Nimavenl - Nicole's Random Ramblings

I hope you all have an amazing 2015! Here's a gorgeous December 2014 sunset to celebrate the beauty of this past year! Happy New Year! Happy 2015 ! 

Happy 82nd Birthday to actress Nichelle Nichols. May you enjoy peace and prosperity! Thank you for appearing in Star Trek; your portrayal of commander Uhura helped me realise that women really can do everything and is one of the main reasons I've been a fan of Star Trek for over 20 years! "Her role as Uhura on Star Trek was one of the first times that an African-American actress portrayed a non-stereotypical role on television. Previously, most African-American female characters on American television were depicted as maids or housekeepers, and Nichols' role helped break that barrier."  Nichelle Nichols article; Memory Alpha Nyota Uhura wasn't just the one with the pretty legs, she wasn't just the token female on a science-fiction show or an example of equality for both women and African Americans in a time when equality was sorely lacking. She wasn't just a woman on the bridge of a starship, heck, she was THE communications officer of THE Federation...

Wat een herrie weer... Vuurwerk mag officieel nog niet eens afgestoken worden, overmorgen pas, maar daar lijkt men zich niets van aan te trekken hier in de buurt. Vorige maand al liepen er kinderen over straat met rotjes, mensen te terroriseren en huisdieren expres bang te maken. Ik vind het zo ont-zet-tend asociaal van de ouders dat ze kinderen en tieners met gevaarlijke wapens laten spelen zonder ZEER duidelijke uitleg over wat grappig of leuk is en wat echt levenslang letsel kan veroorzaken voor hunzelf of een ander. "Je bent een rund als je met vuurwerk stunt" lijkt een boodschap te zijn die de jeugd van nu nog nooit gehoord heeft. Die boodschap kwam vroeger vaak genoeg langs rond Oud en Nieuw, samen met plaatjes van mensen die door onverantwoord gebruik van vuurwerk bijvoorbeeld een vinger, een oog of een hand kwijt waren. Vandaag de dag voelt het alsof geen van de rotjochies op straat ook maar nadenkt over wat vuurwerk kan doen en hoeveel schade het kan aanrichten... ...

In verband met de wijzigingen in de zorg dacht ik vandaag: Toch maar even kijken of mijn zorgverzekeraar en mijn ziekenhuis elkaar wel aardig zullen blijven vinden volgend jaar. Ging er eigenlijk 'gewoon' van uit dat de twee giganten goede banden zouden hebben en al had ik er een tijdje terug iets over opgezocht, had ik er verder niet meer naar gekeken. Toen ik begin 2013 ziek werd hebben minstens twee cardiologen en vier assistenten mijn hart bekeken in mijn lokale ziekenhuis. Het waren er meer, maar ik heb zes gezichten duidelijk onthouden. De ECG en de echo - standaard bij elk bezoek voor een hartpatient - waren voor deze zes professionals blijkbaar reden om te besluiten dat ik een probleem had met een van mijn hartkleppen, de pulmonalisklep. Toen geen van de professionals de klep goed in beeld kon krijgen tijdens de reguliere echo, is er besloten dat een slokdarmecho nodig was om de klep beter te bekijken. Een echo via de slokdarm betekent (in mijn eigen woorden) dat er e...

To those who celebrate Christmas today or tomorrow - Happy Holidays! There, that's done. Now that I've respected your holidays... Please also respect that they are NOT my holidays. STOP trying to wish me a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. STOP assuming that being white / European and being Christian are the same thing. I was born with my skin, hair and eyes, I never consciously chose them, they are simply me; part of who I am and always have been. I was not born with a certain religion, I am free to choose my religion. I am free to believe what I want to believe and sorry folks, that does not include believing in sons of gods just because those around me seem to. I am not a Christian. I do not believe that Jesus of Nazareth was God or part God or the son of God or the promised Messiah or anything other than a 100% human and 100% Jewish Israeli male striving to free his people from Roman oppression and bring them closer to God. I am not a Buddhist; I do not celeb...

I may not be a Christian, however that won't stop me from sharing this Dry Bones Christmas wish for the Christians of the Middle East. May the world hear your cries, indeed. To all those who celebrate Christmas (wherever you are) - Happy Holidays. May you celebrate surrounded by those you love and cherish while remembering those less fortunate than you, both in your prayers and in your dreams for a better world. a Christmas Wish - the Dry Bones Blog

I've been re-watching my season one DVDs of New Zealand television show Outrageous Fortune and am having a blast with the West family. It's been some time! Decided to check out the TV show's official website today and came across an article that made me very happy. They're making a prequel to Outrageous Fortune starring Antonia Prebble as Rita West! I am so very thrilled! How did I not know this?! Antonia Prebble (Outrageous Fortune, White Lies, The Blue Rose) and David de Lautour (The Kick, NCIS, Once Upon a Time) headline the cast of South Pacific Pictures’ new comedy drama series WESTSIDE, the six-part Outrageous Fortune prequel which is coming next year to TV3.   Prebble stars as Rita, the West family matriarch – a role she played briefly in flashback scenes during Outrageous Fortune season four. De Lautour plays the role of Ted West, the 30-something incarnation of the beloved ‘Grandpa’ character who was deftly portrayed in all six seasons of Outrageous Fortu...

Burka en Blahniks by Ebru Umar My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wat een heerlijk boek om te lezen! En wat een heerlijk oprechte schrijfster zonder blad voor de mond of politiek correcte non-mening! Zo lang mogelijk uitgerekt maar nu toch echt (twee keer!) uitgelezen. Een ding weet ik zeker: Ik haal dit boekje over een paar maanden met heel veel plezier weer uit de kast. View all my reviews

I may not be Jewish, however that won't stop me from sharing this beautiful photo! To all those who celebrate Hanukkah - Happy Holidays and may every candle you light remind you that miracles are possible! Post by ‎ Noam Chen - Photographer | נועם חן - צלם ‎.

Worrying about what's going on in Sydney with regards to the #sydneysiege . My thoughts are with the hostages and all who know and love them. I have friends and family in Australia; really don't like how close to home this feels. Silver lining to this horrible situation must be the " I'll Ride With You " social media posts tagged #illridewithyou and the way Australians are coming together as one. It's good to see that the Australian people won't let terrorists scare them into being quiet, going into hiding or turning on each other.

Early Morning... Well, not so early any more by the time I added watermarks to the photos and decided what to write in this post! Still - it was dark when I got up, surely that counts as early! As it got lighter and I went to make a cup of tea, this amazing sight greeted me. O f C ourse I rushed to the balcony to take several photos to share! @Nimavenl We really do live in a very beautiful world!  I just wish we - humanity - could spend more time enjoying our world, loving each other and appreciating being alive to enjoy the beauty. Instead, we hate, we disagree, we dislike, we fight, we torture, we rape, we insult, we discriminate, we kill, we terrorise.  "Our lives begin to end the day we become  silent about the things that matter."         Martin Luther King, Jr @Nimavenl I refuse to let terror win - I believe in humanity. Peace   :)   Shalom   :)   Salaam

I love language and especially love reading books and stories that play with language or show the author's love for language. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is one such story. I'd known the story of Alice in Wonderland for years before actually sitting down to read the book as an adult. What struck me was not only how much I enjoyed the fun and craziness of Alice's adventures, but how much I enjoyed the author's way with words. The simple yet exquisite beauty of the words on the page as they come together into a whimsical whole is simply amazing to me. Source: Quote HD.com I also love tales set in magical or fantastical worlds like the amazing Anne Bishop's Black Jewels books or J. R. R. Tolkien's extremely intricate world of Middle Earth . Alternate realities are very interesting to explore as well, worlds that are similar to yet different from our own. I like how they often provide great insights into our own world and our own thinking, despite so...

One only has to turn on the television or read the newspaper to realise our world is full of war, injustice, senseless hatred, racism, discrimination, murder and terrorism. We have brains capable of imagining how others might act, react, think and feel. We have books and movies which give us the opportunity to see the world from another's point of view or even from inside their hearts and minds. We have the internet and free online translation services that allow us to communicate with people from all over the world, no matter their language or home country. Yet even with books, movies and the internet to connect us and our human ability to imagine how others might think and feel, we haven't learned to live together in peace and prosperity, to share our planet together without bloodshed or violence, to coexist without trying to bend others to our will and our ways. Source: "Colour Blind" by Acvelyen | Deviant Art We are all human, yet relatively small differe...

"Kanker  Een klein woordje  Met zo'n groot effect." Via Facebook gevonden. Als iemand weet waar dit plaatje precies vandaan komt (zodat ik een link naar die pagina kan plaatsen) dan hoor ik het graag.

"You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it" Post by Joshua Pierce .

Makes you think. Post by Humans of New York .

Puts the briefness of human life into perspective. One year to Pluto is generations to us! ""Pluto will complete its first full orbit around the sun [since it's discovery] on Monday, March 23rd 2178" "Tell your kids to tell THEIR grandkids to throw Pluto a birthday." Post by I fucking love science .

I absolutely LOVE love LOVE this Star Trek-themed hooded sweater. Resembling Worf's The Next Generation uniform, the zip-up hoodie looks awesome front and back. Photo Source: Star Trek official website Head over to Think Geek to buy this awesome hooded sweater! Here's some info about the hoodie from their product description: "This is the Star Trek: The Next Generation Worf Costume Hoodie! Modeled on the two-piece, Robert Blackman uniforms from seasons 3 forward (and the Klingon warrior's sash redesign by Durinda Rice Wood), these hoodies are a ThinkGeek creation and exclusive.  The hood features piping along the edge. When the hood is up, it's a hoodie. When the hood is down, it mimics the collar of the uniform. We made these without pips so that you can add your own, appropriate to your rank. And we assumed many of you already had a working combadge. If not, you can pick one up from us to wear with this."  Star Trek TNG Worf Costume Hoodie | T...

ASAP Science explains that learning is good for you... Learning new languages is too. Glad to know! :-) Post by AsapSCIENCE .

Took this photo a year ago on what I think was my first solo outing after surgery. Post by Nimavenl .

A photo from 8am this morning. Love the colours! Post by Nimavenl .

These are my thoughts initial about the Doctor Who series 8 finale aired on the BBC on the 8th November 2014. I hope to re-watch the episode soon and add additional thoughts to this item later. Doctor Who series 8 finale S P O I L E R S P A C E

Abandoned train station | Abkhazia, Georgia I love taking photos, sharing the world I see with others, showcasing the beauty of the natural world and capturing the magic of a moment. The magic of the moment was certainly captured  by the very lucky and talented photographers who captured 21 photos of nature winning the battle against civilisation . From Hong Kong to Russia to Namibia, the photos show what can happen when humans abandon a site or an item to nature; when we leave nature to rule instead of mankind. This post features three of my favourites images from the 21, however I very much encourage you to read the article for yourself and have a peek at the other 18 images! Especially the mill in Italy that looks like it came straight from a fairytale. And the abandoned hotel in Kamchatka, Russia. And the piano. And the Ferris wheel. And... The SS Ayrfield in Homebush  Bay , west of Sydney, Australia Features images: (above) An abandoned railway station ...

While the Dutch climate can leave a lot to be desired, I am of the opinion that old Dutch cities are simply stunning... And are always worth my time and attention! Yesterday's trip down memory lane took me to this gorgeous little street in Alkmaar's old city. The Hekelstraat has at least some buildings dating back to the 16th Century - such as this building façade from 1579 . The Hekelstraat is an integral part of Alkmaar's Old City Centre and, judging from some of the photos I've seen, still looks a lot like it did a hundred or two hundred years ago. I edited this photo to make the colours a bit warmer, other than that I didn't change a thing. I didn't have to! Post by Nimavenl .

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali My rating: 5 of 5 stars What a book. What a story. What a journey. What a woman. I once wrote that I hoped that reading this book would help me meet the real Ayaan Hirsi Ali, not just the woman I read about in the media and saw on television. The book did not disappoint and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. WOW! View all my reviews

It was my birthday yesterday, I turned thirty-one. It wasn't nearly as spectacular as turning thirty, however that's most likely because for some time it looked like I might never make it to thirty! My heart is still beating strong and I am healthy, so bring on the coming year! Ready for the next challenge :-) Shared this photo and amazing (ahum!) poem on Facebook yesterday. Love this view, so am very happy to share it here as well! "A long time ago, not that far away at all, A little girl was born, they called her Nicole  She grew up to take photos and write so-so poetry, Today it's her birthday, so Happy Birthday To Me!" Source: @Nimavenl 

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan My rating: 5 of 5 stars I've put this book down countless times since I started reading it, intending to start again from the beginning and take notes. It's almost like I'm afraid that without doing some serious prep work first, I might miss something or not quite understand the historical context of a situation. Yet the book keeps drawing me back in: Looking at it turns into reading a few sentences turns into reading another chapter. The writing style makes the book easy to read, there are plenty of in-text references to ensure I don't need (to take) notes and learning more about the revolutionary Jesus that Aslan describes keeps me coming back for more. "Zealot" bring the Holy Land of Jesus' time almost close enough to touch, which makes it an entertaining, interesting and thought-provoking book. UPDATE: Having read through the Notes section and finished the book, I am even more amazed at t...

I posted a new photo to my Facebook Page. Love autumn and autumn colours - The colours make me happy! :-) Post by Nimavenl .

I enjoy taking photos, viewing the world from a photographer's point of view and sharing the beauty of the world with others. There is so much unrest, fighting, hatred and injustice going on in the world that I believe it is vital to 'take a moment' every once in a while to realise that the world is not all bad. In fact, it is extremely beautiful and diverse and can bring us so much pleasure and enjoyment! "We are all dreamers creating the next world, the next beautiful world for ourselves and for our children" ~ Yoko Ono I believe that if only more of us focused on sharing beauty and love instead of spreading hatred, discord and intolerance that the world could truly be a better and more amazing place. Peace is possible, if only we give it a chance! Having decided on the awesomeness of this wall, I wanted to share it with others. Absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea - beauty, nature, functionality and light all in one! :-) Post by Nimavenl . What do...

Woke up today to my (ahum) lovely and (ahum ahum) considerate neighbours drilling into shared concrete walls, banging on shared walls, hammering away and - I can only imagine - generally having a good time pretending to be workers at a construction site instead of people who live inside a building they share with other people who all have their own lives.  It's not a fun way to wake up; being forced awake by things happening outside my own flat yet inside my building. I can't change anything about the banging and noise or the complete disregard my neighbours have for other people, however I can't get away from it either. Not without leaving the entire building, which means waking up, getting dressed and leaving the house to... to.... to try to go to sleep in a park or by the side of the road because sleeping inside my own house is impossible? Do they seriously not realise that their walls are also my walls? That when they start banging away, everyone else in the bu...

What an absolutely brilliant episode of Doctor Who !!!!!! Photo credit: @Nimavenl This series' fourth episode "Listen" was absolutely super-brilliant. Wow, amazing, had me on the edge of my seat for pretty much the entire episode. If only each and every episode could be like this! Superb, wonderful, I don't think I know enough descriptive words to describe how I feel, how much I'm still reeling from watching this episode. It was perfect. Glad I taped it as I'm going to re-watch it right now , this was truly amazing! Doctor Who got scary again and I'm loving it !!!

"Once More, With Feeling" is the title of an episode of popular US television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was the only musical episode in the shows's seven seasons with the cast all singing and dancing and experiencing life differently through their singing and dancing. While the episode was by no means my favourite Buffy episode, the title stayed with me. It will be no secret to anyone who's ever visited my blog (or my Twitter or my Facebook or... you get the idea) that I enjoy taking photos, enjoy sharing the beauty of the world I live in; that I love sharing with the world some of the amazing scenery I see when I look out the window or go for a walk outside. Photo by @Nimavenl I take photos of that which I see around me, however what I see isn't just visual. It's influenced by what I think and feel and experience and hear and smell around me, it's not just a static image but a feeling, an impression, a sense of wonder and amazement and...

GTST Cast Foto voor seizoen 25 (2014 - 2015) Bron: RTL / GTST Al de pastelkleurtjes zijn zeker een contrast met de foto van vorig jaar waar bijna alles zwart/wit was. Ben ik gek om te zeggen (schrijven) dat deze foto een beetje een  "kom onze mooie, vrolijke, zomerse kleren in mooie pastelkleuren kopen" vibe heeft? Morgen de eerste echte nieuwe aflevering... Kom maar op !!!!!!!

Wait, how do I spell that again... Is it grey or gray? Cloud in amazing shades of white, light and grey Nimavenl Photography on Facebook That's exactly what went through my head earlier as I posted several photos to my Facebook page. Google directed me to an amazing page which explains that 'grey' is the British spelling, while 'gray' is the American way of spelling the word. As I spell words like colour and favourite the British way (as is common in New Zealand), I decided to go with the British spelling here as well. Want to remember whether you want to write grey or gray, use this memory booster from the website How do you spell the color Grey or Gray? Which is correct, "grey" or "gray" spelling? : Grey with an E is English Gray with an A is American Other words with varying spelling in British and American English the website lists are for instance centre and center, theatre and theater, colour and color, doughnut and donut, aer...

Book of Psalms: With an Interlinear Translation by Menachem Davis My rating: 5 of 5 stars I very much enjoyed reading the Psalms and working on my (very basic) Hebrew at the same time. While reading left-to-right English from right to left can be confusing, I have to admit that the directional arrows helped me adjust easily, just as the introduction promised. The interlinear translation makes the Hebrew easy to connect with while ensuring that the English-language sentences make sense to the eye and the mind. View all my reviews

I'm so excited !!!!!!! Series 8 of Doctor Who is coming to television in less than two weeks !!! Source:  World tour launch event in Cardiff - Doctor Who Series 8 2014  - BBC One The BBC have released a new trailer for the upcoming Doctor Who episode Deep Breath. The first episode of series 8, Deep Breath is also the first proper episode to star the newest Doctor; Peter Capaldi. What I know from watching this video: We're visiting old friends and seeing some familiar faces, the special effects are mind-blowing, Peter Capaldi is A-MA-ZING and the Tardis gets a new look...  I like it! Deep Breath will air on the BBC on Saturday 23/08. Less than two weeks left to wait !!!

Posts are reappearing on my blog! Finally! 'Coz I've missed blogging! It's been a few months since I took all my blog-posts offline. I wanted to re-evaluate my online presence, to re-think what information I present to others online and to go over all posts with a fine tooth-comb. As I work through more blog posts I'll put more back online and hopefully get writing on some new ones too!

Dear Readers, Blog posts have temporarily disappeared while I work out what will happen with this blog. Thank you for your patience.

Very interesting video :-)