tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282329962024-03-12T20:54:23.270-07:00The Topiary Cow<b>Making the World Safe for Topiary!</b>The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.comBlogger420125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-19875280180364286162010-02-09T20:43:00.001-08:002010-02-09T20:47:07.200-08:00Topiary World DominationTopiary leafily apologizes for her absence...you see, the sacred cause of Topiary World Domination has needed extensive attention, what with all the Direct Action Plans, Rehearsals for the Real Thing, plotting, sub-plotting, devious intra-plotting, and deciding costuming for all.Added to that the engrossing new pastime of learning to skateboard, and the blog has been neglected...and may be...The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-74461239795991256222010-01-29T19:29:00.001-08:002010-01-29T22:15:16.421-08:00The Other SideCow will set her post-graduate education and professional credentials up against anyone. Not so her salary, which has been a sad casualty of Cow's lack of specialization.Venturing across the interstate freeway to the land where every parking lot has a fountain, landscaping and winding pathways, Topiary starts feeling shorter, less well-dressed, and definitely worse-groomed. Her car all of a The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-49112805264609881112010-01-28T10:09:00.001-08:002010-01-28T10:18:43.636-08:00Little Ashes ReviewBeautifully evocative of the 1920's, a gorgeous film replete with tailored clothes, period cars, and location shooting. A talented cast and poetic script make this a sensuous journey to another age and culture.Although the film focuses more on the poet Lorca than Dali, it perfectly captures the free-wheeling artistic milieu and the fervor of young artists finding themselves, creating The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-3586051140499566382010-01-26T17:20:00.001-08:002010-01-26T17:38:38.683-08:00Bah reliefStill unanswered is one of those Christmas card letters from a dear friend.Which details, her former job as Consultant to important government thingies, her new job as Deputy Executive Director with an important place on Capitol Hill, mention of previous years of experience, and speaking out and writing about important causes.The words "leverage", "experience" "implications" and "fiscal policies"The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-34617757963848875242010-01-24T19:32:00.001-08:002010-01-24T19:42:13.041-08:00ObsessionsIdly, Cow wonders what it would be like to--not-- be obsessive. To read a book and not go on to read everything else by that author. To like a movie and not watch everything the director did before that. To like an actor and not watch all his interviews, and other movies, and then read the blogs about him.The lack of in-depth digging of most people is seems so limiting. But they sure have a lot The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-63819262180844214742010-01-21T19:18:00.001-08:002010-01-21T19:23:22.975-08:00Radar LoveThere were so many storms, and so much red stuff heading her way, Topiary gave up and just sat inside the storm shelter for most of the evening.Along with a kerosene lantern, a good book, and the noise of the storm, Topiary pondered this intense question:If the house were to blow away, what would she be most thankful to have packed in the storm shelter?Answer: A bra.Yes, the photos, books, The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-68016281322833589962010-01-20T18:55:00.000-08:002010-01-20T18:58:08.916-08:00Rumble, rumbleRumble rumble rumble.Is it the neighbor's truck? Or an approaching thunderstorm, tornado, or what have you?What the heck is it with people making their vehicles so loud? And you'd think it was a race car when you start hearing it, and when it arrives, it's just a piece of crap standard Explorer or some other crap SUV.Wish they would go away and be replaced by quiet, inoffensive vehicles.Ooops, itThe Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-1072463281875220042010-01-19T17:58:00.001-08:002010-01-19T18:19:56.880-08:00Fabric of SocietyCow's been through some disasters. First the Los Angeles riots after Rodney King. Amazing how quickly an entire metro area can become a ghost town, everyone holed up watching the looters on tv. All businesses closed, no one outside at all. Fear was the operative word, with disbelief at the LAPD second.Next was Hurricane Katrina. When the National Guard rolled into town after about 5 days, lines The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-52232227274545080252010-01-19T08:37:00.000-08:002010-01-19T08:44:44.423-08:00These folks helped the animals after Katrina Cow just passing this along...these folks came here after Katrina and she can vouch for them..."The devastation in Haiti is unlike anything we have seen in recent years. People all around the world have bonded together to raise millions of dollars in relief aid for the traumatized people of the island. But among the rubble, there are likely thousands of frightened, wounded, hungry, and The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-75210931532619724052010-01-15T05:59:00.001-08:002010-01-15T06:05:55.742-08:00What might have beenVery glad to see all these relief workers arriving in Haiti. The Chinese especially sent a large delegation, and you know they are experienced dealing with earthquakes in densely-populated areas.Can't help wondering, as a survivor of Hurricane Katrina, how much different the suffering and outcome of that disaster could have been had we been afforded some of the same kind of help that is hasteningThe Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-21477716173693609972010-01-14T17:39:00.001-08:002010-01-14T17:43:23.004-08:00Hoping for Day FiveCow has been able to spend most of this glorious week at home. YES!Because of extreme cold (which the South is unprepared for) most of the water mains in the city broke, leaving the area without potable water, and without the means to flush toilets, shower, or, of course, water any needy Topiary.While Topiary feels sad for these unprepared folks waiting in lines for giveaways of water, she is The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-3093505826063200272010-01-13T16:43:00.000-08:002010-01-13T16:45:51.463-08:00Enchanting postcards from England are arriving, the latest a decorative one from the National Railway Museum in York...why, it appears some young man may have an interest in trains!Yes, there is MUCH to be said for enjoying someone else's holiday...no packing...no airport queuing...much cheaper...no map-reading...no taxi-cabs...no lost Topiary.Topiary is very much enjoying Linda's travels, and The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-6033583321973902072010-01-10T17:24:00.000-08:002010-01-10T17:31:35.675-08:00Flattened Topiary ahead"The frequency of downpours and heat waves, as well as the power of hurricanes, has increased so dramatically that "100-year storms" are striking some areas once every 15 years, and other once rare events keep returning...Rising temperatures boost the probability of extreme weather."Just one of many articles explaining how global warming increases extreme weather: cold areas become colder, hot The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-74849944063531234562010-01-09T18:16:00.001-08:002010-01-09T18:27:25.177-08:00Warm and Fuzzy PostFor certain non-Topiary readers who may be huddled next to space heaters, Topiary is providing this photo to warm them up.What? It's not working?Okay, this quick research may help.The biggest-grossing movies of all time: Titanic, with a palty 953 parodies posted on YouTube; Dark Knight, 3600 parodies; Transformers, 3,180 parodies.And then there's Twilight with an amazing 11,200 parodies. What The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-51808958089628233682010-01-07T09:38:00.000-08:002010-01-08T14:44:43.129-08:00Twilight Parodies, or the Hamburger Italian JobGotta say, a lot of people have FAR too much time on their hands...Bella: "You're impossibly fast; your skin is ice cold; you don't go out in sunlight--I KNOW what you are!"Edward: "Say it. Out loud. Say it!"Bella: "Vampire!"or add cheesy accordian music, amateur actors, and redo:"Mermaid!""Crackhead!""Gay!""Santa Claus!""Spider Man!""Topiary!"Gotta admit the parody where Bella is played by a The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-33556793444327345802010-01-05T18:38:00.000-08:002010-01-05T18:41:44.002-08:00Bad year for Nike symbolJust guessing Nike didn't luuuuve this picture of the would-be Christmas Day bomber...And then of course there's golden boy turned joke TigerNot of course that either will probably derail their presumably obscene profits....If only they had posted their symbol on Topiary they would not now be disappointed, as ALL Topiary are straight-forward, upstanding members of whatever hedge or yard they The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-90680323842562116532009-12-31T16:56:00.001-08:002009-12-31T17:10:04.260-08:00Single-mindedFound the "extended Director's cut" of The Lords of Dogtown in the $4.00 bin at a large retailers, and it is fantastic.Movie is about street skateboarding, but actually, almost better than the movie, are all the extras: interviews with all the original 1970's skateboarders who were generously given parts in the film by director Catherine Hardwicke, the deleted scenes, behind the scenes-scenes, The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-10144215880703273272009-12-30T11:11:00.000-08:002009-12-30T11:22:48.171-08:00Single during the Holly-daysAs everyone knows, you can find everything on the Internet. With that in mind, Cow did some research on this knotty problem of Singlehood at Christmas.There's the Men's point of view: be careful who you bed, you might regret it. This is refreshingly straight-forward; especially the part about being attracted to "unstable lunatics" because they are the life of the party.We could just Get Away The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-61314735899423997062009-12-30T06:38:00.001-08:002009-12-30T06:54:15.435-08:00Disappearing TopiarySad to say the King Kong Topiary wasn't enough to save The Tavern on the Green Restaurant in New York's Central Park, closing due to bankruptcy.Haven't ever visited but it looks nice, with lots of green accents.Moo!The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-43386554251627504642009-12-29T14:39:00.000-08:002009-12-29T14:43:19.525-08:00Up in the Air, Down in the DumpsThe first half of "Up in the Air" was screamingly funny, original, witty, all the good things you would like while suffering being packed like a sardine into the holiday theatre crowd.What the heck happened after hour one? Instead of a funny and witty comedy the director, or somebody, decided it had to be a "relationship" movie with "deep meaning" for the main character, showing his flaws, The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-48280437857397541342009-12-28T10:57:00.001-08:002009-12-28T11:15:22.308-08:00Lonely?Some Dear Readers, at times, express their loneliness. Has Cow got the book for them!"Why Men Fear Marriage" by RM Johnson, (so afraid of commitment he won't put his name or photo on the book) will have you happily resolving never to date again.By the time he's done explaining that it's all about how much money you make, how slender you are, how he might stay with you a few years but not really The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-68502578688488258022009-12-23T18:13:00.001-08:002009-12-23T18:27:50.042-08:00Lovely Christmas Surprise!Topiary, toddling down to the Topiary Mailbox, found a lovely surprise!Yes, by Air Mail, all the way from Australia, with an intriguing foreign stamp, a lovely, big, gold envelope!What is this surprise? Why, the most cool Christmas card ever! With wonderful little stand-out cut-outs! Illustrating the song! Just the absolutely best, prettiest Christmas card ever!Why, who could have been thinking The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-67583380083261566752009-12-22T06:49:00.000-08:002009-12-22T07:02:26.899-08:00Fantastic ReadJust finished Captain Sullenberger's book, "Highest Duty". Readers may remember the Captain from his Hudson River Landing after his plane was hit by geese.This was a very interesting book, filled with facts such as: US Airways doesn't give crew meals (Captain mentions his peanut butter and jelly sandwich packed for long flights), and that the emergency handbooks no longer have tabs, as a The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-85203418709230825822009-12-19T20:05:00.001-08:002009-12-19T20:10:27.641-08:00That one trackTopiary has finally figured out how music groups come up with one great track, when all the rest of their music is crap.For example, the Black Ghosts have a fantastic song, Full Moon, which was on the Twilight movie soundtrack, and among a lot of great songs is easily one of the best, with great vocals, really wonderful acoustic sound, good tempo, stunning.So, you listen to the rest of the albumThe Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28232996.post-62113352628105956342009-12-17T12:48:00.000-08:002009-12-17T12:53:14.326-08:00Ships with Painted SailsFrom the Herald de Paris Ancient City found on ocean floor....and from Donovan:The continent of Atlantis was an island, which lay before the great flood, in the area we now call the Atlantic OceanSo great an area of land that from her western shoresThose beautiful sailors journeyed to the SouthAnd the North Americas with easeIn their ships with painted sailsTo the East, Africa was a The Topiary Cowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649189953257408994noreply@blogger.com12