My friend Scott (the one leaving work) sent me this video claiming that it was the best music video ever made. Doubtful, I watched. It’s definitely in the top 10 if not one of the best videos I’ve ever seen. The version he sent me was a lot more clear, but I was able to find a version on YouTube. Essentially someone willingly used a balloon to propel themselves into space (or the edge of it) and freefall through our atmosphere and into the ocean. The ambient music from Boards of Canada (the first I’ve heard them) compliments the video well. The surfing shots at the end are quite magical too, then again I’ve always had a facination with the ocean.

[Watch]

My cat has ran away. She snuck out last week through the doggie door, but came back early morning. We were attempting to be careful about the times we leave the doggie door open for my son, but my dad fell asleep in his recliner and she snuck out Wednesday night and hasn’t come back.

We’ve called all the neighbors, we gave her description to the humane society, but I do not have high hopes.

1. Given that all of our ducks have now been maliciously stolen/murdered/eaten by some critter over the last month, it’s entirely possible that the same beast of burden has made lunch of my cat.

2. She’s entirely lost, given she’s an inside cat, in which case #1 is still viable. (Though I think animals are a bit smarter than this)

3. She’s found a new home, with a familiy of dishonest jackasses that would keep someone elses pet, even though she clearly has a collar and rabies tag (though worn and possibly not distinguishable). She had a name tag with all her vitals on it, but I believe she lost that a few months ago and I haven’t remembered to get her a new one.

Here’s hoping she somehow finds her way home.

[Edit]: SHE HATH RETURNED! 2 days later, but she hath returned!

CNN has an article regarding the woman who is suing to have the pentacle placed on her husbands grave marker. Currently the pentacle is not recognized as an acceptable symbol for headstones, yet Wiccan is considered a valid spiritual practice in the military (I believe), and several islamic symbols have been recently approved for use on headstones.

On the bottom left there is a small poll regarding the issue of the pentacle being allowed on headstones, if you are interested in voting (yes!).

A bunch of my highschool best friends and I went out to Sakura Japanese Steakhouse last night for dinner. I took my dad along too, since they all adore him. It was more entertaining for me to watch his reaction to the cooking entertainment than anything, since I don’t think he’s done anything like that before. I’ve been trying to expose him to new things and let him experience things we’ve never been able to do since we both grew up poor. Such as taking him on the catered yacht, and the fancy dinner and concert I will be taking him to in February. Something to take our minds off the fact that we’re still fairly poor, but surviving.

This morning I helped haul and cut some more wood, and then did some target practicing with the .22 rifle and helped him clean out the nasty gutters.

I saw a program on this morning that talks about this place in Michigan called “Legend” that has like 5 miles worth of land for hunting enthusiasts. It seemed interesting enough, until I saw people huddled up in warm protective “huts” and using bait to catch their deer. My father and I both agree that baiting deer is not real hunting, and neither of us have ever done it. Nor have we ever hunted on a reserve made specifically for hunting.

The good thing about this place though, is they do cater to handicapped folks and children that are unable to hunt on their own, and I believe they cook up the leftover meat to donate. If only more people would do something like this.

My dad said when we lived back by Liberty Reservoir in Marriottesville, that there were times he’d find 6 or so doe’s just laying there rotting, because the hunter wasn’t interested in anything but a high pointed buck. Obviously they weren’t killing for the meat or the hide, just being disrespectful murderers.

Well it appears that we’ve raised enough of a concern with Baughers that the woman who wanted to give Charlie away to be shot by children with bows and arrows, is now going to give him back to me and my father to stay permanently.

It was a stupid thing for the woman to even consider, I don’t know how people don’t consciously realize what they think and do. Why would anyone think that’s okay?

Since I made the decision earlier this year to allow my hair to grow to its natural color, I’ve become almost obsessed with checking it daily. I dust it regularly for split ends, I don’t put any chemicals in it, and don’t dry it. I will put some Giovanni organic leave-in conditioner because my hair gets very dry.

And since I no longer dye or highlight it blonde, I’ve noticed I have gray hairs. Not a lot, just a few strands and only along the front where I used to keep a rather bleached blonde strip.

At first I thought, “You know, I’m 26 years old, do I really want to be showing gray hairs yet? Maybe I should dye everything brown? Maybe I should just keep dying it blonde? I don’t want to look -old-.” I even started plucking a few of them to help reduce the “aged” look.

Then I realized, I don’t want to be one of those women. You know the type, the women in the beauty salon getting their roots done because amix all of their badly dyed red and dirty blonde they have that strip of foreign gray down the center of their scalp. It looks undoubtedly ridiculous, and I don’t know about you, but when I see them I can’t help but stare.

So no, I won’t be “dying” my hair with any sort of permanent color. I don’t want to be a skunk anymore. Dying my hair all these years has made it dry, frizzy, and brittle. Where growing up it was always stick straight and silky.

I have, however, been considering the environmental and beauty benefits of henna. It’s vegetable based, it’s a single-compound dye, it’s healthy for your hair, and it comes in great colors. Best of all, less chance of skunkage. But only if I find out I don’t like my natural color, which so far I do, as dark as it is. I’m still bewildered at the amount of shine compared to the dead stuff left on the ends. I’ll be anxious to see it all gone.

In other news, the benefit of using drugstore.com to order my “Kiss-my-Face” products, is if you order two, you get one free. Which allows me to experiment with different products. I’ve gotten free organic soap, toothpaste, and deodorant. And I’m very picky about my deodorant. I’ve tried several organic brands and haven’t found one I liked yet. So far the “Liquid Rock” from Kiss-my-Face seems to be working well, though unscented. And best of all, it was free

Freedom!