information visit this site: www.vaniqa.com or see your doctor.

Hope this was helpful……or not.

Photo woman with facial hair: thebeautybrains.com

Read Full Post »

A Glimpse Into The Minds Of Some Juniors In High School

Just before the 2002/2003 school year, I had completed the “alternative” teaching certification in order to become a “certified” teacher.  For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is a program that most states have for those who already have a college degree,( but not in teaching), but who think they might want to go into teaching, they may sign up for an “accelerated” training program, where at the end, you may apply to be a teacher in public or private schools.

This program was designed to aid school districts in finding teachers, as there always seems to be a shortage of them.

Only after I paid the fee, and completed this program, did I find out that not all districts want “alternative” certified teachers, and the district I lived in, well, they were the last resort for teachers they were looking for….(I was screwed).

Anyway, I had been substitute teaching for my district, when I received a call for a “long-term” substitute position.  What this meant was basically I did everything a real teacher did, attendance, parent-teacher meetings, assignments, grades,  and of course had  six classes of about 25 to 30 kids each.

I went ahead and took the long-term position, thinking this would be great experience, and would better my chances of getting hired as a full-time teacher.  (If you don’t know about school districts….who you know is a BIG factor in getting a job….I didn’t know anyone of great importance, so…well, I never became a teacher).

But, I do look back on the experience with an appreciation of teachers and the crap they put up with.  Maybe it was a blessing in disguise?

So, I was going to teach English Literature for juniors, I was excited, I love Literature, and well, this was perfect.  It was around the middle of the school year, and the teacher received notice he was to be deployed to Iraq, this is why they needed a long-term substitute.

Before each class started, it is always good to have a “warm-up” assignment on the chalk board, so that the students can quietly settle in, while taking role.  I also wanted to get to know the students I would be working with, so the first couple of days, I presented this warm up to them:

1: Where are you from?

2: Where would you like to travel to, and why?

3: Who is the most important person in your life? Why?

4: Is the glass half empty or half-full?

5: If you were to die, what would you like to be written on your epitaph?

Yeah, I know that last one is kind of morbid….but…no one needs to be taught more than teenagers that they are not immortal.

So I was doing some cleaning out of files recently, and I ran accross these that I had saved.

Pretty normal response huh?

Pretty basic.....except for the "something weird"

Pepperoni Pizza? what? so random.....

Ok....kind of weird....a future nudist here?

Ah....the gangster.....nice to know

A true patriot....she want's to be burried with a full metal jacket & M16

Here lies the most sexiest man on this planet? lol

Of couse, I had to save the funniest for last….typical teen huh?

I enjoyed my classes, and tried to be a good influence on all of them.  After finding these, it made me smile, and I wonder what ever became of them.

Read Full Post »

Paranormal Encounters In New Orleans

I like to visit New Orleans whenever possible, but not for the famous Mardi Gras, there are other things about that city that draws me to it.

The city and its people are rather laid back, I like that kind of atmosphere, a carefree style without concern about anything. Most of the people are friendly, and you can strike up a conversation without getting a sour look in return for speaking to a total stranger. Also, their accents of Creole mixed “French” is quite interesting to listen to.

A local getting ready for the day

I go for the authentic Cajun food, I can’t get enough of those wonderful spices they cook with. This last time we went, I had the “full Cajun” dinner, it consisted of Jambalaya, with spicy sausage, dirty rice, and of course some gumbo….it was like I died and went to heaven (gee I hope there’s Cajun food in heaven).

Another thing so compelling about the city is just the beauty of the architecture of the buildings. Many of the buildings were built in the late 1700’s, and the styles you will find are, Creole cottage, Creole townhouse, American townhouse, Shotgun house, and Double-Gallery homes. Many of these homes are surrounded by beautiful azaleas, and old oak trees. A good way to see these homes is by riding on one of the streetcars, such as the “St. Charles” line. This one passes many antebellum mansions, historical monuments, the Audubon Zoological Gardens, and Loyola and Tulane Universities.

A local Art Gallery

I do not advise going there in the heat of summer, but rather plan to go in spring or in the fall. If you have never been, there is a good reason for this advice. It is not a very clean city and garbage cans litter the back alleys and they are even posted out front of some establishments. I suppose the cans are there because it is a city where people are allowed to walk around with drink in hand (and not get stopped by the police).

Note the garbage cans lined up in the street to the right

New Orleans is classified as one of the most haunted cities in the United States. Given its history and how it was founded, it is no wonder it has this title or has so many sightings of ghosts. It is founded on a huge area of swampland, and was considered an ideal area to build because of its location on the Mississippi River.

The French believed it would be a good area for trading, so it was established in 1718, and built by prisoners that were sent over from France. These prisoners were the first residents of New Orleans, a population of thieves, murderers, and rapists. The living conditions were horrible, given that there were many mosquitoes, alligators, snakes, and disease. All of this made a perfect atmosphere for hauntings and ghosts.

The first time we visited, we stayed at Le Pavillon Hotel. It was built in 1907, and is listed as a member of historic hotels of America. It has many antiques and beautiful chandeliers throughout, a very elegant atmosphere.

Le Pavillon Hotel

Lobby in the Pavillon

It is said to have four resident ghosts, a teenage girl named Ada, from the 1840’s, a young man from the 1920’s era, and an aristocratic couple, also believed to be from the 1920’s. It is known for inexplicable sounds and smells, voices and poltergeist activity.

When we stayed there, one night I woke up hearing voices in the hallway….it was around 1:30 or 2:00 am. Nothing really that scary for me. However our most recent stay in New Orleans, we were staying at The Ambassador Hotel (not really that great, but the price was right).

The first night, I woke up due to the noises in our room. It is hard to describe what it was, but it sounded like someone playing a game of “jacks” on the floor. I could hear the sound of metal (the jacks) and what sounded like a little rubber ball bouncing off the floor. There were creaking sounds like someone standing there also. The whole hotel has hardwood planks that run throughout it, and it creaks whenever you walk on it. Sometimes it sounded like someone moving a step stool, flipping it over and over. I was tired, so managed to go back to sleep…even with the noises.

My husband says it was my imagination, and in his mind, that is all it was. Even though I woke him up to ask him if he could hear it also.

His response was that it was just hearing someone walking on the other side….and the sound travels through the planks. Well, gee…that doesn’t explain the bouncing ball noise or the metal sounds.

The next night (just as I knew in the back of my mind), the noises started again, same spot, around the same time. I once again woke my husband up, and he once again dismissed it. But this time, the noises became louder, and it even sounded like someone threw something big and hard against the wall….all the way on the other side of the room, by the window. This really unnerved me, and made me very uncomfortable. What if it throws something at me, or tries to hurt me. I decided to do something about it, as I couldn’t get to sleep. I remember reading in the Bible, that we can tell evil or spirits to go away, and it has to comply. But, you have to say specifically, “In the name of Jesus Christ, be gone”

So I sat up in the bed and said that in a very loud and commanding way. I also told it to “go away”.

It worked! No noises for long enough for me to go back to sleep. Of course my husband thought I was crazy and just annoying him, by waking him up again.

By the end of the day, for our final night, I knew it would happen again, but this time I was prepared, and went to sleep with my mp3 player on. I was not going to have that pesky ghost or whatever keep me up. Sure enough, like clockwork….it did happen again. It managed to get even louder, and more obnoxious….like it knew it would have to to wake me up. And once again, sounded like someone was throwing things against the wall (every once in awhile). I turned up my mp3 player and went back to sleep.

Now don’t get me wrong, I wanted to request a different room after the first and even second encounter, but my husband didn’t want to bother the hotel staff, and mostly he didn’t want them to think we were crazy (that’s the real reason). Because of my “open-mindedness”, I think I am tolerant of certain things that I cannot explain. If it weren’t for that, I’m sure I would have ran out of there screaming.

We have had other encounters with ghosts, so I just don’t understand why he is in denial. I will save those for another post.

Well, anyway, we managed to enjoy our stay again in New Orleans…..it has such a tormented history….no wonder it has so many ghosts. I won’t let them keep me away though, as there is always something new to discover there in that wonderful old city.

Read Full Post »

Random Information 05-07-2010

I’ve decided that I will post random tidbits of information that may or may not be helpful to you.

These will be posted in between my larger, more thought provoking material.

I may or may not impose an “assignment” for you the reader, at the end, where you may respond with your answer via the comment section.

You know how your mother told you that, “You learn something new everyday”, well this is my contribution to your “daily learning”. Ha! And you thought you were through with school!

So, hopefully, you will find this to be a great resource for you…..enjoy…..or not.

Here is an interesting word that isn’t used much these days:

Firkin–noun

1.  a British unit of capacity usually equal to a quarter of a barrel.

2. a small wooden vessel or tub for butter, lard, etc.

Origin: Middle English

An example of it used in a sentence: Joe will bring a firkin of beer to the party.

Your assignment: Write a short poem using the words, firkin, gherkin, lambkin, and napkin.

Oh, it is due thirty minutes, fifteen seconds after you have finished reading the directions….lol.

Good Luck!

Modern Language Association (MLA):

“firkin.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 07 May. 2010. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/firkin>.

Read Full Post »

Interesting Signs

Have you ever seen a sign and thought to  yourself, “that is just too funny, or weird, or disturbing”?  I am one of those people who takes pictures of things that strike me as bizarre (typically it is a sign).

Here are a few of my favorites……..

This was on the campus where I went to college. I think it is both funny and disturbing.

 The strange thing is there were many park benches thoughout the campus….enticing one to sit and possibly become a target for these “predators”.

While walking along in New Orleans, I spotted this.

I have no idea what kind of store or establishment this is….the “no drugs”…..now I’m thinking I should have checked it out.

Clever advertising.....also in New Orleans.

 

Tiny Terrors.....how funny.

I just love the vulture in this last one.  Do you think if you bought a gift from this store and gave it to a friend (for their kid), that they would be offended?

Read Full Post »

Ode to Nacho (Ignacio Figueras)

Nacho, Nacho, ….when I hear your name….I want to tango

You have the look

The look of a lovely boy toy

If I could remember my dreams

I’m sure you would be in them

You are the master of polo

And quite an exquisite fellow

Oh the magnificent life you have

From humble beginnings

You have reached the zenith in life

Time will pass and beauty will fade

But you will endure

As that stunning polo player…..Nacho

Read Full Post »