Vacation + Garden = Happy Flamingo

I'm in awe, over and over again!

I came across this guy a month or so ago. Now, it's been years since I've practiced or used sign language on a regular basis, but even then...I was no where near the skill level he has. His name is Michael DiMartino, and he's an interpreter out in the Los Angeles area I do believe. And he is beyond amazing. First off, I know he's obviously putting more fluidity and a little dancing into his videos (for examples, see here, here, and here). But he is also taking some very complex ideas, such addiction, and translating it not so much into words, but into ideas.

Now, not sure how familiar you my dear readers are with American Sign Language, but there is a scale of signing. Let's say on the far right side of the scale, we have what is called SEE-sign or "Signed Exact English". This is a literal translation of English into sign language. Every single word is signed including all the little "a"s, "is"es, "the"s, etc.

On the far left of our scale, we have ASL, or American Sign Language. ASL is based more on concepts and ideas that actual sentence structure and every little word detail. This is incredibly hard to achieve for people who aren't brought up signing or spending large amounts of time with people who sign pure ASL.

And now, in the middle of the scale we have Pigeon Sign. This is about where I fall (or used to) on the signing scale. Maybe even a bit closer to the SEE sign side. Pigeon uses a combination of ASL and SEE signing, and I would wager that the majority of people (especially hearing) who learn sign later on in life fall into this category.

So anyhow, now that we've had Flamingo's lesson on signing today, I just want to say how amazing this guy is. I can't follow absolutely everything in his videos, but do get enough to see how great he is and how he is putting these songs into sign. I love watching him, and look forward to more of his videos.

Oh, and the fact that he is so damn cute, that doesn't hurt the case one bit either!

I just had to share....

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I saw this clip on MSNBC.com and I just had to share. You can find the site here.

Seriously now, who in the hell are these people? And did they submit their own pictures, or did someone jack the pictures because they were so damn funny and send them in???

Now, I'm sure that if I looked back, I would probably find some extremely awkward family photo's in my own family tree (which may be why I don't go looking...)

You can find some of my favorites here, here, here and my absolute favorite is right here! Nothing like speeding up that walrus and the bees talk, eh?

Long, long, long overdue and a not so overdue one too

I've been meaning to do a little blogging about the new Star Trek movie for almost the past two weeks now since I went and saw it. Now, before I really get into it, I need to make a confession...I'm a bit, okay, not just a bit, but a lot of a Star Trek nerd. Now, I don't dress up and go to conventions, I don't speak Klingon and I really don't know the difference between a Trekkie and and a Trekker, but I am a self-professed Star Trek nerd. I have what I would term billions of random Star Trek facts roaming around in my head. A friend who has hosted a couple of Star Trek nights referred to me as a walking Star Trek encyclopedia (or something along those lines) at one of these parties. Now, I can't tell you the length or size of ships (although there is a discrepancy from the First Contact to the Insurrection movies as to how many decks the Enterprise-E has....I think they explained it by saying it was fitted with more decks while it was being repaired after the Borg encounter...but I digress).

Anyhow...the new Star Trek movie...I LOVED it!!! I sat there spellbound the entire movie! Yeah, they aren't the original characters...and I don't think any other them tried to be the originals. They took the characters and made them their own. No one will ever replace William Shatner's Captain Kirk, no one. And Chris Pine knew that and he didn't even try to become that Captain Kirk. He went his own direction and made Captain Kirk his own, without changing the heart and soul of the character...so all of you who are upset about that...well, suck it!

Zachary Quinto had the unique opportunity to play Spock while working with the man who IS Spock. And yet, he still made it his own. He played it amazingly well.

And Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana and John Cho...they were spectacular. I loved them all and they all became Chekov, Scotty, Dr. McCoy, Uhura and Sulu to me. I will be there for all of the squels, you bet your ass I will!

Now, I do admit, I was a little worried with some of the changes they made to the 'timeline'. But, without giving anything away, I think they made changes that allow them to go their own direction with all future Star Trek movies WITHOUT defiling established Trek-lore. So again to all of you nay-sayers, suck it!

I admit it, I'm a Star Trek nerd, and I abso-f'ing-lutely LOVED J.J. Abrams take on Star Trek!!!



I also went and saw Terminator Salvation last night. Now this part isn't over overdue...I'm actually on top of it...hehe!

Cousin got us tickets to an advanced screening of Terminator Salvation last night. Gotta say, loved it! I am now a huge, huge fan of Christian Bale, Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin. This movie had a different feel to it than the original trilogy, but it held it's own in my opinion (all of this blog stuff on here is my opinion, so if you don't like it, don't read it...and suck it!)

I thought the special effects were amazing, but didn't overshadow the movie itself (kind of the like the special effects in the second Star Wars trilogy did). So, I'm not going to say much more on it. But still loving it. Loving it a lot!!!

And hey, can't beat a very attractive man naked and covered in mud, right?

Dear Governor Huntsman, Congratulations?

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Congratulations Governor Huntsman! I know you will do an amazing job as Ambassador to China, as you have been a great Governor to Utah. However, I do feel somewhat let down. It feels like you are abandoning the people of Utah and leaving them at the not-so-tender mercies of our illustrious and completely out of touch Republican Senate and House of Representatives. Who is going to stand up for Utah against their theocratical state that they are intent on growing? I somehow doubt that the new governor will have the backbone to stand-up to a stiff breeze, let alone Senators Waddoups, Buttars, and all the rest.

So again, I say congratulations, you will be great. But also, thank you for abandoning those of use who voted for and believed in you.

Looking for shadows in the dark

Princess and the orb

I have to say that I have always been fascinated by ghosts, zombies, vampires, etc. Now as to whether they really exist or not, all I can say is that I believe there is more out there than any of us knows or understands (that can be taken as my view on religion as well...except I think religion can and has been far more destructive than any of the above-mentioned entities).

So last Friday, I went on a ghost hunting tour out at an old hospital some miles west of here. I went with Princess, the Zombie Queen and a few of their friends. As you can tell by my last post, I was a bit apprehensive about this. Don't get me wrong, I was excited as hell, but still somewhat nervous.

So we got out there while there was still a little daylight left. This hospital isn't really too creepy or scary looking from the outside, but inside, that's a whole other matter. I took with me a flashlight, extra batteries, and a camera (along with several other of my every day items that live in my man bag (a.k.a. purse). The did tell us up front that batteries being drained is a very common things, so that if you weren't using your cell phone to turn it off, so I did...mostly because if it rang or vibrated, it probably would have sent me through the ceiling.

One of the co-owners, Stardust, took us on a brief tour of the place before turning us loose. She pointed out several rooms of interest and the names and likes/dislikes of a few of the more permanent residents of the place. There are the little kids, Jessica and her brother (I think), Roger or Robert (no one is sure on which one it is exactly, Wes, Mary (the kindly nurse who helps guide some of the elderly from the next door home along the right path), and a few others.

One of the keys to 'seeing' ghosts that Stardust pointed out, is to look for the dark or shadows in the dark spaces. Such as a darkened doorway that may have cracks of light or a lighter colored frame around the edge, to look for the missing light or lighter areas. An example of this is a double doorway at the end of a long hallway...top, bottom and left side all have a sliver of light from the area beyond. However, on the right side of the door, this sliver of light is not there from the floor to about three-fourths of the way up the door. The reason given for this is the spirit of a soldier who stands guard at the door. If you get closer to the door, you can see that beyond where someone would theoretically stand, you can see the sliver of light on the right side of the door.

During the tour, when we were in the old hospital lab, I did get kind of tingly sensation on the top of my head as if someone were lightly touching my hair...at this point I looked at Princess and he looked at me and asked me if I was touching his head. I of course told him I was not and that my head felt as if it were being touched as well. This was my second most tangible paranormal event of the night.

At several points during the night, I took pictures in different locations throughout the hospital. In one room, they had a recorder going to try and capture EVP's. We were in one of the old emergency rooms and while Princess was asking questions, I snapped a picture of what looks to be an orb right in front of Princess.

I also got several more pictures of orbs (mostly around Princess...he's a damn orb magnet apparently, he has named his personal orb friend Howard Weinstein). One such room I caught what could be either an orb in motion or a vortex (which could be me using two terms for the same thing). We happened to be right outside of the "Death Room" when I got that picture. The "Death Room" was what they used as a makeshift morgue to store the bodies of people who died until the local funeral home could come pick them up.

And speaking of the "Death Room" (room #20), this is where my most tangible experience of the night happened. Princess, Zombie Queen, her husband and a few other friends and I were in the "Death Room" with the door closed. Again, recording in hopes of catching some EVP's. Now, as I had mentioned earlier, I had turned off my cell phone. So, there we were in the near complete darkness in the "Death Room" asking questions in hopes of getting answers, I felt a slight vibration in my pocket as well as the all to familiar start up tones from my phone. I have a slider phone with a power button that isn't really all that easy to accidentally push. You really have to hit the button just right and hold it in for a few seconds to get it to kick on. Now, surprisingly enough, I didn't die right then and there of a heart attack, I did think about it though, how fitting would that have been to die right there in the death room. But if I'm really going to die and somehow get earth bound or tied to a place in death, I hope to hell to not have it be an old creepy hospital.

Now, looking back, am I a firm believer now? No. Am I a nay-sayer or non-believer? Oh, hell no! I truly do believe there is more out there, and who knows, maybe someday I will find out (and no, that is not an invitation for any person or entity to make a believer out of me, I am doing just fine as I am right now, thank you very much!) But, I did have a amazingly fabulous time with friends (new and old) and would do it again in a heartbeat!!!


Princess, the orb magnet

Until later...I hope

Well, here it is...the big day. Tonight, I'm going on a ghost hunting tour with Princess and some of his friends (or should I say our friends, cause I like 'em too and all).

Anyhow, there is an old hospital about a half-hour west of here that a paranormal research group or something purchased. And they give tours of the place (at night of course). Here's the final e-mail I received about tonight, some tips and all...

Here's some hints for tonights hunt.

Recording ghostly voices or sounds is known as EVP's. Sometimes the sounds come across very loud, and other times the sounds are very faint and you have to listen very closely to hear them. Sometimes the ghosts don’t speak, they just moan or make other noises. And sometimes the ghosts even speak in foreign languages!

Ask the ghost(s) questions. You probably won’t hear the answer to your question until you play the tape back, so pause before asking the next question.

Here are some tips for recording EVP:

Use either a cassette recorder, microcassette recorder, or digital recorder. (a cell phone is fine) Use the highest possible recording level to get the best results.
At the beginning of the recording, state the date, time, and location you’re at. This is very important if you have multiple tapes of recordings, it will keep you from getting the tapes confused!

Ask the ghost simple questions.

Ask one question at a time. Speaking takes effort for them so be polite and give them time to answer.

SOME investigators say don’t talk or whisper when you’re trying to record an answer - your voice may cover up the EVP. Others say carry on a normal conversation. When we went we did both and we caught EVP's on both. So this will be a personal choice.
Use headphones when listening to the recording. Some EVPs are very faint, and wearing headphones helps you hear the faint sounds better.

Also be tactful with your questions. Good questions to ask would be for names, ages, family names, why they're here, or what year it is. By asking "what year is it?" you may get them to tell you their year. You can also ask them if there's anything you can do for them, and remember that when you end the interview, thank them for their time whether you could hear anything or not.

So here is a question that many people have asked. Can a ghost follow you home?
I have heard of some ghosts following investigators home. I think the more sensitive the person, the more likely something will follow you home. A spirit doesn't just attach its self to a love one, but to anyone. It could just be a case of curiosity. When leaving or ending a recording, I suggest you encourage them not to follow you home.

Some old "myths" about how to confuse a ghost. When you go home after having been at a haunted location, throw salt over your shoulder.(or do it before you get into your car). If you are still scared that a ghost may have followed you into your house, do the shoe trick. Instead of putting your shoes neatly in the closet, leave them out with one shoe facing the door and one shoe facing the bedroom. Rumor is the ghosts will get confused and won't know if your coming or going.

So, if you don't see or hear from me again...it's probably because a ghost followed me home or just ate me or something at the hospital. Talk about being excited and scared almost shitless at the same time!

It BURNS!!!

I am still committed to my more time outdoors this spring and summer (and hopefully fall too). Doing pretty well at it too. Played Ultimate Frisbee a few times now, a Sunday and two Thursdays (even though we've had to move Thursday nights to Sugarhouse Park because of a league of grown up kickball players. And while I would LOVE to go off on the fact that an organized group of adults is playing kickball, it looks kind of fun, oh well...they still took my damn ultimate field! The bastards!!!) And I would have played more if it hadn't rained and SNOWED on the Sunday before last. Yes, it snowed! And you should know by now from reading here at Flamingo's Roost that I, Flamingo, am NOT in any way, shape or form a fan of snow that does not fall in the mountains far, far, far away from where I may have to walk, drive, live, breath or think about!

Anyhow, Roommate, Friend (from here on out I'll refer to him as Nurse) and I have started to go rollerblading on Monday nights. Now, to point this out in no uncertain terms, I am out of shape. I have little to no endurance in this or any athletic-ish activity. I am trying to get better, running more at ultimate (which I did Sunday and thought I would die...but I didn't...so HA!) and trying to blade just a little farther each time we go...stuff like that. One draw back to summer activities, my yoga attendance suffers because all of my outdoors stuff seems to fall on the same days as yoga.

So, last night, Roommate, Nurse and I went rollerblading. Now, I believe, but I wouldn't wager any vital body parts on it or anything, that the sidewalk/ring thing around the park is roughly one mile around. So, about half-way through the first lap, my legs (calves specifically) hurt and were burning like I thought was not possible. Oh yeah, I thought I was going to DIE! And I'm not one to keep my thoughts of my imminent death to myself. Just ask Roommate or Nurse, I'm sure they'll be happy to tell you how much I bitch and complain. And yet, even though a near death experience occurs pretty much every time I do physical activities, I keep going back and trying again. So YAY for me! (hell, if you're not being your own cheerleader in life, who will be?)

I did survive the night, just to alleviate your fears of this being a post-mortem post. I survived in spite of the burning calves and a near crash which surely would have been fatal that was cause by Nurse trying to mount me from behind while flying along at neck-breaking speeds around the concrete oval of the park. And I only had to grab onto Roommate's jacket and "tag-a-long" for like 1/8 of a lap, there!

Now, I did fully expect to be somewhat sore. After all, it only the third time I've been in nearly 6 or 7 months. Especially after the calf burning sensations of last night, I really knew I'd be sore and probably a little rubber-legged today. But I so underestimated the degree of stiff and sore I'd experience. Yes, my calves are sore, and a bit rubbery at times (thank the gods I haven't fallen down). But I failed to realize that my back and my arms were used in the rollerblading process as well. And hell yeah, my back and arms are stiff and somewhat sore. But repetition and burning-ish pain lead to endurance, right? Please tell me I'm right...for the love of the gods, please tell me I'm right... Yeah, I know, I'm a big pussy, but oh well, I'm me and me is who I will always be!