I was listening to a sports talk radio show the other day and Billy Bob Thornton was the guest and sang this song in a country style; it was surprisingly good.* Thanks to my big sister and her transistor radio, I remember this song when it first came out and also remember another song from them, "Willow Weep for Me". I thought this song appropriate for the New Year.
Then:
Now:
(performed at Acoustic Music San Diego (AMSD) on 11JUL08 as shot by Steve Laub)
* video of Thornton and his band (poor quality)
December 31, 2009
Yesterday's Gone - Chad & Jeremy
Kissing the Year Goodbye
You Should Celebrate Love |
 You may or may not be deeply in love, but it doesn't really matter on New Year's Eve. If you can't kiss the one you love, kiss the one you're with! You can't help but get swept away by the romance of this special night. Of course, drinking lot of champagne doesn't hurt make everyone else seem a little more appealing. |
December 30, 2009
Wienermobile
Catch up on where the Oscar MyerTM Hotdogger Blog and learn all there is to know about America's favorite weenie. (no, not Barney Frank) You can even d/l wallpaper of the vehicle.
(Wienermobile appearances)
Greenscreen Grandmas
This is what happens when you put your Grandmothers in front of a green screen and show them the image that will be behind them as they ride a roller coaster.
December 28, 2009
Happy or Angry?
I'd say it doesn't really like that. Ol' Beej doesn't like it, either. I've never heard a cat sound like that, though. Making a sound like that, I'd be afraid it would hang a fang in me.
December 26, 2009
What's in a (middle) Name?
You Are Energetic and Unpredictable |
 You're the type of person who likes to stay active, especially physically active. You have an adventurous spirit, and you feel like you have to do as much as possible in order to understand the world. You crave novelty and variety. You like traveling to new places, meeting new people, and trying new things. You try not to over think much in life. You feel like indecisiveness is a waste of time. |
The Secret to Ice Fishing
Two men (in this case, identical twins) have been sitting out on a lake all day long, ice fishing. One has been having no luck at all and the other has been pulling fish after fish out of his hole in the ice. The man having no luck finally leans over and asks the other what his secret is.
"mmmmm mmm mm mmm mmmm mmm mmm."
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"mmmmm mmm mm mmm mmmm mmm mmm."
"I'm sorry, I still didn't understand you."
The successful man spits something into his hand.
"You've got to keep your worms warm."
via jokes.com
December 25, 2009
embonpoint
embonpoint \ahn-bohn-PWAN\ , noun;
1. Plumpness of person; stoutness.
I didn't know this word, but I am it.
December 24, 2009
Knit Your Own Holiday Sweater!
Well, a virtual one, anyway.
Fairly straightforward to do: Pick your thread color, choose a pattern and type of stitch, select the needle to start ( use the scissors to remove the last stitch) and get to it.
I said it was easy to do, but not particularly an enjoyable thing for someone like me with no patience. I gave it a few minutes, though.
After you get done, d/l the graphic or print it out.
I don't think it was the tedious chore of clicking on each X in the pattern that turned me off the application, but was the music that plays. I'll have that damn tune in my head all day, now.
Knit Your Own Holiday Sweater
December 23, 2009
clinquant
clinquant \KLING-kunt\ , adjective, noun;
1. Glittering with gold or silver; tinseled.
noun:
1. Tinsel; imitation gold leaf.
Just in time for Christmas, huh?
Interesting article about tinsel making a comeback:
Tinsel: Can't Live With It, Can't Get Past Christmas Without It
Of course I am...
|
You Are Santa Claus |
 You are an optimistic and generous soul. It wouldn't be wrong to call you happy-go-lucky. It lifts your spirit to brighten someone else's day, especially if this person is a child. When it comes to helping others, you have boundless energy. And you admit that you sometimes put yourself last. You'll put in the time to make sure that everyone is happy and content. You don't mind working long hours to bring others a little joy. |
December 22, 2009
Tis the Season
Great 
Quotes
"Do give books - religious or otherwise - for Christmas. They're never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal." - Lenore Hershey
"Next to a circus there ain't nothing that packs up and tears out faster than the Christmas spirit." - Kin Hubbard
"A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together." - Garrison Keillor
"Christmas begins about the first of December with an office party and ends when you finally realize what you spent, around April fifteenth of the next year." - P. J. O'Rourke
"Merry Christmas, Nearly Everybody!" - Ogden Nash
December 21, 2009
Sorry for the lapse...
I've had nothing to post here lately, plus have had other things to do. (house work, the Dallas/N.Orleans game, etc.) I'll get back in the blogging mood in a day or two, and I think there are a couple of posts in the pipeline, pre-posted/post-dated. Until then, hope you're having a great holiday season.
Love to all my friends and family and thanks for visiting to everyone else!
December 17, 2009
December 16, 2009
A Greater Yes: The Story of Amy Newhouse
From the KFDA website:
Pampa Teen Immortalized in New Movie
by: Kristen Guilfoos
Amarillo, Texas - A movie shot entirely on location in Amarillo and Pampa hits store shelves nationwide on December 15th... It's called "A Greater Yes."
It's a full length movie about a 16-year-old girl named Amy Newhouse who grew up in Pampa. It chronicles her life... From her passion for making the world a better place by starting Pampa High School's first alcohol and drug-free club to her state volleyball championship to the biggest battle of her life... Fighting cancer.
It's a battle she lost nine months after being diagnosed.
The movie showcases sights and sounds of both Amarillo and Pampa. Director/Producer/Actor Bradley Dorsey says, "We used Pampa High school, various locations around there. We used Consuelos Mexican Restaurant. Baptist St. Anthony's hospital. We used the exterior shots of their hospital. And then their old hospital, which used to just be St. Anthony's, we used that for all the interior shots of the hospital."
The movie was made by a local film maker who says he never knew Amy, but he went to her funeral and when he saw thousands of others there as well, he knew there was something special about this girl... And something he needed to share with the world.
UPDATE: The original video was taken down, sorry. I found this one on YouTube, but who knows how long IT will remain up?
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Your boyfriend is also your uncle
That's the advice given from "Dr. Wallace" in a column at the Chicago Post-Tribune.
The title caught my attention (and I bet it did yours, too); it was in a Google Reader feed I have for any instance of Pampa in the news. Pampa wasn't mentioned in the first bit of advice (about the uncle) but rather the second letter to Dr. Wallace:
Dr. Wallace: I'm 18 and do a little drinking on the weekends with friends. I never get drunk, but I know that alcohol can alter your judgment. I need to know how long I should wait before driving after I've had two beers.
-- Nameless, Pampa, Texas
Nameless: According to the American Council on Science and Health, everyone should abstain from alcohol a minimum of five hours prior to operating a vehicle. Even the consumption of one beer or one glass of wine can affect a driver's judgment and coordination.
Since you're only 18, you shouldn't be drinking at all. The minimum age for consuming alcohol in all states and the District of Columbia is 21. Every time you have a beer, you break the law! Have you considered new friends?
What? And do away with one of the very few things there are for kids to do in this town?
Battle of the Bulge
From Today in History
The Ardennes Offensive, called Unternehmen: Wacht am Rhein (Operation Watch on the Rhine) by the German military, officially named the Battle of the Ardennes by the U.S. Army, and known to the general public as the Battle of the Bulge, started on 16 December, 1944. Wacht am Rhein was supported by subordinate operations known as Bodenplatte, Greif, and Währung. Germany's planned goal for these operations was to split the British and American Allied line in half, capturing Antwerp, Belgium, and then proceeding to encircle and destroy four Allied armies, forcing the Western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in the Axis Powers’ favor.
The Ardennes offensive was planned in total secrecy, in almost total radio silence. Although Ultra, the Allies’ reading of secret German radio messages, suggested a possible German offensive, and the United States Third Army predicted a major German offensive, the attack still achieved surprise. The degree of surprise achieved was compounded by the Allies' overconfidence, their preoccupation with their own offensive plans, poor aerial reconnaissance, and the relative lack of combat contact in the area by the U.S. 1st Army. Almost complete surprise against a weak section of the Allies’ line was achieved during heavy overcast, when the Allies' strong air forces would be grounded. The “bulge” was the salient that the Germans initially put into the Allies’ line of advance, as seen in maps presented in contemporary newspapers.
Most of the American casualties occurred within the first three days of battle, when two of the U.S. 106th Infantry Division’s three regiments were forced to surrender. The Battle of the Bulge was the bloodiest of the battles that U.S. forces experienced in World War II; the 19,000 American dead were unsurpassed by those of any other engagement. For the U.S. Army, the battle incorporated more troops and engaged more enemy troops than any conflict before that time. The German objectives ultimately were unrealized. In the wake of the defeat, many experienced German units were left severely depleted of men and equipment, as German survivors retreated to the defenses of the Siegfried Line.
December 14, 2009
Wash Day Quiz
This is funny, considering currently I've several piles of laundry a big dog couldn't jump over. Laundry does happen to be my "favorite" household chore, so that should tell you with how much I "enjoy" doing the other things.
Dirty Laundry - Don Henley
You Are Laundry |
 You are efficient, speedy, and on top of things. You aren't a very hands on person, and you prefer to delegate as much as possible. You believe the quickest way to get things done is to just do them. You don't procrastinate much. You prevent getting overwhelmed by not taking on more than you can handle. And you're not afraid to do something quickly to get it out of the way. Technology is your friend, and you love gadgets. You'd like a lot more of your life to be automated! |
Dirty Laundry - Don Henley
December 13, 2009
Coolest Clock
This clock does not actually have a man inside but a flatscreen that plays a 24 hour loop of this video by the artist watching his own clock somewhere and painstakingly erasing and re-writing each minute. This video was taken at Design Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach 2009.
December 12, 2009
December 11, 2009
December 10, 2009
It Worries Me to Death
You Talk Too Much |
 You may think that you're entertaining, witty, or smart... but you're boring the heck out of everyone you know. Give it a rest. Even if you are a charmer, remember that charm works best in small doses. You don't realize it, but talking too much is highly annoying. You're not letting anyone get a word in, and you're probably repeating yourself. So sit back and let other people talk. Ask a few questions. You may be surprised to learn what other people have to say. |
You Talk Too Much - Joe Jones /Valerie Carr
December 9, 2009
Resistor Color Coder
Resistor Color Coder is free, and is very useful for determining the color codes or values of 4 and 5 band resistors.
To select the mode, click on the 4 or 5 band resistor icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
The lefthand 3 or 4 bands determine resistor value, the righthand band resistor tolerance.
Download Resistor Color Coder
December 8, 2009
Earth's Moon
From the NASA website:
During its mission, the Galileo spacecraft returned a number of images of Earth's only natural satellite. Galileo surveyed the moon on Dec. 7, 1992, on its way to explore the Jupiter system in 1995-1997.
This color mosaic was assembled from 18 images taken by Galileo's imaging system through a green filter. On the upperleft is the dark, lava-filled Mare Imbrium, Mare Serenitatis (middle left), Mare Tranquillitatis (lower left), and Mare Crisium, the dark circular feature toward the bottom of the mosaic. Also visible in this view are the dark lava plains of the Marginis and Smythii Basins at the lower right. The Humboldtianum Basin, a 400-mile impact structure partly filled with dark volcanic deposits, is seen at the center of the image.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/USGS
December 7, 2009
Cheddar is Better
You Are Cheddar Cheese |
 You are naturally popular and well liked. You are able to hang with almost any crowd. You are sharp and on top of things. No one would ever describe you as dull. You're the type of person who is invited to every party. You fit right in, and you always add something a little special to the mix. You are a tough cookie, but you're also quick to melt once you are triggered by the right circumstances. |
I'm really partial to nacho cheese.
Simple Desktops
(click graphic for larger view)
From the website:
A collection of desktop wallpapers curated by Tom Watson to make your computer beautiful without distraction
Simple Desktops
December 6, 2009
Christmas Time
"Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it. Deficits are when adults tell the government what they want-and their kids pay for it."
- Richard Lamm
Happy Birthday Janine!
Edit: A "bump" from a year ago.
Might as well bump it, I'm sure not adding much original content.
Today is the birthday of Janine Turner (official website, IMDB listing here, one of my most favorite actors and is also a born-in-Texas gal. I first became aware of her when I started watching the reruns of Northern Exposure in which she played an Alaskan bush pilot who had some extreme misfortunes with men. She has also appeared in such films as Cliffhanger (with Sylvester Stallone), Steel Magnolias and Leave it to Beaver.
A few years ago, my Brit friend elle and I drove down to Denton to see my sister and her family and after arriving in the town, promptly got lost. We stopped at a convenience store to find out where my sis's street was and I got in line after a few other people standing at the register.
I was standing directly behind a woman dressed in jeans and a western-cut shirt, complete with muddy boots. I was close enough to smell her; an odd combination of horseflesh and White Diamonds and just a touch of female sweat. Believe me, it was a good smell.
I can't recall what she purchased, but when she turned around I noticed the mole/beauty mark on her temple, not quite covered by the scarf she was wearing nor the sunglasses that covered her eyes, and I immediately knew who she was!
I was dumbstruck and only managed an " 'Scuse me." as she turned to go. She gave me a smile that would light up the dreariest day and to tell the truth, nearly melted my heart.
At the time I didn't know she owned a small ranch near Denton where she now raises Longhorn cattle.
I've kept up with her since then, even though I haven't seen her much on TV nor in the movies. I was delighted to discover that she is a conservative as well as a Christian...not that I would ever have a chance with her, but it's nice to know ALL of Hollywood is not liberal.
Happy Birthday, Janine!
December 5, 2009
Free Holiday Postcard
Compliments of Google
From the site:
Sure, email is great, but there's something uniquely heartwarming about the kind of card that comes in the actual mail — especially for folks who don't hear from us as often as they should, simply because they aren't online.
So we've made it as easy to send snail-mail holiday cards as it is to send email. Simply fill out the form below and we'll send one free holiday postcard on your behalf. Yes, through the mail and everything.
Only one card can be sent, but if you like their cards, you can print your own.
nonplus
nonplus \non-PLUHS\ , transitive verb;
1. To cause to be at a loss as to what to think, say, or do; to confound; to perplex; to bewilder.
"Nonplussed" was a pet word for me for the longest time, replacing "bumfuzzled" in my vocabulary until I started hangin' 'round British people online, then I picked up "gobsmacked".
Hot Revenge
From Jokes.com
Two missionaries in Africa were apprehended by a tribe of very hostile cannibals who put them in a large pot of water, built a huge fire under it, and left them there.A few minutes later, one of the missionaries started to laugh uncontrollably.
The other missionary couldn't believe it! He said, ''What's wrong with you? We're being boiled alive! They're gonna eat us! What could possibly be funny at a time like this?''
The other missionary replied, ''I just peed in the soup!''
December 4, 2009
What's in a Name?
You Have a Passionate First Name |
 You are a loving, emotional person. You think and act from the heart, and that sometimes gets you in trouble. You are very intense and impulsive. You go with your intuition, even if your intuition is telling you to make a very bold move. You tend to feel strongly about everything in life. You have big emotions that sometimes conflict one another. You have a wild streak, and you're known to be unpredictable. You chase your dreams. |
gallimaufry
From our Word of the Day in the right-hand column:
gallimaufry \gal-uh-MAW-free\ , noun;
1. A hodgepodge; jumble; confused medley.
Another cool blog name. Fits this one, for sure.
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
My mom and sisters used to make this cake all the time. It's delicious and definitely is moist. Notice there are no eggs in the recipe (there are eggs in mayo). I could be wrong, but I believe a mayo-like product such as Miracle Whip (tm) could be substituted.
From StartSampling :
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake 
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup mayo
1 cup sugar
2 cups of flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp cocoa
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
There are some recommendations for pan size and such on the comments page. A member of the site was kind enough to post a frosting recipe:
CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM FROSTING
1/3 cup softened butter
3 (1 ounce each) unsweetend chocolate squares,melt/cool
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoon vanilla
Mix butter and chocolate well, stir in powdered sugar,blend well. Gently mix in sour cream and vanilla and blend until smooth
December 3, 2009
Excess Baggage
From the 
archives:
When Lindberg was preparing his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis for the first trans-Atlantic flight he was well aware of the danger of being overloaded. The plane, the fuel and the pilot were necessary but all the superflous weight was dangerous. It could cost the trip, the plane, even his own life if he carried even one pound too much weight.
So he stripped his plane of everything that was not essential. He even ripped out the upholstery from the pilots seat, choosing discomfort rather than failure or death. He took only sandwiches and coffee. Before the end of the flight LIndberg had many occasions to see how wise it had been to travel light. He landed safely in Paris amid shouts of praise.
About the same time there were some French fliers who planned a flight westward across the Atlantic. But they thought it was foolish to to strip themselves of every comfort and convenience. Their plane was upholstered and furnished until it was almost luxurious. They took along all kinds of good food and even some champagne.
They started ever so well but out over the ocean they ran into storms and trouble. Their plane may have been too heavy to maneuver or stay aloft and they perished beneath the waves of the Atlantic. Their excess baggage may have cost them their lives!
In the Bible is the solemn question,"What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
Hebrews 12:1: "Let us throw off everything that hinders and sin that so easily entangles us."
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