Devils Tower

Earlier I had written about Bing and their fantastic, changing daily page (see post just under this one) and was pleased to see Devils Tower as today's theme.

If you're a movie fan, you'll immediately recognize it as the geological feature which is prominently featured throughout Close Encounters of the Third Kind, one of my favorite flicks.

Here's a montage of most of the scenes from the movie with Devils Tower in them...or recreations of same, painted in water color, modeled in dirt and chicken wire, even sculpted in mashed potatoes!



There's not that many places in the world I want to see before I die, but Devils Tower is on my bucket list. I'd love to include it in a tour of that part of the country, also visiting Mount Rushmore, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (Custer's Last Stand)and Yellowstone National Park.

Bing Things

I've recently started using Bing more often, not especially for search (because Google pretty much does it the best) but because I enjoy their daily interactive and informative page, and also because they give points for visiting and for clicking on links. Granted, it looks like it would take a LOT of points to get anything worthwhile, but I imagine that after a year of using it the points would add up to some substantial total.

My problem is this: often, when I visit the page, I see I'm not signed in. The good thing is all I have to do is click on the "Microsoft account" and I'm signed in. (I certainly don't want to connect my Facebook account to anything!)

What I don't understand is how I'm not signed in, but it knows my points total. Strange. What's really odd is this next message after signing in:

You HAVE to click "Continue" to continue because if you don't, you're sent to a blank white page.  Yeah, that's great;  if I wanted a blank white page, I could just go to Google and put in "blank white page". -snicker-  I know enough HTML to where I could make my own!

Another reason I started using Bing is that Google is doing away with the iGoogle home page I've used for years.  I really liked it; I had various modules on it for news and local weather and sports headlines along with a Gmail preview.  I don't understand what's up with Google lately;  they did away with file storage a couple of years ago which was annoying but understandable, but their explanation for ending Google Reader didn't make much sense. 

The 'net is great, but it's also frustrating as hell.  It could also be described as fleeting, because as soon as you get used to something, get it the way you like it, it changes or disappears. 

All The Young Girls Love Alice - Elton John

One of my favorite songs off of one of my all-time favorite albums: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. I wouldn't say it would be the only album I'd take if deserted on an island (honestly, who would want only ONE album to listen to all the time?) but it's definitely in my Top Ten of all time. It helps that it's a double album (twice the tunes!), but there's not a song on it I don't like.

I was thinking of what music video to post and I first thought of Social Disease, but a quick search showed I had posted it not long ago. (glad the Blogger search works better than my memory!)

This song doesn't have any personal meaning to me, other than it was quite controversial for its time and I don't remember it being played on the radio...while at least a half-dozen of the other tunes off the album were. I'm fairly certain I didn't know what a lesbian was and certainly didn't know any. (which, come to find out much later, wasn't true) I like that it tells a story, even if it's a sad one.

If I had a gripe about Elton John's singing, it's that the lyrics are sometimes hard to understand, so here they are, along with interpretations of them.

"With a double barrel name in the back of her brain
And a simple case of Mummy-doesn't-love-me blues"

Two Offical Languages of Israel

The two official languages of Israel are Hebrew and Arabic.

Here's that sentence in Hebrew:

שתי השפות הרשמיות של ישראל הן עברית וערבית

And in Arabic:

اللغتان الرسميتان إسرائيل هي العبرية والعربية

Gerald Ford Trivia

Did you know Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, was originally named Leslie Lynch King, Jr. when he was born? He was also the only President not to be elected by the Electoral College, having been appointed to the Vice Presidency when Spiro Agnew resigned, then becoming President upon the resignation of Richard Nixon.

Ford was also a star football player for Michigan and in 1934, against the University of Chicago, "became the only future U.S. president to tackle a future Heisman Trophy winner when he brought down running back Jay Berwanger, who would win the first Heisman the following year."

Nights in White Satin - Justin Hayward

Summer Sense

Your Summer Sense is Sight

You are very visually oriented. It's likely you're an artist - or at least a good photographer. You are good at taking in a lot of visual stimuli at once ... the more the better. Your eyes love the bustling scenes of summer. You could spend hours at a crowded beach people watching. You are equally moved by the sights of nature. You can be endlessly entertained on a quiet hike.

What's Your Summer Sense?

Mr. Speaker to Mr. President

James K. Polk was the only former Speaker of the House (1835-1838) who also served as President. (1845-1849) Photographs of him are the earliest surviving taken of any President while in office.

Forever and Ever, Amen-Randy Travis

Hope you get well, Randy Travis.

One of my favorite Travis tunes.


I still like this song, even though it reminds me of a relationship gone very badly. (not the song;  it's about a long-lasting love, but it was on the charts when we were dating) The woman was a huge Travis fan and it was a long while after the breakup before I could listen to him again.  His previous hits remind me of just after my divorce a few years earlier;  I'd go to the bar and sit and nurse a few beers and play "Diggin' Up Bones" and "On the Other Hand" on the jukebox...and go home alone.

My mom called me on a Sunday after one of those nights at the bar.  "Where were you last night?" she asked. "Dad and I went out to eat and wanted to take you out."  When I told her I was at the bar, she wondered "Why were you there?  You don't hardly drink!"  I told her I was hoping to meet a woman there. "Oh Michael," she sniffed in only the way mothers do when they WANT to chew you out but don't. "You won't meet a nice woman in a bar.  You should go to church, meet one there."  I allowed as that was probably the right thing to do. (and mommas are always right; even if they're not, you certainly don't tell them they aren't)  Somehow I doubted I would meet the type of woman I really wanted to meet - at that point in my life -  in church, but what the heck?

So, I started going with them to a small church they attended.  ("small" is almost too generous - the entire family, my sister, her sons and their families went one Sunday and we nearly tripled the attendance) There WERE some single women that went to the church, too.

I think the youngest one was around 70 yrs. old.

Four-Eyed Fish

Did you know there's a Four-eyed fish? The Anableps anableps is the most common type. (there are two other recognized species in the genus, the Anableps dowei and the Anableps microlepis ) Actually, the fish doesn't have four eyes, but the pupils of both eyes are divided giving the surface swimmer the ability to search above for food while watching for predators below it.

What Religion is Your Bra?

This joke came in a weekly newsletter I get and I started to post the text version and while looking for some bra clip art to accompany it (not a very good selection; I thought maybe a Madonna pointed type would be funny to go along with the joke)I found the video.

It reminded me of when this was posted somewhere in an MSN Group - the joke was semi-funny, but the comments under it were even funnier. Several of us made additions to the list and they were better than the original ones. I didn't save the comments (or if I did, that was several computers and failed hard drives ago) but maybe we can get some more contributions.

One of my entries was the Pentecostal bra with two pockets - one for the snake and another for the strychnine.

OK, not all the comments were funny.

Just Don't Push My Buttons

You Are Relaxed

You're not just patient, you are on 'island time' no matter what you happen to be doing. You refuse to be in a rush or anyone or anything. It's not worth the stress. You'll get there when you get there. Despite your seemingly lackadaisical attitude about rushing, you often get to places early. You leave with enough time. You take everything that happens in stride. As far as you're concerned, very little is worth getting worked up about. If you were a TV channel, you would be Discovery, BBC, or PBS. If you were a cheese, you'd be mozzarella. If you were a store, you'd be Brooks Brothers or Banana Republic. If you were a wine, you'd be Shiraz.

The Elevator Test

Sad Survey Stats

This was the survey question today on StartSampling; I voted for "No, not at all" but it was sad to see the "Yes, absolutely" percentage and even sadder to see the "Not familiar with the issue" numbers.

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

 - Ben Franklin

Smiling Faces Sometimes - The Undisputed Truth

yawp

yawp [yawp, yahp] verb (used without object)

1. to utter a loud, harsh cry; to yelp, squawk, or bawl.
2. Slang. to talk noisily and foolishly or complainingly.
noun
3. a harsh cry.
4. Slang.
a. raucous or querulous speech.
b. a noisy, foolish utterance.

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That's a great term for most comments under articles here on the 'net.

Cheesy Trivia

Did you know Blue Stilton cheese is a trademark protected name and can only be produced in three English adjacent counties? They are: Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. Oddly enough, it cannot be produced in the village that gave the cheese its name because it's not in the three permitted counties.

Superstitious Sailor's Stone

Superstitious sailors used to carry the gemstone Aquamarine to ensure safe passage at sea.

blighter

blighter blight·er [blahy-ter] noun British Slang.

1. a contemptible, worthless person, especially a man; scoundrel or rascal.
2. a chap; bloke.

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Having "met" several fantastic British friends since I've been online, I've increased my vocabulary of British slang. (I've also become used to the way certain words are spelled with a "u", such as labour, humour, etc.) I've even adopted a few of the more humourous humorous ones, like "chuffed" (proud) "shattered" (extremely tired), "tosser" (an unpleasant person, although it can also be used in the same context as "wanker" - go look that one up yourself), but I haven't adopted saying "Blimey" yet.  I might start using "blighter", though because I know plenty of them...but not well enough to know if they're wankers or not.

I'm Definitely No Rose

Your Birth Flower is a Lily of the Valley

You have a pure happiness, joy, and goodness that others lack in this modern world. You are a truly humble and sweet person. Your humility is not an act, and you feel very blessed in your life. The Lily of the Valley symbolizes protection, and you are fittingly protective of those close to you. You care deeply about what happens to those you love. You often put their interests ahead of yours. The Lily of the Valley often represents luck in love. It's likely that you think you have been lucky in this area. And if you haven't been lucky yet, you are still good at facilitating the luck of others. You are an excellent matchmaker.

What Does Your Birth Flower Say About You?

dandy

dandy dan·dy [dan-dee] noun, plural dan·dies, adjective, dan·di·er, dan·di·est.

noun

1. a man who is excessively concerned about his clothes and appearance; a fop.
2. Informal. something or someone of exceptional or first-rate quality: Your reply was a dandy.

adjective

3. characteristic of a dandy; foppish.
4. Informal. fine; excellent; first-rate: a dandy vacation spot.

---

Not a word that's in use much these days,except around here in a reply to "How ya doin'?  "Oh, fine and dandy, thanks for askin'."

I suppose that, on this day of all days, the first song I should have thought of to add to these word definitions (as I like to do when I can) is this one from the musical of the same name:



I guess I'm showin' my age, because this one was the first to come to mind:

Jim Dandy - Black Oak Arkansas

Flags on the Moon

There were six American flags planted on the moon; all are still standing except for the one left by Apollo 11, having been planted too close to the lunar module and knocked over by the blast when the craft left the surface.

All of them would not be recognizable as an American flag today, however - the Sun's rays, unhindered by any atmosphere, have bleached them white. (and a flag left outside here on Earth for 40+ yrs. would also be bleached white)

Buzz Aldrin saluting the flag

No 8-Track Tapes Now, Though

I'm certainly no Luddite, but I think I'm the last person in the civilized world to not have a cell phone. I haven't been any significant distance from home in years and no one calls me on my land line anyway. (except for telemarketers, wrong numbers and the infuriating political robo-calls) I always figure that, if I ever do take a trip and needed to carry communications for a roadside emergency, I'd just buy one of those Tracfones from the dollar store.

You Are in the Early Majority

You aren't the earliest adopter when it comes to technology. You like to wait things out a bit. You love new things, but you want to wait until they are proven. Being on the cutting edge is expensive! You may feel like you're the last person you know to get on board with a new idea or thing, but you're still rather early when compared to the general public. It's likely that you know about something a while before you decide to go for it. You like to do your due diligence. You are open to new ideas, and it's likely that you're quite active in your community. You have your ear to the ground. If someone recommends something to you, you'll probably check it out. And if you like it, you'll pass on the recommendation.

Are You An Early Adopter?

The McGurk Effect

This was interesting;  I can only imagine how hard it is to have to read lips all the time.  I've worked in noisy environments, so I've had to decipher what someone is saying by watching their mouth, but it doesn't always work.  I've been told having a mustache also hinders their lips being read. (that didn't come out right, but I hope you understand what I meant.)

If you're hearing impaired, click the little white "CC" icon on the video tool bar at the bottom to enable captions.


EDIT: After posting, I tried the closed captioning and as often is the case, many of the words don't match up with what's being said. Oh well, sorry.

Great on Beef!

Did you know the horseradish capital of the world is Collinsville, Illinois? The small town in southern Illinois produces 60% of the world's supply.

This is my favorite store-bought brand (made-from-scratch is the best!) and I not only love it on a nice slab of prime rib, but also on cheap sardines.  That, and some pickled okra with cheese crackers washed down with a good Chinese beer used to be one of my favorite late night snacks.


I don't eat that very often these days, but oddly enough, the strange dreams I had on those nights have also stopped.

Collinsville is also known for the tallest catsup bottle in the world.

July Morning - Uriah Heep

Me & Munchies

You Are a Dark Chocolate M&M

You like to consider yourself sophisticated but still able to let loose and have fun. You are a person of discriminating taste, but you are able to go anywhere. You just try to choose the best option whenever possible. You are excited by the future, and you try new products as soon as they become available. You think innovation is very exciting. You love technology and enjoy playing with the newest gadgets. You may seem materialistic at times, but you just appreciate things more than most people. When you go out shopping, you feel like a kid in a candy store. There's so much you'd like to own.

What Type of M&M Are You?

Borderline Trivia

Did you know there is supposed to be ten feet of both sides of the Canada–United States border free of trees, brush and other obstructions?

If you ever look at the border on Google Earth (or Bing Maps) it might not be obvious on flat prairie land, but it's more apparent through wooded areas, such as this Google Earth screen shot of northern Washington state.

See more US-Canada border information:

More Than You Probably Ever Cared to Know About the US-Canada Border