Map contest

Random: This is a map that I need to print out


<p><strong>><a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008/pick-your-president/">2008 Election Contest: Pick Your President</a></strong> - Predict the winner of the 2008 presidential election.</p>

Apologies

So, I haven't logged in a while. A LONG while. I've been going through a strange haze lately, mostly with roller coaster feelings that are long drops into depression. So I'm changing what it is that I do now and I'm deciding to go for something new. Well kinda new. I'm going to attempt to keep this blog up and I'm going to revamp myself. I'll let you all know the outcome.

Carousel

It's friday moons and spoons. Everyone should be somewhat happy! Well as you know, I'm feeling rather restless. So in the hopes of quenching that mind boggering travel itch, I've included a special suprise, along with the regular tidbits of carousel.

Who doesn’t have a safari on their must-do list?
Too expensive? Think again. Stay in small, owner-operated lodges and private houses, take scheduled flights instead of private charters, use resort guides instead of pricey private guides — and your trip will be top-of-the-line and reasonably priced.

The Itinerary:
1. Start slow in Sarara, a community-run tented camp in North Kenya where you can stretch your legs on long walks accompanied by local Samburu tribesmen. Or walk out the kinks with Kerry Glenn and her team of camels through spectacular rocky outcrops on Karisia Limited Walking Safaris.

2. Want to push yourself a little? Climb Mount Kenya and fly-fish for rainbow trout from your Rutundu Log Cabin. Or spend a few days in colonial style at Sosian on the Laikipia plateau or in the sheltered oasis of Ol Pejeta conservancy, the only place in Kenya to see endangered chimps.

3. Next, jump on an AirKenya flight to the Masai Mara game reserve, the jewel in East Africa’s crown. Stay at Rekero, a stylish, community-minded resort with excellent local Masai guides. Situated near the confluence of the Mara and Talek rivers, the tented camp has front-row seats for the annual wildebeest migration.

4. Finally, end with a bang at Shompole, the most glam lodge in Kenya. (Adding to the allure is the fact that it’s partly owned by the Masai.) Otherwise, head to the Swahili Coast and rent a bungalow like Alfajiri on the gorgeous beach.

Where the Wild Things Are

Wildebeests, zebras, and the nomadic lions that love them migrate in a giant circle, starting in the southern Serengeti in Tanzania in March. They head west then north, army-style, following the rains (and new grass). They reach Grumeti River around June, site of the over-the-top Sasakwa Lodge, cross the Mara River in July and August — then turn around and head back the same way. Other big safari animals — cheetahs, gazelles, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and leopards (the hardest to spot) — tend to stay put and are found everywhere.

When to Go

Year-round, but the best times are June-October and December-February. The green months (November, March, April, May) are rainy and less expensive. If you want help planning a safari on a budget, contact local guide Sandor Carter at sandor@wananchi.com. If you want to do the trip in grander style with your own private camp and an expert guide, contact Lindbald at info@lisalindblad.com.

So you can see that I am desperatly wanting to go to africa. I'll have to wait a bit before I can save up enough, but how glorious would it be? Anyway, onward with the clickies:

PLAY

Consumer Consequences

What: Answer a few questions about your lifestyle, and this interactive game will tell you how many earths it would take to sustain 6.6 billion people sharing your habits.

Why: It’s a small world after all.

Where: Online at sustainability.publicradio.org.

GO

Search Me

What: Efficient new search engine enables you to scan resulting pages visually.

Why: Watch out, Google.

Where: Online at beta.searchme.com.

USE

Believe Honey Bar

What: Profits from these lovely shea butter soaps go to the Raise Your Hand Campaign, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring children in developing countries have access to clean water.

Why: Believe to achieve.

Where: Online at noodleandboo.com.

GUZZLE

Vodka 360

What: The world’s first ecofriendly vitamin V is distilled four times, filtered five, and does the trick.

Why: Here’s to a healthy buzz.

FOLD- Tried and Tested

Cubecraft

What: Want a paper model of your gaming hero? Download the instructions and fold, no tape or glue required.

Why: Know when to fold ’em (you can even have battles).

Where: Online at cubecraft.com.

That's it for carousel today, but I think I've kept some of you occupied enough.

Weekend Review

How do you like my picture? Lately I've been doing some soul searching. So I went out and did lots of wandering around the town and hanging out with friends. It felt good to catch up with them and hear how things are going with them. I loved it. I realized that there are so many people I know that have known me through so many different stages in my life, and yet they've always loved me for it. It felt really good to know that. So I've decided to make a goal for the summer (which I will carry on, but I need to start somewhere). I like people, so I think I'm going to meet as many as I can. I also need to take a more active part in the lives of my friends. This is a short post I know but my weekend was really just a couple of days of hanging out with people, and taking lots of lovely pics (like the one above).

Peronsal Goal

Today I have no real post for you, but I do have a goal...and that is just something you'll have to find out...tomorrow! ;)

Yippee!

Weekend Review

Friday 5-16:

Oh boy, what a day. Work was like a grand duchess of the pain squad, and I was her little pawn. I spent the better half of the day running around trying to fix the big shi-bang mess that had been thrust upon me. But, I succeeded and at the end of the day I retired to a delicious night of movie and catching up. M was out of school and drove up to visit people in the area. I spent the night eating steak and watching a movie about law/racism in the south. I can't really remember the name of the movie, but I have to admit...it was good.

Saturday 5-17:

Graduation day. A lot of friends that couldn't graduate with me (or before me) were graduating. Let me tell you, it's the oddest thing sitting at a graduation event as an alumnus. Only a year ago I was the one dressed in green and feeling strangely euphoric about my future life as an independent. Now I was on the other side of the fence. I felt proud of my friends, knowing that they had so much potential. Afterwards I went to a graduation party for R, where his mother gave so much food I was in a perpetual food comma for the rest of the afternoon. Today was also the day that I met the infamous A, girlfriend to the equally infamous M. What a couple! They are so right for each other it's almost sickening...in the best way though. I have never seen M as happy as he was with her. She's one of the few people that I warm up to immediately and I like her. She has beautiful, kind eyes and a face that seems always ready for a warm smile. I like that. Plus she gets points on my part because she gracefully accepted a pounce.

Sunday 5-18:
After an entire night of tombstone (which I was asleep for most of it) and then packing up. I helped R move all his stuff out of the dorm. I'm just grateful that he didn't have as much stuff as most girls. I remember trying to help K move out of her dorm, and it was a never ending stream of cardboard boxes, tape and random knickknacks. Guys are a lot easier to move.

Anyway, after a couple of hours of shoving everything into cars, I practically slept the rest of the day and night.

That my friends was my weekend. Nothing exciting, but nonetheless enjoyable. I've very excited about tonight though, it's James Bond night. More on that later.

Pervert of the month

And the prize goes to: Isabella Rossellini.

Let me begin this with a story. I love learning things...it's sick. So it is not surprising when I decide to read up on something completely random. The other day, I decided that I'd learn about how spiders mate...I typed in Google and I got this: Green Porno. I was piqued. So I clicked it.

Okay, so I'm a little late to the Green Porno party. But what I lack in punctuality I more than make up for in enthusiasm for these warped short films. Isabella “Put Your Disease in Me” Rossellini outdoes herself (and actually does herself) in this eight-part series about the sex lives of various insects, arachnids and mollusks. Produced by Sundance expressly for smaller digital screens (computers, cell phones, etc) the whole series is just dirty, filthy, good clean fun. Try to imagine a Children’s Television Workshop-produced interpretation of that transcendently horrible "pterodactyl pr0n" and you’ll be somewhere in the ballpark. But not really.

But seriously, enjoy....I know that I think this is the awesomeness of idility.