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	<description>Exploring the ties that bind East and West... along with anything else that catches our fancy.</description>
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		<title>MadSilence</title>
		<link>http://madsilence.wordpress.com</link>
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		<title>ragged beauty</title>
		<link>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/ragged-beauty/</link>
		<comments>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/ragged-beauty/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:16:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>madsilence</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quilting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[denim]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[textile art]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://madsilence.wordpress.com/?p=8080</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Boro is a Japanese word meaning “tattered rags” and it’s the term frequently used to describe lovingly patched and repaired cotton bedding and clothing, used much longer than the normal expected life cycle. Like early North American patchwork quilts, boro textiles revealed much about the Japanese family&#8217;s living standards and the nature of the economy [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=madsilence.wordpress.com&amp;blog=717516&amp;post=8080&amp;subd=madsilence&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Cherry Blossom Centennial issuance</title>
		<link>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/cherry-blossom-centennial-issuance/</link>
		<comments>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/cherry-blossom-centennial-issuance/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:05:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>madsilence</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cherry blossom trees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cherry blossoms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Day of Issue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postage stamps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sakur]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://madsilence.wordpress.com/?p=8062</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the friendship between America and Japan with the Cherry Blossom Centennial issuance. That friendship found lasting expression a hundred years ago when the city of Tokyo gave 3,020 cherry trees to the city of Washington, D.C. In this unusual design, two stamps form the left and right halves of a [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=madsilence.wordpress.com&amp;blog=717516&amp;post=8062&amp;subd=madsilence&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/cherry-blossom-centennial-issuance/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">CherryBlossoms-Forever-2012-block2-BGv1</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">CherryBlossomsDCP</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>It was a dark and stormy night&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/it-was-a-dark-and-stormy-night/</link>
		<comments>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/it-was-a-dark-and-stormy-night/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:21:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>madsilence</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Children's books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Wrinkle in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Madeleine L'Engle]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://madsilence.wordpress.com/?p=8039</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[First published in 1962, Madeleine L&#8217;Engle&#8217;s novel &#8216;A Wrinkle in Time&#8216; is now celebrating the 50th anniversary of its publication.  I read the Newbery Medal-winning classic not so long after it was first published and was so enamored with the story I wrote the publisher to request copies of any advertising posters.  I was thrilled [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=madsilence.wordpress.com&amp;blog=717516&amp;post=8039&amp;subd=madsilence&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">madsilence</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Wrinkle</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Candy is a comforting sight</title>
		<link>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/candy-is-a-comforting-sight/</link>
		<comments>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/candy-is-a-comforting-sight/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:34:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>madsilence</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japanese Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Basho]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[haiku]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://madsilence.wordpress.com/?p=8028</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The wealthy merchant pleasures in the pocket but suffers in spirit.  The petty vendor suffers in pocket but glories in the spirit. At year’s end, When debts must be settled, The sunny amber of the humble vendor’s Candy is a comforting sight. Haiku by Basho More haiku Filed under: Japanese Culture, Life, Poetry Tagged: Basho, [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=madsilence.wordpress.com&amp;blog=717516&amp;post=8028&amp;subd=madsilence&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/candy-is-a-comforting-sight/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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		<title>Not your father&#8217;s tatami</title>
		<link>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/not-your-fathers-tatami/</link>
		<comments>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/not-your-fathers-tatami/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:57:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>madsilence</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[futon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tatami]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://madsilence.wordpress.com/?p=7916</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tatami mats are as ancient as Japanese culture.  They first appeared around 1100 AD in the form of small round cushions to seat aristocrats.  Later they were used during tea ceremonies, for audiences at No theater and as flooring in Shinto shrines. In the late 19th century tatamis showed up in ordinary homes, where they were used [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=madsilence.wordpress.com&amp;blog=717516&amp;post=7916&amp;subd=madsilence&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/not-your-fathers-tatami/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">madsilence</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Animals get arty</title>
		<link>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/animals-get-arty/</link>
		<comments>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/animals-get-arty/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:06:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>madsilence</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Animal Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://madsilence.wordpress.com/?p=7985</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An exhibition featuring works of art from several species of animal, including paintings by elephants and apes, opened at Britain&#8217;s UCL Grant Museum of Zoology in collaboration with a graduate from the UCL Slade School of Fine Art. “The hand of the chimpanzee is quasi-human; the hand of [American artist] Jackson Pollock is totally animal,” [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=madsilence.wordpress.com&amp;blog=717516&amp;post=7985&amp;subd=madsilence&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">madsilence</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Flower-Pot--by-Boon-Mee-elephant-Samutprakarn-Zoo--Thailan_280</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Bakhari</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Colorful Realm of Living Beings</title>
		<link>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/colorful-realm-of-living-beings/</link>
		<comments>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/colorful-realm-of-living-beings/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:01:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>madsilence</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cherry blossom trees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cherry blossoms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flower painting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[national gallery of art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sakura]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://madsilence.wordpress.com/?p=7962</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The year 2012 will mark the 100th anniversary of the gift of cherry blossom trees from the people of Japan to the people of the United States. Planted in Washington, D.C. in 1912, these cherry blossom trees have become a symbol of the warm relationship between Japan and the U.S. for the past century. To [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=madsilence.wordpress.com&amp;blog=717516&amp;post=7962&amp;subd=madsilence&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/colorful-realm-of-living-beings/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">madsilence</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">jakuchu_lg</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Alternative Valentine&#8217;s Day Gifts</title>
		<link>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/alternative-valentines-day-gifts/</link>
		<comments>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/alternative-valentines-day-gifts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:38:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>madsilence</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gifts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Valentine's Day]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://madsilence.wordpress.com/?p=6117</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Expressing one&#8217;s love to another is a celebrated custom on Valentine&#8217;s Day; whereby sweethearts, family members and friends present gifts to one another, such as cards, candy, flowers and other symbols of affection.  Need some gifting inspiration?  Take a look at some of the awesome craft/food/gift suggestions floating around on some of our favorite blogs [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=madsilence.wordpress.com&amp;blog=717516&amp;post=6117&amp;subd=madsilence&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">madsilence</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://madsilence.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/tofuchoco.jpg?w=300" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Tofu and chocolate - a match made in heaven?  Apparently so!</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://madsilence.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/greenteachocolatemed.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Bitter green tea and sweet chocolate make a surprisingly good combination.</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">CottageIndustrialist has got some adorable ones!</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://madsilence.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/cowboy_front.gif" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Or hog-tie them and drag them home!</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://madsilence.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/dinofront.jpg?w=250" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">I wish I could speak Dino.</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://madsilence.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/seedball.jpg?w=300" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">An example of a &#34;seed bomb&#34; from Heavy Petal.</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://madsilence.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/classic-red-roses.jpg?w=222" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Classic Red Roses</media:title>
		</media:content>

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			<media:title type="html">Meditating Beeswax Buddha Candle</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Jeff Nishinaka’s paper sculpture</title>
		<link>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/jeff-nishinakas-paper-sculpture/</link>
		<comments>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/jeff-nishinakas-paper-sculpture/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:14:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>madsilence</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jeff Nishinaka]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paper art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paper sculptures]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://madsilence.wordpress.com/?p=7931</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Readers of MadSilence know how we love paper art!  Check out the paper sculptures of artist Jeff Nishinaka. Via dailyartmuse Jeff Nishinaka paper sculpture Filed under: Art, Culture, News Tagged: Jeff Nishinaka, paper art, paper sculptures<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=madsilence.wordpress.com&amp;blog=717516&amp;post=7931&amp;subd=madsilence&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/jeff-nishinakas-paper-sculpture/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">madsilence</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">nishinaka_dragon1-400x450</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Extraordinary secrets of everyday trees</title>
		<link>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/extraordinary-secrets-of-everyday-trees/</link>
		<comments>http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/extraordinary-secrets-of-everyday-trees/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:42:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>madsilence</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[On Books & Reading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reading]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Seeing Trees:Discover the Extraordinary Secrets of Everyday Trees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Timber Press]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trees]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://madsilence.wordpress.com/?p=7893</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I enjoy going out into nature, visiting our local parks, beaches, and arboretums.  Part of the appeal are the trees I experience.  Some are old friends, like a towering American beech I&#8217;ve known for over thirty years; others are mysterious strangers to be identified by leaf, bark, fruit or seed.  Not everyone can appreciate the affection I hold for my favorite trees.  [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=madsilence.wordpress.com&amp;blog=717516&amp;post=7893&amp;subd=madsilence&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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