dulcify

dulcify dul·ci·fy [duhl-suh-fahy] verb (used with object), dul·ci·fied, dul·ci·fy·ing.

1. to make more agreeable; mollify; appease.

2. to sweeten.

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I wasn't familiar with this word and I'm certainly not familiar with the first definition...at the least, I'm not very good at it. 

Anniversary of the British Invasion

It officially began at 8 pm on Sunday 9th February, 1964 when the live broadcast of the first Ed Sullivan Show was aired with the full Beatles line-up. The band played five songs (All My Loving, Till There Was You, She Loves You, I Saw Her Standing There and I Want To Hold Your Hand) and made broadcasting history.

Just a snippet of the first show, but someone on YouTube has made all three Ed Sullivan shows with the Beatles available in a single video.

Old Friends

These people had a pet baby squirrel who ran away once he was full grown. He still comes back to visit every once in a while

10 Winter Sports Fails

As far as I'm concerned, winter is a fail, esp. the one we're having right now.

What's Your Ideal Home?

Your Ideal Home is a Farmhouse

You want your home to be an escape from everything - including civilization. You want to be away from it all. You don't mind having to travel a bit more for things if it means you get to come home to a starry sky every night. You would love to get back to nature. Growing and preparing your own food is right up your alley. There's nothing more relaxing than imagining a quiet day with fresh air and plenty of critters to keep you company.

What's Your Ideal Home?

Best Oscar Movie

With the Oscars coming up, ABC News has come up with an NCAA basketball-type bracket which allows you to rank the best Oscar winners over the past 64 years.

Easy to do; hover over each entry with your cursor to see a synopsis of each movie, then click on one to send it on to the second round. Do one side, then go over to the other. (there will be more of the bracket and you'll need to scroll down to see all the choices)

There were only a few movies I had not seen and coincidentally enough, the very first choice I had to make was between two of them (Argo and The Artist). I went ahead and voted, not only because I had to in order to complete the first round, but I had read enough about both of those movies to make an informed choice.

Other choices were much more difficult to make, because I HAD seen both and loved each but had to make a choice. (such as Patton and Midnight Cowboy) Difficult decisions aside, it was a fun thing to do. The next round will begin Feb. 6th and I'm looking forward to continue voting and to eventually see which movie gets the most votes.

Best Oscar Winning Movie

It's The Same Old Song - Four Tops

HenCam

A recent discovery, I really enjoy getting updates from the site in my reader and I try to visit every day I can to view the various webcams.  The owner of the site is a lady who lives in a small town outside of Boston.

There's an outside cam (pictured above), where you can find the hens on most days. It's fun to watch them peck and scratch the ground and I find it as entertaining as watching an aquarium full of fish.  There's also inside cameras, one in a separate barn for chickens and another for the same chickens pictured in the above screen shot.  There's also a GoatCam (actually two, one for inside and another outside that will switch between them on a motion sensor) that shows the activities of the two Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats, Pip and Caper. 

The hens also all have names, but I'm not familiar enough yet to recognize each of them.  There's a page with photos of each with their names.  If you watch long enough, you'll also see Phoebe the rabbit hopping in or out of the view.

Today's article was very interesting, about re-introducing a hen - Beulah - back into the flock.  (there really IS such a thing as a "pecking order").  Check it out;  if you like animals and especially chickens (and goats and rabbits!) you're sure to enjoy it as I do.

HenCam

What Kind of Puzzle Are You?

You Are a Crossword Puzzle

You are well read, and you have a good head for remembering facts. You are a wordsmith. You have a way with words, and you're very literate. You are a mysterious person who enjoys dropping little clues every now and then.

What Kind of Puzzle Are You?

Cupcakes!

I never had children, but if I did, I'd have a little girl just like this one, I'm sure.

Wake Up, Sinners - The Dirt Daubers

What Kind Of Dog Are You?

Because is there anything better than being a dog?

(that's from the site and I'd have to say "yes" - I'd much rather be a human than a dog...think about it for a while and I'm sure you'd agree with me)

That said, I wouldn't disagree with these results.

What Kind Of Dog Are You?

Twister History

It's not known when the first tornado hit the United States; tornado records have been kept only since 1916.

Groundhog Day Countdown

10 Groundhog Day countdown banners

There are quite a few other sites that offer holiday countdown banners and loads of scripts one can use, but several of those won't work on Blogger and while some will work, they conflict with my calendar at the top of the page.

I know one thing for certain, though: No matter how many years I will be blessed to live, I will always think of my online pal Garazon on Groundhog Day.

I might be senile, and not remember his name (or my own), but I'll think of him.

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I meant to add that these things are fun to put into any email program that allows it. I've done it before, added a line separator and used it as a signature.

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A little "bump" because...well, just because.

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Another bump because why waste a perfectly good Groundhog Day post?

Just One Look - The Hollies

Great interviews, both old and new starting about halfway through the video.

ugsome

ugsome ug·some [uhg-suhm] adjective Scot. and North England

horrid; loathsome

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Not sure where I had seen it, but I was familiar with this word; I don't think I've ever used it, however.

It should be stencilled on Nancy Pelosi's mirror, though.

Out of Place

From the now-defunct spoonsisters.com website:

NO D.C. For Me!

I'm surprised Washington, D.C. is rated as high as it is. Up to me, it would have been a negative 60%.

I'm not sure people in Austin would want me moving there, either...I'm a little too conservative for them, I'm sure.  OTOH, I'd help keep it weird.

The City That Best Fits You Is Austin

75% Austin 70% Atlanta 60% Washington, DC 60% Las Vegas 60% Miami

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

For Your Hairy Brownies

I really like shopping on Amazon, finding it easy to get certain items without having to buy from the local Walmart and most of the time the items are less expensive on Amazon than they are at that "discount" store.

Earlier this evening, I searched for an unfamiliar candy ingredient I saw in a recipe and saw the sale listing on Amazon in the search results.  After finding out what it was, I started looking at other items on Amazon, checking out the related items.  I looked at baking chocolate and saw a high rating for a Ghirardelli brownie mix.  I glanced at the price,  reasonable enough for four boxes of premium mix, then scrolled down to read the comments when I saw a "Frequently Bought Together" listing.  Amazon has these under nearly every product and usually there's a price break when the items are purchased together.  It's mostly like items or those that compliment each other, such as several pieces of microwave cookware or a set of knives with a sharpener.  I couldn't understand this pairing, though:

Which BBT Character Are You?

Which Big Bang Theory Character Are You?

Bacon Explosion

Heart attack on a plate...but what a way to go!

Flag On That 404 Page!

From the Dallas Cowboys website:

I'm not positive, but I believe that signal is for unsportsmanlike conduct and/or a non-contact foul.

Song 2 - Blur

Not a Negative

Cute 404 page from iStockphoto.com

What Kind of Reader Are You?

You Are an Eclectic Reader

You will read almost anything, and you think the best gems are discovered randomly. You are curious about books. Of all the types, you are the most likely to spend time browsing a bookstore, especially one with used and rare books. Your taste is varied, but if you had to say, it's pretty far outside the mainstream. You don't like anything too predictable. You appreciate experimental writing and writing that challenges you. You prefer books that make you grow, even if you they are more difficult to read.

What Kind of Reader Are You?

banal

banal ba·nal [buh-nal, -nahl, beyn-l] adjective

devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite

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That pretty much describes this blog.

What a Days!

Today is National Peanut Butter Day. It's also National Compliment Day.

My loyal readers of this blog are all nicer than a peanut butter sandwich. (not sure if you're all nicer than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, though)

And I'm sure you don't stick to the roof of the mouth, either.

Oldest Trick in the Book

Some of their adverts aren't funny at all, but this latest batch is clever, the "did you know" ones.  Here's the latest one I've seen, really well done.

That Link Is Toast

From Cooking.com

I Hate Snow, Too

We Can Dance

Hollywood Movie Dance Tribute

I recognized or have seen about half the movies w/ scenes in this.  How 'bout you?

Part II

Monkeying Around With 404 Pages

I've been meaning to start this new category, but keep forgetting.  It's a collection of "404" pages I've been directed to on websites.  I'm sure you've seen them, but if you're not aware of what they are, they're basically dead links, the "page not found" message. (or, for more information, click on the "404" link above)

There are websites devoted to 404 pages, so it's not as though I'm doing anything new. (here's one and here's another.)

This is one that just an hour or so ago was directed to at userscripts.org, a site I sometimes get scripts to use in my Greasemonkey add-on for my Firefox browser. I thought it was appropriate - a monkey and Greasemonkey.

(click image for larger view)

Big State Quiz

Of course I am, couldn't have been any other.

You Are Texas

You have a larger than life personality. Whatever you do, you do big! You are outgoing and comfortable with who you are. People can take you or leave you - and you're fine with that. You are more uninhibited than most people. You are proud of who you are and where you come from. You may be a bit of a wild child, but you are never rude. You like to show people that you were raised right.

What Big US State Are You?

Devil Baby Attack

Dirty White Boy - Foreigner

I try to post videos from the time the song came out, but this one was the best I found. Seeing how the band members have aged from the early videos makes ME feel old, though. -sigh-

echt

echt [ekht] adjective German
real; authentic; genuine.

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I'm of German origin, but I've never heard nor seen this word. Of course, about the only German I know is from watching old WWII movies and a few curse words I've picked up. (oddly enough, they sound pretty much like the English versions)

"Echt" sounds like the sound I make before I spit.

Valerie - The Zutons

Bet You CAN Eat Just One!

French Fries or Onion Rings?

You Are French Fries

You are friendly and easygoing. People can't help but like you! You are always welcome wherever you go, and people crave you more than they'd like to admit. You are extremely fun loving. You try not to think about responsibilities whenever possible. You are rich in personality and spirit. You have a lot to offer, but you never let it go to your head.

Are You French Fries or Onion Rings?
 

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

infinitesimal

infinitesimal in·fin·i·tes·i·mal[in-fin-i-tes-uh-muhl]

adjective

1. indefinitely or exceedingly small; minute: infinitesimal vessels in the circulatory system.
2. immeasurably small; less than an assignable quantity: to an infinitesimal degree.
3. of, pertaining to, or involving infinitesimals

noun

4. an infinitesimal quantity.
5. Mathematics  a variable having zero as a limit.

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That's a good description as to the number of visitors to this blog.

Peppermint Patties

From Joy of Baking, one of my favorite recipe sites and one to which I've subscribed to the longest in my reader.

Peppermint Patties are also one of my favorite candies;  they're not exactly health food, but they're better for me than most other sweets.

YouTube Channel

Facebook

Website

hurdy-gurdy

hurdy-gurdy [hur-dee-gur-dee, -gur-] noun, plural hur·dy-gur·dies.

1. a barrel organ or similar musical instrument played by turning a crank.

2. a lute- or guitar-shaped stringed musical instrument sounded by the revolution against the strings of a rosined wheel turned by a crank.

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A LONG time ago I was at a junior high dance, sitting in the corner, watching my recently ex-girlfriend dance with all the other guys. Between songs, she came over to me and said I should cheer up, that we would always be friends, that she loved me but wasn't IN love with me and that I should ask her best friend to dance. (her best friend hated me, and not only had an ugly personality, she was ugly on the outside, too).

I told her that I would, but had forgotten my hurdy-gurdy machine.

Keep Your Swatters Handy

Just two flies can produce 191,010,000,000,000,000,000 offspring in 4 months.

mot

mot [moh] noun

1. a pithy or witty remark; bon mot.
2. Archaic. a note on a horn, bugle, etc.

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This blog needs more mots.

At least as far as the first definition goes.

I'd Say This is True

Your Attitudes Toward Women Are Mixed

You aren't exactly modern in your beliefs, but you aren't traditional either. You're generally pretty progressive when it comes to gender roles, but you wish that some traditions were preserved as well. It's likely that you value personal choice and believe that there are many paths for happiness. You think that being a stay at home mom and a hard charging business women are mutually admirable.

What Are Your Attitudes Toward Women?

Love Hurts!

Not Available

I hate it when one of my YouTube channels posts a new video and I get notified about it ... only to get this message:

In this case, the offending channel is Eagle Rock, which does it far too often for my liking. I'm not understanding just why they do it unless it's to get out of paying royalties.  (I know some other countries censor some or all of YouTube vids and there are reasons we in the U.S. can't get BBC videos) There are ways of appending the URL of the video or using an extension to get around the block, but it's just not worth the hassle. 

It's a Long Way to the Top - Skyline

A cover by the German band Skyline at the 2009 Wacken Open Air concert.

Not sure how many other covers of the song I've posted in here, but I'll eventually find them all.

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

From one of my favorite YouTube channels, Food Wishes, the video feed of AllRecipes.

Pocket Man

But, I always figured I'd be considered a fly kinda guy.

You Are the Front Pocket

You are a very easygoing person who just takes life as it comes. You are quite lighthearted. You are active and even spontaneous. You are up for almost anything, even on short notice. You are flexible and resourceful. You don't need much to be happy; you make do with what you have. You travel light through life. You aren't the type of person who collects stuff... or emotional baggage!

What Part of a Pair of Jeans Are You?