Glorious Miscellany

theremina: This is EXACTLY how I flirt with girls.

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:57:22 -0700

theremina:

This is EXACTLY how I flirt with girls.

(via Surviving the World - Lesson 1739 - Surprises)

Mon, 13 May 2013 21:10:35 -0700

(via Surviving the World - Lesson 1739 - Surprises)

"After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: If anyone in the vicinity..."

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:25:53 -0700

“

After learning my flight was detained 4 hours,
I heard the announcement:
If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic,
Please come to the gate immediately.

Well—one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there.
An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress,
Just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly.
Help, said the flight service person. Talk to her. What is her
Problem? we told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she
Did this.

I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly.
Shu dow-a, shu- biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick,
Sho bit se-wee?

The minute she heard any words she knew—however poorly used—
She stopped crying.

She thought our flight had been canceled entirely.
She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the
Following day. I said no, no, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just late,

Who is picking you up? Let’s call him and tell him.
We called her son and I spoke with him in English.
I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and
Would ride next to her—Southwest.

She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it.

Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and
Found out of course they had ten shared friends.

Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian
Poets I know and let them chat with her. This all took up about 2 hours.

She was laughing a lot by then. Telling about her life. Answering
Questions.

She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies—little powdered
Sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts—out of her bag—
And was offering them to all the women at the gate.

To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a
Sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the traveler from California,
The lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same
Powdered sugar. And smiling. There are no better cookies.

And then the airline broke out the free beverages from huge coolers—
Non-alcoholic—and the two little girls for our flight, one African
American, one Mexican American—ran around serving us all apple juice
And lemonade and they were covered with powdered sugar too.

And I noticed my new best friend—by now we were holding hands—
Had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing,

With green furry leaves. Such an old country traveling tradition. Always
Carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.

And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought,
This is the world I want to live in. The shared world.

Not a single person in this gate—once the crying of confusion stopped
—has seemed apprehensive about any other person.

They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too.
This can still happen anywhere.

Not everything is lost.

”

- Naomi Shihab Nye (b. 1952), “Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal.” I think this poem may be making the rounds, this week, but that’s as it should be. (via oliviacirce)

Photo

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:09:59 -0700

Photo

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:32:21 -0700

zoomar: Naturalist Posing as Cactus, Snaps Desert...

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:24:08 -0700

zoomar:

Naturalist Posing as Cactus, Snaps Desert Animals

Popular Science, 1931

Well, I’ve figured out what I want to do when I grow up!

kateordie:

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:10:53 -0700

kateordie:

#THIS WILL ALWAYS BE THE GREATEST THING TO HAPPEN AT COMIC CON...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:11:00 -0700

#THIS WILL ALWAYS BE THE GREATEST THING TO HAPPEN AT COMIC CON #ALWAYS AND FOREVER #ALL YOUR ARGUMENTS ARE INVALID

!!!

headlikeanorange: Seljalandsfoss, Iceland (Eva Sturm)

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:57:49 -0700

headlikeanorange:

Seljalandsfoss, Iceland (Eva Sturm)

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Sun, 14 Apr 2013 23:02:50 -0700

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Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:34:32 -0700

giemma: infinite list of favorite movies → but i’m a...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:17:09 -0700

giemma:

infinite list of favorite movies → but i’m a cheerleader (1999)

↳ 1, 2, 3, 4, you’re the one that I adore, 5, 6, 7, 8, don’t run from me ‘cause this is fate

I dare you to kiss me- then let me go. -Cobra (1925)

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:19:38 -0700

I dare you to kiss me- then let me go.

-Cobra (1925)

Photo

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:09:42 -0700

WHEN NEW BOOKS ARRIVE IN THE MAIL:

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:17:16 -0700

wheninacademia:

cabinporn: Hut on the ‘W’ trail in Torres del Paine National...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:19:30 -0700

cabinporn:

Hut on the ‘W’ trail in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile.

Contributed by Corey Sinclair.

Mission Learn-How-to-Style-My-Hair-Exactly-Like-Ten’s:...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:22:17 -0700

Mission Learn-How-to-Style-My-Hair-Exactly-Like-Ten’s: still a work in progress.

natgeofound: Narrow streets and streetcar in Lisbon,...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:45:00 -0700

natgeofound:

Narrow streets and streetcar in Lisbon, Portugal.

Photograph by W. Robert Moore, National Geographic

Photo

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:57:54 -0700

wtfevolution: Ctenophores. ‘Cause sometimes evolution only...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:02:54 -0700

wtfevolution:

Ctenophores. ‘Cause sometimes evolution only feels like making the mouth.