Sleepy Saturday

I worked today at the vitamin center and had to get up a few hours before I usually do. I've been sleepy all day, too. I took my knitting and a book, as usual, and had quite a few customers - the good kind who know what they want and get it. This was not a good knitting day but more of an unknitting day. Frustrating for sure and probably had something to do with my being so sleepy and my lack of ability.

I went by the yarn shop and unknitted some more. Some yarn doesn't work well to ravel and start over and gets fuzzy. One of my projects is this way and the other one not as much. The conversation was enjoyable, and then Tina, Hope, and I went to the Mexican restaurant. Interesting how being there with a tall blonde in her 20's is such a different experience than when I'm there with other friends closer to my age. The waiters were speaking Spanish to Hope, asking about her "novio" and really giving her attention. She speaks and understands enough to carry on a conversation, and of course that impressed the waiter even more than he already was. I remember those days and miss them, but life goes on. I'm invisible to men now and that's how it is. I had my time but just wish I'd realized I had that power, but then I might have been dangerous.

Critic's Choice Winners

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Best Original Screenplay: Inglourious Basterds
Best Adapted Screenplay: Up in the Air
Best Acting Ensemble: Inglourious Basterds
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
Best Actress: tie! Meryl Streep & Sandra Bullock
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, Precious
Best Young Actress: Saoirse Ronan
Best Documentary: The Cove
Best Foreign Language Film: Broken Embraces
Best Animated Movie: Up
Best Comedy Movie: The Hangover
Best Score: Up
Best Song: The Weary Kind
Best Costume Design: The Young Victoria
Best Make-Up: District 9
Best Action Movie: Avatar
Best Cinematography: Avatar
Best Visual Effects: Avatar
Best Art Direction: Avatar
Best Editing: Avatar
Best Sound: Avatar

Kristin Chenoweth hosted this and was way too silly. Her jokes fell flat most of the time. I like her and have enjoyed her performances and personality, but not tonight. I was glad Sandra Bullock and Jeff Bridges won. Mo'Nique has received nothing but high praise for her performance in Precious, based on the novel by Sapphire (what an agent Sapphire must have!). I haven't seen it yet but will. Have any of you seen Inglourious Basterds? I like some of Tarantino's movies and not others but will see this one. I hope Kathryn Bigelow wins the Oscar - first woman director to do so if she wins.

Gosh, I have a lot to see since the only one with nominations I've seen is The Blind Side! Sandra Bullock was funny when she said, "Hey, critics! Bet you didn't see this coming! Neither did I!"

Penguin Poster

This is the only picture I could find of a poster I used to have on my wall. The caption is: "I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no class." It always made me laugh and cheered me up when I needed it.

LOL Trivia

The possessor of a prize feline in Bucharest was able to increase her cat’s stud fees to $1,000 a day when its name was changed to Bill Clinton!

Just Sayin'

NBC needs to honor their contract with Conan and let Leno go if they aren't happy with his being where he is. They need to give him severance pay without any strings attached. He should get to go to another network if that works out and let the others stay where they are. NBC is known for stupid programming decisions. I still haven't forgiven them for canceling several shows I loved. I was ready to have Jimmy Smits as President on The West Wing and possibly Alan Alda as VP. They get some good shows and then don't support them. As Craig Ferguson said about NBC execs, they are lying rat-bastards! I wish I could be in charge of programming for NBC. The MBA's wouldn't be happy, but some viewers would be.

Bits and Pieces

Coke Zero is basically carbonated battery acid with caffeine and Aspartame. It's really bad for me, but I drink it anyway because I like the fizzy taste.

Why does Pat Robertson have a show? Better yet, why does he even exist? The scary part is that there are people who actually believe him and agree with his hateful spew.

The View is much better when Barbara Walters is not on it. All she does is brag about who she's interviewed (it was her JOB), interrupt to explain the obvious, and annoy me.

Spending lots of money to renovate a house you're going to sell isn't always cost-effective. When I look at houses, I see the potential as long as it has features that are important like location, floor plan, structural soundness, condition, and such as that. Sometimes what people add is not what prospective buyers like and want. Clean, repair, paint, decorate, and organize it. Make it sellable without spending a fortune except for repairs that the inspector will require anyway.

Teacher pay based on "merit" (HA! test scores) is a horrible idea for many reasons. Some teachers teach courses that aren't tested. Do we need to have an art contest, music competition, etc.? Should high school coaches get paid based on their wins and losses? TVAS scores in Tennessee are supposed to predict performance of high school students with a formula that is based on predicted CORN YIELD! It's crazy. In our state, Governor Bredesen wants to participate in federal "Race to the Top" money which will give most of the money to higher education but will be hardest on teachers whose classes are tested. I was leery with merit pay as part of Obama's education platform and am disappointed that this program includes it. We need to get rid of NCLB (No Child Left Behind) which has set education back and will take decades to recover from. That was a huge mistake made by the W administration, and I hoped it would be replaced with something that really works. It doesn't seem that will happen. There must be less emphasis on testing instead of more. Students need to be taught to think and learn, not just to take tests. I could go on and on but won't. You get the idea.

I'm still keeping musician hours but have a glimmer of hope that I will get back on a schedule that is still night owlish but pushed back earlier than going to bed at 3:00 AM.

I Can Think of Several Reasons for This

Residents of Hawaii outlive residents of all other states. Louisianans are the most prone in the United States to die an early death.

Froggy, Don't Read This!

Giant crab spiders have such a ferocious appearance that they earned a spot as extras in the horror film Arachnophobia. These creatures, however, eat only cockroaches, crickets, and caterpillars, more than compensating for their scary appearance. Giant crab spiders are about 2 inches long, are hairy, and have noticeable black fangs and black feet. Their egg sac is the size of a golf ball.

I intentionally did not include a photo.

Movies

Awards season has begun, and so must my movie marathon. As you know, I try to see all the nominated movies before the award shows (which btw are already written down on my calendar - Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA, Independent Spirit, and Oscars). My work is cut out for me since I've seen only a few of them so far.

I'll write more about the movies later with reviews. From what I've heard and read about Crazy Heart, I'm looking forward to it. First of all, I like Jeff Bridges. The story is familiar, and we've seen it before. The character sounds like Townes Van Zandt's life without the happy ending. Townes was an incredible singer-songwriter who drank himself to death. I guess The Wrestler is a credible comparison there in several ways. Both died because their hearts exploded, so to speak.

But back to Crazy Heart, I feel that I know what to expect, but Bridges gives more and in different ways in his roles. He looks a lot like Kris Kristofferson and sings his own songs. T-Bone Burnett was interviewed by Terry Gross this morning on "Fresh Air" and wrote original songs for the movie and produced the music. That's always a good sign. He's an amazing talent.

Bridges's character has a relationship with a reporter played by Maggie Gyllenhaal who is about 1/3 his age. I warned students about those "for the love of a good woman" movies and novels because that rarely happens in real life. Those stories make for good fantasies, but if someone isn't like you want them to be when you are with them, odds are low they'll change. I'm OK with this in the movie but wish it weren't the much-younger woman again. Oh well. Don't see that happening in reverse, do you?


Guess I should have waited until AFTER watching the movie to write about it, but I'll do that, too.

Ahead of the Curve

Tom Brokaw was on NPR this morning discussing the effects of the economy on businesses and people who need to take stock of their spending habits and lifestyles. By being a teacher in a cheap-ass rural county in Tennessee, my salary has always sucked. I got used to economizing (squeaking by) and don't notice any difference now since I've never been able to afford investments, don't have a credit card, and am not in debt except for my house. I'll have a car payment when this '99 car costs more to maintain that payments on a new one. I generally keep cars until that point. Would I like to have more money and live higher on the hog? Hell, yes! But I'm OK. For some reason, even though I make less money than I did when I was teaching now that I'm retired, the money goes farther, and I've even been able to save and do some traveling. When I told Mother this a few years ago, she asked, "You're not forgetting to pay something, are you?"

Then I read this on HuffPo and feel profoundly fortunate and thankful!

Jacqueline Mosley One Of Many In Memphis Struggling To Keep On Power

On January 12, CNN's "American Morning" featured the story of Jacqueline Mosley, a Memphis woman in her 60s who's struggled to find work and who has lived for nearly a year without power or heat in her home.

"I'm not without power because I don't want to pay. It's because I can't pay," she told CNN's Kiran Chetry. "It's been real challenging. Every day I'm out looking for a job. I'm trying to find things that I don't know how to do but I'm willing to learn."

Mosley knows she isn't the only one struggling, and she's grateful to the city of Memphis for temporarily giving her power and heat during the cold winter months. Before her power and gas were turned back on, Mosley would go to the local library in the morning to warm up. The power had been off in her home for 11 months.

Mosley can be contacted at jackiemosley@aol.com for potential job offers. She has 30 years experience as an administrative assistant and knowledge of modern computer software. "I'm diligent, I'm loyal, I can do it. Anything on the computer, I can do it. Anything in the office."

Chetry said that people were in tears in the studio listening to her story.

Yikes! Trivia

The historic notebooks in which Marie and Pierre Curie recorded their experiments on radium, nearly a century ago, are still radioactive.

Miep Gies Died

For those of us who taught and read The Diary of Anne Frank, we got to know and admire Miep Gies through the words of that book and play. What courage that wonderful woman had! May she rest in peace.

When I was in Amsterdam, I saw the Frank house from a boat tour and wish we could have been there longer to see more.

This article is long but interesting, so I copied at pasted the text from MSNBC's site HERE and added the photos from other sources. HERE is a similar article with more information.


AMSTERDAM - Miep Gies, the office secretary who defied the Nazi occupiers to hide Anne Frank and her family for two years and saved the teenager's diary, has died, the Anne Frank Museum said Tuesday. She was 100.

Gies' Web site reported that she died Monday after a brief illness. The report was confirmed by museum spokeswoman Maatje Mostar, but she gave no details. The British Broadcasting Corp. said she died in a nursing home after suffering a fall last month.

Gies was the last of the few non-Jews who supplied food, books and good cheer to the secret annex behind the canal warehouse where Anne, her parents, sister and four other Jews hid for 25 months during World War II.

After the apartment was raided by the German police, Gies gathered up Anne's scattered notebooks and papers and locked them in a drawer for her return after the war. The diary, which Anne Frank was given on her 13th birthday, chronicles her life in hiding from June 12, 1942 until August 1, 1944.

Gies refused to read the papers, saying even a teenager's privacy was sacred. Later, she said if she had read them she would have had to burn them because they incriminated the "helpers."


Anne Frank died of typhus at age 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in March 1945, just two weeks before the camp was liberated. Gies gave the diary to Anne's father Otto, the only survivor, who published it in 1947.

After the diary was published, Gies tirelessly promoted causes of tolerance. She brushed aside the accolades for helping hide the Frank family as more than she deserved — as if, she said, she had tried to save all the Jews of occupied Holland.

"This is very unfair. So many others have done the same or even far more dangerous work," she wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press days before her 100th birthday last February.

"The Diary of Anne Frank" was the first popular book about the Holocaust, and has been read by millions of children and adults around the world in some 65 languages.

For her courage, Gies was bestowed with the "Righteous Gentile" title by the Israeli Holocaust museum Yad Vashem. She has also been honored by the German Government, Dutch monarchy and educational institutions.

Nevertheless, Gies resisted being made a character study of heroism for the young.

"I don't want to be considered a hero," she said in a 1997 online chat with schoolchildren.

"Imagine young people would grow up with the feeling that you have to be a hero to do your human duty. I am afraid nobody would ever help other people, because who is a hero? I was not. I was just an ordinary housewife and secretary."

Born Hermine Santrouschitz on Feb. 15, 1909 in Vienna, Gies moved to Amsterdam in 1922 to escape food shortages in Austria. She lived with a host family who gave her the nickname Miep.

In 1933, Gies took a job as an office assistant in the spice business of Otto Frank. After refusing to join a Nazi organization in 1941, she avoided deportation to Austria by marrying her Dutch boyfriend, Jan Gies.

As the Nazis ramped up their arrests and deportations of Dutch Jews, Otto Frank asked Gies in July 1942 to help hide his family in the annex above the company's canal-side warehouse on Prinsengracht 263 and to bring them food and supplies.

"I answered, 'Yes, of course.' It seemed perfectly natural to me. I could help these people. They were powerless, they didn't know where to turn," she said years later.

Jan and Miep Gies worked with four other employees in the firm to sustain the Franks and four other Jews sharing the annex. Jan secured extra food ration cards from the underground resistance. Miep cycled around the city, alternating grocers to ward off suspicions from this highly dangerous activity.

This One I Knew

Leonardo da Vinci wrote notebook entries in mirror (backwards) script, a trick that kept many of his observations from being widely known until decades after his death.

Seinfeld Has Left the Building

Rolling Stone had an odd dilemma in 1994: the music journal had two fabulous photos of comedian Jerry Seinfeld impersonating Elvis Presley, but only one could go on the cover. To remedy this, the editors launched the magazine’s first split cover. Half the issues featured Seinfeld as an old, puffy Elvis, and half featured him as a young, virile Elvis. The issues were sent randomly to subscribers in September 1994, and newsstands carried both versions.

Monkey Sex

Scientific researchers say promiscuous species of monkeys appear to have stronger immune systems than less sexually active ones.

Snow Day Again

I went to Mother's this afternoon and watched The Proposal with her and ate. It was a Sandra Bullock romantic comedy, predictable and entertaining. She and Ryan Reynolds made it better than it could have been. I like them. Good cast - Betty White was a hoot. We enjoyed it.

They're getting another snow day because of the country roads and side streets. I have several errands to run and will go by the shop and knit socially with the group. It's like going to Cheers.

Cracking Trivia

The first human-made object to break the sound barrier was a whip. As the energy increases from the handle to the end of the whip, the energy is moving beyond the speed of sound at the tip. That’s why a whip makes such a loud cracking noise.

Interesting

Desi Arnaz’s, from "I Love Lucy," father was mayor of Santiago, Cuba, and his mother was the daughter of one of the founders of Bacardi Rum. His family went into exile in the United States after the coup that brought dictator Fulgencio Batista to power in 1934. The family made its new home in Miami, Florida. And Desi’s best friend in high school? Al Capone, Jr.

Mr. Jones

Here is Mr. Jones, my friend Earl's daughter Amanda's bird whistling the Alabama Fight Song. This is for you, MikeinBama. As for me, I think they need to teach him "Rocky Top."

COLD

Today was our coldest day we've had in seven years. The high was 18 which is 27 degrees below average, they just said on the news. I thought we'd had cold days but guess they were in the 20's. We used to have colder winters and more snow. It would be in the teens and even get below zero at times. Not often but it has. Winters have been mild for the most part for the last several years with a few really cold weeks. It's supposed to be 8 tonight and stay below freezing until Monday when they say it will be 40.

I had to go out and bring in the big trash container the city provides us and get the mail. It was a bitter cold I felt in my bones. I was careful rolling the bin up the driveway and walking to the mailbox so I wouldn't fall. It's been randomly flurrying all day and might again tomorrow. I keep turning up the heat and am warm in the den where the gas log fireplace is.

I realize this isn't as cold as it is during most of the winters some of you have, but it is here, and I'm complaining! I used to prefer cold weather to hot but have changed. Moderate weather is still my choice, and I'd love to live where it's spring and fall weather all the time. Where is that?

Living in Canada, Scandinavia, Vermont, or some other place where I could be surrounded by people who think more like I do than the way it is here isn't an option for me now. Can't handle the cold there and don't want to live where they speak in "below" for weeks and months. It would be so nice otherwise, though.

Size Queen Alert

The sperm whale has the biggest brain of any mammal. Its brain weighs up to 20 pounds, while the human brain weighs 3 pounds.

Snow Day

They called off many schools in Middle Tennessee yesterday on speculation of snow. Fortunately it did snow - not much but at least it showed up. We have a dusting with it on the roads, so that qualifies. There are still light flurries off and on. Where my grandchildren go to school on Signal Mtn (part of Chattanooga), Hamilton County didn't call off school until two hours after they were in school. Lots of kids slid and had wrecks. Some had never driven in snow, and it can get bad there pretty quickly. Going up and down the mountain are right-angle turns, hair-pin curves, and steep windy narrow roads. That puts the kids in danger. It's better to err on the side of caution in those cases.

Yankees who move here criticize calling off school when there isn't much snow and make fun of us, but the country roads stayed icy and slick because it would warm up enough to melt it some during the day and the refreeze at night. It's not cost-effective to have all that snow removal equipment like they do in hard winter places. We don't get that much to make it efficient. They salt and scrape main highways and streets, but that's it. I can't get out of my neighborhood when it snows and am in town. It's hilly in every direction which I didn't anticipate as a potential problem in the spring when I bought my house. I can't get a running start to get up any of them, and the one downhill part goes directly onto the by-pass which has a lot of traffic. I'd rather not careen down that and not be able to stop. So I'm stuck. My brother can get here and out in his four-wheel drive truck, but I have a regular car.


I worked yesterday afternoon at the vitamin shop - one of my twice-monthly afternoons of a grueling work schedule that somebody has to do but I manage. Then I went to dinner with Linda at a Chinese restaurant, Ming Court. After that I made a grocery run to pick up a few things I needed and Brigit demanded. She likes that Party Mix which was supposed to be an occasional treat, but since cats are the originators of Asperger's, nothing is occasional if you do it once. Then it's a pattern, and she now expects them regularly. Yesterday was Senior Discount Day at Kroger, so the early-bird seniors had swooped in and bought all the things on special I wanted. Then the snow panic shoppers finished off the rest of the groceries. At least it wasn't crowded.

I could get out today and might if I need to but will probably stay in. I need to get my car serviced but can wait a bit longer, I hope. I forgot to get a couple of things last night but don't want to have to put on make-up and a bra and would need to change out of these sweats. Retired life! Gotta love it!

I Guess So!

During World War II, the free-tailed bat caves near San Antonio were guarded closely as part of top-secret Operation X-ray. The U.S. military attempted to train the bats to carry small incendiary bombs and release them in Japanese buildings. During one test, bat bomb carriers escaped and set fire to barracks and a general’s car. The project was later scrapped.

Not on My Hand!

The Goliath beetle of Africa has a huge armor that makes it the heaviest flying insect in the world. In fact, it weighs more than eight mice and is a common pet with African children, who fly it from a string.

Twain Trivia

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, was the first published novel ever to have been written on a typewriter.

Brrrr!

I don't know if you notice that weather thingy on my blog, but if so, you've noticed that it's cold here. Right now it's 16, which I realize is not as cold as it is where some of you are. It's supposed to get down to the single digits later this week. I keep turning up the heat but still don't feel as warm as I would like to. What's it like where you are?

I'll Do It Again

Yep, I'll watch Celebrity Apprentice again. We all have our guilty pleasures, and this is mine. Are you going to watch it with me this time, too, Charlie? Anyone else?


Here they are:

Baseball legend Darryl Strawberry, pop icon Cyndi Lauper, Rock of Love star Bret Michaels, America’s Got Talent judge Sharon Osbourne, American track star Michael Johnson, actress Holly Robinson Peete, pro wrestler Goldberg, actress and comedienne Carol Leifer, funnyman Sinbad, Olympic swimming champion Summer Sanders, former governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich, pro wrestler Maria Kanellis, celebrity chef Curtis Stone and Victoria’s Secret Angel Selita Ebanks will all face Donald Trump in his boardroom and compete in grueling business tasks to raise money for charity. Celebrity Apprentice premieres March 14 (9 p.m. EST) on NBC.

Wrong-Handed Phobia ~ Seriously?

Phobia: sinistrophobia Fear of: people who are left-handed.

Deer Hunter

I hope this is true. It's just too funny anyway.

Somewhere near Rochester, New York Ed set out to bag his buck at 5:30 a.m. By 11:30 a.m., he was exhausted and hungry-- and still no buck. At 12 noon, the mighty hunter Ed guards the remains of his lunch while a passer-by snaps a quiet photo while trying not to startle (with a belly laugh) the deer.

Busy Stomach

Every 3 days, your body makes a new protective lining for your stomach. Without it, the stomach would literally eat itself alive in about 2 weeks. The hydrochloric acid of the human digestive process is so powerful a corrosive that it easily can burn its way through a cotton handkerchief, and even penetrate the iron of an automobile body. Yet, it doesn’t endanger the stomach’s sticky mucous walls.

Book Quizzes

Thanks to Bob where I found these. His books are doom and gloom, but he has a neat new header photo.

Let the comments begin! LOL Guess we know why I've been single so many decades! Let me know yours if you take these.

You're Love in the Time of Cholera!

by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Like Odysseus in a work of Homer, you demonstrate undying loyalty by sleeping with as many people as you possibly can. But in your heart you never give consent! This creates a strange quandary of what love really means to you. On the one hand, you've loved the same person your whole life, but on the other, your actions barely speak to this fact. Whatever you do, stick to bottled water. The other stuff could get you killed.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

And we know about my sense of humor!

You're Much Ado About Nothing!

by William Shakespeare

You're not really sure what all the fuss is about, but it seems like it's all a lot of overreaction. Light and playful, you tend to be the one making dirty jokes in the corner, or even in front of a whole bunch of people. You end up being more or less unable to keep a straight face, even when something serious seems to be on the line. Despite this, you still have something to say about gender equality. In the end, you're just looking for a hero.


Take the Book Quiz II
at the Blue Pyramid.

I'm Here

Things have been busy lately. All the Christmas festivities and visits are keeping me quite social and occupied. I've been with family, knitting circle, and other friends, and it's still going on. I'm going to dinner and play games with friends tonight and did last night with other ones. Figuring out which Medicare Advantage plan to sign up for took a long time. My doctor decided not to take the one I was on and let us know at the last minute! Yikes!

I'll be back in touch tomorrow and will catch up on blog reading and writing. Haven't been on the computer much lately but checked email on the Blackberry.

What are y'all doing tonight?

Here's Johnny Trivia

Johnny Carson delivered 4,531 opening monologues during his 30 years as host of The Tonight Show.

Holidaze

Hope you had a good Christmas! See you on here soon.

Merry Christmas!

Our family will be at Mother's this evening to open gifts and enjoy being with each other. Brian, Melissa, Brendan, and I will spend the night at Mother's and enjoy a relaxing day tomorrow. Saturday I'm going to my daughter Kathy's for a few days. Her children are 16, 14, and 11, and Brian's son is 6. We always play games and watch movies while I'm there.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas with the people you love and want to be with! That's what it's about, isn't it?

Split

I'm sad about the break-up of Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins after 23 years. I thought they would be together for the duration. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell need to stay with each other and not do this!

Yes, I am 12.

Yes, Curt, my humor can be very immature. I blame teaching teenagers for almost 40 years for it. That and my habit of running things into the ground can be quite irritating to others. Most of my family and friends ignore me and move on, but I know they heard me and smick to myself. Yes, "smick" is one of them, too. I got it from Tommy's saying, "Just you smick, Dirkie Smothers!"


There are some things I say that I never get tired of and always find amusing. Is this some kind of disorder? Probably. The main thing I like to do is call those plastic wrappers around newspapers "newspaper condoms" and usually just leave it at that but sometimes mutter "for safe reading" afterward. I still think that's funny but probably need to save it for new audiences because I've exceeded my limit with several friends.

I had to retire "it must be free" when the price is not on items in shops. Salespeople never thought that was funny except for maybe two of them. They always corrected me which takes away all the jokiness in a situation when others take the statement seriously. This also happens sometimes when I say Norwegia and Canadia. You just have to let them think you're a dithering dumbass because if you have to explain a joke, it's not worth it. Right?

Maybe I Can Remember to Start Noticing This

The fingernails grow faster on the hand you favor. If you are right-handed, your right fingernails will grow faster, and vice versa. The middle fingernail grows faster than any other nail.

Rough Riders

Theodore Roosevelt also led the Rough Riders, which was comprised of football players, cowboys, and Eastern polo players.


Interesting site HERE.

PR7

The previews of Season 7 of Project Runway sound promising. Check it out here on Project Rungay. Last season was a disappointment for sure. Nina and Michael are supposed to be on every episode which is a huge relief. When does it begin?

Strange Trivia (and Yuck)

One of Napoleon’s drinking cups was made from the skull of the famous Italian adventurer Cagliostro.

More Tennis Trivia

According to the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association, a tennis ball is supposed to bounce between 53 and 58 inches when it is dropped on concrete from a height of 100 inches. The concrete surface should be 4 inches thick.

Comment

Did you see that comment on the CSN post that just might have been from Graham Nash? Wow! How cool is that!!!!

O Trivia

The brain comprises about 2 percent of a person’s total body weight. Yet it requires 25 percent of all oxygen used by the body, as opposed to the 12 percent used by the kidneys and the 7 percent used by the heart.

Jeopardy Material

The belly scales on a snake are called scutes.

Einstein Quote

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.

Taste Trivia

Pigs, dogs, and some other animals can taste water, but people cannot. Humans don’t actually taste water or even Perrier; they taste the chemicals and impurities in the water.

CSN Trivia

When David Crosby, Graham Nash, and Stephen Stills first started singing together, they were called the Frozen Noses in honor of unique harmonies and rumored drug habits.

Dog Safety

More than 100,000 family dogs are killed each year in car accidents. As a result, a manufacturer in the eastern United States has developed a car restraint designed specifically for dogs riding in the car.

Snow No!

David has this map on his blog, so I stole it and copied it on here. This is a lot of snow some of you will have! Let us know what happens where you are and how you're doing. Look how clever David is! This is his title: "The Snowpocalypse Is Coming! SnOMG!!!"

A little snow with no accumulation is predicted for us, but that eastern part of TN is in for several inches. That's where the Smokey Mountains are and where that picture on my blog header was taken.

Medicare & Other Headaches

The doctors' association here decided not to take the Medicare Advantage Plan I'm on (Health Spring), so Paige and I started doing research for another one that wasn't an HMO or PPO but a PFFS. Doncha just love all the initials? We got a letter, but my internist had already told me about it. I told Paige, and she did most of the research. Then we got another letter letting us know that DMA and HealthSpring had reached an understanding, so I quit thinking about it and was glad to have that settled. Well, I got a letter from my doctor letting me know that he decided not to take HealthSpring but that he will participate with traditional Medicare and all Medicare Private Fee for Service Advantage Plans. Back to the drawing board for me! The time for changing plans is from November 15 - December 31 every year. Yikes!

I think I've decided what to do after spending lots of time online comparing plans. Paige is fine because her doctor and all the others here are still taking HealthSpring. Just not mine, and I like him and have broken him in and don't want to change. Fortunately for me, I haven't been in the hospital and mostly need it for regular doctor visits and meds. I'll try to keep it that way and get healthier and in better shape, so I don't need to use many of their services. Just thought I'd let you know what you have to look forward to even though some of you might be familiar with Medicare because of your parents.

LOUD TALKING

The psychology department of Dayton University reports that loud talk can be ten times more distracting than the sound of a jackhammer. Loud, incessant chatter can make a listener nervous and irritable, and even start him on the road to insanity.

The loudest voice that comes to mind right now is Mary Murphy on So You Think You Can Dance. I don't know how poor Nigel stands it sitting right there beside her while she shrieks, whoops, and shrills. OK, that last word isn't a verb, but it applies.



There are a few former students who also had loud voices, but no one holds a candle to Mary Murphy. Who has a disturbingly loud voice to you?

Christmas

Mother and I went shopping today and finished her list. We had a good day and always enjoy each other and think we're really funny. We went to several places and to lunch, of course. We bonded early over shopping long ago and have that all worked out. I learned from her and my aunt and then passed it down to my son. I still have a few gifts to buy - whew! I am looking forward to being with family and enjoy that and need to plan ahead better next year! Where have I heard that before? How about you? Ready yet?

Media

I'm sure some of you are planning to see Avatar. I'll probably babysit Brendan so Brian and Melissa can see it but will also watch it. I also want to see It's Complicated, Precious, Up in the Air, Nine, A Single Man, Invictus, and that one with Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker. I'll have to build up to seeing The Lovely Bones but will do it. Missed and will see on DVD: Julie & Julia, Inglourious Basterds, The Messenger, and Crazy Heart. I haven't heard much about The Young Victoria, The Last Station, and An Education but will see them. Have you seen any of these or have any recommendations?

The Good Wife has become one of my favorite shows on TV. Julianna Margulies is excellent in it, and the rest of the cast and the writing are outstanding.

Just sayin'

Still Difficult to Get It To Do

A bowling pin needs to tilt only 7 1/2 degrees to fall.

Book Questions

For those of you who have read both series, how do the Golden Compass novels compare with Harry Potter? A friend recommended Phillip Pullman's novels and said she liked them as much as she did Rowling's novels and that the characters were complex. I bought the His Dark Materials Trilogy at McKay's today while we were there and look forward to reading them. What do you think?

Potpourri

Ms. Moon's post on Christmas contains this: Joni Mitchell singing "It's coming on Christmas, they're cutting down trees, they're putting up reindeer, singing songs of joy and peace and I wish I had a river I cut skate away on," is more close to my bone. If you've never read her blog, you are missing so much. Ms. Moon writes from her soul with eloquence, humor, and force. We have a group of fans here who discuss what she wrote and just know the others read her.

*************

Congratulations to Houston on the election of their new mayor Annise Parker!

*************

I'm going to Nashville to do some more shopping for Christmas but have done some here in town and online.

*************

I really am going to make some major changes early in the year and stick with them.

Might Be Useful

Usually bushmen hunt with poison arrows. The poison is extracted from the pupae of beetles found in the soil beneath infested marula trees. A few drops of the poison squeezed onto an arrow are enough to kill an antelope; one drop of it can kill a human if it enters his bloodstream.

TV Trivia

"Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you would not have in your home."—David Frost

Timing Trivia

In 1963, baseball pitcher Gaylord Perry said: "They’ll put a man on the moon before I hit a home run." Only a few hours after Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969, Perry hit the first and only home run of his career.

Thursday

I learned some things at the IEP meeting today to help Brendan some more. I've mentioned her before, but we think Ada, one of the autism specialists in the Nashville school system, is a goddess! She is wonderful!

After the meeting, Brian, Melissa, and I had lunch and a good visit. Then I enjoyed driving through downtown Nashville since I hadn't been there for a while. It was fun looking at familiar places and checking out some changes. When I tried on some clothes at Green Hills Mall, I must have lost an earring, which I didn't notice until almost home. I called Dillard's to see if they found it, but she didn't find it when she checked the dressing room I was in. I've looked everywhere here and would like to retrace my steps to see if I can find it, but that would require driving back to Nashville. I love those earrings and am really bummed about it. I got them on sale at Studio 123 which is my favorite place to buy jewelry, and those were the only pair like that. So upsetting!

Almost Like Tweeting

There's an IEP meeting at my grandson's school I'm attending today. Then lunch and some shopping. I'll probably go to the yarn shop and knit with my knitting circle when I get back to town. Have a good day!

I Tried

I wrote to my Senators and Congressman about health care, marriage civil rights, abortion, environmental concerns, and abolishing the Electoral College. I heard from Alexander about abortion and health care and from Corker about DOMA and health care. I knew they don't represent me and that we disagree on almost every issue but need to let them know my views. It puts me in their minority list, but they do need to hear from all of us even though it doesn't do any good. Theirs is the majority opinion here, so they are reflecting the views of their voters who put and keep them in office.

Here are the form letters they emailed back to me, all of which were what I expected from them. Just wanted you to know how it is with our Senators here. Not only that, but the state legislature will never vote for marriage equality in my lifetime. It will have to be federally mandated here.

Notice that Corker of the whiny voice misspelled transferable. Ha! His campaign was the dirtiest, most repulsive one I've seen in the state. A Karl Rove operative orchestrated it against Harold Ford, Jr. You've probably seen excerpts and heard about it. I cannot stand Corker.

Dear Ms. Durham,

Thank you for taking the time to contact my office about supporting a public health insurance plan option in comprehensive health care reform. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.

I strongly believe that no issue requires an innovative cure more than our country's ailing health care system. No matter whose statistics you believe, millions of Americans, including 800,000 Tennesseans, lack adequate health insurance. Beyond the chaos this causes to our health care system and the American economy, the human and emotional toll is enormous. I believe, as you do, that all Americans, regardless of medical history or preexisting conditions, deserve the opportunity to have access to high-quality health insurance coverage that is both affordable and transferrable between jobs. I also agree with you that increasing efficiency, reducing fraud, and maximizing competition between health insurance plans is the best way to achieve the best health insurance system.

I want you to know that I am meeting regularly with doctors, hospital representatives, the insurance industry, and patients like you to get a well-rounded perspective on every option available that presents a possible solution. As the Senate debates comprehensive health care reform, I assure you that I will be working with my colleagues to craft legislation with the best possible balance of choice, quality, and affordability among health insurance plans. The insight you have provided in your letter will certainly help my staff and I more effectively look in to this issue.

Thank you again for your letter. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me.

Sincerely,

Bob Corker
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Ms. Durham,

Thank you for taking the time to contact my office regarding the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.

The Defense of Marriage Act, which became law in 1996, defined marriage for purposes of federal law as between one man and one woman and prevented actions in one state affecting the definition of marriage from impacting the marriage laws of any other state. The Respect for Marriage Act would repeal these provisions of DOMA, requiring that for the purposes of Federal law, a marriage will be valid if it is recognized in that state. I do believe that committed individuals should have access to certain benefits. However, I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman and will not support legislation seeking to repeal DOMA.

Thank you again for your letter. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me.

Sincerely,

Bob Corker
United States Senator

I told him I wasn't gay and would not be affected personally by this except to be invited to weddings and to buy wedding presents, which is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

November 17, 2009

Dear Joy,

Thanks very much for getting in touch with me and letting me know what's on your mind regarding health care reform.

Providing every American with genuine access to quality, affordable health care is one of my highest priorities as a member of the U.S. Senate. Unfortunately, the health care bills we're debating right now flunk their most important test, which is cost. These bills - including the Kennedy health care bill that I voted against in committee on July 15, 2009 - are good faith efforts to find the best way to go in the wrong direction. We have to start over to get it right.

Why do we have to start over? People at home in Tennessee, the Mayo Clinic, 1,000 local chambers of commerce and businesses, Democratic governors, and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office all basically say, "These plans have too many problems." Add all those problems up, and this is what you'd get in Tennessee:

- Dumping 300,000 low-income Tennesseans into the failed Medicaid program (known as TennCare in Tennessee), even though right now 40 percent of doctors won't see Medicaid patients. Then they're going to shift the cost to the states after about five years - the equivalent of a 5 percent to 10 percent new state income tax in Tennessee.

- Around 900,000 Tennesseans could be affected by proposed cuts to Medicare.

- Up to 1.6 million Tennessee workers could lose their employer-provided health insurance.

- As many as 2 million Tennesseans are at risk of being forced into a new government-run plan.

I believe that the era of the thousand-page bill is over. The best way to get a result on health care and other major issues facing our nation is to re-earn the trust of the American people by working step by step to begin solving the challenges facing our country. Instead of a trillion-dollar, thousand-page comprehensive health care bill centered around a government-run plan, as a first step we might allow small business pooling to reduce health care costs and increase access to affordable coverage. We could reform medical malpractice laws so runaway junk lawsuits don't continue to drive up the cost of health care. We could allow individual Americans to purchase health care across state lines like they can with their car insurance today. We could enact meaningful insurance market reforms, such as making sure that people aren't disqualified from getting health coverage because of preexisting conditions.

These are some steps we could take in the right direction, which would improve our existing health care system without adding trillions more to the national debt and dumping new debt on the states. I appreciate your taking the time to let me know where you stand on this important issue, and I'll be sure to consider your comments as health care is discussed and debated in Washington and in Tennessee.

Sincerely,

Lamar
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Joy,

Thanks very much for getting in touch with me and letting me know what's on your mind regarding abortion.

I am pro-life. I have a deep and abiding respect for life in all of its forms. During my time in the Senate, I have been proud to support numerous pro-life measures. For example, in May 2003 I opposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2004 that would have lifted restrictions on funding for abortions in overseas military hospitals. In April 2004, I supported the Unborn Victims of Violence Act - also known as Laci and Conner's Law - which made it a criminal offense to injure or kill a fetus during the commission of a violent crime against a pregnant woman.

In July 2006, the Senate voted 65-34 to approve the Child Custody Protection Act, which would make it a federal crime to transport a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion if the intent is to circumvent a parental notification or consent statute in the state where the minor lives. I was proud to cosponsor this bill to help protect the health and safety of pregnant minors, as well as the rights of parents to be involved in the medical decisions of their minor daughters. I also cosponsored the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 to end that horrible procedure. That law was challenged in federal courts, but in April 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court did the right thing by upholding the ban.

I continue to believe that what women in crisis need most is our care and support. I support adoption as an alternative to abortion and encourage efforts to make adopting a child easier.

I'll be sure to keep your comments in mind as these issues are discussed and debated in Washington and in Tennessee.

Sincerely,

Lamar

Work

Well, I actually had to work quite a bit today. There were many customers, which is great for their business, who knew what they wanted. That makes it easier for both of us. I did almost finish my book and will read the rest of it tonight.

This year I'm not into Christmas and actually wish I could skip it. I can't get enthusiastic about it at all and wish I were somewhere else during December and January. I prefer Thanksgiving. This would be a good time to be where it's warm. Not hot. Warm.

I used to decorate trees (yes, sometimes two), have decorations around the house and a few outside including my sign that says Yuletide Joy (I can't help myself and have decorations with my name on them), bake goodies, make candy, wrap presents with a theme, and get excited about it all. Now not so much. So I'd better work on my attitude. It won't be long until the festivities.

Time for Another Einstein Quote

Mass and energy are both but different manifestations of the same thing - a somewhat unfamiliar conception for the average mind.

Work

I'm working tomorrow afternoon at my very part-time job at the vitamin store called Feet & More because it's owned by a reflexologist. I'll take a book and my knitting and also do some work waiting on customers and pricing and stocking shelves if anything comes in. I have a hard life! :-)

Espanol Car Trivia

Why isn’t the Chevy Nova sold in South America? No va means "it doesn’t go" in Spanish!

You Probably Knew This

Hookers got their title during the Civil War, when Gen. Joseph Hooker, of the Union Army, tried to boost morale by allowing prostitutes access to his troops. Quickly dubbed "Hooker’s girls," the prostitutes shortened the name to "hookers." The term stuck.

Leon Redbone

What a treat yesterday when I was driving and heard Leon Redbone sing on the radio. I really like him and saw him in concert too long ago and totally enjoyed it. I can't remember who else performed or which one opened for the other. I'm not sure if Howard has showcased him on his excellent blog because I've missed some posts, but he might know that. Howard knows all! Do any of you like Leon Redbone, too? He's so droll and sardonic and has a distinctive voice. His website is interesting.

Weather and the Homeless

I know it's snowing where some of you are. Tell us about it and post pictures if you want to. It's raining here with flash flood warnings in some counties. Cold, gray rain. I've been cozy in the house reading a John Grisham book I discovered that I hadn't read with a warm cat beside me. Brigit likes it when I read and likes to snuggle beside me. She really liked it when I read the Harry Potter novels back-to-back. I bought that Grisham novel for five cents at McKays! It's The Street Lawyer and the flip side of The Blind Side since it's about the homeless. One of the women was like Michael Oher's mother, and her son was in a foster home where he blossomed. The economy is creating more and more homeless people, and many of us are one or two pay checks away from disaster. Thank goodness there are places that help them, but it's a huge problem, especially during such cold weather.

Chef Academy

Are any of you watching Chef Academy? If not, you missed Emmanuel's abs last night when the guys were surfing and the women had a baby shower for Michelle. Some of the others discovered that Emmanuel has been a porn star. He answered, "No comment" with a grin when asked about it. Check out his photos HERE, and I know you won't want to miss next week's episode when much more of his body will be exposed!
David mentioned watching it once but hasn't said more. Chef Jean Christophe Novelli, world renowned Michelin and 5AA Rosette award-winning chef with restaurants in London, France and South Africa, and voted "World's Sexiest Chef" by The New York Times. French born and residing in London, his Novelli Academy Cookery School in the UK has placed in the "Top 25 Cookery Schools in the World," and he's thinking of opening one stateside, setting his sights on Venice, California. Working with Novelli on the ambitious experiment is his executive chef and right hand man, Steve Kitchen. For additional support during his extended stay in the U.S., Chef Novelli brings along his pregnant fiancée, Michelle, and hires a temporary assistant, Joel. (Source: Bravo site for the show)

Here is ze sexeeee pose for you, no?

Suzanne's house!!! Joel was hilarious talking about all the dead animals in it. Her husband is a big game hunter who has kept a taxidermist busy. Joel said, "Let's talk about the elephant standing in the room, shall we? I can understand a bear and a lion, but a GIRAFFE and ELEPHANT!!! Those are nice animals. Giraffe's eat leaves!" His look of horror and disgust equaled mine! Chef Novelli said something like it was a dead zoo in there.

Suzanne lives in Orange County. Check out her bio here. She fancies herself a psychic and told Chef that Michelle would have a boy. Turns out to be true. He said she had a 50% chance of being right and said for her not to mention it to the others. She has an ingenuousness about her and is likeable in an needy, self-absorbed housewife of Orange County kind of way. That's what she is! Really.

I got hooked on the show and am fascinated by the way Chef Novelli performs and teaches.

Sort of Social

I went to a party Saturday night where I didn't know anyone except the one who invited me. One of the women in our knitting circle works at Vanderbilt and invited me to the Christmas party hosted by doctors she works for and with in the psychiatric department. It was held at the home of one of them who renovated a beautiful home on the historic register. HERE is a photo and information about it. It was a lovely house with fireplaces in all the rooms, many beautifully decorated Christmas trees, and food in every room prepared by caterers and served on festively appointed tables. There were lots of people there.

Soon after we entered the house, this guy introduced himself to us and said he and the host whose house we were in had been friends since they were in school in Memphis. He is a pediatric dentist and gay. We hit it off really well and spent most of the party on a couch chatting away. He's been with his partner for 20 years. This worked out well because I was enjoying the conversation, and Yvonne could mingle and talk with people she knew. She came by and checked on me periodically, and I got up and walked around the house several times. Mostly I enjoyed the conversation there on the sofa.

Week before last I had lunch with my friend Janey and her good friend John. They are both law professors in Australia. Janey is from here, but he is from Australia. She's been there around 20 years and really likes it there. We all went to McKay's and Hot Kabobs last week and had another good visit. They told me another reason to like living in Australia - no tipping! That would be nice.

They went to Publix with me since I like to stop in when I'm in the area to get this bread I like they bake there that has oats on the top. They said they don't have all those choices there and instead of shelves of maple syrup there might be two kinds. John said, "Land of plenty and Americans do it better than anybody." I enjoyed our conversations and had a great time. I'm saving for a trip there and hope I can go in a couple of years.

Did We Know This?

Edward Kennedy, brother of JFK and future U.S. senator, scored the only touchdown for Harvard when they played Yale in 1955.

Historic Baseball Trivia

Satchel Paige became the first black ever to pitch in the American League, and the fifth to play in the major leagues. As the majors’ oldest rookie, Paige had a 6-1 record, mostly in relief, as Cleveland won the 1948 pennant. He also pitched for the St. Louis Browns, and pitched three innings for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965 at the age of 59.


Full Name: Leroy Robert Paige
Born: July 7, 1906 Mobile, Alabama
Died: June 8, 1982 Kansas City, Missouri

Height: 6'3 1/2"
Weight: 180
Threw: Right
Position: Pitcher

Did You Know?

* He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971.
* Satchel was over 40 years old the entire time he played in the majors.
* He earned his nickname, "Satchel," as a young boy, when he took a job carrying bags (and satchels) at railroad stations for passengers.
* Satchel started his career in 1924 when he had a tryout with the Mobile Tigers, a semi-pro baseball team.
* He went on to become the dominant pitcher of the Negro Leagues.
* When the Negro League wasn't playing in the winter, he would go to the Caribbean leagues and pitch.
* He claimed that the more that he pitched, the stronger he got, so he did not work out on his own.
* He started 29 games in one month in Bismarck, North Dakota.
* He claimed that he won 104 of the 105 games he pitched in 1934.
* He would face major league players annually by playing against major league barnstorming teams.
* He was brought into the major leagues in 1948 by Bill Veeck to play for Cleveland.
* He holds the record for being the oldest rookie in the Major League.
* In his first year with Cleveland, he went 6-1 with one save and a 2.48 ERA.
* He ended his six-year major league career with a 28-31 record and a 3.29 ERA.
* Joe DiMaggio called him "the best and fastest pitcher I've ever faced."
* He retired in 1953.
* He made a special appearance in 1965, pitching 3 innings for the Kansas City Athletics.
* Pitching for the Kansas City Athletics made him the oldest player in the Major Leagues.
* Paige did not commit a single error in 179 major league games.

Some Quotes: (I am going to keep that last one in mind.)

"My pitching philosophy is simple; you gotta keep the ball off the fat part of the bat."

"I never had a job. I always played baseball."

"I never threw an illegal pitch. The trouble is, once in a while I would toss one that ain’t never been seen by this generation."

"Mother always told me, if you tell a lie, always rehearse it. If it don't sound good to you, it won't sound good to no one else."

"Ain’t no man can avoid being born average, but there ain’t no man got to be common."

"Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines."

"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"

Source HERE.

In Case You're on Jeopardy

A male goat that has been neutered is known as a wether.

There Might Be People Like This

A jellyfish is not a single animal but a colony of animals. Some tentacles act as a balance, others sting enemies, some catch prey, while others are in charge of breeding. Jellyfish are more than 95 percent water and have no brain, heart, or bones, and no actual eyes.

Bat Building

Occasionally I feel compelled to show you the Bat Building in Nashville. Actually it's the AT&T Building, but we call it that because it looks like Batman. See?




Read more about it HERE and HERE.

Wish I'd Been A Geek

The first technology corporation to move into California’s Silicon Valley was Hewlett-Packard, in 1938. Stanford University engineers Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started their company in a Palo Alto garage with $1,538. Their first product was an audio oscillator bought by Walt Disney Studios for use in the making of Fantasia.

Munster Trivia

The first television sitcom couple ever to share the same bed on a regular basis was gruesome twosome Lily and Herman Munster.

I Remember This

On November 12, 1995, NBC’s "Mad About You" featured the acting debut of 62-year-old Yoko Ono, who once was universally blamed for the breakup of the Beatles. The show’s star and cocreator Paul Reiser had been coaxing John Lennon’s widow to appear for more than two years.