kimlajevardi

Welcome back all! Another week has come and gone, and as a result, we are days away from the Vernal Equinox. Spring has almost sprung. 😉 Enjoy the longer days, the return of color and warmth and the ever-closer presence of summer. A giant sigh just escaped the thoughts of every teacher in North America, including me.

Enough of my seasonal celebrations – on with the news.

Llama drama… giggle. 🙂

http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/llamas-lead-arizona-police-chase-through-phoenix-suburbs-n313766

This is stunning! Finding this video couldn’t be more timely. I’m currently writing chapters where my main characters are in a cave, and the visuals in the world’s largest cave make me feel the chill of the stone under my fingers and the crunch of rock beneath my boots.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/16/hang-son-doong-drone-worlds-largest-cave-vietnam_n_6882916.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News

Next up, further evidence that science rocks: blue lava. Very cool!

http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/17/no-computer-trickery-here-just-real-bright-blue-lava-5108300/

Enjoy your evening and even more important, take a few moments to recognize another spring. If you celebrate the Persian New Year, Aid-e shoma mobarak!

Hello all! It’s Wednesday again – time for another posting of the news that I found interesting, intriguing, or just plain weird. This has been a much better week in my little corner of the galaxy. I hope you can say the same.

First up, a yummy treat courtesy of the police. I’m not sure where I fall on rewarding people for what they should be doing anyways – but as someone who normally follows the laws, I wouldn’t mind a little something. Coffee. Definitely coffee.

http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/nh-police-department-rewards-good-behavior-pizza-fries-n321741

Next up, a very interesting marketing ploy. Go away it’s too snowy. (Not really. Come visit and spend your money 🙂  )

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/new-york-town-gives-says-visit-florida-instead-n308876

A first for science: an image of light as both particle and wave.

http://www.livescience.com/50019-image-light-wave-particle.html

That’ll do it for this next to last week of winter. Cheers and whooping and hollering are totally appropriate now. Next week when I post, we will have two final days before the equinox. Yay! The sun is returning! The sun is returning!

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month.

Please visit the blogs of our amazing co-hosts: Chemist Ken, Suzanne Sapseed, and Shannon Lawrence!

This month I’m feeling both insecure and ecstatic. Who said being a writer wasn’t fun? 🙂 That twitching you feel is me. Don’t worry, it’ll stop once I refill my coffee.

So, my insecurity stems from my bad week last week. I had a lot swirling about in my over-worked brain; time was working against me, and then, because the universe knows how well I handle stress, I had a big ol’ bad day at work. The culmination of all of that was on Wednesday – when I’m supposed to post my weekly news. Long, and maybe not so interesting story short, I missed last week’s posting because I was hiding in bed with the blankets pulled over  my head. I’m sorry to my massive list of readers, and especially sorry to those writers who I owe a blog visit and responses to previous posts. I’ll catch up after work today.

On a happier, make that fantastic note, I just found out that my novel won first place in a regional writing contest. The contest is associated with a writing conference put on in my neck of the woods, and the local writing group that created it has very helpfully chosen to make it mirror the steps of landing an agent: a query, synopsis and first 2,500 words of your manuscript. There were several rounds with the final round being judged by an agent that is also attending the conference. And I won first place in my category! Woo-hoo! I need emoticons. Hmm…

Any gray left hanging over me after last week dissipated when I got that call I can assure you. Picture a schoolgirl running around the house, yipping and giggling and you get a small glimpse of what my Sunday evening looked like. My family was quite amused. 🙂 I haven’t been able to wipe the smile off of my face since.

Happy IWSG posting day! What about all of you out there in the virtual abyss? Anyone else celebrating good news?

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Now for a long-delayed news break. Let’s just pretend that last week didn’t happen, okay?

First up, a massive discovery. This isn’t weird or crazy, just amazing. Look what happens when we ask questions and try to seek out the answers – we find more than we could ever imagine.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/03/lost-city-honduras-ciudad-blanca_n_6797194.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News

Um… okay. How relaxing is a small underground tunnel? I’d think a shed or garage, or virtually anything else would be better. Can you spell claustrophobia?

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Toronto-police-say-no-criminal-intent-with-tunnel-6109755.php

And in science news, my backyard is apparently the safest place in case of a zombie apocalypse. Who knew?

http://www.livescience.com/50016-best-place-to-hide-from-zombies.html

That’ll do it for me. Have a fabulous week and weekend.

Hello all! I’m no longer as exhausted as I was last week. That was a doozy of a week. I’m better now. Spring is beginning to play peek-a-boo with us over here, and there are hints that Spring Break is around the corner. I. CAN’T. WAIT. The only way to keep my mind occupied is to stay busy, and what better way than reading the news? 😉

Here’s a bit of what I found.

Do you think the fridge is the weirdest thing ever thrown at those officers? I have a sneaking suspicion that they’ve seen their share of some crazy stuff.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/16/tractor-trailer-chase-34-miles-fridge-thrown_n_6691646.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news

Very funny! Youtube has opened up a whole new world of entertainment, hasn’t it?

http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/watch-this-farmer-make-artwork-with-his-cows-400613443784

Mental telepathy is possible. Wow! Authors get your fingers poised on the keyboards – the stories will practically write themselves.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/16/tractor-trailer-chase-34-miles-fridge-thrown_n_6691646.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news

That’ll do it for this week. If you’re buried under snow, just keep your thoughts focused on the idea of one month. In one month, it’ll be the vernal equinox and then we can start counting down to summmerrrtttime. Woo-hoo! Don’t pop my happy bubble by reminding me of how long until it arrives. I can’t hear you. 😛

Happy early Valentine’s Day! This week has brought a flurry of flower deliveries, cards, cookies and candy throughout my work space. Along with the extra sugar and color those things bring, conferences. Two extra-long days where I find myself with droopy eyes and a sore throat. What does this mean? I’m tired. Very tired.

So…

Some music and art.

First up is some cool 3D street art. Talented artists.

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/absolutely-stunning-3d-street-art-paintings/

What do I want to hear before I go to bed? One of my favorites. I like Eminem. It’s not for everyone, but I enjoy it.

http://youtu.be/bmXumtgwtak

I didn’t forgot that we need some science. Cool science!

http://coolsciencenews.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-better-map-of-ocean-floor-has-been.html

That’ll do it for me. Goodnight.

It is time for The Insecure Writer’s Support Group once again. Time to release anxiety, soak in some support or just make connections with other writers out there in the virtual world. If you are so in need, click on the link above and sign up to join in. If you’re just up for some reading, you’ll find material worthy of giggles and more, so much more.

I’ve shown up as the party’s winding down once again this month. Dangnabbit! Overall life business keeps interfering in my writing time. Some days I wish I could chuck it all and just write.

Do you ever have those days?

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First up in this week’s regularly scheduled news update: A gigantic um… okay. I’m all for fundraising, but isn’t this a little creepy?

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Zoo-offers-creepy-way-for-lovelorn-to-get-even-6039354.php

Goes to show you that some political positions aren’t really necessary. Too many bad politician jokes. 😉

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Man-who-died-in-2012-gets-reappointed-to-Pa-6049040.php

Whatever it depicts, it is absolutely stunning and knowing that it’s larger than our solar system leaves me in awe.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/31/space-globule-very-large-telescope_n_6581042.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News

That’ll do it for me tonight. Have an amazing night and I’ll see you in the virtual future.

IT’S WEDNESDAY! Why the exclamation you ask? Well, we’ve been having unseasonably warm weather here in my neck of the woods, and I’ve got a little extra pep in my step as a result. So this ordinary hump day seems just a bit brighter and bolder – the kind of day that requires exclamation points. 😉

In the news, some reflections of that same boldness. Maybe even a subtle plea for a quickening in spring’s approach.

I could not do it, but it looks like it is a blast and talk about bold.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/28/tesla-insane-button-video_n_6560170.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News

Seriously bold uses for bananas, but I’d stuff the skin and eat the fruit first. No use wasting such a yummy garnish for cereal. Oh, and ice cream – definitely ice cream.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/elisa-roche-jamie-oliver-chef-5060836

Volcanoes rock! Another exclamation point, I know, but the constructive  and destructive forces of the earth are worthy. So cool.

http://www.popsci.com/underwater-volcano-just-created-new-island

Go forth and enjoy the rest of the week. Whether you’re buried under snow or enjoying beautiful temperatures, there’s always something worthy of exclamation points.

Snow is falling and the temperatures are quite chilly in my little corner of the world tonight. It’s been a perfect evening for a laptop, a blanket and a short nap.  Now that I’m awake, *yawn* I thought I’d share some of the news tidbits found during my conscious moments playing around researching online.

The choreography and resets to get these to all work must have been a nightmare, but worth it.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/spectacular-moment-100-mini-metal-5017671

Um, okay. Who’s this really meant to fool?

http://news.sky.com/story/1412215/virtual-boyfriend-app-will-send-you-love-notes

A library preserved in ash that is now sharing its secret with us via an x-ray technique – cool! I applaud any and every effort meant to uncover knowledge.

http://www.popsci.com/new-x-ray-technique-lets-archaeologists-read-scrolls-preserved-vesuvius

That’ll do it for another week. Time to close my laptop and head to bed. My nap was not nearly long enough. 😉

Salom! Hola! Or for those of you that stick to English only – Hi! Another week has come and gone, bringing me back for yet another installment of: The Weekly News. Da, da, da dum. Imaginary drums are necessary. I swear they are. 🙂

Up first at bat, three very cool kids. Next snowstorm I’m going to their house. I bet their mom makes the best hot chocolate.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/11/brothers-snow-sea-turtle-sculpture-minnesota-photo_n_6446376.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News

Adorable! Animal pics are just too good to pass up. Not news per se, but worth a look. Enjoy!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/earth/11335028/Animal-photos-of-the-week.html

Really cool idea if it helps more people regain their hearing.

http://www.popsci.com/prototype-retainer-could-help-hearing-impaired-hear-their-tongues

That’ll do it for the me this week. I hope you’re enjoying this mid-point Wednesday in January.

Another month has come and gone, and it’s time once again for a round of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group (I’m a little tardy for the party, though). If you haven’t clicked on the above badge to go swirling through the virtual wormhole that spits you out on any number of super cool blogs, do it.

As for this slightly tardy writer, well, my insecurity is once again about time. Kind of ironic given my late posting this Wednesday I know, but that’s in keeping with my overall sense of there’s too damn much to do. I have work, family, drafting of my second novel, reviews for my critique partners (which I’m super behind on), the holidays (which I enjoyed, but am happy they are over), personal reading and a ton of other little things. Geez…

I don’t have a question this month so much as a need to breathe. Argh… I’m tired, but I want to finish so much.

How does everyone else balance it all? (I guess I do have a question. 🙂

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On to the news.

Um… Some people have too much money. It’s frozen water that’s meant to melt. If you’re interested in these, I have a bridge that might also peak your interest.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/worlds-most-expensive-luxury-ice-4934855

Yuck, yuck, yuck. YUCK! I don’t know if I’d ever be able to go in a public restroom again. Did I say YUCK?

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Woman-plunging-San-Diego-toilet-pulls-up-5-6000293.php

Not too hot, not too cold. They’ve found even more planets that are just right. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE space? 🙂

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/06/eight-new-exoplanets-discovered-kepler_n_6424646.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News

That’ll do that for another week, folks. Have a great one. See you in seven. 🙂