Odd News #6 :: Yet Another Plane Mishap

I mentioned in a previous post that the number of aircraft accidents seems to be on the rise as of late. Typically, small crafts go down and have accidents more often than the large commercial airliners because of size and the experience level of the pilots. But it seems that more and more commercial grade planes are having accidents these days. Earlier this month, a Boeing 777 crash landed just a few yards short of a Heathrow landing strip, destroying the underbelly of the aircraft. Luckily, there were no serious injuries and everyone was able to evacuate the plane safely. 

The most recent 'wreck' occurred in Washington state when a Southwest aircraft slid off the taxiway. Supposedly, the cause was about a half an inch of wet snow. But since the plane was flying in from Portland, Oregon, one would assume that snow would be old hat for the pilots and the aircraft alike. [You know, since the planes can navigate snow by themselves and everything.] 

Once again, no one was injured but it seems like the incidents themselves would raise an alarm. Will someone have to be seriously injured before an explanation is found? Is there a Bermuda Triangle of sorts affecting aircrafts? I certainly don't know, but I would like to find out.

Leana is Worried.

About her MacBook. If she loses her MacBook, she would cease to exist.

It has been doing strange things in the past few days that makes me wonder if it will be alright. I had to live without it for a while last summer and that was bad. Poor little nameless MacBook. I just felt that the world needed to know about my distress. 

[End pointless pity party. On with life.]

Equestrian Theory :: An Art

I think that I came up with Equestrian Theory in the first place because I feel that it is an art as much as it is a sport. Many people never bother to learn anything more than how to balance, go and stop. I know that it really is none of my business what other people do but I feel that many riders and horses alike could benefit greatly from a better understanding and communication.

Communication is the fundamental element behind horseback riding. Without clear communication, it can mean frustration for the rider and even pain for the horse. If a rider is in tune with her [or his] horse then he or she should be able to tell if the horse is in pain, upset, energized or sluggish. Anyone can tell if a horse if hyper or lazy but do they always know why? A horse can be hyped up for many reasons.

1. It is windy outside. It is widely known among horse people than a windy day means an unpredictable horse.
2. The horse is in a new environment. New places often make a horse nervous and extra spooky.
3. The horse has been stalled for an extended amount of time. This just means that he or she has a lot of energy that could not be released in a stall.
4. The horse is on a trail ride or at a show. Many horses love these environments and get excited.
5. Do you know the horse? It may be normal for this horse to be high strung.
6. Are you nervous? Horses are in tune with our emotions and can pick up on them easily. If you are tense, chances are your horse will pick up on it. Try to relax and sooth your horse.

To pick up on the subtle differences, you must truly have an understanding of how the equine works. If you are creating the problem, then you should be able to recognize it and correct it. Such an understanding can save you and your horse hours of frustration.

Let me make a comparison for those who are not following me. In any form of partnered dancing, whether it is ballet, ballroom dancing or any thing else, there must be clear but silent communication between the partners in order to create a flawless performance. Just like with horseback riding, this requires hours of practice, false starts and discussions. If you are having an off day, your partner will most likely pick up on it without any verbal communication. This works the same way with horse and rider. The two must practice to achieve that level of silent communication but once it is established, it pays off immensely.

As with anything else, it takes a certain amount of dedication, patience and skill in order to arrive at that level. No one will expect you to be able to pick up these subtle equine cues the first time you ride but there is a certain point at which it is expected. However, many student riders do not realize that there is such an art of communication and never look for the signs. I was not taught these subtilities of riding by any instructor or book. I was taught by a horse.

If we listen to them, they tell us exactly what we need to know. If you think your horse is telling you something, explore all of your options until you find what he is saying.

Odd News #5

I have noticed an alarming number of reported plane crashes in the recent months. I am not sure if this is because I am reading more news or if it is because more planes are, in fact, crashing. Either way, this news story brought to you by CNN takes the cake for me.

(CNN) -- At least seven people were killed Wednesday when a Polish military transport aircraft carrying passengers who had attended a flight-safety conference crashed in northwest Poland, military officials said.

This tragic and ironic bit of news baffles me.

Wanna Talk?

I have added some contact information to the right [gestures like a flight attendant] if anyone would like to talk or give me any input. Hopefully this will encourage others to give me feedback. I am very nice [most of the time] and enjoy talking to new people, especially if they actually have something to say. I don't bite! :]

New York at a Glance

For the past five days I have been in New York City. It happens to be one if my favourite cities and I typically do the same thing over and over again. This trip, however, we decided to do things differently. [we meaning me and my mother, by the way.]

The night that we got there, we really only had time to check in, unpack, eat and collapse. After a breif issue with our original room, [one bed instead of two, a view of the alley, etc.] one if the nice hotel employees, lovingly nicknamed "Gold Tooth", listed some restaurants for us that he enjoys. We eventually decided on Japanese, mostly because it was close by. We found the Hakata Grill easily and were surprised by the nice and original decor. Not to mention the food. The food was to die for. Check plus for trying something new.

The next day was successful and frustrating. We got a late start but found the store that my love requested with no problems. We then took several hours to find B&H camera only to discover that it had closed hours earlier. I thought I had put the correct address into my iPhone but it turns out that I had swapped a 2 for a 4 and we were about 16 blocks down from where we should have been. We did find some interesting shops and food along the way but the fruitless walking overshadowed that at the time. We were also supposed to go to Greenwich village that day but after the B&H drama, I insisted that we hop the subway and get back to the hotel.

I pseudo-napped for a few hours while my mom watched TV and ordered some Hakata to be delivered before we skipped around the block to see Spring Awakening. Of course, SA was wonderful as always but there were some surprises in the cast. For one, Kate Burton [Ellis Grey from Grey's Anatomy] had taken on the roll of the Adult Women. Big excitement for us!

Saturday was our day for shopping and actually finding Greenwich Village. Bleeker street [Magnolia Bakery, anyone?] was definitely the best over all for off 5th shopping but the best shop was this wonderful little store called MXYPLYZYK. Don't ask me what that stands for, I have no idea. But it was nifty and I loved it. [After a little bit of "research" I discovered that it is in fact pronounced "Mix-ee-pliz-ik"] We also traipsed up to 5th and wandered the lovely Apple Store. Did you know that it is open 24/7/365? Crazy! 

Sunday was... a little hectic and hurried. We spent all of 30 minutes running through MoMA, taking pictures of everything that struck my fancy. We made sure we saw "Starry Night" and that was about it. We ran down to 49th, saw SA and went back up to the MoMA Gift stores. They closed and we froze all the way to "Ruby Foo's" [which was nothing special] and grabbed a train to Sephora. All of this in the 5 degree wind chill factor weather.  

In all of this, there are some blank spots. It seems like we did a lot of things that I don't really remember. That can't be good, eh?

Leana is a Culinary Odity

[Note: I have had a very busy and stressful week and have not felt like Blogging. I am now in New York City, which has made me want to blog more. Maybe.]

I have very strange eating habits. As an example, I don't like for my food to touch on the plate. However, some of my favourite foods are interesting mixes. I recently discovered that I love avocado, rice and soy sauce together. I don't know of anyone else who likes this, nor have I even heard of anyone doing this before. I am weird, I know. 

Earlier today, made another interesting discovery about myself. I like avocado and goat cheese together. Yes, you read that right. Avocado and goat cheese. 

Anyway, hope I didn't make anyone vomit! Cheers!

What do you think?

I know that a lot of bloggers like to remain anonymous. Sometimes this means leaving anonymous comments and sometimes this means being a lurker. There is nothing wrong with blog lurking and by all means don't stop because of me. However, I would like to know what everyone thinks about the content.

 This was originally supposed to be a place for me to record all of my thoughts but I have gained a few readers in the process. [I only know this because my hit counter stalks you! Heh, just kidding but it does something like that.] Now that I know someone will be reading what I am writing, I would like to write more about what people are interested in. So, please go to the poll to your left and let me know.

If you feel so inclined, please leave any feedback you may have on this post. I welcome suggestions and criticism as long as they are not overly rude and uncalled for. Also if I forgot to include a topic, let me know!

Equestrian Theory :: An Introduction

As I'm sure you have realized by now, I ride horses. Shocker, I know. I have ever since I was 9 and its been all downhill since then. First came the pony, then the horse, then the second pony then the show horse. Then came the F-250, the 3 horse trailer, the 40 acres the free horse and then the barn. 

Naturally, people who know nothing have asked me to give them or their children horseback riding lessons. Although I would like to give lessons, earning money doing something I enjoy, I don't particularly want to teach children. First of all, I would have to deal with the nervous parents. Horses are big and scary animals that like to kill small children on a regular basis. Everyone knows that. Then I would have to deal with the children themselves. Kids under the age of about 10 seem to scare me anyway. They don't always listen to me because I am closer to their age than their parents.  Then letting them loose on a 1,000 pound animal is just a recipe for disaster. 

Even if I did take on a young, attentive, equine obsessed student, I would then have to face the problem that they might not understand my methods of teaching. I would teach what I call Equestrian Theory. Even my love has a hard time following my ideas and he would be the most likely of anyone to understand them. 

Equestrian Theory revolves around the idea that a person with no prior horseback experience can learn a more comprehensive and theoretical based way to ride. Trying to learn how to do something while controlling a horse can be difficult and intimidating. However, I think that learning the concept and mechanics behind steering* before you attempt it can improve your results dramatically. I know this may sound like a gimmick-y weight loss commercial, but it makes sense that to understand how to do something before you do it. You wouldn't start playing chess without first reading the rules or having someone explain it to you. 

A good example of Equestrian Theory in action is my dad. He has been watching me take lessons and ride for years in addition to listening to me explain things that he may or may not understand. I put him on my show horse a few months ago just expecting to walk him around like he was on a pony ride. However, he insisted that I let him ride and shocked me. He was able to walk, trot and post in addition to keeping my horse's head set with out trouble. That was when I realized that Equestrian Theory really could work. 

*Steering a horse is much more difficult than steering a car. The horse you are riding, the saddle and bridle you are riding in and the discipline you are riding are all factors to consider when steering. We will say that you are riding a horse in an english saddle (all purpose) with single reigns in a snaffle bit. Already over your head? Don't worry about it. 

First you need to know how to hold the reigns and where to hold your hands. Your hands should stay low and close to you, about 4 inches apart, 4-5 inches in front of you and 3-4 inches above the horse's neck. Your elbows should be slightly bent and stay that way the entire time you ride. Your fingers, legs, seat bones and weight should be largely responsible for steering, with your arms moving only slightly. 

Now that you know where your hands should go, you can learn how to turn. If you wish to turn right, you will do several things simultaneously to achieve a precise and almost undetectable turn. Since there are several things to consider, I will just list them rather than trying to tie them together.

1. Look slightly in the direction that you want to go. [In this case, look to your right]
   
2. Shift your weight to your right seat bone without shifting the weight in your stirrups.
3. Pull your right reign with your right ring finger by tightening your hand into a loose fist. Pull your whole hand back to you [not up, down or out] if it is necessary.  
4. Put pressure on your horse's side with your calf. In this case, you are "pushing" him in the direction you want to go. [Use your left leg to go right] 

Then, you must do all of this while maintaining light contact with the horse's mouth.

Riding properly really is not as easy as people assume it is. Now for the explanations behind each act.

1. By looking where you want to go, your horse can feel you turn slightly in the saddle and, depending on his or her training, will know that you want to turn before you actually ask for it.
2. Shifting your weight serves the same purpose as looking where you want to go. Your horse feels the weight on his right side and may know that you want to turn.
3. Using your fingers to turn rather than your whole hand, wrist or arm is mostly for the benefit of the horse. The reigns are attached to a bit which is made of metal. The bit rests in the horse's mouth called the bars. The bars are basically gums. Imagine someone yanking on your mouth with a heavy piece of metal. Not too pleasant.
4. Most horses are trained to respond to leg pressure for multiple reasons. One reason is to make the communication between horse and rider appear effortless. Little or no movement from the rider's hands looks cleaner. This is an essential component in dressage. Also, many working horses such as roping horses need to be guided while their rider is using their hands for other tasks.

As you can see, Equestrian Theory is not always easy to follow, but if explained properly it can be very comprehensive and informative. If you even read all of that, I applaud you. And now you see why I am apprehensive about teaching a 7-year-old. 

I thought Global Warming was supposed to make it warm?

Ever since I was a young child, I thought an especially hot summer would mean an especially cold winter. Of course everyone thought I was insane to think that. It went against all logical reasoning.

Then, more recently, global warming became a big issue. More and more people began accepting it as fact and realized that we need to start undoing the horrible mess we have created. They said the earth was going to gradually get hotter and hotter because our Earth's "sunscreen" was being deteriorated by emissions from our cars and factories.

In spite of this I still thought our winters were going to get colder. Really, up to this year, the winters in my city have remained mild and snow free. Just to underline my crazy childhood ideas, Baghdad got snow this morning. Yes, Baghdad. The Middle East. And I am pretty sure it gets kind of hot over there.

Anyway, I thought that it was interesting that my childhood predictions* seem to be coming true this year.

*Note: I in no way believe that I really predicted this, I just happen to find it interesting that my crazy ideas are happening. Just shows us that we have created an unpredictable world.

Odd News #4

Seriously? That is all I have to say.

LONDON, England (CNN) -- British twins who had been separated at birth learned they were related only after they had become husband and wife, a senior British lawmaker said. The marriage has been annulled.

You would think that they would have noticed that they looked alike. Or maybe had the same birthday. Maybe? This is really just beyond weird to me that adoption agencies could allow something like this. First to separate the twins then not inform them that they actually have a twin somewhere out there. Not to mention warning them not to marry said twin.

The rest of the article doesn't talk much at all about this interesting situation but you can go here to read it.

This is why Genetic Engineering might be a good idea.

Earlier today I overheard a conversation concerning the mother who
sold her sons car because she found a bottle of alcohol under the
front seat. Both parties thought the punishment was ridiculous but
only one party seemed to understand why having a bottle of alcohol in
a vehicle is legal.

Middle aged woman: "Have you never heard of the open container law?!"

17 year old guy: "Yeah, but it has a top!"

I seriously fear for the future of our male population.

Testing 1, 2, 3

I have been having problems. Yes, the worst kind of problem possible. 

Blogging Problems.

Maybe it's because I am new to blogger. Maybe I am just confused easily. Or maybe both. I'm not sure. I did figure out how to blog from my iPhone, finally. [For anyone interested, I wrote the politics blog while 'listening' to a recovering AA speaker* this morning. So if it is a slight bit disjointed or whatever, don't blame me.] I changed my look because the other one was just too plain. I didn't feel like making my own because HTML makes me want to throw my computer out the window. So I chose another template and tried to mess with the fonts to make it the size I wanted but it somehow went wrong and I have changed the fonts and font sizes about six times now. I think I have the problems fixed but who knows. 

In other words, this is a test.

*Alcoholics Anonymous speaker. Who used her name. Ironic?

Odd News #3

This is a very strange and somewhat random piece of news from Fox.

An 11-year-old girl was hit by a stray bullet while horseback riding at a rural farm in Tennessee, WSMV-TV reported.

Allie Nadeau was in an enclosed area with her riding instructor when she was shot in the buttocks, according to the station.

"Another inch higher, she could have been paralyzed," horse trainer Wren Fraser told WSMV-TV. "Another few inches higher, she could have been down on the spot."

Doctors said Nadeau will survive and have decided not to remove the bullet because it will cause more pain for the young girl.

I assume by "enclosed area" they mean and indoor arena. And by indoor arena I assume they mean the bullet had to travel through some sort of wall before it reached the girl's so-called buttocks. It irks me that they don't followup on the story by saying that it was something like a stray hunter's bullet or they just flat out don't know where it came from

Hmm, I hope I don't get hit by a stray bullet while riding any time soon. I don't think that would be too much fun

Is it really all Politics?

Last night, while I was speaking in third person, I had a strange sort
of revelation.

I was thinking about the election of '08 and speculating that the country needs a good, flexible Moderate president. No matter who is elected, it will be nearly impossible to make a majority of the American population happy. If a Conservative is elected, Liberals will be unhappy and the other way around.

This train of thought led me to think about the political parties. Since there is such a difference in the views within parties, it made me wonder why they exist.

I came to the conclusion that political parties are nothing but stereotypes. When someone says "Democrat" you will most likely think of a person who is "hippie-like". Legalize marijuana, keep abortion legal, allow gay marriages, pass strict laws restricting greenhouse gas emissions. You know. Tree hugging stuff, right? Just like if someone says "Republican" you might think of a conservative bible-thumper. "Pro-life", strict immigration laws, few social services, allow the teaching of intelligent design in schools. At least that is what pops into my mind. I realize not everyone has these stereotypical views but I believe many people do.

I consider myself to be a Democrat but I do have a few views that would be considered somewhat conservative and I know that countless others have the same dilemma. Sometimes it can be difficult to classify yourself when someone asks you "Are you a Democrat or Republican?" It can create an awkward situation like "Um, well, I think I'm a conservative Democrat. Or maybe a liberal Republican? I'm not too sure...". Then, given the stereotypes, it seems like you are contradicting your own views.

Why have political parties in the first place? So people can feel like they belong somewhere? Comfort in numbers? The whole concept just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe I should accept it and move on with my life?

Basically, I think the political parties are imaginary.

Earth to...?

Leana is too detached to post tonight but hopefully she will drop an anchor and get back on it soon. Maybe something interesting will even ooze from her brain into the computer. Sounds messy, but you never know. 

Oh! And Leana has a new look. Like?

[Remember how Leana is when she blogs in third person? Rawr]

Candy is always Sweet.

I would like to thank someone who has read all of my posts and continues to give me positive feedback and praise. Split Candy has commented on several of my more controversial posts, discussing both sides of the story with a positive attitude rather than condemning one side or the other. She gives me more credit than I deserve and I would like to thank her for making me feel like I am writing to an audience rather than an empty blogosphere.

Props to Candy always being sweet!

Previously on Morning Rise.

Last night, I posted a blog concerning the recent murders of two seperate sets of sisters by their fathers. [Eh, such a mouthfull] I got some interesting feedback that made me think about the issue and how my post was perceived by others.

First, I will adress the religious aspect of the post. It has come to my attention that honor killings are "pre-islamic" and not religious at all. The horrible acts are, supposidly, culturaly related. Although one could argue that many religions, such as Judaism and Hinduism, are cultures within themselves, I am not going to touch on that aspect. Is a culture that supports honor killings any better than a religion that does the same? I have a question for the man who killed his daughters because they began dating boys and wearing western clothing. If you are willing to murder because of your culture, why would you move to a country that promotes [or, at the least] accepts individuality? If you immerse your children in such a culture, they are most likely going to adopt it as their own.

This is something that blows my mind no matter where it occurs.

In the case of the man who killed his step daughters as a result of a "spell gone wong", this is obviously a case of a very sick man using a relitively unknown religious practice as an excuse for his crimes.

And, yes, I know that everyone religious is not a crazy person running around killing others. I also know that not all crazy people who run around killing others are religious. It just seems to me that religion, if you choose to practice it, should be peaceful and helpful rather than discriminatory and persecuting. Why would people want to worship a god who would condone murder?

I hope that, one day, people will see the light, so to speak, and practice peacfully.

Mobile Blogging :: Take Two

I have tried and tried to blog from my iPhone. And tried some more. And, yet it doesn't seem to want to work for me. Ever.

It is getting to the point that I want to tell blogger to either fix it or scrap the whole mobile blogging concept. If its not going to work correctly, don't tease me with such a temptation. Grrr. Leana Angry!

Going out in Twos.

And, no, I don't mean like Noah's Ark. Or dating. This strange phenomenon is much more serious than either topic of paring. 

My concern is with the recent murders of two separate sets of sisters by their fathers. To add an even more disturbing element to the murders; both crimes seemed to stem from some form of religious practice or belief. 

First, there is the story of the teenaged sisters who were murdered by their father because he supposedly did not like them dating boys or wearing western clothing. Since the family is Muslim, some experts say that the evidence points to an honor killing. The family has denied that the murders were not religious related but given the circumstances, they most likely were to a certain degree.

The second set of sisters who were murdered by their step father were only 8 and 10. The stepfather claimed that he had cast a spell that had gone awry when the police arrived at his burning home and found the sisters' bodies. This also seems to stem from some strange religious practice but the man also sounds like he needs mental help.

These are not the first and, unfortunately, not the last girls to suffer from religion based crimes committed in this country. The messages that theses fathers are sending not only condemns their religion in the public eye, but it also [sort of] sends a message to future generations that it is alright to murder in the name of religion and in order to preserve the family honor. 

All the more reason to wonder if our generation will rise up and defeat the evils that have been created in this world; or will we continue killing in the name of religion? If it is the latter, I do not wish to live to see the day. Put me out of my misery, please.

   

The Cautionary Whale

Yes, Leana is still alive. Leana is also speaking in third person, which is never good for her.  She will be back with more posts soon, as they are all in her head but she is too lazy to type them all out. If she waits too long, though, her head will start oozing with mixed up ideas. That may be when the therapist is called in. We shall see.

[For anyone who was wondering, the title is from Juno, a fabulous movie that everyone should check out. It is Leana's favourite. Rawr.]

What about a Man Period?

Sometimes I really hate being female. Really.

I will spare any details but it is just flat out unpleasant. The moment we are born, we are condemned to a life of pain. Sometimes I think it is just unfair. But of course I have heard it the other way around too, so I suppose it all depends on who you are and your point of view. 

Things like this make me think about male sexual discrimination. A weird thing, right? But if you think about it, the men in our country are expected to do all sorts of things women aren't. First of all that is possibly the most discriminatory is the draft. All male, American citizens have to register for the draft. And if you don't, from what I've heard, your future is pretty much effed up all over the place. But that is also a difficult one to solve. Can you really have every American citizen sign up for the draft once they turn 18? Somehow that just screams disaster. 

On a different note, men are hardly ever granted full or primary custody of their children unless their [soon-to-be] ex wife is certifiably crazy. Plenty of men are just as capable of providing nurturing homes for their children as most women. I happen to personally know two families with no contact with the mother and I know a few more who shouldn't. To use an example that almost anyone can understand [although I hate using celebrities as models] KFed now has sole custody of his children. That can only mean that Brittany has a real problem. And, thanks to the media, we know all about that.

Another prominent male-linked stereotype is being solely responsible for earning [at least the majority of] the money. And if he doesn't, people often shake their heads while he isn't looking and wonder "What was she thinking?" Since all of these problems are the fault of hundreds of years of tradition and stereotyping, it will most likely take hundreds of years before said stereotypes a fully erased from human society. 

Maybe some men enjoy the sense of responsibility and so-called manliness. Maybe they don't. What is a man to do? Get his man period?

Gotta give him credit

It has to be hard for any guy to date a horse lover. Especially if he hasn't always been around horses or horse people. As any other horse owner knows, taking care of horses is a full time job that never ends. Not unlike taking care of a thousand-pound, perpetual toddler. 

Between school, sleep, cleaning stalls, feeding and cleaning the barn, etc. etc. I barely have time to eat and take a shower before I fall asleep. Even if I do have the time to go out, I most likely smell like a horse [which I don't mind] have mud on my shoes and hay on my shirt. 

My wonderful love doesn't seem to mind. And if he really does mind, he doesn't complain too terribly much. I have heard the occasional grumble when I'm too tired to go out or something like that but if that's all I hear, I am perfectly happy. To have someone like that; someone who is even willing to help out with barn chores and willing wait on me is more than I ever thought possible. 

In spite of everything he has to put up with because of me, he is patient with me to a point that almost seems impossible. He is amazing.

SADDs? Or just sad?

There's something about this time of year that really gets to me. I don't want do to anything but sleep and eat. What's new, right? Well now it's worse than any other time of year. I first noticed that my depression hits about this time of year when I was in 7th grade but who knows how long it had been going on before that. The weird thing about it is that I love winter. Something about the cold, the ice and the prospect of snow that lies just beyond my grasp.

It's probably school. Something about the fact that you're halfway done but it feels like a lifetime. So much pressure. It's like everything you do at this point dictates the rest of your life. It's a wonder more teens and 20-somethings don't commit suicide. The pressure from parents and teachers and any other relative figure is overwhelming. And if I want to have any sort of future, I have to continue my suicidal rush towards graduation, life and certain death. Depressing, eh? Well I certainly thing so.

Times like this make me wonder how many others feel this way. Desperate. Depressed. Suicidal. Pointless.

Don't mind me, just my depressing thoughts of the day. Have fun!

The Fantasy v. 1.0

You take me gently but firmly and lay me on the bed, put my arms above my head, and take a step back. You then gently separate my legs, taking care not to do anything too forcefully. You then tie a big satin ribbon around one of my thighs and tie the other end to the bed. Not to force my legs open, but to keep them open once the ecstasy hits. You do the same with the other thigh, making them just right so it won't distract me. You then slowly move to my arms, which havent moved. You take two pieces the same big ribbon and tie one end comfortably around each wrist and the other is loosely tied to the bed. Once again, this isn't to keep me from moving but only to keep me from pushing you away once the pleasure begins to roll. Then you are free to do what ever you please.

You slowly and deliberately take off each piece of clothing, giving me a show since I am the one tied up, after all. You then come over to me slowly, kiss my forehead, each eye, nose then lips. You gently nuzzle my ear, kiss it softly and whisper something oh so delightful. Then you move down, slowly. Slowly kissing the whole way. You pause at each nipple, first kissing it then slowly licking, sucking, flicking until you think it has had enough. You move lower and lower, pausing briefly at the belly button and working your way down the inside of one leg, up the other and then coming oh so close to what I really want... but stopping.  You stop, look at me, knowing exactly what what you are doing to me. You caress and tickle, coming oh so close. Then you begin kissing again, this time getting closer and closer until finally... 

You kiss, touch, suck, and lick until finally it is so much; so much plesure, so much pain, my legs try to close but only in vain. This is what the red ribbon is for. By this time, I am not the only one excited. You are hard and just a little bit wet. You catch my eye and we know what we both want. You slowly enter me so as not to hurt me. As the tight, warm feeling envelopes you, you are immediately overcome with pleasure. You begin moving; slowly and passionately at first and then faster with more intensity and fervor. You realize how much I wish to wrap my legs around you, to embrace you and pull you closer to me. You pause for only a moment to untie each of the four carefully and gently tied knots. I pull you to me and we begin moving in unison, as one perfect, complete being.

We realize what this truly means; to come together in a moment of shared ecstasy, one embracing another, becoming whole in our one perfect moment. 

Odd News #2

Once again I came across an interesting report from Fox News. Apparently Taser has come out with a more consumer friendly shocking device, trying to target [no pun intended?] a market outside of law enforcement. They even come in pink!

A single woman from Arizona is going to great lengths to bring these non-lethal personal protection devices to the public. She is hosting Taser parties. Yes, Taser parties. Not unlike the tupperware parties of yesteryear. You can read more about Dana Shafman and her parties here. 

This could be a good thing... or it could be bad. Imagine walking down the street in New York or some other crowded city and ZAP! Now you are mysteriously on the sidewalk. You have been Tased. It was most likely someone with nothing to do but, run around zapping people but it could also be someone with more malicious intentions. But, no one assaults you. Good, right? For the most part. The only down side to that is that now you have no idea who the Taser wielding prankster is. 

I will let you decide for yourself, but I personally think this new phenomenon could potentially end quite badly.

Mobile Blogging Frustration

Earlier today I had, what I thought, was the best idea since sliced bread. I was going to blog from my iPhone! 

So I go to blogger, sign in, start a new post, name the post and... found that I could not edit said post. Ok, maybe I just didn't click it right. 

*Click*

"...?"

*Click Click*

"Eh?"

*CLICK*

Nothing. So I go back to my dashboard and look into mobile blogging. To my dismay, I would have to text my post to to something like go@blogger.com. Now that would be just fine and dandy if I had an ordinary cellphone. But, alas, I do not.  Why would I want to text my post if I could just as easily post it from the web browser just as I would do on my computer? I'm not sure if this is an issue with the iPhone or with blogger but I think anyone who has a smart phone and a blog would agree that this problem should be fixed as soon as possible. 

The Wicked Truth

I know every one has heard the old saying "As healthy as a horse". However, I'm not aware of many people who know the truth about how healthy horses really are. They aren't. Really.

Horses themselves are like walking, grass-eating disaster zones. Anything that can go wrong with a horse, will. Horses can find extremely creative ways to get stuck in or on just about anything. I once found a yearling with his tail stuck to a fence post so tightly, I thought he would break his tail trying to get free. In the end it took two people to free the frantic animal.

Any thousand pound creature balanced atop long, spindly legs with a flight instinct worse than a bird's is an accident waiting to happen. When a horse falls, it is never pretty. A broken leg almost always means certain death.

Not to mention the myriad of diseases and injuries that can affect a horse. I happen to have one horse who colics [a serious condition in horses, often leading to death if not hastily treated] if you look at him the wrong way. He often chokes on ordinary things such as hay. Due to their lack of gag reflex, a choking horse does not have long before his life is in danger. Not to mention all the hoof ailments that can cripple a horse for life. And eye injuries. And broken bones. And abscesses. And... well you get the picture.

Whoever came up with the saying "As healthy as a horse" had a wicked sick sense of humor. 

Odd News #1

I read various news sites daily and often run across strange and random articles that could only be fabricated. However this is not the case. In the odd news posts, I will share some of the most... interesting news reports. 

This... interesting... news of the day comes from none other than Fox News. Enjoy!

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa -- An artificial arm and leg stolen last summer from a prosthetic limb maker in Clear Lake have been found -- sticking out of a snow bank.

The limbs, valued together at about $30,000, were found last Saturday, police said. They were in good condition and returned to Tom Leisure.

The limbs were stolen from Leisure's business in July. There [sic] were designed for individuals, and have no value to the general public.

Police speculate that local teenagers stole the limbs to use as props for a prank.

 

At least they weren't stolen from the unfortunate individual who was to receive the limbs. That would have been just sick. However, the fact that the limbs were stolen in July and found in a snow bank six months later either implies some serious prank planning or... some strange reason that I can not fathom. 

Early Atheism

To set things straight from the beginning, I consider myself to be an open minded atheist. I do not believe in a god nor do I believe that religion is good. Although I am not a fan of the religious set, I don't mind them at all as long as they keep their lives outside of the church secular. This is a diverse and complex world we live in, no matter where you go. Carrying such a belief with you and pushing it on anyone [close friends included] is not the best way to make [and keep] friends. But thats beside the point.

Although I was not raised christian per-se, I still grew up around others who attended church regularly and insisted that I go when I was over on a Sunday morning. That being said, I had a vague knowledge of heaven and hell, god and the devil and the ever mysterious Jesus. From the time I was able to form my own opinions, I knew that I did not believe in christianity. 

My parents vaguely knew of my disbelief, as they shared them as well. My dad always told me to tell the kids at school I went to a certain church so I wouldn't be shunned and ridiculed. For a while, I played along but I got tired of lying to friend after friend. Why should you have to lie about your religious views in order to be accepted? It was ridiculous. Then one day, when asked, "What church do you go to?" I responded with the blunt and to the point reply, "I don't". That was that, enough said, the friend moved on; most likely too shocked for words.

And so, this long-winded yet brief story of my own childhood atheistic beliefs brings me to my point. I think children, when left to make their own decisions, are often the best at deciphering the truth. I don't think that I could explain it better than a 12 year old girl named Morgan. In an interview with the Black Sun Journal, this pre-teen girl openly explains her views and exhibits a firm grasp of atheism that I could have only dreamed about at such a vulnerable age. All in all, this blog post deserves to be read by atheists and christians alike in order to peer into the minds of our future.         

The Descision

As an internet obsessee, I had been contemplating creating a blog for some time. One to express my ideas, views and experiences openly with anyone who feels so inclined to read it. However, I had second thoughts. What if no one read it? What if I got lazy and the blog rotted along with other long forgotten e-experiments in cyberspace? What if I had nothing to say? Does it really matter?

After catching myself writing blog posts in my head while driving to and from school, showering or doing some other mindless activity, I decided that I needed to get the ideas out of my head. Sounds like I need a shrink, no? Since I don't have the time or money to do that, a blog was the next best thing. However I still had the fear of my readership. Who would the be? Would I even have any? I came to the conclusion that it really doesn't matter who reads what I have to say and who doesn't. The freedom of expression overwhelmed me and I asked my closest friend, who follows countless blogs, to push me in the right direction.

And so I am here. At least I know I will have one reader.