CBS Sunday Morning recently did a profile on the UK’s Royal School of Needlework, highlighing their history and some of the projects they have worked on. It is a lovely video, full of beautiful pieces of needlework (and not a mention of the upcoming royal wedding).

There are not words to express how much I would love to attend the Royal School of Needlework. I know I’m nowhere near as talented as the ladies highlighted in this video, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have the desire to learn. (It is a shame, though, that my artistic ability is limited to following someone else’s pattern.) Actually, I feel very inspired to try something different, again. Maybe I should work on some more canvaswork pieces…

Royal School of Needlework Profile is a post from Reflections in the Pond

Another YouTube video today.  The TTC is the transportation system for the City of Toronto, the megalopolis where I live.  This is a great song about riding the TTC made by a couple of guys who live on the opposite side of the city from me.  While some of the jokes may not translate, like rhyming celery and Belamy, I think most of us can relate to “chasing down the bus until I’m out of breath.”  (As a note, the Blue Line mentioned in the song is a reduced bus service that runs overnight that  mostly helps people get home safely from bars…)

I Get On (The TTC) is a post from Reflections in the Pond

During turn of the millennium there was a lot of speculation about the end times and prophecy.  Nostradamus was trotted out in a dozen documentaries, and his prophecies co-opted to suit the presenter’s needs.  No blazing comet came out of the sky to wipe us all out.  We survived, and moved a little unsteadily into a new millennium.  Our world was rocked in different ways in the following years.  But a look at the past shows us that the world is in a constant state of flux, driven by the actions of people and not by ancient prophecies.

As 2012 approaches, the end time talk is beginning again.  The focus this time is the Aztec calendar, which resets itself on December 21st, 2012.  Many conspiracy theorists believe that the calendar actually ends, and with its end will come the end of the earth.  Tied to this event are several others.

For example, the alignment of the Earth, Sun and black hole at the Galactic Centre that has so many people worried is just a visual event which can only been seen from the Earth’s point of view.  Since we are moving away from Galactic Centre, we aren’t likely to be pulled into that great black hole we all assume exists.  (And guess what, the sun is rising at Galactic Centre this year too!  Oh noes!)

Below are two videos from YouTube, by nowheretorun1984.  He talks about and debunks all of the 2012 myths.  Now, what he presents is well researched and lucid.  However, in part 2, when he says to turn off the video if you don’t want to hear his theories, I highly recommend you do.  He moves from his lucid and well researched explanations to Biblical prophecies.  Yeah, I know.  Otherwise, they are very interesting videos and worth a watch.

2012 – The End? is a post from Reflections in the Pond