Morse Code Ringtone Generator

From the website:

This page converts text into a morse code ringtone playable on most mobile phones.If your phone can play 'polyphonic' or 'poly' ringtones it should work fine. If your phone has WAP internet access you should be able to download ringtones (for free) directlyfrom this site. You can also play them back and/or save them on your PC or MAC, oruse the Morse2Email feature to send morse messages to other people via email.

This is cool. I don't even have a cell phone, but this makes me want to get one so I can record something rude and have it as my ringtone.

On the other hand, the only people I'd piss off would be ham operators.

Morse Code Ringtone Generator

One free entry in ToTG's "Free Gas for a Month" contest to whoever can decipher the following message:

cadence

From the Word of the Day feed

cadence \KAYD-'n(t)s\, noun:
1. the measure or beat of music, dancing, or a regularly repeated movement
2. a rising and falling sound; modulation; also, the falling inflection of the voice, as at the end of a sentence
3. a series of chords bringing part of a piece of music to an end

That's the Dictionary.com definition, but when I think of cadence, it's always to do with the military or how I once had a coach who was fresh out of the army and liked we boys to sing while running.

From the movie Full Metal Jacket

WARNING: Some explicit language. For shame, who'd have thought Marines ever cursed.



That was some Hollywood Marines; here's some real ones.



You'd have to be nuts to sass that first drill instructor. Sheesh, he intimidates me and he's just on a vid.

Cadence. I love it. I can't help but tap my foot along with the beat and I think that's because it's the same heartbeat tempo people have when they're pleasantly excited. Music can do that, I think. Different types can trigger all sorts of emotions, and I truly think they come from the heart.

God Bless our Troops.

A History of Thanksgiving

1492 - Christopher Columbus discovers America, unless you count the native peoples already living there. Columbus doesn't. Columbus and crew celebrate by holding a dinner, giving thanks for their safe arrival. Embarrassment ensues when every Indian brings maize, and nobody brings pumpkin pie.

1620 - Pilgrim men invent sport of football to avoid helping clean up after Thanksgiving dinner.

1671 - First embarrassing drunken relatives at Thanksgiving dinner, as Captain John Smith's parents tell Pocahontas the "hilarious" old "I got lost in the maize" joke for the hundredth time.

1701 - At a historic Thanksgiving dinner, Dutch settlers unveil historic "Indians Give Us All Of Their Land Treaty." Due to an unfortunate oversight, the Indians are left off of the invite list, and the treaty is signed without them.

1776 - Excited that his British in-laws finally agreed to meet him for Thanksgiving dinner, silversmith Paul Revere rides through Boston announcing the news. Unfortunately, many colonists misinterpret his cry "the British are coming!" as a warning, leading to the Revolutionary War.

1812 - At an international Thanksgiving dinner, King George of England, still hurting from losing the Revolutionary War, challenges United States President James Madison to "best 2 out of 3."

1860 - At a Senate Thanksgiving dinner, the seven-year-old son of Alabama's Senator Richard Applebee insults the Senators from Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania, sparking the Civil War. The tradition of the "children's table" is instituted in 1861.

1903 - Canada steals idea of Thanksgiving holiday, placing it in October, so they can say it was their idea first.

1928 - To commemorate "our nation's greatest era of prosperity that will last forever and ever," President Herbert Hoover dumps ceremonial ten thousand turkeys into the Potomac River.

1929 - Following the Great Stock Market Crash, thousands of men go Turkey Diving in the Potomac River.

1957 - Declaring her spicy stuffing "a communist threat to undermine my health via heartburn," Senator Joe McCarthy has his wife placed under arrest as a Soviet saboteur.

1969 - The world's largest Eat-In event goes sour. Thousands of hippies start having bad trips when bad "brown gravy" gets passed around.

1991 - When Dan Quayle takes ill on Thanksgiving; a turkey is sworn as Vice President for three days. No change is noticed.

1997 - Strong natural tranquilizer tryptophane is discovered in turkey. A Colombian cartel immediately starts selling "pure" turkey on the streets for $500 an ounce. Turkey farmers get involved in drive-by shootings, and the U.S. government declares a national fowl emergency.

2002 - America is on a terrorist alert. It is now against the law to stuff a turkey since anyone is suspicious of hiding explosives. Saddam Hussein is caught trying to smuggle Turkeys filled with WMD's in containers bound for the US.

2004 - Teresa Heinz Kerry invites all the Democrats who won in November for a Festive Thanksgiving Celebration. As she certainly knows a Turkey when she sees one, her 'trophy' hubby John Kerry finds it very lonely when only Tom Daschle shows up, claiming that he won 'in spirit.'

A Thanksgiving Toast

Here's to friends both near and far:
Here's to woman, man's guiding star:
Here's to friends we've yet to meet,
Here's to those here: all here I greet:
Here's to childhood, youth, old age,
Here's to prophet, bard and sage,
Here's to health to every one,
Peace on earth, and heaven won!

Speaking Clock

UPDATE: Apologies to anyone who came to this post and expected to find a speaking clock. Google did away with most file storage a while back, so the links no longer work. I forgot where I found the original files and script or I'd link to it. Sorry.

I had also altered one of the pages I had made with some sound files I had recorded of an online British friend I had at the time; I had her record all the little snippets "It's" "one", "two", etc. along with "o'clock" and "AM" and "PM". It was a lot of work but pretty cool. I made a start page w/ weather and news modules and had that script embedded in it.

Anyway, sorry the files are gone. I'm sure I still have them somewhere on this computer and could zip them up and send them to anyone if they wanted...and asked nicely. My email address is on a graphic in the right-hand nav bar.

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I'd forgotten I had some Google Page space and after running across the link in Favorites, was delighted to find out it could "host" some files for this site. I was thinking of using it for my calendar images and for a few other applications, but discovered they were going to discontinue it.

It still works for the time being, so check out this Speaking Clock script and page made with files I had forgotten I had. (some troubles with it, might need to refresh the page after entering)I didn't like the original voice on the files that came with the script, so I made my own using a Text to Speech site that had different languages and accents.

I've always been fond of how most British women talk, so I made files in that accent.

There's nothing else on the page, but was thinking of adding to here as an "iframe" with a clock, but face it, most folks will look at the clock on their computer for the time.

I'm sure that it would piss people off, too. I can dig that. I don't go often, but there's another Texas blog that has a loud "YEEHAW!" when I enter. I'm always forgetting it's there and not prepared for the sound through my headphones.

I still like it as something to add to a "home-made" home page. It could serve a purpose, too, like a countdown because the script can be altered to have it repeat as often as you like.

Using a mike and the voice recorder on your computer, you could have your voice or any other person's for the clock.

(and would be willing to sit through an hour or more of recording "One", "Two", etc., all the way to "fifty-nine", as well as "The Time is" and "AM" and "PM")

Dunno if the script is buggy or if it's Google and their file hosting servers, but it sometimes skips "The Time is" and just blurts out the number. Oh well.

UK Female Voice Speaking Clock

reprobate

From the Word of the Day feed in right-hand column:

reprobate \REP-ruh-bayt\, noun, adjective:
1. a very wicked, unprincipled person; scoundrel

adjective:1. very wicked; unprincipled
verb:1. to disapprove; condemn, censure

noun:1. a person predestined to damnation, rejected by God
adjective:1. rejected by God; damned

verb:1. to reject from salvation; predestine to eternal punishment

I'd like to add "politician" as a synonym.

I'm Not a Crook

You Are Most Like Richard Nixon

Oh sure, you give people plenty of reasons to call you "Tricky Dick." But you're actually quite diplomatic, even though you secretly hate your enemies.

What Modern US President Are You Most Like?

Weatherlet

Pampa, TX (79065) Weather Forecast

Nifty weather gadget for WordPress, Blogspot, Typepad, Facebook and quite a few other blogs and web pages.

What I Like About Texas - Gary P. Nunn

Dot to Dot Puzzles

More than 125 free printable connect the dots puzzles and activities that you can download and print. Or download the entire collection for just $9.00.

DottoDots.net

nabob

From the Dictionary.com Feed (in right-hand column)

nabob \NAY-bob\, noun:
1. a native ruler in India in the Mogul empire; by extension, a person from India who made a fortune there
2. a very wealthy and prominent person; mogul

A phrase first attributed to Bill Safire, I remember Spiro Agnew calling the liberal media "nattering nabobs of negativity". It caught my eye, not because I agree with the characterization (I do) but because of the alliteration.

Free Dr. Pepper

Available for one day only (Sunday) at the official website. Go to the site (is slow loading, probably due to the traffic), register and receive a coupon for a free 20oz. Dr. Pepper.

I'll take diet, thanks.

Well, I DO have more fun....

Your Hair Should Be Blonde

You are outgoing, light hearted, and a ton of fun. You don't take life too seriously, and you do your best to charm everyone you meet. You are very energetic. People tend to underestimate you, but you can get a lot done. You do tend to be a bit sensitive. If someone has a bad opinion of you, it truly hurts. You are cunning and clever. You are smart, but you aren't “book smart” or academic. Some people may think you're superficial, but they're not seeing the whole picture.

What Color Hair Should You Have?

It Doesn't Take Brains

Nope, doesn't take brains to make a cool graphic at Hetemeel.com.



Of course, if you LIKE being Dumb(ledore)....



They've several more graphics that let you add text: Bush, a dictionary page, Uncle Sam and some others. (I made a Magic 8-Ball graphic, but it's not fit to put into this nearly G-rated blog)

And some let you be downright funny silly.

Funeral Potatoes

At the StartSampling website.

"Also called "Ward Party Potatoes," "Christmas Potatoes," "Potato Casserole" I'm sure many other names - but the most famous is Funeral Potatoes because it is often served at funerals and Church parties in KY. We take this to potlucks all the time."

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I didn't find the recipe all that unique, but the name sure was.

Shout - The Isley Brothers

The Face of Cruelty

The most heart-wrenching of all the Stations of the Cross is this one, where Jesus is being nailed to the cross. We'll have more photos of it at a later date, and especially those of Jesus and His face, but this one is about the soldier who is wielding the hammer.

It's not the most expressive of the bronzes at the Groom Cross, but it is certainly one of the ones that stirs the most emotions in me.

I like to take these sorts of photos when no one is out there; I have to almost lie down along side Jesus to get some of these and I garner enough curious and bemused looks when I'm out there photographing anyway, so....

A closer look shows that the face is much more crudely cast than are the others, but there's no mistaking the emotion shown: cruel glee, taking delight in his task.

That photo disturbs me, and is one of my favorites;  yet, on the other hand, it is one of my least-liked photos I've ever taken there, as is the following. I know that doesn't make much sense and I cannot explain my feelings toward the photos, just as it is hard for me to explain how I feel about this statue.  It's definitely a case of cognitive dissonance.

This one gave me the perspective as if I were the one driving the spikes into His flesh; from an "artsy" and objective perspective, I suppose one might say it is interesting, but it really makes me feel uncomfortable.

I've visited the Groom Cross dozens of times, taken thousands of photos and I have also seen hundreds and hundreds of people who stop and look, many of whom let their dogs out for a walk (on a leash, please) and "constitutional" in the lovely manicured grass around the outer walkways.

Almost every time, especially since I've made a note to watch, the dogs will react to this particular station. Some will bark at it, some will growl and some have to be dragged by their owners to get close to it. I don't know if it's because the life-sized soldier bronze has a weapon, or... something else.

Perhaps I don't like the photos of the cruel centurion because I'm afraid that same look has been seen on my own face; seen by people I least wanted seeing it - by my mother, by the rest of my family, by my friends, by women I've let get close to me and...almost worst of all... by total strangers who were treated with less than respect by me and for no good reason.

How many times have I driven a stake into someone's feelings just because of my own cruel nature? I hope I've managed to atone, to at least apologize to those I could and hope all others have forgiven me or at least let time soften any cruel blows I sent their way. Forgiving myself is much harder, but I'm working on it.

Getting His forgiveness was so easy, though.

Bees in the BBQ

From the email archives:

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A neighbor sent me some photos of bees in an outdoor grill. Doing some research, I found a slideshow of all the pics.

Bees in the BBQ

Makes me shudder.

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NOTE: For some reason, probably bandwidth limitations, the photo I linked to is no longer there. I corrected the post after I found another site that had the original photos. The link above "should" be a valid one, at least for a little while.

Walk Away - The James Gang

"X" Marks the Spot

Something very significant in my life happened at this spot.

I also got a nosebleed at the same time.

Love Leaving Links?

Alas, the comments section allows for only limited HTML and only certain tags can be used (such as italic and BOLD)

You can leave links, however. Here's the code, but you'll need to take out the periods after the carets. <. & <./>

(being code, it won't show up on the WYSIWYG editor the blog author has to post with)

<.ahref="URL OF LINK">NAME OR DESCRIPTION OF SITE<./a>

Like this:

Find Your Perfect Thanksgiving

Can’t decide between a classic feast and a non-traditional meal for Thanksgiving this year? Let Betty Crocker help you find a holiday menu that’s perfect for your personality!

Take this quiz at the Betty Crocker website.

Pet Peeve # 00001

This is the start of a new label/subject: My Pet Peeves. As you can see, I'm allowing room for many, many more.

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Here lately I've been hearing a catch phrase all over the TV, radio and on the 'net. Mostly it's been associated with sports, namely football, where the one speaking is talking about how nothing can be done about a certain worry, i.e. with the Dallas Cowboys line.

For example, someone will say "The Cowboys line isn't as dominant as we thought they would be." and some doofus will reply:

"It is what it is."

Well, sure it is what it is. If it wasn't what it was, it would be something else.

Good grief.

You've Got a Friend in Me

From the email archives:

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You've Got a Friend in Me

Fresh Feedjit Feature!

Feedjit has a new feature (yes, "new", but "fresh" is better for alliteration) that shows what readers from a particular area are reading. Since my ISP is based out of Amarillo, it shows the Amarillo hits.

Cool.

Fried Deviled Eggs

From Start Sampling:



Ingredients

1 Dozen eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped chives
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs beaten
1 cup panko crumbs
parsley for garnish
peanut oil for frying

Directions

Add the eggs to a large saucepan filled with cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit in the water for 14 minutes.

Peel the eggs and slice lengthwise. Remove the yolks to a bowl. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon, Lemon zest, Chives and salt and pepper. Mash the yolks together with a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Fill the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites.

Heat oil in a deep fryer to350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, add 1 cup of flour and season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs, in the third bowl, add 1 cup panko.

Dip the eggs into the flour, then the eggs and finally into the panko. Gently put the eggs into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined sheet tray. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

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I never meant to start a recipe section of this blog, but some of the previous ones I've posted looked just too scrumptious to not share.

One of the reasons I'm posting this one is that deviled eggs were a family tradition. My mom made great deviled eggs and they were the one thing that was for sure to disappear from the dinner table when the family would gather together.

The other reason I'm posting this is because I've heard of all kinds of things being fried...Snickers bars, ice cream, pickles, Twinkies...we fry darn near anything here in the South, but deviled eggs?

Christmas Cards for the Wounded Troops

From the email archives:

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When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please
include the following:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington , D.C. 20307-5001

If you approve, please pass it on.

Free Samples from Walmart

Why not? They already get most of our money.

Walmart Free Samples

adduce

adduce \uh-DOOS; -DYOOS\, verb:
to offer as a reason in support of an argument;
bring up as an example; give as proof or evidence; cite

Never had heard this word used, but after years of banging my head against walls in forums, I certainly know you'd better back up your argument with facts.

frowzy

From the Word of the Day (feed in right-hand column)

frowzy \FROW-zee\, adjective:
1. dirty and untidy; slovenly
2. smelling bad; musty

I think I've found my new online nickname.

Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles

Much Marlboro Music

Go to Copper Label and sign up; after you've verified your age (and am not for sure what the process is for new members-I have participated in their contests and giveaways for years) you'll then be able to download any or all of 20 tunes in mp3 format. You can vote each day for your favorite band and each vote counts as an entry in the contest.

I want the jukebox.

The bands are relative unknowns and I've discovered that I really like country punk!

Fireflies - 500 Miles to Memphis

(the d/l song is great, sorry that the vid isn't so hot)

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Originally posted 10/29

This is a "bump" because I go to the site every day to vote and get another chance in the contest and today I saw where they were featuring another song from each band/artist. More free music!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Trailer #1



Trailer #2

Philadelphia 7-Layer Mexican Dip

Another great recipe from StartSampling.

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Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 3 hr 10 min
Makes: 32 servings, 2 Tbsp. each

Ingredients
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Taco Seasoning Mix
1 cup guacamole
1 cup TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 Tbsp. sliced pitted ripe olives

Directions

MIX cream cheese and seasoning mix until well blended. Spread onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate or quiche dish.

LAYER remaining ingredients over cream cheese mixture; cover. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.

SERVE with tortilla chips.

TACO BELL and HOME ORIGINALS are trademarks owned and licensed by Taco Bell Corp.

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Man, I could live on this dip, I think.

32 servings? More like one, maybe two. -grin-

America the Beautiful

A neighbor of mine sent me the link to this lovely ecard at JacquieLawson.com. (and I'm sure she sent it from someone else who sent it to someone else who sent it to someone else....)

Watch the slideshow as pairs of state flowers are shown, then all come together in a beautiful bouquet at the end. (too bad the country isn't really like that)

America the Beautiful

What Board Game are You?

You Are Scrabble

You are incredibly clever and witty. You can talk your way out of (and into) situations easily. You are an excellent decision maker. You are good at weighing the options in front of you. You're the type of person who can make something out of nothing. You are very resourceful. You know a lot of things. Most importantly, you know when people are wrong - even when they won't admit it.

What Board Game Are You?

Yeah, I'm hardscrabble.

Keep On Truckin'

I bought a rug like this in the early 70's and still have it.

I've kept on truckin' ever since.

Used to keep it in front of the door, to keep the people who kept on truckin' keep from trackin'.

Peaches 'N Cream No-Bake Cheesecake

At the StartSampling website.

Good Grief, looking at that recipe made my mouth water like one of Pavlov's dogs.

sidereal

From the Word of the Day

sidereal \sy-DEER-ee-uhl\, adjective: measured or determined by the daily motion of the stars; of or having to do with the stars or constellations

I knew this word, have known it for a long, long time thanks to a youthful fascination with sci-fi that lasted until a few years ago. I gave all my books to my nephews and have more to give away as I keep finding them tucked away in various spots.

I used to think I wanted to be an astronomer until I found out how much math was needed.

Celanese Plant Nears End

Pampa company plans to lay off 200 workers, shut down in January

After a gradual decline, the end is in sight for Pampa's Celanese plant as the company lays off the last of its workers.

"It's like driving past the old homestead," said Dietta Pope, who worked there 28 years before retiring in 2000. "I grew up out there."

The plant opened in 1952 but the Texas Workforce Commission announced Monday that Celanese will lay off about 200 employees. Mundy Contract Maintenance, which has done work for Celanese at the plant since 1989, is also laying off about 58 people.

"We anticipate shutting down production no later than Jan. 4 and removal of finished product by March 1, so it will be a bit of a phased layoff," said Travis Jacobsen, Celanese spokesman.

The plant manufactures a chemical used to make plastics, such as rayon for textiles and film for cameras, and a chemical used in the processing of a range of substances from aspirin to pharmaceutical heroin.

REST OF STORY

Cruelty to Old Guys

From the email archives:

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AARP Eye Chart

The Loopbox

The Loopbox: It never stops

Find a song you like out of the varied selection, click the box and the music will never stop!

Well, some of the music won't stop.

Si Señor

You Belong in Barcelona

When it comes to Europe, you don't want to decide between culture and fun. You want art by day and a big party by night. Barcelona is ideal for you. You can check out some Picasso, eat some tapas, take a siesta, and then dance all night!

What European City Do You Belong In?

Safety Dance - Men Without Hats

Unfortunate Domain Names

Several years ago I stumbled across a post in a forum, listing some unfortunate domain names. Back when I was involved in MSN Communities/Groups, I saw a promo in the main help group for a Christian social site named "Christian's Exchange". The problem with it was the URL looked like this:

"....christiansexchange.groups.com"

I did some research and found some more, plus others from the post mentioned above:

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1. Who Represents is where you can find the name of the agent that represents any celebrity. Their Web site is: www.whorepresents.com

2 . Experts Exchange is a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at: www.expertsexchange.com

3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at: www.penisland.net

4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at: www.therapistfinder.com

5. There's the Italian Power Generator company: www.powergenitalia.com

(NOTE: This is now "Under Construction" I can't wait to see the end results)

6. And don't forget the Mole Station Native Nursery in New South Wales: http://www.molestationnursery.com

(NOTE: All I get now is a blank page, some popups blocked and a Privacy Report alert. I think I'll stay away from this one from now on. )

7. If you're looking for IP computer software, there's always: www.ipanywhere.com .

8. (ON SECOND THOUGHT, I will take this one out. It's a bit too much for this blog. Go to the website below, figger it out yerself, 'k?)

(NOTE: someone must have finally alerted this church about this unfortunate choice. It's now www.sfumcga.com. Thank God.)

9. And the designers at Speed of Art await you at their wacky Web site: www.speedofart.com .

Free mp3s

Download.com offers up free mp3 files, DRM free without registration.

I like music and I like free. Free music, ya can't beat that.

Holiday Road - Lindsey Buckingham

YouTube is being a little slow today; please have patience.

Tequila Sunrise

One of today's StartSampling recipes is for a Tequila Sunrise. I've been told I make a fantastic Tequila Sunrise and I wanted to chime in on the comments section and tell them there are a few basic secrets for making the perfect Sunrise.

1. Always use a good tequila. That ten dollar bottle might fit your budget, but it has no place in a tasty Tequila Sunrise. You can't do wrong using Jose Quervo (I prefer white for most tequila based mixed drinks over the gold/aged, but it's a matter of taste. Cheap tequila uses food coloring. ) A few dollars can be saved by purchasing Sauza (look for the rooster on the back of the front label). Expect to pay $20-25 for a 750ml or liter of decent tequila; $50+ for premium. Patrón and Herradura are two brands I prefer in that price range, but even more expensive tequilas can cost over a hundred dollars a bottle, even two, three hundred. Spending THAT much money on booze seems obscene to me, though.

2. The recipe at StartSampling calls for one oz. of tequila and that might be the way to go if you're using cheap liquor; less nasty flavor in the mix and you won't taste it as much. OTOH, your taste buds will numb out on that rotgut, so it won't matter after a couple of swallows.

For the size glass (highball) that's illustrated, an oz. and a half of GOOD tequila would be the minimum. Good tequila is smooooooooooth. I never used a jigger anyway.

3. Don't stir. Repeat: Don't stir. The only way to have layers of color like a sunrise is to NOT STIR. Fill the glass w/ ice, pour in the tequila, then drizzle the grenadine over the ice. Some recipes call for the grenadine (which is pomegranite syrup and very good on grapefruit for breakfast or dessert) THEN the tequila, but I think it mixes better with the tequila poured first. Add orange juice to fill.(also, buy a good brand of o.j.; I prefer unsweetened because of the sweetness of the grenadine is enough)

4. They taste best when getting off of morning tour on a drilling rig, the frigid night shift behind you, wanting a drink to chase the chill out of your bones.

Then kick back and watch the beautiful Panhandle morning sky light up as you listen to The Eagles.



Yep, a couple of my Tequila Sunrises and the morning doesn't look so blue.

Good Doggie!

President Bush's dog bites reporter on finger.

Too bad it was only a finger.



If you'll follow the related video links in the YouTube vid, you can see it all in slow motion.

Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner

Die Walküre Act 3

At the Royal Albert Hall 2005



I sure get a kick out of watching the expression on the singer's faces.

If I ever have a daughter, I want to name her Brunnhilde.

Flutterby

I took several shots of this moth/butterfly/whatever, but it was so windy the camera wouldn't focus because the flower bush kept moving. There were all sorts of insects on the plant, some tiny wasp-looking things and some different types of little bees.

The best of a bad lot.

I Vote for Lilac

You Should Live in a Purple State

Your preferences are 40% Blue, 60% Red You may not be a swing voter, but you feel comfortable around moderate people. You tend to do best in states with a red and blue mix - like Nevada and North Carolina. You are adaptable. You can converse with a church crowd as easily as with grad students.

Should You Live in a Red State or a Blue State?

Like a lot of these quizzes, some of the questions are ambiguous. For example, do I believe in evolution. Well, things change, and that's evolving, so I had to say I do believe in evolution. (it's a fact that mankind has been growing taller for the last couple of centuries, mainly due to better nutrition and pre-and post natal care)

If the meaning of evolution means did we evolve from apes, well.... I know what the Bible says, but sometimes I cannot take it literally.

I don't take too much in life literally except threats and the Constitution.

addle

From Word of the Day:

addle \AD-'l\, verb:
1. to make or become muddled or confused
2. to make or become rotten or putrid

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I never had known the second meaning of the word. I remember the first time I ever heard the word used; my grandparents used to come out and help in our garden and my grandmother always wore a bonnet. I asked her why and she told me she didn't want to addle her brain.

If you've ever spent any time in the Texas Panhandle, particularly in the summer months, you'll know what addle means if you don't keep your head covered.

Well, you won't know it at the TIME because you'll be addled, but you know what I mean. Well, unless you're addled right now....

Dictionary.com says more about the alternate meaning, very interesting, very disgusting:

by 1712, from addle (n.) "urine, liquid filth," from Old English adela "mud, mire, liquid manure" (cognate with Old Swedish adel "urine," Middle Low German adel, Dutch aal "puddle"). Used in noun phrase addle egg (c.1250) "egg that does not hatch, rotten egg," literally "urine egg," a loan translation of Latin ovum urinum, which is itself an erroneous loan translation of Greek ourion oon "putrid egg," literally "wind egg," from ourios "of the wind" (confused by Roman writers with ourios "of urine," from ouron "urine"). Because of this usage, the noun in English was taken as an adjective from c. 1600, meaning "putrid," and thence given a figurative extension to "empty, vain, idle," also "confused, muddled, unsound" (1706). The verb followed.

It Only Hurts Me When I Cry - Dwight Yoakam

My Coveted Vote

Yeah, right.

We Can't Predict Who You Voted For

According to our quiz, there's a 50% chance you voted for Obama. But that means there's an 50% chance you voted for McCain. You aren't very typical. You tend to be independent, and your vote is highly coveted. While we can't predict how you voted, there's a good chance you voted for the winner!

Did You Vote for Obama or McCain?

"a good chance" I voted for the winner?

I pray I did.

Rerun of the Future

I watched this a few days ago. At least, I think I did.

Or did I sleep through most of 2009?

270 to Win

Political widget about the Electoral votes



There's also another version available exclusively for websites and blogs.

Go Your Own Way - The Cranberries

Live In Paris - 1999



This is my second most-favorite rendition of this song; the first is the one done by Secret Smile (low quality sampling at CD Baby website; scroll down near the bottom of the page) and my third favorite is the original by Fleetwood Mac. Love 'em all, love this song. It's one of the best breakup songs ever written and ironic that Stevie Nicks sang on the Fleetwood Mac original version, especially considering that the song was written about her.

Never was a big Cranberries fan, but probably would've been if they'd done more songs like this.

The Moon Hit My Eye

Your Pizza Says:

You have wacky, offbeat taste in food. You're very adventurous. You're the type most likely to try food on a dare. Pizza Topping You Should Try: Squid Stay away from: Any topping combination you've had already

The Pizza Test

Squid? They gotta be kiddin' me. I picked that pizza pic because it looked like my favorite, a combo...Super Supreme. I don't even mind a few anchovies on my pizza, just no damn pineapple. Good Grief.

Sleepwalk - The Ventures

w/cool clipart