TTFN

Ta Ta For Now...

To Know or Not to Know

Suppose there was something big, really big...life-changing in fact, about to happen --- but the outcome could go several ways.

Would you want to know?

If you thought you were powerless to affect it in any way; would you still want to know?

Would you run to a psychic to see what they might offer you in the way of comfort?

Would you poke your head in the sand and plug along, waiting for the inevitable?

How about running away and pretending it just can't happen to you?

Would you busy yourself shoveling sand from one pile to another?

Would you let your imagination run wild with anticipated ecstasy or pain?

Would knowledge help?  Could you learn as much as you can about suspected change and how it could affect your life?

Would you change everything in your current world in anticipation of it?

OR

Would you just enjoy life as it is and enjoy what you have up until it changes?

Just curious...

Aaargh...

As we all get a little older, we occasionally think about what changes we will have to make to accommodate our ever increasing short-comings. Stuff happens and we just have to deal with it. Fortunately, I am very physically fit and I like to think mentally stable, so these thoughts are just vague hints of future concerns or at least that's what they have been. Until today.

Things were moving along quite normally, I went and did some volunteer work and stopped at an Aldi's on the way home. I was thinking about baking some cookies and wanted to get some butter. Aldi's is the kind of store that you have to enter without preconceived notions...you buy what they sell...at really good prices. They may or may not have what you actually need. So, I got dark chocolate bars, bags and bags of diced dates (needed for the cookies), evaporated milk (for the possible pumpkin pie I will make in November) cans and cans of crushed tomatoes (the big ones for spaghetti sauce) and on and on. Yes, I did get butter.

Once home I started putting the stuff away, when I got to the cans of tomatoes I noticed that the shelf space was very crowded and things needed to shift a little. Okay, with a swipe of my left hand I moved the peanut butter and other stuff and simultaneously placed the first can. The peanut butter fell to the floor (thankfully it was a plastic container) and as I was placing the second can I bent down to pick up the peanut butter. That's when the second can whacked me in the back of the head...almost hard enough to knock me out. The can fell about three feet and is twenty-eight ounces. Math was never my forte but let me tell you, A pound and a half of can falling three feet to the back of your head REALLY HURTS!

I was stunned for a few minutes (well, maybe a minute) just holding the back of my head. The lump was growing very quickly. Then I finally decided I should try to move; yes, I can do that, so since I am right next to the freezer, I opened it and grabbed a bag of Trader Joe's Roasted peppers and onions and gingerly dropped it (to loosen the contents) then placed it on the back of my head. It helped but not enough. It took several hours for the pain to stop, but it did. Now it only hurts when I prod it...so, yes, I don't do that!

So I am left thinking to myself...am I the only one who could knock themselves out and have no one know about it? This is really serious...(when you stop laughing!!) My bird was useless through the entire ordeal. Until I make better arrangements I guess I will have to rearrange my pantry...put all the light stuff up top and all the heavy stuff on the bottom shelf. Then...watch out feet!

Tarantula

On my earlier trip to Costa Rica this year, I was very careful not to discuss the deadly Fir deLance snake. This is one of the world's, most deadly snakes; they attack without provocation. If you are bitten by one, you better get to a hospital very quickly or say goodbye. There is one foe that easily overtakes them...surprisingly. Check this out

Bird Antics

I certainly hope my little cockatiel never does this to me...what a shocker!

Hummingbirds Like Never Before

This is a phenomenal podcast on hummingbirds. Sit back and enjoy!

What's Okra?

Well that is the question that Chuck asked me over dinner this evening. When he asked I immediately had visions of the seedy and slimy center of the two inch vegetable that is so popular in Louisiana gumbo dishes. But rather than saying anything about that; I just said is was a vegetable. He said he KNEW that. Good enough.

But could I really tell him what he ordered to have with his dinner? No, I couldn't. He has already made it clear that he hates tomatoes. They have that gooey stuff and all those seeds.

No, he can't eat tomatoes.

He said he also cannot eat cucumbers for the same reason.



So when they delivered the fried okra, I said nothing.



To say I was shocked when he said the okra was good, would be an understatement. I just keep learning about his tastes.

Oh, by the way...I DO NOT eat okra!

Redneck Fire Alarm!

Thanks again to Darline.

This falls into that Oh My Gosh! category...

Winter Driving Tips

Thanks to Darline for these; hope you find at least one of these useful!

Here are some helpful hints that could make your winters easier to deal with ..

Keep your headlights clear with car wax! ......

Just wipe ordinary car wax on your headlights.

It contains special water repellents that will prevent that messy mixture from accumulating on your lights - lasts 6 weeks.

Squeak-proof your wipers with rubbing alcohol!....

Wipe the wipers with a cloth saturated with rubbing alcohol or ammonia.

This one trick can make badly streaking & squeaking wipers change to near perfect silence & clarity.

Ice-proof your windows with vinegar!....

Frost on it's way? Just fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water & spritz it on all your windows at night.

In the morning, they'll be clear of icy mess.

Vinegar contains acetic acid, which raises the melting point of water---preventing water from freezing!

Prevent car doors from freezing shut with cooking spray!.....

Spritz cooking oil on the rubber seals around car doors & rub it in with a paper towel.

The cooking spray prevents water from melting into the rubber.

Fog-proof your windshield with shaving cream!...... .

Spray some shaving cream on the inside of your windshield & wipe if off with paper towels.

Shaving cream has many of the same ingredients found in commercial defoggers.

De-ice your lock in seconds with hand sanitizer!.. ...

Just put some hand sanitizer gel on the key & the lock & the problems solved!

Television Advertisements

Ever notice that the advertisements always seem louder than the show you are watching? Here's the reason

Currently, TV ads can't be louder than the loudest peak in a show, said David Perry , the chairman of the broadcast production committee of the American Association of Advertising Agencies in New York . Ads often seem louder to viewers, he added, because a program's volume peak rarely comes just before an ad.

AND, the law may be changing to FINALLY get them to tone it down!

Komodo Dragons

Also known as the Giant Monitor Lizard is among the largest lizards in the world. It grows to lengths of 8 feet or more and weighs as much as 200 pounds. They have been known to eat their weight as well as each other; cannibalistic, only the strong babies survive.

The Komodo Dragon is only found within the Komodo Island National Park, a group of small islands in the Indonesian archipelago and on the larger island of Flores which falls just outside of the park. Currently approximately 3,000 are alive today on the island and in zoos. They live up to 50 years.

The Komodo Dragon is powerful and agile, and yet surprise is still the method of choice for capturing larger prey. The Komodo Dragon will eat almost anything from its own eggs and those of turtles, to pretty much any animal within its domain, including deer, buffalo, boar, snakes, lizards (including young Komodo Dragons), frogs, and even wild horse and the macaque monkey. Despite this broad dietary variety, human attacks are rare and usually due to 'getting in the way' rather than the Dragon's attempt to feed.

For more detailed information about their history and other important information please go to this link on Komodo Dragons .

Here is the fascinating thing about them though...a recent news item

Australian researchers have discovered what makes the Komodo dragon’s bite so deadly for its prey.

Scientists previously considered that the world’s largest lizard’s mouth held deadly bacteria that stopped its victims’ blood from clotting. Walter Auffenberg put that theory forward in 1981.

But lead researcher Bryan Fry used magnetic resonance imagery to show that the deadly lizard packs a venomous bite, as seen through its venom gland with ducts that lead to their teeth.

Fry used 3-D computer imaging to compare the Komodo’s bite with the bite of the Australian saltwater crocodile, which has a skull of comparable size. His team found that the Komodo’s bite is only one-sixth as powerful as that of the crocodile.Imaging revealed that the Komodo used a pulling maneuver similar to the motion of the bite of a shark or saber cat. The report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also found that other venomous lizards, including the Gila monster, were part of the same family as Komodo dragons. Additionally, venomous lizards and snakes appear to have descended from common origins.

"These lizards make a huge wound using their teeth; that's good enough to get the venom in," Christofer Clemente, a comparative physiologist at the University of Cambridge and a co-author of the study, told BBC News."They are robust enough that they can hang on to prey. Other groups like snakes are much more fragile - they have to bite something and let it go. So they have these hollow fangs and more deadly venom."The venom is effective in killing victims by causing a sudden drop in blood pressure, resulting in shock and it also had an anti-clotting affect."Such a fall in blood pressure would be debilitating in conjunction with blood loss and would render the envenomed prey unable to escape," said Fry."These results are congruent with the observed unusual quietness and apparent rapid shock of prey items."




It wouldn't surprise me to see some of the major (and maybe not so major) drug companies analyzing that venom so it could make a less potent, but useful version for all the people walking around with both high blood pressure and cholesterol clotting problems.

Everything is fine...

I left without my laptop powercord two weeks ago and am using a loaner laptop. It is great to be able to check email and such but I miss my own pc. Saturday I should be getting reacquainted with my powercord and will be able to blog in my old usual manner then.
So for those of you who may be wondering what happened to me...look for some posts by Sunday of this week. Everythng is just fine!
If I keep doing this it probably won't be long before I move to Mac world...it has a lot of interesting features that my pc doesn't have.

Odd Laws...Chicago

With all the ballyhoo going on here with Blago, I thought I would dig up a few odd laws - unique ONLY to Chicago. Enjoy

All businesses entering into contracts with the city must sift through their records and report any business they had dealing with slaves during the era of slavery.

Law forbids eating in a place that is on fire.

It is illegal to give a dog whiskey.

It is forbidden to fish while sitting on a giraffe’s neck.

Kites may not be flown within the city limits.

In the Pullman area, it is illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while sitting on the curb.

It is legal to protest naked in front of city hall as long as you are under seventeen years of age and have legal permits.

Other states and/or cities to follow when you least expect it!

Illusionary

This is the craziest thing I've seen in a long time.
For those of you in the 21st century (e.g. blackberry
owners), you'll need to look at this on a pc. You also
have to get out of your seat and walk away from
your computer. People may think you're crazy.
But it's well worth it.




When you look at this picture in a
closer look you see its Albert Einstein.
But if you stand 15 feet away,
It will become Marilyn Monroe.

You probably should NOT try this on New Years Eve...

Gold Brickin'

This retirement is really hard work!




What's heavier the book or the cat?

A New 'Take' on the Same Old, Same Old

Well, if we have to listen to all the political hype...we may as well have some fun doing it!

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

10 BAD Things that are Actually GOOD for You

Ok, I was surfing the net and found the top 10 things that have always been considered...well, if not bad for you (they certainly shouldn't be overdone) are now GOOD.

Here they are in reverse order:

10 Beer

9 Anger

8 Coffee

7 LSD (huh ?)

6 Sunlight

5 Maggots (Double HUH??)

4 Marijuana

3 Red Wine (well...even I knew that!)

2 Chocolate

1 Sex (er...was there a question on this one?)


Go to this link to see the details for each of the above.

Divine Intervention

This is my second year of following the Chicago Cubbies. Chuck has followed them ALL HIS LIFE!!! During that time they have NEVER won the pennant. This year (up to now) promised to be exciting and possibly the END of that dry run.

Last night and the night before they lost badly. Today could be the clincher for them again; if they lose this one it is goodbye until next year.

Gee, if I could ask for a great birthday present for Chuck...could you just let them have the stupid pennant this year and then we can all go back to sleep again!




Thanks.

Eagles Landing Motel, Beaver, Utah

We traveled from Moab on toward Bryce Canyon and hoped to get a place to stay the night somewhere near Bryce, that was affordable and clean.

After checking many hotels around Bryce, I ended up with this place located in Beaver, Utah. It was very affordable (compared to others in the area) We got a beautiful room with a King bed, 32 Inch Plasma TV nicely carpeted and appointed room for a whopping $ 46.68 which included tax!

Eagles Landing Motel
646 W 1400 N
Beaver, Utah
435 438 7800
Just off exit 112 of Interstate 70

But there was one thing that really caught my attention: gee...am I allowed to say it on the internet??
Ok, I will and take my chances.

It was the toilet. Well, not the toilet so much as the ability to choose which type of flush you would like to use (given the circumstances).

See...they have these two buttons one that is half white and half black; this is for what I call a half flush. Good for liquid type matter.

Then there is the full black button...this is a full volume and action flush for the 'other' kind of flushes!

Like I told Chuck, if I ever build another house, I need to have this in my house!

Huh...?

Some headlines that should have been proofread prior to publishing...

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter

This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.

---

I just couldn't help but sending this along. Too funny.

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says

No, really? Ya think?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Now that's taking things a bit far!

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Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over

What a guy!

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Miners Refuse to Work after Death

No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!

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Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

See if that works any better than a fair trial!

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War Dims Hope for Peace

I can see where it might have that effect!

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If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile

Ya think?!

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Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures

Who would have thought!

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Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide

They may be on to something!

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Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges

You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?Oklahoma's new construction program!

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Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge

He probably IS the battery charge!

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New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

Weren't they fat enough?!

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Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft

That's what he gets for eating those beans!

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Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

Do they taste like chicken?****************************************

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

Chainsaw Massacre all over again!

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Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

Boy, are they tall!

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And the winner is....

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

Did I read that right?