Raising Rockstar

1) Helper by day, photographer by night. Xyza Cruz Bacani’s black-and-white photography caught the attention of the New York Times recently…

This my favorite,…

”When you see the light, you need to press the shutter… Or else it’s gone.” Her story, on Hong Wrong, here.

And yes, she’s a domestic helper – of an aged Chinese-Aussie woman, I think it said. A former nursing student, she joined her mother in HK 9 years ago and they’re both helpers here today. She’s paid overtime, which she spends on camera equipment.

(I’m guessing as an “in-demand” smart and capable helper she is just never taking a job with a bigger family, little kids or annoying dogs or etc… The best helper we ever had quit the moment Rockstar was born; we had a second one destroy many, many things to get herself fired when she realized I was pregnant with the Miss. A friend tells me we’re lucky she didn’t destroy the flat screen tv, which happened to her… Not discounting the mistreated ones of course; mistreatment shouldn’t happen to anyone…)

SO, I’m guessing this photographer-helper is very in-demand. She can pick and choose, including the home she gets to live in while she’s working on the photography career, other job specifics (whether she has to take care of kids or pets or old folk or too-big home)… And still command a good premium.

SO, don’t disrespect helpers in HK. More than meets the eye 😀

For which I like this pic – this is like helper’s phone on Sunday in CWB – but captured in this frame dis is art.

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2) 2014 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, Part II. Seriously. Can you think of a more snore-some and un-characteristic title for this:

Uh… yawn?

Zzzzz. Literally.

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3) Serious Eye Candy. But why it’s here is because of the simplicity yet effectiveness of the idea: Journalist has her face photoshopped in 25 different countries to illustrate different beauty ideals. Now there’s a cool constructive use for photoshop.

“Before” Pic

And my favorite “after” from Bulgaria

(Cos it looks to be about the closest resemblance, aside from smoother skin and blue-er eyes… And seriously what is up with some of them in the link, she looked better before some of the photoshopping… Which goes to show the huge margin of error you need to allow in this story – in places like “USA” itself you will probably get wayyyy different results depending who and where within the States you sent that thing too… And of course there are “good” and “bad” photoshopping skills of every nationality…)

4) Serious, Serious Eye Candy. The Pugs of Westeros! Inspired. You know Game of Thrones has reached new heights when the pug people start getting excited (remember the batman pug craze?).

Swoon.

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5) More swoon-some serious – ah you get the idea. 25 Cutest Animal Parenting Pictures

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6) 18 Books That Changed My Life. (Well, the author’s life.) First two I’m hoping to search out:

“The Power of Full Engagement” by Jim Loehr

• It’s not about how much time you have in your day but how you allocate your energy.
• You need to allocate time for yourself to recharge.
• Spend time with people that give you more energy.

“Your Brain at Work” by David Rock

• Different ways to organize and prioritize your day to maximize productivity.

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7) The Girls have our skit this week, loosely titled Climb Every Mountain for a livelier spin on Mother Abess’ (Peggy Wood’s) rendition, because I’ve still got residual Sound of Music fever.

Spot the Dog. This is an actual game Kings and I used to play, one of us puts JD on Sit/Down-Stay and the other one tries to find her 

JD: Someday, little human, you shall climb mountains like me…”

Things that make ya go “hmmm…”

Miss: What if I want to move them, not climb them? 

Thought for the week…

Good weekend, dears…

1) In honor of World Cup Fever, Baby elephants show us the magic.

It’s a baby elephant. It’s a soccer ball. Good ’nuff.

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2) Followed closely by 32 Things That Existed In Science Fiction That Have Now Become Reality. Like the Star Trek PADD => iPad

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3) Business Insider’s 10 regrets you can avoid. Because I had either snarky, disagreeable or gushy things to say about some of them.

#1 – “Don’t buy things, buy experiences. A thing is a house. An experience is a trip.”

Right off I disagree. Things can be experiences. A house is a home can be an experience, right? And I’ve never had a travel bug because I hated that “broke” feeling when you return home. Speaking of which – wouldn’t it be great to return home to your own awesome house?

And yet. “…..An experience is a visit to that girl or guy on the other side of the world who said, “maybe”.

From the safety of never having been hurt that way, think of the “frendemy” you had growing up who becomes a friend. The ex who becomes a friend. Why? Because the experience is an interaction with another human being. Human nature is this terrible, wonderful, terrible thing. (Yes I did put the word “terrible” twice.)

An ex is someone who once got to see a part of you not everyone sees, who has the potential to give you a possible insight into your soul. (If they’re not a basket case. If you are not, either.) Which bit had not worked out? Why? Which bit did? I know some are going to super disagree, but if you have a “good” ex I think they can be invaluable friends.

So seek potential. Caveat: strive also to see if that potential can ever be realized. Which would bring me to…

In Rockstar’s words, “Stay away from black holes.” 

Under #4’s ho-hum header, “Don’t fall in love with someone who is in love with somebody else” (which I guess is kind of a given – I was more after the black hole metaphor) was this description in the link:

“These people ….. (have) sucked all the love out of the room so when you walk in, it’s already too late, you’re past that zone in the black hole where nothing ever gets out.” 

I’m borrowing this analogy not just to describe love, but also energy. There are things – people, animals, experiences, circumstances – that feed you energy and strength (for me the biggest one is faith), there are others that suck it away. Nothing can withstand a black hole; there will be nothing of you left if you are giving all the time only. I just mean, it is very noble, but you won’t be able to keep it up indefinitely like you really wanted to anyway, unless you get at least a little light or Oxygen coming back to you from somewhere. 

Why not go out there and find the source of your magic. Look everywhere. You never know, it might be in………….

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4) Cute Bunny Pictures! 20 Adorable Bunnies Sticking Their Tongues Out.

It’s a bunny thing

Honey Bunny, my Thing Someone Told Us Was A Rabbit when I was about 8 or 9, used to do that too. She wasn’t sweet, sometimes she was feral, but she still looked pretty cute when she stuck her tongue out. Seriously, it’s a slightly dangerous misconception that cute little animals don’t bite or inflict some bad scratches. JD, all 18kg border collie of her has never harmed a fly, but I can’t tell you how many times my pet rat, various hamsters and yes, Honey Bunny have drawn more than a little blood from me. Yes I got tetanus shots a lot.

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5) O-r, the source of your magic might be in doing something like this:

Emma Stone & Andrew Garfield of Spiderman fame

These stars didn’t need the extra attention. So when they saw bunches of paparazzi hanging outside their eating place, they exited with cards that list charities and non-profits they support.

This is my favorite case of Everyone Wins. Aside from the obvious Non-profits Get Some Publicity, even the pesky paps and press who plague A listers get something better than their usual pic of celebs whose-outfits-shall-be-analyzed-to-death – doing this little stunt was bigger news. And it wasn’t even awful gossipy news.

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6) Remember there were certain books/ stories that somehow made you feel so good just reading and re-reading them? Bet some of us have toys like that too. Especially when you sell them for a truck load-a money. Everyone start digging up their storage nooow!

Like so.

OMG I remember these bears!

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7) This weekend’s Rockstar Skit is – what else – Attack Of The Cuddle Monster Part II!!! (Note Rockstar’s facial expressions)

And there’s the magic.

Good weekend, dears… 

1) Dad Draws Cool Cartoons On Kid’s Lunchbag Every Day For Two Years, says the header.

Huh. Hate these overachievers pulling the curve up. 😀 Kidding of course, this guy deserves a medal

Seriously though – how fast does this guy draw? Because usually we’re struggling to barely get to the bus stop on time in the morning…

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 2) A Bulldog Lovestory (Though I prefer <appropriate accent> Because Igorrr Must Stay In Norrrrway <cue dramatic music> (Not racism; breedism. One commenter pointed out, “It’s a bulldog thing!”)

Most people like it, some reviews are mixed… I’d say it’s wayyyy a lotta work (they also have – is that 3 – kids?) and entertaining, nonetheless. Rather surprised the kennel let them paint the walls though, because I thought the smell might bother the dogs…

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3) NASA’s Real Life Enterprise

Darn I used up my Beam Me Up Scotty Little Miss Skit already

(Flashback of “space onesie” and goggle-wearing Miss)

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4) Scientific photographic proof cats are narcoleptic.

Dis is art.

Though this one probably suits my header better

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5) So… ants get a lotta fanfare about being super strong, let’s give the frogs some credit too. Frogs can lift 1.4 times their own body weight with just their tongue.

Supercroak

Basically, humans are just wimps. 

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6) Oregon Wildfire Turns Evacuated Wedding Into Epic Photoshoot

Yes that’s smoke from the giant wildfire

There’s lots more dramatic pics in the link, including one initially rather cheerily titled “Burning Love” which I would’ve instead given some witty and smart (but I couldn’t come up with one haha) caption from Gone With The Wind, but then I liked the road in this one.

U guys ever heard of that old psychology test where they ask you to picture a road before you can think it through? That road or path is how you view your life/ future. Straight ahead highway, winding road, etc. The whole happy hunky-dory happily ever after fairy tale of marriage is bull. Whatever a marriage experiences, whether it survives or not depends less on circumstance (barring “til death do us part”) and more on two people.

Now go back and look at that pic above. There is a freaking giant forest fire and wedding guests have just been evacuated (in fact, the story says they were initially supposed to have cleared out before they could be married, but the father-of-the-bride had teared up as he announced it and the firefighters decided they could be married quickly first.) Amidst the reality of the fire (without which there would be no smoke), the couple stand. No one is drunk, high, struggling with possibly futile and puny fire extinguishing equipment (btw some forest fires strangely good for nature) and there is the straight road ahead. Dis is art. Or why dis is my favorite wedding picture of the bunch. 

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7) Miss Skit this week occurs at feeding time, and is titled How To Catch A Star. For real, meet Twinkle, her new pet star. There would’ve been pictures of her taking it walkies when we got it on Bumps to Babes run yesterday, but I was too busy being terrified she would let the thing go, it would fly away, and Armageddon would ensue. So, she is safely strapped in feeding chair. Snoresome, but not heart stopping, so there.

Oh yeah – the red nose is extra. She’s been coloring her nose with kiddie pens most recently. But then I look at these pics and there is faint circus music going in my head.

Happy Father’s Day Weekend, dears…

ps: Sorry for not updating “Rockstar on a Mission” yet – the suspense wasn’t deliberate; I underestimated how long Rockstar’s annual class party would take yesterday (Rockstar had loadsa fun though) and so I’m behind blogging…