What a swarm

The swarm

I found this in my pool yesterday morning. Any water in my yard had more of them. I remember something like this last year but I don't have a clue what triggers this.

How do the ants know it’s time to emerge? The weather, mainly. “As it gets towards June, the colony starts producing flying ants, [which are] these reproductive males and females,” explains Hart. “The females will start a new colony and when it’s warm they emerge en masse. They fly into the air and the males mate with the females. The females drop to the ground, lose their wings and, if they survive the birds, start a new nest.”

Pou

I'd never paid attention to Pou when kids talk about him/it. Today Nahima was playing with mom's CEL and she showed me the game. First, she scratched his stomach and he giggled. Then she talked a bunch of gibberish and Pou repeated the sounds. Then I had to talk to it and my words got repeated. Lorena said he can do a bunch more things. Someday I'll let them show me.

I hate to see this

But these doves around here need to wake up

This is number three in four days. My cat Tomas brought the second one up to me and I took it away from him. I was sure the bird was finished but took it upstairs and held it on the railing for a few minutes. It shook it's head, spread it's wings and flew over to my neighbors roof. 

Normally Tomas kills frogs, small snakes and bats just for entertainment but that bird is all gone. There's also a couple of iguanas on the neighbors wall that he stalks but they are fast and one is almost as large as the cat. That too may just be the Hunting Game he likes to play

Calling up spirits

Mexican children treated for nervous breakdowns is hard to believe but has been reported in Oaxaca. A priest there is also warning about calling up spirits or demons. A silly little game that has gone viral in social media and kids play in school. The poor man's Ouija board game has a long history and why it's suddenly popular is anyone's guess.

How to play ....

Step 1: Draw an X on a piece of paper.

Step 2: Label two of the resulting quadrants "no," and the other two "yes."

Step 3: Place two overlapping pencils on each axis of your grid, crossing them in the middle.

Step 4: Say "Charlie, Charlie, are you there?" and ask a question. 

Step 5: Scream at the answer probably.

Also called Charly, Charly and Lapicera

Some more sensible versions of the game

Why should I care? (Should I even care?!)

I mean, you should definitely care if you're seeking supernatural answers to your life questions. (Excepting questions about love, death and money, which - per certain versions of the legend - Charlie will not answer.)

Even if that doesn't exactly describe you, though, Charlie makes a killer case study in virality and how things move in and out of languages and cultures online. You'll notice, for instance, a lot of players and reporters talking about the game as if it were new, when it's actually - and more interestingly, I think - an old game that has just recently crossed the language divide.

This is also, pretty notably, yet another example of the power of the teenage Internet. Write off their little games as silly, sure - but we never trended Bloody Mary or Ouija board.

The story of Charlie Charlie, the 'demonic' teen game overtaking the internet

World Cup Mexico - Brazil

It was a great game even with no scoring thanks to Ochoa .... and everyone else.  My only question after hearing that Mexico should be happy with a tie was .... what are the current standing for their group. From the following article they are tied at the top of Group A

Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa turned in a sparkling individual performance as Mexico held hosts Brazil to a scoreless draw in a thrilling World Cup Group A encounter Tuesday evening at the Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza. 

The result leaves the teams tied atop Group A with four points each heading into the third and final round of group matches, though Brazil currently sit in first place by virtue of their superior plus-two goal differential.

Brazil vs. Mexico: World Cup Group A Score and Grades

Fiesta de Bautizo

Mi Bautizo (baptism) is what the card the neighborhood kids gave me because one of their moms would have a baby in a few days. At least that's what they used for an excuse for a fiesta. The card was actually from last May for another Bautizo at the church.

Why me? Because I have fruit for the pinata, maybe a gift and some money for globos (balloons). I let the kids in the yard to get some limones (limes) and guayabas then they noticed the ciruela (plum) tree. We had to place a ladder against the wall to get the ciruelas and nobody fell!! The ciruelas were just turning red so this is the first time I tried them. Very large pits.

They needed the balloons for decoration but also for the game of gallina where everyone ties a balloon around their ankle and take turns trying to stomp on the other persons balloon. Kinda like chicken fighting.

They also needed me for duct tape to make the pinata. Problem was it was so strong it wouldn't break so it was decided to throw the prizes off the a neighbor's roof. Not good for the fruit as they exploded on impact except for the limes. They did make a good cleanup crew using every broom in the neighborhood.

Neighborhood fiesta in Jocotepec, Jalisco Mexico