Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!

These famous words are from The Day the Earth Stood Still. Noticing that a remake is coming out, I was reminded of the demonstration of alien strength in that flick. Klaatu has come to warn us Earthlings to mend our nuclear ways, or our planet is toast. To demonstrate the aliens's awesome power, he arranges to have all machinery on Earth (excluding that in hospitals and suchlike places) stop functioning for half an hour. The aliens don't have to go to the power plants; they have power over all machines: cars, telephones, watches, electric lights. The indwelling spirits of machinery* are in the power of the aliens. Bad-guy aliens, such as those in It Conquered the World, also have this power. Like Klaatu, the ICTW aliens could make exceptions to the general disablement of world machinery; they allowed the cars and jeeps of their Earthling allies to work.

Perhaps my readers can supply other examples of this power.

Please enjoy the picture of my new MacBook Pro.
* Such as Coily the Spring Sprite.

My New Blurb Book

I finished a new Blurb book filled with old photos I scanned then prettied up in Photoshop. You can preview it at the left.

Old Photos

Primarily From my E...

By Colleen Bryant

Book Preview

My Yogalicious Weekend at Kripalu

Last Friday, my friend Laureen and I took the bus from Boston to Lenox, changing buses at Springfield. Above see a charming little garden in the Peter L. Picknelly Bus Terminal.



Here I am in the woods near the lake near the Kripalu complex. Laureen and I did yoga, meditation, yoga, whirlpool, yoga, meditation, and I did another whirlpool.


The Kripalu building was originally a Jesuit Monastery, and its cheapest quarters are rather austere. I was in the top bunk of this bed in a 9-person room for my first night, after which, it was revealed to me that I snore. So I got moved to a 2-person room with another snorer and a pair of earplugs. I didn't bother to wear my earplugs and slept just fine. My roomie wore hers, and , thus, did not hear the alarm clock and would have overslept if I hadn't awakened her.

See more esciting pictures in my Picasa web album!

Down-Memory-Lane Monday: Young Love

Around the time I took this picture, Karen, Louise, and I were fans of Paul Revere and the Raiders. We watched them on TV; it must have been the show Where the Action is. Though they appeared in a later show called It's Happening. In either case, we did watch them regularly and were particularly enamored of Paul Revere. We decided to send him a gift of chewing gum. I can't remember whether it was bubble or grown-up style. Some time later, we received a thank you note: a form thanking Kare, Louise, and Colleen for our "groovy gift." I don't know who kept the letter. Perhaps Karen will remember.

Election Night Party at Sue's

Down-Memory-Lane Monday: My Room

This was taken in the 111 Beryl St. house, in what used to be Conrad's room. After I left for college, he asked if we could switch rooms. As you can see, the wallpaper features ships, railroads, and other such stuff. My room's wallpaper had a golden, curvey pattern.
It had not occured to me that I had got the better room. Conrad had never complained to me. But my room had all the advantages: it was on a corner, giving it views in two directions, and was right next to the bathroom, and was farther away from our parents' room.
Now I wonder if he was resenting my superior quarters all those years. Perhaps that's why, when I was away at college, he buried my fossil collection in the compost heap.