Simply

Beautiful.

How Profound...

One of my favorite things about having Gmail is the ability to set up an "iGoogle" homepage. I love the personalization of it.
I have installed on my homepage a few fun gadgets ranging from interesting photos on flickr to a hangman game. One of the most random gadgets I have is a fortune cookie gadget which today revealed this amazingly profound nugget of knowledge...



It truly was all so different...before everything changed...

The Prodigal Son Returns...again...

Six months hiatus;

1. May 11, 2007 - College "Graduation,"
2. July 7-14, 2007 - Built a house in Juarez, Mexico
   
3. August 4, 2007 - Got engaged (and set a date - February 29, 2008)
4. August 4 - 21, 2007 - Fort Collins, Colorado - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
   
5. August 29, 2007 - Moved to Kalispell, MT
6. September 4 - October 25, 2007 - Student taught for eight weeks in the fifth grade classroom at Trinity Lutheran School
   
7. October 29, 2007 - Started six week experience in sixth grade at Trinity Lutheran School

So, what's new with you?

RIDGWAY, Pa. - It's furry and walks on all fours. Beyond that, about the only thing certain about the critter photographed by a hunter's camera is that some people have gotten the notion it could be a Sasquatch, or bigfoot. Others say it's just a bear with a bad skin infection.
-------------------------------------------
"It appears to be a primate-like animal. In my opinion, it appears to be a juvenile Sasquatch," said Paul Majeta of the bigfoot group.
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"There is no question it is a bear with a severe case of mange," Feaser told The Bradford Era.

Household Music

I'm back...hopefully for good again. It's been a busy/stressful month (I've been doing a teaching practicum with first graders).
Only two more weeks left before the graduation ceremony, then summer vacation and finally student teaching in the fall.
Anyways, Andrea stumbled upon this tonight and shared it with me and I decided I needed to share it with whoever still finds the time to check this rather neglected blog.

Musica para 6 baterias y 1 apartamento - ZappInternet
If you can't see the video; here.

YIKES!

Wow...
Over two weeks since the last post...
Busy, Busy, Busy!
Just go here...
And don't forget to brush those teeth at least twice a day!!

Pavement Picasso

This guy takes sidewalk chalking to an entirely new level. He carefully plans out his drawings and creates them to look 3D and real when viewed at the right angle. This first video shows the process...



...and this video is good to watch just to see the many different drawings he's done. I wish I thought of this first!

Would you like to supersize that?!

Sometimes I see things that make me think that perhaps I need to explore art in a different way...

Sink the Titanic!

Over the past months, I have truly grown to hate the song "My Heart Will Go On" from the film Titanic. I know that all of the Celine Dion fan's who read this blog (perhaps there is at least one) are throwing their hands up in shame and disgust, but in all honesty I do not think that even you could survive what Concordia students confined to the Student Union endure on an almost daily basis. This is hours and hours of bad piano playing, generally consisting of at least ten times through the afore mentioned ballad.

Click to Enlarge; or view on Flickr.

Best U2 Cover Ever?

One of my new favorite bands is flyleaf - a good friend showed this video the other day and I can't stop watching it. Not usually what I post, but enjoyable in my opinion.

Pride In the Name of Love

If you can't see the video, here.

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out!

Don't have time to post my own thoughts - here's one of my favorite poems By Shel Silverstein.

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout
Would not take the garbage out!
She'd scour the pots and scrape the pans,
Candy the yams and spice the hams,
And though her daddy would scream and shout,
She simply would not take the garbage out.
And so it piled up to the ceilings:
Coffee grounds, potato peelings,
Brown bananas, rotten peas,
Chunks of sour cottage cheese.
It filled the can, it covered the floor,
It cracked the window and blocked the door
With bacon rinds and chicken bones,
Drippy ends of ice cream cones,
Prune pits, peach pits, orange peel,
Gloppy glumps of cold oatmeal,
Pizza crusts and withered greens,
Soggy beans and tangerines,
Crusts of black burned buttered toast,
Gristly bits of beefy roasts. . .
The garbage rolled on down the hall,
It raised the roof, it broke the wall. . .
Greasy napkins, cookie crumbs,
Globs of gooey bubble gum,
Cellophane from green baloney,
Rubbery blubbery macaroni,
Peanut butter, caked and dry,
Curdled milk and crusts of pie,
Moldy melons, dried-up mustard,
Eggshells mixed with lemon custard,
Cold french fried and rancid meat,
Yellow lumps of Cream of Wheat.
At last the garbage reached so high
That it finally touched the sky.
And all the neighbors moved away,
And none of her friends would come to play.
And finally Sarah Cynthia Stout said,
"OK, I'll take the garbage out!"
But then, of course, it was too late. . .
The garbage reached across the state,
From New York to the Golden Gate.
And there, in the garbage she did hate,
Poor Sarah met an awful fate,
That I cannot now relate
Because the hour is much too late.
But children, remember Sarah Stout
And always take the garbage out!
Shel Silverstein, 1974

Like a Chicken With it's Head Cut Off, Literally.

September 10th, 1945 finds a strapping (but tender) five and a half month old Wyandotte rooster pecking through the dust of Fruita, Colorado. The unsuspecting bird had never looked so delicious as he did that, now famous, day. Clara Olsen was planning on featuring the plump chicken in the evening meal. Husband Lloyd Olsen was sent out, on a very routine mission, to prepare the designated fryer for the pan. Nothing about this task turned out to be routine. Lloyd knew his Mother in Law would be dining with them and would savor the neck. He positioned his ax precisely, estimating just the right tolerances, to leave a generous neck bone. "It was as important to Suck-Up to your Mother in Law in the 40's as it is today." A skillful blow was executed and the chicken staggered around like most freshly terminated poultry.

Then the determined bird shook off the traumatic event and never looked back. Mike (it is unclear when the famous rooster took on the name) returned to his job of being a chicken. He pecked for food and preened his feathers just like the rest of his barnyard buddies.

And so, Mike the headless chicken lived on for another 18 months after that. Scientists concluded that the jugular had not been completely (or properly) severed when Olsen delivered the usually fatal blow, and that a clot had formed to prevent the chicken from bleeding to death. They also discovered that much of his brain stem was still intact, and since the brain stem controls most of a chickens' reflex actions Mike was able to stay in a fairly healthy state.

For more on Mike the Headless Chicken visit his official website, and if you happen to be in (or near) Fruita, Colorado around the third weekend in May be sure to stop by and enjoy "Mike's Festival."

Join us in beautiful Fruita,Colorado and enjoy -

Chicken, A Huge Car Show, Great Music & Entertainment, Chicken Dance Contest, Chicken Recipe Contest, Food and Craft Vendors, More Chicken, the 5k "Run Like a Headless Chicken", Chicken Games, Historic Tours, Eating Contests, Mike's Market and more. Great Family Fun! Attending this fun, family event is a NO BRAINER!

"I'm Crushing Your Head"

Classic Kids in the Hall - The Head Crusher...

Wall Street Gets Crushed.

If you can't see the video, here.

Nightclub Patrons Get Crushed.

If you can't see the video, here.

Five Things I Did Over Break...

...And three things I didn't.

As you should already know, my Spring Break was this week. Yes, I know, it was incredibly early this year. It's been fairly uneventful for me thus far; here are a few things I managed to do...

Number One: I visited the Leinenkugels Brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.


Number Two: Watched a lot of Arrested Development.

Number Three: Made a Snow Angel.


Number Four: Did ALL of my Laundry

Number Five: Took a Trip to the Mall of America

And now, here are just a few, three to be exact, things that I didn't do over break.

Number One: I didn't do nearly as much homework as I should have.

Number Two: I didn't eat my weight in pizza...or hamburger...


Burger Picture Via Say No To Crack

And last, but certainly not least...I most definitely DID NOT take a ride in this elevator...

More Spring Break Pictures.

More Spring Break pictures on Flickr.



Unfortunately the snow wasn't quite sticky enough to make a snow man...

Spring Break?

Does this look like Spring Break to you?









Yes, that's right. I am currently on Spring Break and this is what it's like outside. Not only is it snowing a lot outside, the University has declared a "Snow Day." Too bad since I am already on Spring Break I can't truly enjoy the benefits of that Snow Day.

toys

Wow...who is this spoiled little kid?! Look at all the toys he has!




Out of boredom, I figured I'd share my nephew Riley with anyone who reads this...and I thought I'd say that he's spoiled to get a reaction out of his parents when they see this.

How to peel a hard boiled egg

Officially a YouTuber?

By request, I've posted a video on YouTube for the first time ever! Enjoy.


If you can't see the video, here.

More to come? We shall see...

Hockey Fight and a Pirate Toaster

A huge fight from last night's game between the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres - even the goalies get involved!


If you can't see the video, here.

Speaking of things that you don't see everyday (two hockey goalies fighting) how about some toast emblazoned with the Skull and Crossbones - a perfect Father's Day gift for the dad who thinks he's a pirate.


Via mental_floss.

World's Oldest Blogger

Olive Riley lives in Australia, was born in 1899 and, at the age of 107, has just become the World's Oldest Blogger.

Olive Riley, a feisty 107-year-old Australian great-great-grandmother with amazingly clear memories of her colorful life, has just become the world's oldest blogger. She is 12 years older than Spain's Maria Amelia, the previous titleholder.

Physically frail but mentally alert, Olive lives in an aged care hostel 50 miles (80 km) north of Sydney. She was born in Broken Hill, a tough mining town in Australia's arid Red Centre 565 miles northwest of Sydney, in 1899.

Sydney was then the capital of the British colony of New South Wales, ruled from London by an aged Queen Victoria. Australia did not exist as a nation until January 1, 1901, when the separate colonies united to form a Federation.

Olive says she was twice married, raised her three children on her own, survived two world wars and the Great Depression of the 1930s, and has worked as a barmaid and accountant.

Here's how her first post, dated February 16th, begins...

Good Morning everyone. My name is Olive Riley. I live in Australia near Sydney. I was born in Broken Hill on Oct. 20th 1899.Broken Hill is a mining town, far away in the centre of Australia. My Friend, Mike, has arranged this blog for me. He is doing the typing and I am telling the stories. He thinks it’s a good idea to tell what’s going on. He already made a film about me a few years back and people liked that, so they might like this blog too, he says. We’ll see.

Now, her blog is not the most exciting piece of online literature, but it is an interesting look at the life of a 107 year old.

Wendy's Training Video

An amazing Wendy's Training Video from the 80s.


If you can't see the video, here.

Beatboxing Flute Player

This is incredible, and I'm not just saying that because I love Inspector Gadget.


If you can't see the video, here.

Before computers...

A glimpse into what early IT Help Desk services might have been like...

Happy Belated Valentines.

Happy Valentines Day - One Day Late.

And here's how I will die...

Andrea: At age 62 you will be gunned down in the street by hippies after enacting a bill that grants the WTO even more power.

Andrea: At age 66 your prototype flying machine will work, and while aloft on its maiden voyage a passenger jet will take you into it's jet engine, and throw you out as a mist.

Andrea: At age 64 you will die fighting the Interplanetary War on Terrorism on Camp Harmony, Venus.

Andrea: At age 31 you will start playing an online game and become so addicted that you starve to death.

Andrea: At age 33 you will die lonely and alone.


I guess this means that when I am 51 1/2, the terrorist hippies will rig my flying machine after I beat them in the online games and make it so that I never reach my final destination of Venus...where I was going alone. (I don't even get to outlive Cameron...geez!)

Death Predictor

I just found out how I am going to die, via The Amazing death Predictor.

Cameron: At age 49 you will go down in a small raft, in your friend's pool, and subsequently drown.

Cameron H.: At age 72 a statue will fall over and crush you while giving your acceptance speech for the position of Governor.

Cameron Heiliger: At age 43 you will fall into a vat of neutral shoe polish, and your body will never be recovered.

Cameron E. Heiliger: At age 62

Cameron Edward Heiliger: At age 51 the artificial intelligence software you programmed becomes self aware and devours you. You will be saved to disk though, so no worries.

So the law of averages says that I will die at 55 when the software I developed to get me elected to the office of Governor becomes self-aware, drops a statue on me, drowns me in a pool, throws my body into a vat of neutral shoe polish and then eats me. Sounds like a great way to go!

Google Makes Embarrassing Mistake

This image appeared as Google's header today:

Sure looks like 'googe' to me, unless the stem of the strawberry is supposed to be the 'L.'

Classic Post 1

I've decided, since so much of my time right now is spent doing homework and sitting in class that I am going to begin reusing old posts - from my Israel blog. Don't worry, when time permits I will post new content.
Number One - Marathon, Wednesday July 19, 2006
To put this post in context; I spent about two weeks in Israel this summer on an archaeological dig. We were supposed to be there for four weeks, but the trip was cut short by almost two weeks because of the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The marathon is over - 30 hours of being awake and I'm finally back in the states...Philadelphia to be exact.
At 7 AM on Tuesday morning (Israel time) we boarded our Olympic Air flight to Greece, by 4 PM Tuesday afternoon (Eastern Standard Time) we were in New York. Then we caught a cab from JFK to Penn Station in downtown Manhattan (I'm not sure it counts because I didn't do anything tourist-y, but at least I can now say that I have been to Manhattan). At Penn Station we bought two tickets on the Amtrak to Philadelphia. Our train was almost two hours late...very frustrating, but we're here and ready to rest...So - long story short, I have been up essentially since about 2 in the afternoon (Israel) on Monday. Let's do some math...
Approximate hours of sleep since Saturday Afternoon when we left - 15
Approximate full meals eaten - 2 or 3?
Approximate hours awake in a row - 40? (Slept for a few hours at the hotel in Tel Aviv, but have been essentially awake since 2 PM on Monday (Israel time) combine that with the fact that today was about 31 hours long for us (7 hour difference between here and there)
Today was a literal version of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"

For more stories from my trip - here.

Ode to old toys

Yay for Lite Brite! I remember playing with ours a LOT when I was younger. I don't remember why it was so much fun, but it really was. And now, you can even do it online, just go here.

Remember some of these other toys?

weebles...


tinker toys...



lincoln logs...


wizzers...


and for some reason my sisters and I used to play with trolls instead of Barbies...


My favorite toys from when I was little were my dad's old toys, like his slot cars we used to set up and race...


And even more his Lionel train...


And the best thing we ever did with that was set it up in the attic--which happened to be where my younger sister and I lived--and we made a bridge over the hole in the floor where the stairs came up for the train to go over. The bridge was made from dad's erector set...

In high school, when I moved into what had been my older sister's room, dad put a shelf around the room near the ceiling and we put the train on there, going in circles over my head. Good toys.

(Not So) Sweet Inspiration.

I had been trying to think of something to post about for most of the day, and then when I came back to my room it hit me like a door in the face: literally.
You see, we all have routines, things that simply come naturally. Well, after about 5 months of coming back to the same dorm room I have gotten into a pretty good routine when it comes to making sure the door is locked and, when I know my roommate is asleep, making sure it closes quietly and gets locked after its shut. This is where it began.
I came back to the room tonight, opened the door and as usual was about to turn around to "help" it close and lock it when something completely out of the ordinary happened. My foot was, apparently, in the wrong place. The door stopped suddenly and my face slammed forehead first into the corner of the door. I laughed it off initially, and was slightly distracted when my roommate perked up from his bed said, "Who's there..." laid down and went right back to sleep without saying another word (kind of like the watch dog that barely barks at an intruder). Anyhow, I then began to realize that a welt was forming directly over my right eye and I had a bit of a headache (this faded quickly though).
The entire experience reminded me of the clumsiness that so often occurs when one is going through a growth spurt. I was no exception. In fact, I attribute my one major broken bone to a growth spurt, well, kind of...
Our Seventh grade teacher had taken a month off and it was the last day for our substitute, so, since we were hardly focusing on anything anyhow, she told us that we could spend the last hour of the day out on the playground. The boys played football while the girls...I don't know what they did, a couple of them played football but most of them just went off and talked somewhere I think. I'm getting off topic...It was the last play of the game and my best friend, who was playing quarterback, told everyone to go deep. Amazingly, he passed it to me (I say amazingly because I was the shortest boy in the class at the time). I began running for the end zone but was quickly overcome by one of the tallest guys in our class, and also one of the fastest. Being at a disadvantage in two ways I began zigzagging across the field and switching the ball from one side to the other (since it was the last play of the game he was not trying to get me down but was instead going for a fumble). Eventually I couldn't out maneuver him and he was able to swat the ball. We both sprang for it. I got there first and wrapped my arms around the ball. He dove just a split second after me and landed directly on my elbow, the weight of his body pushing my wrist and forearm into the ground.
I have always had a low threshold for pain and nearly fainted four or five times on the way to the office where my mom was (she was the school secretary). She rolled out the mat usually reserved for sick children, got a damp cloth, an ace bandage and some Aspirin and told me to relax and rest as she performed "mom surgery." My wrist never swelled up or turned black and blue, but it was sore for a few days after so I continued to wear the ace bandage. And then came kickball...and here's where the clumsiness kicks in...
The principal was also the gym teacher and on this particular spring day he decided that we should play kickball. It was my turn at "bat," and since I was a soccer player I was generally confident concerning my kicking ability. I stepped up to the plate and awaited the pitch, the ball rolled toward me, I revved up, stepped into my kick and...stepped directly on top of the rolling ball. I fell straight down to the tarmac and smacked my bruised and bandaged left wrist against my side. I got up feeling almost exactly like a few days earlier and asked if I could go see my mom. I thought I had really broken my wrist this time. The principal told me that he couldn't excuse me and that I should be fine.
That night my mom took me to the doctor...it was in fact a broken wrist, although only a "green-stick" fracture. The next day at school I had a few balloons, a "Get Well" card and a bag of M&M's from the principal waiting for me on my desk.

Always Know Where the Camera Is.

I was going to post an amazing video of a Congressman picking his nose while in session (it even looks like he might have eaten it), but apparently it was taken off of YouTube...
So, here's the next best thing. A montage of some of my friends from high school.

1 - Hit Clips


If you can't see the video, here.

2 - J.P.'s Corner (any scene inside of a gymnasium is from my 18th Birthday party)


If you can't see the video, here.

Urologists go to Town for Urinetown.

Last week the St. Paul Conservatory, a private fine arts high-school, performed a free production of "Urinetown-The Musical." Don't let the rather descriptive name fool you, this play is appropriate for most and is incredibly funny. That's why, as I was looking through some news sites, this headline caught my eye, "Urologists Throw 'Urinetown' Potty Party."

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- The opening-night party for "Urinetown- The Musical" will take on a urological cast in Omaha. Decorative yellow and white flowers will be arrayed in bedpans. Dessert- something yellow- will be served in specimen cups.

It's what you might expect from the show's sponsor, The Urology Center of Omaha.

The 2002 Tony-award winning Broadway musical opens Friday night at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Among the show's song titles: "It's a Privilege to Pee."

The show is about how a terrible drought makes private toilets unthinkable, so such private activities must be done - for a price - in public amenities controlled by a private corporation, Urine Good Co.

The theater approached the doctors about sponsoring the local amateur production.

Said Dr. Mike Kroeger of the Urology Center: "We thought it would be fun for our staff and would let people know we have a sense of humor."

If you're in Omaha I highly suggest you go see this play.

[Story]

Honesty; The Best Policy

This New York City cab driver proves that there are still good, honest and hard working people around today...

Never mind diamonds- a New York cabbie was a Texas girl's best friend. The driver returned 31 diamond rings he found in his cab after dropping off the passenger, who had left him with a 30-cent tip on a $10.70 fare.

"All my life, I tried to be honest," said Osman Chowdhury, a native of Bangladesh. "Today is no different."

But the 41-year-old cabbie from Queens did have a message: "I'm proud of what I did so that people know New York taxi drivers are honest."

What he did started on Monday evening, when he picked up the woman at a hotel in midtown Manhattan and drove her to an apartment building several blocks away. She gave him $20 to pay the fare and asked for $9 back.

Hours later, at about 10 p.m., three other passengers with luggage discovered the woman's suitcase when Chowdhury popped the trunk open for them.

Chowdhury first drove to the building where he had dropped off the woman. But he had no idea in which of the many apartments she might be and didn't want to cause a disruption by knocking on doors.

He took the suitcase to the Manhattan headquarters of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a drivers' advocacy group to which he belongs. He and the alliance president looked inside and found two display cases with 31 diamond rings inside.

"I saw flashing, and I said, 'Oh my God! Diamonds!'" Chowdhury recalled. "I was shocked. I was trembling."

They also found a small luggage tag with a Texas telephone number they called - the home of the woman's mother in Dallas. Meanwhile, she called the number, too.

The woman, who said she was a jeweler, got back the gems on Monday when she arrived at the alliance office around midnight - incredulous at her luck. She offered Chowdhury a reward - a check for $100.

That jeweler, however, might want to rethink her tipping tactics.

Here's a clip of another "honest" taxi driver...

If you can't see the video, here.

That is One Scary Fish!

A goblin shark -- a rarely seen species often called a "living fossil" -- was caught alive in Tokyo Bay but died after being put on display, an aquarium said.
The grey, long-nosed shark was caught in fishermen's nets around 150 to 200 metres (500 to 650 feet) deep. It was discovered by officials of the Tokyo Sea Life Park when they took a boat with local fishermen on January 25.
"We were able to bring it to the aquarium alive and show it to the public," said an official at the park.
But the shark died on the morning of January 27.
"Dead goblin sharks are caught from time to time, but it is rarely seen alive. We were able to document the way the shark swims. After it died, we dissected the specimen for further studies," he said.
The shark was about 1.3 metres long.
Resembling pre-historic sharks, goblin sharks live on deep sea bottoms. Little is known about their lives.

This story on Yahoo inspired me to look up more information about the goblin shark.

Here's what I found, it looks like something from a horror film.



Don't worry this one's dead.

You Make the World Taste Better.

Dr Pepper really does make the world taste better!
And did you know that it was the first soda invented that is still on the market?
That's right, Dr Pepper was first introduced in 1885 by a German pharmacist named Charles Alderton in Waco, TX, and was introduced nationally in 1904. It is reportedly the combination of 23 different soda fountain flavors that were available at the time of its conception (essentially, a pre-mixed suicide for those of us who remember going to fast food places and mixing EVERYTHING at the fountain). It has NEVER contained prune juice, as legend suggests.
In some parts of the country Dr Pepper is enjoyed hot, and remember there is NO period after Dr in Dr Pepper.

Official Site
Dr Pepper on Wikipedia

You're a Human Zoo.

Apparently...

Researchers on a safari for microbes have found that human skin is populated by a veritable menagerie of bacteria -- 182 species -- some apparently living there permanently and others just dropping by for a visit.

No cause for panic...

There's no need for alarm, said microbiologist Dr. Martin Blaser of New York University School of Medicine: the bacteria have been with us for quite a while and some are helpful.

In fact, they may be good for you, and you might want to stop showering so much...

Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms believed to have been the first living things on Earth. While some cause disease, bacteria also reside normally in our bodies, for example in the digestive tract, performing useful chores.
"Without good bacteria, the body could not survive," added Dr. Zhan Gao, a scientist in Blaser's lab involved in the study.
The researchers noted that microbes in the body actually outnumber human cells 10-to-1.
"Our microbes are actually, in essence, a part of our body," Blaser said.
"We think that many of the normal organisms are protecting the skin. So that's why I don't think it's a great idea to keep washing all the time because we're basically washing off one of our defense layers," Blaser added.

So the next time you're bathing with that Ivory soap remember you might be committing bacterial genocide.

[Full Story]

I'm Melting...I'm Melting...

I find myself melting slowly into oblivion. My blogging skills are waning with the prospects of this daunting semester: 14 credits worth of work (an entire 16 week semester for most) in 10 weeks followed by 6 weeks working in a classroom. Couple that with the tension of "what happens next?"
Next fall I student teach. I'm not 100% sure where, signs are pointing to Kalispell, Montana. After that...a job, who knows where.
Therefore I try to keep my sanity. I do my homework, the best I can. I write my lesson plans, read the books on how to teach (occasionally) and try to sleep whenever possible.
On that note, on of the most interesting, and entertaining, resources I have been introduced to this semester is a site called BrainPop. The site uses fun flash animations to educate students. I would watch it even if I wasn't going to be a teacher. Check it out, most of the videos are not available unless you sign up for them, but they do have a 14 day free trial and some others are available to watch absolutely free.
In summation, did you know that NASA recently (in December) unveiled plans for a permanent base to be constructed on the moon. Some details are available on Wikipedia. More detailed info via National Geographic.
In the immortal words of G.I. Joe - Knowing is half the battle.


If you can't see the video, here.

Montana Sues Wyoming!

I'm not sure whose side I should be on in this one. After all, I was born in Wyoming and have lived in Montana since I was 8...

The state of Montana filed suit Thursday with U.S. Supreme Court against Wyoming over water rights, claiming Wyoming’s excessive use of water from two river systems is leaving downstream Montana ranches and farms dry.

The dispute over the Tongue and Powder rivers - which flow from northeastern Wyoming into southeastern Montana - marks a sharp escalation in an increasingly acrimonious water fight between the two states. The region is suffering through a prolonged drought dating to 1999.

The lawsuit alleges Wyoming is ignoring Montana’s "senior" water rights by taking more water from the rivers than allowed under the 1950 Yellowstone River Compact. That includes water diverted and stored for irrigation and also groundwater pumped from beneath the surface during coalbed methane production.

"Wyoming signed a compact that said Montana would get its fair share of water and Wyoming has not been holding up its end of the deal," Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer said in a statement.

Full Story

Snow

In a normal winter, the Front Range of the Rockies in Colorado does not get much snow. I can remember Christmases spent at the park with just a light jacket on. This year, however, Fort Collins and other cities in Colorado are striving to break records, this being the 7th consecutive week that it will snow. Just thought I'd share it. (Cameron told me to).

Check out the facts here.

A Trip to the Moon

I FOUND IT!
Originally, the only YouTube video that I could find had been 'removed.' Thankfully, I decided to try searching one more time, and look what I came up with!

Enjoy...


If you can't see the video, here.

Please Accept My Apologies.

Wow, it's been over a week since I last posted anything here...However, I will say that it has been a busy hectic week! I've been going to classes, art shows, meetings, Nebraska and somewhere in between all of that fun have had to find to do homework, eat, sleep and read.
Speaking of reading, I just finished reading an amazing book: "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," by Brian Selznick. The book creatively uses illustrations to help tell the story. The way that the author placed illustrations throughout the book makes it seem as if you are "reading" a movie.
And speaking of movies, the book also discusses the origins of film, especially concerning early French filmmaker Georges Melies. I did not know much, if anything, about the early days of film, but after reading this book I was intrigued to find out as much as I could about Melies.
Melies was a magician who, after seeing the "magic" of moving pictures realized that this was a medium which he could utilize heavily. According to Wikipedia (always a good source...) Melies was possibly the innovator of the stop-trick, or substitution method of film-making. He was also one of the first filmmakers to utilize multiple exposures, time lapse photography, dissolves and hand-painted color in his film.
Melies' most famous work is "Le Voyage Dan La Lune," (A Trip to the Moon) about a group of astronomers who go on a voyage to the moon. One of the most famous scenes from this film includes the man in the moon being hit in the eye by a rocket. Another famous film is "The Impossible Voyage." Both of these films are important because they represent two of the earliest science fiction/fantasy films. In addition, Melies is often credited with inventing the horror film!
For more on Melies:
Wikipedia.
The Geoges Melies database.

Finally, here are three great movies, courtesy of YouTube, by this innovative early filmmaker. I don't know much about film making, and what I do know is confined to doing it digitally, so this is amazing to me!

The Four Troublesome Heads (1899)

If you can't see the video, here.

The One Man Band (1900)

If you can't see the video, here.

The Man With the Rubber Head

If you can't see the video, here.

Flight School

The Power of Lego.

In recent years the Bible has been portrayed through many different mediums. The Bible is now available on CD, CD-Rom, DVD and video, but no other medium is as interesting, or as fun, as the Bible represented through Legos.
According to the website, The Brick Testament contains 268 stories with 3,048 illustrations. These stories and illustrations cover aspects of both the Old and New Testaments.
Here are some examples;

The Parting of the Red Sea:


Samson defeats 1,000 Philistines with the donkey of a jawbone*:


The Plank in Your Eye:


The Good News of the Empty Tomb!


The theology may not be the best, but you have to admit that this is a fun way to represent the stories of the Bible.

For the entire Brick Testament go here.

*I have to admit that I put this particular story up with an ulterior motive. When I was in high-school and attended weekly Youth Group, one of the things we liked to do was read the "Extreme Faith Bible" which had a picture of a guy skateboarding with his Bible on the cover. This story was probably the funniest one in there as Samson's song read something like this; 'With the jawbone of a donkey I killed one thousand men, I beat them with this jawbone over and over again.'

I'm a Walking Contradiction.

About a week ago I posted this New Years Post in which I stated all the flaws that I have and my inane desire to keep it that way. Well, I'm here to tell you that somehow, whether consciously or not, I have actually found myself on the road to recovery.
First off, I've been drinking more water lately. I don't exactly know why, I just know that I find myself craving water more so than pop as of late, and I wonder if that isn't such a terrible thing.
Secondly, I have also found myself reading, though I wouldn't say "voraciously." I am currently enthralled with two books; The Know It All, by A.J. Jacobs and Peter and the Starcatchers a children's book by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.
However, where I have begun to counteract #5 of my original list (I watch a lot of TV) I have only increased the level of random information that could spew forth at any moment. This is entirely because of the book The Know It All, which I must say is an amazingly poignant and entertaining read. It chronicles the authors "humble quest to become the smartest person in the world," or so says the dust jacket. He accomplishes this by reading the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica. Frankly, I am enamored by the information I have discovered through this book. For instance, did you know that Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, wrote the children's book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?

Terry Tate: Office Linebacker

With Super Bowl season upon us I thought it would be nice to relive one of the best Super Bowl moments of the last few years. Reebok's Terry Tate commercials were quite possibly some of the funniest TV spots that I can remember. They first appeared during the 2002 Super Bowl (XXVII).


If you can't see the video, here.

After the originals were through airing they created yet another short, Sensitivity Training.


If you can't see the video, here.

Keep Healthy...Buy a Pogo Stick!

A doctor in Arizona considers pogo-sticking a good way to exercise... [story]

I think these guys just like to have fun...





Whoa...I want one, too!

Anyone Have $700 I Can Borrow?

It is utter insanity how much textbooks for college cost.
Consider this:
If I buy all of my books brand new it will cost me OVER $700.
If I buy them all USED it will cost OVER $530.
Why is this SO ludicrous?
Because I only, technically, have 10 weeks of class this semester. The final five weeks will be spent performing a teaching practicum in an actual classroom...of campus.
In other words...I COULD pay between $500 and $700 for books that I'm going to, foresee ably, get 10 weeks of use out of.
Before you say anything, yes, I know that most books are available online. Unfortunately, most of mine seem so "specialized" that even used online they are nearly as expensive as the used ones in our bookstore.

The good news in all of this?
Thankfully I have someone who will share the brunt of the expenses with me, and who is in all of my classes.

Needless to say; I am slightly angry, hence the rant.
However, I am not nearly as angry as this guy...


If you can't see the video, here.

...and I would never treat a computer with such disrespect.

Thanks for listening, and, since I haven't mentioned it yet, if you have not already noticed my coauthor Andrea has returned and is again posting some fantastic(ly) interesting stuff.

You're Going to Ruin Your Breakfast!

In recent years I have endured gasps and intense scrutiny for drinking pop in the morning (sometimes with breakfast, usually McDonald's breakfast - I like the breakfast burritos). Thankfully, it has come to my attention that there are more people out there just like me, and the number is growing.

It's not unusual for Dee McKinsey to have three cans of Coke before she leaves the house each morning for her job as the regional director of boards and volunteerism at the American Cancer Society in Chicago.

"There is nothing better than the feel of Coke on the back of your throat in the morning," said McKinsey, a morning pop drinker since the 1970s, savoring the cold, stinging sensation that coffee drinkers just don't get.

But these days, more people are enjoying that chilled morning jolt as they increasingly turn to soft drinks instead of coffee, flaunting mom's no-pop-for-breakfast rule many had in their youth.

Consumption of soft drinks at breakfast eaten outside the home has nearly doubled in the past 15 years, while coffee consumption with breakfast outside the home has fallen nearly 25 percent, according to data compiled by New-York based consumer research firm NPD Group, which has offices in Rosemont.

The data is specific to drinks with meals and does not, for example, address the Starbucks phenomenon.

Breakfast consumers order a soft drink with their breakfast 15.1 percent of the time, compared with 7.9 percent of the time in 1990, said Harry Balzer, an NPD executive vice president who has studied American eating habits for more than 25 years. At the same time, Balzer said, coffee was being ordered 38 percent of the time, compared with 48.7 percent 15 years ago.

As I was growing up there always seemed to be this stigma about drinking pop in the morning, and therefore it was essentially given the seal of anathema (I like using words that I learn in theology classes) until noon, or later. However, now that I am in my fourth year of college I have discovered that I can drink a pop anytime I want, and I generally do: even, on occasion, with breakfast.

[Full Story Here]

No One Likes Getting Nagged...

But this guy took things WAAAAAAAAY too far.

When Ricardo A Nance Jr.'s mother told him that if he wanted to stay living in her house, he'd have to get a job, he responded with what might be termed an over-reaction. According to police, he burnt the house down.

Investigators looking into the torching of the house in Monroe, Louisiana say that Nance admitted using a cigarette lighter to set fire to the couch in the house he shared with his mother, after she had been nagging him to get a job or move out.

Nance is 31 years old.

[Full Story]

American Football in London.

London will hold the NFL's first regular-season game outside North America this year, the start of a campaign to take American football to a global audience. "There's great history of NFL football in London, and British fans have been great fans of football over the years," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday. "We're confident that this game is going be a great success in London and will be a great foundation to play more games there going forward."

[Full Story]

Mutant Turtles

Mutation: (noun) a sudden departure from the parent type in one or more heritable characteristics, caused by a change in a gene or a chromosome

Perhaps two heads truly are better than one.

Nice and Cozy

Somedays you just want to curl up and take a nice long nap...with a python?!

Ok, now how many parents out there are interested in bringing one of these home for their young child's next pet?!

This picture kind of scares me.

Up or Down?

Life is full of "ups" and "downs," but they often don't come simultaneously...

Are these stairs going up or down?

[Link]

New Theological Outlook

Hebrews 2:9 reads: "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." A Christian would say that Jesus died for the sins of the world, and that because of that, they receive salvation.

But a new theological explanation is on the rise...


You decide.

Count em up!

Who Says Elvis is Dead?

Canada's Collingwood Elvis Festival had held the record for the most Elvis impersonators singing at once - 78.

But 147 men in big black hair, sunglasses and jumpsuits smashed that record when they delivered a simultaneous rendition of Love Me Tender in Parkes yesterday.

[link]

New Years Post.

Here's the post I should have posted a couple of weeks ago...let's say around New Years. Every year, around New Years, people develop a list of resolutions, things which they resolve to change about themselves over the coming year; these could be things like, "quit smoking," "exercise more," or "stop yelling at people for no reason at all." Well, I've decided, this year, to take a slightly different approach.
Without further ado, here are 10 things about me that I have decided will probably never change...
1. I procrastinate (case in point, this post which is all about New Years and yet is being written two weeks after the fact.
2. I am, generally, unorganized, but this is not to say that I lose things. Far from it in fact. Everything has its place. That place may not be clean or tidy, but at least I know where it is.
3. I eat lots of junk food. However, I have been eating a lot more fruit this semester.
4. I drink lots of pop, soda...whatever you call it. For two years in a row I gave it up for Lent hoping that after that time I would not drink as much. That was not the case, so I probably won't give it up anymore.
5. I watch a lot of TV. Sometimes its only as background noise...most of the time its somewhat educational (Discovery Channel, History Channel, Jeopardy)
6. I get grumpy when I'm hungry...who doesn't?
7. I get annoyed when I'm tired...again, who doesn't?
8. I have become increasingly addicted to the internet.
9. I am a "cesspool of worthless knowledge." At least that's what my sister calls me since I always win Trivial Pursuit.
10. I can't stand American Idol...but I am a fan of Survivor and the Amazing Race...

There you have it, my admission of guilt.

The Indecency of a Society Gone Too Far.

America, the land of the free and the home of the brave...right?
Well, yes, America is the land of the free, but are we (Americans) really all that brave anymore? Unfortunately, I do not know how to answer that question. After all, what is bravery? I think everyone could, if they truly wanted to, come up with their own definition of the word. For example, I could (emphasis on could) consider myself brave for standing up as a young, white, middle-class, Christian, moderate in a society which (through the media at least) seems to celebrate a more, for lack of a better word, liberal ideal. I could, in contrast, consider myself a coward for failing, at multiple times in my life, to stand up for what I believe in when it was being mocked and slandered by those around me. What is bravery, and who displays it?
I know by now you are asking yourself, "what does this have to do with the title of the post?!" Well, I'm getting to that, albeit slowly. I spent most of this afternoon sitting on my couch watching TV and inanely flipping through the channels. At one point I stopped on MTV which was showing a re-run of the show "My Super Sweet 16." As I watched the 15 year old son of two musical celebrities whine about the fact that his birthday invitations (which consisted of an mp3 player holding a recorded message inviting the listener to his party) weren't ready when they were supposed to be I realized how incredibly selfish and materialistic our society has become. This kid is 16 years old. He's had everything handed to him. He hasn't had to work a day in his life, and probably never will.

One quote that I have been thinking about a lot lately goes like this, "Tolerance is the virtue of a man without convictions." I've been thinking about it because of something I heard someone say a couple of weeks ago. "I don't really believe in anything," he said, and that seemed, to me, to sum up how our society works. It seems that many people don't WANT to believe in anything because if you believe in one thing then you are alienating someone else and therefore annihilating their freedom to believe in whatever they want to believe in. Therefore, people flounder on the issues and lack the conviction it takes to make a finalized decision, and in so doing become completely tolerant human beings who lack the ability to truly believe in anything. They want (fill in the blank), but only if it doesn't interfere with (fill in the blank) and it has to come from (fill in the blank). They leave the decisions up to others, and then, when they don't like the decision, they get upset about it. (For clarification, I'm not just talking about the President)

I realize that this post has strayed from what generally is published on this blog, but its something I've been thinking about a lot lately and had to get out there. I also realize that this post may be slightly ambiguous and scattered, that was the point. Take from it what you will...maybe it's just the ramblings of someone who spent 13 hours in a car on Friday and should be asleep right now (it is 1:30 AM after all). This could possibly be the most dizzyingly ambiguous thing I've ever written; I promise that tomorrow everything will be back to...normal?