A Truth Journal: Ukraine: Time To Label Russia A Rogue State and Beef Up NATO?

Vladimir Putin - Inflaming Ukraine Challenging Obama (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)

A Truth Journal: Ukraine: Time To Label Russia A Rogue State and Beef Up NATO?:
From Denny:  While Putin plays Liars Poker with the world, losing miserably, it's time for the world to move past this dead leader walking.  It's only a matter of time before he is assassinated or removed from office.

Meanwhile, the rest of us need to decide how we will handle rogue actions like this seizing of sovereign territory as Putin has done in Crimea.

He has his eye on the rest of the Ukraine, hoping to take it in big chunks: the first easy plucking was Crimea as he knew most Russians back home would not oppose him.  Next he is moving to take Eastern Ukraine where there are ethnic Russians in residence as they are in Crimea.  After that he plans to take back the rest of Ukraine just for general principle and a fun military exercise...

Celebrate Dark Chocolate Women's All Over Print Tee

Celebrate Chocolate every day as a holiday! Available for bedding, handbags, totes, in more styles of t-shirts for men, women and kids - and more products!

Easter Omelet King Duvet

Easter Omelet: Decorate with this virtually scrambled omelet from colorful Easter eggs!  Design available in other size bedding, handbags, laptop sleeves, t-shirts and more!

New Denny Lyon Design: Phone Cases, Handbags, T-Shirts, More: Fun Magic Coffee Fonts

Warriors Pearl Foundation: New Denny Lyon Design: Phone Cases, Handbags, T-Shirts, More: Fun Magic Coffee Fonts: From Denny:  Since I'm past due on posting about all my new designs the past year for Denny Lyon Gifts to benefit charities helping homeless female military veterans who were victims of sexual assaults I might as well get started today.

This was a fun design to create after drinking too much coffee one morning. :) We do so enjoy that awesome aroma every morning wafting out of the kitchen to rocket us out of bed to begin our day.  So, I just had to place it on an unexpected product choice:  handbags and wallets!

To "gild the lily" there were two more coordinating patterns if you want to experience some creative fun to mix and match.  The nautical theme is popular in fashion now as the 60's retro is back on the scene.  Of course, with my usual, sometimes off kilter art mind, I thought how cool is it to think of "navigating" our way to the welcoming waters of our morning coffee as a major achievement?...

Magic Coffee Fonts Women's All Over Print T-Shirt

* * *  Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

A Truth Journal: Late Night Jokes, Funny Videos About Obama Scandals: IRS, Benghazi, AP

A Truth Journal: Late Night Jokes, Funny Videos About Obama Scandals: IRS, Benghazi, AP: From Denny:  Come on; you knew this was coming.  The jokes are too good and the funny photos of Tea Party protesters who just can't spell their own language in sign after sign is shocking.  OK, unbelievable.  America needs to increase our public school education and reteach these folks their own language: English.

It's no wonder the IRS sought to investigate the Tea Party groups who were demanding tax exempt status.  Their paperwork was probably so filled with spelling errors they weren't sure what was going on.  If these Tea Party signs are any indication of the lack of intellectual caliber of these political groups the IRS tried to check out, it isn't any surprise as to why they felt compelled to do so.

Magic Coffee Fonts Silver iPhone 5 Case

Magic Coffee Fonts Galaxy S3 Case

* * *  Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  And a special thanks to those of you supporting this effort!  You rock!

Visual Insights: 18 Funny Coffee Splash Photos

Visual Insights: 18 Funny Coffee Splash Photos: From Denny: Check out the best of the amusing coffee splash photos over at flickr. Many are a first time effort from the photographers.

Ever since flickr created galleries to stash your favorites by themes and in groups of a manageable 18, I've been having fun on a regular basis. Try it sometime and get your own Visual Vacation to rest your tired brain at the end of a work week. :) Enjoy!




Morning coffee by iBalki @ flickr.  All Rights Reserved with embed code.

Dennys Art Sanctuary: Funny Coffee Art and Tutorials: Barista With Cat Humor

Dennys Art Sanctuary: Funny Coffee Art and Tutorials: Barista With Cat Humor: "From Denny: Check out coffee tutorials in the form of how to do latte with beautiful designs like the Rosetta. From World of Latte in The Netherlands come some amusingly good looking cups of coffee!  While this site is not in English you can check out World Coffee Events for it is an English language site.

This cat design sure gave me a smile today.  Imagine being greeted with that at a coffeehouse when you are unwinding from a tough day at work!"



Cat Coffee photo by Live Solutions @ flickr, All Rights Reserved with embed code available

Libations Friday! 4 September 2009

Featured today is a photo-rich new poem: Soul Journey and, of course, a cute coffee cartoon that seemed to be a good fit when talking about the magical in life! :)

From Denny: For the past year or so my poems have been evolving into photo-rich ones. I tend to settle on a theme and then go searching through flickr for some wonderful photographers to promote. Two of my favorites as "go to guys" for anything mystical for spiritual inspiration and thought-provoking are alicepopkorn and h.koppdelaney, both from Germany.

They generously offer much of their excellent work in the Creative Commons area, with only the stipulation of attribution and a link back to their flickr page. When you place photos from this area of flickr be sure to read all the stipulations as many times the photographers don't want commercial publications to profit from their work. Otherwise, you are free to display their work like on StumbleUpon blogs!

Coffee Cartoon with Creative Commons license



************

It took a life time of study and experience to write this poem! If I were to leave this life today I would be happy this one poem could be my legacy...


Soul Journey



Sometimes we banish our best friend
When our awareness is young but
Our soul returns again and again
Offering daily help and new insight



Sometimes we deny our soul
Withering into the cold slowly
Our soul waits and pines to
Be free of its confining prison



Sometimes we loose our soul
When we choose to love another
Our soul rejoices to live abundantly
Offering kindness to spread around



Sometimes events sadly happen
When love goes wrong and ends
Our soul weeps to be joined again
Giving us strength to begin anew



Sometimes we are perplexed by life’s absurdity
The love heart confounds us, shattering fantasies
Our soul plunges the dark abyss of emotions to
Lift us back to safe ground and new understanding



Sometimes we revel in the wonderment
Transfixed by the starring moment
Our soul celebrates our latest discovery
Guarding carefully our dreaming time



Sometimes we are in tune with Nature
Inhabiting that perfect place of serenity
Our soul sighs in the beauty of resting union
Observing us present in Time with eternity



Sometimes we are out of tune with everything
Insisting upon our own pleasure and willful way
Our soul extends us a loving patient hand
Guiding us at a slower pace until we peacefully agree



Sometimes we rise up on new inspirations
Secure in the larger awareness of soul
Our soul gently cradles our expanding minds
Waiting, assisting in our next evolving step



Sometimes we suddenly conceive what is beyond us
Yearning to reach new dimensions undiscovered
Our soul cheers our efforts no matter how small
Protecting our new knowledge now conscious



Sometimes when reaching high too fast
Frightened of intense emotions flood rising
Our soul descends to cover with darkness
Quieting our fears, steadying us once more



Sometimes as we learn our inner depths
Struggling against all odds for illumination
Our soul warms us with healing inner fire
Powering us mightily for the Transition



Sometimes there are spiritual leaps forward
Forcefully exploding within and without
Our soul glimmers with rising anticipation
Savoring soon our completed inner union



Sometimes we are stressed to nearly breaking
Agonizing over the temporary and unimportant
Our soul braves the chaos of inner darkness to
Pull us back from the brink of wrong surrender



Sometimes we live as if disappearing invisible
Wandering and stumbling in the shifting fog
Our soul calls us, encouraging return to Hope
Singing soothing words on our long journey



Sometimes we turn inward ferociously
Blocking a world too much coming our way
Our soul cocoons us ever silent and vigilant
Rocking us sweetly on the churning stormy waters



Sometimes our ego performs painfully under many masks
Role playing for decades, often an entire life time
Our soul suffocates, groaning under heavy pretense
Stripping down unworthy deception and hiding lies



Sometimes we reach so high we forget how greedy
Grasping is not the same as eagerly reaching
Our soul steers us once more toward respect
Standing still with layering Time to greet us



Sometimes we arrive triumphant at our destination
Harmonized with Eternity’s shimmering playground
Our soul relaxes and melts into simple ecstasy
Knowing we will now turn back for others


Denny Lyon
Copyright 3 September 2009
All Rights Reserved

Thanks for visiting - and subscribing to this blog, everyone! Have a great Labor Day weekend and have fun!

For a couple of more photo-rich poems, go here and here.

*******

Photo Credits

Friendship Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Cold Soul Photo by Hamed Parham @ flickr

Whispering Secrets Photo by HAMED MASOUMI @ flickr

Tears: Baptism of the Soul Photo by honikum @ flickr

A Matter of the Heart Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

U will never know wonderment photo by honikum @ flickr

Serene photo by honikum @ flickr

You need to know what really happened photo by honikum @ flickr

Inspiration Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Next dimension photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Feelings flying too high Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Book of transition Photo by alicepopkorn @ flickr

Lightness photo by alicepopkorn @ flickr

Surrender Photo by alicepopkorn @ flickr

Invisible Photo by alicepopkorn @ flickr

The Introvert Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Ego Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Present in the Now Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Spiritual Grace Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Libations Friday! 14 August 2009

Featured today: Cultural coffee trivia and original poem about the transformation of us and summer into the next season.

From Denny: There sure is some serious coffee studying going on out in the online world. People record the minutest trivia and craziest history about the substance we affectionately call coffee!

What I enjoyed reading was how people in various cultures take their coffee. Want to know? Of course, it's common knowledge to any coffeehouse lover that the Italians take their expresso with granulated sugar. Why? Because it dissolves faster than a cool looking sugar cube. White sugar dissolves better than brown sugar or candy too as it is more refined. Who puts artificial sweeteners in their coffee? It alters the taste - horribly in my coffee book.

The Germans and the Swiss like to drink their coffee in equal parts coffee and hot chocolate (remind me to get dual citizenship!). The Mexicans like their coffee with cinnamon. (I do too in the fall and winter, yum! And Mexican cinnamon is out of this world for flavor.)

How do you think they drink their coffee over in North Africa? The Moroccans like their coffee with peppercorns! Spicy bunch those guys; bet they could handle Cajun food. The Ethiopians like to take down the acid in their coffee and drink it with a pinch of salt. If you have coffee you find too acidic, take a tip from the Ethiopians and place a pinch of salt in with your ground coffee in the filter right before you brew it. I've done it many times and it's really good, especially if you have a sensitive stomach like many people who don't drink coffee because of the acidity.

How do they take their coffee in the Middle East? With spices, of course! They favor cardamon in addition to other spices but cardamon is the most common.

The Austrians love their version of cream in their coffee to the tune of good ol' fattening whipped cream. It's a damp climate in Austria, especially Vienna as it's on the Danube River. Hot coffee with soothing whipped cream is just the ticket when it's bone chilling cold. They don't heat their 800 year old churches like St. Stephans in downtown Vienna and the stone is so cold that you are cold from your feet up past your knees. They don't turn on the heat in public buildings or apartment houses until December! So, yeah, whipped cream starts sounding really good! :) Can you tell I lived there for a while? Wonderful place, Vienna, Austria; met lots of interesting people too.

*****

On to the poem section of today's feature! For several weeks now I've been pondering how to write a summer poem. You want to talk about the weather without sounding dull. You want to set the mood for place without wearing out the subject. The summer heat reminded me of a child with a hot temper and the rest is simile history! :) If nothing else this poem gave another way to employ the excessively used word "like."

Simile definition: a figure of speech that draws a comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing the word "like" or "as."

Louisiana Summer Sigh



The July summer heat
Puffed its cheeks out
Like a pouting stubborn child
Told, “Go to bed, now!”



The hundred degree scorching
Soared as hot as that child’s temper
Weighing down the droopy moist air
Like that child’s protruding lower lip.



The scent of change wafted near
Fluttering sweetly on dragonfly wings
Ghostly mid-July presence announced
“Fall approaches; change is coming.”



The heat slowed from fever pitch
Like the child’s temper calming a bit
Then mid-August Perseid meteor showers
Chased high across the sky, amused our inner child.



The heavy August moon, huge eyes hung low
Pointed the way, “Look up! Change is coming!”
The night sky’s face moved different in one instant
Like the child’s, transformed new starred wonder.



The breezes stirred more often late summer
Growing stronger, more bold in their invite
Cooler weather calmed stormy tempers
Like the hugging arms of a patient mother.



The hurricane season of stormy tempers passed
The child’s once fuming countenance restored
Fall lovingly dried the moist air’s heavy tears
Like the child’s face lifted up to his mother’s

All smiles and joy. Breathe.



Denny Lyon
Copyright 14 August 2009
All Rights Reserved

Have a great weekend, everyone! Thanks for visiting!

*****

Photo Credits:

11th commandment Photo by allygirl520 @ flickr
Angry child photo by JustinLowery.com @ flickr

Screaming child photo by mdanys @ flickr

Lake Martin Swamp, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana photo by onealchristopher @ flickr

River Road Plantation, Louisiana photo by New Orleans Lady @ flickr

Smiling little boy photo by OakleyOriginals @ flickr

Blowing bubbles photo by Pink Sherbet Photography @ flickr

Smiling child photo by Pink Sherbet Photography @ flickr


Coffee, coffee trivia, Kids and Teens, denny lyon, poetry, Libations Friday, poems, the social poets, Vienna, Middle East, Hot chocolate, Beverages, Austria, parenting, seasons, summer poem, Home, Cooking, Whipped cream

25 Weird Coffee Trivia to Astound and Amuse You

25 Weird Coffee Trivia to Astound and Amuse You

By Denny Lyon @ HubPages

From Denny: Wrote this fun piece a couple of days ago. I had more fun reading up on coffee history and, I guess with too much coffee in me, started writing amusing commentary to pair with it. Decided to turn my pleasure reading and some research into an article so all my online friends could enjoy laughing out loud with me.

Who knew reading bits and pieces of world and ancient history could be so much fun? Found some awesome coffee photos to go with it too, wow! the folks over at flickr outdid themselves in Creative Commons.

Just click on the title link to take you to the awesome article!

Thanks for visiting - and definitely THANK YOU for all your support!!!

Photo by allygirl520 @ flickr

Libations Friday! 31 July 2009

Featured today: Cold coffee recipe, funny birthday quotes, original poem about how to conquer abuse in your life.

From Denny: Yesterday was my birthday so I thought I'd mellow out on the early AM posting today... :) (lame, I know!) Basically, I took yesterday off and am up early putting together today's post which usually takes some time just to load it into the online editor.

Anyway, at our house we celebrate birthdays all week long with more than gifts, flowers or chocolates. We celebrate with birthday jokes, quotes, or stories. We like to annoy the birthday person to the point they will never forget their birthday this year or any year! It also goes a long way to making a person feel loved and special to be reminded more than once we are glad they are sharing the planet with us.

Here are 9 birthday quotes which we find amusing. If you like to make your own greeting cards for birthdays some of these would be a great idea to include for a friend or loved one to make them smile!

Image by Kapil Karekar via Flickr

9 Funny Birthday Quotes

Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician. ~ Anonymous

The old believe everything; the middle-aged suspect everything: the young know everything.” - Oscar Wilde

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened. ~ Jennifer Yane

Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself. ~ Tom Wilson

A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age. - Robert Frost

I never forget my wife's birthday. It's usually the day after she reminds me about it. – Anonymous

Age is a number and mine is unlisted. - Anonymous

Last week the candle factory burned down. Everyone just stood around and sang, 'Happy Birthday.' - Steven Wright

People ask me what I'd most appreciate getting for my eighty-seventh birthday. I tell them, a paternity suit. - George Burns



Photo by nyki_m @ flickr

Creamy Espresso Coffee Ice Cream Cooler

Serves: 4

Birthdays in late July can be a bit*h! It's hot, steamy and people can get grumpy crowded together. Why not make everyone happy by cooling them down with this ice cream coffee cooler? Watch the birthday gifts roll in! :)

Ingredients:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup half and half

1 1/2 cups hot water

1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee (or leftover strong coffee)

4 standard scoops coffee ice cream

Directions:

Combine the chocolate chips, cream and half and half in the jar of a blender. Cover and puree until the mixture is smooth, about 2 - 3 minutes.

In a small bowl stir the espresso into the hot water until dissolved. (Or skip this step if you have leftover strong coffee or just want to make fresh expresso.) Add the espresso to the chocolate mixture and mix until well blended, about 2 - 3 minutes.

Put covered blender jar in the refrigerator and chill until cold, about 1 hour.

At serving time blend the mixture for a short while, until frothy. Fill 4 glasses 3/4 full with coffee mixture and top with 1 scoop of coffee ice cream. Serve immediately.

Don't forget to laugh a lot and enjoy yourselves!



From Denny: Speaking of birthdays, I wrote a new birthday poem this week. Do you find around your birthday that there is all this good energy in the air? Mine feels so positive and peaceful. This time of year I always try to write some poetry, sometimes more. Well, this week something unexpected that reminded me of the past popped into my world.

Whenever I get a new follower signed on from Blogger (look in the sidebar) I check to see if they have a blog and I make sure I follow theirs too. You never know when you might learn something new from someone else and I sure don't want to miss anything. That, and I like to support my friends!

A new follower, a talented poetess by the name of Am I Dead, Yet? (her blog is the same) is the new follower. She is also a friend on HubPages. So, I read through several of her posts and landed on one on her birthday. She was wishing herself a happy birthday because she knew the abusers in her life sure wouldn't.

Actually, this act is a great idea to boost your self-esteem when in a negative situation. If you have to reaffirm yourself to your self, then do it. It's the right call to keep your spark alive in this world and to keep from getting completely burned out. Little by little this woman is discovering the smallest things you can do to survive and later thrive out of this bad environment.

I was struck by how much our childhoods had been so similiar: terrible abuse. She is still struggling with reconciling the garbage. Well, I did my time in hell, figured it out, healed myself and pushed forward into the light of a much happier life.

So, I thought I'd write a poem for her - to laud her as a person and a talent. Poets often write each other poems. Artists often paint each other paintings. Writers often riff off each other in answer. Maybe in your writing you could do the same for someone in your life.

This poem is also useful for others who have been abused and are struggling with their identity and to free themselves from a negative environment. People who have not experienced abuse and are struggling to understand what is going on inside the heads and hearts of friends and loved ones who have been abused, this poem is informative. You really can heal yourself; you really can dare to dream for a better life!

You Are Worthy Every Day!



Photo by soylentgreen23 @ flickr


Happy Birthday to a quiet beautiful soul
Who knows how to shout in the darkness
Wade through surging waters and come out dry
Huddles by her heart’s warm fire to revive
Carefully stepping out onto a new path
While nobody’s looking…



Photo by Rampant Gian @ flickr


Happy Birthday to a touchingly beautiful soul
Who knows not to be forced silent any more
Pushing back the mean-spirited into the abyss
She just climbed out of today, never return, ever
Swimming upstream against bullying naysayers
While everybody’s looking…



Photo by left-hand @ flickr


Happy Birthday to a growing lovely soul
Who knows she is in transition away from abuse
Casting off ugly words, crafting instead beautiful words
Building a creative foundation of new life
Unwinding, putting to the fire the mean parent tape
While the abusers shrink back in new found fear…



Photo by John-Morgan @ flickr

Happy Birthday to you as you win each day
Walking farther away each step from where you were
Hugging close the dream unfolding into new reality
Living the Love each new moment you create
The shackles of your mind unlock and fall down
While the world embraces one willing to be loved and love…



Photo by mark sebastian @ flickr


Happy Birthday to a sensitive poetess
Who can employ the past to be her servant
Swaying and dancing with exquisite words
Protecting her new path as fearsome weapons
To stun and confuse fools who no longer can stop her rise
Creation unveils “I am,” traveling moment to moment into infinite Beauty...



Denny Lyon
Copyright 27 July 2009
All Rights Reserved

For more information about how I experienced abuse and figured out how to heal from it - as well as people's reactions to the poem, go here on HubPages: Push Abuse Out of Your Life and Out of Your Head

Coffee Photo by once and future @ flickr



Photo by 1happysnapper Hugs to All @ flickr

Thanks for visiting, everyone! Have a great weekend and have some fun!

birthday quotes, poetry, Birthday, Coffee, denny lyon, Espresso, Greeting card, Happy Birthday, HubPages, Ice cream, Types of chocolate, Baking and Confections, abuse, healing, PTSD, trauma, funny birthday quotes, humor, flickr, beautiful photos