Simple BS

Vegansexuals

mercylove — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:48:23 GMT

"Vegansexuals" won't eat animal products nor will they shag anyone who does. A New Zealand researcher studied 157 vegans 120 of whom were women and found that every one of the ladies expressed some breed of carnivore hang up.

RV Rental??

mercylove — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:11:00 GMT

Looking for a reasonably priced RV rental for BM. Any leads, name/phone numbers of rental companies

Free ticket to see Joe Lavano at Herbst Theatre tonight

mercylove — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:10:36 GMT

Joe Lovano Quintet; Renee Rosnes Quartet Thursday, November 8, 7:30PM “One of the greatest musicians in jazz history.” – The New York Times on Lovano Two SFJAZZ Collective members lead their own world-class bands! A musician of equal parts fire and grace, saxman Lovano has earned multiple DownBeat poll “Best Jazz Artist” honors. Rosnes is “one of the most imaginative and soulful pianists of modern jazz” (All About Jazz). PM me if you are interested

Where are you camping

mercylove — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 13:59:41 GMT

I am here in Arraial D'Ajuda soaking up the sun in a small beachside town in Brasil. Making my way to the playa shortly after. I will be camping at the Havana Room at 3 O' Clock and Plaza. And you?

Its paradise... in Peru

mercylove — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:03:39 GMT

I skipped filing my taxes but here I am enjoying spring break in wonderful Peru. We have been on the road visiting the capital city Lima, Cuzco, various ancient Inca ruins at Ollayantaytambo, Moray,Pisac and finally the highlight Machu Picchu. It has been an incredible experience. The Spanish conquistadores arrived here in Peru in 1532. After looting, killing, maiming, murdering the indigenous Quechua people, they killed the Inca king and took over this country.... as simple as that. Along the way, they destroyed ancient Inca buildings to make way for their Spanish style homes. Peru now belonged to them. The Quechua people who lived high up in the mountains in the city of Machu Picchu were afraid for their lives and fled from Machu Picchu into the jungles. The city became uninhabited and was considered lost until rediscovered by Hiram Bingham, an American archaeologist in 1911. He was led there by locals who frequented the site. Our entire experience here has been surreal. Machu Picchu is inaccessible by road. After a four hour train ride from Cuzco, a four mile bus journey high up the Andean mountains on one of the most impressive and spectacular stretches in the world, we arrived here. The ruins are fabulous, mind blowing in every possible way. The site is composed of 140 constructions including temples, sanctuaries, parks and residences, houses with thatched roofs. There are more than one hundred flights of stone steps – often completely carved in a single block of granite. Machu Picchu referred to as the Lost City of the Incas... paradise on earth.

Shattered Glass

mercylove — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 22:35:34 GMT

Saturday night my car was broken into outside the Climate Theatre. My car is theft proof with a working alarm system. The vandals made out with my back pack/ice chest and three chill bottles of Champagne, my son's backpack with his books and clothes. The rest of the interior was intact. They were kind enough to leave behind my favorite 50's vintage jacket . The replacement glass window had a bronze tint which was twice as expensive as a regular window. While I was picking up the shattered pieces of glass, the vandals were probably drinking my chill bottles of champagne.

Happy Birthday Snowflake

mercylove — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 20:56:21 GMT

There is nothing like a dream to create the future Keep dreaming and make your dreams a reality. ....... and keep making me smile.

America wants it all - life, the Universe and everything

mercylove — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 15:52:02 GMT

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2410592,00.html World Briefing by Bronwen Maddox SPACE: no longer the final frontier but the 51st state of the United States. The new National Space Policy that President Bush has signed is comically proprietory in tone about the US’s right to control access to the rest of the solar system. The document makes a serious point about our growing dependence on satellites, the military threats to them and ways of protecting them. But America has rejected the desire by 160 other countries to have United Nations talks about banning an arms race in space, an extravagantly unilateral approach whose appeal you might have thought would have been tarnished by its experience in Iraq. Its vision of the space programme, military more than scientific, is also undermined by its taste for manned missions — and the breathtaking cost. Bush signed the document on August 31, and the White House released the text this month in the late afternoon of the Friday of a holiday weekend. So the first full revision of space policy for ten years has provoked controversy abroad as much as at home. The eyecatching declaration is that the US asserts the right to deny access to space to anyone “hostile to US interests”, although it gives no basis for that right. It also rejects arms control talks that would limit future US actions in space. Military, commercial and personal communication has become more dependent on satellites. The US fears that its satellites are vulnerable to attack. It does not name its potential enemies, but China and Russia clearly have the capability and even Iran has its own satellite and plans for a launch vehicle, while there are about 40 countries with a presence in space. This focus on defence springs from the American strategy for space, which exchanged President Clinton’s goals of understanding the Universe for ones of security. But in scrapping Clinton’s plans for unmanned probes in favour of manned missions to the Moon and Mars, it drew attacks that it would discover little and spend too much. When the US last year dismissed other countries’ wish to talk about banning weapons in space (the UN vote was 160-1), it presumably intended to keep its options open, even though it says that it has no intention of putting up space weapons. But instead it may have missed the chance of securing a ban when countries were willing to sign it — at the very least, a cheaper option than eventually putting its own weapons in space. BODY POLITIC IN REVOLT How much of Bush’s agenda will stick if the Democrats win one or both Houses of Congress in the elections next month? His new law on the imprisonment, interrogation and trial of terrorist suspects must be a prime contender for attack — by the courts, if not by Congress. Bush signed the Bill just before Congress rose for the home stretch of the campaign, as if that were the last word. For his own party, it was. Once the opposition by senators John McCain, Lindsay Graham and John Warner folded, the version passed was bound to end up close to the original wishes of the White House. But it now strips away the right to challenge detention without charge from all non-US citizens — not just for those detained outside the US, as in the original. That applies to the 12 million permanent residents who are not citizens. Legal challenges saying that it is unconstitutional to remove the right of habeas corpus from anyone are already in train. But the potential application to 12 million people within the US will add political heat that was absent when it covered only 500 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

The seven new wonders of the world: Have you seen any??

mercylove — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:14:47 GMT

Apart from the Pyramids of Giza, the seven ancient wonders of the world no longer exist." A new list is being compiled. The only criteria for the new list is that the landmarks were built or discovered before 2000 (??) Votes can be made online at www.new7wonders.com. The 21 finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World, alphabetically: 1 Acropolis, Athens, Greece 2 Alhambra, Granada, Spain 3 Angkor Wat temple, Cambodia 4 Chichen Itza Aztec site, Yucatan, Mexico 5 Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 6 Colosseum, Rome 7 Easter Island Statues, Chile 8 Eiffel Tower, Paris 9 Great Wall, China 10 Hagia Sophia church, Istanbul, Turkey 11 Kyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan 12 Kremlin/St.Basil's, Moscow 13 Machu Picchu, Peru 14 Neuschwanstein Castle, Fussen, Germany 15 Petra ancient city, Jordan 16 Pyramids of Giza, Egypt 17 Statue of Liberty, New York 18 Stonehenge, Amesbury, United Kingdom 19 Sydney Opera House, Australia 20 Taj Mahal, Agra, India 21 Timbuktu city, Mali The gardens of babylon were considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Extract from Wikipedia: "US forces were criticised for building a helipad on ancient Babylonian ruins following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The vibrations from helicopter landings led a nearby Babylonian structure to collapse. In a report of the British Museum's Near East department, Dr. John Curtis describes how parts of the archaeological site were levelled to create a landing area for helicopters, and parking lots for heavy vehicles. Curtis wrote that the occupation forces "caused substantial damage to the Ishtar Gate, one of the most famous monuments from antiquity [...] US military vehicles crushed 2,600-year-old brick pavements, archaeological fragments were scattered across the site, more than 12 trenches were driven into ancient deposits and military earth-moving projects contaminated the site for future generations of scientists.

For those of you who think they don't earn enough... go out and drink some more!!!

mercylove — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 19:52:05 GMT

Alcohol use helps boost income: study Thu Sep 14, 6:44 AM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - People who consume alcohol earn significantly more at their jobs than non-drinkers, according to a US study that highlighted "social capital" gained from drinking. ADVERTISEMENT The study published in the Journal of Labor Research Thursday concluded that drinkers earn 10 to 14 percent more than teetotalers, and that men who drink socially bring home an additional seven percent in pay. "Social drinking builds social capital," said Edward Stringham, an economics professor at San Jose State University and co-author of the study with fellow researcher Bethany Peters. "Social drinkers are out networking, building relationships, and adding contacts to their BlackBerries that result in bigger paychecks." The authors acknowledged their study, funded by the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank, contradicted research released in 2000 by the Harvard School of Public Health. "We created our hypothesis through casual observation and examination of scholarly accounts," the authors said. "Drinkers typically tend to be more social than abstainers." The researchers said their empirical survey backed up the theory, and said the most likely explanation is that drinkers have a wider range of social contacts that help provide better job and business opportunities. "Drinkers may be able to socialize more with clients and co-workers, giving drinkers an advantage in important relationships," the researchers said. "Drinking may also provide individuals with opportunities to learn people, business, and social skills." They also said these conclusions provide arguments against policies aimed at curbing alcohol use on university campuses and public venues. "Not only do anti-alcohol policies reduce drinkers' fun, but they may also decrease earnings," the study said. "One of the unintended consequences of alcohol restrictions is that they push drinking into private settings. This occurred during the Alcohol Prohibition of 1920-1933 and is happening on college campuses today. By preventing people from drinking in public, anti-alcohol policies eliminate one of the most important aspects of drinking: increased social capital." The researchers found some differences in the economic effects of drinking among men and women. They concluded that men who drink earn 10 percent more than abstainers and women drinkers earn 14 percent more than non-drinkers. However, unlike men, who get a seven percent income boost from drinking in bars, women who frequent bars at least once per month do not show higher earnings than women drinkers who do not visit bars. "Perhaps women increase social capital apart from drinking in bars," the researchers said in an effort to explain the gender gap.

And its made in India

mercylove — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 15:20:33 GMT

... I should have kidnapped the bride.

Marhaba

mercylove — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:59:39 GMT

Salaam Aleykum from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. I am having a wonderful time exploring this country. I have learnt a bit of Arabic taking the locals by surpise. We have been on the road traveling from North to South visiting the ancient cities of Jerash, Karak, Amman, Madaba and Petra, floating in the dead sea and hiking in the deserts of Wadi Ram. The Arabs are wonderful and welcoming treating us with great respect able to differentiate between a government, its policies and its people. We spent an eventful two days in Petra. Petra is one of the oldest cities in the middle east, a city carved into red sand rock mountains on the edge of the Dead Sea valley. 2000 years ago it was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom. The city was lost for three hundred years and it was revealed to the western world by a Swedish explorer in 1812. This city is magnificent, only 5 percent remains excavated today. M'asalaama will be home soon.

Squeezebox

mercylove — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 18:25:13 GMT

While I am not technology savvy, this toy we just purchased is cool. Access to Internet based radio stations with a remote is my favorite feature. "Squeezebox lets you easily access any song in your music collection, from any room in your home. It delivers pure digital sound without the hassle of shuffling through CDs. From its simple remote control, Squeezebox gives instant access to any music on your computer, plus hundreds of crystal-clear internet radio stations. You can download your music onto this little device and access your music with a remote from any room in the house. You can have access to internet based radio stations with a remote." www.slimdevices.com

Salud to our so called freedoms

mercylove — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 18:24:55 GMT

Rightwing group offers students $100 to spy on professors http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1689653,00.html

paraskevidekatriaphobia

mercylove — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:07:19 GMT

two parking tickets in two hours. i should have stayed home last night. its Friday the 13th. there goes my happy hour booze money

The Mercy mobile

mercylove — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 21:01:41 GMT

Wanna hop on the Mercy mobile Its Free No Tuk Tuk's needed Caveat: Must weigh 100 lbs or less

culture for thought

mercylove — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 07:59:48 GMT

I am right now in India at the home of my parents spending my days lazily without a care in the world. With chai delivered to me as soon as I wake up and divine meals three times a day, I am beginning to feel like an oversized Santa. Oops my posting didn't go through so here is the info about the location. I stumbled upon this phallic shrine in remote Phranang beach, Southern Thailand where numerous lingams were piled together. While there was no information about the religious significance of this shrine, the lingam or phallic symbol represents Lord Shiva, the third God in the Hindu trinity of dieties. Lord Shiva also known as the destroyer is a renegade god and is worshipped by Hindus in several forms including the phallus and is often depicted being high on opium. On Maha Shivratri, a festival celebrated to honor him, an intoxicating drink called Thandai (made from cannabis also known as bhang, almonds, and milk) is shared by all and songs are sung in his praise while participants dance to the rhythm of the drums. My parents got it wrong raising me Catholic in a Hindu country, I must say I could trade the holy communion for bhang anyday.

My Christmas Cocktail

mercylove — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 22:08:22 GMT

This is the last day I work this month. Woo hoo. 2 oz Tequila (no name) .5 oz Grand Marnier .5 oz fresh lime juice Shake, shake, shake... Sip with a shot of Patron on the side Happy Holidays...

Farmer with a cell phone on a bullock cart in a village

mercylove — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 23:09:47 GMT

I read an article about this photographer while I was getting an oil change this morning. His photographs touched me perhaps because it was so close to home. I loved this one. In a country where people still travel on bullock carts in little villages, the farmer with the cell phone just blew my mind. .... and who is he calling?? Photographer:Dilip Banerjee

The Law

mercylove — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 20:37:54 GMT

I detest cops. I dislike their style and mostly their attitudes. My opinions are drawn from my real life experiencs. I would never trust a cop to save my life. I was driving home from work in the carpool lane when I saw a cop trying to nab the unsuspecting in an unconventional, sneaky way. I looked him in the eye through my shimmery shiny sunglasses, entertained by his techniques. He started pursuing me. At that point I was unsure of my misdeeds and started panicking. He pulled me over and realized I had a little passenger in the back seat. He then understood he had no just cause for his actions. He was rude, obnoxious and instead of apologizing for his error, he delivered a violent tirade about my tinted windows. I purchased my car from a reputable dealer in Marin. Tinted windows, was I breaking any law?? Did I deserve this treatment?? He then ended his speech without issuing me a ticket. I still am unsure what this was all about.

Hooch anyone??

mercylove — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 23:37:04 GMT

Once upon a time I was a beer (be-ah as I say it) drinker. Then I discovered Vodka. Beer, quickly faded as my drink of choice. Budweiser was my favorite drink back in the days when money was scarce. When I began putting away a 24 pack and the calories started multiplying, I graduated to something repugnant....Bud Light. Now, if you don't offer that to me, I won't have to hurt you. While beer is not my libation of choice, I must share a little secret. My favorite brewey is the Mendocino Brewing Company located in Hopland, CA The brewery is very private set off the main road. The location is scenic and their be-ah spectacular. Now I wonder why I am thinking of beer when I don't consume the brew. I guess because its Friday... Got to run to happy hour.

stylin

mercylove — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 01:41:14 GMT

Creativity comes easily to little a. Dad's jewelry and King's cap in combination with mom's playa glasses and he's stylin...

Jazzy Dee

mercylove — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 23:25:07 GMT

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to experience Dee Dee Bridgewater at Yoshi’s here to promote her new album J’ai deux amours. While I have enjoyed live female performers from the Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz herself to Bonnie Raitt, Tina Turner and Madonna, Dee Dee was interestingly unique. Bouncing all over the stage with her glass of Syrah in one hand humming the tunes "Que sera sera", she captivated the crowd with her passion and engaged us with her wit. At age 56 Dee Dee was fiery and fun, free styling racily in French about her sexuality and her desires. Jazz purists, censor boards and mainstream America would consider her style scandalous. To me she was a symbol of the unorthodox woman…'. the modern underrepresented freethinkers.

Columbus Day??

mercylove — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 23:06:25 GMT

I try to make it to my son's school on time only to find the doors shut. Its a holiday to celebrate Columbus day. I declare the day off as well for reasons other than the celebration of imperialism. I was not raised in America and have no idea of how Columbus is potrayed in American History taught in schools. I imagine its not fair or accurate. So we go out to lunch and explain to our son our version of what Columbus Day is all about. It sounds pretty cruel ... the annihilation of Indians.. people similar to dad, mom and himself. The notion of schools celebrating Columbus day seems archaic to me... a day to celebrate peace would be a splendid alternative.

In Bush/God we trust:Separation of church and state

mercylove — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 01:36:48 GMT

Bush claimed God told him to invade Iraq, Afghanistan: BBC President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan. And I did, and then God would tell me, George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq... And I did. Israel and the Arabs: Elusive Peace will be broadcast on BBC Two on Monday 10, 17 and 24 October at 2100 BST.