What time is o'clock?

Tidy up your bedroom!

2012-03-02T16:18:00.001+01:00

Peter found this encouraging story:

Like any typical teenager, Ryan Kitching resisted all his mother's attempts to get him to tidy his bedroom.

For two weeks, the 19-year-old turned a deaf ear to all her pleas for him to clear up the mess.

But when he finally gave in and started sifting through the junk, he found a lottery ticket from the February 8 draw.

And instead of tossing it in the bin, he had it checked - and found it had five winning numbers and a bonus ball.

Suddenly, supermarket worker Ryan, of Penicuik, Midlothian, found himself £52,981 the richer and posted on his Facebook page: 'Special thanks to my mum for putting up with me haha!'

Now he plans to reward his long-suffering mother Susan and father Raymond by arranging for them to go on holiday.

The odds of getting Billy and Paul to keep their rooms tidy were more or less the same as winning the lottery!

Modern technology

2012-03-01T18:57:00.001+01:00

There's a message underfoot...

2012-02-29T18:17:00.000+01:00

This is a cool floor. I wonder if the designer was thinking about the 99%?

Everything is relative...

2012-02-28T16:30:00.001+01:00

Unique experience

2012-02-27T19:20:00.000+01:00

Mrsgunka sent me this great video. Thank you, MrsG.

Are American women going to be sent back to the 19th Century?

2012-02-26T16:00:00.002+01:00

Tumbleweed sent me something about the struggle of pioneering women fighting for the right to vote. I did a bit of research and gathered some interesting material to go with Tumbleweed's contribution. (The body of the original e-mail is contained in the video.) Thank you, TW.

Let's start with some of the history:

The struggle to achieve equal rights for women is often thought to have begun, in the English-speaking world, with the publication of Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). During the 19th century, as male suffrage was gradually extended in many countries, women became increasingly active in the quest for their own suffrage. Not until 1893, however, in New Zealand, did women achieve suffrage on the national level. Australia followed in 1902, but American, British, and Canadian women did not win the same rights until the end of World War I.

The United States

The demand for the enfranchisement of American women was first seriously formulated at the Seneca Falls Convention (1848). After the Civil War, agitation by women for the ballot became increasingly vociferous. In 1869, however, a rift developed among feminists over the proposed 15th Amendment, which gave the vote to black men. Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and others refused to endorse the amendment because it did not give women the ballot. Other suffragists, however, including Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe, argued that once the black man was enfranchised, women would achieve their goal. As a result of the conflict, two organizations emerged. Stanton and Anthony formed the National Woman Suffrage Association to work for suffrage on the federal level and to press for more extensive institutional changes, such as the granting of property rights to married women. Stone created the American Woman Suffrage Association, which aimed to secure the ballot through state legislation. In 1890 the two groups united under the name National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). In the same year Wyoming entered the Union, becoming the first state with general women's suffrage (which it had adopted as a territory in 1869).

As the pioneer suffragists began to withdraw from the movement because of age, younger women assumed leadership roles. One of the most politically astute was Carrie Chapman Catt, who was named president of NAWSA in 1915. Another prominent suffragist was Alice Paul. Forced to resign from NAWSA because of her insistence on the use of militant direct-action tactics, Paul organized the National Woman's Party, which used such strategies as mass marches and hunger strikes. Perseverance on the part of both organizations eventually led to victory. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment granted the ballot to American women.
[Scholastic - Resources for Teachers]

THE NIGHT OF TERROR - November 1917

Lucy Burns

Dora Lewis

Alice Paul

Pauline Adams

Edith Ainge

Berthe Arnold

Helena Hill Weed

There was a lot of propaganda against women's suffrage, on top of the violence:

In the last couple of centuries, women fought long and hard to achieve equal rights in many areas. The fight still goes on for equal pay. Certain politicians want to turn the clock back and take away many of these achievements, notably in the area of reproductive rights. It started with abortion, but now one of these politicians promises to legislate against contraception as well. What next? Take away women's the right to vote?

Can American women afford to be treated as mere chattels again?

On...off

2012-02-25T15:36:00.000+01:00

Awww... babies!

2012-02-24T17:10:00.000+01:00

Ready or not, here I come!

2012-02-23T16:00:00.005+01:00

My brother posted this photo on his Facebook wall. I find it charming...

Food for thought

2012-02-22T16:00:00.002+01:00

Enough said.

Eagle time!

2012-02-21T17:08:00.000+01:00

It's that time of the year when we start following the joys and dramas of the Decorah eagles. It looks very cold out there! The second egg was laid yesterday evening.

I've embeded the livestream video on the sidebar to make life easier. [h/t to Shapeshifterbelly]

The magic of water

2012-02-20T16:15:00.000+01:00

Our friend Dominique sent me a spectacular slide show. All the pictures are connected with water in some way.

A cute moment

2012-02-19T18:53:00.000+01:00

I found this cute video and thought of Sleuth...

A fun game - UPDATE

2012-02-18T18:27:00.003+01:00

Mrsgunka sent me a good joke:

A lawyer and a senior citizen are sitting next to each other on a long flight. The lawyer is thinking that seniors are so dumb that he could get one over on them easily . So the lawyer asks if the senior would like to play a fun game.

The senior is tired and just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and tries to catch a few winks.

The lawyer persists, saying that the game is a lot of fun...."I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me only $5.00. Then you ask me one, and if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500.00," he says.

This catches the senior's attention and, to keep the lawyer quiet, he agrees to play the game.

The lawyer asks the first question. "What's the distance from the Earth to the Moon?"

The senior doesn't say a word, but reaches into his pocket, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it to the lawyer.

Now, it's the senior's turn. He asks the lawyer, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?"

The lawyer uses his laptop to search all references he can find on the internet. He sends e-mails to all the smart friends he knows; all to no avail. After an hour of searching, he finally gives up.

He wakes the senior and hands him $500.00. The senior pockets the $500.00 and goes right back to sleep.

The lawyer is going nuts not knowing the answer. He wakes the senior up and asks, "Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?"

The senior reaches into his pocket, hands the lawyer $5.00, and goes back to sleep.

Thank you, Mrsgunka.

[Mrsgunka sent me the link to her niece's blog and I've added it to the blog list on the right. It's really lovely, worth visiting...]

******

UPDATE

I got my dates muddled up and thought Ray's birthday was tomorrow. It's today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RAY!

Here's Ray with his mom Marcie on her 102nd birthday last August

Wine tasting

2012-02-17T16:00:00.001+01:00

Grammy97 sent us this joke:

At a local winery, the regular taster died and the director started looking for a new one to hire. A drunk with a ragged dirty look came to apply for the position.

The director of the factory wondered how to send him away. They gave him a glass to drink. The old guy tried it and said, "It's a muscat three years old, grown on a north slope, matured in steel containers. Low grade but acceptable."

"That's correct!" said the boss. "Another glass, please."

The man said, "It's a cabernet, eight years old, south-western slope, oak barrels, matured at eight degrees. Requires three more years for finest results."

"Absolutely correct!" said the boss again. "A third glass, please."

"It's a pinot blanc champagne, high grade and exclusive," calmly said the drunk.

The director was astonished, so winked at his secretary, to suggest something. She left the room and came back in with a glass of urine.

The alcoholic tried it. "It's a blonde, 26 years old, three months pregnant... and if I don't get the job, I'll name the father."

Thank you, Grammy

Easy yoga

2012-02-16T17:59:00.000+01:00

Yoga positions require a lot of dedication and discipline to be achieved to perfection. CC sent me examples of an alternative way to obtain results. All that's needed is a LOT of booze!

Thank you for the laugh, CC.

Fragile children need some help.

2012-02-15T18:41:00.000+01:00

An old friend sent me the following email. I'm sure you will remember her and will not hesitate to help.

Hi Regina!

I hope you remember me. I have been lurking on your new site, and I really like it. I am sending emails to all of my friends and contacts. We need your help.

The State of Illinois is trying to take away medical coverage for children with complex medical issues, like my Christopher. We have a waiver, and the program is limited to about 500 children at any one time. The State is broke, and they believe one of the ways to balance the budget is to cut off populations that they believe will not fight back.

We are asking for help, no matter your location, in fighting back. We have started a petition online and are asking that folks sign and then blog, tweet, facebook whatever to get more folks there. If you are resident of Illinois, we are asking that you also email, call or write your State Senators and Representatives. Our children's lives literally hang in the balance.

Little Christopher a few years ago

If I were forced to hospitalize or admit Christopher to a nursing home, not only would it cost about 8 times what this program does, he would most likely be dead in 3 to 6 months. He has no immune system. There are 500 children in the same situation.

I am posting a link to my blog. There is a widget at the top of the page to go sign the petition. I hope you can use your blog and/or contacts to help us out.

Keep up the great work on your blog! : ) Hugs!!!

Steph (DS Mama)

I signed the petition this morning, please help these children in Illinois. Head to Steph's site for that very important click...

Thank you.

Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T19:09:00.000+01:00

I'll indulge myself with an old time favourite. Peter and I will take a trip back to 30 years ago...

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Different words...

2012-02-13T18:43:00.000+01:00

View_From_Here found another gem:

Thank you, View.

Darwin Day

2012-02-12T15:04:00.003+01:00

Today is the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin.

I wonder what Darwin would make of people who seem to be going backwards...

Sisters

2012-02-11T18:41:00.000+01:00

“In thee my soul shall own combined the sister and the friend” ~ Catherine Killigrew

[This post is dedicated to Naomi and MrsG.]

Young Bluegrass

2012-02-10T18:14:00.000+01:00

Peter came across this video and was amazed at the talent of these three young brothers...

More videos HERE.

Safety in numbers (1)

2012-02-09T16:00:00.003+01:00

Our intrepid jet setter Tumbleweed sent me some cute commercials. This is one of them:

Thank you, Tumbleweed.

Clean lizard

2012-02-08T19:27:00.000+01:00

This headline on the Daily Mail caught my eye:

Born survivor! Lizard stows away in luggage and then goes through cycle in WASHING MACHINE before being adopted by stunned holidaymaker.

A rare lizard survived a 3,000-mile flight in a freezing cold luggage hold only to then be put through the wash by an unsuspecting holidaymaker.

Company director Sue Banwell-Moore had returned from a trip to the Cape Verde islands, off the coast of Western Africa, with a friend when she found the brown 6in (15cm) long Chioninia lizard among her washing.

Ms Banwell-Moore said after the initial shock, she realised it must have stowed away in her suitcase and travelled all the way back to her house in Churchinford, near Taunton, Somerset.

'I got home on the Tuesday and it was snowy in the Blackdown Hills, and we got back in the early hours of the morning so it wasn't until the next day when I did a couple of loads of washing that I found him,' she said.

'I did scream, I was just so shocked, I couldn't believe how it had got there, on my floor, and was wondering if it was going to run all around the room.

Ms Banwell-Moore said she had fallen in love with Larry after realising just what the reptile had gone through.

Larry has now completed the last part of his journey - 25 miles from Churchinford to the Tropiquaria Wildlife Park in Watchet, where he will spend the rest of his days.

Celebrating women

2012-02-07T16:00:00.001+01:00

Mrsgunka has shared this video with me and it's worth every second. Thank you, Mrsgunka.

Perseverance

2012-02-06T17:45:00.000+01:00

Reader Short ribs79 sent me this bittersweet joke:

A female CNN journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Western Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for a long, long time. So she went to check it out. She went to the Western Wall and there he was, walking slowly up to the holy site. She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turned to leave, using a cane and moving very slowly, she approached him for an interview.

"Pardon me, sir, I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN. What's your name?

"Morris Feinberg," he replied.

"Sir, how long have you been coming to the Western Wall and praying?"

"For about 60 years."

"60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?"

"I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims."
"I pray for all the wars and all the hatred to stop."
"I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults and to love their fellow man."
"I pray that politicians tell us the truth and put the interests of the people ahead of their own interests."

"How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?"

"Like I'm talking to a f***ing wall."

Thank you, Short ribs.

Smile!

2012-02-06T16:30:00.002+01:00

Mrsgunka sent me this funny video:

Thank you for the laugh, Mrsgunka.

Sweet...

2012-02-05T17:20:00.000+01:00

Abbott, Costello & Computers

2012-02-04T16:48:00.001+01:00

Linda1961 just sent me this, which came from her mom. Computers are really great, especially the internet... Thank you, Linda.

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, 'Who's on First?' might have turned out something like this:

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.
ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.
ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.
ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?
ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?
ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows.. I need a computer and software.
ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?
ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?
ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?
ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?
ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?
ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!
ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows..

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?
ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?
ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue 'W'.

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue 'w' if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?
ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?
ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?
ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?
ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?
ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?
ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?
ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on 'START'.............

Take it easy, rider

2012-02-03T23:00:00.002+01:00

Mrsgunka rides again!

Thank you, MrsG.

Wisdom

2012-02-03T16:05:00.002+01:00

One for the ladies

2012-02-02T22:00:00.003+01:00

Shapeshifterbelly requested this video:

As a favour to me, when the David Beckham underwear commercial for the Super Bowl is made available online, would you post it to your blog? It made this old lady's heart skip a beat.

Yum!!

I must confess that Beckham does nothing for me. It must be the squeaky voice...

So true...

2012-02-02T16:00:00.002+01:00

Pilots v Mechanics

2012-02-01T18:43:00.001+01:00

We haven't had a "funny" in a while. Here's one from Mrsgunka's collection:

After every flight, UPS pilots fill out a form, called a 'gripe sheet,' which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft.

The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.

Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humour...

Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by UPS pilots (marked with a "P") and the solutions recorded by the maintenance engineers (marked with an "S").

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
*
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
*
P: Something loose in cockpit
S: Something tightened in cockpit
*
P: Dead bugs on wind shield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.
*
P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
*
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.
*
P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.
*
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.
*
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode..
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
*
P: Suspected crack in wind shield.
S: Suspect you're right.
*
P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search
*
P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right and be serious.
*
P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
*
P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.
*
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.

Thank you, Mrsgunka.

Seriously cheeky

2012-01-31T19:59:00.000+01:00

Here's another little gem, via View_From_Here:

Thank you, View.

Fun food

2012-01-30T21:03:00.000+01:00

We had a busy day today, so here's a quick post. Who knew food could be so much fun?

There are more pictures HERE.

Cute

2012-01-29T18:03:00.000+01:00

Sleuth sent me this video and added a comment: "I almost needed insulin to watch this!"

I agree, Sleuth. It's very sweet. Thank you.

Winter, snow and driving

2012-01-28T17:14:00.000+01:00

We had some snow this morning and it was very pretty. Then I remembered a video View_From_Here sent me. I hope we don't have the same problems when we have to drive somewhere...

Thank you, View. You're lucky not to have to face snowy winters!

Healing foods

2012-01-27T20:23:00.000+01:00

Guest post by 1smartcanerican

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" ~ Hippocrates

This quote popped up so many times in my search for healing protocols for my sister once she was diagnosed with breast cancer... I had already been walking down this road for the last decade or so, but the journey became more critical with K's news and now I'm running to ensure that she gets cured with as little harm as possible to her body during this process.

I actually started looking into taking responsibility for my own health much longer ago when a friend and I took a multi-class course on herbs and their healing qualities through the local community college. It was interesting and I pretty much left it there. She, however, continued on in her studies and has since become a true healer, providing soothing relief to people transitioning at hospice centers in the area. She also jump-started my search for natural cancer cures by loaning me three books by Bill Henderson. There are lots of info to peruse at his website, if you wish.

I included this link because it is specific to Bill Henderson's information. However, below I've recommended googling other protocols because there are many sites relating to each item and you should choose the one that suits you personally.

After reading Bill Henderson's books, we decided to start with the Budwig Protocol, which is basically a mixture of organic, low fat (2% or less) cottage cheese thoroughly blended with flaxseed oil. Once this mixture is smooth and creamy with no oil showing, fruit, nuts, greens can be added to make either a yoghurt-style dish or as a base for a smoothie.

From the Gerson Therapy, we have added Hippocrates Special Soup, to be eaten twice a day and made fresh every two days. This is a wonderful, clean tasting soup that everyone in my home enjoys. It is taken prior to lunch and dinner, not in place of either meal. It is only vegetables cooked slowly in filtered water, no seasonings other than the vegetables. My husband takes a thermos each day for lunch.

Finally, we have eliminated all dairy, meat, fish, eggs, and (gluten) grains from our diet and turned to fresh fruits and vegetables and whole foods. We also are not eating "white foods" - white rice (although Arborio rice for risotto is okay), white potatoes (with a few exceptions here), white bread, white flour. I am using items made with ancient grains, ie: spelt, einkorn, faro, emmer as these are quite different from the grains we grow and consume today.

My husband has decided to join me on this journey now that he reviewed the results of his latest blood tests taken at my insistence. I was very concerned that his doctor had not contacted him regarding these results, but he called last week and asked that my husband schedule another set of tests within two weeks. Now my husband wants to follow my lead and get excellent results by the end of next week! I think he may be asking a bit much, but really glad that he got this scare as it was necessary to get his attention that his health is going downhill on his current nutritional plan.

I read "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell et al many years ago and even with push back on the study by others, I find the underlying premise that diet makes the difference in our health too significant to ignore. His findings are mirrored by many other alternative medical practitioners. There are many names that appear consistently through the literature and documentaries on alternative therapies: Budwig, Gerson, Campbell, Dr. Esselstyn, Michael Pollan are just a few examples.

There are a number of great movies/documentaries that focus on nutritional as the difference between health and illness. I'd recommend these:

· Forks Over Knives
· The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue (related to Forks Over Knives)
· Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead
· Food, Inc.
· Vegecation (this one will turn one off meat quickly!)
· King Corn

There are many more that will pop up when you look for these documentaries. Since I am an Amazon Prime member (free 2-day shipping on many items), I can stream many of these movies for free over my computer and over my TV using a wireless-ready TV or DVD player. It works well but is limited to the US only I believe.

I've read so many books and viewed so many documentaries, that it tends to get a bit jumbled in my mind, but another whole food, plant based guru recommends that "if it had a mommy and daddy and has a face", then one should not eat it.

I have lost quite a bit of weight over the last year while NOT sticking closely to this plan, but the weight is coming off again now that I am focusing on salads, green juices, fruit smoothies (no milk products, I use hemp milk as my milk of choice these days), Hippocrates soup, and any whole food with an emphasis on vegetables as fruits are high in natural sugars.

I mostly miss good cheddar cheese but I am allowing myself the occasional banned food to satisfy my food soul, thus placating myself. I refuse to feel guilty as I do get back on my plan immediately after.

There is so much to learn here but it is so much easier with the access we have to this information through the internet. I never could have done this research using just the library unless I planned to move into our library! I am thankful daily for the internet and the connections that it has created in my life, not only to change my health but more importantly, to have new friends to share my thoughts with. What a wonderful gift and how kind of Regina to open this "home" to us.

[Thank you, 1smartcanerican. ]

Oh deer!

2012-01-26T20:07:00.000+01:00

This is a nice story from Alaska. Sometimes salmon jump into boats, but this is a bit different...

Tom Satre told the Sitka Gazette that he was out with a charter group on his 62-foot fishing vessel when four juvenile black-tailed deer swam directly toward his boat.

"Once the deer reached the boat, the four began to circle the boat, looking directly at us. We could tell right away that the young bucks were distressed. I opened up my back gate and we helped the typically skittish and absolutely wild animals onto the boat. In all my years fishing, I've never seen anything quite like it! Once onboard, they collapsed with exhaustion, shivering."

"This is a picture I took of the rescued bucks on the back of my boat, the Alaska Quest. We headed for Taku Harbour . Once we reached the dock, the first buck that we had been pulled from the water hopped onto the dock, looked back as if to say 'thank you' and disappeared into the forest. After a bit of prodding and assistance, two more followed, but the smallest deer needed a little more help."

My daughter, Anna, and son, Tim, helped the last buck to its feet. We didn't know how long they had been in the icy waters or if there had been others who did not survive. My daughter later told me that the experience was something that she would never forget, and I suspect the deer felt the same way as well!"

Arizona, Brewer and books

2012-01-26T14:18:00.000+01:00

Arizona lawmakers banned schools in the state from teaching "ethnic studies" classes. Unless public schools canceled classes that included racial and ethnic themes, the state could block schools from receiving millions of dollars in critical classroom funding.

But Arizona state officials pushed one school district too far: Tucson Unified School District not only cancelled its vibrant ethnic studies classes, but also banished any book that dealt with "race or oppression."

As a result, students and teachers say dozens of books -- including Shakespeare's The Tempest -- can no longer be taught in class, and some have even been removed from classrooms and locked up in school storage.

The literary purgatory of Tucson's school storage facilities now contains dozens of books that have race as a central theme. In addition to the boxed-up books about Chicano and Mexican American history and literature, classics by authors like Thoreau, Shakespeare and Atwood are seen as too controversial by school officials.

Please sign the petition:

Tucson School Board: Don't lock up knowledge, return books to students now!

*****

I suppose "ethnic bashing" is OK, so Jan Brewer's book is safe from the ban...

SB 1070, the bill that authorizes local law enforcement to question persons suspected of being illegal aliens, was signed by Governor Jan Brewer. She goes on and on and on about it in her book "Scorpions for Breakfast: My Fight Against Special Interests, Liberal Media, and Cynical Politicos to Secure America's Border," ghostwritten by one Jessica Gavora, who also penned "America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag" for Sarah Palin.

Apparently, President Obama didn't like Brewer's book. I read several excerpts on Amazon and I don't blame him. It's atrocious!

Australia Day

2012-01-26T00:01:00.028+01:00

The timing of this post may seem strange. Most of us are way behind Australia and this post celebrates Australia Day. It had to go up before our friends down under end their celebrations and move on...

I had invaluable help from a good Australian friend, who sent me copious links to some great videos. Today we pay tribute to one of the most ancient cultures on the planet, the Aboriginal People of Australia (40,000 years and counting!).

Artist: Kaapa Tjampitjimpa

According to their culture, the world dates from a time called the Dream Time and they sang about being every living and non-living thing in the world. They would inhabit every creature and every rock.

We have a lot to learn from these peaceful, gentle and very resourceful people. They mastered their environment while preserving it, without disturbing the natural harmony in the world around them.

We start the celebrations with a couple of dances:

And continue with two beautiful songs by an extremely talented musician, blind from birth: Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu.

We also remember some Aboriginal Australians who made their country very proud:

Evonne Goolagong, winner, Wimbledon, 1971

And again in 1982

Cathy Freeman, gold medal in Sydney, 2000 Olympic Games (400m)

Lionel Rose, first Aboriginal Australian to become a world champion boxer

Lionel loved boxing and music

Happy Australia Day!

A taste of heaven

2012-01-25T14:41:00.000+01:00

A month ago we discovered that our local supermarket sells wild smoked salmon from Alaska. It looked much darker than the Scottish smoked salmon we normally buy and the slices seemed less delicate, much thicker... but we were curious, so we bought a packet.

A few packets later, I don't think we can go back to the anemic, almost transparent slices of farmed North Atlantic smoked salmon. Now we understand why they make such a fuss about salmon in the last frontier!

As a proper gourmet cat, Pirouette wholeheartedly agrees!

[I have another post coming up later. It's a celebration!]

His and hers poems

2012-01-24T19:45:00.000+01:00

Tumbleweed sent me these poems:

A WOMAN'S POEM
Before I lay me down to sleep,
I pray for a man who's not a creep,
One who's handsome, smart and strong.
One who loves to listen long,
One who thinks before he speaks,
One who'll call, not wait for weeks..
I pray he's rich and self-employed,
And when I spend, won't be annoyed.
Pull out my chair and hold my hand..
Massage my feet and help me stand.
Oh send a king to make me queen.
A man who loves to cook and clean.
I pray this man will love no other.
And relish visits with my mother.

A MAN'S POEM
I pray for a deaf-mute gymnast nymphomaniac with
big knockers who owns a bar on a golf course,
and loves to send me drinking & gambling. This
doesn't rhyme and I don't care.

*****

Thank you, Tumbleweed.

Squeaking?

2012-01-23T17:00:00.003+01:00

Oh, Mrsgunka!

Thank you, Mrsgunka, very funny!

Cats and dogs

2012-01-22T16:00:00.000+01:00

Beautiful and useful

2012-01-21T18:27:00.000+01:00

This beautiful thing has practical applications. Here are some examples:

Electronic devices
Ferrofluids are used to form liquid seals around the spinning drive shafts in hard disks. The rotating shaft is surrounded by magnets. A small amount of ferrofluid, placed in the gap between the magnet and the shaft, will be held in place by its attraction to the magnet. The fluid of magnetic particles forms a barrier which prevents debris from entering the interior of the hard drive.

Aerospace
NASA has experimented using ferrofluids in a closed loop as the basis for a spacecraft's attitude control system. A magnetic field is applied to a loop of ferrofluid to change the angular momentum and influence the rotation of the spacecraft.

Medicine
In medicine, ferrofluids are used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging and can be used for cancer detection. The ferrofluids are in this case composed of iron oxide nanoparticles and called SPION, for "Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles."

There is also much experimentation with the use of ferrofluids in an experimental cancer treatment called magnetic hyperthermia. It is based on the fact that a ferrofluid placed in an alternating magnetic field releases heat.

(Music: Gluck's Dance of the Spirits, from Orfeo et Euridice)

Owls and a pussycat

2012-01-20T18:47:00.000+01:00

We like owls here on What Time, so MD sent me these two great videos:

Thank you, MD.

How to deal with those monthly bills

2012-01-19T17:44:00.000+01:00

Courtesy of Mrsgunka:

Thank you, Mrsgunka.

Blackout

2012-01-18T10:03:00.003+01:00

Stop American Censorship

Vote for the Net

Cute baby

2012-01-17T18:36:00.000+01:00

Here's a quick cutie video to keep things going. We've been quite busy buying a newer car to replace our ancient, much loved Volvo. Will do a car post when we collect the new one. We need to share our excitement...

Be careful on the golf course

2012-01-16T18:08:00.000+01:00

View_From_Here sent me this joke:

Two women were playing golf. One teed off and watched in horror as her ball headed directly toward a foursome of men playing the next hole...

The ball hit one of the men. He immediately clasped his hands together at his groin, fell to the ground and proceeded to roll around in agony. The woman rushed down to the man, and immediately began to apologize... "Please allow me to help. I'm a Physical Therapist and I know I could relieve your pain if you'd allow me," she told him.

"Oh, no, I'll be all right. I'll be fine in a few minutes," the man replied. He was in obvious agony, lying in the fetal position, still clasping his hands there at his groin. At her persistence, however, he finally allowed her to help. She gently took his hands away and laid them to the side, loosened his pants and put her hands inside. She administered tender and skillful massage for several long moments and asked, "How does that feel?"

"Feels great," he replied, "but I still think my thumb's broken!"

Thank you, View.

Animal pictures bonanza

2012-01-15T17:00:00.001+01:00

These photos are amazing!

Quick thinking

2012-01-14T17:20:00.000+01:00

Mrsgunka sent me this joke about two naughty ladies...

Two women were out for a Saturday stroll. One had a Doberman and the other, a Chihuahua. As they walked down the street, the one with the Doberman said to her friend, "Let's go over to that bar for a drink."

The lady with the Chihuahua said, "We can't go in there. We've got dogs with us."

The one with the Doberman said, "Just watch, and do as I do."

They walked over to the bar and the one with the Doberman put on a pair of dark glasses and started to walk in.

The bouncer at the door said, "Sorry, lady, no pets allowed."

The woman with the Doberman said, "You don't understand. This is my seeing-eye dog."

The bouncer said, "A Doberman?"

The woman said, "Yes, they're using them now. They're very good."

The bouncer said, "OK, come on in."

The lady with the Chihuahua thought that convincing him that a Chihuahua was a seeing-eye dog may be a bit more difficult, but thought,"What the heck," so she put on her dark glasses and started to walk in.

Once again the bouncer said, "Sorry, lady, no pets allowed."

The woman said, "You don't understand. This is my seeing-eye dog"

The bouncer said, "A Chihuahua?"

The woman with the Chihuahua said, "A Chihuahua? They gave me a damn Chihuahua?!"

Thank you, Mrsgunka.

Life!

2012-01-13T17:00:00.003+01:00

I ain't got no home, ain't got no shoes
Ain't got no money, ain't got no class
Ain't got no skirts, ain't got no sweater
Ain't got no perfume, ain't got no bed
Ain't got no mind.

Ain't got no mother, ain't got no culture
Ain't got no friends, ain't got no schoolin'
Ain't got no love, ain't got no name
Ain't got no ticket, ain't got no token
Ain't got no god.

And what have I got?
why am I alive anyway?
yeah what have I got?
nobody can take away...?

Got my hair, got my head
Got my brains, got my ears
Got my eyes, got my nose
Got my mouth, I got my smile

I got my tongue, got my chin
Got my neck, got my boobies
Got my heart, got my soul
Got my back, I got my sex.

I got my arms, got my hands, got my fingers,
got my legs, got my feet, got my toes,
got my liver, got my blood...

I've got life,
I've got my freedom
I've got life
I've got life
and I am gonna keep it
I've got life
and nobody's gonna take it away.
I've got life!

The birds, the bees and other friends

2012-01-12T23:59:00.004+01:00

We need some beauty to counter the ugliness of the video I posted earlier. It comes courtesy of Mrsgunka.

Thank you, Mrsgunka, we needed it.

Shameful

2012-01-12T16:54:00.001+01:00

This nasty video is all over the internet. It may have not been filmed in Afghanistan, but what it depicts is very disturbing.

The BBC reports:

The US military has said it is investigating a video that appears to show a group of marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters.

The origin of the video is not known, nor is it clear who posted it online.

Marine Corps headquarters at the Pentagon said in a statement: "The actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our Corps. This matter will be fully investigated.''

These are some of the comments on the Liveleak website:

. Islam dictates that the body must be washed before burial - nothing wrong here, just helping out.

. It's "wet-down" time. Buy them lads a few beers so they can continue to piss all over the sand-monkies faces. If I was there I'd take a huge dump on one of those Taliban dude's heads. Hey, maggots gotta eat too!

. i'll bet it was cleaner than the water in that country.

. They should have shit on them first. Fuck the taliban, they are worth less than pig feed.

. They are dead. They don´t care.

. AWESOME!! Piss on those dead bastards!!!

. LOL! Final insult before they meet the maker and are cast to Hell with the rest of the MooSlimes.

. Excellent, well done lads, piss on them and what they stand for.

. They rolled up to the pearly gates expecting their 72 virgins and all they got was a stinky golden shower.

. HELL YEAH! done that to a grave but never on the body itself.. woohoo. must be awesome.

Whether the video is genuine or not, the fact that it has gone viral and has attracted these unkind comments doesn't do the US armed forces any good.

Smile!

2012-01-11T18:40:00.000+01:00

i-Laugh

2012-01-10T17:00:00.005+01:00

Tumbleweed sent me this very funny story:

It all began with an iPhone...

March was when our son celebrated his 17th birthday, and we got him an iPhone. He just loved it. Who wouldn't?

I celebrated my birthday in July, and my wife made me very happy when she bought me an iPad.

Our daughter's birthday was in August so we got her an iPod Touch.

My wife celebrated her birthday in September so I got her an iRon.

What my wife failed to recognize is that the iRon can be integrated into the home network with the iWash, iCook and iClean.

This inevitably activates the iNag reminder service.

I should be out of the hospital next week!!!

iHurt.

Thank you, Tumbleweed.

Lost goat

2012-01-09T23:59:00.001+01:00

MD sent me this. It's ingenious!

At a high school in Montana, a group of students played a prank... they let three goats loose inside the school.

But before turning them loose, they painted numbers on the sides of the goats:

1, 2, and 4.

School administrators spent most of the day looking for...

No. 3...

Thank you, MD.

Comic book setting a good example for the real world

2012-01-09T17:42:00.001+01:00

The Daily Mail reports:

The Life With Archie #16 issue due out on Wednesday features for the first time a same-sex wedding between characters Kevin Keller and partner Clay Walker.

After months of anticipation from fans of the comic book, readers will able to see soldier Kevin marry doctor Clay in front all their friends and family.

In the issue, Kevin has joined the army but is injured while serving a tour in Iraq.

While recovering from his injuries in a hospital rehabilitation unit, he meets Clay and they eventually fall in love.

Kevin is the series' first gay character and was introduced to the comic series in April 2010.

Last month, chief executive of Archie Comics Jonathan Goldwater told CNN Kevin was introduced 'to reflect what's going on with kids today in the real world'.

If only certain politicians made an effort to move into the 21st century as well...

Bonus post: Spot the Texan

2012-01-08T23:59:00.002+01:00

Spike sent me the picture below, with this message:

Hey Regina,
I think somebody sent me a baby picture of Austin today. What do you think? Spike

I didn't know our Austin was sooo cute!

Tony Blair, in a rush to hide his money and dodge taxes

2012-01-08T16:21:00.000+01:00

This is from the Daily Mail:

Tony Blair's money-making has soared to unprecedented levels as official figures reveal his companies posted a bonanza 42 per cent rise in income last year.

The former Prime Minister's secretive business empire declared a £12million turnover, up from £8.5million the year before.

Yet this is potentially only the tip of the iceberg, since Mr Blair exploits a perfectly legal loophole to keep his finances secret.

The full extent of his income is cloaked in secrecy because he has constructed a complex web of shadowy companies and partnerships which let him avoid publishing full accounts detailing all the money from his commercial ventures.

The £12million turnover was posted by Windrush Ventures, one of at least 12 companies and partnerships controlled by Mr Blair, already thought to have channelled tens of millions of pounds through his various firms since leaving Downing Street in June 2007.

But the company posted an administrative cost of nearly £10.2million to another company owned by Mr Blair, leaving him with a profit of just over £1million.

With the corporate tax rate of 28 per cent, this left Mr Blair with a tax liability of just £315,000.

Money cascades through the interlinked Windrush firms, which have been described by accountants as an 'opaque' business model which shields the true amount of money being paid to Mr Blair.

Accounts filed at Companies House yesterday revealed that £10.2million of the £12million income from Windrush Ventures Ltd was paid into it from Windrush Ventures No 2.

Income for Windrush Ventures No 1 and Windrush Ventures No 2 is not disclosed in their accounts, and there are no accounts at all for Windrush Ventures No 3 because it is a limited partnership and not required to file accounts.

Mr Blair has set up a mirror-image to the Windrush structure of four companies called Firerush Ventures.

The nature of business undertaken by the Firerush companies has never been disclosed - though limited partnership Firerush Ventures No 3 has been permitted to conduct business by City regulator the Financial Servcies Authority - suggesting a money managing activity.

Mr Blair's astonishing earnings include lucrative after-dinner speaking, consultancies with banks and foreign governments, a series of deals with foreign companies, and the pension and other perks he enjoys as a former Prime Minister - including taxpayer-funded police protection.

Critics also point out that a large proportion of his earnings comes from patrons in America and the Middle East - a clear benefit from forging a close alliance with George Bush during his invasion of Iraq.

What next? Is he going to create water and earth rush ventures to hide money from the wind and fire?

I can't forgive Tony Blair for turning the Labour Party into a gateway to his money-making ventures. I can't forgive him for taking Britain into an illegal war and making a profit from it. He's a narcissistic money grubbing con artist with a big, smug smile on his face. Sounds familiar?

Equal opportunities

2012-01-07T19:08:00.002+01:00

Back in the 90's I worked for social services in Surrey, an affluent area in the south of England. My job was to register and inspect childminders and playgroups. Childminders look after children in their own homes and playgroups offer informal educational opportunities for under 5s.

Part of the registration process involved attending a course on the various aspects of working with young children. The course covered several topics, such as food hygiene, play, the business side of childminding/running a playgroup, safety precautions, behaviour management and equal opportunities. I led the sessions on the last two topics.

This post is about equal opportunities, inclusion and challenging stereotypes regarding race, gender and disabilities.

Race was a tricky subject to explore in a predominantly white area. The sessions about it were always very heated. "Why should I have black dolls and books showing people of other races if all the children I look after are white?" they asked. "Why should I have to spend money buying ethnic toy foods and cooking implements if none of the children eat any of those things?"

Why indeed...

It was a lot easier to discuss these things in some other areas of the country, where the population comprised a varied mix of people from different cultures. It was easier to find positive and negative examples within a more diverse community. In Surrey, it seemed that these "other people" only existed in exotic locations, far, far away.

Advertising in those days reinforced this notion. Ethnic minorities were shown in ads for vacations or when charities appealed for money to help some famine stricken country. Apart from that, they didn't seem to exist. Ethnic minorities living in Britain didn't need mortgages, didn't buy insurance, food, clothes, toys, didn't have bank accounts, telephones, household appliances... What came across from their complete absence from ads about everyday life was that they should be seen as no more than a colourful backdrop for white people's vacations, dancing in their lovely typical garments, riding camels and elephants.... or pulling some charitable heartstrings, starving, with their bones protuding, their children covered in flies.

Things have improved in the past twenty years. Most toy shops now sell black dolls and books have improved, but other resources are still lacking. Ads these days generally reflect the cultural and ethnic mix of the British population. Children growing up in Surrey won't have the surprise of their lives when they move away from the area and see people with different colour skins, doing everyday stuff, just like themselves.

In the area of disability, however, things didn't move very far. Children and adults with disabilties still inhabit the world of charity. Advertising is a good reflection of the attitudes towards any segment of society. Disabled people don't need financial services, don't buy clothes, don't eat at fast food restaurants. They only appear in the commercial breaks when they're needy. Toys and books that move towards inclusion are not available outside specialist outlets. When dolls with Down syndrome and other disabilities became available in the UK, they caused controversy. Some parents objected to their children's disabilities being highlighted and made into an object of fun. I beg to differ. The idea behind such toys is to combat the invisibility of people with disabilities and to give children with special needs opportunities to identify and relate to dolls like them, developing a sense of self. I believe it also helps able bodied children to see disabilty as part of life, not something hidden, "over there," much like the ethnic minorities I discussed earlier.

Unfortunately, even when there are attempts at integrating children with special needs into UK mainstream schools, most of the time the schools miss the mark. They provide a special needs assistant and that's it. I have observed many children with Down syndrome who had assistants in the classroom. The teacher interacted with the rest of the pupils, the assistant alone interacted with the child and s/he wasn't involved in any of the activities, didn't work with the other children, didn't play with them. There were no classroom resources to help integration or identification. Paying lip service to integration by having a disabled child in the classroom who remains isolated and who interacts only with a glorified babysitter does nothing for the disabled child or for the able bodied children.

As for gender stereotypes, my research led me to the websites of some very popular toy retailers. The first category in their search boxes is "search by gender." I selected "boys" from the drop menu and had pages of construction toys, cars, train sets, firefighters' and policemen's outfits. Then I selected "girls" and was greeted by dizzying pink pages of dolls, cooking stuff, hairdressing kits, make-up sets, nurses' and fairies' outfits. Our little friend Riley had a good rant about it in a video I posted a few days ago...

What prompted me to write this long post was the inclusion of Ryan, a six-year-old model with Down syndrome, in the Nordstrom and Target catalogues. Without fanfare. He was just another child in group of children wearing nice clothes, visible and included.

I believe that providing the right resources in play and educational settings and increasing the visibility of minorities in everyday activities would go a long way in creating a more inclusive society. Ethnic minorities would no longer be seen as distant and exotic. People with disabilities would no longer be seen as strange, uncomfortable or simply needy.

Marketing forces seem to dictate how products are presented. Ethnicity and disability rank lower in the scale than the gender divide. Ironically, in these days of gender equality, it seems to be the most difficult stereotype to tackle...

Playing with sharks

2012-01-06T17:00:00.001+01:00

Mrsgunka sent me this fantastic video:

Thank you, Mrsgunka.

Kiribati

2012-01-05T18:05:00.000+01:00

Marakei Island in the Island Country of Kiribati near the Equator in the Pacific is a small atoll with an emerald green lagoon. The airplane dance tells the story of the WW II Invasion of their island. Dancers imitate the frigate bird in their style. Dancers often entrance themselves, and must maintain composure throughout the dance. This specific dance and style is only seen on the small island of Marakei.

I like the presidential residence. No frills and no false grandeur...

I was quite busy with other things today and didn't have time for a proper "trip" to Kiribati. I couldn't find any decent recipes, but will keep looking. Maybe some other time...

Owls are cool

2012-01-04T17:09:00.000+01:00

Detailed beauty

2012-01-03T17:48:00.000+01:00

I love photos that show amazing detail. Our friend MD sent me a very large slideshow and I selected a few photos that caught my eye:

Thank you, MD.

Ear infection

2012-01-02T18:00:00.005+01:00

Mrsgunka's first joke of the year:

There's nothing worse than arriving at a doctor's office and the receptionist insists you tell her what is wrong with you in a room full of patients within earshot of hearing your answer (you know the other patients are listening). It is a bit embarrassing at times.

I know most of us have experienced this, and I love the way this old guy handled it.

An elderly man walked into a crowded waiting room and approached the desk.

The receptionist said, "Yes sir, what are you seeing the doctor for today?"

"There's something wrong with my dick", he replied.

The receptionist became irritated and said, "You shouldn't come into a crowded waiting room and say things like that."

"Why not, you asked me what was wrong and I told you," he said.

The receptionist replied; "Now you've caused some embarrassment in this room full of people. You should have said there is something wrong with your ear or something, and discussed the problem further with the doctor in private..."

The man replied, "You shouldn't ask people questions in a roomful of strangers, if the answer could embarrass anyone." The man walked out, waited several minutes, and then re-entered.

The receptionist smiled smugly and asked, "Yes ???"

"There's something wrong with my ear," he stated.

The receptionist nodded approvingly and smiled, knowing he had taken her advice. "And what is wrong with your ear, Sir?"

"I can't piss out of it," he replied.

Thank you, Mrsgunka.

Pac frog

2012-01-01T19:57:00.000+01:00

Let's start the new year with a little funny video...

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T14:17:00.000+01:00

Wishing all readers a fantastic 2012! Thank you for your contributions and for making this blog a very welcoming, friendly place.

Lovely snow

2011-12-30T18:51:00.000+01:00

Spike sent me this hilarious account of a guy's love affair with the snow. Thank you, Spike.

DIARY OF AN IOWA SNOW SHOVELER

December 8 - 6:00 PM

It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

December 9

We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the whole world? Moving here to Iowa was the best idea I've ever had! Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snow plow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life!

December 12

The sun has melted all our lovely snow.. Such a disappointment! My neighbor tells me not to worry- we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man, I'm glad he's our neighbor.

December 14

Snow, lovely snow! 8 inches last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snow plow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so.

December 15

20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.

December 16

Ice storm this morning. Fell on my ass on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.

December 17

Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20

Electricity's back on, but had another 14 inches of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling! Took all day. The damn snow plow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.

December 22

Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white crap fell today, and it's so cold, it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to pee. By the time I got undressed, peed and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter, but he says he's too busy. I think he's is lying.

December 23

Only 2 inches of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she, nuts?!! Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's lying.

December 24

6 inches - Snow packed so hard by snow plow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a bitch who drives that snow plow, I'll drag him through the snow by his balls and beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was too busy watching for the damn snow plow.

December 25

Merry fricking Christmas! 20 more inches of the damn slop tonight - Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. God, I hate the snow! Then the snow plow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's a fricking idiot. If I have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to stuff her into the microwave.

December 26

Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.

December 27

Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze; plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him, he only charged me $1,400 to replace all my pipes.

December 28

Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. My WIFE is driving me crazy!!!

December 29

10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

December 30

Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plough driver, and now he is suing me for a million dollars, not only the beating I gave him, but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel up his BUTT. The wife went home to her mother. Nine more inches predicted.

December 31

I set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling.

January 8

Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

What colours do you drink?

2011-12-29T17:13:00.003+01:00

Yesterday's photo was quite powerful but depressed a number of readers. Today I decided to cheer you up by showing you what the most popular drinks look like under a microscope. Choose your favourite tipple, which can be made into actual wall pictures, bar accessories, scarves and other stuff. The site where I found them has a number of goodies.

Cheers!

Champagne

Budweiser

Black Russian

Bloody Mary

Chablis

Cola

Cranberry Juice

Dry Martini

Gin & Tonic

Iced Tea

Margarita

Mexican Lager

Orange Juice

Pina Colada

Red Wine

Rosé

Scotch

Jack Daniels

White Wine

Tequila

Irish Stout

Harsh reality

2011-12-28T18:50:00.002+01:00

Warsaw, 1946
[Photo by Michael Nash, Associated Press]

Celebrating a lifetime together

2011-12-27T17:00:00.024+01:00

Mrsgunka had a Christmas scare when Ray was suddenly ill and had to be taken to hospital. Fortunately, Ray is making good progress.

Today is their 53rd wedding anniversary and although they won't be physically together, their hearts will be as close as ever.

Let's accompany Mr & Mrsgunka on a trip back to 1958, when they tied the knot.

Eisenhower was the president of the United States, Khrushchev was the leader of the USSR and Harold MacMillan was the UK Prime Minister.

1958 saw the birth of NASA and of the John Birch Society.

South Pacific was the top grossing movie and The Bridge on the River Kwai won 7 Academy Awards, including best picture.

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were also married in 1958:

The world of fashion, from the December issue of Vogue:

People drove very big cars:

These two songs topped the Billboard charts:

Dear Mrsgunka, you and Ray saw many changes over all these years together, but the best thing is what hasn't changed: Your enduring love for each other.

Happy anniversary!

Very good question!

2011-12-26T16:00:00.001+01:00

Still laughing

2011-12-24T18:00:00.005+01:00

I think we had enough Christmas and holiday themed posts, so let's have a laugh. View_From_Here sent me this joke:

NORWEGIAN VIRGIN

Olof Swenson, out in his pasture in northern Minnesota, took a lightning-quick kick from a cow... right in his crotch. Writhing in agony, he fell to the ground.

As soon as he could manage, he took himself to the doctor. He said: “How bad is it Doc? I'm going on my honeymoon next veek and my fiance, Lena, is still a virgin - in every vay.”

The doctor told him “Olof, I'll have to put your willy in a splint to let it heal and keep it straight. It should be okay next week, but leave it on there as long as you can.”

He took four tongue depressors and formed a neat little four-sided splint and taped it all together... quite an impressive work of art.

Olof mentioned none of this to Lena, married her and they went on their honeymoon to Duluth.

That night, in the Motel 6, Lena ripped open her blouse to reveal her beautiful,untouched breasts. She said: “Olof... you' re the first vun! No vun has EVER seen deez.”

Olof immediately dropped his pants and replied: “Look at dis, Lena ... still in DA CRATE!”

Thank you, View.

Time for some festive songs

2011-12-23T18:17:00.002+01:00

Sleuth sent me the first video and I had bookmarked the second. We love our pets and animals in general, so this is a fitting way to wish all What Timers a happy festive season! [There's a fading celebrity out there complaining that a pet is not appropriate for a Christmas card...]

The guy who made these is the same guy who gave us the now classic video of the talking dog:

(You may watch all his great videos on his youtube channel.)

Happy holidays to all of you and your loved ones!

Playing with words

2011-12-22T18:00:00.011+01:00

TempestNVA sent me these. Puns can make you cringe, but these are quite clever! Thank you, Tempest.

To all you Lexophiles .... (those who love words)

- Writing with a broken pencil is pointless.

- Fish in schools sometimes take debate.

- The thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

- When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A.

- It seems Professor Buck's earthquake theory is on shaky ground.

- Batteries were given out free of charge.

- After the dentist and manicurist married, they fought tooth and nail.

- A chess tournament occupied all the hotel's conference rooms. Between matches, players stood around the foyer bragging about their victories. This eventually got on the manager's nerves. "Go away!", he shouted. "I can't stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer."

- A will is a dead giveaway.

- After the parents refused to pay the exorcist, their daughter was repossessed.

- With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.

- Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.

- You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

- Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.

- A boiled egg is hard to beat.

- After you've seen one shopping center, you've seen a mall.

- Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

- Did you hear about the man whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.

- If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.

- A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

- In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.

- When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.

- The man who fell onto an upholstery machine is fully recovered.

- Another fell into a lens-grinding machine and made a spectacle of himself.

- His photographic memory was never fully developed.

- Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

- When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

- Acupuncture: a jab well done

Two cures for excessive punning:

- Medical -- performing an apundectomy
- Legal -- a sentence in a punitentiary.

Suzy

2011-12-21T19:00:00.011+01:00

Billy and Suzy at his leaving do, just before he went to Australia

Suzy, a friend of Billy's since playschool, did American Studies at Nottingham University and her final year was spent in Tennessee, where this video was recorded. We've been friends with Suzy's parents for over twenty years and her father could do with our good thoughts...

Go Suzy!

Awww...

2011-12-20T18:10:00.000+01:00

Today's awww moment comes courtesy of Lillibird.

New baby friends meet each other

Kitten being given some oxygen

How cute is this baby owl?

As big as a grape...

A shy walrus

This cat has a permanent top hat

A special bubble bath

Finally, here's a proud new mom

Thank you, Lillibird.

"Carefully" placed stickers

2011-12-19T18:08:00.003+01:00

View_From_Here sent me these very funny examples of carelessly placed stickers:

Thank you, View, they're hilarious.

Lebkuchen

2011-12-18T18:33:00.000+01:00

These lovely cookies were mentioned in the last thread, so I searched for a relatively simple recipe to share with you. You may vary the icing, using chocolate or almond instead. This recipe yields 72 cookies.

Ingredients

Cookies
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup diced candied citron peel
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts

Icing
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, stir together the honey and molasses. Bring the mixture to a boil, remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and lastly the egg.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg. Add the molasses mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the citron and hazelnuts. Cover dough and chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Using a small amount of dough at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into small rectangles and place them 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until no imprint remains when touched lightly.

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (soft ball stage). Remove from heat and stir in the confectioners' sugar.

Quickly brush the icing over the cookies while they are still hot (Important!) and remove them to wire cooling racks. If icing becomes sugary while brushing cookies, re-heat slightly- adding a little water until crystals dissolve.

Store in an airtight container with a few pieces of apple peel for a few days to mellow.

Alternative glazing ideas

Chocolate glace:
200g (7 oz) powder (icing) sugar, sifted
30 g cocoa, sifted
enough hot water to make thick runny mixture to brush on

Almond glace:
200 g (7 oz) powder (icing) sugar, sifted
1 or 2 drops of almond extract
enough hot water to make a thick runny mixture to brush on

Getting into the Christmas spirit

2011-12-17T18:50:00.003+01:00

Tumbleweed sent me this touching Christmas story:

A couple was Christmas shopping at the mall on Christmas Eve and the mall was packed. Walking through the mall the surprised wife looked up and noticed her husband was nowhere around and she was very upset because they had a lot to do. She used her cell phone to call her husband because she was so upset, to ask him where he was. The husband in a calm voice said:

"Honey, remember the jewelry store we went into 5 years ago where you fell in love with that diamond necklace that we could not afford and I told you that I would get it for you one day?"

His wife said crying:

"Yes! I remember that jewelry store."

He said, "Well, I'm in the bar next to it."

*****

Mrsgunka sent me some seasonal cartoons:

And a video of some very fancy Christmas lights:

Thank you, Tumbleweed and Mrsgunka.

Some old news

2011-12-16T19:00:00.005+01:00

Today we're taking a trip back to 1933, courtesy on Grasshopper. Among the items he secured at a recent auction were some large books of clippings from old newspapers. Please click on the images for a larger view.

Thank you, Grasshopper.

A rogue amaryllis

2011-12-15T18:53:00.000+01:00

Mrsgunka sent me photos of her amaryllis plants. Apparently one of them came up with too many petals and no reproductive organs. It looks to me that Mrsgunka got a rogue double amaryllis mixed up with her normal bulbs...

They're both gorgeous, lucky Mrsgunka!

A singing tree...

2011-12-14T19:00:00.011+01:00

This piece of public art is high above Burnley on the Pennine moors in Lancashire, England. It was designed by architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu in 2006 and won a Royal Institute of British Architects award. The Singing Ringing Tree is a 3 metre (9ft) tall construction comprising pipes of galvanised steel which harness the energy of the wind to produce a slightly discordant and penetrating choral sound covering a range of several octaves. Some of the pipes are primarily structural and aesthetic elements, while others have been cut across their width enabling the sound. The harmonic and singing qualities of the tree were produced by tuning the pipes according to their length by adding holes to the underside of each.

Today marks the 5th anniversary of its official opening to the public, so here it is:

Real life animals are cuter than animated cartoons

2011-12-13T18:56:00.000+01:00

Hunnybee sent me these charming photos of a real life Bambi with his friend Thumper. I did a bit of research about the photographer, wildlife Czech photographer Tanja Askani. There are more wonderful photos of other species on her website.

Tanja wrote on her website:

Walt Disney Studios produced the well-known children’s movie “Bambi” in 1942. It was based on the 1923 book, “Bambi, A Life in the Woods” by Felix Salten. In the book, Bambi was a European roe fawn. As part of the American book translation and the Disney movie version, Bambi turned into a North American whitetail deer.

As this picture series shows, fairytales and reality are often very closely related. There truly are animal friendships across species boundaries.

She also posted this video:

Thank you, Hunnybee, they're lovely!

Small big world

2011-12-12T19:00:00.027+01:00

Or should I say big small world?

Mrsgunka sent me a link to this fascinating video:

This is the world's biggest train set which covers 1,150 square meters (12,380 square feet), features almost six miles of track and is still not complete.

Twin brothers Frederick and Gerrit Braun, 41, began work on the 'Miniatur Wonderland' in 2000.

The set covers six regions including America, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Germany and the Austrian Alps. The American section features giant models of the Rocky Mountains, Everglades, Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore. The Swiss section has a mini-Matterhorn.The Scandinavian part has a 4ft long passenger ship floating in a 'fjord.'

It is expected to be finished in 2014, when the train set will cover more than 1,800 square meters (19,376 sq ft) and feature almost 13 miles of track, by which time detailed models of parts of France, Italy and the UK will have been added.

It comprises 700 trains with more than 10,000 carriages and wagons. The longest train is 46ft long. The scenery includes 900 signals, 2,800 buildings, 4,000 cars - many with illuminated headlights... and 160,000 individually designed figures Thousands of kilograms of steel and wood was used to construct the scenery...

The 250,000 lights are rigged up to a system which mimics night and day by automatically turning them on and off.

The whole system is controlled from a massive high-tech nerve centre. In total the set has taken 500,000 hours and more than 8 million to put together, the vast majority of which has come from ticket sales. Gerrit said: "Our idea was to build a world that men, woman and children can be equally astonished and amazed in." Frederik added: "Whether gambling in Las Vegas, hiking in the Alps or paddling in Norwegian fjords - in Wunderland everything is possible"

Thank you, Mrsgunka.

Women drivers

2011-12-11T18:50:00.008+01:00

Our friend Tom (in Thailand) sent me this joke:

This morning on the Interstate, I looked over to my left and there was a woman in a brand new Cadillac doing 65 mph with her face up next to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner.

I looked away for a couple seconds... to continue shaving and when I looked back she was halfway over in my lane, still working on that makeup.

As a man, I don't scare easily... but she scared me so much I dropped my electric shaver which knocked the donut out of my other hand.

In all the confusion of trying to straighten out the car using my knees against the steering wheel, I knocked my cellphone away from my ear which fell into the coffee between my legs!

It splashed and burned Big Peter and the Twins, ruined the damn phone, soaked my trousers and disconnected an important call.

Damn women drivers!

You may remember Tom from an old open thread, when he sent me this photo of an amazing sunrise:

Thank you, Tom.

Now you see me... now you don't!

2011-12-10T19:00:00.032+01:00

These pictures are great!

Satanic leaf-tailed gecko

Bat-faced toad

Lichen spider

Mossy leaf-tailed gecko

Great potoo

Katydid

Peppered moth

Orchid mantis

Sandhopper

Find the snow leopard

All I Want For Christmas

2011-12-09T19:00:00.000+01:00

Sleuth posted this video on the Wednesday thread, but as HMS Ocean will be back in Plymouth today, it seems appropriate to show it in a post. Thank you, Sleuth.

The BBC reported:

Pop star Mariah Carey has tweeted the crew of a Royal Navy warship after they made a Christmas video using one of her songs to celebrate their homecoming.

HMS Ocean's crew mimed to her 1994 hit All I Want for Christmas Is You and put it online.

After watching it, the singer tweeted: "This is the best thing I've ever seen, you guys just made my day! Happy Happy Christmas!!! x0x0 to the troops."

The ship will be back in Plymouth on Friday after a seven-month deployment.

More than 1,000 friends and family are expected to meet the ship.

HMS Ocean left Plymouth - initially for a seven-week training exercise - in April, but was then diverted to Libya to support the UN air mission during the uprising against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Lt Kelly Cleeve, who filmed and edited the video with WO Mick Wakeham and the aviation department, said it had been a stressful time and recording the song had been "a way to boost morale and give the guys a bit of a diversion".

Lt Cleeve said the idea for the video came when the crew was told the ship would be back in Plymouth for Christmas.

She said Maria Carey's song was the most appropriate choice as "as all we wanted for Christmas was to get back in time to celebrate."

Santa's secret is out

2011-12-08T19:00:00.002+01:00

Our Tumbleweed is not over enthusiastic about Christmas, but has a fine sense of fun. She sent me this video:

Thank you, Tumbleweed.

Uh-oh

2011-12-07T19:15:00.011+01:00

View_From_Here sent me this video, the latest in a very good series of ads.

I've been meaning to share this other video with you:

Both ads are being shown on British TV at the moment.

Christmas lights - The sequel

2011-12-06T19:00:00.003+01:00

Mrsgunka sent me another creative effort regarding Christmas lights:

Christmas lights

2011-12-05T19:00:00.005+01:00

Not everybody gets carried away with the Christmas spirit... Mrsgunka sent me this very touching letter from a contrite husband:

Hi Sweetheart,

I am sorry about getting into an argument about putting up the Christmas lights. I guess that sometimes I feel like you are pushing me too hard when you want something.

I realize that I was wrong and I am apologizing for being such a hard-headed-guy. All I want is for you to be happy and be able to enjoy the holiday season and Christmas. Nothing brightens spirits like Christmas lights!

I took the time to hang the lights for you today.

Again, I am very sorry for the way I acted yesterday.

Be home later.

Love you……
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Pirouette

2011-12-04T19:00:00.018+01:00

After Billy left for London last week, our cat Pirate was at a loose end, looking for his friend everywhere. When I told Billy about it, he said: "Pirate needs a brother or a sister!"

So the search for a kitten ensued. Today we picked up Pirate's new companion. Here's Pirouette, a feisty, curious and very playful little girl:

Pirate is still going through the WTF stage, but will soon enjoy her company...

[Pirouette was fast asleep on my lap as I typed this post. She's adorable!]

Cellphone mischief

2011-12-03T19:00:00.002+01:00

Hunnybee sent me this funny video because the guy's accent reminded her of our Austin...

Thank you, Hunnybee.

Somebody needs a bigger mouth...

2011-12-02T19:00:00.002+01:00

Cute!

Follow the road

2011-12-01T19:15:00.002+01:00

Our friend HelenNPN sent me a beautiful collection of photographs of different types of road (some of them very unusual) with this song, from JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit:

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

Thank you, Helen.