I want to be like Mommy!
Note received from teacher:
We realize many face difficulties during this economic downturn but we must ask you to refrain from sharing exactly what you must do to make ends meet. Attached please find the Jane's drawing of her Mommy at work. We find it inappropriate for sharing on the bulletin board at school.
Reply note sent to teacher:
Thank you for your concern but please be informed that the drawing is a picture of me selling a shovel at Home Depot not of me doing a pole dance at an adult entertainment club.
Adult novelties robbery
Adult novelties taken from home's basement
A 36-year-old Braselton woman reported to Jackson County sheriff's deputies that someone broke into the basement of her Johnson Drive home and stole a compound bow worth $200, a PlayStation 3 worth nearly $400 and a suitcase of sex toys, valued at $110, according to a deputy's report.
Over the bridge and through the woods to Thanksgiving dinner
The problem is the distance involves three elderly couples having to drive forty five minutes one way and then back in the dark on winding narrow two lane roads through countryside loaded with deer not to mention tipsy driver guiding speeding cars. They will have us scattered in a basement game room at converted pool table, air hockey and other game tables with a TV set blaring the football game and the kids playing the pinball machines, air hockey and foosball (not sure of the spelling at that at all). At least two of the kids will be running around with dripping noses and coughing all over the food with no attempt whatsoever to cover their mouths, one in the bathroom, with the door wide open, upchucking all over the sink, floor and commode. Of course all of this is always at full volume including crosstalking from one end of the huge room to the other.
The male host just happens to be a state health inspector. The food served will be a turkey previously shredded and displayed buffet style on a high counter with the flow of people ending against a wall and having to squeeze past the entire line to go seek a suitable eating place...like on an air hockey table. Not one item, including the giblet gravy, will be anything beyond room temperature.
Cutting it short here. Two hours later with the food still on the counter everyone will be encouraged to take plates of food home for thirds for their lunch tomorrow. Yeah sure. (Remember the kids were running around barfing, coughing, sneezing and all the whole time) I'll tell my wife that I had had enough to last me until next year and we will leave without any of the remains. On Friday I will cook a small turkey dinner while the wife is out with the female clan enjoying the Black Friday shopping endurance race.
Sometimes I almost would rather be out there trying to drive in the shopping traffic getting a sharp stick stuck in my eyes every couple minutes rather than endure the gatherings of the entire clan.
Pictures from last year's family Thanksgiving dinner
Everybody seated for dinner
Relative sincerely asking about my health
Watching the clan enjoying dinner
The grand daughter's date
Grandma carrying leftovers home
The notes for what the grand kids want for Christmas
Waterfall
From a Google gadget linking photos from Flickr. The text from below the photo :
Probably not the best place to stand with a camera on a tripod! The camera was only inches from the surface of the water and I was hanging on grimly to stop myself and equipment from being washed away. The water was lapping over the tops of my wellies, thank goodness I'd worn shorts, and the tripod was vibrating with the force of the water.
Taken whilst on a morning trek with six friends from the WFC (WelshFlickrCymru) group.
A farmer's advice to the youth of our nation
* Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.
* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
* Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.
* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
* It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.
* You cannot unsay a cruel word.
* Every path has a few puddles.
* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
* The best sermons are lived, not preached.
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.
* Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.
* Don’t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t botherin’ you none.
* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
* The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin’.
* Always drink upstream from the herd.
* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
* Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.
* If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.
330-433-5839, 202-495-7148, 202-461-3457, 414-462-5902, 501-977-0960, 866-567-1751, 910-743-2274, 866-520-4551, 877-249-4007, 847-557-1100, 952-582-6081, 800-699-3423, 214-221-9430
777-889-6633, 406-219-2389, 406-219-2085, 803-326-1322, 678-828-4014, 770-266-5821, 404-494-7084, 801,823-2028, 612-899-3500, 954-1900, 313-203-8198, 800-390-4812, 561-300-8724, 978-570-2411
Plus they now have a device that can fool you if you use caller ID to screen calls that can have your caller ID show your spouses, bank, school, or anybody you know phone number.
*Update Sept 22, 2009 330-433-5839 robocall today
***Update Aug. 27, 2009 go to http://barrytyred3.blogspot.com/2009/08/telemarketing-robocalls-illegal.html for a new FTC regulation making robocalling illegal...for the most part. But there is a technology that lets them "spoof" most any number. The latest are calls from Washington D.C. 202-495-7148, 202-461-3457
The national Do Not Call site will accept cell phone numbers also
http://www.ftc.gov/donotcall
I understand the FTC has filed a suit against one of these outfits that does the car warranty calls but it doesn't seem to slow them down or stop the others. The latest one using area code 214 and the number of 221-9430 called me today. Like all the others I have posted in here it leads to a car warranty robo-call. I wonder how they do this calling all over the country from a non-800 number? Don't expect me to find out but I know they are doing it. I also read that these outfits are ignoring the do not call lists too. I guess our only resource is to call our senators and representatives.
There is a lot more below the picture but here is an edit adding a link to information, with names, about the people behind these irritating calls. Click this XXX
Edit May 13, 2009 to add that it appears the do not call list works with the main outfit violating this regulation. It has pissed off a Senator and at last word this morning it looks like the FTC will be looking into the main oufit behind these Robocalls. Here is a most interesting link to a site dealing with nothing but this stuff:
http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/8i1u7/want_the_phone_number_to_the_your_cars_warranty/
866-567-1751, 910-743-2274, 866-520-4551, 877-249-4007, 847-557-1100, 952-582-6081 - When I search the net for these numbers I find information that the origin of most of them is from an outfit called GC Services that does calls for Capital One which is a credit card company. I do not have one of their cards nor am I in debt. Actually I'm one of those people that credit card outfits hate because they do not make any money from me directly because I pay my cards off in full each month.
Regarding 847-557-1100 research on it turned up this outfit: W. Arrow-Financial.com 599 W. Touhy Ave, Niles, Illinois 60714 with a FAX number of 847-647-1215. They called my cell phone and my wife's cell phone a few time in July and August of 2008.
Searched 952-582-6081 and it looks like it belongs to a Thomas Hall who (depending on which one you read) is either a phone sex operator or a blind call collector for WaMu.
800-699-3423 and 414-462-5902 search appears to be a telemarketer scam setup re: car warranty sales etc.
Adding in numbers that call, leave no answer and a Google search show it listed with numerous complaints from all over the country about just that.
02-28-2009 added 501-977-0960
Here's the really frustrating part of it - they don't leave a message in the voice mail and they hang up if you do answer. When I researched the numbers many people call the number back and have talked with the "collectors" on the other end with little or no success at stopping the calls. Strange thing is the numbers keep on changing and then will stop for a month or two only to start back again for a few weeks.
I will add to this post each time I get a similar call and search it just to find it is the same source. So while you are here look over the interesting stuff.
These nuisance calls have resulted in me no longer bothering to answer if I do not recognize the number or if it is a call from my area code or a close relatives area code. I figure if it is important they will leave a message or call repeatedly right away.
One other interesting item I've uncovered is they are only calling phone numbers that are cell phones. Could there be an ulterior motive of accumulating known subscribed cell phone numbers to sell to 'phone spammers' just like email spammers? Something to think about.
You may have arrived here by doing an Internet search for one of the phone numbers. That is what I did and decided to include these numbers in amongst the blog posts here as I get them.
Reminder: the national Do Not Call site will accept cell phone numbers also
http://www.ftc.gov/donotcall But that will not stop them.
Haunted places - What is scary where you live?
Click on your state to see what is scary where you live
In The United States
Alabama Louisiana Ohio
Alaska Maine Oklahoma
Arizona Maryland Oregon
Arkansas Massachusetts Pennsylvania
California Michigan Rhode Island
Colorado Minnesota South Carolina
Connecticut Mississippi South Dakota
Delaware Missouri Tennessee
Florida Montana Texas
Georgia Nebraska Utah
Hawaii Nevada Vermont
Idaho New Hampshire Virginia
Illinois New Jersey Washington
Indiana New Mexico West Virginia
Iowa New York Wisconsin
Kansas North Carolina Wyoming
Kentucky North Dakota District of Columbia
When the TV cameras are off - Debate 3 photos
I think the old dude is demented. What's with the tongue?
Here his wife is dressed like a pumpkin pole and walking like a Frankenstein while old John is simulating how he first greeted Sarah
Umm is he about to throw up?
Is he about to grab Obama's backside?
More likely old John was daydreaming about why he would like to have Sarah as his VP. There are no corners to hide in in the Oval Office Sarah.
Carve your Halloween pumpkin online
http://www.cubpack81.com/images/carve_pumpkin.swf
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Doctors recommended smoking?
Deer hunting in style
I think I would consider hunting from a deer stand if it was constructed like this one.
Here is a sequence of pictures showing how to build a class A deer stand:
First you obtain a tiny camper suitable for catching a bit of a nap
Then elevate to a proper height so as to able to obtain a clear view of the surrounding area
Then create an ample seating space to prevent accidental falling
Here you can see the clear field of fire viewing you should have so as to see the deer approaching
Of course should you decide to have a snack of ribs or BBQ chicken you may want to provide a place to have a small fire so as not to start a forest fire.
Become a character when you visit the Forbidden City
From the web site:
The Forbidden City: Beyond Space and Time is a partnership between the Palace Museum and IBM. The goal of the project is to provide the means for a world-wide audience to celebrate and explore aspects of Chinese culture and history.
You can use this website to learn more about the project, or click the button below to visit the Download page where you can view the requirements for experiencing the Virtual Forbidden City.
If you register to join the Beyond Space and Time community you will be able to participate in forum discussion and gain access to enhanced features in the Virtual Forbidden City.
LINK
If Palin's your Momma what would your name be?
Ever wonder, What would your name be if Sarah Palin was your mother? Well now you can find out!
Just CLICK THIS
A clock for math classes
Pass gas on police and get arrested for assault
Then, he failed sobriety tests and was arrested.
When police were trying to get fingerprints, police say Cruz moved closer to the officer and passed gas on him. The investigating officer remarked in the criminal complaint that the odor was very strong. Cruz is now charged with battery on a police officer, as well as DUI and obstruction.
Read the full arrest report — the part you're looking for will be on page 3
http://media.graytvinc.com/documents/Cruz+Criminal+Complaint0002.pdf
PETA Urges Ben & Jerry's To Use Human Milk
"PETA's request comes in the wake of news reports that a Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow's milk in the food he serves," the statement says.
PETA Urges Ben & Jerry's To Use Human Milk
PETA officials say a move to human breast milk would lessen the suffering of dairy cows and their babies on factory farms and benefit human health.
"The fact that human adults consume huge quantities of dairy products made from milk that was meant for a baby cow just doesn't make sense," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "Everyone knows that 'the breast is best,' so Ben & Jerry's could do consumers and cows a big favor by making the switch to breast milk."
Sadly, at last report, Ben & Jerry's has declined the PETA request.
VIA
Windows Darwin Test — FAIL
Testing students at a University, psychologists made many of them click on a dialog box that in effect said: 'You are about to install some malware. Malware is bad. By clicking yes you are failing the Windows Darwin Test.' Nearly half of them said all they cared about was getting rid of these dialogs."
VIA
AND
World's Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake
So here it is a couple years later and I wanted a taste of it again. Since just the mixing and cooking directions were the only thing included with the pre-measured mix I was stuck. So off to a Goggle search. After searching for what seemed too long I found what you will see below. (Lord knows I couldn't find the source again to provide a link) I have yet to mix it up myself but had posted the recipe in three forums and emailed it to a couple people.
The big surprise to me was yesterday when my wife comes home from her temp job with a print out of what I had sent a few weeks ago. I haven't had the time to try out the recipe myself but several people on the forums where I posted it had and loved it. So either it was a coincidence that the recipe (the one the wife brought home was slightly different) is making the rounds at the same time or what I posted has spread like a virulent flu. Who knows? Just try it and enjoy.
World's Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake4 tablespoons Cake Flour (that's CAKE FLOUR, not self-rising)
(I've been told you can buy small quantity of cake flour in some supermarkets or look below for instructions from a Google search how to make a substitute for cake flour)
(edit once again to add that I've made it since with regular self-rising flour and it turned out pretty good also)
4 tablespoons Sugar
2 tablespoons Baking Cocoa
1 Egg
3 tablespoons Milk
3 tablespoons Olive Oil (Extra Virgin Light)
3 tablespoons Chocolate Chips (optional)
1 small dash of Vanilla flavoring
1 LARGE Coffee or Soup Mug
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips and vanilla flavoring, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
(check your microwave settings since most microwaves today exceed 1000 watts. Cooking differently will result in a too dry block of ummm yuck)
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if you prefer.
EAT! --(this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.
I will admit to using BakersJoy spray (www.bakersjoy.com) to further prevent it sticking to the cup.
The dangerous part of this cake recipe? ... now you are only 5 minutes away from Chocolate Cake at any time of the day or night
Cake Flour SubstituteIngredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
Directions
1-To make two cups of cake-and-pastry flour (cake flour), combine 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch; proceed with your recipe.
2-The easiest way to do this substitution is to put 2 tbsp of cornstarch in the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill the cup as usual with all-purpose flour and level top. Repeat process to get your two cups.
3-If you only need 1/2 cup of cake flour, put 1 tbsp cornstarch in bottom of 1/2 cup measuring cup, then fill and level as above.
This makes for a nice gift — mix up a batch of the dry ingredients in separate bags, include the instructions on how to cook it, put it all in a nice big fancy mug and wrap in decorative plastic wrap.
This all reminds of the story about a couple that were at a marriage seminar:
While attending a marriage seminar on communication, Tom and his wife Peg listened to the instructor declare, "It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other."
He addressed the men, "Can you describe your wife's favorite flower?"
Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, Pillsbury All-Purpose, isn't it?"
The rest of the story is not pleasant.
Alaska is a big state; or is it a tiny state?
The Dollar Shirt
I first came across this a few years ago when I was searching for unusual origami using money. At that time there was only one link to be found for it. I searched for it today for my granddaughter and found two pages of links for making a shirt out of a dollar bill.
When making one of these use a fresh crisp bill. It makes doing the folds a lot easier.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Shirt-out-of-a-One-Dollar-Bill
Evolutionists Flock To Darwin-Shaped Wall Stain
DAYTON, TN—A steady stream of devoted evolutionists continued to gather in this small Tennessee town today to witness what many believe is an image of Charles Darwin—author of The Origin Of Species and founder of the modern evolutionary movement—made manifest on a concrete wall in downtown Dayton.
"I brought my baby to touch the wall, so that the power of Darwin can purify her genetic makeup of undesirable inherited traits," said Darlene Freiberg, one among a growing crowd assembled here to see the mysterious stain, which appeared last Monday on one side of the Rhea County Courthouse. The building was also the location of the famed "Scopes Monkey Trial" and is widely considered one of Darwinism's holiest sites. "Forgive me, O Charles, for ever doubting your Divine Evolution. After seeing this miracle of limestone pigmentation with my own eyes, my faith in empirical reasoning will never again be tested."
Added Freiberg, "Behold the power and glory of the scientific method!"
Since witnesses first reported the unexplained marking—which appears to resemble a 19th-century male figure with a high forehead and large beard—this normally quiet town has become a hotbed of biological zealotry. Thousands of pilgrims from as far away as Berkeley's paleoanthropology department have flocked to the site to lay wreaths of flowers, light devotional candles, read aloud from Darwin's works, and otherwise pay homage to the mysterious blue-green stain.
Capitalizing on the influx of empirical believers, street vendors have sprung up across Dayton, selling evolutionary relics and artwork to the thousands of pilgrims waiting to catch a glimpse of the image. Available for sale are everything from small wooden shards alleged to be fragments of the "One True Beagle"—the research vessel on which Darwin made his legendary voyage to the Galapagos Islands—to lecture notes purportedly touched by English evolutionist Alfred Russel Wallace.
more VIA
One year's oil drilled off shore will last how long?
At peak production, how long will it take the US to consume a year's supply of oil from expanded off-shore drilling in the outer continental shelf?
Answer:
Test you knowledge by taking the test and read more about it at
http://www.architecture2030.org/news/news_090608.html
All the info is based on a report from
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/otheranalysis/ongr.html