An interactive map showing where Americans are moving to and from (looks like people are trying to get the frak away from Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit)
Play rock paper scissors against a computer and watch it learn your moves
For my nephew - Red Lobster cheddar biscuits recipe
A woman given LSD in an experiment in the 1950's
Fan catches bat, saves beer
And finally, an amazing page full of Judge Judy gifs (may take awhile to load, but worth the wait)
Enjoy :)
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
My sisters are being buried in snow as we speak...
So I will try to post some entertainment from Florida for them...
The Messiah Choral Society has performed Handel's Messiah on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in Orlando for over thirty years as a free gift to the community. They added an extra performance in the 2010 holiday season, performing as a flashmob in the Orlando International Airport before Christmas. I have sung with this group for a few seasons but had to skip 2010 due to illness - major bummer - would have loved to be a part of this. Love to see the tourists joining in!
An additional view, with interviews at the end
and this happened the other day at the Mall at Millenia
I really do live in the Happiest Place On Earth!!
The Messiah Choral Society has performed Handel's Messiah on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in Orlando for over thirty years as a free gift to the community. They added an extra performance in the 2010 holiday season, performing as a flashmob in the Orlando International Airport before Christmas. I have sung with this group for a few seasons but had to skip 2010 due to illness - major bummer - would have loved to be a part of this. Love to see the tourists joining in!
An additional view, with interviews at the end
and this happened the other day at the Mall at Millenia
I really do live in the Happiest Place On Earth!!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Everybody all aboard!
This has been around for awhile, but I hadn't seen it before and it made me smile, so up it goes :)
The original scene
The original scene
Sunday, January 23, 2011
A monster, a lost soul, or something in between?
Two weeks after the shocking shootings in Tucson, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has been transferred this weekend to a rehab facility in Houston to continue her remarkable recovery from her brain injury. A nine-year-old girl, a federal judge and four others were murdered that day, and 13 were wounded. An unsettling mugshot was taken of the gunman, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, after his arrest
As news began to come out of Loughner’s mental health history, prior arrests for petty crimes and difficulties with work and school, I found myself feeling some empathy for this kid, as despicable as his actions were. Not much seems to be known about his parents to date or how they may or may not have tried to help with his issues, but it is extremely difficult for a kid this age today to get help for mental health problems until they snap, as this kid did. After a child turns eighteen, parents are essentially powerless to intervene on behalf of their child if s/he needs help for psychiatric problems unless and until the child presents a danger to self or others, which is often too late for any meaningful assistance to take place. Individuals over 18 are also free to refuse medications or treatment on their own behalf.
It is known Loughner was clearly disturbed and perceived as a threat by classmates and teachers who interacted with him at his community college, and he was removed from campus by security several times before eventually being kicked out of the school. His YouTube presence is also ominous. However, he never hurt anyone prior to the shootings, he just was “weird” – not enough for a parent or anyone else to intervene in a way such as having him involuntarily committed.
While Loughner may not have had a clear concept of the fact that he was mentally ill, he did seem to comprehend that to have any shot at success in life he needed to get and keep a job, get some education and/or serve in the military. He tried to join the Army but was rejected, he was attempting to attend community college, and he was also attempting to hold a job, albeit unsuccessfully due to his psychiatric issues and lack of self-control. It has been reported that he once complained about having filled out 65 job applications without one resulting interview – a pretty demoralizing situation for most anyone, let alone a person with no coping skills and an untreated psychiatric disorder. In his malfunctioning mind he somehow blamed Rep. Giffords for this predicament, and thus a tragedy occurred.
The politicization of this event is offensive and ridiculous, but unfortunately inevitable. While I certainly favor more efforts toward civil discourse and less inflammatory rhetoric, the fact is this is a public health issue, not a political one. Loughner didn’t do this because he favored the “left” or the “right” – he did this because he was a delusional untreated mentally ill individual. This kid was trying to use the only means he saw as available to him – work, school, the Internet and the military – to deal with his profound problems on his own. This simply should not happen, but we all know it does every day. Early and consistent intervention, especially after age 18, may have prevented this horrible event – is that not worth the cost?
Neal Conan of the NPR show “Talk of the Nation” recently featured Jeanette Halton-Tiggs on his show. Ms. Halton-Tiggs is the mother of a violently mentally ill son who was recently sentenced to prison for gunning down a police officer. She describes all the efforts she made to get her son help, as well as warn people that he was dangerous and would hurt someone someday. Not only was she unsuccessful in getting him help because he was over 18, her own family members even treated her as if she were overreacting. Dave Cullen also joins the discussion – he is the author of Columbine, his extensively researched book on that massacre. His book debunks many myths surrounding that horrible occurrence, and dissects the mainstream media coverage of the event, exposing irresponsible lies and stoking of rhetorical fires.
Parents Judged When Their Children Commit Murder - Talk of the Nation, January 17, 2011
Thanks for reading and listening.
As news began to come out of Loughner’s mental health history, prior arrests for petty crimes and difficulties with work and school, I found myself feeling some empathy for this kid, as despicable as his actions were. Not much seems to be known about his parents to date or how they may or may not have tried to help with his issues, but it is extremely difficult for a kid this age today to get help for mental health problems until they snap, as this kid did. After a child turns eighteen, parents are essentially powerless to intervene on behalf of their child if s/he needs help for psychiatric problems unless and until the child presents a danger to self or others, which is often too late for any meaningful assistance to take place. Individuals over 18 are also free to refuse medications or treatment on their own behalf.
It is known Loughner was clearly disturbed and perceived as a threat by classmates and teachers who interacted with him at his community college, and he was removed from campus by security several times before eventually being kicked out of the school. His YouTube presence is also ominous. However, he never hurt anyone prior to the shootings, he just was “weird” – not enough for a parent or anyone else to intervene in a way such as having him involuntarily committed.
While Loughner may not have had a clear concept of the fact that he was mentally ill, he did seem to comprehend that to have any shot at success in life he needed to get and keep a job, get some education and/or serve in the military. He tried to join the Army but was rejected, he was attempting to attend community college, and he was also attempting to hold a job, albeit unsuccessfully due to his psychiatric issues and lack of self-control. It has been reported that he once complained about having filled out 65 job applications without one resulting interview – a pretty demoralizing situation for most anyone, let alone a person with no coping skills and an untreated psychiatric disorder. In his malfunctioning mind he somehow blamed Rep. Giffords for this predicament, and thus a tragedy occurred.
The politicization of this event is offensive and ridiculous, but unfortunately inevitable. While I certainly favor more efforts toward civil discourse and less inflammatory rhetoric, the fact is this is a public health issue, not a political one. Loughner didn’t do this because he favored the “left” or the “right” – he did this because he was a delusional untreated mentally ill individual. This kid was trying to use the only means he saw as available to him – work, school, the Internet and the military – to deal with his profound problems on his own. This simply should not happen, but we all know it does every day. Early and consistent intervention, especially after age 18, may have prevented this horrible event – is that not worth the cost?
Neal Conan of the NPR show “Talk of the Nation” recently featured Jeanette Halton-Tiggs on his show. Ms. Halton-Tiggs is the mother of a violently mentally ill son who was recently sentenced to prison for gunning down a police officer. She describes all the efforts she made to get her son help, as well as warn people that he was dangerous and would hurt someone someday. Not only was she unsuccessful in getting him help because he was over 18, her own family members even treated her as if she were overreacting. Dave Cullen also joins the discussion – he is the author of Columbine, his extensively researched book on that massacre. His book debunks many myths surrounding that horrible occurrence, and dissects the mainstream media coverage of the event, exposing irresponsible lies and stoking of rhetorical fires.
Parents Judged When Their Children Commit Murder - Talk of the Nation, January 17, 2011
Thanks for reading and listening.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year!
I'm feeling lazy today, so I'll let Time magazine do my work for me :)
50 Best Websites of 2010
See, that was easy :) I visit and read almost all of these sites! I could have written these posts! What does that say about me? Nevermind, don't wanna know...
Best Blogs of 2010
The last five blogs listed are categorized as "overrated," and I completely agree that they are, especially Perez. He really should just go away.
The Smartest People of 2010, by The Daily Beast
Kanye West? Really?
Can't miss Dave Barry's review of 2010.
And finally, for my nephew who shares with me the terrible compulsion to laugh when people fall, one of the top viral videos of 2010
Wishing anyone who may stop by a fantastic 2011!
50 Best Websites of 2010
See, that was easy :) I visit and read almost all of these sites! I could have written these posts! What does that say about me? Nevermind, don't wanna know...
Best Blogs of 2010
The last five blogs listed are categorized as "overrated," and I completely agree that they are, especially Perez. He really should just go away.
The Smartest People of 2010, by The Daily Beast
Kanye West? Really?
Can't miss Dave Barry's review of 2010.
And finally, for my nephew who shares with me the terrible compulsion to laugh when people fall, one of the top viral videos of 2010
Wishing anyone who may stop by a fantastic 2011!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Happy Festivus, the holiday for the rest of us!
Festivus actually has a history outside of Seinfeld, as described here.
Frank Costanza himself, Jerry Stiller, was on CNN this morning discussing Festivus. Just after the 2:00 mark an awkward moment occurs with the Festivus pole in the studio :) Mr. Stiller also expresses some strong feelings about aluminum.
What a wonderful life and marriage he and his wife, Ann Meara, have had - nearly 60 years of laughter together, and funny kids, too. I remember watching their comedy routines on TV as a kid, and they are still going strong.
Now on with the Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength!
Oh, and Happy Birthday to me :-P
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
A family pranks a girl who has just cooked her first turkey...why yes, she is a (bottle) blonde!
The kid at the end is cute too :)
The kid at the end is cute too :)
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Now that the election is over...
These two ads rose above the muck and became my favorites of this election season. Love how Jerry Brown, winner of California's race for Governor, used former eBay honcho and self-financed candidate Meg Whitman's own words from her own ad to turn the tables on her
Next is unsuccessful Vermont Senate Democratic primary candidate Daniel Freilich, a physician, with a pledge, on a cow....YAAAAHHHH!!!
Thank God/FSM/whoever your Higher Power might be that it's over for now.
NO MORE ROBOCALLS!!
Next is unsuccessful Vermont Senate Democratic primary candidate Daniel Freilich, a physician, with a pledge, on a cow....YAAAAHHHH!!!
Thank God/FSM/whoever your Higher Power might be that it's over for now.
NO MORE ROBOCALLS!!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Music for the reluctant studyer
via 8tracks.com
Sweet 2+ hours of ambient music - turn on in another tab while you surf or write - lovely.
Sweet 2+ hours of ambient music - turn on in another tab while you surf or write - lovely.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Graceful feats of strength
While some of us sit on the couch and watch TV or surf the web, others are developing their physicality to its fullest extent. Everyone featured here appears to have a natural and elegant physique, unlike freakish-looking bodybuilders and others that use performance-enhancing drugs.
The human body at its finest...
Ivan Zubkevych performs a strap routine
Yulia Mikhaylova
Felix Cane has won several international pole dancing titles and performs in the Cirque du Soleil show Zumanity in Vegas. Most of the videos of her online are grainy cellphone vids that don't do her justice (as is this one), but this is the first I saw of her and it made me a fan
Dima Shine aka Dmitry Bulkin, combines a shorter pole with extreme handstanding, to wondrous effect
Mallakhamb is a traditional Indian gymnastic sport performed on a pole simulating a mast on a ship, as well as other apparatus. The training is believed to have developed to enable quick scaling of a ship's mast in times of distress. While there is music in the video, mallakhamb is not normally performed to music and is considered more of a spiritual exercise
Let's finish up with a little parkour, shall we? This is Damien Walters
I'm gonna go put my lazy self on my bike now...
The human body at its finest...
Ivan Zubkevych performs a strap routine
Yulia Mikhaylova
Felix Cane has won several international pole dancing titles and performs in the Cirque du Soleil show Zumanity in Vegas. Most of the videos of her online are grainy cellphone vids that don't do her justice (as is this one), but this is the first I saw of her and it made me a fan
Dima Shine aka Dmitry Bulkin, combines a shorter pole with extreme handstanding, to wondrous effect
Mallakhamb is a traditional Indian gymnastic sport performed on a pole simulating a mast on a ship, as well as other apparatus. The training is believed to have developed to enable quick scaling of a ship's mast in times of distress. While there is music in the video, mallakhamb is not normally performed to music and is considered more of a spiritual exercise
Let's finish up with a little parkour, shall we? This is Damien Walters
I'm gonna go put my lazy self on my bike now...
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Guess where the Orlando Magic are playing their preseason opener tonight?
In (well, close to) a cotton field in the Rio Grande Valley
(photo by Josh Robbins, for and via Orlando Sentinel)
Per the Sentinel's Magic Basketblog, it was the Houston Rockets, as the home team, who elected to play the preseason opener in the Valley at the State Farm Arena, capacity 6200 for basketball.
I wish I had known - I would've made it a point to go and cheer on Dwight Howard and the rest. I'd probably have had a closer and less expensive seat there than I ever will at the new Amway Center, which is now open after ten years or so of political bickering.
This proud EHS grad and former Pan Am (now known as UT Pan Am) attendee is getting a giggle from the fact that, after all the rigmarole and fanfare of the Magic getting their new spectacular arena and having it finally open, they are tipping off their season next to a cotton field in the Valley :)
That being said...GO MAGIC!
UPDATE: Magic won 97-88
(photo by Josh Robbins, for and via Orlando Sentinel)
Per the Sentinel's Magic Basketblog, it was the Houston Rockets, as the home team, who elected to play the preseason opener in the Valley at the State Farm Arena, capacity 6200 for basketball.
I wish I had known - I would've made it a point to go and cheer on Dwight Howard and the rest. I'd probably have had a closer and less expensive seat there than I ever will at the new Amway Center, which is now open after ten years or so of political bickering.
This proud EHS grad and former Pan Am (now known as UT Pan Am) attendee is getting a giggle from the fact that, after all the rigmarole and fanfare of the Magic getting their new spectacular arena and having it finally open, they are tipping off their season next to a cotton field in the Valley :)
That being said...GO MAGIC!
UPDATE: Magic won 97-88
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
No pity for you!
You know how sometimes you're having a pretty shitty day and feeling sorry for yourself, and then someone or something comes along and makes you realize what a lameass pity party you're having and you'd better just snap out of it and be grateful for what you have?
This might be one of those times. What a beautiful young mom and family.
More here.
This might be one of those times. What a beautiful young mom and family.
More here.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Did you watch the Miss Universe pageant last night?
I didn't either, but these four Filipino guys did, and they celebrated in an elegant and understated manner when Miss Philippines made the top 15 ... if you're impatient, skip to 2:15 to see that, but the whole vid is hilarious :)
(For the record, the winner was Miss Mexico)
(For the record, the winner was Miss Mexico)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Fun with Amazon.com
Have you ever taken the time to read customer product reviews on internet shopping site Amazon? Some of the web's best and snarkiest creative writing can be found there. A small sampling:
The classic Three Wolf Moon t-shirt;
The giant wine glass that holds a whole bottle of wine;
And my personal favorite, Tuscan whole milk!
Pay attention to the sections "Customers who viewed/bought this item also viewed/bought..." -- some additional giggles there.
The classic Three Wolf Moon t-shirt;
The giant wine glass that holds a whole bottle of wine;
And my personal favorite, Tuscan whole milk!
Pay attention to the sections "Customers who viewed/bought this item also viewed/bought..." -- some additional giggles there.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Birthdays
Twenty-two years ago tomorrow, a small human being was removed from my body. He looked like this back then
Amazingly, his father and I somehow managed to keep him alive and fairly well into (supposed) adulthood, for which I am grateful. He is much larger now, but still very cute, and I love him with all my heart.
Some people are very negative about their own birthdays passing by year after year, dreading the occasion and not even wanting it discussed. I guess I’ve never understood this dread, since 1) we can’t control it, and 2) in my mind I am permanently an adolescent (in a silly, carefree way, not the angsty way) so I don’t care. Birthdays are even marketed to us this way after a “certain age,” with the “Over the Hill” type merchandise and greeting cards focusing on wrinkles, immobility, incontinence and decreased libido, as if we should just roll over and die now and spare the world the agony of watching us age. Screw that.
To me, birthdays are the time to celebrate that this loved one, be it family, sisters, nieces and nephews, friends, etc., entered the world on this day and made it a better place in their own way by doing so. It is a time to let a valued person know that we are glad they were born and that they have touched our lives. I am very glad my son was born and he has enriched my life tremendously. While there have been difficult times, and I have been in places and situations I would have never dreamt I’d be in as his parent, I would change very little and I love him and am proud of the person he is, and is becoming.
Having said all this, I wonder if other parents become as contemplative as I do on my son’s birthday. One’s life irrevocably changes once one reproduces or otherwise becomes a parent – your life as you knew it previously, which was more than likely all about yourself, is forever over. I even note his birth time on the clock every year – 10:50 a.m. – and think to myself, “yep, that was it.” An instant in time forever impacting my life, in a way I would never give back.
Happy Birthday, kid. I love you, and I am glad you were born.
Amazingly, his father and I somehow managed to keep him alive and fairly well into (supposed) adulthood, for which I am grateful. He is much larger now, but still very cute, and I love him with all my heart.
Some people are very negative about their own birthdays passing by year after year, dreading the occasion and not even wanting it discussed. I guess I’ve never understood this dread, since 1) we can’t control it, and 2) in my mind I am permanently an adolescent (in a silly, carefree way, not the angsty way) so I don’t care. Birthdays are even marketed to us this way after a “certain age,” with the “Over the Hill” type merchandise and greeting cards focusing on wrinkles, immobility, incontinence and decreased libido, as if we should just roll over and die now and spare the world the agony of watching us age. Screw that.
To me, birthdays are the time to celebrate that this loved one, be it family, sisters, nieces and nephews, friends, etc., entered the world on this day and made it a better place in their own way by doing so. It is a time to let a valued person know that we are glad they were born and that they have touched our lives. I am very glad my son was born and he has enriched my life tremendously. While there have been difficult times, and I have been in places and situations I would have never dreamt I’d be in as his parent, I would change very little and I love him and am proud of the person he is, and is becoming.
Having said all this, I wonder if other parents become as contemplative as I do on my son’s birthday. One’s life irrevocably changes once one reproduces or otherwise becomes a parent – your life as you knew it previously, which was more than likely all about yourself, is forever over. I even note his birth time on the clock every year – 10:50 a.m. – and think to myself, “yep, that was it.” An instant in time forever impacting my life, in a way I would never give back.
Happy Birthday, kid. I love you, and I am glad you were born.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The 100 Greatest Movie Insults of All Time, by Harry Hanrahan
It's been a lousy 10 days or so, and I came home from work today in a particularly crappy mood, but stumbling on this put a smile on my grumpy-ass face. I knew nothing on first look about who compiled this or why, but it made my day.
Warning - 10 minutes of deliciously delivered NSFW language here. One of my favorite snippets is at 2:47.
Fun game to play as you watch - how many of the movies can you identify? The list is here, along with more info on Harry Hanrahan and other videos he's put together.
Warning - 10 minutes of deliciously delivered NSFW language here. One of my favorite snippets is at 2:47.
Fun game to play as you watch - how many of the movies can you identify? The list is here, along with more info on Harry Hanrahan and other videos he's put together.
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