I got really messed up on sleeping pills and tequilla, an unintentional kind of thing and I feel ill. So I'm just looking at Huffington Post and they showed this lady, who is the new White House Social Secretary. I don't care about the other lady getting fired or anything, but look at her photo above. Then look at the photo below. That is Amy Pohler from Saturday Night Live (remember she played Hillary in the Palin Sketch?). That is her in character as Leslie Knope on her show Parks and Recreation where she plays an inept city politician wannabe in Pawnee Indiana. Isn't the resemblance uncanny? The hair and make-up are so similar too. I just thought it was really funny. Here is a clip of her in that show if you want to see something funny right now.
We've been discussing earthquakes and volcanoes and there is definitely a correlation between the two. In the post about the Chilean earthquake I posted a link about the "Pacific Ring of Fire."
Here is another equally interesting link with information about plate tectonics (the stuff that causes earthquakes) and there are some very interesting graphics that shows all the major plates on the earth and the forms of motion that those plates can cause when they move. Hope you find it interesting and informative.
There was an 8.3-8.8 (holy christ) earthquake in Chile a few hours ago, one in Japan the other day. There was just a 7.0 in China. We had another in my area a few weeks ago, I forgot the scale. That one in Haiti... It seems like kind of a lot doesn't it? I mean its super weird we've had like 2 or 3 in the past few years here. I would be scared if I was living in San Fran right now.
Here's the information that is out on the Chile one. I've seen 8.3 and 8.8 reported and they said there was minimal risk of a tsunami to the west coast of the US and Canada - so no worries. Scary stuff man. It was 3-5 minutes long. Yikes. Then I read that it was 65x the strength of the one in Haiti. That can't be right can it?
I took some sleeping pills then people came over and I had a few margaritas, so I think I'm gunna be out hard. If you get any pictures, videos, or more information can you post it in the comments? I've very interested.
This video and song have a strong affect on me. I thought it is something y'all might like too. It has that sweet 60 rock progression that everyone loves and they're not afraid to do harmonies.
I don't know if you like photography as art, but you owe it to yourself to see Amy Stein's "Domesticated" series. It's amazing.
My photographs serve as modern dioramas of our new natural history. Within these scenes I explore our paradoxical relationship with the "wild" and how our conflicting impulses continue to evolve and alter the behavior of both humans and animals. We at once seek connection with the mystery and freedom of the natural world, yet we continually strive to tame the wild around us and compulsively control the wild within our own nature. Within my work I examine the primal issues of comfort and fear, dependence and determination, submission and dominance that play out in the physical and psychological encounters between man and the natural world. Increasingly, these encounters take place within the artificial ecotones we have constructed that act as both passage and barrier between domestic space and the wild.
The photographs in this series are constructed based on real stories from local newspapers and oral histories of intentional and random interactions between humans and animals. The narratives are set in and around Matamoras, a small town in Northeast Pennsylvania that borders a state forest.
Dems refuse to reform Patriot Act and rather than letting it expire, push it thru the way it is. No one is really covering this, even AmericaBlog and Huffington Post.
My friend and I want to watch a movie tonight, but neither of us watch tv so we don't know what the good movies are. We're going to look up the trailers for each of them, but do you know what looks good that didn't just come out today? Thanks.
"We don't know what was going through the killer whale's head. It just got done doing a wonderful session with Dawn ... his behaviour was great ... that's the reason that she was rubbing his head," Mr Tompkins said."
I haven't been able to go to a zoo in a long time. I'll never for get the day it hit me that zoos are prisons for animals so they can provide us with entertainment. Forget about going to a circus. I can't watch elephants do tricks. It sickens me. It seems beyond cruel to keep an Orcas in captivity and make them perform.
The only thing that surprises me is that captive animal attacks don't happen more often.
There has been a serious increase in the number of ID thefts and many times this is accomplished by thieves getting your Social Security number. Too many businesses ask for your SS number as a matter of routine - not because they are required by LAW to have it. JUST SAY NO. The military uses the SS as a unique identifier but we always had to sign a Privacy and Disclosure Notice.
This article explains who HAS a legitimate right and/or need to ask for it and who doesn't. Don't BE AFRAID to challenge people who ask for it and to ask how the information is safeguarded. I never put my number on job applications. I will provide it later if and when there is a legitimate need for it.
My nephew was a very intersting child (he is now 21, god I feel old). He LOVED cooking shows. His grandmother, my mom, even bought him an Easy Bake oven. Too bad his homophobic dad wouldn't let him play with it. Now as an adult he can indulge in his love for cooking and this site shows it. Not a lot to read but some of the pictures are pretty damned cool.
Here is picture I found from clicking on things. I think Joe will enjoy this...
I'm working my way thru Andrew Bird's catalog and I just found this song which may be my second favorite studio recording he's done. The lyrics are spot on the pulse of American society in this political culture and the whole piece (equal parts to music and lyrics) is just soooo incredibly poignant. He has heavy asian influence with his violin on this song and it is almost infectious. I'm going to post the lyrics beneath the video that just features audio, no video.
Born host to a tongue So sing a song about it Held a breath for too long Till we're half sick about it Tell us what we did wrong Then you can blame us for it Turn the clamp on a phone So we're down about it And tell us all about it We're so in doubt about it How about some credit now Where credit is due For the damage that was done We have wrought upon ourselves and others With this blow, ambitious gun And all the pratfalls can be fun Encores can be fatal And then I hear you say, Thank God it's fatal. Thank God it's fatal.
I don't think any vehicle has disgusted me more than The Hummer. Having lived through the oil crisis of the 70's it blew my mind when vehicles started getting larger in the 80's.
Every time I see a Hummer I want to flip them off but make a point NOT to look at them.
When I get my income tax refund, in addition to buying a Wii, I want to buy a laptop. Joe, I know you have one. Does anyone else? What do you love/hate about about it? What I want one for is to watch movies and to access the internet when I am on vacation. I'm not planning on loading a bunch of programs. I do want to be able to post pictures on this blog when I am out and about. Can you download pictures from your digital camera on them? That is probably a stupid question but I am not really an electronics kind of gal. I never even had a computer in my home until I moved in with my husband last September. He even had to buy me an X box so he could watch DVDs when he came over (I was still using a VCR).
Are some brands better than others? Any info would be helpful.
have any really good non-political sites you'd like to share?
Kerry, the snow is like that again today but sort of different. I was just outside smoking a cigarette and next time I go out I'll take the camera and put it up for you guys. Now I'm thinking maybe the snow is always like that but it has always just been around so I never really paid attention. It's lake effect snow so it is big billowy dry clumps of snowflakes falling very slowly like a ripped open pillow. Last time it was just regular snow, so it is somewhat clumpy today and may not photograph well.
Its like billions of those flakes in the photo I posted before, but slightly smaller and all stuck together. It looks like albino cotton candy after it has landed. I'll have to find something dark to put down to contrast the flakes. That other photo they were rounded and full flakes, but these are less jolly. They're long skinny and bare. The difference is like taking a big fluffy Himalayan and throwing it in a tub of water. You know, for living in a place that snows so much, you'd think we would have like 200 words for snow. I mean we do speak in the most descriptive language, don't we?
Another odd thing going on outside this morning are that the animals are all fighting. If they are still all outside I'll take pictures of them too. There are probably like 100 birds and 10 squirrels out there right now. The bluejays (the bully of the little birds) are fighting the cardinals in like 3 different spots and red and grey squirrels are fighting all over the land too. It's strange.
Then to completely change topics, I'm sending a letter to a publicist about possibly doing an interview of sorts to submit to The Sun. I'm nervous but hopeful because their client isn't a celebrity. I think I have a solid idea for doing it all a little different too so that may help me or make me look certifiable. Can I share that with you guys?
This is an odd thing to write, because I don't know exactly what features would appeal to you. I think this is a good start for anyone though. Take a look at this article that discusses something that a few people I know have noticed. Just playing the games on your Wii takes off a little of the excess most of us have.
I suppose I'll share what my concerns were and why I ended up buying one, along with the evolution of my usage. The console was out for a year and a half before I was even slightly interested in getting my own. Until that time came, the only thing I knew about it was that it was motion sensitive and Nintendo was marketing the hell out of Wii Sports. I'm a remarkably pragmatic and just generally practical when it comes to everything in my life, so it seemed stupid to me. Surely it was just a novelty that was going to flop. Then something happened that I didn't expect, Nintendo decided to push a new Mario Kart on me - I was a recovering addict. I immediately relapsed.
Up until about 3 months ago, I only played Mario Kart, all the old Mario Brothers, and Pac-Man. I had my console for about a year and a half without even putting the Wii Sports game in, that came with it. I mean I really thought it was a novelty. Then one day I went to my friend's house where her mom was playing Guitar Hero and I was high. My life changed. I started going over there all the time to play before I bought my own, then they threw in Wii Sports and I got addicted to bowling, then I got into this bankshot game and Shuffleboard... Golf... Ping Pong... NEW Super Mario Brothers... Mini Golf... Archery... Jousting... Just Dance. You get the picture.
Here's the conclusion I've come to: This is why the people at Nintendo are millionaires and I am not. They knew that all they had to do was make the device and the applications would develop afterwards. There is so much you can do with motion sensors and it is anything but a novelty kind of thing. It's revolutionary. I don't know this for sure yet, but I'm willing to bet that I am a better bowler in real life now as well as a better frisbee player. It's so strange because just hearing about this, doesn't sound like much fun, but it is addicting. When you get other people involved it is guaranteed fun... and cheap!
One last thing about me that might benefit your curiosity about the Wii is that I'm not a gamer. My favorite game is Pac Man, ok? I don't get my friends who are addicted to World of Warcraft, Madden Football, Call of Duty, or any of that 3-D junk. When it comes to first person shooter games like the old 007 game, I think it was called Goldfinger, I get confused with all the options of guns and all the crap you can do. I'm frequently trying to navigate thru the menus to find a gun while people are running up to me and stabbing me because I just can't get it to become second nature. I love Super Mario Brothers from SNES and that is about as complex as I like action games to get. I have a feeling I might like RPG but I've never gotten into that. I need 2-d, left to right, beginning to end type games that don't look real. Graphics technology has surpassed my threshold for games long ago. The Wii isn't like that junk at all, at least there are enough options for me to have more games to choose from than I can get my hands on, along with those other types of games.
There are some other features you may not know about. Many of the games can be played on different controllers. For example Mario Kart can be played with the standard "wand" controller or you can plug in an old gamecube controller because it has 4 ports for all those devices. The console also accepts and plays all gamecube games, though you wouldn't think it because those discs were half the size. If you hook your Wii up to the internet you can buy virtually any old nintendo game off any system, sega, neo-geo, turbo graphix 13, and a few more I believe. As if that were not enough plus all the games you can purchase at the store they also release games that you can only buy thru the internet called WiiWare. They have a bunch of really cool original games and updated flash games like Goo World and Defend Your Castle. Basically what I'm trying to say is that you can play just about any game you've ever liked that wasn't on a PlayStation or Xbox. Galga, Frogger, DigDug, etc and they are all cheap.
I rushed this, so ask questions if you have any. I'll just add stuff in the comments if I can think of stuff I forgot.
I came across a website that I think will become a regular favorite and I wanted to share it with you. http://www.myscienceproject.org/
I'm wanting to get together with a few friends on Sunday night and have a sleepover/party with the Wii, board games, and just whatever happens, but I'm not a big drinker. I'm looking to make a drink that you actually want to drink, almost like a soda... I don't really drink except to get drunk or white wine. Can you help me if you have experience with alcohol? I thought it might be impressive if I made a jello shot that everyone liked and that is how I came to the site listed. The other stuff looks really interesting too.
Do different kinds of alcohol make you more happy and goofy?
There are some species where the female animals are able to reproduce without having any male animal needed. This process is called parthenogenesis. Sharks and certain types of lizards are known to be able to this.
Here's an interesting article that explains how this might happen:
Maybe this will finally remove the "stigma" and illegal status of marijuana. It is a plant/vegetable product and not chemically engineered.
Make it legal and tax it for god's sake.
I have said for years I'd rather deal with someone who is high on MJ as opposed to drunk on alcohol. Drunks have a tendency to get mean and vicious, potheads don't.
I just read this article and it absolutely infuriates me. Can you picture John Boehner, Tom Coburn, James Inhofe, Eric Cantor, Joe Lieberman, Susan Collins (Joe Lieberman's separated at birth twin sister [same whiney voice]) or any of the other loud mouthed, hypocritical Republicons doing this week after week?
I certainly can't. They screamed bloody murder when the Democrats took over and actually decided the whiney little bastards should actually WORK for 5 days in a row and not the 3 they were used to under Republicon control.
What does this say about Family Values? GM in Janesville had been a mainstay or a staple there from the time I was born and can remember. This is appalling.
By now you've noticed I'm a little high. All I want to do is laugh. Here is an extremely funny clip on 2 levels: it's slapstick times observational dry humor. It's an awesome combination you don't see much. The ad at the beginning blows.
I know I said I don't get dancing, I want to clarify that I meant in the artistic and serious way. That being said, I thought I'd share the funnest game ever... Wii's Just Dance. It is AMAZING at parties, which is where I was turned on to it, but it is very fun by yourself if you can turn it up, smoking or drinking enhance the experience greatly as you can imagine. All you have to do is mirror the image on the screen dancing to great songs that you know almost word for word. It's also the best work out I've gotten from the Wii. This is a video that kind of captures the fun. That's all this game is about and there is no thinking at all and Sarah Palin could even just pick it up and play it right away.
From 1986 (were you even born then Joe?) with Gary Busey.
Did you ever see a movie so bad it was good? I don't think this was meant to be a comedy, but after a couple of glasses of wine and a bowl, that is just what it is. Gary, a vietnam vet, has been released from prison and goes back to his hometown only to find out it has been taken over by dirt bike riding drug dealers. Not that I expect reality, especially from a movie like this, but I didn't expect the ridiculous. I lost track of the things that made no sense.
Netflix does have this movie and I was confounded by the positive reviews. They were almost as funny as the movie itself.
In the mood for some low brow goofy entertainment? Eye of the Tiger is for you!
I'm still in bed and I wanted to shrea this fucked up dream I literally just had. I'm still in bed and can barely open my eyes. I dreamt that my dad was growing this massive party with all these people and something happened where my family had to leave in a split second kind fo a thing (like a tragedy) and I was left to manage this party. Our house and all our property was trashed like after a carnival and shit and a few hours later when people should have been leaving, one of my dad's groupies was all getting super attached to me in a scary stalker way because I just "didn't understand" why he was so important or how he changerd her life, bowie had went thru my shit and stole my flat iron and was ruinning some other young and stupid girls hair and I was trying to beg her to not let him do it, and whoopie goldberg was drunk off her ass abd beligerant yelling at me because she couldn't get the car she had to work, after sitting by herself in a trenchcoat on one of the tennis courts drinking like a 1/5th of something out of the bottle - looking like she was homeless. . I mean, she was a fucking cunt. she was so effin mean. The whole time I had this groupie getting upset with me that I wasn't my dad and she was wasted. It was literally a nightmare. This is why I never take part in hosting partiers. Bowie might try to burn my friends hair off. :-)
Sometimes I need to be reminded why I hate people.
Here is his gold performance without having to download any microsoft bullshit and then having to deal with fucked up video, like the official gold medal performance winning video that NBC has released... I don't know who this joseph guy is that downloaded, clipped, encoded, and then uploaded is, but I think he is a patriot.
This song was originally released right before Desert Storm. Please listen carefully to the words - it perfectly summarizes some of my thoughts about mankind and about how we don't learn the lessons that God might be trying to teach us - if God exists. This is done by the incomparable Bette Midler.
