Visual Insights: Whimsical Funny Hats At Ascot Ladies Day

Dragonfly red hat, photo by Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters



Visual Insights: Whimsical Funny Hats At Ascot Ladies Day: "From Denny:  Check out the outrageously fun and whimsically styled hats women were sporting today at the Ascot Racecourse near London on Ladies Day.  It's held on the third day of racing during the Royal Ascot meet and is considered the highlight of the week at the track.



It's sort of like wearing a high class clown suit but everyone admires you, your creativity - and your daring to be the spectacle of public ridicule and laughter -  for wearing such a creation."

New Year Celebrations: History And Trivia

Check out how celebrating the New Year was once considered controversial throughout history.

From Denny: Ever wonder about the history of the New Year celebration around the world? Ever wonder how we came to celebrate it on 1 January?



Ancient cultures celebrated at different times of the year



Scholars believe the earliest  idea of a New Year celebration goes back at least about 4,000 years to Mesopotamia in about 2000 B.C. They celebrated their New Year around the time of mid-March when the vernal equinox occurred. The vernal equinox is when the sun crosses directly over the Earth's equator. When it happens in the Northern Hemisphere, like in America, it's called the vernal equinox. (When it happens in the Southern Hemisphere it's called the autumnal equinox.)



Trivia: The word "equinox" means "equal night." What happens when the sun is positioned over the Earth's equator is that day and night are about equal in length all over the world. Quite the odd phenomenon.

Obama Blasted for Saying Religious Tolerance OK in America

*** Republicans try to turn the Constitution into an issue for the November elections - now they are against religious freedom for anyone not Christian.From Denny: The Republicans try to twist and turn the truth any chance they get - and they go in front of the cameras smirking. They desperately want this comment about religious freedom and tolerance to blow up in the face of the Democrats. The Republicans should have stuck to the House ethics issue.You can't one minute be for the Constitution and the next minute be against it. Gee, "Do ya think?" the Republicans are those Famous Flip Floppers??? :)Prez Obama made the clear statement about everyone deserves the right in America to enjoy religious freedom of worship. He's correct. I also like it that he chose to make his statement - and clarification - on his own rather than through White House Team Obama proxies who always seem to screw up his message.Those who are American citizens and own their own property have the right to use it as they will within the guidelines of the local ordinances. So what if they want to put up a mosque near Ground Zero?Does it look insensitive? Well, yeah. Is it wise? I don't think so. Why encourage more religious or cultural hatred and practically paint a bullseye target on your chest? But look at it this way. There are a large number of really sleazy strip clubs in that area. Someone needs to pray about the morality of the area. It sure doesn't look like the Christian community stepped up. Maybe the Muslim community can do some good here. Any way you look at it they are American citizens who have the right to religious freedom. They have the right to live as first class citizens in their own country.My suggestion to them is to invite all faiths to join them in this building. Provide offices for other religions and areas of combined worship or meetings, turning this project into more than improving Muslim relations with America. Turn it into an interfaith center.

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*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates! *** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:The Social Poets - news, politicsThe Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychologyVisual Insights - photos, art, musicBeautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophyPoems From A Spiritual Heart - poetryThe Healing Waters - health newsDennys People Watching - people in the newsDennys Food and RecipesDennys Funny Quotes - humor

Vision of The Gardener Prophet poem - Libations Friday 6 Aug 2010

*** 2012 begins early. Check out a poem of prophecy warning humanity.Vision of The Gardener ProphetThe gardener stood at the window in the heat of summerGazing at the huge weeds growing stronger and larger,Sprouting up proudly as tall and wide as the shrubs,Crowding the beauty, smug, knowing they didn’t belong. What was not theirs they chose to steal and own out of spite.The gardener felt helpless, unable to tend the garden,For the summer heat was too strong to work outside.Day after day the gardener watched the weeds take over,Praying for the beauty to survive the onslaught andThen a break, a pouring rain came to drench the garden.The gardener hurriedly went out into the cooling wet airAnd began pulling the shallow roots, those showy weeds.The gardener prayed as she pulled and threw them away.The gardener prophet knew these weeds sprung up to stop her workAs she prayed for all the people of the world to do better.The gardener prophet prayed as she worked, knowing that“As below on Earth, so above in Heaven,” hoping this gardenWould influence and clean humanity of the great suffering.She toiled with the stubborn and contentious weeds for hours,Refusing to give in and allow beauty to wither and die.Deep in thought, hunting down the very smallest new weeds,Suddenly she looked up and there was an Angel appearing.The Angel looked at her work in the garden and said,“Tell the people their suffering has been heard in Heaven.The culling of humanity begins not in 2012 but now in 2010.”The gardener prophet wiped her eyes of the spattered mud.Patiently, the strong Angel waited for acknowledgement.“The Universe is speeding up the time table,” the Angel announced.“Humanity is past due to reach the next level of development.“Knowledge and wise teaching have spread the world to generations.“Contentiousness, lack of compassion, greed and stubbornness“Grow as weeds all over the world in every society and religion.“Beauty struggles to survive, grow and thrive, yet can wither and die.“The world is now again too full of those who choose to destroy, not build.“And now Death comes stalking them two years early to clean the garden.“Only Beauty is meant to walk the earth and thrive in the garden of Life,”Spoke the Angel softly, and then the vision slowly faded from the gardener prophet.Denny LyonCopyright 6 Aug 2010All Rights ReservedPhoto Credits - All photos are from my garden and are by Denny Lyon, available under Creative Commons copyright with Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives license.3 chocolate mint flowers in brush stroke effect Photo by Denny Lyon @ flickrField of discarded weeds Photo by Denny Lyon @ flickrHuge dragonfly on window screen in glowing edges effect Photo by Denny Lyon @ flickrBouquet of antique roses in colored pencils effect Photo by Denny Lyon @ flickrChocolate mint flowers favored by hummingbirds, colored foil effect Photo by Denny Lyon @ flickrPurple leaves Photo by Denny Lyon @ flickrBlue plumbago shade plant Photo by Denny Lyon @ flickrBumblebee on lilac chaste tree blossom Photo by Denny Lyon @ flickrAntique roses in saturated color Photo by Denny Lyon @ flickr*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates! *** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:The Social Poets - news, politicsThe Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychologyVisual Insights - photos, art, musicBeautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophyPoems From A Spiritual Heart - poetryThe Healing Waters - health newsDennys People Watching - people in the newsDennys Food and RecipesDennys Funny Quotes - humor