You might recognize Matt LeBlanc (Friends) and Daphne Zuniga (Melrose Place). LeBlanc claims to have been drunk during the video, having shared a bottle of tequila with Seger immediately before the shoot.
June 15, 2013
Let's Play Two!
Playing for the Seattle Mariners in a 1990 game against the California Angels, Kenny Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. became the only father and son teammates in major league baseball to hit back-to-back home runs. They were also the first father and son to play on the same team.
June 14, 2013
Shocking Quiz Results
| Your Superpower Should Be Manipulating Electricity |
 You're highly reactive, energetic, and super charged. If the occasion calls for it, you can go from 0 to 60 in a split second. But you don't harness your energy unless you truly need to. And because of this, people are often surprised by what you are capable of. Why you would be a good superhero: You have the stamina to fight enemies for days. Your biggest problem as a superhero: As with your normal life, people would continue to underestimate you. |
June 13, 2013
Happy Friday the 13th!
I'm feeling lazy again. What's new? Last published 7/13/12
Bump from a couple of years ago.
No need to waste a perfectly "good" post.
Years ago in a galaxy far, far away....
I hadn't been up very long, so I was sitting there picking at my "supper" my new bride had prepared for me. When you work the night shift (morning tour) on drilling rigs, your day gets turned around and eating spaghetti for "breakfast" is the norm, but still hard to get used to.
Her cooking took even more getting used to.
My wife (now ex) was reading the paper while I sat there watching the clock on the wall tick off the minutes before my ride came to pick me up. All of a sudden, she exclaimed
"Oh gosh, your horoscope!"
"What about it?" I asked without much interest, never having been enthused about that sort of thing. (it always struck me as funny that 100 million Chinese folks were gonna have the exact same sort of day that I was)
"Listen to this!" she went on. "It says 'Beware of working around dangerous machinery' !!!"
I sat there, not saying a thing. I was new to this married business and had made several bad mistakes already, one being that there's no good answers to questions such as "Does this make me look fat?"
("Sort of" isn't one of those good answers, lemme tell ya.)
"And it's Friday the 13th, too!" she exclaimed in fright.
I'm seldom in a good mood after waking up, but not so much after having such a heavy breakfast at nine o'clock at night and definitely not after trying to sleep during the day in a neighborhood full of kids.
What the heck, I thought. I'll torture her a little bit, just like she did me earlier in the afternoon while running the vacuum.
"Y'know, my rig's number is 13." I informed her.
She sat there, looking at me in horror. I went on.
"We're drilling to 13,000 feet, we're 13 miles out on the river road, there's 13 cattle guards between the highway and the rig."
Her mouth was gaped open, her worst fears realized.
"There's also 13 guys on the rig, come to think of it, four guys per crew plus the tool pusher."
For good measure, I went on, "Know what well we're drilling? It's the Flowers #13!" I tried to think of other 13's just to freak her out some more, but that was it.
She sat there for a minute and declared "Well, you'll just have to twist off tonight." using the oil field term for not showing up for work. She was catching on to being a roughneck's wife, for sure.
"I'd better not do that." I told her. "We need the money. " The subject of money was good for getting her to shut up or to talk, whichever one it was I needed her to do at that particular moment. I WAS catching on to this married stuff, I thought.
At the same time, my boss showed up, announcing his arrival with a blast of his car horn. As I started out the door I stopped and said:
"One good thing..." I went on. "If I get killed, you'll probably get a check for $13,000 bucks from the insurance company, I think that's the death benefit."
That wasn't the right thing to say. Maybe I DIDN'T know much about married life. She started to cry. Another impatient honk came from the idling car outside; I glanced at the clock and saw he was late in picking me up. Another minute won't hurt, I thought, and turned to her and with a hug and a quick smooch on the cheek I asked her:
"That's TODAY'S horoscope, right?" She sniffed and nodded her head.
"Think about it..." I said. "Today is nearly over,so my shift will be on the 14th!"
"I've slept THROUGH Friday the 13th!" I assured her.
Immediate relief showed in her eyes, but once again I showed I was a novice at marriage. With an evil grin on my face I said:
"You'll still get the money if I get killed, though."
I DID have some bad luck that day, that Friday the 13th.
It's always bad luck to get hit in the head by a flying lunchbox.
Bump from a couple of years ago.
No need to waste a perfectly "good" post.
Years ago in a galaxy far, far away....
I hadn't been up very long, so I was sitting there picking at my "supper" my new bride had prepared for me. When you work the night shift (morning tour) on drilling rigs, your day gets turned around and eating spaghetti for "breakfast" is the norm, but still hard to get used to.
Her cooking took even more getting used to.
My wife (now ex) was reading the paper while I sat there watching the clock on the wall tick off the minutes before my ride came to pick me up. All of a sudden, she exclaimed
"Oh gosh, your horoscope!"
"What about it?" I asked without much interest, never having been enthused about that sort of thing. (it always struck me as funny that 100 million Chinese folks were gonna have the exact same sort of day that I was)
"Listen to this!" she went on. "It says 'Beware of working around dangerous machinery' !!!"
I sat there, not saying a thing. I was new to this married business and had made several bad mistakes already, one being that there's no good answers to questions such as "Does this make me look fat?"
("Sort of" isn't one of those good answers, lemme tell ya.)
"And it's Friday the 13th, too!" she exclaimed in fright.
I'm seldom in a good mood after waking up, but not so much after having such a heavy breakfast at nine o'clock at night and definitely not after trying to sleep during the day in a neighborhood full of kids.
What the heck, I thought. I'll torture her a little bit, just like she did me earlier in the afternoon while running the vacuum.
"Y'know, my rig's number is 13." I informed her.
She sat there, looking at me in horror. I went on.
"We're drilling to 13,000 feet, we're 13 miles out on the river road, there's 13 cattle guards between the highway and the rig."
Her mouth was gaped open, her worst fears realized.
"There's also 13 guys on the rig, come to think of it, four guys per crew plus the tool pusher."
For good measure, I went on, "Know what well we're drilling? It's the Flowers #13!" I tried to think of other 13's just to freak her out some more, but that was it.
She sat there for a minute and declared "Well, you'll just have to twist off tonight." using the oil field term for not showing up for work. She was catching on to being a roughneck's wife, for sure.
"I'd better not do that." I told her. "We need the money. " The subject of money was good for getting her to shut up or to talk, whichever one it was I needed her to do at that particular moment. I WAS catching on to this married stuff, I thought.
At the same time, my boss showed up, announcing his arrival with a blast of his car horn. As I started out the door I stopped and said:
"One good thing..." I went on. "If I get killed, you'll probably get a check for $13,000 bucks from the insurance company, I think that's the death benefit."
That wasn't the right thing to say. Maybe I DIDN'T know much about married life. She started to cry. Another impatient honk came from the idling car outside; I glanced at the clock and saw he was late in picking me up. Another minute won't hurt, I thought, and turned to her and with a hug and a quick smooch on the cheek I asked her:
"That's TODAY'S horoscope, right?" She sniffed and nodded her head.
"Think about it..." I said. "Today is nearly over,so my shift will be on the 14th!"
"I've slept THROUGH Friday the 13th!" I assured her.
Immediate relief showed in her eyes, but once again I showed I was a novice at marriage. With an evil grin on my face I said:
"You'll still get the money if I get killed, though."
I DID have some bad luck that day, that Friday the 13th.
It's always bad luck to get hit in the head by a flying lunchbox.
June 12, 2013
spelunk
spelunk spe·lunk [spi-luhngk] verb (used without object)
to explore caves, especially as a hobby.
Even though I have a pretty good case of claustrophobia, I've always liked caves. My phobia isn't a full blown raging case of it, but I just don't like being in tight, cramped spaces and if I wasn't crazy when you put me in a straitjacket, I would be in a matter of a few minutes. I've been to "civilized" caves, such as Carlsbad Caverns (and want to go back to see the bats come out at sundown) as well as the Inner Space Cavern near Georgetown, Texas (video tour), but I've also explored several lesser-known and smaller caves.
When I was in junior high, I had one of the best teachers I ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was a brilliant man, a full-blood Cherokee Indian with something like six master's degrees and hundreds and hundreds of college credits to boot. I don't really know why he deigned to teach a bunch of knotheads like us, especially since he didn't have much patience for kids, but if you showed an interest, he would go the extra mile to teach you all you could absorb.
He took us on several class trips, one of which was an extended tour of the western part of Oklahoma where he grew up - a bee farm and tombstone factory were two of the stops - and we spent the entire morning going through a cave system on private land belonging to an old friend of his.
Looking back, it was amazing that we did that; these days schools certainly wouldn't want to be exposed to the potential liability that crawling through caves full of rattlesnakes, bats and other dangers would entail. I could write a thousand words about all the things we did on that one day, but will just relate one story in this post about that trip.
Most of the other kids went fairly far into the cave system, but another guy and I went so far back, we had to start crawling. I stopped when it got too cramped for even that position, but the other guy scooted along on his stomach for another hundred yards, only coming back when he disturbed a colony of bats. (it was too narrow for him to turn around,so he had to scoot backwards) It sends a shiver down my spine thinking about that now.
When we came out, the teacher, the two parents who took cars (my dad being one) and the rest of the class were waiting on us. We were a sight, clothes torn on the rocks, wet and dirty from our spelunking. The teacher just smiled when we told him how far back we had gone and said he had always thought about going even farther, dressing in a wetsuit and greasing himself up so he could fit through the tight spots. He said he thought he could find an underground river that fed some springs in the area.
I'm glad I did that, but wouldn't care to do it again. I guess that's the difference between that carefree (or careless) boy I was then and the cautious old fart I am today.
Moths of the Texas Panhandle
I stumbled across this video after seeing an article about hummingbird moths and wondering if they were found in these parts. Back when I worked on drilling rigs, all sorts of insects and moths would be attracted to the lights of the rig at night, sometimes so thick around the lights on the floor that they blocked out most of the light and it was hard to see and often far-too-easy to have one fly into your mouth.
I remember one guy I worked with insisting they were hummingbirds, but those are fairly rare up in this part of the country. Another guy I worked with would catch the huge moths, unroll their "nose" with a pencil, then tape it inside someone's locker. When he opened it up the next morning, it was always funny to see him startled by the moth frantically fluttering at the guy's eye level.
(EDIT to add: funny to see the guy scared by a moth, but I always felt sorry for the moth; it was cruel, even though I doubt the moth had a very long lifespan.)
My landlady's son, the younger brother of a classmate, was a sophomore one summer when the moths were prolific around the rig and had to do the same project his brother and I had to do at the same age; catch 50 different insects and pin them to a board and label them. I took the young man a lunch box full of moths and asst. other insects I caught one night and he later told me he had over 70 different types of insects and got an "A" for the project!
I used to have some Four O'Clock plants by my porch and during the summer,moths would gather nectar out of the flowers that opened in the late afternoon and stayed open until sunrise the next morning. I had an old black cat that absolutely loved those moths; he grew tired of playing with them and discovered he liked the taste. He wouldn't eat the entire thing, but I would find just the head and wings all over the place, even inside where he had brought them in through the cat flaps. (along with lizards, garden snakes, birds and all sorts of creatures.)
June 11, 2013
Knit Pick
I really need to learn how to knit. I've got so much cat hair in my house that if I had the internal organs, I could knit me another cat.
Knit One, Purl Two - Glenn Miller
The Contents Had To Be Funny
When you saw the cover.
| You Are Humor |
 You love to laugh at life, and if possible, get others to laugh along with you. You believe there's always a humorous side to everything. And your sense of humor ranges from upbeat to very dark. You are outrageous and very honest. You're often the only one willing to say what everyone else is thinking. You are witty and verbally talented. You like to play with words and say things in interesting ways. |
June 10, 2013
June 9, 2013
trousseau
trousseau trous·seau [troo-soh, troo-soh] noun, plural trous·seaux [-sohz, -sohz], trous·seaus.
an outfit of clothing, household linen, etc., for a bride.
My favorite joke about a trousseau.
OK, my ONLY joke about it.
A young woman came back from her honeymoon and her mother went over to the new bride's house the next day to see how it had gone. Her daughter was unpacking and brought out her negligee which had been torn to shreds. The mother was shocked and asked who had done that. The young lady replied that her new husband had caused the damage.
"Didn't he like your trousseau?" asked the mother.
"Oh yes." exclaimed her daughter. "He just liked my torso better than my trousseau, that's why my trousseau is tore so."
Texas Panhandle Supercells
A video diary of a storm chaser from May 8, 2013 taken near Childress.(which is located at the very bottom of the east side of the state line that forms the Panhandle)
June 7, 2013
Sorbet, You Say?
Of course I am!
Chocolate, not all the other things in the results.
Chocolate, not all the other things in the results.
| You Are Chocolate |
 On the surface, you are charming and engaging. People love you, and you're naturally popular. When people dig a bit deeper, they discover your relentless ambitious and drive. You are very goal oriented. You are refreshing because you have impeccable manners and charm. You get along with almost everyone. You have a strong personality, but you keep it under wraps unless the occasion calls for it. Your savvy and intelligence is very cool. People turn to you for what to like and what to do. You have an eye for what is on trend, but you're never intimidating or a snob. You like to share your finds with everyone. |
Pride - Syntax
I was flippin' through channels on the TV the other day and caught the last part of a "Bones" episode and this song was playing. I hadn't heard of the group Syntax and while reading about them, found out this song and others by the group had been used in other television programs and a few movies.
This is a fan-created video; I didn't find an official video. Another YouTube video had also been made by a fan that looked like it fit the lyrics, but it wasn't available for embedding.
This is a fan-created video; I didn't find an official video. Another YouTube video had also been made by a fan that looked like it fit the lyrics, but it wasn't available for embedding.
June 6, 2013
The Longest Day
Trailer for the classic movie, The Longest Day. One of my favorite war movies, it's chock-full of stars including Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, Peter Lawford, Roddy McDowall, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, Rod Steiger, Stuart Whitman, John Wayne and many more.
Today is the anniversary of the Normandy landings in 1944, arguably the most important day of WWII. Touring the D-Day beaches is on my bucket list.
Today is the anniversary of the Normandy landings in 1944, arguably the most important day of WWII. Touring the D-Day beaches is on my bucket list.
June 5, 2013
Music Album Cover Locations
As regular readers of this blog know, I'm a huge Google Earth fan. One of my favorite sites to which I subscribe via my Google reader is Google Earth Hacks, which posts interesting sites to visit via the GE application and also supplies the .kmz file for the location.
One of the latest posts has Music Album Cover Locations, places around the world where album covers were photographed.
Recognize the place? Perhaps the album cover insert (too small to be seen in the above screenshot) will give it away.
Yes, it's Abby Road in London, the street where the Beatles took the name for one of their most famous albums.
The .kmz file has many other great album covers and locations; some more Beatles records, as well as others from ABBA, Pink Floyd, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elton John and more.
Download the file at:
Music Album Cover Locations
One of the latest posts has Music Album Cover Locations, places around the world where album covers were photographed.
Recognize the place? Perhaps the album cover insert (too small to be seen in the above screenshot) will give it away.
Yes, it's Abby Road in London, the street where the Beatles took the name for one of their most famous albums.
The .kmz file has many other great album covers and locations; some more Beatles records, as well as others from ABBA, Pink Floyd, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elton John and more.
Download the file at:
Music Album Cover Locations
June 4, 2013
Farewell Faithful Fido
Did you know President Lincoln's dog Fido was "assassinated" by a drunk in Springfield, IL. just a year after Lincoln was shot and killed? Fido, a yellow retriever-shepherd mix had been the President's faithful companion for over five years.
The Blame Game
Just before I went to bed late last night, I saw an article about Michael Douglas where he blamed his throat cancer on - 'scuse me - oral sex. He didn't blame it on smoking, drinking or poor diet.
It made me think about it all day today. Even if there was proof of what he said caused it, I don't think I'd announce that fact to the world. I finally came to this conclusion:
Just like most liberals, he wants to put all the blame on bush.
It made me think about it all day today. Even if there was proof of what he said caused it, I don't think I'd announce that fact to the world. I finally came to this conclusion:
Just like most liberals, he wants to put all the blame on bush.
A Cool Job
Did you know President Barack Obama's first job was scooping ice cream ? The future President worked for Baskin-Robbins in Honolulu during a high-school summer vacation in the mid-70's.
R.I.P. Deacon Jones
Deacon Jones was terrorizing opposing NFL quarterbacks when I first got interested in football; when I played, I tried to emulate his famous head slap when I could (get away with it). Even when his Rams played the Cowboys, my favorite team, I couldn't help but admire the ferocious way he played. (I think there's at least two sacks of Dallas QBs in the video.
Deacon Jones
December 9, 1938 - June 3, 2013
Deacon Jones
December 9, 1938 - June 3, 2013
June 2, 2013
Sunday Double Feature
A quiz and music to fit the topic, just like I like to do 'em.
Pleasant Valley Sunday - The Monkees
| You Are Sunday |
 You think life is stressful enough, and you like to find peace whenever and wherever possible. Over the years, you've figured out who and what means most to you. You hold on to what matters. Sunday is the perfect day for you to be close to your loved ones and favorite rituals. Even when life is busy and chaotic, you are able to stand back and look at the big picture. You try to live in the moment and not get bogged down by the little annoyances of every day life. |
June 1, 2013
Hair of the Dog - Nazareth
A little personal story: It wasn't long after this song had been released when I bought a brand new "quadraphonic" stereo with four speakers. I purchased the stereo from the hardware store in my home town, paying about fifty bucks more than I should have. I could barely wait to get some new records to listen to and the first album I bought was the Nazareth album with this song on it. I hastily unwrapped the cellophane wrapper and carefully handling the vinyl on the edges as so not to get fingerprints on the record's grooves, I started the turntable and turned up the volume.
After the opening riff, I stepped away to go to the bathroom. I got done, walked back into the room where the stereo was and smelled an acrid, burning odor. About that time the speakers crackled and emitted a high-pitched whine...then smoke started pouring out of the back of my brand new stereo. I quickly unplugged it before it caught on fire.
It wasn't TOTALLY ruined, I had it fixed...to the tune of about half of what I had paid for it. (and yes, I tried to take it back to the store, but he told me to send it to the factory...in Taiwan.)
I was as mad as the S.O.B. they're singing about in the song.
May 31, 2013
A Tale of Two Vets
Boxing great Joe Louis (on the left, below), who served in Army during WWII and actor Lee Marvin (on the right), who served in the Marine Corps during that same war, are buried next to each other in Arlington National Cemetery.
May 30, 2013
Let's Talk Top Five
The most widely spoken languages in the world are, in descending order: Chinese, English, Hundustani, Spanish, and Russian.
Source: The Old Farmer's Almanac
Source: The Old Farmer's Almanac
May 29, 2013
Birthday Wisdom
| Your Birthday's Wisdom is Thought |
 You are intrigued by almost everything, and you are curious about the world around you. You want to travel to foreign lands, read lots of books, and master many subjects. You love to go on all sorts of adventures, especially the kind that don't require you to leave your room. |
Born Today
Born on this Day
King Charles II, Patrick Henry, G. K. Chesterton, Bob Hope, John Barrymore, John F. Kennedy, Dennis Hopper, Barry Goldwater...
And me.
King Charles II, Patrick Henry, G. K. Chesterton, Bob Hope, John Barrymore, John F. Kennedy, Dennis Hopper, Barry Goldwater...
And me.
May 27, 2013
mordacious
mordacious mor·da·cious [mawr-dey-shuhs] adjective
1. biting or given to biting.
2. sharp or caustic in style, tone, etc.
Many message board comments are unnecessarily mordacious.
The Olympics & War
The Olympics have been canceled five times because of war; once during WWI in 1916, before the Winter Olympics were introduced, and four times during WWII, both summer and winter games in 1940 and 1944.
Chain Gang - Sam Cooke
Love Sam Cooke's music and especially this song. My folks had several of his albums and I almost wore them out playing them over and over again.
The Funky Wall Test
I liked all the walls, but after careful consideration, I chose the metal one. If you had a floor drain, you could just hose them off.
| You Are Independent |
 You live a self-directed, autonomous life. While no person is an island, you do your best. You like to have the freedom to choose as much as you can. You know what's best for you, and you enjoy being self-reliant. You hit a wall when you are force to cooperate or work in a group. You don't work well with others, even if you are the leader. In fact, you can do any group task more easily and quickly simply on your own. And that's what you end up doing. You break through walls on your own - using your own means and your own schedule. You are best when left to your own devices. You trust yourself more than anyone else in your life, and you should. You have a great track record. |
Dueling Philosophers
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
-George Santayana
It is the soothing thing about history that it does repeat itself.
-Gertrude Stein
May 25, 2013
A Pair of Abigails
There have been quite a few U.S. Presidents with the same first name; there have been three Georges: Washington, H.W. Bush and W. Bush.
The names John and William tie for second with four apiece; John: Adams, John Quincy, Tyler and Kennedy. The four Williams are Harrison, McKinley, Taft and Clinton.
The most common name for Amercian presidents is James; Monroe, Madison, Polk, Buchanan, Garfield and Carter.
Yet, there have been only two First Ladies with the same first name: Abigail Adams, wife of John (on the left, below) and Abigail Fillmore, wife of Millard. (on the right)
The names John and William tie for second with four apiece; John: Adams, John Quincy, Tyler and Kennedy. The four Williams are Harrison, McKinley, Taft and Clinton.
The most common name for Amercian presidents is James; Monroe, Madison, Polk, Buchanan, Garfield and Carter.
Yet, there have been only two First Ladies with the same first name: Abigail Adams, wife of John (on the left, below) and Abigail Fillmore, wife of Millard. (on the right)
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May 20, 2013
Life's a Beach
| Your Ideal Beach Vacation Is Cozy |
 Your idea of a day at the beach is one that feels as natural and as homey as possible. You dream of living at the beach, and even if you can't live there permanently, you'd like to be there a while. Your dream beach getaway would place you right on the beach with your own private quarters. You'd love to wake up to a beach sunrise and wind down with a beach sunset. And listen to the ocean crashing as you sleep. For you, the beach is a place to get warm and sleepy. Once you get comfortable, you never want to leave. More than any type, you belong on the coast permanently. If it isn't already, then it should be your home. |
Dangerous Knows Dangerous
Richard Nixon once referred to Timothy Leary as "the most dangerous man in America". Leary, a clinical psychologist and LSD advocate, was a counter-culture hero in the psychedelic 1960's and advised that generation to "turn on, tune in, drop out."
Nixon calling Leary "dangerous" was a proverbial case of "pot, meet kettle".
Legend of a Mind - The Moody Blues
Nixon calling Leary "dangerous" was a proverbial case of "pot, meet kettle".
Legend of a Mind - The Moody Blues
May 18, 2013
May 17, 2013
motza
motza mot·ser
noun Australian Slang
a large amount of money, especially a sum won in gambling.
Since I've been online, I've learned a lot of slang from my friends in other countries, but I've never seen/heard this one used.
Whatever the opposite word and meaning is, that'd be the word I'd have to use. I am not a bad poker player, but not a good one, either, mostly breaking even. I never had much luck at all betting on football games. (I once lost an entire paycheck betting on the Cowboys) I used to like to play scratch tickets, but winning tickets are few and far between - my average is less than the stated odds on the back of the tickets. I seldom even win a flip of a coin.
The Mega Millions lottery is tonight ($190 million) and the Powerball ($550 million) tomorrow. Here's hoping I have motza after either one. If I do, I might just take a trip to Australia so I can use it and have people understand what I mean.
May 14, 2013
If I Fell - The Beatles
My favorite Beatles tune and IMHO, the prettiest melody and lyrics of them all.
Personally Prioritized Principles
| You Prioritize Principles |
 Whether you're religious or simply philosophical, you have an ethical framework that you're serious about following. When it comes to what's right, you don't think things are as gray as they seem. People just want to avoid doing what they need to do. It isn't easy to behave ethically, and that's why you put so much emphasis on it. You think people should be recognized more for upstanding behavior. Those who don't know you well may call you obstinate and inflexible, but little do they know how much flexibility your ideas about morality give you. By having a clear idea of what is right and wrong for you, you trust yourself to be adventurous and open. You know you'll stick to your guns when you need to. |
I have principles; I just misplace them now and then.
Jackpots, Stocks & Socks
There's a lottery frenzy going on right now; the Mega Millions jackpot is $170 million and the Powerball is up to $350 million. I bought a QP (quick pick) ticket for each earlier this evening. I don't expect to win either, but it sure would be nice.
I sometimes visit a lottery forum and *sometimes* enjoy reading the comments. I was surprised at the level of contention over how people should invest their money or even spend it. I did enjoy one obviously young man's recent post with pics of all the things he would buy; a few sports cars and a house that looked larger than many hotels I've seen. It had a game room with a dozen arcade games, pinball machines, 2-lane bowling alley, a huge gym, a man cave with a gigantic video screen and bar. There were so many photos of things he would buy it took a minute or so to load even w/ my fairly fast connection. Some castigated him over his conspicuous consumption dreams but others laughed and said more power to him. (my thoughts)
Other people said they'd live in swanky places such as Beverly Hills or Malibu while others said they wouldn't want to live in those type places. I agree with the latter. Some said they would want to have multiple houses and live in Hawaii or Florida during the winter and in the north in summer. (Me? I'd be worrying about the one house while living in the other) One woman wants to live in Paris, something I would never, ever do. I don't really have any desire to visit France except for the Normandy D-Day beaches.
The investment advice varies greatly, too. "Buy gold and silver!" declare some. "Diamonds!" say others. Some say they'd play the stock market. (and I expect the stock market *might* play THEM) A few take the survivalist route, say they'd buy a place in the mountains with plenty of guns, freeze dried foods, etc. I guess that's OK, but it certainly wouldn't be enjoying your new-found wealth, at least not to me. (as I've mentioned before)
One guy distrusted the stock market and other investments so much he said he'd just as soon stuff it all into a mattress. That's a little TOO cautious for me, but I have always thought I might make a pillow full of cash. I don't know if that would make me sleep easy or not sleep at all worrying about it, but....
Some of the best arguments are over taking the lump sum or the annuity. When purchasing my lottery tickets, I always opt for the lump sum for several reasons. One, the highest tax bracket just increased this year from 35% to 39.6%. Taxes very seldom go down. Secondly, the annuity would give you a guaranteed income for its length (26 yrs on Mega Millions, 30 on Powerball) but I'm getting to the age where I most likely wouldn't see the last checks and even if I did, I might not have the mental facilities to endorse them.
Maybe a good investment would be a nice retirement home and pay the employees very well and also stipulate that, on the day after I died, they were all fired. I imagine I'd get some great care.
As I said, I doubt I'll ever win the lottery,but if I do, I plan to give all my winnings away.
Yes, all of it; to charity, friends and family, but also to current land owners, building contractors, auto dealerships, airlines, resorts, cruise ships, restaurants, clothing stores, etc. Of course, I'll have to give the govt. 39.6% plus what they'll take after I die, plus taxes on my earnings from investments.(that mattress idea looks better all the time)
I don't think I could ever be obscenely extravagant, but who knows? I once read Justin Timberlake wears brand new underwear every day. I never found out what he did with the old ones, but he could probably make a pretty good amt. by selling them on Ebay. I might do something like that, only with socks, although I doubt anyone would want my "old" socks, even with only one wearing. I guess I could donate them to charity. (after washing, of course) OTOH, I could probably hire someone to come in and sort and match them, that would be the main reason I'd wear a new pair every day. I really hate having to try to match up nearly identical white socks.
I sometimes visit a lottery forum and *sometimes* enjoy reading the comments. I was surprised at the level of contention over how people should invest their money or even spend it. I did enjoy one obviously young man's recent post with pics of all the things he would buy; a few sports cars and a house that looked larger than many hotels I've seen. It had a game room with a dozen arcade games, pinball machines, 2-lane bowling alley, a huge gym, a man cave with a gigantic video screen and bar. There were so many photos of things he would buy it took a minute or so to load even w/ my fairly fast connection. Some castigated him over his conspicuous consumption dreams but others laughed and said more power to him. (my thoughts)
Other people said they'd live in swanky places such as Beverly Hills or Malibu while others said they wouldn't want to live in those type places. I agree with the latter. Some said they would want to have multiple houses and live in Hawaii or Florida during the winter and in the north in summer. (Me? I'd be worrying about the one house while living in the other) One woman wants to live in Paris, something I would never, ever do. I don't really have any desire to visit France except for the Normandy D-Day beaches.
The investment advice varies greatly, too. "Buy gold and silver!" declare some. "Diamonds!" say others. Some say they'd play the stock market. (and I expect the stock market *might* play THEM) A few take the survivalist route, say they'd buy a place in the mountains with plenty of guns, freeze dried foods, etc. I guess that's OK, but it certainly wouldn't be enjoying your new-found wealth, at least not to me. (as I've mentioned before)
One guy distrusted the stock market and other investments so much he said he'd just as soon stuff it all into a mattress. That's a little TOO cautious for me, but I have always thought I might make a pillow full of cash. I don't know if that would make me sleep easy or not sleep at all worrying about it, but....
Some of the best arguments are over taking the lump sum or the annuity. When purchasing my lottery tickets, I always opt for the lump sum for several reasons. One, the highest tax bracket just increased this year from 35% to 39.6%. Taxes very seldom go down. Secondly, the annuity would give you a guaranteed income for its length (26 yrs on Mega Millions, 30 on Powerball) but I'm getting to the age where I most likely wouldn't see the last checks and even if I did, I might not have the mental facilities to endorse them.
Maybe a good investment would be a nice retirement home and pay the employees very well and also stipulate that, on the day after I died, they were all fired. I imagine I'd get some great care.
As I said, I doubt I'll ever win the lottery,but if I do, I plan to give all my winnings away.
Yes, all of it; to charity, friends and family, but also to current land owners, building contractors, auto dealerships, airlines, resorts, cruise ships, restaurants, clothing stores, etc. Of course, I'll have to give the govt. 39.6% plus what they'll take after I die, plus taxes on my earnings from investments.(that mattress idea looks better all the time)
I don't think I could ever be obscenely extravagant, but who knows? I once read Justin Timberlake wears brand new underwear every day. I never found out what he did with the old ones, but he could probably make a pretty good amt. by selling them on Ebay. I might do something like that, only with socks, although I doubt anyone would want my "old" socks, even with only one wearing. I guess I could donate them to charity. (after washing, of course) OTOH, I could probably hire someone to come in and sort and match them, that would be the main reason I'd wear a new pair every day. I really hate having to try to match up nearly identical white socks.
May 13, 2013
Horrible Hyena Humor
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When a hyena is making its signature laughing sound it's expressing frustration, usually when fighting a more dominant hyena or other hyenas for food. |
An old man took his grandson to the zoo and during the tour they stopped in front of the hyena cage. The tour guide said:
"This is the laughing hyena, so called because of its distinctive bark which sounds like laughter. It eats 45 lbs. of meat a week and only evacuates once a month."
The old man snorted and dryly said: "Hmmph! If that S.O.B. eats 45 lbs. of meat a week and only craps once a month, I don't see what the hell it's laughing about!"
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