Fire - The Ohio Players

Bryan Cranston Before Breaking Bad

Death by Mashed Potatoes

I don't get to eat much mashed potatoes these days, but certainly wasn't surprised with these quiz results;  it's always been one of my favorite dishes, not only at Thanksgiving but for any other meal.

It's a shame there are SO many carbs in the dish - carbohydrates raise my blood sugar higher than does a candy bar. -sigh-  It's not worth the spike in blood sugar for me to fix them as much as I'd like, but I do keep a pkg. of instant potatoes on hand most of the time, splitting it into several servings, doling myself out a tiny portion when the craving gets too great.

You Are Mashed Potatoes

You are easygoing and content all year long - especially during Thanksgiving.   How could you not be content with all of the delicious comfort food served up this time of year? You ignore holiday stress and drama. You focus on what's important... filling up on delicious food! You like an uneventful holiday that's pretty predictable. That may be boring, but boring can be good.

What Thanksgiving Dish Are You?

Mashed Potato Time - Dee Dee Sharp 

 

10 Historical Movie Mistakes

I knew most of these, but the most egregious "mistake" is in U-571.

Happy - Pharrell Williams

R.I.P. Brian

If you're a Family Guy fan and happened to catch last night's episode, you know that Brian (the family dog) died in the episode.

If you didn't....Oops, spoiler alert! Sorry, too late for that, huh?

I only started watching the show a few years ago; I guess I had lumped it in with The Simpsons (which I find anything but funny) and didn't think it would be worth wasting a half-hour watching it.  However, one Sunday I had watched the late football game on Fox and didn't bother to turn the channel and Family Guy came on.  I didn't know where the remote was and I was too lazy to get up and turn the channel, so I started watching and was - for better or worse -  hooked. 

The creator of the show, Seth MacFarlane, is an unabashed liberal and he takes a lot of potshots at conservatives, but a few weeks after I started watching, Rush Limbaugh "starred" on an episode and it was one of the funniest of the entire series.  There HAVE been some really bad episodes, though, not that they were without humor, but sometimes the humor crossed the line. (some about religion, such as making fun of Jesus being crucified and others showing "retarded" characters...the show does a lot of cruel humor directed at people with disabilities) It's those shows that make me re-think watching it, but then there will be a flash of brilliant comedy that gives me hope there will be more like it.  It's constantly on a teeter-totter of enjoyment with me - 51% funny and 49% disgusting and sometimes those percentages reverse.  It's hard for me to explain why I keep watching it and certainly harder trying to defend my watching it.

Without delving into each of the characters and their personalities, I always figured that MacFarlane actually had the Brian character in mind as his animated alter-ego when he created him;  after all, Brian is the most liberal of any of the characters, and while many slams are directed towards conservatism (and religion), I think MacFarlane is actually making fun of liberals in a subtle way with Brian.  Here's an example, one of my favorite scenes of the series:

I loved that rant and particularly the Catcher in the Rye reference. (most worthless "classic literature" I ever wasted time reading)  All the things Quagmire said about Brian were true and not only is Brian a dog, if he were a human he'd also be a dog.

I don't think Brian is gone for good; Stewie will make another time machine and will go back in time and save Brian. I hope so, because the "replacement dog" Vinnie is annoying.

I Like Generous Portions

For myself, anyway.

You Are a Generous Cook

For you, cooking is a way of taking care of people. You like your friends and family to be well fed. The things you cook tend to be crowd pleasers. You don't mind making a dish time and time again. Of all the types, you are the most likely to give away your food. You're often baking or cooking for someone. You're also the type least likely to experiment drastically. You're already a good cook... why mess with what works?

What's Your Cooking Personality?

Tattooed Heart - Ariana Grande

Winning Solitaire

Winning Solitaire

Ever play Solitaire? I haven't, not in a long time, but it was cool when I won and the deck of cards would bounce onto the screen.

Too bad it happened so seldom.

Enjoy the special effects of winning Solitaire without every having to play the game!   The screen shot above is what happens with a single click; click on the screen multiple times for an impressive display of cascading cards.  Click fast and the screen will fill with cards.

Much of a time waster?  I suppose not, but it's cool.

The Seinfeld - Breaking Bad Connection

Actors who were in both series.

Ya'll Should Take This Quiz

You Are the South

You are laid back, friendly, and very welcoming to everyone. You were raised right and have good manners. You have a good sense of where you came from. You are loyal to your friends and family. You know how to have fun, and you love to kick back. You fit in anywhere - from five star restaurants to dives. You tend to keep it casual and low maintenance, but you can dress to the nines when the occasion fits. You clean up well.

What US Region Are You?

snarky

snarky snark·y [snahr-kee] adjective, snark·i·er, snark·i·est.
Chiefly British Slang
testy or irritable; short.

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This is a word I never used until I started participating in MSN Groups, message boards and forums. Then I saw a LOT of snark...and got some of my own.

Aaron Paul's Gum Commercial

Aaron Paul's Cereal Commercial

NFL Trivia

The Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals are the only two teams still in existence which were original charter members of the National Football League. Both teams joined the American Professional Football Association in 1920, two years before it changed its name to the NFL. At the time, the Cardinals were called the Chicago Cardinals and the Bears were known as the Decatur Staleys.

Terror at the Carnival

"Bump" from 11/20/07

I was looking at a post that got a hit from a Google search and saw this video; I had forgotten it and was pleased to see the replacement video still worked. I can't change the URL w/out re-posting it, but I can change the title because as I noted in the comments, it's not a rollercoaster. Whatever the title, it's still funny.

commix

commix com·mix [kuh-miks]
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
to mix together; blend.

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If you didn't keep your Batmans separate from your Supermans, your comics would commix.

Volvo Trucks Advert

Jean Claude van Damme doing an epic split.

Nerd is the Word

You Are a Nerd

You are smart, interesting, and sure of yourself. You don't mind not fitting in with the crowd. You work on whatever fascinates you, and you delve deep into subjects. You are often an expert about many things. Of all the types, your style and hobbies are the most unpredictable. You go with whatever you like. Some people unfairly stereotype nerds as unfashionable, but it's not true. Some of the best dressers are fashion nerds!

What's Your 2000s Stereotype?

Breaking Bad - Alternate Ending

Not really, just a clever gag.

Note: Sorry, Sony had YouTube take the video down; others popped up and were taken down as fast as they could be. You can watch the video here, just scroll down a bit on the page.

Yawn

I feel like that today; think I'll curl up w/ my miniature black panther (aka "The Beej") and take a nap.

I'd rather lie down with a cougar and take a nap, but... Not a "real" cougar, but the human female type.  Considering my age, though, and the definition of a cougar, that'd be a younger woman.

Aaron Paul on The Price is Right

January 3, 2000, long before Breaking Bad.

No Thrills on Blueberry Hill

I was watching one of the great Texas Country Reporter episodes on YouTube; the show was one from a few years ago: Blueberry Hill Farms. It's a great story, a city family buying a blueberry farm and making a success of it. I had to laugh, though, as one scene was the father talking about how much fun they have working the farm together as a family. The screen capture below is at the 3:40 mark of the video and the look one of his daughters gives him after he says that is priceless.

"Yeah, right Dad."

More Like Cap'n Diabetic

The full name of Cap'n Crunch is Horatio Magellan Crunch.

Starfield

There's not a lot to Starfield and it just barely qualifies as a time waster, but it's still pretty cool. 

There's no ability to alter the parameters, but by moving the cursor in any direction, the "stars" speed up and you can hold the left mouse button down to create tails.

Starfield

Don't Leaf Here

Without taking this quiz.

You Are Down to Earth

You are a very practical person, and you don't get swayed by flights of fancy. You believe that there are at least two sides to every issue, and you consider each side carefully. You are motivated by security and certainty. You don't like to take a risk unless the downside is minimized. You are loyal and faithful to those important to you. It would take a lot for you to fall out with someone.

The Funky Leaf Test

Morganna the Kissing Bandit

I've only been to a "gentleman's club" a few times in my life; a couple times with a bunch of friends as we celebrated one's upcoming nuptials and once to go see Morganna and her huge snake.   Well, not so much the snake.  To be honest, I always felt uncomfortable at those places, not because I'm a prude, but because I felt sorry for women who had to debase themselves for money.

I knew who she was because I had seen her on the news after she had ran onto the field and kissed a ballplayer. Sometimes she got into trouble, getting beaten up after one attempt and arrested several other times. She stood trial in Houston, Texas, where her lawyer used what he called the "gravity defense" to explain her unauthorized presence on the field, arguing: "This woman with a 112-pound body and 15-pound chest leaned over the rail to see a foul ball. Gravity took its toll, she fell out on the field, and the rest is history." The judge laughed and dismissed the case.

roger

roger rog·er [roj-er] interjection
1. Informal. all right; O.K.
2. message received and understood (a response to radio communications).
3. (often initial capital letter ) Jolly Roger.
4. (formerly used in communications to represent the letter R. )

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Seeing as how I've never been in the military nor been a pilot, this word is one I never use. I think I've only personally known two people named Roger; one was an upperclassman back in high school and the other was a football coach in junior high. When I see or hear the word "roger", I think of this scene from the 1980 movie Airplane!.

Meet Your Meat

Eye opening...to say the least. If you watch, please do so all the way through. The ending is not only symbolic, but a dire warning.

The name of this video was "SAMSARA food sequence" and I wasn't familiar with the term; here's the Wiki entry for Samsāra, which means "continuous flow" and is the repeating cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth (reincarnation) within Hinduism, Buddhism, Bön, Jainism, Taoism, Yârsân.  In Sikhism this concept is slightly different and looks at one's actions in the present and consequences in the present.

Never Forget

I Fought For You

Veterans Day Tribute

Day After Day - Badfinger

From Wiki: The song was written and sung by Pete Ham and produced by George Harrison, who plays some of the slide guitar parts of the song along with Ham. The record also features Leon Russell on piano. As the song was unfinished at the time Harrison left the Badfinger album to produce the Concert for Bangladesh, the final mix was done by Todd Rundgren, who took over Straight Up after Harrison's departure.

Released as a single in the US in November 1971 (January 1972 elsewhere), it would become the group's highest charting single there, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. It also peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1972. It remains the band's best-known song, most notably for the slide guitar solos. It went Gold in March 1972, becoming the band's first and only gold single. "Day After Day" reached number 10 on Billboard's Easy Listening survey. 

Because of all of the overdubs, Badfinger was hesitant to play this song live for years, since it was impossible for a four-piece group to reproduce the single production. However, the song was included in the setlist for Badfinger's 1974 tour.

A Fool For Fall

The results make sense, since I was supposed to be born in the fall.

You Could Live in Autumn

You are the type of person who loves to think long term. You are big on deliberation. Autumn is the perfect time for deep thinkers like you. You enjoy the beautiful colors and the crisp weather. You are a serious person, and you like that everyone is getting down to business in the fall. You feel a surge of energy as the cool weather returns. Everything is better in the fall - clothes, books, movies, and food!

What Season Could You Live in All Year?

Dining at the White House

The White House State Dining Room can seat up to 140 guests. Before renovations were made and a staircase removed in 1902, the room could only seat 40.

1936 Chevy Master Deluxe

This is a beautiful car with an interesting history;  according to the listing on Streetside Classics, it was purchased new by a woman in California who drove it for 29 yrs., then donated it to a local museum where it was on display for another 20 yrs, protected from the elements and not racking up mileage.  In '86, the museum collection was liquidated and the car fully restored.

This is truly one of those "only driven by a little old lady" stories about the sales pitch given by used car dealers

I don't have a clue as to what the value is supposed to be, but the Streetside Classics DFW franchise has it listed for $19,995.  That seems more than reasonable for such a classic car.  Sure, it's no Shelby Mustang or Corvette, but this car would probably be a great investment at that price.

Now, off to check my Mega Millions number for the drawing earlier tonight. If I won it, I know what one of my first purchases will be...IF the car stays for sale that long, that is.  At that price, I doubt it will.

Movies Made From SNL Skits

The first Hollywood movie made from a Saturday Night Live skit was The Blues Brothers (1980). Others followed: Wayne's World (1982), Wayne's World 2 (1993), Coneheads (1993), It's Pat (1994), Stuart Saves His Family (1995), A Night at the Roxbury (1998), Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), Superstar (1999), The Ladies Man (2000) and MacGruber (2010).

They should have stopped after The Blues Brothers.

Bad news: A Night at the Roxbury 2 is in the works, as well as a Waynes World 3

Spur Maker

White Tea For Me

You Are White Tea

You are a gentle person who tends to prefer quiet and contemplation over excitement and action. You have always naturally been lower energy, and you even have slowed down more as you have matured. You like to savor. You look for quality in all aspects of your life. You intuitively understand people and appreciate authentic relationships. Like white tea, you are subtle and unveil yourself slowly. You have a depth that others take time to discover.

What Color Tea Are You?

---

I can't recall ever having white tea; I've tried quite a few other kinds; Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Chai, Green and others and all sorts of herbal teas (properly called Tisanes) but never White. After seeing this quiz yesterday, I put some in my Amazon shopping cart (only six bucks and one of the highest rated) and will complete the purchase when I have enough in total to qualify for free shipping. I probably should sign up for Amazon Prime, but I'm usually in no hurry to receive my items.

As I've mentioned before, sometimes these quizzes are so far off from what and who I am they're absurd, but this one is pretty spot-on for me, esp. the second paragraph.

I Ate All Your Halloween Candy

Jimmy Kimmel asked his viewers with children to tell them they had eaten all their Halloween candy and to videotape it.

pol

pol [pol] noun Informal

a politician, especially one experienced in making political deals, exchanging political favors, etc.

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Or, for about 97% of them: scum, dirtbag, whale poop, snake belly, crook, thief, liar, moocher, leech, idiot and a bunch more that aren't fit for print.

Hearts: Round Two

Here's my second go-around of playing a hundred games of Hearts (first one here: Half-Hearted); I did a little better this time.

Now, I'm sure this post doesn't interest many - if any -  of you reading it, and probably is boring to the rest, just as if I were to post about the dreams I have or what I had for supper, but please cut me some slack...you'd pity me if you knew just how boring my life is otherwise. (nearly as boring as my dreams) A close game of Hearts is about as exciting as it gets for me these days. (well, there ARE my thrilling Skip-Bo sessions)

I think I'll give Hearts a rest for a while, maybe have another go at a hundred games during this upcoming winter when it's too cold to do much else.  I'll post about that after I'm done.

Or not.  I may just have some sympathy for the pitifully few readers of this pathetic excuse for a blog.

Heart of Gold - Neil Young

Strange Hearts

I've been playing another 100 game set of Hearts (see: Half-Hearted) and just finished a game.  It started out with one of my computer opponents "shooting the moon", then I did, then another one did, all in the first three rounds.  I had never seen that before and was thinking "What if the fourth player does it, too?"

A little way into the hand it sure looked that way, but I couldn't be sure;  the computer game isn't like a real-life Hearts game where you can see who is catching all the tricks.  I've sometimes passed up the chance to catch a trick and ruin one of my computer opponent's chances of shooting the moon because I've been so intent upon my own hand I don't pay much attention to which of the others are catching the most tricks. 

This time, however, I was being a little more aware because of the extremely rare way the game was playing out.  Even though I didn't have to, I caught a trick in the middle of the hand and after it was over, saw that it was indeed going to be the fourth-in-a-row shoot the moon...and that it caused me to lose the game by a single point.

Shocking Fact

The electric eel can generate about 600 volts of electricity with the record being 650. By contrast, the standard U.S. wall socket is 120 volts.

Monk's Phobias

Monk was a comedy-drama detective mystery television series that aired from 2002-2009. I don't think I ever saw an episode of it when it was on in prime time, but recently started watching it in late-night reruns. Monk suffers from obsessive–compulsive personality disorder and while the real-life disorder really shouldn't be laughed at, Monk made it seem hilarious.

Monk seemed to display a new phobia (or two or three or more) in each episode. According to Wiki and fan sites, Monk has 312 fears, some of which are milk, ladybugs, harmonicas, heights, imperfection,claustrophobia, driving, food touching on his plates, messes, frogs, germs, crowds, glaciers and risk, although in one later episode he managed to get a handle on his claustrophobia.

His obsessions were what made for the best comedy,though. 

Crystallize - Lindsey Stirling

And You Don't Have To

Stick a matchbook in me to make me work!

You Are Super Mario Bros.

You have an active imagination, and you are a very creative problem solver. You know that there is more than one way to get things done, and you love figuring out new ways of doing things. You are goal oriented but not competitive. You like to complete tasks, but you also need to have fun along the way. You are compassionate and helpful, but you also value your alone time. You are reserved about expressing your true self.

What Classic Video Game Are You?

I used to date a woman who was given a Nintendo from her nephew; after playing the few games she had received with it, I bought one not long after and would take my game cartridges over for her and her roommate to play and we spent many, many hours playing Super Mario Bros. It took weeks, but we finally managed to reach the end of the game. There was elation for a while, then a letdown when we realized the fun had gone out of it. We did find another game that was as much if not more fun than Super Mario Bros, The Punisher, but I managed to beat that game, too.

(If you didn't understand the matchbook reference, you probably never owned one of those Nintendo units.  In every one I'd ever seen, after a while the contacts would get bent and it was necessary to put some sort of shim - usually a matchbook - between the top of the cartridge and the unit to make it work. The machine could be opened up and the pins re-aligned, but that fix seldom lasted...come to think of it, neither did the matchbook trick.  It was either a design flaw/shoddy workmanship or planned obsolescence.  I always figured it was the latter.)

Texpedition - Amarillo

Nice little video, but more of an advert for The Big Texan at the end of it than informative throughout.

Goodbye, iGoogle

As of today, iGoogle is no more.  It's no HUGE loss, but I did enjoy my custom Google search page with local weather, news and sports widgets, along with other custom pages.  That's OK, I found igHome, a similar replacement.

I just hope they don't do away with Blogger; I doubt they will, but I didn't think they'd do away with Google Reader, either. (which was a bigger hassle to replace)

So, goodbye, iGoogle.  Nice knowin' ya.

(as you can see, I have replaced it with the regular Google link)

Ivy Mike

Ivy Mike was the codename given to the first test of a thermonuclear device, in which part of the explosive yield comes from nuclear fusion. It was detonated on November 1, 1952 by the United States on Enewetak, an atoll in the Pacific Ocean, as part of Operation Ivy. The device was the first full test of the Teller-Ulam design, a staged fusion bomb, and was the first successful test of a hydrogen bomb.