I like The Killers fairly well, but the reason I searched for this video was because I had just watched a great movie, Beneath Hill 60, a story based upon WWI Australian tunnel diggers and I was floored by the beauty of an actress who played one of the minor characters: Bella Heathcote. She is the young woman in this video.
May 30, 2014
hokum
hokum [hoh-kuh m] noun
1. out-and-out nonsense; bunkum.
2. elements of low comedy introduced into a play, novel, etc., for the laughs they may bring.
3. sentimental matter of an elementary or stereotyped kind introduced into a play or the like.
4. false or irrelevant material introduced into a speech, essay, etc., in order to arouse interest, excitement, or amusement.
hokum - you can see a lot of it on C-Span
Especially defined by #'s 1 & 4.
May 29, 2014
Making Hay
While the sun shines.
This was in my recommended videos when I checked YouTube just a few minutes ago. I had already seen it, because a few months back I got on a jag of watching all sorts of hay cutting/baling videos. It's a little odd that they'd recommend it because I got my fill of the videos and hadn't watched one since. I've also seen there's a new module for videos on my feed, a "watch again?" list. There's a few videos I've watched a number of times, but the hay baling ones are in the "No thanks, don't care to watch again." group.
I watched a lot of them because it brought back some old memories of when I used to haul hay with my brother-in-law. It wasn't the hardest work I've done in my life, but it sure was the hardest I'd done up until that point in time. I didn't do it full time, but came home on weekends during college and put in a couple of days. If we didn't have to haul the loads too far and everything worked OK and the weather cooperated, we could haul between 800-1000 bales a day, sometimes a little more. I made two and a half cents/bale for that work, not much more than minimum wage, all things considered.
We didn't haul it like the guys in the video, either; my BIL's daddy would bale it up and then we'd come along with a flatbed truck and pick it up. There was only one of us on the back of the truck, too and used a similar loader, but one more upright, called a pop-up loader, much like the one in this video.
I had a coach back in school who was riding us hard on a hot August afternoon and we all were dragging ass, not performing to his expectations. He told us we'd remember those days, that we might or might not remember the good times, but we'd always remember the bad days. I thought he was full of crap then, but he was right.
I remember one day hauling hay; I didn't feel well and was sunburned, dehydrated and probably suffering from minor heat stroke. We were working down on the Canadian River in a lovely meadow surrounded by beautiful cottonwood trees...but it was 105 in the shade and there were swarms of mosquitoes, gnats and biting flies and the ground was bumpy, making a poorly stacked load apt to fall off. On top of everything else, one of the first bales I handled coming off the loader had a live rattlesnake baled with twine, caught by the tail, just enough to where it couldn't make the warning sound. I remembered what the coach said and it hit me that he was right about the bad days. I remember now what else I thought back then, that if I died and went to Hell, it would probably be an eternity right there in that spot.
Please God, no.
I watched a lot of them because it brought back some old memories of when I used to haul hay with my brother-in-law. It wasn't the hardest work I've done in my life, but it sure was the hardest I'd done up until that point in time. I didn't do it full time, but came home on weekends during college and put in a couple of days. If we didn't have to haul the loads too far and everything worked OK and the weather cooperated, we could haul between 800-1000 bales a day, sometimes a little more. I made two and a half cents/bale for that work, not much more than minimum wage, all things considered.
We didn't haul it like the guys in the video, either; my BIL's daddy would bale it up and then we'd come along with a flatbed truck and pick it up. There was only one of us on the back of the truck, too and used a similar loader, but one more upright, called a pop-up loader, much like the one in this video.
I had a coach back in school who was riding us hard on a hot August afternoon and we all were dragging ass, not performing to his expectations. He told us we'd remember those days, that we might or might not remember the good times, but we'd always remember the bad days. I thought he was full of crap then, but he was right.
I remember one day hauling hay; I didn't feel well and was sunburned, dehydrated and probably suffering from minor heat stroke. We were working down on the Canadian River in a lovely meadow surrounded by beautiful cottonwood trees...but it was 105 in the shade and there were swarms of mosquitoes, gnats and biting flies and the ground was bumpy, making a poorly stacked load apt to fall off. On top of everything else, one of the first bales I handled coming off the loader had a live rattlesnake baled with twine, caught by the tail, just enough to where it couldn't make the warning sound. I remembered what the coach said and it hit me that he was right about the bad days. I remember now what else I thought back then, that if I died and went to Hell, it would probably be an eternity right there in that spot.
Please God, no.
May 28, 2014
boondoggle
boondoggle [boon-dog-uh l, -daw-guh l] noun
1. a product of simple manual skill, as a plaited leather cord for the neck or a knife sheath, made typically by a camper or a scout.
2. work of little or no value done merely to keep or look busy.
3. a project funded by the federal government out of political favoritism that is of no real value to the community or the nation.
verb (used with object), boondoggled, boondoggling.
4. to deceive or attempt to deceive: to boondoggle investors into a low-interest scheme.
verb (used without object), boondoggled, boondoggling.
5. to do work of little or no practical value merely to keep or look busy.
Only one govt. definition, per se, but other than #1, they all could apply to Congress and this administration.
Gnarly, dude
Punt? I think I'll go for it; it's not as if it's 4th and 25. THAT would be gnarly, dude.
May 27, 2014
First Earthling to Orbit The Earth
The first Earthling in space wasn't a human, but was Laika, a Soviet space dog. Laika died within hours of the launch due to overheating.
Laika was a stray dog found on the streets of Moscow and was chosen for her even temperament. Before the launch, one of the scientists took Laika home to play with his children. In a book chronicling the story of Soviet space medicine, Dr. Vladimir Yazdovsky wrote, "I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live."
The first animals in space were fruit flies sent into sub-orbital trajectory by the U.S. in a captured V-2 German rocket in 1947.
Laika was a stray dog found on the streets of Moscow and was chosen for her even temperament. Before the launch, one of the scientists took Laika home to play with his children. In a book chronicling the story of Soviet space medicine, Dr. Vladimir Yazdovsky wrote, "I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live."
The first animals in space were fruit flies sent into sub-orbital trajectory by the U.S. in a captured V-2 German rocket in 1947.
May 26, 2014
Red Barns
Why are most barns painted red?
Sources:
Mental Floss
Grit
The Old Farmer's Almanac
In the early days of America, most barns weren't painted because using the right sort of wood made painting unnecessary. It was only later that old school methods of barn planning and building fell by the wayside and farmers started painting their barns to help preserve the wood. Ferric oxide (rust), a primary component of red paint, is inexpensive and that appealed to the thrifty farmers of New England, where the practice began. (Rust also kills mold and other types of fungi) Besides being cheaper than other colors, the red served a functionary purpose, in that the darker color absorbed the heat from the sun and kept the barn warmer in winter.
That said, barn colors often are fairly specific to certain regions; white barns are common on dairy farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland and the Shenandoah Vally and is associated with cleanliness and purity. (and, for a while, whitewash was cheaper than red paint) In tobacco regions, such as Kentucky and North Carolina, black or brown barns are the norm, where the darker colors helped heat the barn and cure the tobacco.
That said, barn colors often are fairly specific to certain regions; white barns are common on dairy farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland and the Shenandoah Vally and is associated with cleanliness and purity. (and, for a while, whitewash was cheaper than red paint) In tobacco regions, such as Kentucky and North Carolina, black or brown barns are the norm, where the darker colors helped heat the barn and cure the tobacco.
Sources:
Mental Floss
Grit
The Old Farmer's Almanac
May 25, 2014
bel-esprit
bel-esprit [bel-es-pree] noun, plural beaux-esprits [boh-zes-pree] French
1. a person of great wit or intellect.
Sure wasn't familiar with this word, and it makes me a little sad I don't fit the definition.
OTOH, I'm happy I'm not French!
May 24, 2014
May 23, 2014
Just Don't Thump Me
To see if I'm ripe.
| You Are Watermelon |
 You are adaptable, popular, and very sweet. People always like to have you around. You are simple and genuine. You never need to pretend to be someone that you're not because your personality naturally shines. You are humble and kind. You don't make a big deal about who you are, and you don't look for attention. Your friends love and value you. Everyone knows a good time is in store when you are around. |
May 22, 2014
Bad Spell Check!
A fellow blogger and friend of mine had an exchange the other day about coffee creamer on this post: Hot or Cold Dinks. When I was replying to his comment, I was trying to spell out "hellatious" - which means, at least to me - "hell like". I wasn't for sure how to spell it, having said it plenty of times in my life but I don't recall ever writing it out.
I noticed it was underlined, so I figured the dictionary had the proper spelling. Uh, nope...that's not it.
I went with "heckuva" instead.
I noticed it was underlined, so I figured the dictionary had the proper spelling. Uh, nope...that's not it.
I went with "heckuva" instead.
May 21, 2014
Kissing & Candy Calories Conspiracy
Kissing for 1 minute can burn 26 calories.
One Hershey's KissTM has 22 calories.
One Hershey's KissTM has 22 calories.
Hmmm....very close. A coincidence? I think not.
May 20, 2014
verbicide
verbicide ver·bi·cide [vur-buh-sahyd] noun
1. the willful distortion or depreciation of the original meaning of a word.
2. a person who willfully distorts the meaning of a word.
I thought of several instances of verbicide, but most were curse words or otherwise obscene. (I like to make the comments for these words funny, not offensive - this entry is a little more serious, though) The only other two that came to mind were involving homosexuality; the word "gay" has changed its meaning by the gay community and "queer", once a term for "odd", then became a pejorative for gays, has now been embraced by many in the gay community.
I decided to see if I could find other examples and found this other definition of verbicide:
Facetious. misuse or overuse of a word or any use of a word which is damaging to it.
Words - at least those that AREN'T swearing - are much easier to think of for this definition and the first one that popped into my head was racist; it's been thrown around so much for quite some time and particularly since President Obama was elected that it's lost it's meaning...and that's sad, because simply disagreeing with certain policies and actions of this administration are not racist in nature and it takes away from identifying actual racism. That's as absurd as accusing a black person of racism just because they didn't agree with Bush's economic policies.
I've disagreed with many things from each and every President since I've been voting as well as with many president's actions before I was even born. I take great offense at being labeled a racist simply because I have different political views than the person making the accusation. (I also wonder if the person making the claim is guilty of projection)
It's one thing to call me a racist in a forum or on a message board, but it's another thing altogether to say it to my face. That would be a big, big mistake on your part. That would make me guilty of assault and battery, not racism.
I Scoff at These Results
| You Are a Scoff |
 You have a quirky sense of humor, and it's definitely on the darker side. You laugh at irony and life's craziness. Mainstream humor is not likely to appeal to you unless it's witty, complex, or intellectual. You won't laugh for laughing's sake. You sense of humor is your strength. Humor helps you keep everything in perspective, especially when the world seems against you. You laugh in the face of adversity and when others tell you that you can't do something. Living well is the best revenge! |
Barely Passed
Elvis Presley got a 'C' in his 8th grade music class.
And, from reports, he was trying to pass when he died.
May 19, 2014
adret
adret a·dret [a-drey] noun
a side of a mountain receiving direct sunlight.
I wasn't familiar with this word, but thanks to our Word of the Day module, I do now, as well as finding out the shady side is called an ubac.
The shady side, or ubac , is usually rocky, steep and densely forested, whereas the sunny slope, or adret , is gentler and much more fertile.
-- Pier Paolo Viazzo, Upland Communities: Environment, Population and Social Structure in the Alps Since the Sixteenth Century , 1989
I'd hate to have to make a choice on which side to live; if possible, I think I'd prefer to have half my property on the adret and half on the ubac. I could call it "Adretubac Acres".
On second thought, maybe not - I'd hate to have to keep explaining what the name meant. Maybe Sunny/Shady Acres?
Hot or Cold Dinks
I was just reading an article from one of my recipe sites, Spiced. The recipe was Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream and the author was writing about his favorite ice cream flavor being vanilla, but why wasn't there a vanilla syrup for chocolate ice cream like there is chocolate syrup for vanilla?
Well, I've never used it for ice cream, but there IS such a thing as vanilla syrup and I started to reply and say so...but I didn't want to be one of those insufferable people who feel the need to point things like that out to others.
I mean, I don't want to be one of those people any longer; I'm working on that, honest.
I've seen vanilla syrup in grocery stores, usually in the coffee aisle, right there with the powdered flavorings and creamers and the liquid form is in the milk section along with the other perishable items that need to be refrigerated. A quick search online shows that you can make it yourself, or buy it from Walmart or Amazon. I've never made a simple syrup w/ vanilla, but it sounds easy enough and the closest to an ice cream syrup; personally, I've never cared for the coffee flavorings - they just don't taste very good and leave an aftertaste.
Back in grade school, I fell in love with a girl who sat right next to me. I was far too young to be physically attracted to her, but there was *something* about her that drew me to her. I finally worked up the courage to tell her she really, really smelled good and she told me her mother wouldn't let her wear perfume, so she dabbed a little bit of vanilla extract behind her ears.
That was when I learned a life lesson; boys are either hungry or horny, one or the other, all the time...just not both at the same time.
Maybe that's what I need to do; create a perfume that smells like baked goods. Oh wait, they already have.
Anyway...something caught my eye on the Amazon listing:
(click graphic for larger view)
Well, I've never used it for ice cream, but there IS such a thing as vanilla syrup and I started to reply and say so...but I didn't want to be one of those insufferable people who feel the need to point things like that out to others.
I mean, I don't want to be one of those people any longer; I'm working on that, honest.
I've seen vanilla syrup in grocery stores, usually in the coffee aisle, right there with the powdered flavorings and creamers and the liquid form is in the milk section along with the other perishable items that need to be refrigerated. A quick search online shows that you can make it yourself, or buy it from Walmart or Amazon. I've never made a simple syrup w/ vanilla, but it sounds easy enough and the closest to an ice cream syrup; personally, I've never cared for the coffee flavorings - they just don't taste very good and leave an aftertaste.
Back in grade school, I fell in love with a girl who sat right next to me. I was far too young to be physically attracted to her, but there was *something* about her that drew me to her. I finally worked up the courage to tell her she really, really smelled good and she told me her mother wouldn't let her wear perfume, so she dabbed a little bit of vanilla extract behind her ears.
That was when I learned a life lesson; boys are either hungry or horny, one or the other, all the time...just not both at the same time.
Maybe that's what I need to do; create a perfume that smells like baked goods. Oh wait, they already have.
Anyway...something caught my eye on the Amazon listing:
(click graphic for larger view)
May 17, 2014
May 16, 2014
Purley Gates Ranch
My friends, family and regular readers of this blog know I love to look at real estate ads and I've posted a couple of times about properties I'd love to own. I first noticed this one on the Hortenstine website a couple of years ago. One of the realtors was nice enough to answer some questions that had "bothered" me about the listing.
The price of the property was recently reduced to $6,500,000. (from over 7 million) To be honest, I was surprised it didn't sell at the higher price and I expect it won't last much longer at that price. Of course, there's no way I could afford it...unless I won a BIG lottery. Even if I did win a hundred million bucks, I don't think I'd buy it now; I'm getting too old to try to keep up such a huge property. If I had had the money ten years ago, sure, but now? I'd have to move my entire family and THEIR families in with me to maintain the place. Who knows? They might be all for that. With three large homes and several manufactured homes for employees, there'd be plenty of room for all of us. I'd even build a home for my big sister.
Being several miles from the nearest town of any size, I'm not sure it would have good broadband internet, though. That might be a deal breaker!
With it being on the market for a substantial time, I'm wondering why it hasn't sold. From looking at maps and Google Earth, it appears that one leg of the Keystone pipeline went very close to the property, but that shouldn't be a deal breaker. I don't think there's much oil/gas production close by and part of the royalties convey. There are coal deposits not too far away, but I doubt they'll be developed and I think the sub-surface water (springs) are in no immediate danger of drying up. I dunno; I'm such a pessimist and there's GOT to be some reason it hasn't been snatched up already.
I've got my Megamillions ticket for tomorrow night; the cash option jackpot is right at 47 million after taxes, so I would have close to 40 million left after buying this place. Maybe if my family wouldn't want to quit their jobs and move there w/ me, I could talk some of my Internet pals into it!
The price of the property was recently reduced to $6,500,000. (from over 7 million) To be honest, I was surprised it didn't sell at the higher price and I expect it won't last much longer at that price. Of course, there's no way I could afford it...unless I won a BIG lottery. Even if I did win a hundred million bucks, I don't think I'd buy it now; I'm getting too old to try to keep up such a huge property. If I had had the money ten years ago, sure, but now? I'd have to move my entire family and THEIR families in with me to maintain the place. Who knows? They might be all for that. With three large homes and several manufactured homes for employees, there'd be plenty of room for all of us. I'd even build a home for my big sister.
Being several miles from the nearest town of any size, I'm not sure it would have good broadband internet, though. That might be a deal breaker!
With it being on the market for a substantial time, I'm wondering why it hasn't sold. From looking at maps and Google Earth, it appears that one leg of the Keystone pipeline went very close to the property, but that shouldn't be a deal breaker. I don't think there's much oil/gas production close by and part of the royalties convey. There are coal deposits not too far away, but I doubt they'll be developed and I think the sub-surface water (springs) are in no immediate danger of drying up. I dunno; I'm such a pessimist and there's GOT to be some reason it hasn't been snatched up already.
I've got my Megamillions ticket for tomorrow night; the cash option jackpot is right at 47 million after taxes, so I would have close to 40 million left after buying this place. Maybe if my family wouldn't want to quit their jobs and move there w/ me, I could talk some of my Internet pals into it!
May 15, 2014
What Constellation Are You?
| You Are Phoenix |
 You are incredibly resilient, and no one should count you out, ever. When you're at your worst, you rise up and surprise people. You are constantly remaking yourself and rising from the ashes. You haven't failed more than most people, but you have had more comebacks. You are driven to be independent and self-reliant. There is nothing you hate more than being trapped. You are a natural healer, and you know how to overcome your wounds - both physical and emotional. |
The Show - Lenka
I've posted a couple of her songs in here and really like them as well as this one, too. It's been out for several years and I'm surprised I hadn't seen this video before.
I finally got around to watching Moneyball last night, the story of how Billy Beane turned around a major league baseball team, the Oakland Athletics. Great movie, but there was a scene in the movie where Beane (played by Brad Pitt) is buying a guitar for his young daughter Casey (Kerris Dorsey) and she sits down and sings a little bit of the song for him. The melody is pretty and I felt as though I had heard it before and it didn't take but a few minutes of searching to find that it was originally done by Lenka.
Here's the clip from the movie:
I finally got around to watching Moneyball last night, the story of how Billy Beane turned around a major league baseball team, the Oakland Athletics. Great movie, but there was a scene in the movie where Beane (played by Brad Pitt) is buying a guitar for his young daughter Casey (Kerris Dorsey) and she sits down and sings a little bit of the song for him. The melody is pretty and I felt as though I had heard it before and it didn't take but a few minutes of searching to find that it was originally done by Lenka.
Here's the clip from the movie:
Ms. Dorsey is a cute young woman and I predict she'll have a bright future with her acting career and maybe even singing with a little bit of coaching. What really struck me was how much she resembled a good online friend's daughter - they're not identical twins by any means, but the shape of their faces and their smiles are similar.
I like kids and particularly when they're that age; they're (usually) still sweet and yet old enough to treat as older and fun to talk to. I really enjoyed the few scenes with Pitt and Dorsey in them and especially the last scene of the movie, was heart-warming and I felt like shedding a tear when Pitt was tearing up. Of all the things I regret in this world, especially the things I DIDN'T do, I wish I could have had children. -sigh-
I like kids and particularly when they're that age; they're (usually) still sweet and yet old enough to treat as older and fun to talk to. I really enjoyed the few scenes with Pitt and Dorsey in them and especially the last scene of the movie, was heart-warming and I felt like shedding a tear when Pitt was tearing up. Of all the things I regret in this world, especially the things I DIDN'T do, I wish I could have had children. -sigh-
May 14, 2014
Let's Get to Cooking
Up some links that actually work, OK?
The page should have worked; the post hit my reader while I was going through the other subscriptions. The webmaster must have decided to take down the recipe.
Too much salt, I reckon. Next time, thrown a slice or two of potato in it.
The page should have worked; the post hit my reader while I was going through the other subscriptions. The webmaster must have decided to take down the recipe.
Too much salt, I reckon. Next time, thrown a slice or two of potato in it.
May 13, 2014
You Make Loving Fun - Fleetwood Mac
Stevie Nicks was pretty and talented, but Christine McVie was the one who made my heart beat faster.
ad hominem
ad hominem ad ho·mi·nem [ad hom-uh-nuhm -nem, ahd‐] adjective
1. appealing to one's prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one's intellect or reason.
2. attacking an opponent's character rather than answering his argument.
Most certainly a word I'd never heard of until I got on the 'net and then I saw it used as a counter-argument/accusal in forums and on message boards.
Personally, I feel if someone's character is less than desirable - evidenced by their comments and behavior in said forums and message boards - then I don't give a lot of credence to their argument. I often see the term used as a rebuttal to someone ridiculing an argument, but the problem is the original point made appealed "to one's prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one's intellect or reason". It's hypocritical to start out a point with an ad hominem then be offended when one is used in return.
That said, an ad hominem reply is something to be avoided if possible. On the other hand, sometimes it's very satisfying.
Don't agree with me? Yo momma.
Sweatin' Like a Pig
So says the old description for someone profusely perspiring, but pigs don't sweat. Pigs do not possess sweat glands in their skin, which allow for the body
to cool down in hot temperatures. Pigs use
mud to wallow in to lower their internal temperature, preventing them
from overheating.
May 12, 2014
May 11, 2014
Titanic: Rose vs Jack
Funny video on the often annoying habit of screenwriters overusing character's names.
Ooops
On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents every day.*
*Note: That's a world-wide average, not in the U.S.
May 10, 2014
What is That?
Since I love The Big Bang Theory, I clicked on this link on my Bing start page: ‘Big Bang Theory’ engagement: Leonard and Penny spark emotional Twitter reaction
I then clicked on the video, thinking I'd see some comments by Kaley Cuoco or her real-life husband, Ryan Sweeting, but it was just a clip of last night's show where Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Cuoco) get engaged.
What really piqued my interest was this, the "cover" photo of the video:
I then clicked on the video, thinking I'd see some comments by Kaley Cuoco or her real-life husband, Ryan Sweeting, but it was just a clip of last night's show where Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Cuoco) get engaged.
What really piqued my interest was this, the "cover" photo of the video:
No, not Sweeting and Cuoco being newlywed lovebirds, but this in the background, top left:
What the hell is that? I'm thinking it's probably just the angle of the photo, but if it's not, then that guy is with a female Wookiee.
What My Mother Taught Me
From the 
archives:
1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE:
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside -- I just finished cleaning!"
2. My mother taught me RELIGION:
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL:
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC:
"Because I said so, that's why!"
5. My mother taught me FORESIGHT:
"Be sure you wear clean underwear in case you're in an accident."
6. My mother taught me IRONY:
"Keep laughing and I'll give you something to cry about."
7. My mother taught me about OSMOSIS:
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper!"
8. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM:
"Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck!"
9. My mother taught me about STAMINA:
"You'll sit there 'til all that spinach is finished."
10. My mother taught me about WEATHER:
"It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."
11. My mother taught me how to solve PHYSICS PROBLEMS:
"If I yelled because I saw a meteor coming toward you, would you listen then?"
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY:
"If I've told you once, I've told you a million times -- don't exaggerate!!!"
13. My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE:
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION:
"Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY:
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do!"
archives:
1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE:
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside -- I just finished cleaning!"
2. My mother taught me RELIGION:
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL:
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC:
"Because I said so, that's why!"
5. My mother taught me FORESIGHT:
"Be sure you wear clean underwear in case you're in an accident."
6. My mother taught me IRONY:
"Keep laughing and I'll give you something to cry about."
7. My mother taught me about OSMOSIS:
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper!"
8. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM:
"Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck!"
9. My mother taught me about STAMINA:
"You'll sit there 'til all that spinach is finished."
10. My mother taught me about WEATHER:
"It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."
11. My mother taught me how to solve PHYSICS PROBLEMS:
"If I yelled because I saw a meteor coming toward you, would you listen then?"
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY:
"If I've told you once, I've told you a million times -- don't exaggerate!!!"
13. My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE:
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION:
"Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY:
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do!"
May 9, 2014
TV Dinner Trivia
The first TV dinners were invented in 1953. Someone at Swanson severely overestimated the amount of turkey Americans would consume that Thanksgiving. With 260 tons of frozen birds to get rid of, a company salesman named Gerry Thomas ordered 5,000 aluminum trays, recruited an assembly line of women armed with spatulas and ice-cream scoops and began creating mini-feasts of turkey, corn-bread dressing, peas and sweet potatoes - creating the first-ever TV dinner. Thomas later said he got the idea from neatly packaged airplane food.
Chinese TV Dinners
I'm not sure how long my favorite supermarket has carried them, but I recently discovered Tai Pei frozen dinners. My favorites are Beef & Broccoli, Pepper Beef, and the Combination and Chicken Fried Rice varieties. I've also had their egg rolls, but there are only three small ones in a box.
TV dinners sure have come a long way, especially Chinese food. I wouldn't have bought these, thinking of bad experiences from years ago, but Tai Pei was on sale, 2/$4 and I bought just one, thinking I wouldn't be losing much by trying it. I've really been craving Chinese food, particularly rice...and that's one of the things that really raises my blood sugar. -sigh-
So, I put it in my shopping cart and brought it home, popped it in the microwave and less than ten minutes later (cook and resting time), I was munching down on some pretty darn good Chinese food. It was just enough to satisfy me and not so much I went into a carbohydrate near-coma.
Plus, I wasn't hungry again 30 minutes later!
I wholeheartedly endorse this product!
TV dinners sure have come a long way, especially Chinese food. I wouldn't have bought these, thinking of bad experiences from years ago, but Tai Pei was on sale, 2/$4 and I bought just one, thinking I wouldn't be losing much by trying it. I've really been craving Chinese food, particularly rice...and that's one of the things that really raises my blood sugar. -sigh-
So, I put it in my shopping cart and brought it home, popped it in the microwave and less than ten minutes later (cook and resting time), I was munching down on some pretty darn good Chinese food. It was just enough to satisfy me and not so much I went into a carbohydrate near-coma.
Plus, I wasn't hungry again 30 minutes later!
I wholeheartedly endorse this product!
The TV Dinner Test
| You Are Sweet |
 You are an ambitious person, but you temper your ambition with compassion and cooperation. You would like to be successful, and you'd also like to help others as much as you can on the way up. You seek balance in your life. You know you have a dominant personality, and you avoid coming on too strong. You are more sensitive than you seem. You take criticism personally, and you are easily hurt. |
Not sure this fits me, but the thumbnails were so small on the selection page, I couldn't tell what was what. I'm still not sure what this is, but I thought it was chicken nuggets and rice w/ bits of carrot...not a bad meal, IMHO. The image info says it's sweet and sour chicken, so that's OK by me. (I'm sweet sometimes, sour others and chicken all the time) Most of the rest, even though I couldn't tell what they were by the image, sounded good by their info.
The one dinner I didn't consider was the Mexican food one; I like Mexican food just fine, but I never had a Mexican TV dinner that was any good. For one thing, they don't evenly heat in the microwave, not even with a rotating turntable - the rice or beans will be scalding hot and burnt while the burrito is still frozen in the middle.
May 8, 2014
Out of this World Error
Not a 404 page, but one of the better ones I've seen lately. (and I've been getting a lot of them lately) This one was on Livestream for the Grit chick cam, but when I tried again later, I got the link I intended to visit.
The cool thing about this one was it was interactive; move the cursor and the planet and cloud moved, too.
The cool thing about this one was it was interactive; move the cursor and the planet and cloud moved, too.
Leery of Leaning
The exact number isn't known, but it's believed that around 250 people have died after falling from the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
May 7, 2014
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Today in history: Glenn Miller recorded "Chattanooga Choo Choo", 1941.
Dorothy Dandridge / Nicholas Brothers
Time. Worst Wasted.
I clicked on a link under a thumbnail of a storage shed I was looking at on the Sears website:
We're here to help you find just what you need.
Apparently not. Yikes.
The title of this post? A rebuttal to the Sears slogan: Life. Well spent.
Apparently not. Yikes.
The title of this post? A rebuttal to the Sears slogan: Life. Well spent.
May 6, 2014
coterie
1. a group of people who associate closely.
2. an exclusive group; clique.
3. a group of prairie dogs occupying a communal burrow.
I've seen loads of prairie dog towns, but never heard them called a coterie. I've also been around people who acted like adult life was like it was back in high school, with groups of kids forming cliques.* I went to a small town school, so thank goodness there weren't that many cliques, but there were the outliers, the kids who just didn't fit in. I felt like I was on the cusp of both groups, the "in crowd" and the "outsiders". It didn't scar me for life or anything like that, though and if I had it all to do over again, don't think I would have changed a thing...at least not socially.
*Since I've been online I've joined and participated in quite a few message boards and forums and I've found there are cliques in those, too. They're usually split along political lines, though. I'm often on the cusp of both those groups, too...not socially conservative enough to be accepted totally by that side and not nearly liberal enough to be accepted by that one, either. Just like back in school, I'm not much bothered by being on the cusp of both sides. I'm content with my political views....mainly because they're the best ones. -grin-
Google Error
Not a 404 page, but the link was bad. Not sure why that was, the explanation didn't make much sense; it was at the top of the results on their own search engine, so....
The broken robot reminded me of the one in MSN Groups. I used to have all of those animations such as the conveyor belt while the file was uploading (and there were some clever animations made from that one) and the shuttered groups graphic. I lost them all in a hard drive failure of one of my first computers.
The broken robot reminded me of the one in MSN Groups. I used to have all of those animations such as the conveyor belt while the file was uploading (and there were some clever animations made from that one) and the shuttered groups graphic. I lost them all in a hard drive failure of one of my first computers.
May 5, 2014
Smooth or Chunky?
| You Are Chunky Peanut Butter |
 You are a very visual person. You don't judge a book by it's cover, but you definitely notice the cover! You are shy at first but talkative with people you know extremely well. You open up over time. You are always keenly aware of your environment. You notice every sight, sound, and smell. |
Actually, while I might be a little chunky, I prefer smooth peanut butter. Also, in case you missed it, Jan. 24th was National Peanut Butter day.
Alliteration Sentence Generator
A site geared towards alliteration lovers such as myself, Alliteration Sentence Generator lets the user input a name/word and in just a few seconds, a set of alliterative words appears.
I plugged in my name and got this:
Moving Mike miss mutagenically machinator
Not sure if that's really a sentence...or where I could use all of the words in a sentence, but it DOES give me ideas for new forum nicknames.
I plugged in my name and got this:
Moving Mike miss mutagenically machinator
Not sure if that's really a sentence...or where I could use all of the words in a sentence, but it DOES give me ideas for new forum nicknames.
An aide at alleviating all alliteration aspirations
May 4, 2014
The Most Seconds
The Most Seconds is undoubtedly the most deserving of any time waster label we've ever posted here in ToTG. The premise is simple, doing it is simple and honestly? To enjoy it you'd have to be simple-minded. It's pretty much pointless, but there's a lot of that on the world wide interwebs, huh?
As you can see, I stayed only long enough to get a screen shot:
As you can see, I stayed only long enough to get a screen shot:
May 3, 2014
Gold - John Stewart
There were other videos, some in concert and on TV, but this had the best sound quality of the several I viewed/listened to. I've always liked this song, love the back beat and also the story it tells.
Reading about John Stewart, I was surprised to learn he was once a member of The Kingston Trio and the songs he had written, namely Daydream Believer.
That's Stevie Nicks singing backup.
Reading about John Stewart, I was surprised to learn he was once a member of The Kingston Trio and the songs he had written, namely Daydream Believer.
That's Stevie Nicks singing backup.
sally
sally sal·ly [sal-ee]
noun, plural sal·lies.
1. a sortie of troops from a besieged place upon an enemy.
2. a sudden rushing forth or activity.
3. an excursion or trip, usually off the main course.
4. an outburst or flight of passion, fancy, etc.: a sally of anger.
5. a clever, witty, or fanciful remark.
6. Carpentry. a projection, as of the end of a rafter beyond the notch by which the rafter is fitted over the wall plate.
verb (used without object), sal·lied, sal·ly·ing.
7. to make a sally, as a body of troops from a besieged place.
8. to set out on a side trip or excursion.
9. to set out briskly or energetically.
10. (of things) to issue forth.
Back when we were young men, an old friend of mine and I met a couple of girls who we found attractive, but we were perplexed by their nicknames for each other: "Holly" and "Sally". Those weren't even close to their real names and when we'd ask why they called each other that, they'd just giggle. I finally got it out of the one I was dating; it was "Sally Slut" and "Holly Whore". They really weren't those types of girls and it must have been some private, inside joke. I hoped so, anyway.
I never see or hear the word "sally" used - other than a proper name - these days; it's always in some old book and usually refers to a battle "Sally forth!" cried the commander of the fort. (or something like that) Come to think of it, I don't think I personally know a Sally.
May 2, 2014
But Not in a Bar
| You Should Dance to Country Music |
 You may like to dance, but it's only because you like music. And for you, dancing is all about your partner. You don't need some slick moves to get out on the dance floor. You're mostly concerned with not embarrassing yourself. You are a bit shy, and you don't like to draw too much attention to yourself. You would rather hang back in most social situations. You are the type most likely to dance in order to make someone else happy. And you're not about to enter a dance off anytime soon! |
May 1, 2014
Happy May Day!
May Day was once a holiday in the U.S., but after being selected as the date for International Workers' Day, it fell out of favor until 2012 when it was chosen as a holiday and for demonstrations by the Occupy movement.
Personally, I prefer how Hawaii celebrates May 1, with Lei Day. I really wish I was in Hawaii right now and getting lei'd.
Personally, I prefer how Hawaii celebrates May 1, with Lei Day. I really wish I was in Hawaii right now and getting lei'd.
Droopy May Flowers
This is a post from 5/13/08, but the exact same thing happened again, too weird. I changed out the flower, but this time Photobucket appended the URL with a bunch of characters at the end, so I had to change the code in the script to point to the new URL. I'd show the example of the non-working animation, but I deleted it. It looked the same, but the flowers would open once, then stop. I don't have a clue as to why they would do that, but I'm going to have to find out. I guess the link code gets corrupted somehow on Photobucket's servers, that's the only explanation I got.
I dunno; maybe the animation got tired after five? six? years of working. It only had to work one month out of each year, though, so....
Not for sure why, but my May flowers aren't blowing in the breeze.
The images for the day/date script are in my Photobucket album, and the .gif is animated on the album view, but not in the individual view.
There's got to be some logical explanation, probably a very simple one that my simple mind cannot comprehend, but for the life of me, I cannot figure it out.
Funny thing: this same animation has given me some problems before. When I first found the script five + years ago, I noticed that the "May" ani wasn't moving. The month animations are from Animation Factory and I already had the disks, so it was n/p to replace/rename the animation to work in the script.
I dunno; maybe the animation got tired after five? six? years of working. It only had to work one month out of each year, though, so....
Not for sure why, but my May flowers aren't blowing in the breeze.
The images for the day/date script are in my Photobucket album, and the .gif is animated on the album view, but not in the individual view.
There's got to be some logical explanation, probably a very simple one that my simple mind cannot comprehend, but for the life of me, I cannot figure it out.
Funny thing: this same animation has given me some problems before. When I first found the script five + years ago, I noticed that the "May" ani wasn't moving. The month animations are from Animation Factory and I already had the disks, so it was n/p to replace/rename the animation to work in the script.
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