Seven Weird & Random Facts About Nina Munteanu

Thanks, Deborah at Climate of Our Future for tagging me with this 7 wierd or random facts meme. I just love these!

Here are the rules of the Meme:
Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are Deborah's weird facts:
1. she has MS: I didn't know that, Deb!
2. she likes to keep to herself and work: well...you seem pretty social to me...
3. she prefers Jeeps to Cadillacs: great choice, Deb!
4. spinach salad is her favorite food: okay, you're allowed a few strange choices.
5. sleeping under the stars is her favorite way to sleep: wonderful and romantic!
6. cutoffs, and t-shirt are her favorite clothes: yeah, comfortable.
7. the mountains are her favorite place on earth: this I knew, Deb!

Okay...well, here are seven (and only seven; I could write a book!) strange and weird facts about ME:
1. I'm an author and I can't spell
2. I speak five languages (none of them very well: English, French, Romanian, German, Swedish)
3. I failed First Year University Chemistry
4. I don't watch TV
5. My high school career assessment concluded that I was best suited to be a sargent in the army (writer was way down the list)
6. I opted out of Grade 11 biology to take typing (then had to challenge the exam when I decided to pursue a science degree at university)
7. I was chased off the Serengeti Plain by a horde of biting soldier ants.

Now for the fun part: to tag 7 others who we want to find out more about... I choose as my vict-er-fortunate candidates:
Joanne at The LaidBack Buddhist
Lozster
Jennifer Rahn
Heather Dugan

Kathleen Maher

Your Translator

Greg's Brain
Now, don't be shy. If you can't think of anything, you can make it up (I did!)...

Bloggers with Integrity -- meme

One day away from "Darwin's Paradox" Launch at Amazon (and other bookstores around the world)...I'm kind of beside myself, looking on and whispering: "Hey! Comb your hair, girl!"... Oh, in honor of the book, Karen Mason, created the really neat widget of "Darwin's Paradox" over to the right there. If you like the book, or what I write here, or just plain like "me" (embarrassed grin) ... and want to support/advertize the book, please go ahead and put the widget on your site. I thank you so much for your support, dear reader.

Well, speaking of recognition, that impeccable woman over at Climate of Our Future has done it again; waged MEME! This time, she's awarded me with an incredible award, "Bloggers with Integrity" with an added tag of "Keeping it Real":

Deborah, you have no idea what this award means to me. I humbly thank you. Deborah received the bloggers with integrity award for "social conscience". Here's what she had to say about it, quoting Edward Abbey: "It is not enough to understand the natural world; the point is to defend and preserve it." And Deborah is doing an impeccable job of raising awareness and providing solutions with her excellent blog, Climate of Our Future.

The Oxford Dictionary defines integrity as: wholeness, entirety, soundness, uprightness, honesty. These are all traits that I strive to achieve in my daily life. And keeping it real is perhaps my calling, particularly here on the blogosphere, considered by many non-internet users and non-bloggers as a vacuum or nonsensical black hole (which it couldn't be further from). As both scientist and artist, I interpret my world through my unique filter, integrating disparate-looking items and weaving them into a tapestry of meaning.

This integrity award came originally from Shinade at the Painted Veil, another cool lady who practices integrity. Here's her mantra: I am interested in everything that God has created within this universe. And I have an almost unquenchable thirst for knowledge. And my grandest dream and prayer is for peace in the world and that no-one lack for any need.

I nominate the following bloggers with integrity:

WalksFarWoman for bringing so much "Love and Understanding" to the blogosphere

Princess Haiku for bestowing us with "Beauty and Refinement"

Somerset Bob for tirelessly and cheerfully sharing his "Humble Wisdom"

Jean-Luc for warming the blogosphere with his "Kind Heart"

Tricia Ares for teaching us with her "Impeccable Words"

Karen Mason for bestowing her "Selfless Devotion and Gift of Knowledge" to so many members of our community

Ilker Yoldas for firing us with her "Passion for Blogging and our Community"

Adria for providing us with a "Mirror of Ourselves"

Jon for astutely providing us with a "Sense of Place"

Melanie Faith for bringing her "Quiet Symphony of Hope" to the blogosphere

Joel Gruber for lighting our Community with his "Faith and Inspiration"

There are so many more bloggers with integrity out there ... Go find them, guys! Off you go!

Meme: the Nice Award

Well, it's meme time again. This one is a wonderful award that Deborah at Climate of our Future bestowed upon me because, for some reason, she thinks I'm NICE (but that's not what my coffee mug said about me; I'm an Aries) and this blogosphere is incredibly full of nice people.

Sometimes we forget the word and what lies behind it; sometimes we simply take "nice" for granted; sometimes we undervalue "nice", preferring to exalt "courage", "cleverness", or "innovation". But like integrity, honor, and humility, NICE is one of the traits we most appreciate deep down. I'm truly honored that Deborah decided that I merited this award. And I cherish it for what it means. Thanks, Deborah.

In the spirit of good memes, I honor the following people with the NICE Award: Nathalie, Jean-Luc, Bob, WalksfarWoman; and Tricia. You all truly light up the blogosphere with your kindness, compassion and inner light. Now, go forth and tag five other nice people!

Climate of Our Future

My Friday Feature today is a wonderful blog called Climate of Our Future: a discussion on climate change. Why am I featuring this blog? Yes, there certainly are many blogs out there devoted to environmental causes and to climate change, particularly. I really like this site for several reasons.

First, let me introduce you to the mandate of the blog: " Climate of Our Future is a blog meant to open a discussion of global climate change by providing articles, resources and opinions that provoke our readers to thought and action. We’ll attempt to describe how our world’s climate is changing, what’s causing it, and how we can correct it.

Although the discussion of climate change and its manmade causes can be controversial, we can all agree that it’s important to do everything we can to safeguard our environment and its natural resources. Toward that end we’ll also be providing links to information that will allow us to reinvent ourselves as a more sustainable society."

Maintained by Deborah (founder) and Francis (contributor and webdesigner), this site blazes with a passionate devotion to better our world and help us to understand planetary issues as they relate to us both globally and personally. Deborah and Francis accomplish this daunting task by using a variety of sources, material and opinion. These include the incredible gamut from the original poetry of Jolene Siah to the use of lobby group and conservation organization news releases (e.g., Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, WWF, Ocean Conservancy) to magazine articles, press releases and articles and finally to opinion pieces by guest bloggers such as Florida Weather Info Lady.

Speaking of the personal connection and individual innovation (a hallmark of human ingenuity), one of my favorite posts is this one, in which a Chinese farmer has fashioned a solar panel using beer bottles to provide his mother with a warm bath every day.

So, what is it that I really like about this site? The posts are thoughtfully chosen and written. If they are quoted, the writers are careful to include the source (a must in this area of controversy). Deborah and Francis don't waste time "proving" the issues of global warming by entering into ridiculous argument of validation. They just go about their reporting, looking at problems to solve, issues to highlight and personal stories of victory to tell. I like that. I like that a lot.

I'm a scientist and both I and my scientific community has been convinced by irrecontravertible evidence since the past twenty years of "global warming"... Okay, the picture is naughty, but I like it! But, seriously, instead of arguing whether it is occurring or even who or what is to blame, let's get on with the business at hand: doing something about it. I leave you with Deborah's testimony:

Says Deborah: "I am very passionate about our environment. Growing up and spending most of my life in the Sierra Nevada Mountains has given me a deep respect for nature. I have seen many changes to the local climate over the years. There is smog now coming up from the valley poisoning the flora and fauna. This is why I started the blog, to raise awareness. Some say it’s too late to change anything now. I disagree, there is still so much we can do."

I agree, Deborah. Just don't stop...