OK, I'll admit it, sometimes I have the sense of humor of a 15 year old boy. Not in the potty humor kind of way, but in "mom...you said buns" kind of way.
One day at work my friend Steve was talking about how he and his 15 year old daughter were watching TV, and an SNL skit came on that had Betty White in it. Well, it was a radio show where Betty White was talking about her "muffin". Of course they made all kinds of innuendo and crass jokes about her muffin, actually she made most of them herself. There is something funny about an older lady that seems kind of proper saying nasty things.
The funny part was that Steve's daughter was watching the show and trying to pretend she didn't understand the jokes. She was able to hold back for a while but finally started laughing and couldn't stop herself. I understand that! I remember watching TV with my parents as a teenager and something sexual coming on and I would be all uncomfortable (maybe they were too). I would try and pretend I didn't understand what was going on, cuz you didn't want to seem too knowlegable to your parents!
So one of the other very funny SNL skits that was similar was Schweddy Balls. Alex Baldwin played Mr. Schweddy on the radio show. Well, here it is...hope you laugh as much as I did.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
I [heart] Ponchos
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| My first Poncho looked much like this. |
One of the must have items of the day was the Poncho. My very first one was made by my grandma with purple verigated wool and it had fringe on it. OOO how stylin I was when I wore it with my dress and leotards.
For many years, ponchos fell out of fashion. But alas, they are back. No, not everyone wears a poncho, but that is alright with me. I like to wear a poncho. Yes, I could just wear a jacket..that is practical. Well often I do, but whenever I can, I like to get out my nice cozy poncho.
A poncho is like a nice hug. It covers your shoulders and your arms but has room to move. It is nice and warm, yet cool and nonrestrictive at the same time. The cool weather is making me think about poncho wearing again. Erron has been talking about knitting, which has reminded me that I wanted to knit a nice new poncho. I think this will be a winter project.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday Soapbox
I started writing this as a comment on Erron's blog where she was responding to some questions from Shaun about a previous article she wrote called What if it's Not. I started getting really wordy and ranty so I decided to just make this my post for today. I don't have kids of my own, but I work with many people who have children that have various issues, from Down Syndrome, Aspergers, life threatening allergies, etc. As a family we have often talked about the high numbers of people with MS in certain small farming areas. This has always made me wonder what the heck is going on?
Erron wrote about some of the theories out there of Autism. Personally I don't buy a lot of the deflection of just more diagnosis today. Yes, I am sure there is, but not to the extent we see in the numbers. I also don't buy a lot of the prenatal care stuff. I think women know much more about that today and take extreme care when they are pregnant. Of course there are exceptions to this, but really, women used to smoke, drink and do all kinds of things women don't do now while pregnant.
I think this is part of the point of Erron's article. Anyone, no matter how careful can have a child with some sort of issue. It isn't fair to blame the parents as they have done everything they can. Everyone should be alarmed that autism, severe allergies, behavior issues are on the rise.
My sister works in clinical trials at the Cross Cancer Institute and they see correlations between types of cancer and geographical area. Gathering comparative statistics requires different countries to participate in studies, this is not always easy. As an example, they are thinking that certain cancers are higher in the north because of the methods of cooking meat (open flame generating high levels of carcinogens). They see tons of intestinal types of cancers in countries like ours which could be because of pesticides and overly refined foods. The problem is we can't wait for science to agree and who knows what combination of things can do what.
I think we all have to continue to educate ourselves and use our common sense. Let's reduce our use of pesticides. It can't hurt, and it might help. So, maybe a few chemical companies will loose money along the way. So what! Our era of modernization keeps taking us further away from natural things. We over vaccinate because heaven forbid we get sick and develop some of our own immunities. We mass produce food and use high temperatures and chemicals to preserve and change the properties of the food, and the we spew by-products of these processes into our air, food and water systems.
Recently a number of communities got together and told the electrical company to bury their lines in the ground and not have them overhead near communities. Of course the debate starts about just what is the safe rate of radiation that people can be exposed to without harmful impacts. If the option is some or none, I say go with the none and bury the damn lines. What, it will cost the private company more money? O gee...let me see..."I don't care!" I am sure they will claw it back in my electrical bills anyway. But it will cost all of us much more when people end up in hospital with varying ailments. These are the kinds of statements we are constantly fed:
The EMF levels produced by the Heartland Project are expected to be well below the exposure guidelines established by the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) for public exposure (833 milligauss) and are well within the range of magnetic field levels that we are exposed to in our everyday lives. Neither Health Canada nor the World Health Organization has recommended that the general public need to take steps to limit everyday exposures to EMF.
Sure, that is comforting. In the office where I work, many of us are continually getting headaches and suffering allergy symptoms that we don't have when we are on vacation at home. But we are continually being told that "Air Quality" experts have said that the air is within safe guidelines. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it will kill me, but I think that dirty air ducts that never get cleaned, and air-tight buildings are highly efficient, but not the healthiest for people.
So in the end, the "Dollar" always wins. Especially in Alberta. Money talks, sick people walk. It is really high time that people start to ask questions, say no, that doesn't make sense and use your consumer dollar to make your point. This is the only way we can make actual change that will benefit ourselves and future generations.
Ok, I am putting my soap box away.....for now! ; >
Erron wrote about some of the theories out there of Autism. Personally I don't buy a lot of the deflection of just more diagnosis today. Yes, I am sure there is, but not to the extent we see in the numbers. I also don't buy a lot of the prenatal care stuff. I think women know much more about that today and take extreme care when they are pregnant. Of course there are exceptions to this, but really, women used to smoke, drink and do all kinds of things women don't do now while pregnant.
I think this is part of the point of Erron's article. Anyone, no matter how careful can have a child with some sort of issue. It isn't fair to blame the parents as they have done everything they can. Everyone should be alarmed that autism, severe allergies, behavior issues are on the rise.
My sister works in clinical trials at the Cross Cancer Institute and they see correlations between types of cancer and geographical area. Gathering comparative statistics requires different countries to participate in studies, this is not always easy. As an example, they are thinking that certain cancers are higher in the north because of the methods of cooking meat (open flame generating high levels of carcinogens). They see tons of intestinal types of cancers in countries like ours which could be because of pesticides and overly refined foods. The problem is we can't wait for science to agree and who knows what combination of things can do what.
I think we all have to continue to educate ourselves and use our common sense. Let's reduce our use of pesticides. It can't hurt, and it might help. So, maybe a few chemical companies will loose money along the way. So what! Our era of modernization keeps taking us further away from natural things. We over vaccinate because heaven forbid we get sick and develop some of our own immunities. We mass produce food and use high temperatures and chemicals to preserve and change the properties of the food, and the we spew by-products of these processes into our air, food and water systems.
Recently a number of communities got together and told the electrical company to bury their lines in the ground and not have them overhead near communities. Of course the debate starts about just what is the safe rate of radiation that people can be exposed to without harmful impacts. If the option is some or none, I say go with the none and bury the damn lines. What, it will cost the private company more money? O gee...let me see..."I don't care!" I am sure they will claw it back in my electrical bills anyway. But it will cost all of us much more when people end up in hospital with varying ailments. These are the kinds of statements we are constantly fed:
The EMF levels produced by the Heartland Project are expected to be well below the exposure guidelines established by the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) for public exposure (833 milligauss) and are well within the range of magnetic field levels that we are exposed to in our everyday lives. Neither Health Canada nor the World Health Organization has recommended that the general public need to take steps to limit everyday exposures to EMF.
Sure, that is comforting. In the office where I work, many of us are continually getting headaches and suffering allergy symptoms that we don't have when we are on vacation at home. But we are continually being told that "Air Quality" experts have said that the air is within safe guidelines. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it will kill me, but I think that dirty air ducts that never get cleaned, and air-tight buildings are highly efficient, but not the healthiest for people.
So in the end, the "Dollar" always wins. Especially in Alberta. Money talks, sick people walk. It is really high time that people start to ask questions, say no, that doesn't make sense and use your consumer dollar to make your point. This is the only way we can make actual change that will benefit ourselves and future generations.
Ok, I am putting my soap box away.....for now! ; >
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Women's Magazines
Today I was going through some stuff and came across some old comics of mine. I have some that go back to 1974 and cost 20 cents. They are mostly Betty and Veronica becuase those were the ones I liked : )
I also found a few Ladies Home Journals that I must have picked up at a Garage Sale one time. There are three of them in excellent shape, with the oldest being from 1953.
The content of these magazines hasn't changed much over the years. Still a lot of recipes, articles on raising children and ads selling household items to mothers.
I always laugh at some of those old articles about being the perfect wife. The article in the 1953 LHJ is called "Making Marriage Work". Be well mannered with men - it will astonish some and delight all.
This article has lots of tips about attracting a man for marriage. Here are some of the tips:
Don't keep him waiting. To do so is to bolster your vanity at the expense of his self-respect. And lengthening the evening accordingly at the other end is a real imposition.
Dont demand constant attentions. Customarily, a man lights a woman's cigarette for her. But for a girl to insist that a man cross the room to do so, whle she sits with a lighter before her, is an absurd distortion of etiquette.
Don't take his courtesty for granted. Whe he does light your cigarette, thank him even though these are routine attentions.
Don't belittle him by trying to prove your popularity. That's what you are doing when you praise other men. Men are humans too, whether dates or husbands.
Don't complain. No reasonable wife will complain about occassional business trips.
The article then has a quiz called "How Irritable Are You?"
Now you see magazines like Cosmopolitan, which provide women with advice as well. Here are some articles: "99 moves you need to make his toes curl in bed". (Really, we need 99?) "How to give off a good Vibe in Bed" and "101 Things we need to know about men". It seems there is also alot of advice about attending to the Va-jay-jay!
Wow, what would I do without all of these valuable reference books!
The content of these magazines hasn't changed much over the years. Still a lot of recipes, articles on raising children and ads selling household items to mothers.
I always laugh at some of those old articles about being the perfect wife. The article in the 1953 LHJ is called "Making Marriage Work". Be well mannered with men - it will astonish some and delight all.
This article has lots of tips about attracting a man for marriage. Here are some of the tips:
Don't keep him waiting. To do so is to bolster your vanity at the expense of his self-respect. And lengthening the evening accordingly at the other end is a real imposition.
Dont demand constant attentions. Customarily, a man lights a woman's cigarette for her. But for a girl to insist that a man cross the room to do so, whle she sits with a lighter before her, is an absurd distortion of etiquette.
Don't take his courtesty for granted. Whe he does light your cigarette, thank him even though these are routine attentions.
Don't belittle him by trying to prove your popularity. That's what you are doing when you praise other men. Men are humans too, whether dates or husbands.
Don't complain. No reasonable wife will complain about occassional business trips.
The article then has a quiz called "How Irritable Are You?"
Flash Forward to 2010.
Now you see magazines like Cosmopolitan, which provide women with advice as well. Here are some articles: "99 moves you need to make his toes curl in bed". (Really, we need 99?) "How to give off a good Vibe in Bed" and "101 Things we need to know about men". It seems there is also alot of advice about attending to the Va-jay-jay! Wow, what would I do without all of these valuable reference books!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Friday
Well it's the end of a long week. We came home and i got some fresh air by cutting the grass : ) Nothing terribly eventful happened this week, people are gradually finishing their summer holidays and we always start to kick off new projects. They are renovating our offices so with fresh carpet, paint and blinds, the space looks alot fresher and brighter.
Our big boss went to bat for raises for the key members of our team and he handed out nice envelopes at the end of the day. He is really a great guy and is always sticking his neck out for our account members.
Tomorrow we will go to the Farmers Market as Chad is on a quest for the perfect peach (no comments pls). So likely we will walk down and then grab a coffee.
We have been giving Thor and Fuzz a newer type of food, so tomorrow is another attempt at a home glucose test. I moved from the ear to the foot. Almost got enough blood last time but no dice. So we will give it another shot.
So that is it for today!
Our big boss went to bat for raises for the key members of our team and he handed out nice envelopes at the end of the day. He is really a great guy and is always sticking his neck out for our account members.
Tomorrow we will go to the Farmers Market as Chad is on a quest for the perfect peach (no comments pls). So likely we will walk down and then grab a coffee.
We have been giving Thor and Fuzz a newer type of food, so tomorrow is another attempt at a home glucose test. I moved from the ear to the foot. Almost got enough blood last time but no dice. So we will give it another shot.
So that is it for today!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The 000's
So here is the last installment in my music tour through the decades. Now it is the 000's or is it the 00's or the 2thousands? I am not sure, but it doesnt have the same ring as the 70's or 80's does. So here are some of the bands/songs I have liked this past 10 years.
Nickelback - OK so I know it is apparently cool to diss Nickelback, but I will say it here, I like them. They keep coming up with songs I like. Is it so bad to sing and do the fist pump in the air? Songs like Burn it to the Ground and Rock Star get me singing along, and hey, they are also from Hanna, Alberta.
City in Colour- Dallas Greene is a talented guy and a great song writer. I love a lot of his songs like Save your Scissors and my favorite is his Sleeping Sickness collaboration with Gordon Downie.
Kelly Clarkson - What can I say, I never watched American Idol, so I never saw Kelly Clarkson win. I would usually be skeptical of a manufactured star, but then again, aren't they all anymore? She has a great voice and I enjoy her music.
Pearl Jam - In a previous post I talked about how much I like Eddie Vedder's voice. His song Just Breathe is one where you here him and his guitar. He has a bit of that "crash test dummies" tone in this one too. mmmm mmmmm
Madonna - Yes, she has been in every one of my decades since the 80's, but she deserves the recognition. I really like her song "Give it to Me" and she knows how to collaborate with other artists to keep herself current. Always the marketing machine that madge. I see lady gaga getting a lot of influence from Madonna, although I think she is mixing that with Marilyn Manson influence to get the gaga.
Eminem - I like Eminem, I like his wit and his lyrics. I know that people can get offended by him but I think they often take his messages to literally. Don't get me wrong, he can be an angry dood, but he likes to mock things and use sarcastic lyrics to make his point. "Without Me" is a perfect example of this. Since his return from his hiatius, he has hit the charts again. I really like his song and video, Not Afraid.. His hair is dark, he looks determined and clean and is still good with the lyrics.
KD Lang - I have always liked the lesbian from Consort, but she really gained attention this year at the Olympics with her rendition of Leonard Cohens "Hallelujah". It is incredibly beautiful and I can listen to it over and over. Here is a version she did at the Juno's years ago.
So have i mellowed? Well, yes and no. I still like a wide variety of music depending on my mood. Some times I like the chillin stuff and other times I really like something with a kick in beat. Good music makes you feel something. Cliff has talked about the Johnny Cash version of Hurt. It is so powerful. I feel the same about songs like Hallelujah and Just Breathe.
So that is it for my music through the decades. I have lived through records, 8 tracks, cassettes, CDs and now all the digital formats that are out there. Whatever the technology, hook me up when I am in the old folks home because I will always love the toons!
Nickelback - OK so I know it is apparently cool to diss Nickelback, but I will say it here, I like them. They keep coming up with songs I like. Is it so bad to sing and do the fist pump in the air? Songs like Burn it to the Ground and Rock Star get me singing along, and hey, they are also from Hanna, Alberta.
City in Colour- Dallas Greene is a talented guy and a great song writer. I love a lot of his songs like Save your Scissors and my favorite is his Sleeping Sickness collaboration with Gordon Downie.
Pearl Jam - In a previous post I talked about how much I like Eddie Vedder's voice. His song Just Breathe is one where you here him and his guitar. He has a bit of that "crash test dummies" tone in this one too. mmmm mmmmm
Madonna - Yes, she has been in every one of my decades since the 80's, but she deserves the recognition. I really like her song "Give it to Me" and she knows how to collaborate with other artists to keep herself current. Always the marketing machine that madge. I see lady gaga getting a lot of influence from Madonna, although I think she is mixing that with Marilyn Manson influence to get the gaga.
Eminem - I like Eminem, I like his wit and his lyrics. I know that people can get offended by him but I think they often take his messages to literally. Don't get me wrong, he can be an angry dood, but he likes to mock things and use sarcastic lyrics to make his point. "Without Me" is a perfect example of this. Since his return from his hiatius, he has hit the charts again. I really like his song and video, Not Afraid.. His hair is dark, he looks determined and clean and is still good with the lyrics.
KD Lang - I have always liked the lesbian from Consort, but she really gained attention this year at the Olympics with her rendition of Leonard Cohens "Hallelujah". It is incredibly beautiful and I can listen to it over and over. Here is a version she did at the Juno's years ago.
So have i mellowed? Well, yes and no. I still like a wide variety of music depending on my mood. Some times I like the chillin stuff and other times I really like something with a kick in beat. Good music makes you feel something. Cliff has talked about the Johnny Cash version of Hurt. It is so powerful. I feel the same about songs like Hallelujah and Just Breathe.
So that is it for my music through the decades. I have lived through records, 8 tracks, cassettes, CDs and now all the digital formats that are out there. Whatever the technology, hook me up when I am in the old folks home because I will always love the toons!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
August 25th
Today I don't have anything special to talk about as it was a pretty typical day. One thing that has been really nice is that Chad has driven me to work a few times now and it has been really great. I can kind of veg and look around at all the yards and sights. I am still a bit of a nervous passenger because I am not used to it, but it's all good.
My best friend T is getting married in Mexico December 1st and she keeps sending me the countown in days. lol That is OK, she is a pretty chilled bride and as excited as she is about the ceremony and the wedding, I know that ultimately all she cares about is her marriage to Aaron who is a great guy! I can't wait to be there and be part of the special day.
I have enjoyed this blog challenge and have really gotten to know people more through their writings. I feel it has been a great success because of this. Hell I feel now that Brad and Kathy whom I have never met are good friends too.
It is still summer but I can already kind of feel it winding down. September can be one of my favorite times of the year. My family has land about an hour north of Edmonton and they grow grain crops on the land. I used to love going out to the field on a beautiful September evening while the combine was going and jumping over the swaths. My dad would stop and visit with us while the combine was filling the truck with the just harvested grain. September in Alberta can be beautiful. One quarter of land they own usually produces really good barley which is malting quality, which means it will go in beer! (this means much better grain price for a farmer)
Well, I will cut it short tonight and think i will go chillax and watch some TV in bed. Its getting dark noticeably earlier now which makes my sleepy. So good night all, talk to you tomorrow!
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| T & I in mouth of WEM Whale |
I have enjoyed this blog challenge and have really gotten to know people more through their writings. I feel it has been a great success because of this. Hell I feel now that Brad and Kathy whom I have never met are good friends too.
Well, I will cut it short tonight and think i will go chillax and watch some TV in bed. Its getting dark noticeably earlier now which makes my sleepy. So good night all, talk to you tomorrow!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Generation Gap
Recently the Edmonton Journal had an article about the Linkster Generation. It seems about every 5 years or so now we have a new name for a "generation". This generation is all the kids born after 1995. I have read with interest many of the generalities of various generations. You definitely see differences, however there are always exceptions to the rule. Having said that though, I do find myself and some of my colleagues saying..these kids now adays! (we sound like old geezers).
Some of it is age, but much of it is how people are raised or not raised. As a Manager, I end up dealing with a lot of human resources related issues and it's not always fun. Now when I say this, I am not talking about the many great people I work with, I am talking about the few that are like spoiled kids and seem to think that negative attention is better than none at all.
When I work with a 30 year old, call me crazy, but I expect this person's parents to have done their basic training. I am more than happy to spend time mentoring or showing the ropes at work. I am also happy to talk about your career aspirations and training goals. However, if I wanted to talk to you repeatedly about being nice to others and not being a douche, I would have had kids of my own. Because then I would love them and be dealing with this when they are children. I expect parents to teach their children manners. I expect parents to teach their children kindness and responsibility. I expect parents to teach their children not to be narcissistic and to play well with others.
I often feel that this is slipping by the wayside. If I had a dollar for the people that think they should get paid 80k a year to surf facebook and shop for wedding dresses online I would be rich. If I had a dollar for the people i see with expensive University degrees that obviously haven't taught them a damn thing, I would be rich. If I had a dollar for the number of people I see that expect something for nothing, I wold be rich.
So now I read that with future generations, I will likely also have to talk with these employees parents. Why, because many people are being raised with no life skills. No ability to solve their own problems, no ability to cope with anything. No need to work for anything because they have it all. I think this is really sad.
One paragraph that stood out for me in this article.
"They're young and probably didn't get the same upbringing that boomers got from their traditional parents about the social etiquette of life," says Larry, recalling one client -- the owner of an amusement park -- who had to tell a Linkster employee not to spit in front of customers.
Dealing with Linkster parents requires a more diplomatic strategy. The Johnsons advise employers to simply accept the inevitability of parental involvement.
So times they are a changing. It will be interesting to see what the workplace will be like years from now, heck it might be a much better place. But I am hoping I am gone long before I need to have a conversation with some 25 year olds mommy : )
Some of it is age, but much of it is how people are raised or not raised. As a Manager, I end up dealing with a lot of human resources related issues and it's not always fun. Now when I say this, I am not talking about the many great people I work with, I am talking about the few that are like spoiled kids and seem to think that negative attention is better than none at all.
I often feel that this is slipping by the wayside. If I had a dollar for the people that think they should get paid 80k a year to surf facebook and shop for wedding dresses online I would be rich. If I had a dollar for the people i see with expensive University degrees that obviously haven't taught them a damn thing, I would be rich. If I had a dollar for the number of people I see that expect something for nothing, I wold be rich.
So now I read that with future generations, I will likely also have to talk with these employees parents. Why, because many people are being raised with no life skills. No ability to solve their own problems, no ability to cope with anything. No need to work for anything because they have it all. I think this is really sad.
One paragraph that stood out for me in this article.
"They're young and probably didn't get the same upbringing that boomers got from their traditional parents about the social etiquette of life," says Larry, recalling one client -- the owner of an amusement park -- who had to tell a Linkster employee not to spit in front of customers.
Dealing with Linkster parents requires a more diplomatic strategy. The Johnsons advise employers to simply accept the inevitability of parental involvement.
So times they are a changing. It will be interesting to see what the workplace will be like years from now, heck it might be a much better place. But I am hoping I am gone long before I need to have a conversation with some 25 year olds mommy : )
Monday, August 23, 2010
"Point" Me in the Right Direction
So this year I decided to get serious about loosing some weight. Now don't get me wrong, I am not aiming to be some sort of negative clothing size. I am realistic and like my curves but wouldn't mind having a bit less junk in the trunk and make sure all my numbers stay on the good side. I get an annual physical every year and am lucky to have excellent blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and all that jazz. But heart disease is hereditary in my family so I need to be careful and proactive.
So my BFF recommended Weight Watchers as it has been working for her. I went to "the meeting" and got the essentials to get started. A handy dandy calculator, a book that helps you calculate your optimul points per day you can have, and some food and dining out guides. Armed with this plan I got started.
I am not a meeting person so I don't go to the group sessions. I weigh in at home every Friday and report to my friend to help keep each other honest. So far I am loosing about 1 pound a week for a total of 28lbs to date. It hasn't been that hard at all, it is really about portion control and tracking what you eat. I get 26 points a day and write down everything I eat. Actually I have an app on my IPod Touch that helps me track my food.
To get the point value of a food you calculate, calories x Fibre x Fat. Fruits and Veggies are mostly free and you can eat what you want, however you need to stay within your limit to actively loose weight. So 26 points is just fine, I eat well and have been fairly successful. Counting points makes you really aware of how much you are willing to spend on a food item. I like to eat lots of little bits so I am not willing to spend a wack of points on a really high cal/fat item.
A typical day for me is something like this:
Breakfast
3 - Oatmeal
Lunch & Afternoon Snack
2 - Tomato on a Bun
1 - Banana
2 - Activa Yogurt
0 - Small bag of raw carrots and pea pods
2 - Turkey Bites
2 - Piece of Hard Cheese
Dinner
4 - Chicken Breast
0 - Broccoli or another Veggie
4 - Garden Potatoes or Rice
2 - 1 cup milk
2 - Dessert (tonight i had a light coconut cream pie) I also like Skinny Cow or Chapans Yogurt Ice Cream
Evening Snack if needed
1 - Light Popcorn
This is really a lot of food and very satisfying. I also get in some desserty thing as that is my weakness. I do eat out because that is a fact of life. Restaurants are hard because they have a lot of high calorie food. I tend to look up nutritional information before going if I can, so I can have a plan. There is also a Dining Out Companion Guide that helps with point values for fast food.
When I was talking about making choices, I have learned that some things are rarely worth it. I am not saying I will never have one of these items ever again, but I have found alternatives that are just as satisfying for a lot less. Here are some samples of what some fav. fast foods are. Now keep in mind that i get 26 points per day:
DQ Medium Reeses Blizzard - 20 points
DQ Peanut Cluster Blizzard - 39 points
DQ 1/2 Grillburger with Cheese - 23 points
Denny's Apple Crisp - 16 points
Denny's Western Burger - 32 points
Denny's Heartland Scramble - 28 points
Pizza Hut - 1 slice of medium Hawaiian - 6 slices (dont know about you, i cant just have one slice)
Tim Hortons Multi-Grain Bagel w/creme cheese - 11 points
This is just a small sampling of what is out there. Now when I am in the mood for a drive through, I will go to Wendy's and get the Junior cheeseburger and small fries for 13 points, which is about right for my dinner. I typically go for lunch with my work peeps on Friday and bring lunch the rest of the week. It is really about balance and really taking stock of what and how much you put into your mouth.
I feel a lot better being lighter and have more energy. It has to have a good effect on my health and I am eating better than ever. My ultimate goal is to wear this dress on December 1st at my Best Friends wedding in Mexico and dance a slow one (or two) with my man.
So my BFF recommended Weight Watchers as it has been working for her. I went to "the meeting" and got the essentials to get started. A handy dandy calculator, a book that helps you calculate your optimul points per day you can have, and some food and dining out guides. Armed with this plan I got started.
To get the point value of a food you calculate, calories x Fibre x Fat. Fruits and Veggies are mostly free and you can eat what you want, however you need to stay within your limit to actively loose weight. So 26 points is just fine, I eat well and have been fairly successful. Counting points makes you really aware of how much you are willing to spend on a food item. I like to eat lots of little bits so I am not willing to spend a wack of points on a really high cal/fat item.
A typical day for me is something like this:
Breakfast
3 - Oatmeal
Lunch & Afternoon Snack
2 - Tomato on a Bun
1 - Banana
2 - Activa Yogurt
0 - Small bag of raw carrots and pea pods
2 - Turkey Bites
2 - Piece of Hard Cheese
Dinner
4 - Chicken Breast
0 - Broccoli or another Veggie
4 - Garden Potatoes or Rice
2 - 1 cup milk
2 - Dessert (tonight i had a light coconut cream pie) I also like Skinny Cow or Chapans Yogurt Ice Cream
Evening Snack if needed
1 - Light Popcorn
This is really a lot of food and very satisfying. I also get in some desserty thing as that is my weakness. I do eat out because that is a fact of life. Restaurants are hard because they have a lot of high calorie food. I tend to look up nutritional information before going if I can, so I can have a plan. There is also a Dining Out Companion Guide that helps with point values for fast food.
When I was talking about making choices, I have learned that some things are rarely worth it. I am not saying I will never have one of these items ever again, but I have found alternatives that are just as satisfying for a lot less. Here are some samples of what some fav. fast foods are. Now keep in mind that i get 26 points per day:
DQ Medium Reeses Blizzard - 20 points
DQ Peanut Cluster Blizzard - 39 points
DQ 1/2 Grillburger with Cheese - 23 points
Denny's Apple Crisp - 16 points
Denny's Western Burger - 32 points
Denny's Heartland Scramble - 28 points
Pizza Hut - 1 slice of medium Hawaiian - 6 slices (dont know about you, i cant just have one slice)
Tim Hortons Multi-Grain Bagel w/creme cheese - 11 points
This is just a small sampling of what is out there. Now when I am in the mood for a drive through, I will go to Wendy's and get the Junior cheeseburger and small fries for 13 points, which is about right for my dinner. I typically go for lunch with my work peeps on Friday and bring lunch the rest of the week. It is really about balance and really taking stock of what and how much you put into your mouth.
I feel a lot better being lighter and have more energy. It has to have a good effect on my health and I am eating better than ever. My ultimate goal is to wear this dress on December 1st at my Best Friends wedding in Mexico and dance a slow one (or two) with my man.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Medievel Crime and Punishment
I was looking through some of my pictures of a western European trip I took years ago. I drove through 9 countries and experienced the autobahn in my rental Mazda. There were many memorable places that were beautiful and interesting. But one that stands out was a small town in Germany called Rothenburg.
The walled medieval city has was founded in 1170. As I walked around this city with it's stone walls and towers and cobblestone roads, it made me realize that there really were medieval times. I mean, yes I know there were, but these things are not that tangible until you actually see them in person, especially growing up in a young country like Canada. God, in Edmonton, you might study the history of vinyl siding! You start to believe these times only really exist in movies and lore. The town even came complete with Oliver Twist type chimney sweeps ffs! Complete with the weird looking brush things. Yes I know they are re-enacting for the tourists, but it was cool.
One of the things that stood out to me the most was a tour of the Medieval Crime Museum. Now that was interesting~! I mean, we have seen the gene wilder movies with the medieval guys being stretched on the racks, or the spiked chairs, but to see them in person was fascinating. Here are a few of the absurd crime and punishment devices of the day. I sometimes wonder how they came out with these things? Did they have a "committee" that bantered around ideas for shame and torture? Here are just a few that I saw:
Baker`s Chair
For bakers who sold too small loaves of bread, which were too small.
"Baker's Baptism" was the common penalty of the day for a baker whose loaf of bread did not weigh enough. The baker was dunked in the central fountain (while strapped in the chair) until the punishment administer thought that the baker was out of breath. There was no standard amount of time; it was left up to the "Master of Ceremonies."
The Criminal Museum displays Medieval through 18th-century forms of punishment and of shame. The Masks of Shame: Those being punished had to wear these masks for public displays of their shame. There was a "Flute of Shame" for bad musicians, "Swine Mask" for men treating women poorly, the "Hood of Shame" for bad students.
1. Wooden Ruff. For women who violated clothing regulations.
2. Mask of Shame. For women. The long tongue and big ears symbolize gossip and nosiness.
3. Rosary. Church punishment for people who did not go to church, or fell asleep during the service.
4. Mask of Shame (with long snout).
5. Drunk Barrel. For bibbers.
6. Mask of Shame. For men who acted like a swine.
7. Chastity belt. Used to guarantee faithfulness of the wife.
8. Double-neck-violin. For two quarrelsome women used as above.
I remember seeing the metal chastity belt, wow, that sure looked comfortable. There are even little metal teeth on the two small openings, so there was no monkey business going on whilst hubbeth was away!
This video will give you a little tour around this crazy place. Sorry for the downer topic but I guess not everything is sunshine lollipops and rainbows everywhere (except in my head).
One of the things that stood out to me the most was a tour of the Medieval Crime Museum. Now that was interesting~! I mean, we have seen the gene wilder movies with the medieval guys being stretched on the racks, or the spiked chairs, but to see them in person was fascinating. Here are a few of the absurd crime and punishment devices of the day. I sometimes wonder how they came out with these things? Did they have a "committee" that bantered around ideas for shame and torture? Here are just a few that I saw:
For bakers who sold too small loaves of bread, which were too small.
"Baker's Baptism" was the common penalty of the day for a baker whose loaf of bread did not weigh enough. The baker was dunked in the central fountain (while strapped in the chair) until the punishment administer thought that the baker was out of breath. There was no standard amount of time; it was left up to the "Master of Ceremonies."
2. Mask of Shame. For women. The long tongue and big ears symbolize gossip and nosiness.
3. Rosary. Church punishment for people who did not go to church, or fell asleep during the service.
4. Mask of Shame (with long snout).
5. Drunk Barrel. For bibbers.
6. Mask of Shame. For men who acted like a swine.
7. Chastity belt. Used to guarantee faithfulness of the wife.
8. Double-neck-violin. For two quarrelsome women used as above.
I remember seeing the metal chastity belt, wow, that sure looked comfortable. There are even little metal teeth on the two small openings, so there was no monkey business going on whilst hubbeth was away!
This video will give you a little tour around this crazy place. Sorry for the downer topic but I guess not everything is sunshine lollipops and rainbows everywhere (except in my head).
O no, I am babbling on...get out the mask!!!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Warning - this Post may make you Hungry
We have had such great food discussions during this blog challenge. I was just reading the comments on James' Corn and Soy post. I think it is so wonderful that as consumers we are starting to ask questions and look at the ingredients of our food and get back to quality food rather than quantity.
I have been learning alot about the wrong foods being heavily subsidized, therefore encouraging people, especially those that are poor to buy crappy food for themselves and their children. How often do we look at an overweight person and say, gee, they are obviously eating all the time, rather than realizing that in many cases they are just eating crappy bad for you food. Hopefully the way we buy food and the choices we make will have an impact on the industry overall. Regulations are starting to change, bad food is getting removed in a lot of schools, so there is hope.
I think there are a couple of issues at play. One is the actual fact that there are low income families that just cannot afford the cost of quality. These people unfortunatley are relegated to buying as much quantity as they can for little. So balance goes out the window. They have to eat cheap foods and low cost meat. Face it, extra lean costs way more than full fat, skin on chicken is cheaper than skinless. Fruits and vegetables become out of reach for these familes. This is where the Jamie Oliver's and Food Incs. strive to make things better for all.
The other issues is one of priorities. I often hear people complain that the good food costs too much. This may be true, but these are the same folks often driving the 50K vehicle, have expensive brand name clothes and the latest in electronics. So these are not the people who can't buy better food, these are the people who choose not to.
Chad and I are very fortunate to have good jobs and can take some of our money to try and better our lives and our health. We are not perfect by any means, there are days we come home and have cheerios or peanut butter toast! But we are having our peanut butter on healthier bread and the cheerios are a bit better than some cereals.
So in this spirit, I went again today to our local farmers market. Being just a couple blocks away I have no excuse. Did it cost me more than I would pay at the Grocery store? Absolutely. But my money went to support a lot of local producers and we had the yummiest dinner tonight with some of the loot.
So here is the bounty we got today:
Organic Brocolli, Peas, Tomatoes & Carrots.
Some homemade pyrogys and green onion cakes. This time I also got us some cupcakes...mmmm
And for me the flower addict, I got some beautiful gladiolas pictured above
: )
After the market I went to a new pet food store and got some different food for my cats. As discussed in an earlier post I am on a mission to get my cat of insulin, so he is going low carb baby. I did a lot of label comparisons as well and realize that even the vet food isn't necessarily the best. So the experiment begins. Tonight Thor and Fuzzbutt got a new wet EVO food that has no carbs at all. Thor even ate it which surprised me because he is a kibble addict.
All of this has made me realize that for the last decade or so we have just turned off our brains and let the experts tell us what to do. "They" say we need more vaccinations. "They" say that BPAs in small quanities doesn't do any harm. Hmm...do "They" really know?
So we are all now starting to question and inject Common Sense. Imagine that!
I have been learning alot about the wrong foods being heavily subsidized, therefore encouraging people, especially those that are poor to buy crappy food for themselves and their children. How often do we look at an overweight person and say, gee, they are obviously eating all the time, rather than realizing that in many cases they are just eating crappy bad for you food. Hopefully the way we buy food and the choices we make will have an impact on the industry overall. Regulations are starting to change, bad food is getting removed in a lot of schools, so there is hope.
I think there are a couple of issues at play. One is the actual fact that there are low income families that just cannot afford the cost of quality. These people unfortunatley are relegated to buying as much quantity as they can for little. So balance goes out the window. They have to eat cheap foods and low cost meat. Face it, extra lean costs way more than full fat, skin on chicken is cheaper than skinless. Fruits and vegetables become out of reach for these familes. This is where the Jamie Oliver's and Food Incs. strive to make things better for all.
The other issues is one of priorities. I often hear people complain that the good food costs too much. This may be true, but these are the same folks often driving the 50K vehicle, have expensive brand name clothes and the latest in electronics. So these are not the people who can't buy better food, these are the people who choose not to.
So in this spirit, I went again today to our local farmers market. Being just a couple blocks away I have no excuse. Did it cost me more than I would pay at the Grocery store? Absolutely. But my money went to support a lot of local producers and we had the yummiest dinner tonight with some of the loot.
Organic Brocolli, Peas, Tomatoes & Carrots.
Some homemade pyrogys and green onion cakes. This time I also got us some cupcakes...mmmm
And for me the flower addict, I got some beautiful gladiolas pictured above
: )
After the market I went to a new pet food store and got some different food for my cats. As discussed in an earlier post I am on a mission to get my cat of insulin, so he is going low carb baby. I did a lot of label comparisons as well and realize that even the vet food isn't necessarily the best. So the experiment begins. Tonight Thor and Fuzzbutt got a new wet EVO food that has no carbs at all. Thor even ate it which surprised me because he is a kibble addict.
All of this has made me realize that for the last decade or so we have just turned off our brains and let the experts tell us what to do. "They" say we need more vaccinations. "They" say that BPAs in small quanities doesn't do any harm. Hmm...do "They" really know?
So we are all now starting to question and inject Common Sense. Imagine that!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Gen X Enters the 90's
So now it is the 90's. They don't resonate as strongly for me as the 80's, but I think that is because lots of new music styles came out and because I am an adult, I am a less susceptible to their influence as I was as a teenager. Now there is grunge and urban music.
The one staple that stays with me is Rock. I have always liked rock music, hard rock and of course what chick doesn't like a good rock ballad. Songs from Poison and Bon Jovi come to mind, and they both have roses in them too!
The 90's bring Enter the Sandman and Nothing Else Matters and I love James Hetfield's gritty voice. Eddie Vedder was also belting out some powerful songs.
In contrast to those strong gritty voices, I always liked Alice in Chains, with my favorite song being Nutshell. Blind Melon's No Rain also comes to mind, because i love those songs. Both lead singers died of drug overdoses. Of course the king of overdoses and Gunge is Curt Cobain and one can't do a post on 90's influences and not mention Nirvana. Curt Cobain is close to my age has been dead now since 1994, but he made an impact in such a short time.
If I look at my playlists there are bands that I can listen to over and over. One that comes to mind is Blue Rodeo. Nobody can sing at a piano like Jim Cuddy and I have seen them in concert many times. They have played for years and its obvious when you watch them that they just love to make music. And they are Canadian!
Some bands are attached to good memories. Years ago when I was in Hawaii, we listened to some local radio station called K-POI and they played a lot of Offspring and Goo Goo Dolls. I also went to an outdoor concert on the north shore and saw Matchbox 20, so those are good memories.
A few random songs I like are Joey, Concrete Blonde and What's Up by 4non Blondes. REM Loosing my Religion, Counting Crows, Mr. Jones, House of Pain, Jump Around, Linkin Park, Breaking the Habit and Return of the Mac by Mark Morrison.
The 90's also had some smoooooth vocals from the likes of Sade and Sara McLaughlin. How sexy is Sweetest Tabboo? How beautiful is Arms of an Angel? How in your face is Alanis Morisette? You you you outta know!
And of course there is still Madonna. Still re-inventing herself. She started off the decade showing people how to Vogue and then showing a lot more with her whole Erotica phase. She did a little bondage with Human Nature, and then sang from a balcony with Evita. She then died her hair black and did the erie Frozen and finished off with her techno Ray of Light. This is all just in one Decade.
It's hard to believe how fast time passes. There were songs that seemed like the ninetys but then I realized were late eighty's or more current. These posts are always hard to narrow down as I like a lot of different music, but this is a smattering of some of my favorites!
The one staple that stays with me is Rock. I have always liked rock music, hard rock and of course what chick doesn't like a good rock ballad. Songs from Poison and Bon Jovi come to mind, and they both have roses in them too!
In contrast to those strong gritty voices, I always liked Alice in Chains, with my favorite song being Nutshell. Blind Melon's No Rain also comes to mind, because i love those songs. Both lead singers died of drug overdoses. Of course the king of overdoses and Gunge is Curt Cobain and one can't do a post on 90's influences and not mention Nirvana. Curt Cobain is close to my age has been dead now since 1994, but he made an impact in such a short time.
Some bands are attached to good memories. Years ago when I was in Hawaii, we listened to some local radio station called K-POI and they played a lot of Offspring and Goo Goo Dolls. I also went to an outdoor concert on the north shore and saw Matchbox 20, so those are good memories.
A few random songs I like are Joey, Concrete Blonde and What's Up by 4non Blondes. REM Loosing my Religion, Counting Crows, Mr. Jones, House of Pain, Jump Around, Linkin Park, Breaking the Habit and Return of the Mac by Mark Morrison.
The 90's also had some smoooooth vocals from the likes of Sade and Sara McLaughlin. How sexy is Sweetest Tabboo? How beautiful is Arms of an Angel? How in your face is Alanis Morisette? You you you outta know!
And of course there is still Madonna. Still re-inventing herself. She started off the decade showing people how to Vogue and then showing a lot more with her whole Erotica phase. She did a little bondage with Human Nature, and then sang from a balcony with Evita. She then died her hair black and did the erie Frozen and finished off with her techno Ray of Light. This is all just in one Decade.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Nothing Special
So today I am going to take a break from my music madness ~ I have been enjoying the blogging, but tonight I think I will pull my cop out card and just talk about my day.
It was a normal work day, we are doing some warranty on a new application we just built so I have been pitching in doing some testing and working with the developers on understanding some of the business logic. The main analyst is on vacation, so I am doing my best to fill in. I kind of enjoy getting into the nitty gritty of the applications. We have a new Java developer that is working on this app and he is great! So smart and pleasant to work with, makes life much nicer!
I went to a pet food store that has different types of foods including more local based natural foods. I am going to try Thor on a very high protein diet to combat his diabetes. I have read good things, and Brad said they had good success as well. So I now have some raw food in my freezer and we will see how it goes.
It is really smoky in the city. I say this as a few of you are not in Edmonton. There are fires in BC and it is making the entire city tremendously smoky, its amazing it can be this bad when the fires are so far away.
So that is it for me today. It is Thursday which means its my porn night. Thursday has lots of good cooking and decorating shows on and Chad calls it my porn. Bow chucka wow wow.
So good night all, have a great sleep ~ talk to you tomorrow : )
I went to a pet food store that has different types of foods including more local based natural foods. I am going to try Thor on a very high protein diet to combat his diabetes. I have read good things, and Brad said they had good success as well. So I now have some raw food in my freezer and we will see how it goes.
So that is it for me today. It is Thursday which means its my porn night. Thursday has lots of good cooking and decorating shows on and Chad calls it my porn. Bow chucka wow wow.
So good night all, have a great sleep ~ talk to you tomorrow : )
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
And Now for the 80's
So now it is the 1980's. What a great time. You have to admit, someone can say "come to an 80's party" and you immediately have images in your head of what you could wear and what kind of music would be played. It is one of those eras with a distinct style and life of its own.
I had the hair, I had the leggings, I had the shoulder pads and big earrings. Music was changing from the Disco sounds of the 70's and the all important music video was born.! In 1981, the video channel MTV launched, "Video Killed the Radio Star" and the beginning an era of 24-hour-a-day music on television.
It was the early 80's and Madonna hit the scene. She was ripe to exploit the new music video craze with her unique look, dance moves and choreographed video productions. I immediately liked her music and her bitchy don't give a frack attitude. Her impacts went far beyond music, she had a look that became synonymous for the 80's if you were a girl.
It is hard to talk about 80's music without talking about 80's fashion. Suddenly everyone was pretty androgynous. Women wore shoulder pads and strong structured jackets. Men wore earrings (in the right ear), pink shirts, skinny ties and big over styled hair. If you watched the Thompson twins, the male and female siblings looked pretty much the same.
But anyway, back to the music. I had a ton of influences and liked many types of 80's music.
Michael Jackson - Thriller
I still remember being at the coliseum for some event in 1982 and there were big screens and everyone was standing around watching this new video and song called Thriller. Like MJ or not, that video was amazing and groundbreaking. (and he looked close to normal back then)
Billy Idol
Yes, I thought Billy Idol was kind of hot. Liked the snarl and the attitude. I even went to a Billy Idol concert at the U of A RAT. I was in the mosh pit in the front and it was a Nice Day for a White Wedding!
Kiss
When I was in Junior High school we all had a favorite Kiss member. Mine was Paul Stanley back in the day, and often at Halloween we dressed up like Kiss. I remember my mom being freaked out by the Kiss album cover, but now when I think of their tame lyrics it makes me laugh. O gee, I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day....ooooooo...that's evil!
Guns N' Roses
I have a lot of favorite GNR songs, but Sweet Child o Mine still works for me today. I think Axl Rose has such an amazing voice, too bad he turned out to be such a douche bag, but that's OK, he can rock it out!
ACDC
In the 80's I bought myself a car with the money from my part time shoe store job. It was a green 1972 Chev Impala. It was a boat and could fit at least 8 teenagers pretty comfortably. So the cassette of choice was ACDC Back in Black. It was played a lot! By the way, when cassettes were played a lot they wore out, the tape got stretched and they eventually sounded like crap : )
A lot of the music I liked was coming from outside of Canada or the US. Much of it was considered New Wave or Punk and came from Australia or Britain. Some of my favorites were:
Men at Work
Men at work, who are not to be confused with Men without Hats had a different sound. Their music differed from the US type of Rock sound and their debut album was a must have in every cassette collection. Although, Men without Hats did have an awesome mid-evil dancing midget video - the Safety Dance!.
A Flock of Seagulls - "I Ran (So Far Away)
I loved this song and danced my ass of to it on many occasions!
Berlin - The MetroThe 80's had some great female voices, like Terri Nunn, Debbie Harry and Pat Benetar. They didn't have to show their hooch to sell records either!
Modern English - Melt with You
This was just a great song, its used in car commercials today.
The Clash and the Kinks
I went through a phase where I was really into New Wave. The Clash and the Kinks were bands that i listened to. L O L A Lola. I also really liked the Boomtown Rats and listened to their Fine Art of Surfacing album many many times.
This list of songs and bands are really just the tip of the iceberg of stuff I liked in the 80's. There were a lot of one hit wonders and also a lot of artists like Madonna, U2 and Aerosmith that are still recording years later. I see teenagers on the street now that are dressing like we did in the 80s so this was a decade of influence. Lots of fairly happy, goofy and unusual music and bands.
Check out what VH1 says are the top songs of the 80's.
I had the hair, I had the leggings, I had the shoulder pads and big earrings. Music was changing from the Disco sounds of the 70's and the all important music video was born.! In 1981, the video channel MTV launched, "Video Killed the Radio Star" and the beginning an era of 24-hour-a-day music on television.
It was the early 80's and Madonna hit the scene. She was ripe to exploit the new music video craze with her unique look, dance moves and choreographed video productions. I immediately liked her music and her bitchy don't give a frack attitude. Her impacts went far beyond music, she had a look that became synonymous for the 80's if you were a girl.
It is hard to talk about 80's music without talking about 80's fashion. Suddenly everyone was pretty androgynous. Women wore shoulder pads and strong structured jackets. Men wore earrings (in the right ear), pink shirts, skinny ties and big over styled hair. If you watched the Thompson twins, the male and female siblings looked pretty much the same.
But anyway, back to the music. I had a ton of influences and liked many types of 80's music.
Michael Jackson - Thriller
I still remember being at the coliseum for some event in 1982 and there were big screens and everyone was standing around watching this new video and song called Thriller. Like MJ or not, that video was amazing and groundbreaking. (and he looked close to normal back then)
Billy Idol
Kiss
When I was in Junior High school we all had a favorite Kiss member. Mine was Paul Stanley back in the day, and often at Halloween we dressed up like Kiss. I remember my mom being freaked out by the Kiss album cover, but now when I think of their tame lyrics it makes me laugh. O gee, I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day....ooooooo...that's evil!
Guns N' Roses
I have a lot of favorite GNR songs, but Sweet Child o Mine still works for me today. I think Axl Rose has such an amazing voice, too bad he turned out to be such a douche bag, but that's OK, he can rock it out!
In the 80's I bought myself a car with the money from my part time shoe store job. It was a green 1972 Chev Impala. It was a boat and could fit at least 8 teenagers pretty comfortably. So the cassette of choice was ACDC Back in Black. It was played a lot! By the way, when cassettes were played a lot they wore out, the tape got stretched and they eventually sounded like crap : )
A lot of the music I liked was coming from outside of Canada or the US. Much of it was considered New Wave or Punk and came from Australia or Britain. Some of my favorites were:
Men at Work
Men at work, who are not to be confused with Men without Hats had a different sound. Their music differed from the US type of Rock sound and their debut album was a must have in every cassette collection. Although, Men without Hats did have an awesome mid-evil dancing midget video - the Safety Dance!.
A Flock of Seagulls - "I Ran (So Far Away)
Berlin - The MetroThe 80's had some great female voices, like Terri Nunn, Debbie Harry and Pat Benetar. They didn't have to show their hooch to sell records either!
Modern English - Melt with You
This was just a great song, its used in car commercials today.
The Clash and the Kinks
I went through a phase where I was really into New Wave. The Clash and the Kinks were bands that i listened to. L O L A Lola. I also really liked the Boomtown Rats and listened to their Fine Art of Surfacing album many many times.
Devo, B52s, Duran Duran, The Cure and Twisted Sister! What was not to love.
Check out what VH1 says are the top songs of the 80's.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Get Your Groove On - 70s
As a follow up to Cliffs post about what music inspired him over the years, I am going to do the same. However, I am going to do this in four parts. Yes, I need to get four posts out of this! So I am going to cover my music influences over the past four decades. Yes, I am old enough to do this, so I will start with the 70's!
Well, in the 70's music was played on a Record Player. Yes you youngins, vinyl disks! My mom and dad had one of those giant big ass stereo's in their living room, but I had a little portable record player for my music. I remember that I had the typical child records like Alvin and the Chipmunks, but then one day I got my very first grown up record. It was a 45 of KC and the Sunshine Band. Aaaaah..that's the way, uh huh, uh huh I like it..uh huh uh huh! Yes, this was the era of Disco and it was 1975.
It was also the era of K-Tel Records. Yes, where else could you get compilations of music - they were sold everywhere, even Woolco had the lastest selections. Some of the albums that I had were:
Believe in Music
Some fav toons - Brandy, Long Cool Woman, Sunny Days, too many to say. Long Cool Woman by the Hollies is still a favorite to this day. It's got an excellent groove that I still enjoy. The video and sound quality not so great anymore, but give a listen.
Fantastic
Some fav toons - Crocodile Rock & Lean on Me
Goofy Greats
This was also the time of the goofy songs. Being that I was also still a kid we did go for the Goofy Greats. These were a collection of silly songs that seemed to be played whenever I went to another kids bday party. Some of the more popular songs were the Lion Sleeps Tonight, Purple People Eater and Ahab the Arab. These weren't exactly the days of political correctness.
Another Album that was pretty popular in the 70's was Elton John's Captain Fantastic. I never had the album myself, but I remember friends did and everyone thought it was the bomb. I think it was the whole Elton John persona with the crazy giant glasses and freakyness that went so well with the Disco era. It was also the album cover...it was like art. In those days if you bought an album, you poured over the cover and the inside for hours. Sit up in your room, play the songs and think how cool an album looked.
This album cover had a menagerie of weirdness on it that was fascinating, and Elton John was rocking it out.
As the mid to late 70's approached I started to form my own opinion about music.
I already liked many types of music and so did my friends. I would go and hangout in the basement of my neighbor gary's house with my cousin and a few other kids. We would sit around and play Nazareth for hours. We looked almost identical to the kids on That 70's show, glittered T-Shirts and all, except for the pot. Unlike TV land, parents can smell "the weed" upstairs!
I think i will close out the 70's with one of the biggest Albums of that decade. It was 1977 and Fleetwood Mac released Rumours. It was probably one of the biggest releases of the decade, and took home all kinds of awards. There were so many wonderful songs, and being a female, I loved the unusual and raspy voice of Stevie Nicks.
So that are some of my memories and influences from the 70's.
It was also the era of K-Tel Records. Yes, where else could you get compilations of music - they were sold everywhere, even Woolco had the lastest selections. Some of the albums that I had were:
Some fav toons - Brandy, Long Cool Woman, Sunny Days, too many to say. Long Cool Woman by the Hollies is still a favorite to this day. It's got an excellent groove that I still enjoy. The video and sound quality not so great anymore, but give a listen.
Fantastic
Some fav toons - Crocodile Rock & Lean on Me
Goofy Greats
This was also the time of the goofy songs. Being that I was also still a kid we did go for the Goofy Greats. These were a collection of silly songs that seemed to be played whenever I went to another kids bday party. Some of the more popular songs were the Lion Sleeps Tonight, Purple People Eater and Ahab the Arab. These weren't exactly the days of political correctness.
This album cover had a menagerie of weirdness on it that was fascinating, and Elton John was rocking it out.
As the mid to late 70's approached I started to form my own opinion about music.
I already liked many types of music and so did my friends. I would go and hangout in the basement of my neighbor gary's house with my cousin and a few other kids. We would sit around and play Nazareth for hours. We looked almost identical to the kids on That 70's show, glittered T-Shirts and all, except for the pot. Unlike TV land, parents can smell "the weed" upstairs!
So that are some of my memories and influences from the 70's.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Diabetic Cat
We have two cats, Thor and Princess Fuzzbutt or Fuzz for short. They are both rescue cats from different agencies. We got Thor first and then Fuzz came next. I thought Thor needed a friend so I picked out Fuzz for his companion, but Thor wasn't too enamoured with Fuzz, actually he seemed to hate her guts.
Thor was in need of adoption as he was at the agency for about 8 months. My friend picked him out and kept pestering me to see him. When I did, he totally worked me by giving me hugs and playing with my necklace. He was a big orange suck!
He was missing some hair on his back, which I assumed was because of boredom from being caged so long. Well it turns out, he has anxiety and is basically crazy. He is extremely lovable and I am very attached to him so when a doctor told me he has diabetes, I was very sad.
But I have had animals before and I think that if you have them you need to take care of them properly. So we give him insulin every day. At first the thought of it made me cry, but it isn't that bad. We just give him a few treats and while he is eating, give him a needle into the skin. You don't have to worry about hitting a muscle or vein, just pinch up the skin and poke. He doesn't even notice.
Now every so often we have to test his levels, which brings me to the frustrating part of this. We have a lancet and a glucose monitor, the same as a person would use. The only difference is you have to poke them in the tiny vein in the ear. The poke isn't too hard, but getting enough of a drop to fill the monitor has been frustrating. Tonight we tried several times and finally gave up frustrated. I read on the internet that you can try and warm the ear a bit, so I will give this a whirl.
So, that is life with a diabetic cat. Sometimes I think I am crazy, but, then the little bugger will give me some warm hugs and play with my necklace and draw me into his little orange loves.
Sucka!!!
Thor was in need of adoption as he was at the agency for about 8 months. My friend picked him out and kept pestering me to see him. When I did, he totally worked me by giving me hugs and playing with my necklace. He was a big orange suck!
But I have had animals before and I think that if you have them you need to take care of them properly. So we give him insulin every day. At first the thought of it made me cry, but it isn't that bad. We just give him a few treats and while he is eating, give him a needle into the skin. You don't have to worry about hitting a muscle or vein, just pinch up the skin and poke. He doesn't even notice.
Now every so often we have to test his levels, which brings me to the frustrating part of this. We have a lancet and a glucose monitor, the same as a person would use. The only difference is you have to poke them in the tiny vein in the ear. The poke isn't too hard, but getting enough of a drop to fill the monitor has been frustrating. Tonight we tried several times and finally gave up frustrated. I read on the internet that you can try and warm the ear a bit, so I will give this a whirl.
So, that is life with a diabetic cat. Sometimes I think I am crazy, but, then the little bugger will give me some warm hugs and play with my necklace and draw me into his little orange loves.
Sucka!!!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Green Thumb
Today I went to the garden centre...again! Everyone has an addiction to something, and I think for me it's gardening. I guess it could be worse. Gardening really gives me gratification in many ways; I get to go outside; I get a bit lost in my putzing and it gives me a creative outlet that I don't get as much now that I don't do web design at work anymore.
When I lived on the acreage, I had a large space to fill, so gardening was different than I have now. I decided to create a pond. This was many years ago when ponds weren't really that popular and resources in how to construct them were few. So I did a lot of trial and error. I also never had equipment to move rocks, so everything was done the hard way.
I got rocks by driving down the road and picking them from the ditch. One farmer saw me and told me I could pick all the rocks from his field for free! He was laughing thinking I was crazy I think. I got a lot of perennials from my grandma and dug some cattails from a local sloo. So here is what it ended up looking like.
I also had many koi in the pond and I would winter them every year. Unfortunately one day a heron flew over and spotted the fish, came down and had a big dinner. All my large fish...gone in one big gulp!
I had some other gardens as well, and learned alot from the acreage.
When I moved into St. Albert, I now had a much smaller space to work with. Yes, it is a pretty decent size lot by city standards, but seemed small. There was some rocks and grass and some large trees in the back, but not a single flower on site.
Our front faces south and back is north, so now I had the challenge of growing in full sun, which i was used to, and also if shade, which was new to me.
I started by building some raised beds around the perimeter of the back yard so I would have some planting areas. I planted some trees to soften the side fence area. Don't get me wrong, we have nice neighbors but I don't want to look in their yard all the time. I prefer privacy and greenery, so trees were planted and curtains put up on the deck.
Columnar Aspen trees are amazing. They have gone from about 5' tall and skinny to prob 30 ft tall in a couple of summers. They are great for privacy and don't take up much "horizontal" space in the backyard.
There are some really tall pine trees in the backyard, they are great but a challenge to grow things under. So I created a shade garden. Its a work in progress, but I added lots of soil and have been gradually adding more and more plants. Shade is quite different as you don't get magnificent blooms, so you have to play more with foliage color. I recently added a mirror to the wall on the fence to give some sparkle to that darker area. This is only the second summer for this garden, but things are really taking off. It is really low maintenance and will kind of be a more wild look. I added a fountain and the birds are really liking it. I also found some little glass shrooms to tuck in for interest.
In the front there was already rocks covering half the lawn. Actually this isn't that bad as it saves on mowing and also helps to keep watering down to a minimum. I planted lots of grasses and perennials in the rocks to soften it a bit, and used the front porch as an opportunity to put a few substantial containers and baskets. I also got another rock fountain for the front. It has a little container underneath it where the water circulates (it is actually a laundry basket). One of the neighborhood kids seems to think it is a drinking fountain. I saw her take a drink from it on a couple of occasions.
It is funny how I have done a lot, but my mind is always thinking of something new to do. I want to cover the side of the garage with a vine and do a bit more with the new trellis. I guess some day when I work at holes : ) I will have lots of knowledge to draw from.
So, that is what keeps me busy a lot of the time. Actually its not all that hard to maintain, and I love creating new spaces. I like the garden to feel like a bit of a sanctuary for us and any wildlife we are lucky enough to get.
When I lived on the acreage, I had a large space to fill, so gardening was different than I have now. I decided to create a pond. This was many years ago when ponds weren't really that popular and resources in how to construct them were few. So I did a lot of trial and error. I also never had equipment to move rocks, so everything was done the hard way.
I also had many koi in the pond and I would winter them every year. Unfortunately one day a heron flew over and spotted the fish, came down and had a big dinner. All my large fish...gone in one big gulp!
I had some other gardens as well, and learned alot from the acreage.
When I moved into St. Albert, I now had a much smaller space to work with. Yes, it is a pretty decent size lot by city standards, but seemed small. There was some rocks and grass and some large trees in the back, but not a single flower on site.
Our front faces south and back is north, so now I had the challenge of growing in full sun, which i was used to, and also if shade, which was new to me.
Columnar Aspen trees are amazing. They have gone from about 5' tall and skinny to prob 30 ft tall in a couple of summers. They are great for privacy and don't take up much "horizontal" space in the backyard.
There are some really tall pine trees in the backyard, they are great but a challenge to grow things under. So I created a shade garden. Its a work in progress, but I added lots of soil and have been gradually adding more and more plants. Shade is quite different as you don't get magnificent blooms, so you have to play more with foliage color. I recently added a mirror to the wall on the fence to give some sparkle to that darker area. This is only the second summer for this garden, but things are really taking off. It is really low maintenance and will kind of be a more wild look. I added a fountain and the birds are really liking it. I also found some little glass shrooms to tuck in for interest.
In the front there was already rocks covering half the lawn. Actually this isn't that bad as it saves on mowing and also helps to keep watering down to a minimum. I planted lots of grasses and perennials in the rocks to soften it a bit, and used the front porch as an opportunity to put a few substantial containers and baskets. I also got another rock fountain for the front. It has a little container underneath it where the water circulates (it is actually a laundry basket). One of the neighborhood kids seems to think it is a drinking fountain. I saw her take a drink from it on a couple of occasions.
It is funny how I have done a lot, but my mind is always thinking of something new to do. I want to cover the side of the garage with a vine and do a bit more with the new trellis. I guess some day when I work at holes : ) I will have lots of knowledge to draw from.
So, that is what keeps me busy a lot of the time. Actually its not all that hard to maintain, and I love creating new spaces. I like the garden to feel like a bit of a sanctuary for us and any wildlife we are lucky enough to get.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Vegetarianism
One of my best friends is a vegetarian. He has been since he was in University many years ago. He was exposed to information and footage about the treatment of animals in the process of getting meat to our tables. His wife and three children are also vegetarians, but his parents and other family members are not.
I really admire his conviction. It's not easy being a vegetarian in a society of meat eaters, especially years ago when there were very few food options like there are today. I on the other hand am a big hypocrite. I cringe at the thought of killing animals for food, I love animals. But yet I actively eat beef and chicken. Sure, I don't eat veal and have made some small stances, but big deal. I love reading the posts about Kyle caring for his piglet and attempting to keep it alive, and then I realize that ultimately it is for food. I then cringe at Vlad's post about going down to kill it and make it into all kinds of sausage.. I know how hypocritical this is, and I really should just not eat meat. But I do.
One thing about my vegetarian friend is that he never lectures or bugs people about their choices. He just makes his and goes about his business. But I wish I could say this was the same for him.
I can't tell you the number of times I have seen people kind of gasp in horror when they find out he is vegetarian, and then start to question him about his health and of his kids. Then they have to "brag" about how much meat they eat. Wow...good for you! What a man you are, you must have an oversized truck and a little dick too!
These are often the same people that live on meat and potato chips, never touch a vegetable and then accuse him of not being healthy. After all you need Protien! Well no shit, you need that and a lot of other things too! Like vitamins and minerals. You really can get all of that from other things like fruit and vegetables, eggs and cheese!
I eat meat and I had such an iron deficiency it was almost blood transfusion time. Did my vegetarian friend have that problem? No! I know it is hard to do things that are different than what is considered "normal", but as many in this challenge have been writing, so what! Do what is right for you, think of how your choices impact your family and the world around you.
One thing about my vegetarian friend is that he never lectures or bugs people about their choices. He just makes his and goes about his business. But I wish I could say this was the same for him.
I can't tell you the number of times I have seen people kind of gasp in horror when they find out he is vegetarian, and then start to question him about his health and of his kids. Then they have to "brag" about how much meat they eat. Wow...good for you! What a man you are, you must have an oversized truck and a little dick too!
These are often the same people that live on meat and potato chips, never touch a vegetable and then accuse him of not being healthy. After all you need Protien! Well no shit, you need that and a lot of other things too! Like vitamins and minerals. You really can get all of that from other things like fruit and vegetables, eggs and cheese!
I eat meat and I had such an iron deficiency it was almost blood transfusion time. Did my vegetarian friend have that problem? No! I know it is hard to do things that are different than what is considered "normal", but as many in this challenge have been writing, so what! Do what is right for you, think of how your choices impact your family and the world around you.
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Name Game
So what is in a name? I don't have kids but I am sure for those who do, they agonize of what to name their children. Often one person likes a name, but the other knew someone with that name that they didn't like or thought was a looser, so they veto the name.
I was never really crazy about my name. I always thought it was cute for a little girl, but kind of cheezy now that I am a woman. Tammy usually is the tarty girlfriend on television. She is potentially endowed with things other than a brain.
My friend Steve says that his name is what the supporting cast gets named. The average other guy. Although I notice recently Steve is a popular name for inatimate objects, like the "Hedge" in over the hedge, or the "Monkey" in cloudy with meatballs.
Chad has a good name. He is usually the "The Chad". He kind of gets to hang with the soap star guys that are named Brock, Cole or Drake.
Names definitely follow trends. My old aunts always had names like Elsie or Edith. The men were Henry or Buck. These are names you don't see much of anymore.
So here are the names that are hot for 2009.
Boys: Ethan, Liam, Jacob, Logan, Noah, Alexander, Benjamin, Owen, William, Lucas
Girls: Olivia, Isabella, Ava, Emma, Hailey, Sophia, Chloe, Madison, Ella, Lily
So how do our names stack up? I am going to put in various spellings that are close to your name, since I don't know if your name is a shortened version. But here are how our names stack up today:
Brad (19 Total)
1 Bradlee, 16 Bradley, 2 Bradly
Chad (4 Total)
Cliff (2 Total)
1 Clifford, 1 Clifton
Erron (24 Total)
22 Erin, 1 Eryn, 1 Erinn
Kelly (15 Total)
4 Kelly (boys), 10 Kelly (girls) 1 Kelli (girl)
Kim (13 Total)
1 Kim, 1 Kimberlee, 1 Kimberley, 8 Kimberly, 1 Kimmie, 1 Kymberly
Kyle (56 Total)
Liam (303 Total)
301 Liam, 1 Liem, 1 Liiam
James (132 Total)
Janine (0 Total)
Shaun (28 Total)
8 Shaun, 20 Shawn
Tammy (6 Total)
1 Tammy, 5 Tamara
Vlad (3 Total)
1 Vlad, 2 Vladimir
I was never really crazy about my name. I always thought it was cute for a little girl, but kind of cheezy now that I am a woman. Tammy usually is the tarty girlfriend on television. She is potentially endowed with things other than a brain.
My friend Steve says that his name is what the supporting cast gets named. The average other guy. Although I notice recently Steve is a popular name for inatimate objects, like the "Hedge" in over the hedge, or the "Monkey" in cloudy with meatballs.
Chad has a good name. He is usually the "The Chad". He kind of gets to hang with the soap star guys that are named Brock, Cole or Drake.
Names definitely follow trends. My old aunts always had names like Elsie or Edith. The men were Henry or Buck. These are names you don't see much of anymore.
So here are the names that are hot for 2009.
Boys: Ethan, Liam, Jacob, Logan, Noah, Alexander, Benjamin, Owen, William, Lucas
Girls: Olivia, Isabella, Ava, Emma, Hailey, Sophia, Chloe, Madison, Ella, Lily
So how do our names stack up? I am going to put in various spellings that are close to your name, since I don't know if your name is a shortened version. But here are how our names stack up today:
Brad (19 Total)
1 Bradlee, 16 Bradley, 2 Bradly
Chad (4 Total)
Cliff (2 Total)
1 Clifford, 1 Clifton
Erron (24 Total)
22 Erin, 1 Eryn, 1 Erinn
Kelly (15 Total)
4 Kelly (boys), 10 Kelly (girls) 1 Kelli (girl)
Kim (13 Total)
1 Kim, 1 Kimberlee, 1 Kimberley, 8 Kimberly, 1 Kimmie, 1 Kymberly
Kyle (56 Total)
Liam (303 Total)
301 Liam, 1 Liem, 1 Liiam
James (132 Total)
Janine (0 Total)
Shaun (28 Total)
8 Shaun, 20 Shawn
Tammy (6 Total)
1 Tammy, 5 Tamara
Vlad (3 Total)
1 Vlad, 2 Vladimir
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Do you have Theme music?
I had a different idea for a post tonight, but then I read Kim's blog about how she is doing some de-cluttering and getting organized. She mentioned that doing this has helped her free some brain space somehow.
I can totally understand that. I have a pretty hectic job, I am a Business Lead for an IT company which means I am responsible to talk to clients, bring in business, come up with pricing and project plans and then concurrently ensure it all gets done, delivered and to client satisfaction. I deal with different clients that have totally different business functions. So I have to switch gears a lot and jump from topic to topic.
Some days it gets a bit overwhelming and I feel the weight of the world. I feel like a firefighter that is trying to put out the biggest fires first and work my way around to the others that are smoking and ready to blow! : )
And then it happens...the music starts playing in my head and I have plan. To just give er! That music has always been the theme song from Hawaii Five O!
Now this is kind of odd, because all I remember of the show was the opening song and the montage! I don't know that I have actually ever seen an episode. But this music has always been my go to music to just Give er~!
When it plays in my head, it helps me to focus and accomplish things. Bang, Task Done. Blam, meeting made. Wham, problem solved. Book em Tam O! (ok i know that is cheezy but i need 150 words)
I can totally understand that. I have a pretty hectic job, I am a Business Lead for an IT company which means I am responsible to talk to clients, bring in business, come up with pricing and project plans and then concurrently ensure it all gets done, delivered and to client satisfaction. I deal with different clients that have totally different business functions. So I have to switch gears a lot and jump from topic to topic.
Some days it gets a bit overwhelming and I feel the weight of the world. I feel like a firefighter that is trying to put out the biggest fires first and work my way around to the others that are smoking and ready to blow! : )
And then it happens...the music starts playing in my head and I have plan. To just give er! That music has always been the theme song from Hawaii Five O!
Now this is kind of odd, because all I remember of the show was the opening song and the montage! I don't know that I have actually ever seen an episode. But this music has always been my go to music to just Give er~!
When it plays in my head, it helps me to focus and accomplish things. Bang, Task Done. Blam, meeting made. Wham, problem solved. Book em Tam O! (ok i know that is cheezy but i need 150 words)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Human Crap Collectors
We live in such a crap collecting, throw away society now it seems. When I was a kid, my mom and dad didn't have very much. We had a modest house with an old car that my dad fixed up over and over. We had furniture that lasted us forever and not much stuff. As kids we really didn't have a ton of toys. I had a barbie with some hand made clothes (knitted) and boxes that we converted into barbie furniture. We had an old trunk with some clothes in it in the basement to play dressup and we had outside! Outside was where we lived, rode our bikes, had toothpick races, went to the park and made puppet shows.
I don't remember a "Toys R Us" or all the box stores of today. There was a Woodwards with a modest toy department and the wish book : ) So this is how I grew up.
If something broke, my dad fixed it. He has some mad skills, but you had to. I don't ever remember my dad taking our car to a mechanic. Hell no, he got in there and figured it out. We had no choice. We had little money and it was fix it or take a bus. I always helped my dad and learned a lot of "manly" things.
Now fast forward in time to today. Everything is disposable. Everything is designed to be replaced. Not fixed!...replaced! I have seen this with our TV that is already crapping out, with Chad's computer that had issues early on. And our vacuum. No....our last TWO vacuums!
Five years ago I bought a cheap vacuum from canadian tire. Yes it was cheap, but we have hardwood floors mostly, it isn't doing very hard work. It mostly craps out. So we put it downstairs to use by the litterbox and get another Canadian Tire special. It lasts (upright cannister) not even 2 years.
So that's it..no more Canadian Tire specials. We get a new Dyson, pay more money but get a 5 year warranty. But NOW, we have to figure out what to do with these 2 dead vacuums.
It makes me realize how much waste we all generate on this planet. We end up taking them to the eco centre where I hope the hunks of useless plastic and parts can be re-cycled somewhat. But I don't know. That is 2 vacuums just from our household alone. What about all the cell phones and PDA's that we will get rid of every time our contract is up for renewal. Come on..you need to upgrade!
If you watch any of those hording shows you realize that each of those people is generating enough garbage and waste for about 10 people. Buy stuff, take it home, and pile it up. Buy more stuff, take it home and pile it up higher. What the hell is this obsession we have with stuff?
I can't help but think we are going to end up like Wall E, having to move to a new planet cuz we have so many piles of crap on ours. Good lord, Steven Hawkings is right!!! So is Pixar!
I don't remember a "Toys R Us" or all the box stores of today. There was a Woodwards with a modest toy department and the wish book : ) So this is how I grew up.
If something broke, my dad fixed it. He has some mad skills, but you had to. I don't ever remember my dad taking our car to a mechanic. Hell no, he got in there and figured it out. We had no choice. We had little money and it was fix it or take a bus. I always helped my dad and learned a lot of "manly" things.
Now fast forward in time to today. Everything is disposable. Everything is designed to be replaced. Not fixed!...replaced! I have seen this with our TV that is already crapping out, with Chad's computer that had issues early on. And our vacuum. No....our last TWO vacuums!
Five years ago I bought a cheap vacuum from canadian tire. Yes it was cheap, but we have hardwood floors mostly, it isn't doing very hard work. It mostly craps out. So we put it downstairs to use by the litterbox and get another Canadian Tire special. It lasts (upright cannister) not even 2 years.
So that's it..no more Canadian Tire specials. We get a new Dyson, pay more money but get a 5 year warranty. But NOW, we have to figure out what to do with these 2 dead vacuums.
It makes me realize how much waste we all generate on this planet. We end up taking them to the eco centre where I hope the hunks of useless plastic and parts can be re-cycled somewhat. But I don't know. That is 2 vacuums just from our household alone. What about all the cell phones and PDA's that we will get rid of every time our contract is up for renewal. Come on..you need to upgrade!
If you watch any of those hording shows you realize that each of those people is generating enough garbage and waste for about 10 people. Buy stuff, take it home, and pile it up. Buy more stuff, take it home and pile it up higher. What the hell is this obsession we have with stuff?
I can't help but think we are going to end up like Wall E, having to move to a new planet cuz we have so many piles of crap on ours. Good lord, Steven Hawkings is right!!! So is Pixar!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Random Thoughts
In the News!
Ashley Anne Kirilow : Woman Fakes Cancer in Charity Scam
The investigation showed that she shaved her head, and plucked her eyebrows and eyelashes to make it appear as if she had been a chemotherapy patient. The ruse included attending a number of charity events in her honor, and taking cancer research donations from hundreds of people. She also accepted a flight to Disney World from a Toronto-based cancer-awareness organization.
This just in ~
Officials say that Ashley had a conscience removal surgery years earlier so could not be held accountable for her actions.
My Opinion ~
Yes, when you have grown son that is on Celebrity Rehab talking about what a crappy father you are.
He was last heard saying ~
I have ridden many a chute before but never with 2 beers in my hands! Take THAT bitches!
Ashley Anne Kirilow : Woman Fakes Cancer in Charity Scam
The investigation showed that she shaved her head, and plucked her eyebrows and eyelashes to make it appear as if she had been a chemotherapy patient. The ruse included attending a number of charity events in her honor, and taking cancer research donations from hundreds of people. She also accepted a flight to Disney World from a Toronto-based cancer-awareness organization.
This just in ~
Officials say that Ashley had a conscience removal surgery years earlier so could not be held accountable for her actions.
Rod the Mod
Rod Stewart is set to become a dad, for the eighth time, at the age of 66. Is there an age when men should stop fathering children?My Opinion ~
Yes, when you have grown son that is on Celebrity Rehab talking about what a crappy father you are.
Flight Attendent Hissy Fit
Frustrated by the travellers he was dealing with, it's been reported he then went on an expletive-laden tirade over the public address system on a JetBlue flight, which was waiting on the tarmac at New York's JFK airport Monday. When he finished, it's alleged he grabbed some beer from the fridge, deployed the aircraft's emergency slide, walked through the airport and drove home, where he was later found by police and arrested.He was last heard saying ~
I have ridden many a chute before but never with 2 beers in my hands! Take THAT bitches!
Stephen Hawking "Says"
Mankind's only chance of long-term survival lies in colonizing space, as humans drain Earth of resources and face a terrifying array of new threats, warned British scientist Stephen Hawking on Monday.
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