Under the Train

What it's like to lie between the track while a speeding train passes over you.

Fwd. to around .55 seconds in to get past "nothing happening".

Fetch, Human!

It's NOT a Small World, After All

The surface of our planet measures 197,060,800 square miles.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park Cabins

The Moon Survival Challenge

From the site:

Imagine you are returning to the base ship on the sunlit side of the moon after carrying out a 72-hour exploration trip. Your small spacecraft has crash-landed about 200 miles from the base ship. You need to reach the base ship, in addition to your spacesuit, you were able to salvage the items listed below. Using what you know about the moon, rate each item in the list according to how important it would be in getting you back to the base ship.

58%

Guess there's a good chance I'm gonna die.

bibliophobe

bibliophobe [bib-lee-uh-fohb] noun

1. a person who hates, fears, or distrusts books.

---

I might be a lot of things, but a bibliophobe I'm not.

I don't believe everything I read, however, and sometimes the things I read scare me...not ghost stories, but the news.

Where Did All the Money Go? - Baby

High-Speed Canyon Jet Ski

This made me dizzy and more than a little claustrophobic.

Facebook Email Change

Facebook sure has been changing a lot of things here lately. Most of the changes were ones I didn't much care for, such as the Timeline makeover, but this one doesn't affect me at all. I get P.M.s fairly often from my FB friends and sometimes a few from other folks that go in the "Other" folder (and which I often miss) but I never used my Facebook email account.

(my real name redacted as so to give me the illusion that I have a little bit of privacy left)

Rockin' Horse

Spam of Amazonian Proportions

Here's some scam-spam I just received:

I use Amazon quite a bit, so at first I thought it might be legit, but a glance at the return address proved otherwise.  So, I'm posting it here in hopes the email spiders will nab it and they get a ton of spam sent to them:

Customer_Care@upstages.org

It's too bad it's not for real - I could use a hundred bucks credit to my account.

It's a Long Way to the Top-Pat Boone

I think I may have now posted all the versions and covers of this tune.

I also probably shouldn't have posted this one, but....

Major to Minor

Chase Holfelder takes happy songs in a major key and converts them to sad songs in a minor key.  He's done several songs on his YouTube channel, but this cover of Cyndi Lauper's  "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is interesting, beautiful and different.

The Art of Tongue Curling

85% of people can curl their tongue.

We've had several posts about tongues in this blog, but here's another about something more unusual done with a tongue:

How to Gleek

Viva Las Vegas

One of the webcams I have bookmarked is the one of the iconic Welcome to Las Vegas sign.  During daylight hours, there's almost always a fair-sized crowd waiting to have their pictures taken with the sign in the background.  (and I've actually seen people taking photos of the sign at midnight or later, not as silly as it sounds considering how well-lit the sign and surroundings are.)

Here's a screen shot from just a few minutes ago and I caught the subject in mid-jump. (it's a little fuzzy b/c of the motion, much like I expect the actual photo will be)

I've never been to Vegas, but every time I view the webcam, I always think of the Elvis Presley musical Viva Las Vegas. I remember seeing it at the theater shortly after it came out - I must have been about ten years old and I must have also been on the cusp of puberty because Elvis didn't impress me, nor did the race scenes and cars, but because I was quite impressed by Ann-Margret. (Actually, she STILL impresses me.)  She's not in the video below, but here's the title song from the movie:


I like that, but ZZ Top also did a great cover of the tune.

Here's a video of Ann-Margret in the movie. I believe it was the beginning of my life-long admiration of women's legs, especially when they're in tights or leotards.

Welcome to Las Vegas Webcam

Spam Takes Its Toll

Here's a new - and novel, I must say - kind of spam that's hitting my junk mail folder fairly often these days.  Of course I haven't clicked on any links in the mailing, but it certainly looks official, even using my real name. (redacted to preserve whatever privacy I might have left - it makes me wonder just where they got it and I expect it's from some legitimate newsletter or something like a free sample I sent off for once.  If the site is selling my personal information, I wish nothing but the worst for them)

The funny thing is I haven't driven on a toll road in years and years, the last time being in the late 70's as I took a "shortcut" through DFW Airport in order to get to Texas Stadium to watch a Cowboys game.  Even funnier is that I went on the same toll road on the way back, but had got lost and entered it the same way as going to the stadium and it wasn't until I saw Texas Stadium again after driving for nearly an hour that I realized my mistake.

Anyway....here's their address in hopes that if/when other spammers software spiders index this blog, they'll pick up on it and maybe THEY'LL get spammed.

support@hksreklam.com.tr

The Cowboys Are Making Me Angry!

Well, not the team, but the Dallas Cowboy website. (I don't get angry at how the 'Boys play; I used to get furious but these days I don't let it bother me, at least not for long. That's why there's a switch or button to turn the channel or station to something else or just turn the game off.)

Here's the reason I'm annoyed; I have a couple of add-ons on my Firefox browser: AdBlock Edge and Disconnect. The AdBlock Edge lets me block most ads on sites I visit and the Disconnect does just that, disconnects from social media and other things.

I had to "cut" the following graphic in half, then "stitch" back together in order to fit it in this post. It takes up the entire top part of the screen when I visit the DC website. (click any image for larger view)

The thing is, I DO have my adblocker turned off:

And, as you can see, I've also "whitelisted" the site on the Disconnect add-on:

Now, I know many websites rely upon advertising revenue in order to stay online and to remain free to the viewer. However, I doubt the Cowboys are relying on the revenue stream in order to keep the website up. -snicker-

I wouldn't have any ethical problems blocking the ads but I can't view any of the videos onsite unless I DO disable my add-ons; there's always an advertisement at the first of each and every video and if they're blocked, the video won't load. I don't watch all the videos there, but I do like to watch The Break and Talkin' Cowboys. For a while, I was just downloading the audio portion and listening to it later, but there are times when I want to watch and listen to the show live. I've never called in, but I might want to or send an email in hopes they'll read and answer it during the show.

So, what really annoys me is that they detect I have adblocking add-ons and chastise me for it....even if I have them disabled!  I used to have another add-on that would do away with those "nags" but it quit working several browser updates ago.  I COULD block the nag with my adblocker, but I'd be right back to not being able to view the videos.  It's a Catch-22 situation.

Catch-22, not this 22, Emmitt Smith.  He was hard to catch.

New Category: Reviews

I've been thinking for the longest time that I'd do more and regular movie & TV reviews and finally decided I'd start. I'm not sure about "regular" posts, but I AM going to do them. (now 'n then would probably be a more apt description of the frequency of the reviews)

(I haven't been reading nearly as many books as I used to do, but if I read a good one, I'll try to review it, too.)

I'm going to link to IMDb for the movies and TV series so folks can get other information if they're interested - no need for me to repeat something that's available in a thousand other places.  I'm not going to make any pretense that I'm some sort of critic; I'm just going to write how I liked - or didn't like - the movie/TV show. Sometimes it's difficult to describe a movie or show without revealing spoilers, so the descriptions might be a little sparse.

I've given a lot of thought about how I will grade them, too.  I didn't want to go strictly thumbs up or down;  that is too "either/or" for me and I also don't want to go on a 5-star or 10 point grading system because that's too limiting.  I have trouble at times rating something on IMDb because 1-10 stars sometimes doesn't let me "nuance" my grade.  For example, I might really like something, but 7 stars isn't enough and 8 would be too many, esp. compared to something else I rated 8 stars and liked a little better.  So, I have decided to go on a 0-100 scoring system, just like number grades in school. (and letter grades also wouldn't let me be as precise with scoring, but they would be closer than a 5 or 10 star system)

I hope I will be fair to the movie or TV show, but I also think I will be stingy with my grades on the top end, generous on the lower ones.  In MY system, a "60" would be passing, just as it is in many schools, but it's certainly not a glowing recommendation.  I don't remember ever giving a movie or TV series a "10" on IMDb and I expect a "95" will be around the upper range of my scoring.  OTOH, anything "40" or under will probably be in the "Not Worth Watching" category.  If I give something a grade of 40 or less, I probably couldn't get past the first fifteen minutes of it.  I won't waste my time if the thing is that bad, but I also wouldn't want to dissuade someone else from giving it a look-see.  Different strokes, etc.

I may include YouTube videos in my reviews, particularly educational and documentary vids I've watched.  I'll probably factor in resolution and quality into those, though.  If possible, and I think the movie or TV series is worthy of the space, I'll embed a video of the trailer or a certain scene. (if I can find one)

Hope you'll read my reviews and comment on them...all six of my regular readers!

I Miss Mr. Six

What After School Snack Are You?

You Are Cookies

You look for the sweetest things in life, and this includes your snacks. You love a treat. You like to settle in with the things you love. There's nothing more relaxing than a few cookies and a good book. You are a mild-mannered person who tends to keep to yourself. Very few people know how awesome you really are. You are your own best friend, and you have a well rounded set of interests. You listen carefully and observe the world.

What After School Snack Are You?

---

Sometimes these things are so wrong they're funny and other times - like this one - are eerie as to how accurate they are in describing me.

higgledy-piggledy

higgledy-piggledy [hig-uh l-dee-pig-uh l-dee]

adverb
1. in a jumbled, confused, or disorderly manner; helter-skelter

adjective
2. confused; jumbled

---

I knew of this word, but never heard it used, never used it, never will use it.

If I did use it, though, I doubt I'd have to define it.

Cat Coughing Coincidentally

Ever heard of contagious yawns?  Well, that's in humans, but how about cross-species sympathetic coughing?

First Video on MTV

Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles was the first music video shown on MTV in the United States at 12:01am on August 1, 1981.

Nailed It

The average human body contains enough iron to make a 3-inch nail.

8 Years of Selfies

Grit Chick Cam

The Grit Chick Cam now offers the embed code:

Boo!

Peekaboo Surprise!

Poor little girl.  Still funny, though.

1752 - The Shortest Year

Year 1752 (MDCCLII) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar. In the British Empire, it was the only year with 355 days, as September 3 through September 13 were skipped.

Gotta Keep Up With The Jonesing

Your Personality is 80% Addictive

You definitely have an addictive personality, and you're probably hooked on something. Even if it's just peanut M & Ms or online shopping.

Do You Have an Addictive Personality?

99 Red Balloons

Played on real red balloons.

I loved the song 99 Luftballons by Lena when it came out in the mid-80's. It was an anti-nuclear weapons protest tune, but I liked the song more than I did its message.  I used to read a lot of action novels and the phrase "the balloon has gone up" is often used to mean that trouble is quickly coming. 

The origin of the phrase isn't clear, but I believe it's from one of these examples at Grammar-Monster.com:  

Once the balloon has gone up means when trouble is here or in a period of trouble.

The term once the balloon has gone up derives from the First World War. Whenever enemy activity was expected, observations balloons would be released to monitor the enemy troop movements. As a result, the raising of these balloons, which were visible to all, soon became a sign of pending enemy action.

A Competing Theory

The term when the balloon goes up refers to the large barrage balloons which were raised on steel cables above British cities during the Second World War. The idea was that enemy bombers would keep away from the cities, fearing that the steel cables would slice through their wings. Therefore, when the barrage balloons went up, it was a sign for a city's inhabitants of a pending air raid.

Molly Schuyler vs Two 72 oz Steaks

Not just one, but two of the huge slabs of meat along with salads, baked potatoes, bread and shrimp cocktails.

Never Forget

This Is Why I'm Broke

This Is Why I'm Broke has become one of my favorite sites I subscribe to in my reader and I look forward to seeing the (usually) several posts each day.  From the ridiculous to the sublime, from outrageously expensive to reasonably priced, the site links to both practical and hedonistic items for sale.

For example, you can buy a Curved 4K Ultra HD LED TV for $7,997.99 or a Heated Butter Knife for $19.99. If those don't interest you, then there's a Selfie Toaster ($75.00) which will burn any image you supply into your morning toast, eating your breakfast while listening to your Autonomous Mechanical Hootenanny machine. ("only" $54,000.00)

Check it out!

This Is Why I'm Broke

Pendulum Waves

From the description under the video: Fifteen uncoupled simple pendulums of monotonically increasing lengths dance together to produce visual traveling waves, standing waves, beating, and (seemingly) random motion.
 

Now watch it done with bowling balls!

Algiers - The Afghan Whigs

This song played over the ending scene of the latest Ray Donovan episode "Snowflake".

Memoirs of Madman Mike

You Are a Memoir

You're funny, but many people don't see your funny side. Your subtle dry humor leaves your close friends in stitches. You have your own quirky ideas about the world. You see so much light and promise. You have no patience for small talk or niceties. You want to have conversations of substance. You are an amazing storyteller. You always have a new story to relate, and your friends love to listen to you.

What Type of Book Are You?

Washed Up - Simon's Cat

troth

troth [trawth, trohth] noun

1. faithfulness, fidelity, or loyalty: by my troth.
2. truth or verity: in troth.
3. one's word or promise, especially in engaging oneself to marry.

---

Or it could be thumthing a horth drinkth out of.

Mantis Fly Swatter

Wired Up

I always heard coffee wires some people up, but I never thought that meant literally.

Mutant Giant Spider Dog

My Bucket List

You Should Write a Book

You may not feel like you could write a book, but you actually have a lot to say. Just let it flow! You already live in your own little world. You may as well introduce everyone else to it. It's likely that you feel like you have a lot of baggage you'd like to unload, and writing can be cathartic. By writing a book, you would feel a huge sense of accomplishment. And you'd have a legacy to leave behind.

What Should Be On Your Bucket List?

---

I used to have a lot of things on my bucket list (even before it was known as a "bucket list".) The funny thing is the closer I get to kicking the bucket, the smaller the list gets...even though I've yet to mark a single thing off it. IOW, I'm culling the unreasonably attained things off the list.

For example, I used to want to ride a bull.  I probably wouldn't have ridden it for eight seconds, but I used to think I'd want to at least try.  That's probably not...no, strike that...that's definitely not a good idea now at my age. 

Other things, such as skydiving, are still possible, but maybe not a good idea.  I still think I have the nerve, but not so sure my old bones could handle a hard landing.  I definitely wouldn't want to do it strapped to a certified skydiver, that always struck me as something less than actually skydiving.  No, it's solo or not at all. 

There are places I want to see before I die, such as the beaches on Normandy where the D-Day landings took place.   There are several countries I'd like to visit, but there are places I want to see here in the good ol' U.S. more than I would them.

I'd really would like to write a book, but the trouble with that is most of my ideas I have for writing a book came from books I have read.

I'd still like to seduce a nun, though.

Running Hamsters

On average, a hamster will run up to 3 miles each day.


Check it out:  the guy has the wheel hooked up to a tachometer.

Anthem - Kawehi

Mice Are Junk Food For Cats

A cat would have to eat 5 mice to gain the same nutritional value as a can of cat food.

Zoinks!

Click image for larger view

One of the better 404 pages I've seen, from imgur.  The animal's eyes follow the cursor. (As I've said before, I'm easily entertained)

To be honest, I took a wrong turn before that just by searching for those recently leaked nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence, although I did manage to find 'em.  "Zoinks!" wasn't the word I'd use to describe them, although the sexiest one - IMHO -  wasn't one of the nude photos, but a selfie she'd taken of her in a one-piece swimsuit.

She's not the prettiest woman in Hollywood, nor the most talented, but there's *something* about her that makes her very attractive to me.  I've seen her in interviews and it's obvious she hasn't let her fame go to her head.  She seems personable, sweet and also looks very wholesome and other than this leak of her private photos, has managed to escape scandals and controversy...at least, so far.

Even though my friend Barb is married, I'm almost sure she doesn't think much of Lawrence, being a huge Coldplay fan. (the reason)

(Just joshin' ya, Barb.  Love ya!)

Pleased to Meat You

You Are the Meat

You are down to earth and extremely well grounded in your life. You know what you like and what you don't like. You are a person of substance, and you don't necessarily change with the wind. You stick to what you know and what works. You are a solid person, and friends turn to you for unfiltered feedback. You know how to give constructive criticism. You never shy away from hard work, and you let your accomplishments speak for yourself. People naturally respect you.

What Part of a Burger Are You?