Who's Moon is it, Anyhow ?

 

 

 

Hi Carolyn,

I figured you’d see the Trek movie ASAP so my spoiler concerns were academic. I was thinking, like you, about the kind of coaching the main characters might have had. Would Abrams be telling Christopher Pine to “ Play it less like Shatner“, or what?  I guess it shows just how indelible those original characterizations are. One sweet visual item I just clicked into,  ( and I have read that J.J. Abrams likes sticking little easter eggs and visual homages here and there in his works) came to me while going back over saved images in my files. I present it for you here to make something or nothing thereof:











  Also, in one of the gadillion action sequences I could have sworn that I heard
 the distinct sound of Vader's Imperial fighter - you know , that sound that is halfway between a roar and a heave. Trust me, it’s in there.

 Man, I love that kind of stuff!




Your moon-related real space news items got me to being curious about the not too distant future of what The Moody Blues called that “ cold-hearted orb that rules the night “ Just who owns or will own, or attempt to own that ole' devil moon?

   I can’t help but wonder just how will the moon thing play out. In one way it is the next undiscovered country, as it were. Yes, there is a U.N. Department of space law and set of laws that apply to things extra-terrestrial but if history is to be believed, the United Nations hasn't been a prima facie  force at all. Even its most senior members have all, at one time or another proceeded unilaterally. They have simply paid lip service to it's rulings or pronouncements - and proceeded to act as if they did not exist.

 Will the moon be dealt with like that last undiscovered territory we earthlings have dealt with - ’The New World “ ?  Will the planting of a flag also include the implicit assertion that whoever gets there first is in charge until they are knocked off the mountain? 











   I think I just might go back and scare up my old copy of  Robert Heinleins “ The Moon is A Harsh Mistress “  It may turn out to be more prescient than we thought. 





In fact, just earlier today I got wind of a very recently released documentary ( April 2013) and downloaded it at the ITunes store. The name of it is " Lunarcy " and deals with a number of individuals who share an obsessive relationship with the moon. One has even made millions selling plots of real estate on that desolate hunk of rock. I'll be back to you about this one soon.



You were barking up the correct tree in a manner of speaking with your guess for my last riddle. It wasn't pine cones but simply needles. I really thought the part about physically sharp and verbally provocative would be my undoing here.

I think the stuff you are talking about in your most recent one is the dandelion thingies ( can't think of the real name at this moment... ) those little parachute-like things that keep those dandelion seeds airborne in even the slightest of breezes. They are all about these here parts right now, that's for sure. Anyhow, try this one on for this week.

Fierce or foolish

Best friend of joy

Impediment to sound judgement

Why face is worth saving

 

 

See ya later... Don

 

 

 

P.S.  I did include that license plate from New York at the end of last weeks blog as an indirect spoiler. I sort of apologize.

All images retrieved from Google Images

fig. 1 - g4tv.com
fig. 2 - kalafudra.wordpress.com
fig. 3 - sumikura.com.vn
fig. 4 - wordlesstech.com
fig. 5 - therebewords.wordpress.com
fig. 6 - flixist.com

 

 
 
 
 

Star Trek Into ... The Last Frontier

Don, we went to see Star Trek Into Darkness. You were right, it was amazing! It met our expectations. The plot was sound, the characterizations were believable, the CG effects were excellent. My only suggestion would be less Kirk and more Scotty. I enjoyed the twists in the plot, the changes from the original scripts I grew up with. And I truly believe, Cumberbatch makes one fine villain.

I’m most impressed with the communication between the older generation characters and the younger versions. I’m pretty sure there was a lot of deliberation as to how the new crop of actors would present a younger version of the characters many of us grew up with. It shows. Even though Into Darkness takes place in an alternate universe to the one Star Trek originally started in, the characterizations are similar, believable.

Kirk is a bit out of hand – more roguish, more undisciplined than his older counter part – is that the way Shatner’s Kirk wanted to be? I remember Admiral Pike asking Kirk what he’d learned (a scene early in the movie) and that became my question at the end. Kirk, what did you learn? Someone pointed out that the movie plot needs Kirk to be a slow learner; there has to be someone to keep getting the crew in trouble, posing morale questions. We get to see the other characters grow, but, for me, Kirk remains two dimensional.

We saw Star Trek in 3D which was okay, and I say that with hesitation. I’ve now seen four movies in 3D and I have to say that I’m not as enamored with it as the movie makers would like me to be. I find the 3D presentation to be cumbersome and not all that realistic. Maybe I’ve grown up seeing movies on a flat screen and that is how my mind envisions movies to be, so anything different  poses a problem. But, I find movie 3D not to be natural. In a normal day, my eyes and mind are able to see beyond telephone lines and slats in the blinds, almost like they’re not there. But in the 3D movies, those lines, bars, fuzzy blurry places stand out making it impossible to see beyond them. I think I’ll stick to movies shown the old fashioned way so I don’t get hung up in trying to see what the fuzzy blur is on the right side of the screen.  

There has been a lot of space news this week. One quick article by Mike Wall on Space.com was about the private sector picking up the moon quandary as NASA heads out to the asteroids and Mars. Bigelow Aerospace has developed expandable housing units for space or other terrestrial bodies; Golden Spike wants to launch and return 2-man missions to the moon by 2020; numerous companies are already planning on mining the moon’s surface. Sierra Nevada Corporation is currently building a taxi service – a spacecraft that that can return home (Fernholz, 2013). I might not be able to vacation on the moon, but it looks like my grandchildren might. There is hope for us yet.

Okay, onto the Riddle Cave.

The only thing that comes to mind is pine cones, Don, and I know  I’m way off. I’m sure this will be one of those smacks to the head when you tell me. And yes, Hair was the answer to mine. I loved the picture!

First to show up in the spring

Some call it a bane, others call it wine

Dancing heads floating on the breeze

 

Have a great week everyone!

Carolyn

 

 

All images from Google Images:

 

fig. 1 - When Simon Pegg pranked The Star Trek Into Darkness retrieved from www.flickeringmyth.com

 

fig. 2 - Star Trek Into Darkness and Also London retrieved from www.flickdaily.com

fig. 3 - William Shatner not in ST Into Darkness retrieved from www.comicbookmovie.com

fig.4 - Earth from the Moon - Lunar Landscape retrieved from www.geolocations.ws

 

New Trek Movie - Spoiler Free , No, Really!

 

 

 
 
 




Hi Carolyn,

Well, got to see the new Star Trek flick a couple of days back. It was a big anticipation thing in our household too. My LSP (Long-Suffering Partner ) and I are moderate but lifelong confirmed trekkies . We're  not hard-core,  do the conventions, collect the trading cards or learn Klingonese  types but fans with an abiding interest, shall we say . I still consider the vanity plate on my vehicle to be one of my best ever birthday gifts. So here are a few  observations, both major and picayune and with a conscious attempt not to include any egregious spoilers - in case you haven't caught the movie yet.

 

 

Interesting to see that in Jolly Old England in the 23rd century there exists a Royal Childrens Hospital - I guess The Royals shall prevail.

 

I was hoping for a bit more of the  cerebral and a bit less of the  rock'em sock'em. Still it was quite an exhilarating ride and I felt a little tired in my seat when it all came to an end - one sign of a complete and utter suspension of disbelief! Yes, I'd sit right down and watch it again in a moment - maybe even in 3-D this time.



In the first flick I had a bit of a struggle with the Spockhura power couple thing , but it started to fit - after all who am I to throw a wet washcloth on blossoming love on the final frontier??  This time I’m grappling with the whole Spock as an action hero schtick. And while we’re speaking of Spock, is Leonard Nimoy ever gonna retire ? ( Ooops, is that a spoiler ?). BTW, the Audi commercial with both Spocks, which is all over the web,  is really nifty - even if I never drive one!

I was  broadsided by the true identity of the villain - but it certainly works.  I dare not say anymore  since I’m already in the Neutral zone between Federation space and the Spoiler quadrant, and edging towards the dark side.

J.J. Abrams likes The Beasties!  This is the 2^nd song of theirs in his Star Trek movies.

 There are abundant tropes, tricks and and tid-bits that trekkies alone would click into. Not only were there healthy doses of trekanalia, but there were even a few rejigged and juxtaposed scenarios and trademark lines. It's a pretty rich motherlode to mine, though so I doubt they'll run out of things to revisit anytime soon. I give it two appendages up!







Riddles are front and centre now. I'm guessing that your last one was hair. Your Bosnian connection was not quite on the mark as the answer was boredom.  But I can see how Cynicism could fit the parameters as well, although it's more of a character trait whereas anyone, even Pollyanna, can be bored.   Your mention of the "little bird" part was interesting and took me back to when I was in Sarajevo for a bit and there was a mother bird nesting in the shell holes of the apartment of my good friends where I stayed - and we named her " Shelly".

 I offer the following for this round

Verbally provocative and physically sharp

Reveals speed, pressure or music

Delivers the cure or the antidote

All the conifers are sporting them

Don



All images retrieved from Google Images:

Fig 1 - theatrehopper.storenvy.com
Fig. 2 - plateshock.com
Fig. 3 - brownsugarbritches.com
Fig. 4 - tammytew.blogspot.com
Fig. 5 - byrnerobotics.com

 

Best 10 Vacation travels and science fiction now fact

I knew there was a reason you and I blog together, Don; if for no other reason than to feed each others YES! I WANT TO GO THERE!

I  love your 10 places to visit!  I find it interesting that the places I passionately want to visit are cold.  What is up with that? Maybe it is because we’ve gone from eight inches of snow to 85 degree weather in eight days.

Antarctica – I’d better get there before the ice sheets slip off and make that sea space impassible.

I could probably do Iceland, Hudson Bay and the Great Shield area, and Thunder Bay in the same trip. Time would be the critical point here. I’m fascinated with Iceland because it uses geothermic energy. I can only hope that the sun acts up while I’m touring so I can see northern lights. There is also the possibility of floating through the historical Northwest Passage sometime soon. That would be a kick!

Machu Picchu, Peru – a friend is leading a tour there next spring which will include local shaman and traditional  rituals – don’t know if I’ll make it. I might get the chance to see China sometime in the next couple of years – that makes the Great Wall of China and Terracotta Warriors a possibility. Obviously I’d have to add pandas and the great steppes of Asia to that trip.

Then of course there is New Zealand and Australia. I’d love to take the Lord of the Rings tour.

For warmer places, Fiji, Borneo and Hawaii sound pretty good. A black sand beach? I’d like to see and walk one, just for the experience.  

My all-time favorite, which will not come true in my lifetime, is a vacation on the moon. Not sure I'm curious enough to sign up for a one-way trip to Mars. But it is a thought...

I’ve been following Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station. Since his “Space Oddity”, Hadfield has become the equivalent of a space rock star. I’ve watched his “Space Oddity” a number of times, but for me, his Chris Hadfield and BarenakedLadies I.S.S. is the best: “out my window there goes home… that brilliant ball of blue… voices bouncing off the moon…”

We’ve all heard of actors that do the music thing, (Richard Geer comes to mind) but Don,  did you know that NASA believes that music is important to being human? They had two guitars especially built for the Space Station. One stays on earth as an example, and the other one is a permanent part of the inventory on the station.

I read Hadfield’s re-introduction of gravity after 5 months of weightlessness is comparable to “full-contact hockey”. That might be a drawback to travel among the stars.

Star Trek stormed the movie theaters this weekend – and took first place away from Ironman 3. Critics seem to either like it or they don’t. Star Trek is so iconic to Western culture. Guess I’ll have to go and see for myself. I’ve run across several articles about science fiction that has become fact. MyScienceAcademy.org  put out a neat list of 27 inventions from just 2012 including invisibility cloaking, self-driving cars and the Higgs-Boson Particle. And Don, Microsoft has taken a patent out on the “holodeck”. Do you believe that?

We do seem to be a restless species, always looking and questioning. I’m beginning to think we have the curiosity of a cat; hopefully we haven’t used up our nine lives yet. Which is good news because an asteroid known as QE2, a mile long asteroid, is going to have a near-earth encounter on May 30^th. It will fly by 15 times farther away than the moon. I wonder if it will have enough gravity pull to influence tides? Interesting thought.

Okay, a little bird from Bosnia has suggested that your riddle answer is:

Cynicism.

Mine for this week is:

Some have it

Some don’t

Clip-able, cut-able

On some it is adorable

On others it is entertaining

Thought to be ruled by genetics

Have a great week, everyone!

Carolyn

All images retrieved from Google Images 

fig.1 - Hudson Bay-Northern lights Moon Hudson Bay Manitoba retrieved from www.canada-photos.com

fig. 2 - Terracotta Warriors and Horses Guarding... retrieved from www.123rf.com
fig. 3 - Astronaut makes 1st space music video retrieved from www.newsyaps.com

fig. 4 Sony Creates Holodeck with PlayStation move retrieved from www.ubergizmo.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trippin' in and Trippin' out

Hi Carolyn,

Right off,  I heartily agree that the simple sanctity of Mother’s Day has long been sacrificed most brutally on the altar in the church of buy and sell.




Thankyou for your best wishes for “ the pup “ Alas, a pup she truly isn’t. She’s our daughters dog,  rescued about 8 years ago, at the age of 4, from an abusive situation that left lifelong repercussions.   We’re dog-sitting for a number of weeks This pooch has had a tough road to hoe. If she were a car she’d be the one the Joad family piled into to begin the trek  west in Grapes of Wrath or the one Uncle Jed, Granny, Elly-Mae and Jethro rode into Beverly Hills and onto our small screens in the sixties. The list of maladies and infirmities is almost as long as Shatner’s CV. It’s one of those situations where years of unfailing companionship have made it hard to accept that she's soldiering on but seriously falling apart. It's a tug at the heart strings thing.

As we approach travel season, I thought a look at some trips of a lifetime would be of interest. An article in the Summer 2013 CAA Magazine provided the following catalyst. ( the CAA is the Canadian equivalent of the AAA in the States ) In it the editors compile their “Top Ten Travel Experiences of a Lifetime” So here goes: ( These are not in declining or rated order)

•   Walk the Great Wall of China

•   Dance at Carnival in Rio De Janeiro

•  Explore the deep Antarctic

•  Trek through Incan history in Machu Picchu, Peru

•  Walk the streets of Petra, Jordan, the crossroads of the ancient trade routes between East and West

•  See mountain gorillas in the wild in Rwanda

•   Get the royal spa treatment at sumptuous Turkish baths in Marrakesh, Morrocco

•  Climb into the clouds on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

•  Search for perfect pad Thai in Bangkok

•  See the northern lights in the Yukon, Canada

After seeing the Mayan ruins I can so understand the appeal of Machu Picchu.
If I had to prioritize this list,  the last entry would be my first. Taking that trip to the  Yukon Territory bordering on The Arctic Ocean would allow me to cover one of my life long vacation wishes - to see all three oceans that border on Canada. So far I’ve managed two.

 

  Truly, the hands down trip of a lifetime ( literally ) is now being offered by an organization known as Mars One. It’s a one-way trip to Mars that over 80 thousand folks worldwide have signed up for to date. If it’s a scam or a ruse, it’s certainly a thorough and well orchestrated one. I think I  have to revisit this item.



　
And while we’re out in space, - and this time for real! I’ve seen former ISS commander  Chris Hadfield’s Space Oddity video three times and will probably go back for more. It was just too cool. He was " sitting in my tin can " in space ! Once more, back to that chorus line from the Thrift Shop song ! I’m stopping now so I won't gush on incessantly and irritatingly - and we know I can. 






Okay, back to the cave of riddles. My last one was " Luck" . I want to thank you for last weekends riddle Carolyn since it gave me a segue into a musical sidebar. I'm guessing it's telephone lines or wires. It was the "Campbell sang an ode" part that was my Eureka moment. I'm not a Glen Campbell fan of any sort but I do remember his squeaky voice echoing through our TV room, for awhile,

 

 

 as I grew up. Two trivial tid-bits about Mr. Country and Christian Campbell. For the first eight months after Brian Wilson  decided to no longer tour with the band he originated, the fill in man was Glen Campbell - The future Rhinestone Cowboy was a fair-haired Beachboy. He's also a scratch golfer and one of his regular partners on the course is Vincent Furnier - A.K.A. Alice Cooper.

Anyhow, enough bandstand banter. On to this weeks riddle:

　
Hard to conceal for extended periods

Nurtured by fatigue, disappointment or preoccupation

Nemesis of those who entertain and/or educate

Critics most common yardstick 

 

 

 

 

Don 

All images retrieved from Google Images.

Fig. 1 - autos.ca.msn.com

Fig. 2 - commons.wiki.media.org

Fig. 3 - thechise.com

Fig. 4 - mightymega.com

Fig. 5 - whosdatedwho.com

 

Women and Mother's Day

Rose colored glasses, The Age of Aquarius. Never thought I’d think of the 60s as the “good old days.” And yet, I guess most memories over 30 years old takes on that kind of patina for a lot of people. I don’t believe myself to be one of them. I’ve many good and bad memories, and today is just fine, thank you.

In many ways I admire Shatner – he just keeps on keeping on. Don, I agree, he was the Ring Master in a previous life. And I think “ego centric” is probably the best way to describe him. I would not like to have to maintain him – too far over the top for me. But being able to listen to his stories would be a great life time experience.

So I am waiting for my “Mother’s Day” present to arrive – my grandchildren. I see them so rarely and now I’m seeing them twice in five weeks! Lucky me! I’ve been celebrating Mother’s Day one way or the other for a while now, and since sitting idly twiddling my thumbs is just not me! And I do hate waiting, so I took a peek at Wikipedia (no groaning from the peanut gallery – do you know what you have to do to get an article on Wikipedia?).

Mothers have always gotten a bad rap. When I think back on it, everything was my mother’s fault. From the way I was “denied things” to the way I behave today. I think this is a universal feeling, especially for daughters. But Ann Jarvis, from West Virginia, felt differently. She decided she wanted a special way to celebrate her mother in 1908. By 1914 in America, it was a recognized holiday placed on the second Sunday of May. And the rest of the world followed suit. Some celebrate in March, others in November and December. Interestingly enough, it is spelled as a singular noun – to keep it in line with recognizing your mother, not necessarily all mothers.

The Arab World has celebrated Mother’s Day on March 21 since 1956. They had a similar day that acknowledged the “maternal”, but have since made it Mother’s Day. Even China has embraced the day because it reflects the good ethics of respect for Elders and piety toward parents. The Hindus have had a celebration day called “Mata Tirth Aunshi” for centuries.

Flowers are the most common gift – especially carnations, followed by gift cards and handmade gifts. The top preferred gift is a massage, a pedicure and peace and quiet. If moms are taken out, they prefer the big fancy meal they wish they had time to prepare.

One point I thought was interesting was by 1920, Jarvis admitted that the day had become over commercialized. It didn’t take long for the world to realize the “value” of celebrating “your mother”.

Personally, I feel that women rule the world – we defer to the men to make things simpler. Men think of themselves as bigger and stronger, they go off and do their “man” thing, and quite often make a debacle of things.  In the end, when the dust clears, women sweep the pieces back together and keep moving on. Women are most often in charge of the family’s economics, thus making them stewards of a nation’s economy. Without us, it would be an unpopulated, sad and lonely world. Of course, I admit that my view is rather one-sided.

From the Riddle Cave:

My riddle was a 3-hole punch. We used to make fake snow by punching paper. As kids, we believed it helped to keep us cool in the summer. Such is the value of imagination.

Don, I have no idea about yours! I keep looking at it, and every time I come up with a totally different idea – I’m baffled!

Here’s mine for the week:

Provides confab ability

Makes us available to confab or

News of no interest

Campbell sang an ode, birds twitter from

Kris-cross the land

Long buried at sea

 

ADVERT:

Oh Goody! (rubbing hands together in glee ) I get to finish the final edit for another new to us author! Lisa has provided Wormhole with a book called The Search which we start episodes of in June. It is about a forensic accountant from “the other side”. AND, in June we are going to run a story that is a bit different for us. SMBaughns has put together an intriguing non-fiction/fiction piece based on a true story. In July we will release a just SciFi anthology which we are very proud of. Stay tuned! Summer looks like it will provide all of us fantastic reading beside the pool!

 Don, welcome back. Glad to know the pup is doing better.

Everyone, have a great week. Oh, Don – I’m not sending you any snow this week – just rain.

 Carolyn

 fig1 - Mother's Day Comment retrieved from comments.funmunch.com
fig 2 - Rose Colored Flasses Vintage Wire Rimm retrieved from www.etsy.com
fig 3 - Synthesis of high definition Bright Flowers 13 retrieved from www.freegreatpicture.com
 

 

 

 

Earth Shatnering Experiences

 

   

Well, right off, my bad for the delayed appearance. Last week was one of those collision and collusion of events and circumstances weeks  that happens every then and now. I must put my eyelids on a diet. On  those nights that  I sat down to the keyboard, they were just too heavy to stay open. Anyhow, the boat still floats and the dog still barks so  call this a 168 hour hiccup

　



Carolyn, it was “far out” to hear that you feel, at times, like a stonewalled flower child. Like any other “ good old days” phenomenon I think the Age of Aquarius has taken on a rose colored patina as it recedes further into history. I  turned down a road trip to Yasgur’s farm for that get together because I was doin the night shift at A&P to get “ the bread “ for my first year in University. My twenty-something friends reported upon their return that it was pretty muddy, soggy and scruffy most of the time.
　

I so agree with your take on Tamara’s story as “Twilight Zonish “. And that’s also my foot in the door for where I’m headed now. My first flying experience was in my early teens in the sixties on a tired old prop-engined airliner. A few weeks before the flight I’d seen that now iconic episode of The Twilight Zone - Nightmare at 20,00 Feet. I had a window seat and didn't open the  curtain for the whole flight.







The Robert Matheson ( the guy Stephen King cites as a major influence ) short story behind the script was great, but what I still see, vividly and  overwhelmingly in my memory, is the anguished and terrified face of Bob Wilson, the just out of the sanatorium passenger who sees the gremlin on the wing that nobody else sees. That was my first exposure to William Shatner. I wouldn’t run into him onscreen again until the mid-seventies when Star Trek reruns became part of our newly-weds dinner routine. I was precluded from being a Trekkie during the show's maiden 1966-69 voyage on prime time by my folks wish to follow more fifties-ish TV fare. There was, no doubt, a moment when I realized that  Kirk was the guy from the Twilight Zone episode, but I don’t remember it. William Shatner has impressed me from thence on, though.

Yes, he’s the guy whose picture  should be in the dictionary under the entry for “ histrionic” and yes, he has a penchant for making a single word sound like a compound sentence - I heard someone recently refer to that as speaking " Shatnerese " In fact he’s made the latter part of his career in part, an exercise in playing on those very aspects. That’s part of his appeal for me, he’s not afraid, in the least, to parody himself . We all know that he can still nail any part he takes on .
He's got an indefatigable  work ethic, and that's why you see him in so many places and have done so for almost seven decades.   Like Paul McCartney he’s centrally focused on his craft and simply cannot let go of the desire to entertain. I think he's like Sir Paul in more than a couple of ways.

The Shat has an undefinable presence. It's  not gravitas like Morgan Freeman, or Patrick Stewart  or fellow Canadian Christopher Plummer. It's closer to the  Bill Clinton or Dustin Hoffman, or Robert De Niro type presence, but with  some Sham-Wow Guy  DNA mixed in.  In a previous century he'd be the  Circus Ring Master who worked his way up from carnival pitchman.   He makes you watch him just by being there. He’s the grown-up version of that compulsively over-achieving guy or girl you knew in high school who was self-centered, capital C  confident and conspicuously talented.  ( you know, like most of the cast of Glee ) The Shat does cheesy as magnificently as he does anything and everything else.





I’m not a Shat fan-boy , however. I wouldn’t want him as my best friend . I think that down deep Bill Shatner’s best friend is Bill Shatner.  He'd rock as  an occasional drinking buddy, though.   After a libation or two I’ll bet he’d have some incredible stories to tell. I don’t think he’s the sole reason, or even the main reason,  that Star Trek became what it is ( methinks he does  though ) I imagine he’s pretty high maintenance . I didn’t follow him in his T.J. Hooker or Rescue 911 days, but the fact that he pulled that stuff off as well as cutting his acting teeth   in Shakespearian  Stratford and on Broadway in the 50’s, when mainstream theatre was totally hard core and old school , speaks for itself. His multi Emmy winning four years as Denny Crane on Boston Legal  ( 2004 - 2008 )  were most sublime to behold. The C.V. is just so long and so varied that the overwhelming impression is that this guy has it all.

 Alas, even his participation couldn't save the twitter feed derived $#*! My Dad Says  ( Sept 2010 - Feb 2011 ) , primarily because its network TV iteration was de-fanged, watered down and hackneyed from the git-go. Even in his eighties he still clearly has what The Beastie Boys called " the skills to pay the bills."

.
Okay, time to slink back into the riddle cave. Before I get to your most recent offering, Carolyn, I'm still in the dark as to whether your riddle that began with " Looping curves of color..." was all about paper clips. Mine from the April 24 entry was a screwdriver. Also,  before I move on to this round I have to know, or at least ask - what the "h" "e" double hockey sticks is a " salad shooter " ??  It sounds like something you'd order at a health food bar. I am still solidly in the dark about your last one (Apr. 28 ) but I'll take a wild swing at it with  bookends ( Although the fake snow thing doesn't click for me here - unless you have really dusty bookends ! )   

Tonight,  here's what I'm bringing to the riddle table:


 
 
 

Sometimes a lady, other times blind

Those of Eire have the lion’s share

Broken optical device

Creates negative version for 2555 dawns

 

 

Don

 

 

 

All Images retrieved from Google Images

 

Fig. 1  - realmagick.com

Fig. 2 - MyConfinedSpace.com

Fig. 3 - Flickr.com

Fig. 4 - broadwayworld.com

Fig. 5 - shit-my-dad-says. wikia. com

Fig. 6 - roflrazzi.cheezburger.com