Beyond words

This is something that I just can't quite describe. You will just have to see it for yourselves. It is the Ross Sisters at what seems to be their finest moment (at least it is if you watch all the way to the end). All I can think to say is: "I think I need to take up Yoga again......" Via Metafilter Technorati tag: Ross Sisters

Movie: The Da Vinci Code

Over the Memorial Day weekend, after my yearly trip to the cemetery, I went to go and see The Da Vinci Code movie. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon in the movie - he really did make you forget that he was once a Bosom Buddy way back in the day. I loved Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu. Since I had not read the book prior to watching the movie for fear that it would spoil the suspense in the film (previous post), I was able to be surprised at some of the twists. I was also able to guess at other things and be proven right (or wrong). The film was thoroughly enjoyable. My plan now is to read the book and go watch the movie again. Now for all the controversy: Grow up people. I didn't see this movie any more Earth shattering than National Treasure. Some of The Da Vinci Code is true and some of it is fiction. It is up to us to determine which is which. I thought it was great that it made you think about the way women are treated in general; that it made you examine your religious beliefs; and that it showed that anyone is capable of anything given the proper motivation. As far as all the religious controversy goes, my personal view on religion is: if religious beliefs can not stand up to basic questioning, then they should be completely re-examined for validity. Following anything blindly just leads all of us in circles. Asking questions and being truly educated in anything only leads to a deeper understanding and ultimately a stronger faith. Technorati tag: Da Vinci Code

TV Theme Songs

Ever have the need to hear the old Knight Rider theme song, but don't want to actually watch the show? Check out TV Cream Themes. Via Metafilter. Technorati tag: nostalgia

Mahna Mahna (Phenomenon)

I love The Muppet Show. I used to watch every chance I could when I was younger. Recently some soda company (I think it was Dr. Pepper) has been playing a commercial with that song that I always thought was called phenomenon (its not) and it keeps getting stuck in my head. Since it was already stuck in my head, I decided it was time to purchase my very own copy of it in some fashion, but I couldn't find it. Several searches and a little Boolean logic later and I came across this little treasure of a video: have a look. More importantly I found out that the name of the song is really "Mahna Mahna" or "Lullaby Of Birdland" and can be found in several flavors out there on the Internet (the original is still the best). Update: Chaz from Dustbury sent me a little more information on this song. Technorati tag: Muppet Show, phenomenon, Mahna Mahna

Bubbles for my tea

The first step in over coming any addiction is admitting that you have it. Okay, here I go with step one: I have an addiction to bubble tea. It started innocently enough oh so many moons ago. The Chinese-Malaysians that I work with wanted to go to lunch for Chinese food, one of my favorites. We ended up at a real Chinese food restaurant and not one of the Americanized versions - which was just great with me. We all sat down and I started reading the menu. On the menu were many different types of teas some of them even containing Tapioca (sounds yummy). I turn to my knowledgeable lunch buddies and ask all about it - ultimately ordering a milk tea, black with tapioca. Now it seems that when I am not at the local coffee bar getting some caloric coffee concoction, I am at the tea bar experimenting with new flavors of bubble tea. So there you go. I admitted to the addiction, but knowing myself the way that I do I am sure that step two through twelve will never happen for this particular addiction. Technorati tag: bubble tea

101 Fabulous Freebies

PC World has a great list of 'Fabulous Freebies' which are free downloads, sites, and services. Page one gives you the big list while the pages that follow give you more information on the links. Links from popurls and del.icio.us Technorati tag: 101 fabulous freebies

Towel Day 2006

Because of the infinite improbabilty rampant in the universe, today is Towel Day. Make sure to carry your towel all day today as a tribute to the late, great Douglas Adams author of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Link via Boing Boing. Technorati tag: Towel Day

Movie Review: Sky High

Last night was one of those nights that I ended up flipping channels on television rather than sleeping. In my tour around the channels, I stumbled upon one terrifically bad movie. Sky High was the bad movie of the night - and I stayed up entirely too late watching it from start to finish. The movie is about a teenager entering high school. The teenager just happens to be the son of two Super Heros that went to the school when he was their age. The most redeeming quality to the movie was that Lynda Carter was the principal of the high school - although I would have liked for her to have reprised some of her Wonder Woman role for it (I bet she would still look great in the costume). My two favorite quotes from the movie: But I do have one regret... this may be the best evil villan speach ever, and you can't understand a word I'm saying. I went through puberty twice, for *this*! This is one of those bad movies I would probably watch again. Technorati tag: Sky High Movie

Download your next camera

Linatree has a pinhole camera that you can download, print out, and put together. I wonder how well the pictures come out? I may just have to try this. From Strange New Products Technorati tag: download pinhole camera

Amazingly out of the loop

I have spent the past five days with my father while he was in town. We had a great visit. While he was here, we did a little of this and a little of that. We spent almost no time at home which meant NO time for me to spend checking email, researching ideas for posting, watching television, and checking other blogs. Tonight I realize just how much information I generally receive/review on a daily basis. I also realized just how much the information overload that I get is required to generate my thought processes. My brain feels like mush! Hopefully, I will be able to whip it back in shape fairly quickly or at least enough to put a few postings together for the rest of the week. Technorati tag: blog

Rats begone

A few months back I posted about a new "pet" rat I had acquired. Even though I indicated that it had become a pet, I couldn't overcome my hate-hate relationship with rats. So every so often since I first purchased the rat, I have attempted to engage it in its original purpose (part of the food chain). Today I was successful at it. Technorati tag: rats

25 Sexy Novels

Playboy has compiled a list of the 25 sexiest novels ever written. Warning that the link goes to Playboy, but there is nothing to see when you get there - just books. Here is the list for those who can't get to the site: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure Lady Chatterley's Lover* Tropic of Cancer* Story of O* Crash Interview With The Vampire* Portnoy’s Complaint The Magus The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Endless Love Lolita Carrie’s Story Fear of Flying Peyton Place Story of the Eye The End of Alice Vox Rapture Singular Pleasures In the Cut Brass Candy Forever An American Dream The Carpetbaggers The ones marked with asterisk (*) are the ones that I have read. I think I now have my summer reading list ready. From kottke Technorati tag: 25 sexy novels

A funny thought

Thought for the Day There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra today than on Alzheimer's research. This means that by 2040, there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them. from Curmudgeonisms. Technorati tag: funny thought

Prepregnant

What the hell is "pre-pregnant?" Is that a positive way of thinking about trying to get pregnant? According to the Washington Post and some new federal guidelines, it is a new way of seeing women ages ~10 to ~50. I was up in arms with the best of them (especially since it would classify me as pre-pregnant). I was ready to set my keyboard on fire with all my commentary. I wanted answers to these questions that came about after reading the Washington Post article: When did women becomes nothing more than baby machines? Who decided that we should spend our days anticipating the day we would be barefoot and pregnant? How is it that this actually made it all the way to a federal guideline? Then I sat down at that keyboard and searched for the actual guidelines. I wanted all the information before I started verbally slamming the Office Shrubbery. I also located the press release for the guidelines. Once I had located the guidelines, I had to then read them and make heads or tails of all the stereo-instruction type of writing. Let's compare: Washington Post: New federal guidelines ask all females capable of conceiving a baby to treat themselves -- and to be treated by the health care system -- as pre-pregnant, regardless of whether they plan to get pregnant anytime soon. Among other things, this means all women between first menstrual period and menopause should take folic acid supplements, refrain from smoking, maintain a healthy weight and keep chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes under control. CDC Recommendations: Recommendation 1. Individual Responsibility Across the Lifespan. Each woman, man, and couple should be encouraged to have a reproductive life plan.The target population for preconception health promotion is women, from menarche to menopause, who are capable of having children, even if they do not intend to conceive. To reach such a broad group, a lifespan perspective is needed (3,17,20), which is commonly used in efforts to reduce chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease. For example, persons are encouraged to consider the role of genetic and dietary factors in determining their risk for high cholesterol and to modify their behaviors according to cumulative individual risks (e.g., changes in diet, exercise, or medications) (155). Similarly, a lifespan approach can be used to focus individual attention on reproductive health to reduce unintended pregnancies, age-related infertility, fetal exposures to teratogens, and to improve women's health and pregnancy outcomes (20). After reading all this and comparing this and other sections, I am left puzzled with the two possible conclusions I was able to determine from all this. Women are potential incubators: "women, from menarche to menopause, who are capable of having children, even if they do not intend to conceive." Pregnancy is a disease: "a lifespan perspective is needed, which is commonly used in efforts to reduce chronic diseases." It seems to me that neither conclusions were intended when the recommendations were written. Personally, I would like to see them re-written to be a little more positive about the rights of women, but I won't hold my breath. Technorati tag: prepregnant

Piaggio 3 Wheeled Scooter

Three wheeled scooters have been available for awhile now in various flavors - most all of them being mobility type scooters. There have been a few 3 wheeled scooters (aka trikes) available, but they were most often of the 150cc and under variety (my favorite being the 50cc suntrike). Recently Piaggio, a company known best for making the Vespa scooters, announced a three wheeled scooter. The design allows the rider to still lean into the turns, but without the need for balance. It will have accessories and packages available eventually that will make it usuable in inclement weather. The scooter is called the Piaggio MP3 and is not currently available in the US. From gizmag and Kneeslider Technorati tag: piaggio MP3 Scooter

Gummy Banana Slug

Eeeewwww!! There are just no words to describe this, but Archie McFee sure tries: "Move over gummy worms, there's a new treat in town! This incredibly realistic Gummy Banana Slug is 5-1/2" long and weighs in at an impressive 45 grams. Delicious banana flavor!" I wonder what happens when you pour salt over them.....hmmmmm..... Technorati tag: gummy banana slug

More about motorcycles

I think that my next motorcycle purchase will be a Ridley. Specifically the Auto-Glide TT. Not only does it have automatic transmission, it also is made right here in Oklahoma. Technorati tag: motorcycle

Kiss those allergies goodbye

At this time of year in Oklahoma my allergies become something of a daily battle. I have tried all sorts of remedies to cure them, but they just seem to keep coming back. In the past I have tried the honey method - where you eat local honey to be exposed to the local pollens - which has brought me some relief. But I just read that 30 minutes of kissing can alleviate allergy symptoms. Now that is a method of relief that I think I will definitely enjoy :0) From Boing Boing. Technorati tag: allergies

I read it for the articles

I definitely think that I need to get me one of these **Warning: Link goes to Playboy store.** Technorati tag: Playboy articles

Someone got my goat

A strange phenomenon that I learned about in my very young days is about, of all things, goat's milk. The one undisputed fact about goat's milk is that is tastes absolutely horrible when you drink it. However, the strange thing about it is that the flavor can be improved on when it is processed in some form or another, cheese for instance. The strange part of all this is that it tastes really good when you make ice cream out of it. This is a fact that I knew all of my life and yet someone else was the one to make it available for sale - when will I learn? Technorati tag: goat milk ice cream

A reason to visit New Jersey

I have never really had much of a desire to visit New Jersey until today. I would like to go to the Vintage Computer Festival that is going on this Saturday. Technorati tag: vintage computer festival

Make mine family

My brother, and fellow computer geek, was in town this week with his family. They arrived late Tuesday evening and they are leaving sometime this morning. Which left us just Wednesday evening to spend some time together. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. My brother and I were able to talk about all those geeky things that makes the eyes of others just glaze over. We talked about iPods, High Definition television, laptops versus desktops, the old BBS days, and the benefits and drawbacks of our respective DVR systems. We realized that one of the biggest things we have in common is in our choice of partners (his wife and my life partner). Both of our significant others demand from each of us that we let the warranties lapse before trying anything we have seen on MAKE. Technorati tag: family

Rasterbate to increase size

Using the Rasterbator will make your digital photos bigger than you ever thought possible. The Rasterbator is a web service which creates huge, rasterized images from any picture. The rasterized images can be printed and assembled into extremely cool looking posters up to 20 meters in size. From photojojo. Also, be sure to check out the rasterbator tagged photos on Flickr. Technorati tag: rasterbator photo

Vinyl Convert

This little gizmo just might be the ticket I need to convert my small vinyl collection to MP3 to use on an iPod nano 4GB - Black. From fosfor gadgets Technorati tag: album conversion

Bad movie? You're soaking in it.

Bad movies call to me and I cannot resist. If I happen to be flipping television channels and I happen across How To Make A Monster, I am compelled to watch it for as long as I can stomach it although I have never made it through to the end. The urge is completely compelling and much akin to my need to eat Peeps. For me this has been a life long obsession starting with The Blob (or maybe even earlier). I will even admit to having willingly seen many of the movies that were shown on MST3K prior to Joel and the Bots encountering their overwhelming badness. And now I hear that there is a bad movie that I have not at least been exposed to on late, late, late cable (bad movie primetime) and it begins to eat away at me. I must watch this movie; I must experience the badness for myself; I must know the horror of it all; I must face 'The Room'! Technorati tag: the room; bad movie

A reason for shielding

Not too long ago I mentioned that I had purchased a motorcycle to save on gas. I have been wanting to get one for awhile now and the gas prices were just the incentives that I needed. Now that I am a motorcycle owner, I have been reading a little more about it in the blogging world. When I came across these two little gems of information about windshields for motorcycles. The first blogger mentions that he doesn't have a shield for his bike and doesn't really see the need, but still somehow manages to talk me into buying one anyway. The second blogger outlines why he decided to obtain a shield for his bike. By the way - I just looooove my new bike and have spent every spare minute riding it. Although the weather has not been entirely cooperative in my desire to ride, I have still managed to get in at least 7 nights of riding since we brought the bike home. I am going to class this weekend to learn how to ride, help get my motorcycle endorsement by getting the MSF certificate first, and ultimately save money on my insurance. Technorati tag: motorcycle windshield debate

Clothing optional

I wonder if anyone has pointed out to Dawn Eden that the cover art for her soon to be released book The Thrill of The Chaste of which she is "so happy and excited" about is full of sexual connotations. Case in point: The multiple phallic symbols from the buildings below that are pointing towards the young woman on the cover - indicating multiple partners. The ever so slightly open lips of the woman indicating the first stages of arousal. The androgynous, open mouthed figure behind and slightly below her indicating a willing and available partner. The absense of eyes would also suggest the acceptance of anonymous sex. I think it is wonderfully ironic that a "chaste" book is so full of the promise of sex on the cover. Which of course means that I will just have to read it. from Dustbury Technorati tag: cover art sex

Make mine deep fried

The Twinkies Cookbook "An Inventive and Unexpected Recipe Collection" 'nuff said. Technorati tag: twinkies

The ultimate answer to earrings

The earrings are great - the description of the earrings is priceless... "I realize some people might not understand these earrings, but you do--and that is why you are cool" Link found on Boing Boing Technorati tag: 42 earrings

Let's talk about geocaching

Somewhere within my daily search through the Internet I stumbled across the term geocaching. I thought to myself - WTF is that? So I started searching for a little more information. Basically, geocaching is similar to treasure hunting, but for trinkets instead of gold. The fun is in the hiding or finding not in the treasure itself. There are geocoins involved in some geocaching adventures. Although, I think you could take your metal detector out there and do a little of both. This is more of what I found: You can learn how to geocache at WikiHow There is an official global site for geocaching It requires a GPS unit to engage in it There are books written on it Overall this sounds like it would be an adventure, but I think I will stick with having no particular destination in mind for my wilderness treks. Technorati tag: geocaching

Poor Ol' Charlie

I was catching up on my reading today and happened across this bit of sentiment over at dustbury: "One of the songs I dearly loved as a kid — still have a Capitol 45 of it, in fact — is the Kingston Trio's "M.T.A.", recorded in 1959" As a child I listened to The Kingston Trio's Greatest Hits on record until it suffered a tragic accident with the dryer (foul play was never proven). My childhood obsession with the Kingston Trio didn't stop when vinyl went scarce. I bought a copy of it on tape, then I bought it again (one of very few albums that I felt worthy enough to actually purchase again) on CD. The only version I didn't own at one point or another was the 8-track version (although at one point I did hunt for it). There are times I do miss the crackle and hiss when listening to the "Where Have All The Flowers Gone." The background noise from the record gave it such a haunting sound that gave me chills and occasionally brought tears to my eyes. There is one question that has always bothered me about Charlie on that train: If his wife could hand him a sandwich on the train every day - why couldn't she give him the money to get off the train? --------------------------------------------------- Hats off to you Chaz, thanks for the trip down memory lane and if anyone would appreciate this particular tangent - it would be you. --------------------------------------------------- Technorati tag: Kingston Trio memories

Phun with Phones

I think that it would be incredibly fun to drive to the current Phoneswarm location and answer the phone. Since the people who call it ask strange and unusual questions, I think it would be great to give strange and unusual answers (although truth is still stranger than fiction). It would also just be fun to watch people as they answer the phone. The current payphone location is Wharf Fish & Chips, San Francisco, California. Melissa, a caller from Reno, Nevada, was able to engage in this intellectual conversation: Boy: CHICKEN! Melissa: Pardon? Boy: FART! Melissa: Hello? Boy: GARBAGE BUNNY! *click* he hung up. Technorati tag: pay phone