It's safer by far, better for sleeping anyway among other things...

Such as?

*Well, drinking. I for one prefer drinking somewhere dark and dim.

*Watching movies, so much better, except when they blind you with a bright scene.

*Sleeping? Wait Have I mentioned that one already? I really enjoy sleeping, all snuggly in blankets with the AC turned way up in the summer heat...

*It's usually cooler in the dark, at times suffocating, but stay away from those places, unless you're being born. Then by all means leave that place. More interesting out here by far.

*The dark keeps the the vexsome ones indoors away from knocking on your door to bother you in the middle of a perfectly good nap.

*The dark is not scary. Keep your eyes up and your mace handy.

Do you have a point la Luna? No, not really...But if you came here for something substantial go here. You'll find that the dark is 96%...easy to find.

Humans are fundamentally social animals. Our social nature means that we interact with each other in positive, friendly ways, and it also means we know how to manipulate others in a very negative way.

Neurophysiologist Katherine Rankin at the University of California, San Francisco, has also recently discovered that sarcasm, which is both positively funny and negatively nasty, plays an important part in human social interaction.

So what?

I mean really, who cares? Oh for God's sake. Don't you have anything better to do that read this column?

According to Dr. Rankin, if you didn't get the sarcastic tone of the previous sentences you must have some damage to your parahippocampal gyrus which is located in the right brain. People with dementia, or head injuries in that area, often lose the ability to pick up on sarcasm, and so they don't respond in a socially appropriate ways.

Presumably, this is a pathology, which in turn suggests that sarcasm is part of human nature and probably an evolutionarily good thing.

How might something so, well, sarcastic as sarcasm, be part of the human social toolbox?

Evolutionary biologists claim that sociality is what has made humans such a successful species. We are masters at what anthropologists and others call "social intelligence." We recognize and keep track of hundreds of relationships, and we easily distinguish between enemies and friends.

More important, we run our lives by social calculation. A favor is mentally recorded and paid back, sometimes many years later. Likewise, insults are marked down on the mental score card in indelible ink. And we are constantly bickering and making up, even with people we love.

Sarcasm, then, is a verbal hammer that connects people in both a negative and positive way. We know that sense of humor is important to relationships; if someone doesn't get your jokes, they aren't likely to be your friend (or at least that's my bottom line about friendship). Sarcasm is simply humor's dark side, and it would be just as disconcerting if a friend didn't get your snide remarks.

It's also easy to imagine how sarcasm might be selected over time as evolutionarily crucial. Imagine two ancient humans running across the savannah with a hungry lion in pursuit. One guy says to the other, "Are we having fun yet?" and the other just looks blank and stops to figure out what in the world his pal meant by that remark. End of friendship, end of one guy's contribution to the future of the human gene pool.

Fast forward a few million years and the network of human relationships is wider and more complex, and just as important to survival. The corporate chairman throws out a sarcastic remark and those who "get" it laugh, smile, and gain favor. In the same way, if the chair never makes a remark, sarcastic people are making them behind his or her back, forming a clique by their mutually negative, but funny, comments. Either way, sarcasm plays a role in making and breaking alliances and friendship.

___________________________________________

I don't write this stuff people. I just share it.
Source

"Resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other person dies."

~From the book "The Forsaken" by L.A. Banks

This is great...
Bubble Wrap

This is the truth about the eventful evening.

Everybody who is anybody was seen at this year's Lupercalia celebration. If you weren't there, make plans to be seen within the company of those that were there. Trust me, your reputation won't dive down faster.

After soulmates or make-out buddies were found and if you weren't slapped silly by any naked Roman boys we gathered in The Forum complete with hottubs and sharpies. The latter was unfortunately unused, well, except for a small section of the wall. (I was drunk on Nyquil vino by then and it escapes my memory of my scrawlings. True Roman style, eh? *W*)

Some lounged, some soaked in the tubs, some left for reality TV and some even left to smoke. Would you believe it?

And the rumors! Have you heard there was a jell-o pit and moi was involved! Please, it was a complete misunderstanding. The few active men of AW, namely the Woad Barbarian, Vort and MA, the Vino Extraordinaire, were hording the Jack. (This would be a good time to let you know, that I will not be explaining anything you have questions about.)

Now you're wondering, "Jack? What's that got to do with a jell-o pit?" Nothing, which is my point. I blame the whole affair on the House of Negotiable Affections and it's proprietress. I clearly had possession of Jack and she pried my fingers off and kicked me! And by what miracle we were covered in red jell-o. Needless to say my magical black censor bars were later needed and useful to retain my modesty.

One cannot be nekkid in front of the DGs. It's just not acceptable unless they start it.

Note to self: Get payment from Madame Di or make MA work it off...

Brought to you by the SAWTTRF

You'd have to be blind to notice the nice little "Imbolc" graphic on the com panel. For Celtia it's Imbolc, for others its Candlmas or a simple feast with candles and spicy dishes. I haven't looked on the Egyptian calenders to see if they too have a celebration for this time of the year.

It's a celebration to help banish away the darkness of winter. Whether or not it's something you take part in why put a bit of a damper on an occasion?

While I was talking to friend here, it's when I noticed it. And now that I've slept on it...it strikes me even odder that the damper comes with the more paganism celebrations that some of us take part in. Either for the pure enjoyment of the site for a bit more knowledge or maybe the rites here are a bit more to our hearts. But I have not noticed it on various Roman celebrations or Egyptian.

Why is that? Is it because they are so much older? No one calls on such an old pantheon? Less intimidating?

Another sad thing my friend mentioned, was that this ritual of light is dedication to a Goddess so powerful that they had to make her a Saint. All of her attributes as Goddess become her Saintly ones.

Hmm...such curious practices...(note sarcasm here on the very last line)

LONDON (Reuters) - Unhappy clowns from around the world say a study that reported that children didn't like them has wiped the big smile from their faces, and have been falling over their large shoes to put their

A poll by researchers looking at what decor to put in hospital children's wards found that youngsters do not like clowns on the walls and even older ones think they are scary.

"We found that clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable," said Penny Curtis, senior researcher at the University of Sheffield which questioned 250 children aged between four and 16.

But their findings, published in a nursing magazine on Wednesday, has put the red noses of the clowning community out of joint.

In a deluge of emails to Reuters, they say they misrepresent just how popular they really are.

"The 'universe' of 250 children used for the Sheffield University study was miniscule compared to the 250,000 one-to-one bedside visits made by Clown Care to hospitalized children annually," said Joel Dein, director of communications at the Big Apple Circus in New York.

The Clown Care programme has involved two million hospital bedside visits since it began 21 years ago, employs more than 93 professional "Clown Doctors" and has been copied across the world in countries such as Italy and Brazil, Dein said.

Other individual clowns pointed out how much children, especially those who are ill, are cheered by them.

"I have clowned in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, day care, corporate events ,telethons and am a part of many charity events," said Elaine "Daisy D.Dots" Vercellone, who has been clowning for 21 years around New York.

"It gives people, kids and adults a reason to be silly, to imagine and gives their minds a vacation if only for a moment."

Heather Myers, aka PipSqueakTheClown, said while many of those in hospitals and nursing homes appreciate their fun antics, there are of course those who are scared.

"There are those who are afraid of clowns, this is unavoidable, the same way that there are those afraid of dogs and spiders," she said.

"It is the responsibility of the clown to know his environment, and take the necessary steps when confronted with a phobia."

Source

They still creep me out...

LONDON (Reuters) - Bad news for Coco and Blinko -- children don't like clowns and even older kids are scared of them.

The news that will no doubt have clowns shedding tears was revealed in a poll of youngsters by researchers from the University of Sheffield who were examining how to improve the decor of hospital children's wards.

The study, reported in the Nursing Standard magazine, found all the 250 patients aged between four and 16 they quizzed disliked the use of clowns, with even the older ones finding them scary.

"As adults we make assumptions about what works for children," said Penny Curtis, a senior lecturer in research at the university.

"We found that clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable."

Source