http://youtube.com/v/LO-wPOgVtqg
but of course…
we’re celebrating “moon festival” at the kindergarten today! apparently i’ll be helping the kids make “moon cake” as well as portraying Chang Er in the “pantomime”…
i’ll take pictures ;0)
The Chinese Moon Festival is on the 15th of the 8th lunar month. It’s also known as the Mid-autumn Festival. Chinese culture is deeply embedded in traditional festivals. Just like Christmas and Thanksgiving in the West, the Moon Festival is one of the most important traditional events for the Chinese.
The Moon Festival is full of legendary stories. Legend says that Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since. You might see her dancing on the moon during the Moon Festival. The Moon Festival is also an occasion for family reunions. When the full moon rises, families get together to watch the full moon, eat moon cakes, and sing moon poems. With the full moon, the legend, the family and the poems, you can’t help thinking that this is really a perfect world. That is why the Chinese are so fond of the Moon Festival.
The Moon Festival is also a romantic one. A perfect night for the festival is if it is a quiet night without a silk of cloud and with a little mild breeze from the sea. Lovers spend such a romantic night together tasting the delicious moon cake with some wine while watching the full moon. Even for a couple who can’t be together, they can still enjoy the night by watching the moon at the same time so it seems that they are together at that hour. A great number of poetry has been devoted to this romantic festival. Hope the Moon Festival will bring you happiness.
The moon cake is the food for the Moon Festival. The Chinese eat the moon cake at night with the full moon in the sky. Here are a few pictures of the typical moon cake.
The picture on the moon cake box.
The moon cakes in the box.
One of the moon cakes in the box.
source: http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa093097.htm
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPjUpwLpD-o&hl=en&fs=1&w=425&h=344]
with american politics (Коростели летели, летели, …, летели лет сорок – or whatever passes for it) keeping everyone entertained and blissfully unaware – south africa is set to bleed again:

Cape Town – Cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro on Monday defended his controversial cartoon of Jacob Zuma preparing to rape justice, saying he thought “very, very carefully” before doing it.
The African National Congress and its tripartite alliance partners have condemned the cartoon as disgusting, while ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe labelled it racist.
The cartoon, published in the Sunday Times under Shapiro’s pen-name, Zapiro, shows a blindfolded female figure labelled “justice system”, being pinned down by Zuma’s political allies.
The ANC president is depicted in the cartoon unzipping his pants, while Mantashe urges him: “Go for it, boss!”
Shapiro said he “absolutely” refuted the racism charge, and that his record in the struggle years spoke for itself.
“There is a very, very pronounced tendency in this country towards exceptionalism, as if our politicians are more sacrosanct than politicians worldwide. That I take issue with,” he said.
“I really feel strongly that they have to take a hard look at what they are doing and not use the red herring of racism.”
He said he was not surprised that the cartoon had provoked strong reaction, as the image was “outrageous”, and a “very explosive thing”.
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i think the shower head is a nice touch!
When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast.All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.When you love you should not say, “God is in my heart,” but rather, “I am in the heart of God.”
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
when the aim of the game is to talk about following instructions – most 8th graders’ eyes glaze over and your “conversation class” turns into a Shakespearean hell of monologues and asides.
but lo and behold! pose the question: “how do you skin a cat?” and they rush you for your white-board markers!
PETA might not be proud – but i had the most interactive class with these kids to date!
The Price equation (also known as Price’s equation) is a covariance equation which is a mathematical description of evolution and natural selection. The Price equation was derived by George R. Price, working in London to rederive W.D. Hamilton‘s work on kin selection.

Running time: 104 mins
Starring: Stellan Skarsgard, Melissa George, Ashley Walters, Selma Blair
now i’m probably not the best movie critic in the world – but there’s something about this movie that makes me want to tell you about it.
WΔZ is brittish film noir where i least expected it. if you like your movies to be largely self-explanatory, you’re going to hate this one. Tom Shankland (director) doesn’t breast feed you with his feature film debut. i’m not exactly sure what he does. but it’s still preying on my mind.
there’s some blood, some gore, grime and questionable acting – but the implication i picked up on at the end of the movie threw me completely.
no, i don’t think it’s the best movie ever. in fact, a few minutes into the movie i was convinced that i’d thoroughly hate it. you’ll probably think so too – even afterwards. watch it, though. because i want you to.