Yankee Doodle Dandy Gangster Bear

Film legend James Cagney narrated the first Smokey the Bear cartoon.


He played gangsters, romantic leads, musical performers, vaudevillians, soldiers, and all kinds of roles. Guess that wasn't a stretch for him.

He Never Noticed?

In the spring of 2000, it was reported that a 25-year-old Tehran transsexual, who had just undergone extensive surgery to become a woman, said he wanted to change back to a man after realizing just how poorly women are treated in Iran.

Did Not Know This

When you have a black eye, you have a bilateral periorbital hematoma.

Yikes!

Penicillin causes about 300 deaths in the United States every year.

Well, OK

It was reported in January 2000 that ostrich producers were attempting to lure CBS personality David Letterman to become a spokesman for their product. They said that less-fatty ostrich meat made into "ostrich and tortellini soup" was perfect for someone like Letterman, who was then recovering from quintuple-bypass heart surgery.

Stephen Fry

I love Stephen Fry. He was brilliant in Jeeves & Wooster and A Bit of Fry and Laurie. He and Hugh Laurie have been friends for decades and worked together seamlessly. This shows another side of him - his intelligence and logical thinking as an author, documentarian, and erudite speaker. It's long but worth every second.

The Intelligence² Debate - Stephen Fry (Unedited)
by Xrunner17

In the late 1970s, the Coca-Cola Company boycotted the NBC late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live for several years. The giant soda company was retaliating against a frequent character of comedian John Belushi, a Greek restaurant owner who repeatedly said to customers, "No Coke - Pepsi," thus saying the rival company’s name dozens of times within each skit.

OK, Thanks

An airplane’s black box recorder actually isn’t black but orange.

Give Peace A Chance

On November 23, 1969, four years after receiving it, John Lennon sent back his Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) award. He stated that he was returning the MBE in protest against British involvement in Biafra, Nigeria, and Vietnam.

Golf Trivia

Before 1850, golf balls were made of leather and stuffed with feathers.

Roids

Is he a strong lover? Men who take steroids to build muscles are believed to have extremely low sperm counts. So reported a British Center of Reproductive Medicine study, which revealed that, after giving up steroids, it takes 1-3 years for a man to recover enough to father a child.

Olympics

I think I've become an adrenaline junkie when it comes to the Olympics. I prefer speed skating, downhill skiing, ski and snowboard cross, moguls, snowboarding, super-g, and other skiing to figure skating and ice dancing. The luge, skeleton, and bobsled are scary and hard to understand how they guide them and all. Too much hurtling around that sheet of ice track. The Winter Olympics events are more dangerous than the summer ones.

What a deplorable thing to happen to the Netherlands speed skater all because his coach told him to get in the other lane! I hate for someone to be disqualified especially when it was his coach's fault. Bob Costas said his coach needed to go to something like the witness protection program. The whole country hates him, I'm sure!

Kudos to Apolo Anton Ohno! Way to go! Also to Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, and Bode Miller! I'm in awe of every athlete in the Olympics. What dedication, sacrifice, hard work, and talent!

Poor Planning

Napoleon appointed three scientists to create a device that would preserve rations for his troops as they attacked Russia. Their brainchild: canned food. In the French team was Louis Pasteur, the inventor of the pasteurization method. The technique they developed for canning is virtually the same process used today. Unfortunately, the scientists didn’t also invent a can opener. So by relying on knives and bayonets to pierce the thick metal cans, many soldiers severely wounded themselves, some even cutting off a finger or two!

Brithday Greetings

Happy Birthday, Miss Ginger!! Love you! Love your blog! You are my inspiration! Hope you have the best year ever!

Laissez le bon temps roulet, Miss Ginger!

Pre-Copernican

Aristarchus, a Greek astronomer living about 200 B.C., reportedly was the first person to declare that the Earth revolved around the sun. His theory was disregarded for hundreds of years.

American Pets

According to a pet owner survey, 79 percent of Americans give their dogs holiday and/or birthday presents, and they dole out more cash for dog chow than baby food. Meanwhile, an American Animal Hospital Association poll showed that 33 percent of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages for them on an answering machine while away.

Progress Report

I've lost 5 pounds and 2" from my so-called waist since I've been working on my health these last two weeks. I feel better, have more energy, sleep better, and am ready to exercise. At first I was weak and dizzy part of the time because my blood sugar was down in the normal range and hadn't been for too long. That was scary. It was erratic for a while but is settling down now. Two more inches and my waist will be smaller than my hips. I need to lose about 10" from my waist though because I look like those men who wear their pants down below their fat bellies and have no butts. Not a good look. And extremely dangerous. I'm tired of being this shape.

I knew Dr. Oz scared me enough to last a couple of months and then hoped I could make enough progress to keep up the momentum. Seems that might happen. I haven't been tempted to stray from the diet and don't want shards of glass destroying my circulatory system. I've even been getting things accomplished in the house. Not easy since I can't quit the Olympics.

Any of You Gorillas?

Gorillas do not know how to swim, and they sleep about 14 hours a day.

3 Beatles and Ringo

Ringo Starr started out as Richard Starkey. While Starkey was in the band Skiff le, their front man Rory Storm dubbed him Rings because he wore so many rings. Storm eventually changed the nickname to Ringo to give it a cowboy flavor.

By A Nose

Mozart once composed a piano piece that required a player to use two hands and his nose in order to hit all the correct notes.

Zoo Fatality

Sadly, when the Allies dropped their very first bomb on Berlin, it wound up landing right in the Berlin Zoo, instantly killing the Nazis’ only elephant.

O2

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.

Lent

I'd like to give up celibacy for Lent but probably need to choose something more realistic.

Wow!

A pulsar is a small star made up of neutrons so densely packed together that if one the size of a silver dollar landed on Earth, it would weigh approximately 100 million tons.

Einstein Quote

Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down by the mind before you reach eighteen.

Interesting

Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak earned money in college by selling "blue boxes" to other students. A blue box attached to a pay phone created the proper signals to allow a user to make free phone calls.

Einstein Quote

As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.

Cosby Trivia

Comedian Bill Cosby became the spokesperson for Jell-O pudding in 1974. His upbeat, childlike personality worked well with on-screen youngsters, and he later began the "Kids Love Pudding" TV campaign. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cosby became the uncontested king of product endorsements. By 1992, he was earning approximately $125,000 an hour, or $1 million a day, and he is still going strong today.

Valentine's Dinner

Holly did it again and prepared a delicious meal! Our usual group went and had such a good time. Oh, Hollemy went to Kevin Gillepsie's restaurant the Woodfire Grill in Atlanta and had the chef's tasting for dinner. They said it was excellent. Like me, they wanted Kevin to win Top Chef. They said we need to make a point of making reservations and then going to Atlanta to eat there. Holly and Jeremy hoped they could meet him but it didn't happen. I'll go back and ask them what they had and get descriptions.

Click to embiggen.

Sheesh!

In ancient Egypt, when a woman’s husband was convicted of a crime, she and her children were punished as well. They were usually enslaved.

What's in a Name?

Teabaggers Finally Google 'Teabag'

by Andy Borowitz | February 13, 2010 - 10:18am

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) - One week after their first national convention, the self-styled Teabaggers are facing an identity crisis after one of their members finally Googled the slang term "teabag."

"I was wondering why every time I told people I was a Teabagger they kind of started giggling in an embarrassed way," said Tracy Klugian, a Teabagger from Elyria, Ohio. "I was like, what the heck? Maybe I should use the Google and see what this is all about."

After Mr. Klugian Googled the word "teabag," he was shocked by what he discovered and shared his information with the Teabaggers' leadership, who are now actively looking for a new name for the group.

"We want a name that suggests we're out to give the Democrats a good fight," he said. "So far what we've come up with is the Donkey Punchers."

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and satirist. That might explain the last line and reference that I had to google to understand.

Bald Monkeys

Male monkeys lose the hair on their heads in the same manner men do.

Oh, Guys!!

During the mating season, competing male porcupines bristle their quills at each other and chatter their teeth in rage before attacking. All porcupines at this time become very vocal: grunting, whining, chattering, even barking and mewing at each other.

Fear - A Powerful Motivator

I'm not a fan of using fear to get people to do what they're supposed to; however, there are times that it works. Take me for example. I've been really lax for way too long taking care of myself. As a result, my blood glucose levels were dangerously high over a week ago when I checked them after a couple of months of not. As if on cue, enter Dr. Oz. No matter what your opinion of him might be, in this case you need to be grateful to him (Brian) because he scared the hell out of me when I was already in a panic. His show was followed by Oprah's that had him and others on there discussing "Diabetes: The Silent Killer." What really got to me was when he said that high blood sugar is like shards of glass coursing through your arteries. Then he showed an animation of what it does. YIKES!!! PANIC! I started making deals with my body - begging it not to do anything outrageous and give me time to take care of it again.

I got my copy of Protein Power out, made a grocery list, and am following it. My internist told me to read that book and do what it said. I figured that this fear would last at least a month and by then I'd have made enough progress that I'd keep on with it. I don't want to have a heart attack and die. I don't even watch Oprah and Dr. Oz that often but needed to that day and am glad I did. Obviously, I hadn't been testing regularly and at all for too long. Back on that now.

Carbs are kept at or below 30 grams a day with at least 27 grams of protein at each meal. Back to being a science fair experiment. With diabetes you have to eat enough food, often enough, and in the right combination. My readings are in the normal range, but for several days when they were down even in the mid-100's, I had symptoms of low blood sugar during the day because it had been really high. Based on those first morning readings, I know it was higher than it's ever been since I've been testing. It's still too high in the mornings even though it's good during the day. It's been 130-139 the last several mornings which is too high. Any suggestions from any of you who deal with this?

My idea is that I need much more exercise. The treadmills, elliptical machines, and stationary bicycles at my gym have TV's mounted on them right at eye level with cable. I can watch the Olympics while I work out. When the Olympics are over, there are some good choices.

I'm feeling better but not there yet. That took quite a toll on me, and I've been feeling like crap for a long time. Now that I've followed this for a week and am still fearfully motivated, I thought I'd let you know. I haven't even been tempted to deviate. Tomorrow night is the Valentine's House Blend dinner. I'll be careful for sure. Not even tempted. But I will enjoy a delicious meal.

Let the Games Begin!

Those of you who have been around me a while know that I LOVE the Olympics! I'm excited that they are beginning and am watching the introduction to them now and looking forward to the opening ceremonies and every minute of the Olympics. It will be great to watch Apolo Anton Ohno and Shaun White and also some I will get to know during the Olympics in Vancouver. I really enjoy learning about the lives of the athletes and their stories. This is a highlight I look forward to every two years.

This morning was tragic when a luge athlete from the Republic of Georgia, Nodar Kumaritashvili, was killed in a crash during training. Twelve lugers have crashed on that course, which seems that it needs modifications. It is too dangerous. As one of the officials said, he is not as concerned for the top athletes as for the more inexperienced ones. They were going around 90 miles per hour. Source HERE. This definitely casts a pall over the competition and is a sad beginning.

Snow Post and Buzz

Jackie posted a new entry on our collaborative blog Observations from the Knee-Deep South. Check it out HERE.

Have any of you checked out Google Buzz? Looks interesting enough to consider. If it works on my Blackberry, I'm there. Apparently it coordinates gmail, pictures, Twitter, and other sites. Is it a replacement for Facebook? That sounds promising if it is.

What?

In 1996, former Beatle drummer Ringo Starr appeared in a Japanese advertisement for applesauce, which coincidentally is what his name means in Japanese.

Geek Trivia

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.

This Is True

On his way home to visit his parents, a Harvard student fell between two railroad cars at the station in Jersey City, New Jersey, and was rescued by an actor on his way to visit a sister in Philadelphia. The student was Robert Lincoln, heading for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The actor was Edwin Booth, the brother of the man who a few weeks later would murder the student’s father.

Read more about it HERE.

House Blend

Chef Holly and my son Brian

Jeremy Spencer

House Blend, my favorite coffee place, has a blog HERE. It's also on my blog list. They've had it since November, but I just realized it tonight when I was on their FB page to start my checking on the menu for Saturday evening. Once again, they're having a Valentine's meal. Our usual group is looking forward to getting together and to more of Holly's wonderful cooking.

Holly and Jeremy = celebrity name: Hollemy.

Super Bowl

I never watch it but am today for some reason. Well, sort of watching, part-time. It's probably because I hope the Saints win. I just really like New Orleans and want the win for them. Geaux Saints!

Teabags, Anyone?

This isn't from her speech at the "Tea Party" but sums up how I felt trying to watch it. I couldn't get through the whole speech but saw parts of it including her notes on her hand. What I did hear was composed of lies, sarcasm, and drivel.

Temple Grandin Movie

Claire Danes stars as Temple Grandin in the movie about her tonight on HBO. Sounds really good. Here's an interview with Temple Grandin that is interesting.

About Time!

From Autism Watch:

The Lancet has retracted publication of a 1998 paper [1] whose authors—led by Dr. Andrew Wakefield—suggested that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine might be linked to autism. The paper didn't declare that cause-and-effect had been demonstrated, but at the press conference announcing its publication, Wakefield attacked the triple vaccine; and he has continued to do so ever since.

The full retraction came five days after The British General Medical Council (GMC), which registers doctors in the United Kingdom, reported that Wakefield had acted dishonestly, irresponsibly, unethically, and callously in connection with the research project and its subsequent publication [2]. Wakefield's misconduct was brought to light by Brian Deer, one of the world's toughest investigative reporters.

In 2004, ten of the study's authors issued a "retraction" which stated: "We wish to make it clear that in this paper no causal link was established between MMR vaccine and autism as the data were insufficient." [3] Lancet editor Richard Horton—after Deer provided the incriminating evidence—said he should not have published the study and that Wakefield's links to litigation against the manufacturers of the MMR vaccine were a "fatal conflict of interest." [4] But full retraction had to wait nearly six more years.

The GMC hearings, which began in July 2007, centered on Wakefield's 1998 report. Many studies have found no connections [5,6], but sensational publicity caused immunization rates in the UK to drop more than 10 percent and have left lingering doubts among parents worldwide.

The GMC began investigating after learning from Deer that Wakefield had failed to declare he had been paid £55,000 to advise lawyers representing parents who believed that the vaccine had harmed their children. The GMC found that Wakefield had:

• Improperly obtained blood for research purposes from normal children attending his son's birthday party, paid them £5 for their discomfort, and later joked during a lecture about having done this.
• Subjected autistic children to colonoscopy, lumbar punctures, and other tests without approval from a research review board.
• Failed to disclose that he had filed a patent for a vaccine to compete with the MMR
• Starting a child on an experimental product called Transfer Factor, which he planned to market.

The GMC panel concluded that the allegations against Wakefield could amount to "serious professional misconduct." During the investigation, Wakefield relocated to Austin, Texas, where he helped found Thoughtful House Center for Children, a "nonprofit" clinic that offers many unsubstantiated treatments for autism. He does not have a medical license but oversees the clinic's research program. The clinic's latest (2008) tax filing lists his salary as $270,000 [7].

One more time, just so nobody misses the point here—Andrew Wakefield lied to you. He lied, and because of his lies, children are dead [8].

Did Not Know About Franz

Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue) was the manager of the Bates Motel in Psycho 2. TV news personality Jane Pauley is married to Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau.

Useful Trivia for Some of Us, Right?

THE FIVE FASTEST BIRDS ARE

1. the peregrine falcon-175 mph


2. the spine-tailed swift-106 mph


3. the frigate bird-95 mph



4. the spur-winged goose-88 mph


5. the red-breasted merganser-80 mph

Tires

One of my tires was low, so I went by a place near my house to get air in it. The guy asked if I knew my tires were worn out with the steel showing through. No, I didn't because I forget to check them, so I went to this place where I buy tires. New owner. That turned out well because he used to work at the place where I get my car serviced. I wondered what happened to him. He ordered some good tires that are Korean - Kumho brand. I went by Friday morning to have them put on and the oil changed. That's good because now they're on the same schedule. That sticker on the windshield will remind me, and I'll go there and get the oil changed and tired checked at the same time. Maybe I'll finally keep up with this and not erase the tread on my tires because they are out of alignment and haven't been balanced and rotated. I'm not a responsible car owner and must change my evil ways!

Getting Back to Abby-Normal

I got behind reading and commenting on blogs during the last week. Since I heard about my ex-husband's death, I stressed out about the weather prediction and did my best to get ready for Brendan to be here. I drove Brian crazy during a time he definitely didn't need any extra stress since he was dealing with not only his father's death but had an important deadline at work. We needed a contingency plan in case the snow got here, so fortunately I emailed him about that and wasn't that much in touch until the next two days. We got things worked out, and I felt better as soon as Brian was OK with everything. It will take time, and he's doing pretty well.

FB Gestapo

One of my former students disappeared from Facebook. Someone else who thinks he's hilarious and outrageous and fun asked me about him. Somehow she got in touch with him in YouTube (how do you even do that?), and he told her that FB deactivated his account with no explanation. What we wonder is since Fred is very liberal, an atheist, and outspoken, did others complain? If so, why don't they do what I do and click "Hide" beside his name or unfriend him. It's like they can't leave us alone but want our shows canceled.

He was also funny and spoke the truth a large percentage of the time. I don't understand why FB wouldn't warn him or give him reasons. He wasn't stalking kids, posting porn, or anything like that. Have you heard of this happening to anyone else? Some of you might have seen his posts - Fred Toler. I miss his presence on there.

More Size Trivia (Not That Kind - Sorry)

A bird’s eye takes up about 50 percent of its head; our eyes take up about 5 percent of our head. To be comparable to a bird’s eyes, the eyes of a human being would have to be the size of baseballs.

No Tea

The newsletter in the previous post was from a few days ago. This one was today. Actually I like to drink tea but not in this context. I still think it's hilarious they named their movement what they did. The visuals!


The TNDP invites you to a FUN event in Nashville this Thursday to celebrate our hope for Tennessee's future.

Unlike another event that night which costs $549, THIS PARTY IS FREE ! (Cash bar)

PLEASE JOIN US, and our Fired-up Speakers, for anything BUT tea with Like-Minded Progressives

TNDP

This is from the newsletter I get from the TN Democratic Party. Thought some of you would be interested in this. You might not realize that the Tea Party Nation is holding a convention in Nashville next weekend. That's all we need - Sarah Palin and other misguided wingnuts in town.

Nashville Tea Party convention falling apart

Two of the convention's scheduled speakers, Republican Congresswomen Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, have bailed out of the Feb. 4-6 event. Both claimed the House Ethics Committee advised them against attending the convention, organized by the for-profit entity Tea Party Nation. Most Tea Party activists claim they are part of a grassroots movement advocating less government. Multiple media reports have linked the movement, however, to vested corporate interests and prominent Republicans like former Congressman Dick Armey of Texas, who has lobbied on behalf of some of the biggest corporations in America. Tea Party Nation is led by Franklin attorney Judson Phillips, who has reportedly had past financial problems including a bankruptcy and federal tax liens. It appears the Tea Party movement has been duped by a bunch of greedy and extremely partisan Republicans trying to co-opt the movement and use it to feather their own nests and fund their deceitful campaigns. Most Republicans, including Bachmann and Blackburn, supported the very measures of the previous White House administration that got us in this economic mess in the first place. In fact, we went from record budget surpluses during the Clinton and Gore administration to record deficits under the Bush and Cheney administration. Phillips and his organization have been criticized about the event's $549 ticket prices and limited media access, as well as a reported $100,000 speaking fee for the keynote speaker, former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Palin has indicated she plans to attend despite Blackburn and Bachmann's abrupt pull outs, as well as that of several sponsors.

Used to Buy These for My Son

In 1966, Elliot Handler, one of the cofounders of Mattel, was also the inventor of Hot Wheels". The innovative gravity-powered car had special low-friction styrene wheels. Tiny Hot Wheels’ vehicles have been clocked at speeds of up to 300 miles per hour.

Not Sure What to Think About This

Does marriage stink? A Swiss study found that a majority of women unconsciously choose mates with a body odor that differs from their own natural scents, which, as a result, ensures better immune protection for their children. Longevity magazine reported that the genes that battle disease-provoking substances also influence body odor.

Now We Know Reasons

The largest cell in the human body is the female ovum, or egg cell. It is about 1/180 inch in diameter. The smallest cell in the human body is the male sperm. It takes about 175,000 sperm cells to weigh as much as a single egg cell. Hence, even in the beginning, women have more substance than men.

Conversation

Brendan was funny on the phone with me yesterday. He went into this: My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas. I said, “Oh, you are using a mnemonic device to name the planets,” and named the first three. He then went on to name the rest of them and added, “In January, 2006, Pluto’s status as a planet was changed. Because of its orbit, Pluto is a dwarf planet.” I said that’s right and asked him what the sentence should be without Pluto. He said, “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us … Nothing. Now we will no longer enjoy our mother’s delicious home-cooked Pluto.” I guess that was on the DVD he got this from, too. I'll have to ask his parents if he edited that last part or not.

Interesting child for sure. He didn’t show as much interest in the mnemonics I gave him for the Great Lakes but will probably remember it. (HOMES = Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior)

D&D Banned in Prison

I thought it was interesting on several levels that Dungeons & Dragons has been banned in prison. NYTimes article HERE.

The suit was brought by a prisoner, Kevin T. Singer, who argued that his First Amendment and 14th Amendment rights were violated by the prison’s decision to ban the game and confiscate his books and other materials, including a 96-page handwritten manuscript he had created for the game.

Mr. Singer, “a D&D enthusiast since childhood,” according to the court’s opinion, was sentenced to life in prison in 2002 for bludgeoning and stabbing his sister’s boyfriend to death.

Prison officials said they had banned the game at the recommendation of the prison’s specialist on gangs, who said it could lead to gang behavior and fantasies about escape.

Dungeons & Dragons could “foster an inmate’s obsession with escaping from the real-life correctional environment, fostering hostility, violence and escape behavior,” prison officials said in court. That could make it more difficult to rehabilitate prisoners and could endanger public safety, they said.

RPG discussion boards are abuzz! As the mother of a geek, I've been defending this for quite a long time; however, the prison population doesn't have the most well-adjusted people around, so I'm trying to wrap my head around a gang of D&D players.

War Trivia

Britain developed the first tanks for use during World War I. The word tank was used because it didn’t mean anything, and didn’t give the Germans a clue as to the weapon’s possible use.

Size Trivia

The largest Olympic stadium ever constructed was Stadium Australia in Olympic Park. It seats 110,000 people. Opening and closing ceremonies, men’s soccer finals, and athletic events were held there.

I LOVE the Olympics!!

Bowling Trivia

Candlepin bowling uses 10 small pins and 3 balls, and is played primarily in the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island. The ball is only 5 inches in diameter, is made of hard rubber, and has no finger holes.

I've played something similar to this, but it had another name. Anybody know?

Einstein Say -

If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.

And this too ...

If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.

Snow

It's snowing like a madman here. It started a little after 8:00 and hasn't stopped. They're predicting 6-10" of accumulation. It changed to freezing rain while ago which is predicted to go back to snow, and I hope it does. As long as the electricity stays on, I'm fine.

Did Any of You Know This? I Didn't.

The first woman executed by the U.S. government was Mary Surratt. She was hanged July 7, 1865, for conspiracy in the assassination of President Lincoln.

J. D. Salinger

J. D. Salinger died today at 91. I've read and enjoyed all his books and short stories. They came along at the right time for me. We all know about Catcher in the Rye, but he wrote many short stories as well. This quote from one of them is meaningful to me:

The central theme of Salinger's work is stated explicitly in one of his best short stories, "For Esmé – with Love and Squalor." Salinger quotes a passage from Dostoevski: "Fathers and teachers, I ponder 'What is Hell?' I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love."

I Don't Remember This

The first color TV series starred married actors Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy and was called The Marriage, appropriately enough.

Sad News

Brian called this morning to let me know that my ex-husband died at 7:45 this morning from renal cell carcinoma. He was an important part of my life for many years and is Brian's father. Even though I didn't want to stay married to him, I have lots of good memories from our time together. Brian and Melissa are flying to Tampa Saturday afternoon for visitation Sunday and the funeral Monday. Brendan will stay here with me. If the weather reports are accurate, and we get all this snow they're predicting, this could be difficult to manage since I can't get out of my neighborhood when it snows very much. There are hills in every direction with not enough room to get a running start. The street in front of my house goes to the by-pass down a very steep hill, which I've always elected not to try. So I hope weather conditions cooperate, so they can get Brendan here Saturday evening and pick him up Monday evening.

This is really sad. Brian's doing pretty well and was prepared for how bad this was even though we're never totally prepared for this.

Hibernating?

I worked at the vitamin shop yesterday afternoon and got so sleepy toward the end of the day. I dragged myself to the yarn shop and the grocery store. When I got home, I put up the groceries and changed clothes. Then I lay down to rest and dozed off for a while. I was so groggy and fixed a Lean Cuisine because I wasn't capable of much else. After attempting to play Scrabble while eating, it was all I could do to go back to bed and watch the State of the Union Address. I saw parts of it and then went to sleep big time, not waking up until 2:30 AM when I got up and turned everything off and went back to bed until around 8:30 this morning. Good grief! Am I sick? I still don't have any energy and don't feel that great.

Auntie Meme

Well, since it's Howard, I'll do this. He tagged me for a meme, and although there aren't many things most of you don't know about me (that I'd tell on here), I'll give it a shot.

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

Thank you, Howard.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.


3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

Soundtrack to My Day

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.

So many! This is the hard part.

(1) I'm a cat person. Mostly because I like it that cats use the litter box, don't eat all their food so it can be left out for them, don't require baths that often, don't have to be walked, and don't bark. I'm too lazy to have a dog and don't like to be jumped on and licked by them.



(2) I survived the 60's without addictions and with quite a bit of my idealism. I'm a realist but hopeful. I didn't do drugs but did try smoking pot and didn't like it. I don't smoke, so it hurt my lungs. I also didn't like to feel disoriented (well, more than I am naturally). I don't like to be out of control even though I was drunk a few too many times back then. Anyone who says you wouldn't do anything drunk you wouldn't do sober has never been drunk. One of those experiences marked the end of my drinking except for wine now and then. It happened a long time ago - like at least 25 years ago.


(3) I love being retired but wish I weren't so old. My life hasn't exactly gone the way I hoped it would. There are quite a few things I'd change if I could rewind.


(4) Have enjoyed traveling and want to do more of it. For example, I want to go back to Europe and want to visit Australia. There are places here in the US to go, too. I want to visit my blog friends and nephews and/or meet them in various places. I'd love to visit Charlie and get him down here sometime. So many places to go! Also, how can I work it out to live in the SW (Arizona or New Mexico) during a lot of the summer?


(5) A lot of people get on my nerves.


(6) I actually do this.


(7) I'm still intimidated by my external hard drive and haven't used it yet.


5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers and post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

I hate to ask any of you to do this because I know some of you hate it, and some others I'd ask have already been tagged. So if you don't choose to participate, that's OK. I'm asking you because I like your blogs. I don't always comment on them because often I read them on my Blackberry and can't comment or post - just read.

- My dear friend Charlie I've known for at least 15 years, I think. How long has it been, Charlie? His blog is Berry Blog HERE.

- Tugboat my favorite truck driver and best storyteller ever! His blog "The Award Winning! God, You Ain't Goin' to Believe This!" is HERE.

- Froggy at the former Frogponder but now Froggy.

- Mrs. Miss Alaineus because what I know about you already is fascinating, and I'd like to know more.

- Her wonderful new husband Mr. Mischief whose blog is A Bit of Loki.

- Ken at Bucko's World. He's Nutwood Beth's husband and a neat guy.

- Oxy on The Life and Times of Huge Alex. He's from Wales originally, lived in the US a long time, and is now back in the UK.

- Chris at From A Whisper to A Scream.

6. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

I think I remembered to let all of them know!

New Book

Game Change came today from Amazon. I've been wanting to read the dishy book and now I will. You'll be hearing about this from me.

How Dinosaurs Became Extinct

... or the very first senior moment

I Can Believe This

Declaring that he was an alcoholic, Ozzy Osbourne quit performing and opened a bar. He soon drank up all his stock and wasted his money until he rejoined his band.

Wine

For those of you who would like for wine to be sold in TN grocery stores, HERE is a website that gives information and a link to write to your legislators. It's called Red White and Food. I just sent emails to my state legislators, one I know is in favor of this because he sponsored it - not sure about the other one since he sponsored that legislation to allow guns in bars and restaurants. They can sell beer in grocery stores here but not wine. Weird. Get me out of here!

Red Panda and Spring Flowers

I was tired of looking at the snow picture I had on my blog header and changed it to the red panda. Isn't that the cutest and most adorable thing!!

I bought potted hyacinths and daffodils to have in the house to give me some hope for spring. I'm ready for warmer weather and wish spring and fall would last most of the year.

SAG Awards

Betty White was a hoot in her Lifetime Achievement acceptance speech. SOURCE for excerpts from article.

The funniest acceptance speech goes to lifetime achievement award winner Betty White, who still can rile up a room after 88 years. After buddy Sandra Bullock lightly teased White during her introduction (said Bullock: “She starred in four different television shows called The Betty White Show. Four. Most people would stop naming shows after themselves after the third one.”), White approached the podium and thanked her pal: “Isn’t it heartening to see how far a girl as plain as she is can go?” But she was just getting started: “I am still to this day starstruck. I look out at this audience and I see so many famous faces. But what really boggles my mind is that I actually know many of you. And I’ve worked with quite a few. Maybe had a couple.” (Props to George Clooney, who, while presenting best performance by a cast in a motion picture, told the audience: “I think it was 1987, I did an episode of The Golden Girls, and I would like to thank Betty White for her discretion.”) And you have to respect White, if only for that high-slit dress. Backstage, she told reporters, “You got to use everything you possibly can!”

Betty White had only praise for Bullock backstage. "She's the epitome of what a movie star should be," White said. "She's not only gorgeous and talented, but she's also the most down-to-earth human being."

And this:

Sandra Bullock is really turning out to be the darling of the awards season. Just check out the speech she delivered after winning her best actress award for her work in The Blind Side: “So proud to say that in a room full of faces that have inspired me, and allowed me six years ago to say I’m going to stop working, ’cause I wasn’t doing good work, and audition again. And you say goodbye to the money, and you say goodbye to all the things that you became comfortable with…And to my husband, Jesse, who works so hard all day, and you get dressed up in monkey suits, and you sit at a table with people you don’t know. And I leave you there and then you come back with, like, Morgan Freeman’s email. I don’t know how you do it. I love you so much, and you’re really hot. And I want you so much.” Backstage, the actress could barely believe her win — she told reporters: “It’s a fluke. I feel that it’s wrong. I made a bet with the driver — my money was on Meryl.” And when another reporter told her she was now the frontrunner, she shushed him.

Full speech here and worth watching for the loving expression husband Jesse James has on his face. Charlie and I became fans of his when he was in Celebrity Apprentice and did it on his own, no matter how much Trump tried to badger him into calling on his wife. Sandra Bullock also said at the Critics Choice Awards how it was no surprise that her work got better after she married him and that now she knew what it was like for someone to have her back. They seem to have a good marriage, and I'm glad.



This is the year for Sandra Bullock, Jeff Bridges, Christoph Waltz, and Mo'Nique. I'm also really happy for Juliana Margulies for her role in The Good Wife. She's excellent on that and said her parents called her after every episode and have always been supportive. She said they were proud of her in everything she's been in except not so much for Snakes on a Plane. LOL! I'm sure! If you haven't seen The Good Wife, watch it. I still have movies on my list to see!

February will be TV heaven for me with the Olympics and other awards shows!!

Vote for Howard's Blog Soundtrack to My Day

My blog friend Howard has been nominated for a Bloggie for his blog about music Soundtrack to My Day. This is a big deal! The Bloggies began around ten years ago and are like the Oscars for bloggers. Ironically Howard had to be coaxed into blogging and now look! He's a star!

Please go HERE and vote for him, and if you want to read an excellent blog about music, read Soundtrack to My Day.

The voting procedure is one vote per email address. If you return to vote again, the ballot will be replaced, so be sure to mark all the categories you have with favorites. Voting is open from now until Sunday, January 31st at 10PM. To place your vote, go here, where the screen goes horizontally, not vertically. The music category is about halfway across. But do check out all the categories and blogs, there are some fascinating entries. At the far right, there is a place to fill in your email address and an anti-spam word device before completing the process. A verification email will be sent to the address to finalize the vote. The winner will be announced in March at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.

As a favor to several of us, please vote for anyone but Perez Hilton in the Gossip Blog category. You might find some of your favorites on the ballots, so check them out.

Thank you! Please vote!

Helpful Flow Chart

Once again, I've stolen a post from Bob at I Should Be Laughing. He has good stuff over there.

Too Sad

Coyotes are extremely loyal to their mates. If one is caught in a trap, the other will bring small game for it to eat; it will soak itself in a river to allow its thirsty mate to chew on its damp fur for water. It has been documented that the free coyote will stay with its captive partner until death.

Piercing Trivia

Piercing isn’t some new punk fad. From earliest times, people pierced their ears, nose, nipples, and navel, as the holes produced were thought to release demons from the body.

From Bob at I Should Be Laughing

10 Trolls Every Blogger Will Encounter

By Andrea Grimes at Heartless Doll

It's easy enough to avoid real-life trolls. Keep your billy goats in check and avoid sketchy bridges. But online (you know, in the world where you aren't in charge of Capra aegagrus hircus and the safe maritime transportation thereof), anyone with a blog is bound to run into an internet troll. They've been around since the days of newsgroups and BBSes, even before Livejournal was in diapers, and they'll probably still be around when the aliens come to get us in 2012. In fact, they may be the aliens.

Bloggers, beware: here are 10 troll types you will encounter on the internetz, flamin' ur thredz.

10. The anti-choice troll
It can smell your desire to murder the babies of the world with your liberal atheist devil-worshipping hate, and it will find you and your blog and tell you, in no uncertain terms, the hellfire you can expect. Feminist bloggers are especially familiar with this troll, and know all too well that there is no arguing with the crazy. Let the crazy talk. Let the crazy express itself. Because the crazy thinks it has Jesus on its side, and if you think it's hard to argue with a religious nut on an internet forum, try arguing with a potentially non-existent dude who's been dead for 2,000 years and has millions of people thinking they can speak for him.
9. The grammar nazi troll
Let's talk hypothetically: in your blog post, you found the cure for cancer. Not only that, you ended genocide and made reality television programming illegal. But, in your fervor, you used a serial comma or were careless with your use of its/it's. The grammar nazi troll will be here in a flash to tell you what a worthless piece of shit you are for your abominable command of the English language. The grammar nazi troll likely has no publications of note but carefully copy edits all its rejection letters. Also, the grammar nazi troll reading this post is really upset that I didn't capitalize "nazi."
8. El Creepo
This troll was, initially, a fan of your blog. It read your work regularly, sent you tips via e-mail and tried repeatedly to friend your personal account on Facebook. When you didn't respond with equal enthusiasm, El Creepo started feeling angry and rejected because you didn't want to be friends with a stranger from the internet who e-mails you upwards of six times a day. If El Creepo is lucky, it lives within driving distance of your town and will use your Twitter or FourSquare account to track you down at your local and stare menacingly at you from across the room. Please leave me alone, El Creepo. Really.
7. The political dissenter/martyr troll
If your blog is interesting, chances are it's because you take a stand on things. You have political views you feel passionate about. You build a community of people who are interested in these things and who interact thoughtfully and productively about said things. Heck, some people even manage to disagree civilly. Until political dissenter/martyr troll comes around, starting fights with everyone in a comment thread, spewing its passionate anti-whatever-you're-into views all over the productive discussion. This troll will likely get mouthy about how pathetic a blogger is for not entertaining dissenting opinions, all the while only being interested in hearing itself talk (or type, as it were). Political dissenter/martyr troll, what good do you think you are doing? Whose mind do you think you are changing? Troll, you are an asshole.
6. The troll who can't let it go
It may have been 2 days or 2 months ago, but you once said something that this troll didn't agree with. And while you have moved on, this troll has not. One day, you'll be posting about, say, Skittles. The troll who can't let it go will pop up and remind you about that time you said you hated glitter, didn't believe in the public option or thought we should legalize the possession of small amounts of narcotics. Chances are even you forgot you hated glitter, but this troll never forgets.
5. The self-promotional troll
The self-promotional troll is real happy for you, and it's gonna let you finish, but ITS WEBSITE IS THE GREATEST WEBSITE OF ALL TIME HERE IS A LINK Y'ALL TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF MAH POSTS OK LOL.
4. The troll what feeds itself
Despite the long and storied existence of IP-tracking technology, the troll what feeds itself dedicates its time and effort to engaging with its inflammatory self by posting under different names on a single blog, all to make it seem like there are many people who share the same hateful and/or argumentative position. It's like stuffing a ballot box, except it's on the internet and it's really sad and who has this kind of time?
3. The troll who over-shares your personal information
It could be an angry ex, a dissed friend or someone at school or work who has it out for you. But this troll knows your personal business and isn't afraid to use it against you online. The troll knows where you live, who you're dating or what school your kids go to. And this troll wants everyone else to know, too.
2. The troll who believes it has inside information about your weight or sexuality When all else fails, this troll will just call you fat/a fag. When you call this troll out on its poor arguments, it will call you fat/a fag. When you prove this troll wrong with actual facts, it will call you fat/a fag. Actually, when it hasn't even tried anything yet, this troll will call you fat/a fag. Maybe there's something to be said for consistency?
1. The troll who has thought out extensive sexual assault scenarios
Most likely to be a troll commenting on a female blogger's site, the assault troll attacks writers with vivid and terrifying threats of sexual violence. Yes, the threats are scary. Even scarier? The fact that there are probably real, even normal-seeming, people behind them.

Chilling

Adolf Hitler’s favorite dog, Blondi, an Alsatian, was used to make sure his cyanide capsules were lethal. Hitler used the cyanide to commit suicide when he saw it worked on Blondi.

Can't Escape

I haven't been in a relationship for quite a while partly because I don't want drama in my life. I didn't take into account Brigit the demanding feline blonde diva in my house and life. I don't know why I thought it would work to pretend I was still asleep after she woke me up pawing my arm, running back and forth across me, knocking things off the night table, and being as annoying as possible. Why? Her dish with treats in it was empty. She had food, water, and a cleaned-out litter box, but having no treats (supposed to be occasional not regular) was enough to relentlessly harangue me in the middle of the night. If I'd just gone on and done what she wanted in the first place I could have saved two hours of drama and gone back to sleep. Sorry. Just had to interrupt this post to open the door and let her outside for a little while. She has me trained.

Here she is on my knitting bag. Looks deceptively sweet and content, doesn't she?

For Boy G

Seven thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians bowled on alleys not unlike our own. They didn’t have to rent bowling shoes, however.

Wow! The Image of This!

When she was a young woman, TV sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer lived in Israel. There, she was a trained sniper. In fact, she was so adept at handling a Sten gun, a British submachine gun, that she could quickly assemble one while blindfolded.


And Dr. Ruth is also a size queen!

Who Knew?

Dolphins have killed sharks by ramming them with their snouts.

Observations on the Golden Globes

Ricky Gervais was of course funny. Several digs by him and others about NBC and Leno. And this one, "I like a drink as much as the next man - as long as the next man isn't Mel Gibson." Then Gibson walked out to present.

Why did Michael C. Hall have on a knit hat? OK, I googled and found out he has Hodgkins lymphoma and is on the road to recovery. I'm sorry he's going through that and glad he's doing well.

No reason for Mickey Rourke to wear a cowboy hat inside, though.

Yay!! Julianna Margulies won for The Good Wife! I'm so glad. She really is good in that show and makes it what it is.

Yes!! Glee won!

Mo'Nique walked up to the stage on both awards shows like she's James Brown and someone is behind her holding her cape. I think her husband does escort her part of the way. Maybe it was the music. Her speech was eloquent and heart-felt and made me teary.

Martin Scorsese spoke eloquently about film when he accepted the Cecil B. DeMille award presented to him by Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Sandra Bullock's speech was so good. I'm glad this is happening for her and for Jeff Bridges. He said they were screwing up his unappreciated status. T Bone Burnett won for song at this one, too. Looks as if this is the year for Jeff Bridges. I hope so for him and Sandra Bullock.

Robert Downey, Jr., gave what appeared to be an irreverent speech which was perfect for him.

Those were the highlights for me. What about you?

Duh!

Golfer Arnold Palmer was the first person to make $1 million playing golf. Golfing great Ben Hogan’s famous reply when asked how to improve one’s game was: "Hit the ball closer to the hole."

Sorry So Sorry

I've been thinking about apologies lately. We can all make a list of politicians, sports figures, entertainers, and others in the news who have apologized publicly for something they said or did. I certainly appreciate the gesture but don't put much stock in words alone. Anyone can say anything, but unless they change their behavior and try to do better, apologies are empty. That's how we know they were sincere.

Most of them don't mean it and others didn't need to apologize in the first place but were pressured into it. Sometimes we say things in anger or without thinking and later really are sorry we did it. So what are we really saying when we apologize? Sorry we were caught? Sorry we hurt someone's feelings? Sorry we were being a jerk? Want things back the way they were? Wish it would all be over with? Trying to look good? What do you think?