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According to the Chinese Zodiac, I was born in the Year of the Rat (1984). Since 2008 is the Year of the Rat (beginning February 7), this should be a good year for me.
A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find.
While I am certain this is not my year to get married, it will be a time for a fresh start for me...more to come on that later :)
The following is a description for those born in the Year of the Rat. As with any astrological profile, it is vague and generic and most parts could be applied to anyone. The parts about "knowing how to hang on to a penny" and "love parties and other large gatherings" are certainly not accurate in my case, but I think many of the others are true for me. I guess you could also say the "never without admirers" part is a bit untrue for now - maybe that will change in the Year of the Rat! Other things are very accurate such as: "often buy things they don't need and tend to save everything" and "they try to do too much at once."
Rats are both charming and aggressive. They appear calm and well balanced on the surface,but underneath, they are restless and a little nervous. Rats are compatible,hard working, and they know how to hang on to a penny. They are never without admirers. They are very appealing.They have a bright and happy personality,and this keeps them busy socially.They love parties and other large gatherings. They like involvement and are very outgoing. Rats cherish friends and loved ones. For this reason,they often get entangled with others' problems and lives.
One can always tell when Rats are upset. They become edgy,very nervous, and quite nagging. Rats are always taken by a bargain. They often buy things they don't need and tend to save everything. Souvenirs and sentimental odds and ends are found tucked away everywhere.
Since they make it a point to know everything about everybody,Rats are excellent writers. They have a good memory and are extremely inquisitive. Rats can be successful in almost everything they try to do. They easily adapt themselves to the situation at hand. They are at their best during any crisis and are great problem solvers. Rats are very level headed and are also very alert. Their intuition is strong and are always on the lookout for opportunities to better themselves. Rats seldom get into jams they can't escape since they cover themselves well in advance.They have a built in alarm system.
One of the Rat's biggest fault is that they try to do too much at once. They often scatter their energies and get nothing accomplished. Once they learn to finish what they have started,there is no stopping them from being successful. The Rat must also watch those fast deals and those great bargains. In these areas their judgment may fail them. They must not become too greedy,or they will suffer a financial blow or two.
Rats have great respect for their parents and dote on their own children. They love their home. Family life is very important to them. Rats born during the evening are tempted to a more hectic life than those born during the day. Rats learn early, quickly, and are avid readers. They know how to express themselves well-both written and orally. Given the slightest chance, Rats can make a success of their lives.
Here's a somewhat interesting concept, a blog about a blog...this entry is about the PostSecret website. In case you aren't familiar, please do check it out. It may seem weird at first, but give it a chance and I think you'll love it as much as I do. It is "an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard." The founder, Frank Warren, began the project by distributing self-addressed blank postcards and asking people to decorate them and send them to him. There are only two rules - 1) it must be true and 2) you must not have told anyone before. The project also supports a suicide prevention organization, www.hopeline.com.
Every week there are secrets that make you laugh, make you want to cry for the person who wrote them, or surprise you because you could have written them yourself. Looking at PostSecret is the first thing I do every Sunday morning when they're posted, and I check back throughout the week to see if there have been any comments on the postcards. My sister bought me one of the books for Christmas, and it was my favorite gift. I haven't sent in a secret yet, but keep checking - one of them might be mine! At the risk of sounding extremely cheesy - the secrets make you feel connected to strangers, and somehow more normal knowing that others share the same secrets, feelings, and fears.
Here are two that I could have easily sent in myself...
I hate to admit my animosity toward kids that wear these stupid skate shoes - after all they're just kids and I'm sure the shoes are lots of fun. But it drives me crazy! One of the greatest things about being a kid is being in your own world, and not worrying about your surroundings. This is also one of the most logical reasons to outlaw these things! I hope that by the time I have children they only exist on the VH1 show "I love 2007" but if they are still around, my kids are definitely not getting them. What ever happened to the shoes that just lit up when you walked? Those were cool AND safe.
Here's another secret that I'm surprised I'm telling the world, but it's relevant to the topic of blogging about another blog (well, forum in this case): my name is Lauren and I'm hopelessly addicted to the Missed Connections section of Craig's List. I sometimes check it multiple times a day, and to my knowledge no one has ever posted one for me. The idea is that when you feel a connection with someone but miss the chance (or lack the courage) to tell them, you post it. If they felt a connection too, they check the site. In theory, you get in touch and go out for coffee/drinks with them and live happily ever after. I'm not sure why the MC's fascinate me so much, perhaps it is because I've convinced myself that the guy I like wants to call me, but he's just shy. That is a totally different issue and not one I'm going to delve into here! Sometimes people use it to reconnect with old friends, and others to say things they are afraid to say in person. I posted once to find a dear friend I had lost touch with, and it worked! I posted in the city I thought she was living in at the time, and her friend saw it and put us in touch. So my feelings are not completely negative - I guess I'm still hopeful, and will probably keep checking it regularly.
Google has recently released MyMaps, a feature that allows you to add points of interest to maps that can include photos, descriptions, links, etc. For fun, I created one that shows some of my favorite places in San Francisco and around the United States. Check it out by clicking here... I've included links to this blog, as well as recommendations & opinions!
