LSV

I contemplated the sheaves of wheat on the casket that described his life so well. He had been driven to the city by his son for a surgical procedure that week. Looking out at the fields, he felt the wheat in the palm of his hand and rubbed gently.

My Father-in-Law died December 23, 2006 at the age of 91.

"What Fascinates You?"

Su asked

Minds of men
Layered thoughts
Tolstoyed novels inside a pen

You do

Colored pencil drawing by Daphne Odjig

Chat Room Announcement

With Kai's recommendation, I have added a chatbox, Cbox, to my blog. Scroll down to the end of my sidebar to leave me a message.

Mompoet Asks Some Good Alternative Questions for the Season

* Are you ready for a hug? You bet. A matter of fact, let's try a group hug... Ow... but watch that foot placement.


* What day is it anyway? Wow, this is a good alternative to "How many days are left?"
I would say it is Wednesday! Well early Wednesday, which means there is a lot of time left still for shoppin...and I hear Walmart is open 24 hrs.


* Don't you love solstice? I do, especially if we don't step on each others toes or is that the Butterfly?


* Would you like to join us at our house for Christmas? Draw me a map.


* What's your spiritual practice this time of year? I try to keep it the same all year round.


* Where'd you get that sparkle in your eye? I was just telling my hairdresser today about that sparkle and she kinda laughed just before ripping my brows off.


* I'm going to Costco this afternoon. Can I pick anything up for you? You are too kind, Mompoet. I wouldn't mind one of those boxes of chocolate covered cookies in a big gold box and send airmail, 'kay?


* Would you mind sharing your recipe for eggnog? Best to pick up a quart from Safeway.


* Have you seen my mitten? It might be in my lost mitten drawer. Let me check...Sorry Mompoet, they must've been stolen. Merry Christmas!

Tree Dance

Trees shake their needles-
and make me wanna get up
and dance in the winter sun


Coming back at ya, Andrew!

Andrew's Haiku:

Gathering Perspectives

Emily,
From winter's nothingspaces
to summery green play stations,
I join your gathering
Sorting the collection of collaged thoughts
and pasting coal-black dreaminess on red hearts
spelling love and sorrow

Original artwork by Emily

Your New Version of Blogger is Ready?

Thanks to Imran, I decided to do some homework on the new Blogger account.

Here are three highlights from the Dashboard:

1. Everyone is going to have to use the new version eventually. Google is saying in a couple of months!
2. You'll need a Google Account which requires an email address and a password. This will also get you into other Google services.
   
3. Once you have made the switch, there is no coming back.

Check it out and tell me, has anybody else made the switch?

Another Blue Party

BLUE
1. Closest blue thing to you: A dark blue binder filled with top secret Toastmaster information including the secret handshake!

2. Are you good at calming people down? Ah, making them hysterical is much more fun.

3. Do you like the sea? I have never lived by a sea. I visited once but formed no close relationship. I like reading sea adventures. Does that count?

4. What was the last thing that made you cry? Someone's honest confession of a fault.

5. Are you a logical thinker? I like to think I am, but then emotions get involved and I end up feeling ...

6. Can you sleep easily? Yep, with a little help from the blue pill.

Thanks Barbara, for thinking up these questions, just out of the blue!

Observation

Table set
peach red
tapered and flowered

extra crystal goblet
for a child's hand?

(I see you, David)

Three Months Later...

Carol's Sabbatical

As a child, my Grandmother asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I smiled and confidently replied, "Famous." I think that desire haunted me sub-consciously for years.

I learned through blogging that any popularity requires maintenance. I always think of a well-liked blogger who said she had to cut down her blogging to 5 hours a day. It takes a lot of time to not only write a blog but visit others as well. Blogging involves community but even 3 hours a day is too much. (It is good to ask oneself, how much time is too much?) Besides to me, "too much" eventually means burnt out.

I don't know how long I will be gone for. Enough time to breathe deeply, re-focus and hopefully achieve some of that elusive balance.

Maybe there will be a new mission or format for the FFMB. Maybe the band will be available only in re-runs only, I don't know. It sure has been fun, any way.


Regarding the Discussing Creationism series, I have learned enough to see what some of the differences are between Creationists and Evolutionists. To the Creationists, I say, educate yourself with facts on both sides. To the Evolutionists, I say, don't make Evolution your God. Man's ideas are awesome but not worth worshipping.

Ultimately, we might never know the answer while on this earth. It reminds me of this fellow who was talking about a mystery novel he had read. He said that he would never have figured it out on his own until he read the ending.


Lastly and most importantly, I want to share with you once again, the Biblical plan of salvation. I invite you to look at these passages. I am a member of the Church of Christ.

Hear
Believe
Repent
Confess
Be Baptized

Thanks for listening and take of yourselves, not only emotionally and physically but spiritually as well. Be open to the truth revealed in God's Word.
I love you all. God bless.
Carol

Friendly Friday Flashbacks

Welcome Friends of the Friendless Marching Band to our 1st Anniversary party...A mist overtakes the band as we are transported back to our humble beginnings where inspiration struck a tuba player during an I Love Lucy episode. On Lucy's Last Birthday, Lucy encountered the Friends of the Friendless Band. They mistook her for a friendless drunk and asked her to join the band. A weekly mission was born.

Friends of the Friendless Marching Band Statistics: (What is a party without statistics? Fellow band member and list-maker , *-R- nods and takes the minutes for the party.)

• There have been 47 Friendly Fridays.
  
• We have visited 117 friendless sites.
• There are currently 53 FFMB members.
• (Click on the *links for party participants! I'll try to keep them updated as they roll in)
  

The bloglist fades away and the band emerges onto the first Friendly Friday.*Mompoet was the first Featured site and has been a faithful kazoo player ever since.

The first blogger to join the band was Zeb. I love his enthusiastic all night guitar playing and music lessons.

Stephen of Edge to the Center was winner of the 2005 Friendless Site of the Year. He was the second featured friendless site visited. It sure has been an experience to play with this cool baritonist.

*Barbara, our flutist, has always been an enthusiastic band member. Remember the contests? Yep, Barb has always been on top of it. Is it her competitive edge that explains why she started the Blog Olympics.

Do you remember when Kathy was just Kathy and not the Humor Queen and blog reporter, *Lazy Daisy?

Who can forget * J. Andrew's heartwarming testimony for the FFMB? Conductor has to stop for a minute...excuse me for just a moment...

Sabrina, another featured friendless blogger, hands the Conductor a kleenex and her tuba. "Will you play us a song?" "Sure!"

The clanging of pots and pans, tambourine stops the Tuba Player from continuuing. (Okay, what was that remark, Jennifer?)*Sister Celtic arrives along with Emily.
"It is so good to see you all," the tuba player smiles.

Just that moment, Dave who plays the double bass, opens his bass cover and out jumps Lucy. Everyone screams at her arrival at the party.Okay, so this is a dream sequence...


























Lucy leads the band in a fun-filled rendition of Friends of the Friendless and other various tunes. Sorry Some Person, no Nickelback today.

*Imran, guitarist, and Su, the trumpeter, transcribe the lyrics.

We are Friends of the Friendless
yes we are
yes we are
We are Friends of the Friendless
be they near
be they far
We are here for the downtrodden
and we sober up the sodden
We are Friends of the Friendless
yes we are
yes we are

*Sarah clogs to the tunes while Pat Paulk plays along with his glass armonica.

Oh, look! Wandi is here and she has brought her Grand-daughter to the festivities. Yes, we can arrange to have face painting for all the young 'uns. Where is Art Puppy, anyways?

Chrixean,piano player, rouses the band to do on an impromptu march around the room. Kai
and Mar keep the rhythm.

Then DPTH International starts a game of "What Does My Blog Name Really Mean?" I jump in with an indepth analysis of my own. *David is trying to figure out what date he joined the band. "I dunno," and try to figure out the undercurrents to the names Sugarloaf Mountain and Bad Alice.

The auditorium is filled with music and laughter. Band members that we haven't seen in ages are present..., or is it another dream sequence?

Tuba player notices Kathy in the corner conversing with her invisible tiger sidekick. He never did join the band. Pity, I hoped he would be the mascot.

Anyways, there is reminiscing about past performances. Ah, yes...remember when we were the bronze medalist party hosts for the 2006 First Ever Blog Olympics. Many of us had participated in the events.

Who can forget Barbara's Birthday Bash. That was fun with so many participants.


Now Killired knows how to throw a party, even a pink one! The FFMB had a great time playing for that one.

The Conductor gets up to speak and there is a hush throughout the auditorium.

Dear Friends not only to the Friendless but to each other, I have been looking over the sites we have visited over the past year and am still impressed by the talent and creativity out there. It has been fun to discover these blogs. There are a lot more out there. The FFMB mission is not yet accomplished. It is up to you, FFMB, to be friendly bloggers to the unappreciated out there. Smile and look outwards for there are bloggers in need of this band. As a friend has told me countless times, "Its not all about you, y'know." Ouch!

Remember that this thank you card was designed by *TNChick,in between twirls.

Mango stands up and raises her glass of lemonade hi in the air,

"Hi Carol,
My toast to you:
Here is a toast to our fearless leader- a madcap intellectual with
a penchant for showband tunes.
She has gallantly led her collection of travelling troubadors into
the true final frontier- blog space.
Under her nimble direction we have gone where no one (at least very
few) has gone before.

"Everyone has a story to tell." Carol has shown this to be true. In
a world where people want to
talk but very few listen, she and her marching band have listened.
Stay tuned.

To Carol, everyone say, "Hip hip hurrah! Hip hip hurrah! Hip hip
hurrah!"

Sincerely,
Mango Lane




*Friday's Child is hosting a feast for the occasion. Anybody hungry?

It Has to be on Friendly Friday

I know the actual anniversary date is on Saturday, August 19th, but I just can't imagine it being on any other day but Friday.

Are you with me on this?

I know, I know, I send announcements saying Saturday...but a girl is allowed to change her mind!!

So
Friday, August 18/06 is the official date for the Big Blog FFMB Anniversary Party...but I have a feeling it could be an all-weekender anyways.
Yahoo!

Discussing Creationism Part XXIII

Can the Bible and evolution be reconciled?

The Bible states that God created the world in 6 days and that Adam, Eve and Noah were historical figures. Science can not accept this and instead teaches that the Creation of the world and the flood are myths.

Evolution teaches that man and ape decended from a common ape-like creature. The Bible teaches that Adam was created from dust.

After the flood, drastic changes occurred in all life. Evolution and Natural Selection teach that biological changes occur over millions and millions of years. According to the Biblical timeline, the flood happened about 1650 years after Creation, leaving not much time for the slow changes of evolution.

How could this have been?













Sources:
About.com Evolution and Religion Most interesting. Be sure to read the last paragraph.

American Atheists



Previous Discussions:
Discussing Creationism: The Initial Argument
Part II: Two Questions about the Ark
Part III:The Volume of the Ark
Part IV: The Weight and Sturdiness of the Ark
Part V:What is a Myth
Part VI: Gilgamesh
Part VII: The Biblical View of Noah
Part VIII: Gathering of the Animals
Part IX Evolution
Part X The First Evolutionist
Part XI The Notebook
Part XII Erasmus Darwin
Part XIII Aristotle
Part XIV Middle Ages
Part XV Kant's Quotation
Part XVI Kant in Context
Part XVII: The Beliefs that influenced Darwin
Part XVIII: John Henslow
Part XIX: Darwin's Infallibility
Part XX: Darwin's Thoughts on Apes and Human
Part XXI:Lyell's Principles of Geology
Part XXII: Natural Selection

Sign Up Now While

Many strange and wonderful ideas are flooding the FFMB headquarters.
Don't miss a beat, sign up to be a part of the First Ever Anniversary Party of the Friends of the Friendless Marching Band.

For details of the party and how you can participate and make this party the best that Blogdom has ever seen, press here.

No actually, press here.

The Movie Of Your Life Is An Indie Flick

You do things your own way - and it's made for colorful times. Your life hasn't turned out how anyone expected, thank goodness! Your best movie matches: Clerks, Garden State, Napoleon Dynamite

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

Brainy Kid

In high school, you were acing AP classes or hanging out in the computer lab. You may have been a bit of a geek back then, but now you're a total success!

Who Were You In High School?

Discussing Creationism Part XXII

Darwin observed the Artificial Selection used by plant and animal breeders to keep certain desirable traits in the breeding stock. By this process they were able to maintain a certain variety of the animal. (eg. in dogs-Labrador Retrievers or Poodles )

Darwin observed the varieties of life and their similarities and concluded that Natural Selection had occurred. The competition for survival and reproduction had caused the stronger variations of the species to survive. Eventually, a new species developed.

Natural selection is dependent upon the environment. Different environments would produce different species as different adaptations would be required to survive in them. Thus more than one species could develop from one ancestor.

During this time, Darwin became growingly agnostic. Not only was God not needed in natural selection but he felt that the intraspecies competition was incompatible with a benevolent Creator.



Sources:
Evolution by Edward J. Larson
Origin of Species by Charles Darwin


Previous Discussions:
Discussing Creationism: The Initial Argument
Part II: Two Questions about the Ark
Part III:The Volume of the Ark
Part IV: The Weight and Sturdiness of the Ark
Part V:What is a Myth
Part VI: Gilgamesh
Part VII: The Biblical View of Noah
Part VIII: Gathering of the Animals
Part IX Evolution
Part X The First Evolutionist
Part XI The Notebook
Part XII Erasmus Darwin
Part XIII Aristotle
Part XIV Middle Ages
Part XV Kant's Quotation
Part XVI Kant in Context
Part XVII: The Beliefs that influenced Darwin
Part XVIII: John Henslow
Part XIX: Darwin's Infallibility
Part XX: Darwin's Thoughts on Apes and Human
Part XXI:Lyell's Principles of Geology

Friendly Friday

Hello Friends of the Friendless Marching Band.

I gotta tell you something...sob...your conductor is...pooped. I have been conducting the FFMB for almost a year now and I have decided...sob...to give my tuba (and baton) a rest.

But first there will be a huge party on August 19th to commemorate the FFMB's first anniversary. I'll need your help with this huge shindig. Anyone can contribute. Sign up now.

Then make a post about the FFMB on Saturday, August 19, 2006. I will link to that post on that Saturday.

Suggestions of contributions:

• find friendless sites and state why you like them
• write a FFMB poem
• find a picture of the band
• make your own illustration (I love those)
  
• say what the FFMB has meant to you
• etc
  
• ...sob

I am counting on you guys to keep marching...

Inmod Store

What would you choose?

Make mine a spubble in retro red.

Ladies in Pink

A pink tee means they survived
breast cancer

This weekend, they walked 60 km
to a red carpet
of cheers

Discussing Creationism Part XXI

Before Charles Darwin left to go on the Beagle, he was given a copy of Sir Charles Lyell's Principles of Geology. This book was to have a great influence on his interpretions of what he observed while on his voyage.

Lyell was writing about the uniformitarian theory, first introduced by James Hutton, that the earth changed by natural forces over a long period of time.

Evolution requires uniformitarianism in order to work.

This was different from the catastrophic viewpoint. Catastrophism holds that earth was immediately shaped by world-wide catastrophes. (During the 1700-1800's, it was also believed that all of creation was destroyed and had to be reestablished during these catastrophes.)


No one can deny that some of the changes in our earth are due to slow acting forces such as erosion but the sudden changes produced by catastrophic events can not be denied either. Earthquakes and floods leave their mark, quickly.


Sources:
Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Evolution by Edward J. Larson
Physical Geography
Science Clarified
Encylopedia Britannica

Previous Discussions:
Discussing Creationism: The Initial Argument
Part II: Two Questions about the Ark
Part III:The Volume of the Ark
Part IV: The Weight and Sturdiness of the Ark
Part V:What is a Myth
Part VI: Gilgamesh
Part VII: The Biblical View of Noah
Part VIII: Gathering of the Animals
Part IX Evolution
Part X The First Evolutionist
Part XI The Notebook
Part XII Erasmus Darwin
Part XIII Aristotle
Part XIV Middle Ages
Part XV Kant's Quotation
Part XVI Kant in Context
Part XVII: The Beliefs that influenced Darwin
Part XVIII: John Henslow
Part XIX: Darwin's Infallibility
Part XX: Darwin's Thoughts on Apes and Human

Friendly Friday

At tuba camp

I'm back FFMB. I could not spend another Friday without the band. (You will have to come back another day for the details on my holidays)


Let's start today's march with:

Simon at Simon on Books. I like this blog because:

• I like books
  
• and he give honest, concise reviews.
• the simple layout works.
• of his other site (even though it is not friendless)
  

Then there is Patrick of The Point of Departure. I like this blog because:

• it is insightful and thought-provoking
• of his variety of posts ranging from poetry, fiction and journalling on different topics
• he is just out of high school
• and wants to be an archeologist
  

Granimore from And So Begins My New Life. I like this blog because:

• it is different because
  
• he is a funeral director.
• he likes parodies like Weird Al
• and he made me wonder who the Angry Beavers are...

So, do you wanna join?
Just leave a comment stating that you wish to join then choose any instrument you like. (ability isn't an issue for this cyber band) We have three piano players, a harpist, a theramin and french horn player plus a variety of others so you get the idea that any instrument is possible.
On Fridays, the band meets to visit the chosen friendless sites which are listed anew each Friday. Then the band leaves friendly comments for our honored recipients. Let them know that you are from the FFMB.
Get to know other band members. There is sure to be someone you can connect with.
Nominate friendless sites. They can be bloggers you know or ones that you come across in your blog surfs. Think unique and creative. These sites have less than 5 comments/post and be posting currently. Leave me a comment with their address or email me at Carol_ffmb at yahoo.ca. I will let you know whether they have met the friendless criteria.

Display the FFMB banner, to let others know that you are a friendly blogger.

On Holidays!

Although my vacation is not that exotic
I still would love to take the FFMB along,
but until I master the art of making a travel blog,
perhaps, you would settle for visiting one another while I am gone.

Click on a member from the blogroll...
or maybe find a new friendless site...
and have fun blogging!

Performers

I am amazed by the courage and openness to sing in front of the whole country, discovering who they are by the process.

"I want to be a drama queen!"
performing each moment from the depths
of no despair

The Lighter Side of Discussing Creationism and Darwin

Take this quiz to find out how well you know Darwin.



One day the zoo-keeper noticed that the orang-utan was reading two books - the Bible and Darwin's The Origin of Species. In surprise he asked the ape, "Why are you reading both those books"?
"Well," said the orang-utang, "I just wanted to know if I was my brother's keeper or my keeper's brother." Darwin Jokes and Evolution

Friendly Friday

Hi DDMV...uh, I mean FFMB. I am still recovering from the Birthday Bash we played for on Tuesday.
Mango is helping me on today's friendly march...

We like Harold Davis's Photoblog 2.0 because:

• the photos are fabulous.
• he tells the story behind the photos
• as well as technical tips on how to achieve that same effect in your photos.
  

You have to register at Harold's blog in order to leave a comment so you might want to leave a message for him here.

We like Danielle's Love the Sea because:

• of those gorgeous underwater shots.
• of the African safari pictures
• that don't require a trip to the zoo.
  
• of her conservation efforts.

We like Ginny and Jacqui's travel blog Shangerz because:

• of the beautiful photos they're collecting from around the world.
  
• Carol got to play with the handy currency converter
• and Mango with the clocks.
  

Thank you Mango for helping me with the tuba today!




Remember to submit the friendless gems you find this week.

To join the Friends of the Friendless Marching Band, leave a comment stating that you wish to join then choose any instrument you like. (ability isn't an issue for this cyber band) We have three piano players, a harpist, a theramin and french horn player plus a variety of others so you get the idea that any instrument is possible.
On Fridays, the band meets to visit the chosen friendless sites which are listed anew each Friday. Then the band leaves friendly comments for our honored recipients. Let them know that you are from the FFMB.
Get to know other band members. There is sure to be someone you can connect with.
Nominate friendless sites. They can be bloggers you know or ones that you come across in your blog surfs. Think unique and creative. These sites have less than 5 comments/post and be posting currently. Leave me a comment with their address or email me at Carol_ffmb at yahoo.ca. I will let you know whether they have met the friendless criteria.

FFMB Banners are always available here.

Bringing it All Home

My Son and Daughter are having swimming lessons this week. They have not spent a lot of time in the water over the past years and as a result it has showed up in my Son developing a fear of putting his face in the water. The instructor told me that all they really need is more time in the pool.


Later, I attended a Toastmaster's Meeting and was disappointed when I ummed and ahhed my way through the improv speech. Fortunately, I was able to make them laugh which accounted for almost 20 seconds of my talk.

I asked my mentor, Paul, afterwards what he thought of my Table Topic and he said I did fine but not to worry as the ability to think of something quickly to talk about only takes a lot of practise.

The Party isn't Over, Yet!

Sorry, it took the band so long to learn this and Barbara for having to wait until the day is almost over but here the FFMB is doing what we do best, making music and being friendly.

As requested by Suzy, the FFMB will do a well rehearsed cover version of You're Having a Birthday originally played by the Beatles.

This one is for Barbara, still the birthday girl in these here parts.

Discussing Creationism Part XX

When Charles Darwin wrote Origin of Species, he did not want his theory to be dismissed so he did not mention that humans were included in the evolutionary process as well.

A quote from a private letter used in Cynthia L. Mill's book, The Theory of Evolution demonstrates his private beliefs at this time.
"Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work worthy of the interposition of a deity, more humble and I think true to consider him created from animals...Let man visit Ourang-outang in domestication, hear expressive whine, see its intellgence when spoken (to), as if it understood every word said-see its affection to those it knows,-see its passion and rage, sulkiness and very extreme despair; let him look at savage (Fuegan), roasting his parent, naked, artless,l not improving, yet improvable, and then let him dare to boast his proud pre-eminence."


Darwin noted similarities between man and ape then concluded that not only is man not superior to the ape but they evolved from a common ancestor.

• First was Darwin's observation that apes are capable of emotion similar to man.

Both animals and man were created with a soul. A soul experiences sensual sensations or feelings which are based upon the body's physical and instinctive needs. These reactions ensure survival. Man, however has a distinct difference from animals in that he also has a immortal element created in the image of God. As a result, he is capable of moral and rational reasoning not based on the physical alone. In other words, he can choose between the bestial nature or the spiritual.

• Darwin was disgusted by the actions of the primitive Fuegan men that he met on his journeys on the Beagle. The beasts were better than these men.

Man can choose to live by the bestial nature. Abominable acts like the ones that Darwin witnessed are extreme consequences of a life without morality or God.


Previous Discussions:
Discussing Creationism: The Initial Argument
Part II: Two Questions about the Ark
Part III:The Volume of the Ark
Part IV: The Weight and Sturdiness of the Ark
Part V:What is a Myth
Part VI: Gilgamesh
Part VII: The Biblical View of Noah
Part VIII: Gathering of the Animals
Part IX Evolution
Part X The First Evolutionist
Part XI The Notebook
Part XII Erasmus Darwin
Part XIII Aristotle
Part XIV Middle Ages
Part XV Kant's Quotation
Part XVI Kant in Context
Part XVII: The Beliefs that influenced Darwin
Part XVIII: John Henslow
Part XIX: Darwin's Infallibility

Friendly Friday

Howdy FFMB. Are you ready for a rip roaring stomp around the corral?

Come on then, don't be shy. Shout it.
Yahoo!

I like Hasbon's blog because:

• of the colors and design of her blog.
• of her "About me" entry.
• she is going to take Molecular Biology at University
  
• and hopes to be a dentist.

I like Michelle's New Town, New Life because:

• she is blogging of her life in small town Saskatchewan, Canada.
• she has 3 adult daughters and...
  
• a 2 year old with a wonderful "smile for the camera."
• she is Wandi's Daughter-in-law's Mother! or her Son's Mother-in-law.
  

I liked UziCue's blog, Uzi's Musings because:

• she is on a Redhead webring. Cool.
• of her "Things I do too Much" list.
• she is not a quitter.
  
• of her Hubby's scary makeup artistry.

Don't forget that I need your help to round up more lonely hearts.
Here's how:

1. Nominate someone you know who doesn't get the recognition they deserve.
2. Surf by clicking the "Next Blog" on the top of your blog. Surf until you find a really good blog that doesn't get enough comments (5 or less qualifies)
3. Or surf by clicking on the "Search all blogs" on whatever topic you like.
4. Are you on a blog ring? Look there.
5. Go to your blog profile and click on one of your interests. This will take you to other blogs that share that same interest.
6. Tell me some more ways and I will add it on here.



Do you want to join the Friends of the Friendless but are wary of commitments. Here's what is expected of you friendly cowpokes out on the range:

To join the Friends of the Friendless Marching Band, leave a comment stating that you wish to join then choose any instrument you like. (ability isn't an issue for this cyber band) We have three piano players, a harpist, a theramin and french horn player plus a variety of others so you get the idea that any instrument is possible.
On Fridays, the band meets to visit the chosen friendless sites which are listed anew each Friday. Then the band leaves friendly comments for our honored recipients. Let them know that you are from the FFMB.
Get to know other band members. There is sure to be someone you can connect with.
Nominate friendless sites. They can be bloggers you know or ones that you come across in your blog surfs. Think unique. These sites have less than 5 comments/post and be posting currently. Leave me a comment with their address or email me at Carol_ffmb at yahoo.ca. I will let you know whether they have met the friendless criteria.

Lassoo yourself a banner.

Discussing Creationism Part XIX

Below is a copy from a page of Charles Darwin's introduction to the Abstract for his book, Origin of Species.

Click to enlarge.

Evolutionist, Cynthia L. Mills, in her book, The Theory of Evolution" makes this remark about Darwin's later revisions.

Previous Discussions:
Discussing Creationism: The Initial Argument
Part II: Two Questions about the Ark
Part III:The Volume of the Ark
Part IV: The Weight and Sturdiness of the Ark
Part V:What is a Myth
Part VI: Gilgamesh
Part VII: The Biblical View of Noah
Part VIII: Gathering of the Animals
Part IX Evolution
Part X The First Evolutionist
Part XI The Notebook
Part XII Erasmus Darwin
Part XIII Aristotle
Part XIV Middle Ages
Part XV Kant's Quotation
Part XVI Kant in Context
Part XVII: The Beliefs that influenced Darwin
Part XVIII: John Henslow

June's Perfect Post

I am late!
No surprise there!

The contenders were:

• Art Puppy for her Father's Day post but she has disappeared along with the post. If you can read this AP, I hope you will let me know how you are and if you have created a new blog.
• Sister Celtic for two of her husband, George's, photos of beautiful birds. (Barbara, bird-lover, go have a look!)
• TNChick for advice to women on being better wives.
  

And the winner is TNChick. Congrats to this great blogger!

Friendly Friday

Hi FFMB!
I love to march with such a talented group of musicians. The thing with being a musician is that your creativity is bound to show up in other ways too. Take for example, Emily the
tambourine player. She painted this gorgeous watercolor for the band.


Join with the band as we march to end friendlessness in the blogosphere.

I like Baron at ComixBlog because:

• he has a lot of talent and he is only 13 years old.
• my son who also draws comics and is 13 says, "Yeah, that Spiderman picture looks cool."
• those lab cartoons!
  
• of the comix of the week

I think Sheiko at Sheikoreto 52 is neat because:

• it's her birthday!
• she is an artist.
• she draws graffiti!
  
• of the photos

I like Linky too because:

• I prefer the (self-proclaimed) reclusive, dull types.
• he is an artist.
• of the "Too Much Blogging" illustration and others.
• of the cool blog design.

Thank you Emily for the illustration for today's march.
More of Emily's work can be found at Guinea Pig Art Store and More and The Edge Gallery.

Thank you FFMB for visiting the sites today.

****FFMB ALERT****

I am in desperate need of more friendless sites. My bookmarks are bare.
"How do I find friendless sites?" you may ask.
There are many ways:

1. Nominate someone you know who doesn't get the recognition they deserve.
2. Surf by clicking the "Next Blog" on the top of your blog. Surf until you find a really good blog that doesn't get enough comments (5 or less qualifies)
3. Or surf by clicking on the "Search all blogs" on whatever topic you like.
   
4. Are you on a blog ring? Look there.
5. Go to your blog profile and click on one of your interests. This will take you to other blogs that share that same interest.
6. Tell me some more ways and I will add it on here.

It would be nice and helpful if you could tell me why you nominated this blog. I would include your name and your reasons. Please send these to my email address at Carol_ffmb at yahoo.ca

Are you new and want to join in the band:

To join the Friends of the Friendless Marching Band, leave a comment stating that you wish to join then choose any instrument you like. (ability isn't an issue for this cyber band) We have three piano players, a harpist, a theramin and french horn player plus a variety of others so you get the idea that any instrument is possible.
On Fridays, the band meets to visit the chosen friendless sites which are listed anew each Friday. Then the band leaves friendly comments for our honored recipients. Let them know that you are from the FFMB.
Get to know other band members. There is sure to be someone you can connect with.
Nominate friendless sites. They can be bloggers you know or ones that you come across in your blog surfs. Think unique. These sites have less than 5 comments/post and be posting currently. Leave me a comment with their address or email me at Carol_ffmb at yahoo.ca. I will let you know whether they have met the friendless criteria.

Don't forget the banner...

Discussing Creationism Part XVIII

Darwin became close friends with Cambridge don, Reverend Professor John Henslow while attending the university. Henslow was a clergyman who taught botany and minerology at the university. Darwin attended his field trips and scientific gatherings at Henslow's home. As their friendship developed he took daily walks with this mentor and became known as the "man who walks with Henslow."

What did Henslow teach?

An article in, of all places, the Financial Director, hypothesises:

"Some time earlier, Gina Murrell, assistant curator of the herbarium at the university, had noted Henslow’s tendency to attach several variations of the same species on the same piece of paper for comparison purposes – a practice not observed by Henslow’s fellow botanists of the era.

The hypothesis?
That Henslow had, in fact, been studying variation – the prime factor behind Darwin’s theory of evolution – decades before Darwin himself. Therefore, Darwin could not have come up with the theory alone...

There is no doubt that Henslow had some influence over Darwin’s career because he was his tutor during Darwin’s spell at the university. Henslow also had no doubt in his own mind about the brilliance of his pupil and because of this arranged a berth for him on HMS Beagle for its famous voyage to the Galapagos Islands in 1831.

It was during this voyage that Darwin finalised his theory of evolution – but it was as many as 20 years earlier than this that Henslow was laying the foundations for the theory...

In a three-page feature published in Nature magazine, the scientists and researchers involved – David Kohn, Gina Murrell, John Parker and Mark Whitehorn – spelled out the results of their research. “We have analysed all 10,172 plants on these sheets and infer that he [Henslow] intentionally organised his dried-plant collection to serve as the tool for an inquiry into species and their limits,” the article claims. “Darwin’s exposure to his mentor’s thinking was part of the exciting intellectual framework that he took with him on the Beagle.”

The article in Nature provides an insight into how important the technology could prove to history. “Henslow had launched Darwin’s voyage when he helped to secure a berth for him on the Beagle. But, more significantly, during Darwin’s undergraduate career, Henslow had also launched his mind on an intellectual voyage that led from species stability to On the Origin of Species.”

Henslow was also a cleric and believed that God was in control of life.

It was Henslow who recommended that Charles Darwin be a naturalist aboard the sea vessel, HMS Beagle.


Bibliography:
The Theory of Evolution by Cynthia L. Mills
Henslow, John on Encyclopedia. Com
Friends of Darwin
Charles Darwin on Reference.com


Previous Discussions:
Discussing Creationism: The Initial Argument
Part II: Two Questions about the Ark
Part III:The Volume of the Ark
Part IV: The Weight and Sturdiness of the Ark
Part V:What is a Myth
Part VI: Gilgamesh
Part VII: The Biblical View of Noah
Part VIII: Gathering of the Animals
Part IX Evolution
Part X The First Evolutionist
Part XI The Notebook
Part XII Erasmus Darwin
Part XIII Aristotle
Part XIV Middle Ages
Part XV Kant's Quotation
Part XVI Kant in Context
Part XVII: The Beliefs that influenced Darwin

Friendly Friday

Two unknown masked members??

Welcome Friends of the Friendless

I am going to mix things up abit today, so hold onto your instrument and...

let's go....

Here are some excellent blogs that are in need of a friendly visit:

I like Asma at Have Fun because:

• of his jokes
• of his variety
• of the ABC's
• he laughs at himself
  

I like Brian and Tom in In Motion for the Missing because:

• they are blogging and riding for a good cause, Missing Children's Network and Child Find
• they have travelled 5562 km across Canada on their bikes
• they are retired teachers
  
• they are Canadian

I like Paul at Pilgrimage Journal because:

• he believes in Jesus
• of his sincerity
  
• his short stories
• his cartoon collection

Thank you FFMB for doing the march. I hope you had fun!

Wandi collects bears and she also collects cute pictures of bears for her blog. Thank you, Wandi, for finding Sundrop. He's a happy and friendly face for a Friday.




Sundrop
To join the Friends of the Friendless Marching Band, leave a comment stating that you wish to join then choose any instrument you like. (ability isn't an issue for this cyber band) We have three piano players, a harpist, a theramin and french horn player plus a variety of others so you get the idea that any instrument is possible.
On Fridays, the band meets to visit the chosen friendless sites which are listed anew each Friday. Then the band leaves friendly comments for our honored recipients. Let them know that you are from the FFMB.
Get to know other band members. There is sure to be someone you can connect with.
Nominate friendless sites. They can be bloggers you know or ones that

you come across in your blog surfs. Think unique. These sites have less than 5 comments/post and be posting currently. Leave me a comment with their address or email me at Carol_ffmb at yahoo.ca. I will let you know whether they have met the friendless criteria.

Get your banners here!

I Didn't Make This But It is So Cute...

Reading the Paper...

"Don't you read the paper?" A friend was appalled by my lack of knowledge about current affairs.

"Yeah, I do."

"What, the comics?"

"Well..."

So today, I thought I would list what I actually did read in the paper.

Front page: "Family has tragic Father's Day" A Husband and Father of two was killed in a farming accident Sunday. I think about the uncertainty of each day, about my Husband and how difficult it is to read about reality.

So I go on to "Plus-Size fashion that flatters" and learn that the average North American woman is size 14. Alright!

Then I read Dilbert, Zits, Adam, Between Friends, Tina's Groove, and Meaning of Life.

Discussing Creationism Part XVII

Charles Darwin is an important figure in Evolution but it is important to remember that he did not originate the idea. The theory of Evolution began much earlier with early philosophers speculating on the similarities of animal life.

Darwin was influenced by these ideas, starting with his Grandfather who wrote about the origin of life. As a young adult, he was a member of the Plinian Society and a friend to its founder, Robert Grant. At these meetings, university biology students met to discuss evolutionary ideas. They opposed Creationism.

Darwin was not an impartial observer. He had faith in Evolution even before he stepped on the Beagle.

Sources:
The Theory of Evolution by Cynthia L. Mills

Charles Darwin: The Autobiography of Charles Darwin

About Darwin.com






Previous Discussions:
Discussing Creationism: The Initial Argument
Part II: Two Questions about the Ark
Part III:The Volume of the Ark
Part IV: The Weight and Sturdiness of the Ark
Part V:What is a Myth
Part VI: Gilgamesh
Part VII: The Biblical View of Noah
Part VIII: Gathering of the Animals
Part IX Evolution
Part X The First Evolutionist
Part XI The Notebook
Part XII Erasmus Darwin
Part XIII Aristotle
Part XIV Middle Ages
Part XV Kant's Quotation
Part XVI Kant in Context

Friendly Friday

Hello FFMB!
I thought we would do a simple march around the block today.
Choose a fellow band member randomly,
then let me know who you visited and one thing that you liked about their blog.

What do you like about the Friends of the Friendless Marching Band?
	The friendless sites I get to visit!
	The friends that I have made!
	That band members have an opportunity to contribute their talents to the Friendly Friday event.
	The photos of the band wearing a wide assortment of uniforms.
	Nominating friendless sites!
	I liked choosing my own instrument.
	It makes me feel good.
	The FFMB get-aquainted parties.
	The variety of musical selections.
	Any other reasons? Please leave in comment section...
Free polls from Pollhost.com

To join the Friends of the Friendless Marching Band, leave a comment stating that you wish to join then choose any instrument you like. (ability isn't an issue for this cyber band) We have three piano players, a harpist, a theramin and french horn player plus a variety of others so you get the idea that any instrument is possible.
On Fridays, the band meets to visit the chosen friendless sites which are listed anew each Friday. Then the band leaves friendly comments for our honored recipients. Let them know that you are from the FFMB.
Get to know other band members. There is sure to be someone you can connect with.
Nominate friendless sites. They can be bloggers you know or ones that you come across in your blog surfs. Think unique. These sites have less than 5 comments/post and be posting currently. Leave me a comment with their address or email me at Carol_ffmb at yahoo.ca. I will let you know whether they have met the friendless criteria.

You can get your band banner here.

I Made Another Quiz, Finally!

Are you Right? What is Left?

It is easy to get stuck on one side of the brain but I am sure that is better to get some exercise on both sides.
Do this quiz to find out which side of the brain you like to cruise on.

1. You discover that you probably have a computer virus. You decide to...


update your viral protection.

work with it.




2. You invited your in-laws for a home-cooked meal. You decide to...


try out the recipe that you saw once on tv a month ago.

cook a new recipe but try it out on your own parent first.




3. You are on a diet but would like to eat your chocolate birthday cake...


Hey, it's my birthday!

You cut back all day so that you can indulge.




4. The fire alarm goes off at work. You decide to...


make sure that all electrical equipment is turned off before leaving.

volunteer to stay behind to man the phones, they are always false alarms.




5. A meeting is called to discuss safety procedures at work. You decide to...


attend as you did call the meeting.

volunteer to stay behind to man the phones....

If you scored 5-7 then you are predominantly a left brainer. This means you are follow procedures well and are analytical but are not usually the life of the party.
If you scored 8-10, then you are more right brained. You are creative and a risk taker but you might be more susceptible to smoke inhalation.

Regarding Discussing Creationism

I am off to a huge used book sale today.
Any guess of one of the books I will be hunting for?

Discussing Creationism: The Initial Argument
Part II: Two Questions about the Ark
Part III:The Volume of the Ark
Part IV: The Weight and Sturdiness of the Ark
Part V:What is a Myth
Part VI: Gilgamesh
Part VII: The Biblical View of Noah
Part VIII: Gathering of the Animals
Part IX Evolution
Part X The First Evolutionist
Part XI The Notebook
Part XII Erasmus Darwin
Part XIII Aristotle
Part XIV Middle Ages
Part XV Kant's Quotation
Part XVI Kant in Context

Friendly Friday

Hello Friends of the Friendless Marching Band!

Yes, we march rain or shine. Thanks for showing up. You won't be disappointed..

...because today's march is kinda special. All of these blogs are by one person, Joyce Ripley. She is a Canadian, which is reason enough to like her, but she is also an artist and writer.


In Art Musings, Joyce's skill in watercolor, acrylic and oil painting is displayed. Her work includes old farm buildings, landscapes and still lifes. A few of my favorites are a still life of a paint tube cap, a Birch Tree and Coulter's Farmhouse and Outbuildings.

Information is a commentary of her art from Art Musings.

It was tough as you can tell to choose just one site to feature but I have kept her best until last.
Blood is Thicker Than Water is the featured Site of the Week. I chose this of Joyce's blogs because:

• it is the story of a daughter's desire to care for her dying mother.
• it is the story of treasured conversations.
  
• it is a story of the real conflicts that arise during stressful times.
  
• it is in telling the story that healing occurs.

Congratulations, Joyce!






If you would like to join the FFMB, listen to what Sarah, band member has to say:
Hi all,
This is Sarah, theremin player and clogger with the FFMB. As fellow
cloggers
know, if a clogger clogs and there's nobody there to hear it, it's as
if it
never happened. Such is the case with blogging. When Carol's marching
band
marched through my neighborhood, it made me realize that once in awhile
people actually read my blog, and it's made me want to be better at it.
Ever
since I've joined the band, I've met other bloggers -- some a lot like
me,
others completely different -- but the one thing we all have in common
is
our desire to make our little contribution out there in cyberspace. And
we're all lighthearted and fun, and you can never have too much of
that.
Clogging. Blogging. Not so different after all.


Thank you Sarah for your commendation!







To join the Friends of the Friendless Marching Band, leave a comment stating that you wish to join then choose any instrument you like. (ability isn't an issue for this cyber band) We have three piano players, a harpist, a theramin and french horn player plus a variety of others so you get the idea that any instrument is possible.
On Fridays, the band meets to visit the chosen friendless sites which are listed anew each Friday. Then the band leaves friendly comments for our honored recipients. Let them know that you are from the FFMB.
Get to know other band members. There is sure to be someone you can connect with.
Nominate friendless sites. They can be bloggers you know or ones that you come across in your blog surfs. Think unique. These sites have less than 5 comments/post and be posting currently. Leave me a comment with their address or email me at Carol_ffmb at yahoo.ca. I will let you know whether they have met the friendless criteria.

To get the FFMB banner to display on your blog, go here!