The unlucky 26

Discovered today,
the first of May:

Rhymed ballads
of personal doom

filled with hilarious
detail of gloom.

Go visit PJD's The Unlucky Twenty-Six.

In the middle of nowhere

Dumped along the highway
somewhere in Texas,
thumb ignored

– Leonard Blumfeld

For 3WW LXXXIV. Also inspired a little bit by remembering the movie Out of Rosenheim (aka Bagdad Cafe).

In the green zone

This is a green sticker for a German low emission zone. Such zones were decreed this March in several cities of Germany. Cars that do not have a sticker are not allowed in low emission zones, i.e. if you're caught without you get fined. There are green (da cleanest), yellow (not so good) and red (barely passable, mostly diesel engines) stickers. The sense or nonsense of this government measure is subject to heated discussion. Owners of older cars – who tend to be the less affluent – are pissed because they are forced to either invest in a particle filter (which is not even available for some makes) or to get another car. While their old polluter will continue polluting somewhere else where there are no low emission zones – most likely in an East European country. While the main polluter still remains the industry, etc., etc.

Another and the final contribution to Anna Carson's Project Green, which comes to an end with take nine.

Oh such flowering

Oh such flowering in April and May!
I wish I could enjoy birch, nettle and bay.

Alas: grasses, bushes and trees, even bamboo
give me but watery eyes and endless achoo...

– Leonard Blumfeld (c) allergy season 2008

Written specifically for flowering at One Single Impression.

Downtown with a greenish tinge

Downtown Stuttgart photographed through the glass front of the new art museum café. The glass is slightly tinted, hence the greenish flavor.

Posted for Anna Carson's Project Green Take Eight.

The economical future of the planet

This apocalyptic painting by German artist Norbert Stockhus might depict the future of the planet if the current neoliberal economical trend is allowed to go on. The rich have erected a fortress in which they defend the wealth they have amassed against the poor left in the arid wasteland outside.

A response to Sunday Scribblings #108 - the future of the planet.

Weekly horoscope

There is a powerfully creative energy at work in your life that is encouraging your natural genius to flow.

Wow! Let it flow.

You are learning that you are capable of far more than you thought possible. Be practical, but dare to challenge yourself as well. Keep moving out of your comfort zone and all will be well.

Good to know that all will be well. But I don't like to leave my comfy zone. Is there anyone who really does?

Monday is excellent for taking risks and showing off your natural talents. Tuesday is not so great, as there are confusing elements in the air that may cause you to make a wrong turn. Take care when signing any new deals or important documents.

Ok, I'll be careful with those deals and documents. None planned anyway.

Venus moves into Taurus on Wednesday which adds a special note of sweetness to your social life. Going on a date should be a lot more romantic and tender at this time.

Let Ms. Venus come!

Thursday in particular could be very passionate with a touch of obsession in the air. Someone may want to get to know you more than you can imagine.

Can't imagine right now, but will be open to imagination.

Saturn turns direct on Friday, which will help you make better progress with all travel affairs, especially any major trips you may be contemplating.

I am contemplating a few indeed. India, U.S., Calabria and a few others.

You will also find that legal issues begin to resolve themselves at last.

There is one that has been weighing on me.

Saturday is not the best day for talking someone around to your point of view, wait a day or two before you do this.

Ok, I'll wait. Even though I usually don't even want to talk people into my point of view.

What a fantastic weekly horoscope. Mr. computer did a good job. Now let's see what happens.

The breathy fib

Each
breath
is in
the mike, and
this exposure to
breathing apparatus goes for
sexy. More voice, please,
and less child-
ish brea-
thi-
ness.

– Leonard “Music Eclect” Blumfeld

Invitable note
Just listened to one of these breathy singers* again while visiting a blog and had to vent my feelings poetically.
* I won’t say who it was in order not to offend anybody’s taste, but there are far too many around anyway. For my taste.

Mr. Green Shadow

For Anna Carson's Project Green / Take Seven.
Picture taken a few minutes ago in bright spring sun.

So I became another Mr. Green (not bad company ... there's Graham Greene, there's Julien Green, there's Peter Green ...) – but only in shadow.

And no, I'm not as bulky as in the picture. Thank God.

How Bunzilla was saved

A real story of incest, pregnancy and medical skill


When we lived in the village and the children were small, we had a female miniature rabbit who gave birth to two babies on Easter Sunday in 1992. One of them was sturdy, the other a little runt. Both of them were incredibly cute. There is nothing sweeter than baby rabbits. We called them Bozo and Priscilla, naturally assuming that the little one had to be a girl. We gave Bozo away after a while and kept mother and daughter together.

Much to our surprise, Priscilla also turned out to be a boy. We noticed because his mother started giving what looked like practical sex education lessons to her offspring. Priscilla was renamed Oedipus, and we kept mother and son separate from then on.

Being sickly, Ed stayed in the kitchen with us, while Bunzilla, who was robust and healthy, stayed in a stall outside. She had developed a nasty temper and could only be touched with leather mittens (hence the name).

However, they managed to get together long enough once, and she got pregnant. She gave birth to a dead baby but seemed uncharacteristically listless for days after the delivery, so we took her to the vet’s. It was amazing to see how this unfriendliest of all rabbits seemed to realize that the vet was trying to help her, and how she cooperated with him as he pushed and massaged her sides to eventually get another dead little rabbit out.

Bunzilla recovered quickly and became her usual ferocious self. We gave her away eventually. Ed, who was smart, loving, musical, funny, had a hay allergy and crooked teeth that needed to be cut regularly – horrible handicaps for a bunny –, remained with us until he died in 2002.

L.B.

I doodled the bunny drawing this morning for no particular reason. When Inspire Me Thursday came up with a request for medical art today, I added the sentimental rabbit memoir above to make it all faintly – very faintly – medical. Or veterinarian, I should say.