Happy ________ Everyone

Half of the world is celebrating something today, once-in-a-millennium combination the following will all occur on the 21st:

Good Friday
Purim, a Jewish festival celebrating the biblical book of Esther
Narouz, the Persian New Year, which is observed with Islamic elaboration in Iran and all the "stan" countries, as well as by Zoroastrians and Baha'is.
Eid Milad an Nabi, the Birth of the Prophet, which is celebrated by some but not all Sunni Muslims and, though officially beginning on Thursday, is often marked on Friday.
Small Holi, Hindu, an Indian festival of bonfires, to be followed on Saturday by Holi, a kind of Mardi Gras.
Magha Puja, a celebration of the Buddha's first group of followers, marked primarily in Thailand.

It's okay to be different

Finally, a Rubik's Cube I can solve

Flamingos gone wild

Hectic few weeks ahead

I have a few hectic weeks ahead of me at work-serenity now, serenity nowww! I hope everyone has a great week :)

Random words of wisdom and an update

I got a book as a gift that has random quotes, adages etc. and I was flipping through and found some good ones:

*A common cover up for hurt is anger
*Lots of what you do does not show just as the roots of a tree
*Your reason and passion are the rudder and sails of your soul
*Can't is just another way of saying won't
*The most wasted days are those without laughter

I got the Fedex package with all of my Hawaii trip details-the contact names of everyone I need to set the trip up! The hotel looks really nice and the rate is $605 per night!

I'm really looking forward to the trip in spite of being in flight for +/- 20 hours total! It is a 10 hour flight going there and an 8 hour flight coming back. I flew to London years ago and being in a plane that long starts to wear on me, but it is tolerable.

We have been looking online about all the things to see and do there and it looks like it will be an amazing trip. I have taped a few things on the travel channel that look fun. Rick caught a show I wished he hadn't-it was something about what would happen if a tsunami were to hit Hawaii!

My friend Ginger is planning on joining us so that will be a bonus to the trip! We have had fun traveling together to Los Angeles and Las Vegas many times. I hope we can work it to be on the same flight so we can help ease flight jitters!

A few years ago, Ginger and I were flying back home from LA and the pilot was trying to land in a typical Texas thunderstorm and had to abort the landing at least three times while almost touching down. I will never forget that feeling of almost landing and then the power of the plane taking back up into the clouds with lightening and thunder all around us. It was so surreal but it was nice to have her hand to squeeze! I think her hand recovered about a month later!

I had a good January sweepstakes wise. Last year it took me until mid June to win this much! I finally lured my friend Ginger to start entering sweeps-I think it may have had something to do with the Hawaii win ;) So that has been fun being a sweeps teacher and having a sweeps buddy again. She has won a small prize already and I keep reminding her that when I first started, it took me about 6 months before I won the trip to Alaska.

I hope everyone is having a good week and that it is warmer where you are at!

My thoughts on the Superbowl

The Hawaii Chair??!!

I cannot believe this is a real product!



Ellen tries one out:

The choice

I found this joke via Bits & Pieces

While walking down the street one day, a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter. “Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”

“No problem, just let me in,” says the man.

“Well, I’d like to but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”

“Really, I’ve made up my mind and I want to be in heaven,” says the senator.

“I’m sorry, but we must abide by our rules.”

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he descends into hell. When the door finally opens, he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other
politicians who had previously worked with him. Everyone is very happy and dressed in evening attire. They run to greet him, shake his hand and reminisce about the good times they had while becoming wealthy at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and dine on lobster, caviar and champagne. Also present is the devil who actually is a friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before the senator realizes it, it’s time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves as the elevator rises. As the elevator ascends and the door opens, St. Peter is there waiting and says, “Now it’s time to visit heaven.”

So, 24 hours pass while the senator enjoys himself by joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing harps and singing. Again, before he realizes, his time is up and St. Peter returns and asks, “Well, after spending a day in hell and a day in heaven, where do you choose to spend eternity?” The senator reflects for a minute the answers, “Well, I would have never said it before - I mean heaven has been delightful - but I think I would be better off in hell.”

So, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator where he descends into hell. As the elevator door opens, the senator notices that he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees his friends, dressed in rags, placing trash into black bags as it falls from above. The devil arrives to greet him. “I don’t understand,” stammers the senator. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course with a clubhouse. We ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?”

The devil looks at him and smilingly replies, “Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted.”

Ch ch changes...

The toilet finally reaches the 21st century!

EVOL: Love in a backwards world

I found this award winning video earlier and thought I'd share the EVOL:



About the video:

The 5 minute film tells the story of a couple who spot each other across a crowded street and fall in love. Although everyone else in the world around them moves backwards, the couple moves forward as they find each other.

Directed by Chris Vincze.

Platinum Remi Award winnder, WorldFest film festival, Texas

First Place Winner, StudentFilmmakers Summer Shorts 2006

Shortlisted: Kodak Short Film Showcase 2006

Starring: Rick Warden & Lucy Barker.

Written & Directed by Chris Vincze.

Produced by Wendy Bevan-Mogg

Lemurs gone wild...

Snake Oil

I have always been infuriated by snake oil salesman. I cannot stomach the fact that these products cash in on our ignorance, greed, desperation and dreams.

They protect themselves with the CYA small print and get away with the deception. I was watching television earlier and saw the commercial for the Takara Detox Foot Patch and it reminded me of all of the other products "as seen on tv".

1. they reel you in with the ease of the product and the supposed benefits of the product
2. then small print flashes on the screen for 2 seconds-but we aren't reading it-we want to be thin/detoxified/muscular/etc
3. an "expert" in a lab coat with "diplomas" of some sort behind them lies about the product because they are getting paid
4. and then the price ending in .99 with exorbitant shipping/handling fees makes the price almost double

I have always been skeptical about things, I'm not saying I haven't fallen for things like this (I'm pretty sure there is a product or two stashed in my closet that I bought and regretted later) but I generally question and research things that sound too good to be true. I wish there was more regulation on items that claim amazing health benefits, but until then I hope the worst thing that will happen is that the buyer loses some money.

I generally laugh about how brazen these companies are about their miracle product, but I read an article online while research the foot cleansing pads about how a woman used another brand of foot patches to detoxify herself from lead poisoning instead of going to a doctor. She survived thanks to a family member, but at a health cost.

Caveat emptor, a fool and his money are soon departed, there is one born every minute and so on...

It's all about perspective...

and a dream! I like this song, it was played on a movie called "Donnie Darko". Someone put this animation of a flightless Kiwi bird to it.

Marathon

I spent the last few days on a marathon of My Name is Earl. I had recently started watching it thanks to Ginger. I had missed all of season 1 and most of season 2 so I thought I'd catch up.

I did that not too long ago with a marathon of 30 Rock, but I had only missed the first season of that one.

I had also missed the last season of Lost so I caught up on it before watching 30 rock.

I found that I like doing it that way instead of having to wait a week in between seeing episodes! I'm watching Prison Break and would much rather wait until the season is over and catch up.

Can we say instant gratification???!!

I hope everyone is having a great week :)

I was sad to read today...

Rest in peace: Allan Melvin (Sam the butcher from the "Brady Bunch") and Suzanne Pleshette (Emily Hartley from "The Bob Newhart Show")

Found

One thing I like about the internet is the overwhelming amount of information you can find there. The other thing is finding pictures-most I find have no story with them-some are funny, some haunting but always entertaining in some way.

Here are a few that I found at random today and thought I would share:

Who knew Raquel Welch was so groovy??

And a few other videos I dug up today...



Eartha Kitt 1962:



What was Jane Fonda thinking?? 1968. This actually comes on in a minute on TCM-I saw it years ago and was thinking about watching it ago for the laughs!



I fall in love with her each time I see this..



I hadn't yet discovered her movies when she passed..

Destruction as Beauty

I had read about this artist a few months ago, but I can't find a link anywhere now-she would drop porcelain figurines and at the moment they hit, take a picture. The first one is my favorite.

via Fun Safari