The Hawk and the Crow

An image of a hawk in flight with a crow just above it showed up in my feed on a popular social media site yesterday. The text below it said,

“The crow is the only bird that dares to peck at the hawk, he sits on the hawk's back and bites it on its neck, but the hawk does not respond, nor does it fight the crow nor waste time on the crow. He just opens his wings and starts to rise high in the sky, the higher the flight, the harder it is to breathe up [sic] and then the crows fall due to lack of oxygen! Stop wasting your time with crows, just go to the heights yourself and they will disappear like that!!”

The post is supposed to be motivational. But it demonizes the crow. As well, all I could think of is how the crow was defending its nest against the hawk’s predation. There’s no other reason the crow would bother a hawk. If the crow were not there, we’d see the hawk with a baby crow in its talons.

The message I get is that if you go around causing trouble and making people’s lives difficult, you can escape retribution and get away guilt-free.

Image attribution:

Husky Mom on Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/raven-in-2025--443745369554885955/

An Interview With Square Peg

James Lipton, host of the cable TV show "Inside the Actors Studio", gives his guests the following list of ten questions. I thought it would be fun if I tried to answer them...

1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is your least favorite word?
3. What turns you on?
4. What turns you off?
5. What sound or noise do you love?
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
7. What is your favorite curse word?
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
9. What profession would you not like to do?
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

1. I can't decide between "fortuitous" and "serendipity" as my favorite word. As they are akin, I choose to answer with both.
2. I don't have a least favorite word, and I'm not willing scour my soul to figure it out.
3. Kindness, altruism, fairness "turns me on" in a sense, no matter whether I am fortuitous enough to receive it or whether I can spread it.
4. Greed is abhorrent to me.
5. The trickling of a babbling brook is pleasing to me, but even better is the smacking sound my four cats make when they eat breakfast together at dawn.  It's better because the cats are getting replenished, whereas the water just goes somewhere.
6. Loud, discordant noises upset me.  Active construction sites are my least favorite places.
7. My favorite curse word changes over time.  Currently I'm using "Crappazoids" as one might say "Crap" when getting to the traffic light just as it turns red.  If I want to call some asshole something bad, I would use either "F*ckwad" or "F*ckhead".  Oh, wait, "asshole" is curse-like, too, isn't it?
8. I had tremendous difficulty in high school deciding what to do after graduation.  A personality test that I took in the office of the Guidance Counselor suggested that I should go to a college in Oregon to study Forestry.  I think it would've been a good career choice, at least in terms of being fulfilling.  Whether there was money in it, I have no idea.  I'm currently an Electrical Engineer.
9. There are financial folks that negotiate mergers between two companies.  The mergers usually involve firing hundreds of people just to make wealthy people wealthier and to show continued growth on a balance sheet.  Those financial folks are detestable.  It's another matter if one of the companies is failing and the merger strengthens it and saves jobs, though.
10. I would like to hear God (or Whoever) say this to me, "I'm so very sorry for all the shit I put you through."

It's your turn, please let me know your answers!

NaBloPoMo 2014

National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) has started, and I plan to participate by posting every day in November.  I don't know yet how I'll find the time.  I have no free time, so it's a matter of shuffling priorities, eating less, getting less sleep, perhaps taking fewer and briefer showers.  Ugghh.

I'd like to call your attention to the NaBloPoMo Blogroll, which is the listing of all the official participants.  In particular, I'd like to promote the two blogs that my blog is sandwiched between (if I may be allowed to do so by ending with a preposition).  At number 568 we have an awesome blog called "Being Weirdly Awesome".  At number 570 we have "The Lipstick Memoir! oX: A kiss and tell composition of life as I know it...so far that is!"

November is the month when I appreciate how difficult it might be to be a journalist, to come up with content for a new column, day after day, year after year.  Right now I have more content in my head than I have time to write it, so it's not so bad.

Anyway, if you'd like me to write about a certain subject, please let me know. Now would be a good time for me to fulfill your request.

NaBloPoMo 2013

November is National Blog Posting Month.  Once again, I'll be participating.  I'm registered as number 83 on the Blogher Blogroll, sandwiched between The Pitter Patter Diaries and  BOTTLESOUP.  All I have to do is post at least one blog entry each day during November.  And you can still join me if you register before November 5.

Not sure what I'll be writing about, but I never had trouble coming up with something before.  All the essay assignments I received when I was a boy paid off.  You know the ones I'm referring to -- the "punishment essays."  "Why I Should Not Chew Gum in Class" and "Laughing During the Pledge of Alliance is Disrespectful" are two that I recall specifically, but I'm sure there were at least a half dozen more, probably involving a few disgusting bodily functions, running, and bothering people.

Well, anyway, I hope you can join me in this fun writing assignment.  If not, perhaps you'll enjoy more reading than ever before.

KONY 2012

Since 1987, Joseph Kony has abducted more than 30,000 children in Central Africa and forced them to be child soldiers in his Lord’s Resistance Army.  The KONY 2012 campaign employs film, social media, street art, and face-to-face interaction to make the case that the arrest of Joseph Kony this year is one thing we can all agree on.

To find out more, please visit http://www.kony2012.com/.

And please spread the word.

Shadow Shot Sunday Nativity

Shadow Shot Sunday Columcille

Yet another photo from the archives. We've been without electric power for the entire week due to a freak October snow storm that caused many tree limbs to fall. Power only just came on today at about 4:15pm.

So this shot comes from a trip we took to PA about four years ago for a family reunion. We made a mini-vacation of it and also visited Columcille.

Shadow Shot Sunday Airport

I had a shot planned, but then the clouds moved in before I could get close enough and focus. So this is another week for the archives. I found this shot that I took this last year. I posted a companion shot back then.

But I think I like this one better...

Shadow Shot Sunday Wrinkled Towel

This is another one from the archives. Here's our dog's towel, wrinkled and basking in the sun. Cross your eyes a bit and imagine that it's the desolate surface of some alien world.

Shadow Shot Sunday Potato Friend

This was taken a couple of years ago, when our daughter was still goofy enough to fool around with Mr. Potato Head.

Shadow Shot Sunday Stream

Captured this while on a hike in our favorite nature preserve....

Shadow Shot Sunday Wisteria Blooming on Trellis

Here's another shot of a wisteria, but this one is blooming!

Shadow Shot Sunday Frisbie-Catcher

This week's shadow is cast by an artwork by Cow Parade called "Daisy's Dream."

Shadow Shot Sunday Doorknob

One of the crystals in the window has projected its rainbow light onto the doorknob for this week's shot.

Shadow Shot Sunday Farmhouse & Barn

Here are two shadows I captured during my lunchtime walk: an awning frame on a farmhouse, and a tobacco barn.

Shadow Shot Sunday First Crocus

Today's shot is in celebration of Spring! It's our first flower, a dependable little crocus that pops itself up every year.

Shadow Shot Sunday Cat Belly

Cat number two works on his tan...

...right near the dog...

Shadow Shot Sunday Cat Number Four

Please say hello to Cat Number Four, whom we adopted last week.

Shadow Shot Sunday Cat Buddies

These two are so cute together. And there's even a shadow in the shot!

Shadow Shot Sunday Cat and Leaves

Our cat takes a break from watching the leaf shadows...