Confession

Well, I managed to burn myself out playing Angry Birds on my iPhone.  I played it so much the battery needed to be charged several times a day.  When Brendan was here this weekend, he watched me play a few times and would say, "When you fail the next level, come outside with me."  In a later conversation, he asked if failing levels was good.  I explained that it was losing, so we had a laugh about that.  Anyway, this is a welcome break from it for a while.  I know I'll be back to smashing structures, freeing caged birds, trying for 3 stars, and finding golden eggs soon but now not so much.  I had my own intervention! 

Words Matter

I'll bet many of those people who applauded the execution of prisoners and yelled "YES" about letting patients without insurance die identify themselves as being "pro-life."  Ironic and hypocritical, isn't it?  They can't by definition be pro-life and in favor of the death penalty, of sending soldiers to war to kill "enemies," advocate letting anyone die who can't afford insurance, and/or bomb abortion clinics or kill doctors while they're in church.  What they are is anti-abortion.  Not pro-life. 

Patti Davis on the Republican Debate Last Week

The moment that would have broken my father's heart was the moment when applause broke out at the mention of more than 200 executions ordered by Rick Perry in Texas. It was stunning and brought tears to my eyes. This is what we've come to? That we applaud at executions?
I remember the first time my father ordered an execution when he was Governor. He and a minister went into a room, got down on their knees and prayed. The real shame of our times is that there doesn't seem to be anyone on the political horizon with that compassion in his or her heart.

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2011/09/08/time-taps-patti-davis-insist-reagan-debate-shows-candidates-except-hun#ixzz1XnplNvG0

Teachings of Jesus?

A bit of a startling moment happened near the end of Monday night's CNN debate when a hypothetical question was posed to Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas). What do you tell a guy who is sick, goes into a coma and doesn't have health insurance? Who pays for his coverage? "Are you saying society should just let him die?" Wolf Blitzer asked.

"Yeah!" several members of the crowd yelled out.

Paul interjected to offer an explanation for how this was, more-or-less, the root choice of a free society. He added that communities and non-government institutions can fill the void that the public sector is currently playing. "We never turned anybody away form the hospital," he said of his volunteer work for churches and his career as a doctor. "We have given up on this whole concept that we might take care of ourselves, assume responsibility for ourselves ... that's the reason the cost is so high."

The answer may have struck a truly libertarian tone but it was clearly overshadowed by the members of the crowd who enthusiastically cheered the prospect of letting a man die rather than picking up the tab for his coverage.

Mudd Trivia

Dr. Samuel A. Mudd treated the leg of Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. His actions produced the expression "his name is Mudd," signifying utter disgrace.

DWTS

I might recap DWTS this season after taking a few years off for good behavior.  Here are photos of the dancetestants.  Still haven't decided about the recap but will at least write posts about this season.  Interesting article HERE that gives the odds and why from TV/Line.  Their prediction for top three are Hope/Maks, Ricki/Derek, and David/Kym.  I believe Hope and Ricki will be in the finals but guess I should see them dance first.  So much depends on fan base.

These are the only photos I found from rehearsals.  More to follow.  Btw, I keep trying to forget that Chynna Phillips is married to William Baldwin.  It makes me shudder.  Stephen is totally creepy.  Alex is funny.  But then there's all that with her sister Mackenzie and their dad of the Mamas and the Papas.  Wilson Phillips reality show to air soon.  Just saying.  Much more drama in that family than all the Kardashians. 

Chaz Bono and Lacey Schwimmer

Ron Artest and Peta Murgatroyd  (Heaven's to ... will be thought how many times?)

Mark Ballas and Kristin Cavallari  (Who is she?)

Ricki Lake and Derek Hough

Elisabetta Canalis and Val Chmerkovskiy  (Maksim's brother)

Not Plagiarized - But Possibly Breaking the Law

(I kept that part at the end to explain the title.) 

The “Dancing with the Stars” celebrity and pro pairs have been revealed — and it appears some old faces won’t be returning this season, while some new faces will be joining the fray

The duos were announced Wednesday morning on “Good Morning America.”

-David Arquette is paired with Kym Johnson, the defending champion (she won with Hines Ward in Season 12) returning for her tenth season.

- Ron Artest joins Peta Murgatroyd, a Troupe member last season making her debut as a pro.

- Chaz Bono will dance with Lacey Schwimmer, who is back for her fifth season.

- Elisabetta Canalis joins Val Chmerkovskiy, Maksim’s brother, who is making his “DWTS” debut.

- Kristin Cavallari is paired with Mark Ballas, a two-time champ returning for his ninth season.

- Nancy Grace teams up with Tristan MacManus, a Troupe member from last season making his debut as a pro.

- Robert Kardashian joins Cheryl Burke, a two-time champ who is back for her twelfth season.

- Carson Kressley will dance with Anna Trebunskaya, who returns for her eighth season.

- Ricki Lake is teamed with three-time champ Derek Hough, who returns for his eighth season, after sitting out last season.

- J.R. Martinez is paired with Karina Smirnoff, who returns for her ninth season.

- Chynna Phillips joins Tony Dovolani, who is back for his twelfth season.

- Hope Solo will dance with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who returns for his eleventh season.

Among the pros not competing with celebrity partners this year are Louis Van Amstel, Chelsie Hightower, Dmitry Chaplin.

The new season will premiere on Monday, September 19, in a two-hour show, from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT.

The following night, ABC will air “Dancing with the Stars: Meet the Cast,” which airs at 8 PM, followed at 9 PM by the first “DWTS” results show.

Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Hay-soose Trivia

In 1963 Matty, Felipe, and Jesus Alou became the only three brothers in history to start a baseball game in the outfield for the same major league team: the San Francisco Giants.

Wheaties Trivia

American consumers were asked to vote for their favorite Wheaties champion of all time. Wheaties celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1999 by rereleasing the original cereal packages featuring the champions selected; the top ten vote recipients were Michael Jordan, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mary Lou Retton, Tiger Woods, Cal Ripken, Jr., Walter Payton, John Elway, Jackie Robinson, and the 1980 U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team.

Qantas Trivia

Australia’s airline, Qantas, was formed in 1920. Its name came from the initials of Queensland and Northern Territory Air Services, not, as some may have suspected, from a native species of bird or marsupial.

Heeeeere's Johnny!

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

And no one did it better!

Jukebox Trivia

The first jukebox was installed at the Palais Royal Hotel in San Francisco in 1899.

For a nickel apiece a thrilled group tunes in on a screechy jukebox of the 1890s. Photo: Bettmann/Corbis 

1889: The first jukebox is installed at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco. It becomes an overnight sensation, and its popularity spreads around the world.

That first jukebox was constructed by the Pacific Phonograph Company. Four stethoscope-like tubes were attached to an Edison Class M electric phonograph fitted inside an oak cabinet. The tubes operated individually, each being activated by the insertion of a coin, meaning that four different listeners could be plugged in to the same song simultaneously.

Towels were supplied to patrons so they could wipe off the end of the tube after each listening.

The success of the jukebox eventually spelled the end of the player piano, then the most common way of pounding out popular music to a line of thirsty barflies.

The machine was originally called the “nickel-in-the-slot player” by Louis Glass, the entrepreneur who installed it at the Palais Royale. (A nickel then had the buying power of $1.08 today.) It came to be known as the jukebox only later, although the origin of the word remains a bit vague. It may derive from “juke house,” a slang reference to bawdy house, where music was not unknown.

Trekkie Trivia That Some of You Know Already

In the classic Star Trek series, Doctor McCoy’s nickname was Bones, but his little-used first name was Leonard.

Corn Dogs

I added pictures to that post.  It's a Beavis & Butthead thing!  LOL  

Charlotte Festival

My mother who is 91 was Grand Marshall of the Charlotte Festival.  Here she is in the parade!  My cousin Emily is driving in her classic 1987 Mercedes convertible.  It was lots of fun seeing family and friends.  The weather was around 90 and not as humid as it has been.  Mother made it fine and had fun.  She's amazing!  She still drives and gets around so well.  Her mind is sharp, and she's the best mother ever!!

Campaigning with Mustard

I had to do this!  I was at the Festival.  There were corn dogs.  I have a camera. 

Just in case you missed my point (which I doubt)!  LOL 

Never thought I had anything in common with Mitt, but obviously we chose our photo ops more carefully than the others did.

Irene

Let me hear from all my east coast friends who can get in touch!!  I've been so worried about all of you!  Hope everyone is safe and dry. 

Followers

Something happened to my followers list.  It disappeared!  :-(

Good Cause

One of my former students from the gifted program could use a little of your time by voting online or texting.  He's the choral director at Penn State and this is a way of raising money for three of his groups to go to the world competition.  If you drink Pepsi (I'm a Coke person), you can enter the codes on the yellow caps.  He's on FB - Jason Bishop.  Check out his page and see more about him and his work.  Here's the link to the website - CLICK HERE.  Time is about to run out.  I just tried it and it wasn't a big deal.  Thanks!! 

This is an article about him in our local paper The Dickson Herald:

A Dickson County native who is now choir director at a Pennsylvania college is trying to garner support to earn a Pepsi Refresh Grant to help send his youth choir to the World Choir Games in Cincinnati.

Dr. Jason Bishop grew up in Burns, graduated DCHS in 1994, and now is director of choral activities at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College, in Erie, Pa. Bishop founded the multicultural Young People’s Chorus of Erie while at PSE.

The YPCE shares a mission with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, providing opportunities for children ages 7 to 18 to participate in a comprehensive choral program that celebrates diversity, multiculturalism, and equal opportunities for children from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Bishop applied for a $25,000 grant through the Pepsi Refresh program. The grants are awarded based on online voting. If the YPCE remains in the Top 15 of vote-getters come Aug. 31, they will receive the $25,000.

“We’re very excited and appreciative of all the support and I’m especially touched that my hometown… would extend its support in this way,” Bishop said.

To vote, log on to www.refresheverything.com/ypcerie and register, or follow the instructions on www.facebook.com/YPCErie.

People can also vote to help YPCErie by texting the number 107988 to the phone number 73774. Also, if you are registered on the website, you can vote additional times by purchasing Pepsi cans with the yellow tops and entering the code.

Bishop’s parents Michael and Linda Bishop currently reside in White Bluff and his sister, Amanda Bishop, still lives in Burns.

Overpopulation Anxiety

For a long time, it's bothered me that there are too many people in the world.  It's getting worse.  It's hard for me to watch the news or see crowds of people in person without feeling upset about it.  This isn't Ochlophobia--Fear of crowds or mobs.  Being in crowds doesn't bother me.  It's just knowing there are too damned many people on earth.  The planet agrees with me and is trying to get rid of us with hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters.  We've screwed up.  There are limited resources many of which people have almost depleted.  Anyway, just wanted to let you know this is making me nuts.  Why can't the Rapture be real and happen soon?  .  

Queen Mother

My mother is going to be Grand Marshal of the Charlotte Festival parade Saturday.  HERE is an article about it.  My hometown where she still lives is very small, as you can tell from this article.  I'll try to post some pictures after the weekend.  Brian and Brendan are coming to it, and Brendan will spend the night with me Saturday night.

Mother said that sounded like a male title, so I told her she was Queen of the Festival.  She's 91 and will ride in a car in the parade.  She didn't know of any other duties expected of her.  She's amazing!  I won't ever make it to 91, and if I do, no way will I be in the shape she's in.  I never have been!  She's always worked circles around me.  Her mind is still sharp and so is her humor.  I'm really fortunate to have such a fab mother!!  

Reunion

My 50th high school reunion is tonight.  Damn, I'm old!  Some of you aren't even 50 years old.  Anyway, where did all this time go so fast?

Where Do They Go?

Babies are born with 300 bones, but by adulthood, we have only 206 in our bodies.

Arlo Guy

Yesterday I was grocery shopping and saw a guy who looked like Arlo Guthrie about a decade ago.  I wanted to take his picture so I could send it to my son and say, "Hey!  Arlo Guthrie is at Kroger!" but restrained myself.  After I put my groceries in the car and returned the cart, I noticed the shopping carts were jammed and spilling into the parking lot in the way of cars, so I started fixing them.  The Arlo Guy came up and joined in.  We discussed the mess and how some people don't even take their carts to the designated places and leave them to run into cars.  Yes, we felt superior.  Oh the fun we had!

Then as we were leaving, I told him I'd wanted to ask if I could take his picture when we were inside and told him why.  He said so many people tell him he looks like Arlo Guthrie.  We mentioned "Alice's Restaurant" and "The Motorcycle Song"  and how some people don't know who Arlo Guthrie is.  Sort of condescending but enjoyable.  Then he told me I could take his picture if I wanted to.  So I whipped out my phone and sent the photo to Brian.  All in all a pleasant experience.  Brian is probably so glad he wasn't with me and in another situation where I embarrassed him.  It helped make him the fine man he is today, I'm sure.  Or at least it prepared him for Brendan. 

I'm sort of torn about posting that guy's picture on here but will do so hoping he doesn't know about it.  Close resemblance, huh?

Here's the real Arlo:

Here's the Arlo Guy:

Woodstock Trivia

When Neil Young arrived at Woodstock with Jimi Hendrix, they found they had to go several miles to reach the stage, so they stole a pickup truck and drove off. Later Young called the incident "one of the high points of my life."

Sent by a Friend

Click to be able to read it.

Good to Know

Contrary to popular misconception, bats do not become entangled in human hair and seldom transmit disease to other animals or humans.

Sedentary, My Dear Watson

If I've ever been in doubt about how sedentary my life is, all I have to do is go to the gym. Comparing my activity level now to what it was 10-20 years ago is bad enough, but when I compare it to my mother's who is 91, it's horrific. I did my time on the elliptical and the treadmill which is by no means impressive but is a start. Then I saw the mother of one of my former students. She is 50 and rode her bicycle 20 miles yesterday and said she usually does 20-30. She was going what I thought was fast on the elliptical (forward and backward pedaling), but she said this was a light day since yesterday was heavy with the bike riding. Light for her was 6 or 7 mph. I do well to go 2.5 mph on it and definitely can't last as long as she did!

There were some other women around my age who walked about the same pace I did on the treadmill. I realize it's not a competition and am glad it isn't. It just drives home to me how inactive I've been physically, and it shows! I feel like crap most of the time unless I exercise and then feel better, dammit!! I used to ride my bike (never more than a few miles, though), took aerobics classes, played tennis, swam, walked a lot, and danced (that requires dating which brings up some other activities I used to participate in, too). Sorry, Neil Young, but I've been rusting instead of wearing out.

OK, so it's a start. I'm walking on the treadmill and pedaling on the elliptical. Next the weight machines and a class called Silver Sneakers for us seniors. After that, I'll see. The dating activities look doubtful. At least I can still hold my own in a trivia game.

This Could Be An Advantage

By the age of 20, the average man or woman has lost up to 20 percent of his or her sense of smell. By the age 60, 60 percent is gone.

I'm Going to Print this to Give to Some People

      An engineering professor is treating her husband, a loan officer, to dinner for finally giving in to her pleas to shave off the scraggly beard he grew on vacation.  His favorite restaurant is a casual place where they both feel comfortable in slacks and cotton/polyester-blend golf shirts.  But, as always, she wears the gold and pearl pendant he gave her the day her divorce decree was final.  They're laughing over their menus because they know he always ends up diving into a giant plate of ribs but she won't be talked into anything more fattening than shrimp.

      Quiz:  How many biblical prohibitions are they violating?  Well, wives are supposed to be 'submissive' to their husbands (I Peter 3:1).  And all women are forbidden to teach men (I Timothy 2:12), wear gold or pearls (I Timothy 2:9) or dress in clothing that 'pertains to a man' (Deuteronomy 22:5).  Shellfish and pork are definitely out (Leviticus 11:7, 10) as are usury (Deuteronomy 23:19), shaving (Leviticus 19:27) and clothes of more than one fabric (Leviticus 19:19).  And since the Bible rarely recognizes divorce, they're committing adultery, which carries the rather harsh penalty of death by stoning (Deuteronomy 22:22).

      So why are they having such a good time?  Probably because they wouldn't think of worrying about rules that seem absurd, anachronistic or - at best - unrealistic.  Yet this same modern-day couple could easily be among the millions of Americans who never hesitate to lean on the Bible to justify their own anti-gay attitudes.  ~Deb Price, And Say Hi To Joyce

Gerrymandering

For the first time in 40 years there is a Republican majority in the TN state legislature, and they are taking full advantage of it.  They have already pulled a Wisconsin-type attack on teachers.  We had a Democrat for governor for the last two terms.  As you can see, we've mostly had Democratic governors for a long time.  Now we have Bill Haslam, Republican owner of the Pilot oil stations.

 Name           Term                Party         Life  State of Birth Occupation

Frank G. Clement	January 15, 1953 – January 19, 1959	Democratic	1920–1969	TN	Lawyer
Buford Ellington	January 19, 1959 – January 15, 1963	Democratic	1907–1972	MS	Farmer
Frank G. Clement	January 15, 1963 – January 16, 1967	Democratic	1920–1969	TN	Lawyer
Buford Ellington	January 16, 1967 – January 16, 1971	Democratic	1907–1972	MS	Farmer
Winfield Dunn	January 16, 1971 – January 18, 1975	Republican	b. 1927	MS	Dentist
Ray Blanton	January 18, 1975 – January 16, 1979	Democratic	1930–1996	TN	Farmer, businessman
Lamar Alexander	January 16, 1979 – January 17, 1987	Republican	b. 1940	TN	Lawyer, US Senator
Ned McWherter	January 17, 1987 – January 21, 1995	Democratic	1930–2011	TN	Businessman
Don Sundquist	January 21, 1995 – January 18, 2003	Republican	b. 1936	IL	Businessman
Phil Bredesen	January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011	Democratic	b. 1943	NJ	Businessman
Bill Haslam	January 15, 2011 – Present	Republican	b. 1958	TN	Businessman

 Back in the day, Democrats were all we had for Senators and Congressmen, too.  Alas!  So now the Republicans are gerrymandering the districts, and it looks as if we'll be in the district that has Republican Marsha Blackburn!  Anyone who keeps up with politics has seen her in action.  The horror!!!!  She lives in Williamson County, the richest county in the state.  Here's the article in our local paper.

Provide your own captions!!  These two are variations on a theme.  Beavis and Butthead moment I'm having here or better known as a Maddie and Auntie Flame regular size-queen conversation when we are naughty!  

This photo was published in The Nashville Scene. And Blackburn's reaction? She said, “If only every member could get the Politico to run a picture of them when they were young, blond and 30.”

I'm Praying for the Rapture!

I am so ready for the Rapture to come and take all those crazies away from us so we can have a better life.  If only!!!



Source and informative article

And a First-Class Ticket for Mooselini and Crazy Eyes!

Crazy Eyes

It’s ironic that the Bachmann campaign represents the best chance for getting a gay man into the White House.

Posting

I haven't posted for a while since I either don't have much to say or have way too much!  Know what I mean?

Another Reason to Stay Out of the Amazon

The electric eel has thousands of electric cells, with those organs making up four-fifths of its body. It lives in the Amazon River and its tributaries and is the most shocking animal on Earth; no other animal packs such a big charge. If attacking a large prey, a 9-foot-long eel can discharge about 800 volts. One zap could easily stun a human senseless. The larger the eel, the bigger the charge. The electric eel’s shocking power is so great that it can overtake its victims while 15 feet away.

And they're ugly, too.

Eye Trivia

The only part of the human body that has no blood supply is the cornea in the eye. It takes in oxygen directly from the air.

Fish Trivia

Goldfish lose their color if they are kept in a dim light or are placed in a body of running water, such as a stream. They remain gold when kept in a pond or in a bowl with adequate illumination.

No, not this kind. Anyone who watched The West Wing remember the goldfish incident between C.J. and Danny?

Yes, these guys!

Question of the Day

Do Pentecostal fundamentalist snake handlers speak Parseltongue?

Thank Goodness!

Mickey Rooney turned down the role of Archie Bunker in the 1970s sitcom All in the Family. The former child star was convinced that the show would bomb, and he wasn’t willing to jeopardize his professional reputation, although his film career had been on the skids for years. Little-known character actor Carroll O’Connor won the role as a result.

Poet and Trendsetter

In 1840, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow became the first American to have plumbing installed in his house.

And do you know why he grew a beard?

Hmmmm

It's a wonder I have any friends at all.  Guess some people like smartasses. 

More Gilligan Trivia

The character of the Professor on Gilligan’s Island was named Roy Hinkley. The Skipper was named Jonas Grumby. Both names were used only once in the entire series, on the first episode.

Global Warming as Birth Control

So much for hot sex. A recent study purports there are fewer births nine months after a heat wave. It found that an increase of about 21.600 Fahrenheit in summer temperatures reduces births the following spring by up to 6 percent. Researchers at the Kinsey Institute for Sex Research concluded that high temperatures could reduce people’s sense of well-being, which could result in a reduction in sexual interest. Another study found lower sperm counts and higher rates of miscarriage during hot weather.

We Know!

Oh Gross!

Next suggestion?

Crushed cockroaches can be applied to a stinging wound to help relieve the pain.

And now this ... yuck!!

Cockroaches have quite a capacity for survival. If the head of one is removed carefully, so as to prevent it from bleeding to death, the cockroach can survive for several weeks. When it dies, it is from starvation.

Sorry.  At least I didn't post any pictures. 

Monkey Brain Trivia

The squirrel monkey’s brain accounts for roughly 5 percent of its body weight, the largest percentage of any animal. The human brain, by comparison, makes up about 2.3 percent of body weight.

Don't Drink the Milk!

Got paint thinner? In most TV milk commercials, a mixture of white paint with a little thinner is used instead of milk.

Trivia That Applies to Me

Poliosis (from the Greek word polios, meaning "gray" is the graying of the hair. It’s caused when pigment cells stop producing melanin.

Addiction

I have friends I wish could have found help.  I learned when I went to Al-Anon that you can't do it for them or love them into it.  I don't know what makes some people find what it takes to overcome addition, while others don't.  It's hard to do and hell for everyone involved - also heartbreaking.  

From Russell Brand's Blog  HERE.  

When you love someone who suffers from the disease of addiction you await the phone call. There will be a phone call. The sincere hope is that the call will be from the addict themselves, telling you they’ve had enough, that they’re ready to stop, ready to try something new. Of course though, you fear the other call, the sad nocturnal chime from a friend or relative telling you it’s too late, she’s gone.

Frustratingly it’s not a call you can ever make it must be received. It is impossible to intervene.

Addiction is a serious disease; it will end with jail, mental institutions or death. I was 27 years old when through the friendship and help of Chip Somers of the treatment centre, Focus12 I found recovery, through Focus I was introduced to support fellowships for alcoholics and drug addicts which are very easy to find and open to anybody with a desire to stop drinking and without which I would not be alive.

Now Amy Winehouse is dead, like many others whose unnecessary deaths have been retrospectively romanticised, at 27 years old. Whether this tragedy was preventable or not is now irrelevant. It is not preventable today. We have lost a beautiful and talented woman to this disease. Not all addicts have Amy’s incredible talent. Or Kurt’s or Jimi’s or Janis’s, some people just get the affliction. All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease that will kill. We need to review the way society treats addicts, not as criminals but as sick people in need of care. We need to look at the way our government funds rehabilitation. It is cheaper to rehabilitate an addict than to send them to prison, so criminalisation doesn’t even make economic sense. Not all of us know someone with the incredible talent that Amy had but we all know drunks and junkies and they all need help and the help is out there. All they have to do is pick up the phone and make the call. Or not. Either way, there will be a phone call.

Well ...

Because of a football’s resemblance to an olive, albeit a very large one, the Chinese often call the American game of football "olive ball."

27 Club

One of Nutwood Beth's commenters on FB, pointed out a 27 Club that lists celebrities who died at 27.  I didn't realize Kurt Cobain was 27 when he died.  In addition to the ones I listed in my post about Amy Winehouse are Brian Jones and Jean-Michel Basquiat. 

List HERE. 

Amy Winehouse RIP

It finally happened just like we were afraid it would.  Amy Winehouse died at 27, the same age Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison were when they OD'd.  There are too many talented performers who left too soon because of excesses and abuse.  A few are John Belushi, Kurt Cobain, Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, Chris Farley, River Phoenix, and the sad list goes on. I feel so sad for her family.  It's parents' worst nightmare to outlive their children.

This is an excerpt from an article in The Telegraph about Amy Winehouse's life and death.

Amy Winehouse: 1983-2011

Amy Winehouse, who has died aged 27, ticked all the right boxes for a self-destructive wild child of pop, having bags of “attitude”, a drink and drugs problem and a no-good man; yet underneath the ratty beehive hair-do, oversized plastic earrings, kohl-encrusted eyes and tattoo-covered arms, she was also an addictive and engaging performer with a natural deep voice who sang with a jazzy, passionate energy.

Pathetically, Amy Winehouse’s hopes for her life with Blake Fielder-Civil seemed touchingly conventional and domestic. “I’ve always been a little homemaker,” she told an interviewer. “I know I’m talented, but I wasn’t put here to sing. I was put here to be a wife and a mum and to look after my family. I love what I do, but it’s not where it begins and ends.”

In late 2007 Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch was reported to have taken the precaution of writing her obituary, fearful that the end could not be far away.

Job Security

According to the official rules of baseball, no umpire may be replaced during a game unless he is injured or becomes ill. He may also be replaced if he drops dead.

Acid Trivia

The digestive juices of crocodiles contain so much hydrochloric acid that they have actually dissolved iron spearheads and 6-inch steel hooks they have swallowed. Yet crocs don’t take Rolaids, as far as we know.

So I'm wondering ... is this an effective way to dispose of scrap metal?  Also wonder if they've analyzed the poop of crocodiles.  At any rate, we must never go near one!!!

Uh Oh

Enjoy those reruns of Gilligan’s Island? Your brain is actually more active while you are sleeping than it is while you are watching TV.

Superflea Trivia

If humans could jump like fleas, they’d be able to leap over a 100-story building in a single bound.

Olympic City Trivia

Cleveland Stadium was built for what became a failed attempt by the city to host the 1932 Olympic Games. Of the 192 countries on Earth, 3 of them, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, and Vatican City, have no National Olympic Committees.

Beatles Trivia

"Long Tall Sally" was the last song played by the Beatles during their last scheduled concert, which took place at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on August 29, 1966.

Worth Watching!

Dirt Devil-The Exorcist from MrPrice2U on Vimeo.

Hair Trivia

Natural blonds have more hairs on their heads than redheads or any shade of brunette. A blond has about 120,000 strands of hair, while a redhead has about 30 percent fewer strands about 80,000. Brunettes are somewhere in between the two.

Weirdo Trivia

Goodfellows Insurance outfit in London capitalizes on many people’s weird mental states. Among the most requested policies are the "Alien All Risks" package, which offers $1.7 million coverage for just $400 dollar a year, should someone be abducted or impregnated by something not of this Earth. To date, 40,000 people have paid for this sense of security. Back in 1999, the ingenious company sold 15,000 women, terrified that they might unwillingly be forced to give birth to the messiah, immaculate contraception protection.

Jockey Trivia

On February 22, 1989, Barbara Jo Rubin became the first female jockey to win a horse race. She rode Cohesian to victory at Charlestown Racetrack in West Virginia. The first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby was Diane Crump on May 2, 1970.

This and a Gay Husband for Crazy Eyes!

Strabismus is the condition of a person’s eyes going in different directions.

Oh?

Hawaii is moving toward Japan 4 inches every year. 

I thought islands in the ocean were tops of mountains. No?

So That's How They Do It!

Marine mammals such as dolphins and whales manage to sleep without drowning, because only half their brain sleeps, while the other half stays awake and handles the breathing and swimming chores. The two hemispheres of their brains work totally independently. For 8 hours, the entire brain is awake. The left side then sleeps for 8 hours. When it wakes up, the right side sleeps for 8 hours. Thus, the marine mammals get 8 hours of sleep without ever having to stop physically.

Fossil Trivia

Shark fossil records date back more than twice as far as those of the dinosaurs.

We're Like Snowflakes

Men can have 8 million genetically different sperm, and women a like number of egg types. Together they can produce 64 billion children with no genetic duplicates.

Trivia

And should you find this all very amusing, be thankful that you don’t have cherophobia, which is the obsessive dread of laughing to death. Isn’t it obvious by now? Your study of human psychology has been woefully lacking, a serious condition that we intend to remedy with the following useless course study.

B&B Trivia

In October 1993, Beavis and Butt-head, MTV’s animated top-rated series, was attacked for allegedly inspiring a 5-year-old child to start a fatal fire. In response, MTV agreed to run the controversial show in a later time spot, and the writers agreed that in the future they would not use references to fires.

Knitting

Here's what I knitted for Mother for her birthday tomorrow. This is the first garment I've made, and it took a long time since I'm a social knitter and only worked on it at Yarn Frenzy.  I'd knitted scarves and hats, and finished a couple of scarves during this cardigan even though I'm usually a monogamous knitter.  This required measuring and math and fitting!  That was a first for me. 

My next project is a ruana for myself. Who besides Maddie knows what that is? I just learned it but am slow about some things.

Na-No Na-No

In the Mork and Mindy series, the capital city of Mork’s home planet, Ork, was Kork.

Free at Last!

Our last class during the summer session was Tuesday!  Tina now has the 18 hours she needs of graduate English classes to teach the dual enrollment course at the high school where she teaches, which means I have audited those graduate classes as well.  I'd wanted to do that since state universities and colleges allow people 60+ to audit classes free.  Since she was required to take them and the district paid for them (which means she owes them so many years of teaching here because of it), it seemed like a good time to do it.  She has epilepsy and has seizures when she hasn't had enough sleep and is really tired and when she gets overheated.  After teaching all day and being tired, she didn't need to drive almost an hour both ways since the classes were from 4:30 - 7:30 twice a week since we took two classes a semester.  I was her designated driver/rider.  Sometimes we went out to eat in Clarksville before we drove back to Dickson.

This summer class was from 9:40 - 11:30 EVERY DAY.  That was a big change from my retirement schedule the last six years.  First of all, I've been staying up late until 1:00 or 2:00 or later and getting up around 9:00 or 10:00.  I also got out of the habit of having to be somewhere every day and definitely not every morning.  I took a nap almost every afternoon.

Since these were graduate English classes, there was a lot of reading.  During the last year, I've bought and read about fifteen novels, three books of essays, and assignments from an anthology of American Literature.  In the creative nonfiction writing class, we wrote many essays and learned a lot about each other when we workshopped them.  There were fourteen in the class, so we made copies for all the students and the instructor the week before we discussed them.  We read those papers and wrote comments on them.  Then they were discussed in class.  Now you know why you haven't heard from me as often!

It's all been a lot of work, but I've enjoyed it.  Two of the professors I loved and would like to audit again sometime.  One not so much.  It was fun being around students of all ages (some young enough to be my grandchildren) and learning for the pleasure of it instead of having the pressure of tests, papers, and tests.  I'm thankful for the ones teaching the classes who allowed me to audit.  It's their decision.  The head of the department gave me permission as long as it was OK with them.  It was for all of them but one.  I still went there with Tina and sat out in the art gallery in the building where the English classes are taught and read, played with my phone, and knitted.  

I met some neat people I'm in touch with on Facebook now, including the professor from this summer.  She and I agree politically and about all kinds of things.  So now it's over.  I'm relieved even though I might do it again eventually since there are some more classes I would like to take - Faulkner, Southern writers, technical writing, African American Lit, postmodern lit, and some history, sociology, and cultural anthropology courses.  There are some courses in the Criminal Justice Department such as Constitutional Law, International Law, and some courses on terrorism and gangs that sound interesting, too.  We'll see.

Ironic Condom Trivia

The exalted pharaoh Ramses II fathered over 160 kids. To immortalize this achievement, the Ramses brand of condoms bears his name.

It's Own?

Within a lifetime, a crocodile can go through 2,000 to 3,000 teeth.

Ovation

Somehow I got caught up in all these shows on Ovation about Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, Chrissie Hynde, and the Newport Folk Festival.  It reminded me of how much music reminds us of places we've been, people we knew, and experiences we had.  Certain songs trigger various memories.  Some I can mention; some I won't.  I guess it's sort of like having a sound track to part of our lives.  What song represents your life?  "Both Sides Now" is mine.  Lyrics HERE.  Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded it. This is a 1970 performance.  In more recent years, she sings it with the maturity and emotion you'd expect.  It's more jazz than folk now, too. 

NPR

Correction:  The "Wait Wait" show we saw Thursday night is on this weekend.  It was on today and will be aired again tomorrow.  Check your local times and listings!  You'll be glad you did!

They edited the funniest line, though.  "When using the Gilligan's Island comparison, Michelle Bachman is Mary Ann and Sarah Palin is Gilligan."  (They stopped there and didn't use this line which was my favorite.)  "Of course, for Sarah Palin it would be an hour and a half cruise." 

Wait Wait!

Went to see a taping of "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" at TPAC last night.  It was so much fun!  I got tickets for the show and the VIP reception as a gift for my donation to our local NPR station.  The seats were perfect!  I always wondered how people got those good seats, and last night I was one of those people!  It was so neat to see Carl Kasell standing there announcing in that wonderful voice of his!  Then Peter Sagal was hilarious as usual.  So many funny things!  The panelists were Roy Blount, Jr,, Kyrie O'Conner, and Adam Felber (writer for the Bill Maher show on HBO and professional comedian).  Vince Gill played "Not My Job" and was down-to-earth and funny.

This show will be on weekend after next since this one is a holiday and will have clips from past shows.  You can also listen to podcasts free on iTunes.  So if you are not a regular listener, be sure to listen to the one we saw last night on the weekend of the 8th and 9th.  Check your local listings!

You can read about it HERE and listen to the entire show or to Bill Clinton when he was on last weekend.  That was quite entertaining! 

Here's a video of how they put the show together and a Chicago show.

Jumping Trivia

No high jumper has ever been able to stay off the ground for more than one second.

Yikes!

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

NASA Trivia

The famed U.S. Geological Survey astronomer, Dr. Shoemaker, wanted to be an astronaut but was rejected because of a medical problem. But after he died, his ashes were placed on board the Lunar Prospector spacecraft before NASA crashed the probe into a crater on July 31, 1999, to find out if there’s water on the Moon.  Yes folks, your tax dollars at work!

Trivia

Our team The Bell Jars had three tie-breakers with the Misfits for first place at Las Fajitas tonight! We won! Thanks to Hope for onion! And to Brian for the Vatican! We have a good team, all of whom contributed brilliant answers! Paige, Tina, Sue, Carl, Hope, Brian, and Brendan! We have so much fun!! 

Cool

Roger Bannister was the first man to break the 4-minute mile; however, he did not break the 4-minute mile in an actual race. On May 6, 1954, he ran 3:59.4, while being carefully paced by other runners. Bannister’s quarter-mile splits were 57.5 seconds, 60.7, 62.3, and 58.9. But 23 days after Bannister had run the most famous mile of all time, fellow Briton Diane Leather became the first woman to break 5 minutes with a time of 4:59.6 in Birmingham, England, on May 29, 1954. In the 40-plus years since the two British runners broke these significant marks, women’s times have improved by a far higher percentage than men’s.

Hall of Fame

Pop duo Ike and Tina Turner have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Sonny and Cher have not.

Pop duo Ike and Tina? POP? Who wrote this? It's no surprise to me that Tina would be in there before Sonny & Cher.  OK, Ike, too. 

Collective Nouns

A shrewdness of apes
A troop of baboons
A shoal of bass
A sleuth or sloth of bears
A sounder of boars
An army of caterpillars
A clowder or clutter of cats
A brood or peep of chickens
A clutch or chattering of chicks

Checking In

I'll get back to blogging eventually.  Had a lot on my mind but not much to say.  I've been reading yours when I can.  See you soon!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!  I still miss mine, and it's been over 30 years since he died too young at 56.  He was a wonderful father, and I'm glad he was mine!

Weekend II

It's very interactive around here!  Playing, reading, joking, and all that!  How are your weekends?

Weekend

The weekend is going pretty well with Little Bossy Pants.  It's always a challenge!  I never know what to expect next.  We watched Sam's video and couldn't understand what anyone was saying.  Brendan said it needed subtitles.  We have been to Mother's a while yesterday and today, and then all of us went to Las Fajitas for dinner.  That's where we play Trivia on Tuesday nights.  Paige and I have gone the last four weeks.  Her daughter Virginia was with us the first week.  (3rd place)  Then Carl joined us the next time with just the three of us.  (3rd place again)  Week before last we were joined by my brother Butch, his son Andy, his nephew and my former student Jay, and Tina.  (2nd place) Then last week it was just Paige, Carl, Tina and me.  We sucked that time.  Depends on the questions.  It's so much fun, and we're getting to know other groups.  Brian, Melissa, and Brendan are planning to join us when they can.  Either all three or the two guys.

Brendan will be here until Monday morning. Brian is going to meet us in Clarksville at APSU where Tina and I are taking our class.  I'll have a nice, long nap Monday afternoon!  :-)