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8 Must-Visit Places in Coastal Oregon - Perfect Getaway with Outdoor Explorations and Wanderings

On my first full day in Oregon, I met a woman who asked me how long I would be staying. I replied that I would only be there for the summer while I completed my internship. She then proceeded to warn me, with a sly smile on her face, that I should be careful or Oregon will steal my heart and I will not want to leave.    I went back home at the end of that summer, but the words spoken prophetically by the woman in the cafe rang true. I did not go to Oregon expecting it to steal my heart the way it…
Score: 3.3

Four More Podcasts - For When You Suddenly Have A Lot of Time on Your Hands

And here we are, still in quarantine (or at least us non essential folks should be).    I know you are probably sick and tired of hearing that word (quarantine, ugh) and all of its associates, so you will be happy to hear that the pandemic is not the focus. Today, I am writing to offer you what will hopefully provide some much needed entertainment and delight on slow days working from home or during any other downtime you might have.    After several weeks of entering data alone in my home, with only my…
Score: 1.43

Civil Rights Movement

No More White Silence

  I keep grasping for words, but I know better - there are none. There is only grief, rage, and anguish. Would you expect anything less from so much senseless loss of life?    I don’t have words for the losses of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless others whose lives have been taken simply because of the color of their skin. No words of mine can fill the space their lives once held.     I can, however, speak out against the systemic racism and white supremacy that is still…
Score: 1.54
stand-up comedy

Let Comedians Say What They Want - That's Their Job!

  I'm going to tell you a wonderful, wonderful story that happened to me one time:  I was perusing the works of the late, great George Carlin, one of my biggest heroes growing up. This was back in the day when you had to catch the special on HBO or else rent the video from Blockbuster (only a five-minute ride from my house on dinosaur-back). And I caught the one time in his stage act where he ripped into parents and children. Thanks to the miracle of modern YouTube, the clip is available here:    As I…
Score: 1.23
Crochet

How to crochet a hat for babies, kids, and adults

Hats are fun  I love to crochet  I am always looking for new patterns or ideas of what I can make. I have crocheted blankets of many different sizes, Mostly baby blankets, but some full-size blankets. I have also crocheted a scarf and several different hats. I discovered that I really enjoy crocheting hats, once I figured out the pattern.   Hats are fun because I can make a hat in about 5-6 hours, or one to two days. Some hats take longer if I chose to add faces, and ears to give make them look like…
Score: 1.0
Training with Positive Reinforcement

A Journey to Mindfulness in Horse Training

  As a young girl, I could not wait to run to the barn after school. I would spend hours sitting on the fence or wandering through the pasture as my horse grazed. I felt content grooming or just spending time with her. Riding or working was never the main goal; I wanted to feel connected. At that time in my life, I felt I could communicate with my horse. We did not need words, it was more like a dance - two partners moving fluidly through space, speaking a language all our own.    As I got older…
Score: 1.17
nutrition

How To Avoid Eating Excess Sugar

I have a health condition called PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). I won't go into all the details about it but it puts me at a very high risk for developing type 2 diabetes later on in life. So recently I decided to start eating healthier and to cut out excess sugar from my diet. And from that point on, I've noticed that food companies put sugar in everything. Obviously, if you really want to know exactly what's in your food you should probably cook it yourself from scratch, but…
Score: 1.19
Museums

How Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Got Started

  Many people like going to wax museums to see the life-like recreations of famous people and celebrities, both alive and dead. But did you ever stop to wonder how wax museums became so popular in the first place? Most people already know about the most famous chain of wax museums in the world which is Madame Tussauds. But did you know that she was a real person and that the way she got started creating wax figures was anything but fun?    The Early Life Of Madame Tussaud    She was born December 1st…
Score: 1.11
Nuclear War

The nuclear test sites heritage

by Dominus

What happened to the nuclear test sites after the nuclear tests stopped? The US alone carried out 1054 tests out of which 928 were executed on the mainland. Out of an initial lack of information about the dangers of nuclear contamination these sites were visited right after the detonations with devastating effects for the ones who were exposed to nuclear radiation. After this slow yet rude awakening, the sites were left alone for a long time. What is happening to them and how are they being…
Score: 1.11
Linux

The Top Linux Distros for Everyday Use for Everyone

  Those of you elder Ents who still remember the pioneer days of the web may remember that once upon a time your Present Author blogged about Linux. There was a Linux blog; I was well-known in the Linux community, I posted lots of tutorials, HOWTOs, some GPL'ed code, scripts, and the occasional distro or application review. That's where the "Penguin" in my name came from was Tux, the Linux penguin mascot.  Then the great mobile apocalypse happened.  Suddenly, what operating system ruled the desktop…
Score: 4.46
Grief

Thoughts On Grief

While sitting in my favorite spot by the water, the last beams of sunlight warming my skin, I read these words (written by Lisa Gungor in her book The Most Beautiful Thing I’ve Seen) -    “But I’ve found my life is built on ordinary days of going in and coming out… This is where I’ve found grandness. This is where I’ve found what I believe about life and where I’ve found myself applauding others instead. It’s in long nights on a good porch, letting the silence sit next to you. It’s the hard things…
Score: 1.0
Theater

Tales from Behind the Curtain

The lights go up, the curtain draws back, and suddenly the person you are fades away to reveal the character you desire to share comes out. This is what my first drama teacher told me when she was relaying to us how it feels moments before you step out onto the stage for the first time. I have spent a large amount of time in musical theater and this thought always ran through my mind moments before I would take the stage.   In this piece, I will be detailing different roles I have played and what…
Score: 1.0