Welcome to downtown

Downtown Minneapolis looks like it's been bombed. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that people were trapped by the roving bands of street constructioneers. Got in in the morning and couldn't get out in the afternoon.

Changing, again

Although I like the last blog layout, there were some drawbacks. So here I am with a new template. I'll try to stick with it for awhile.

Thank you Bugle, and Mr. West

I love the Hugo Chavez news on The Bugle. Just when you think it couldn't get better, it does. The Bugle now also includes Delonte West updates.

I am not a sports lover so I had not heard of Mr. West, a basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. But thanks to the brilliant Bugle podcast, I have been introduced to the word stylings of Mr. West. He appears at 0:30.

Pyro fun

I think that Blue Rhino, "Spark Something Fun," is making itself a little to alluring to pyromaniacs.

My high school chemistry lab partner was a pyromaniac. He even tried to light the asbestos ring on fire.

Bug on garage

I saw this on the garage and almost smashed it. Look at those wings! They look like peacock feathers. I'm glad I didn't kill it.

Not your stereotypical rock star

I love this Intel ad. Nerd rock star!

Lovely light

The sun is going down and a rainstorm just passed. Lots of shadows and warm light that only comes after rain. One of my favorite types of light.

Well you're not living with me

This ad came in one of those coupon packs you get in the mail. You can do whatever you want lady, but your crabbiness is not living with me.

Cheeky Monkey

Dinner at Cheeky Monkey yesterday. (On Selby near the cathedral.) Quite a tasty treat! Very interesting but non-pretentious menu. The brownies are fabulous and almost the size of your skull.

Happy Birthday Sophie!

Silly, sweet Sophie turns 10 today!

Hints on using Facebook

I love this old-school take on how to use Facebook.

Where's the track?

This is in the hallway at work. It's on a big something or other that looks like a big flat panel. Maybe it's one of those toy race tracks.

Food pig (Pele eating)

My nephew Cale and I timed Pele. He eats in 20 seconds. I think there is no chewing involved. He's like a vacuum.

I bought a little camera

I bought a little camera to keep in my purse. I often see things that are pretty, odd or stupid and want to capture them. For example, I really like the shadows these plants make. There's something about morning shadows that delights me to no end.

The plants are right outside our office suite.

View from my home desk chair

This is the view from my home desk chair. I barely sit down and Pele's in the air and into my lap. 

Sophie the dictator

From the back, Sophie reminds me of the photos you see of dictators addressing their adoring crowds from a balcony high above. All hail Sophie the benevolent dictator!

Signs of spring

The bushes in front of my house are beginning to bloom. Hurray! I love how trees and bushes look all green and fuzzy this time of year.

Sunday follies

With two of my nieces today. This card came up in the Uno Attack game. I thought it meant that you have to swap teeth with the person next to you. I guess it means you need to swap cards.

Katy said she was going to draw a clown for me. I said that was OK as long as it wasn't a scary clown. Nice listening, Katy.

3 Ds and 6Ds

From this week's The Bugle podcast. It's sick but I enjoy it very much.

3 Ds of violence:

• dismantle
• demolish
• detonate

I sent these to EclectChick and she added three more:

• Dismember
• Decapitate
• D-exsanguinate

I love the Ira

I love Ira Glass, host of "This American Life." So smart. So funny. And that laugh. So nerdy and charming. This is a great interview on "The Colbert Report" last week.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Ira Glass
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Gay Marriage Commercial

I went to the show referenced in the interview. It was great! (It runs on radio the weekend of May 2-3.)

Going to see a radio seems like a strange thing to do. But it's such fun. I've seen numerous public radio shows live. Paid for tickets to see public radio shows live. I am just that kind of geek. I've never seen "Prairie Home Companion" live. It would be fun but I'm afraid it would be bluegrass night. That's the kind of music that plays non-stop in my version of hell.

Lovelies from the Walker

I bought these at a silent auction last week. They are from the shop at the Walker so of course they are lovely and a bit on the funky side.

"One to count on"

Friday's Pioneer Press had a great editorial about the Obama's dog, Bo, "One to count on." According to the writer there's been a lot of skuttlebutt (I love that word) about how Bo isn't a rescue dog. There are so many dogs in shelters waiting for homes. Never mind that Malia Obama has allergies that dramatically narrowed the possibilities.

The writer poo-poos the critics and focuses on Bo's role in the family.

His job is to provide unpredictable doggie high jinks for the first family, to put up with whatever silly hats Malia and Sasha try to get him to wear, and to be ready, 24-7, to present a loving, at times slobbering dog face to whichever Obama should need it at that moment.

It's fun to see the family playing with Bo on the lawn. And it's comforting to know that the president and his family have this source of unconditional love and laughter during these particularly trying times.

Mmmm... brunch

A lovely brunch today with the Hs. Eggs with a bit of avocado and Salsa Lisa. [eyes rolling back in head with delight] Homemade and colorful!

Police chase

From the Urban Dictionary:

parade maker

(n). A driver and/or car that goes consistently under the speed limit, causing a backup of 20+ cars, creating frustration and your ability to be where you want to be on time.

Why don't the police hand out tickets for this?

Misc. funny things from my nieces

I was talking to my niece Tori and had one of my frequent, I-can't-remember-what-I-was-going-to-say moments. She replied in a deep, gruff voice, "Think woman, think!"

My niece Katy, while walking by Pele whose tail was wagging, said "Hey, watch where you put that thing."

When her dog Billy got away from her on her walk, Tori ran after him and tackled him in the snow.

We have also adopted new names: Bertie (Tori), Cyril (Katy) and Gussy (me).

Lucidity souffle

Kelsey forwarded this wonderful nasty from Entertainment Weekly on a contestant and judge on American Idol.

Kara ran off the rails and handed her flaming caboose to Paula, whose lucidity souffle further collapsed thanks to some nonsense about "where beauty develops."

What kind of cupcake are you?

Fun quiz on bettycrocker.com. I'm a Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Sweet things, big dreams and a happy-go-lucky spirit. All are represented in Red Velvet Cupcakes; all are reasons these are the ones for you. Keep them to yourself or share with friends.

There's an awful lot of red food coloring! The old-school red food coloring made my brother Mike go batty.

Happy Easter everyone!

Nasty things courtesy of The Bugle

The Bugle is tied for first in my favorite podcasts list. (The other is the BBC News Quiz.) The hosts are well read, extremely clever and sometimes quite nasty. I love them.

I'm that kind of geek that writes down funny things I hear to share with others and perhaps use in day-to-day conversation. Three particularly nasties from recent shows: 

• [An event] sucked me into a hellmouth.
• Another base camp on the mountain of stupid.
• [Person's name] and reality have basically had a divorce.

And from another place:

• Supercollider of stupid Charlie Pierce on Only a Game
  
  

IRA flashback

Looking at the movie reviews this morning I flashed back to reading the newspaper while waiting in the car at my brother's elementary school. The story holding my attention was about Bobby Sands' hunger strike. Sands was in the IRA and in prison for possession of firearms.

"Hunger" is out today in Minneapolis/St. Paul. (I can't not be coincidence that it opens on Good Friday in honor of the Good Friday Agreement.) It's the story of the last six weeks of Sands' hunger strike in 1981. The movie looks compelling and horrifying. One that will leave my head full of questions that don't have immediate answers. (My favorite type of movie.)

If you're interested in the Troubles, Michael Collins and In the Name of the Father are both excellent, based-on-a-true-story glimpses into the madness and desperation in Northern Ireland. They help you understand a bit of the motivation for violence and will push you to empathize, painfully, with those brutalized on both sides. 

On a related note, take a look Chuck and Peg Hoffman's brilliant work with art and reconciliation in places like Northern Ireland. I heard them speak a couple of years ago. Their stories gave me goosebumps.

I love you Strong Bad

I was reminded of Homestar Runner and Strong Bad e-mails. Strong Bad is so horrible he's fabulous. 

Jesus People Movie

This looks painfully funny. The best line in the trailer: "People don't think we know how to have fun. Those people are liberals."

Spring sing-a-long

Spring is here. A perfect time for this little ditty by the talented and twisted Tom Lehrer.

April baby, defined

From the Urban Dictionary. I'm going to start using this ad nauseam.

April 1: april baby

A term coined by lil wayne, meaning a fool. "He's an april baby for thinking he could ever get with someone like her."

Who's the next Minnesota senator?

The election was in November. It's now April and the state of Minnesota still lacks a second senator. Norm Coleman and Al Franken are fighting over votes in the courts. So how can we settle it?

Dogs, cats and diplomats

The G20 Summit starts on Thursday. Lots of chatter about whether it will be successful. It's definitely unwieldy. 20 countries agreeing on something?

I think that tense sessions like this should include animals. I'm serious! I look at my goofy dogs and think, "How could you stay belligerent or cranky if you've just been playing with Sophie or Pele? Who doesn't melt at a puppy or kitten?" What if before a negotiation everyone sat down on the floor and played with some animals? I can't help but think that it would help the situation. It would humanize it. Bring in a little joy and laughter.

I tell the dogs that they would be a helpful and fun addition to like G20, peace talks, etc. But I'd have to come with them. 

Check out the very cool live blog and map on the Telegraph site. 

Loney, Dear

The Current always serves up great music that's new to me. I heard this one today by Loney, Dear (Emil Svanängen). Simply lovely!

How did he get in the tree?

From the TODAY show, video about a puppy who got stuck in a tree.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

And another treat for a cloudy day: Father Guido Sarducci on the Five-Minute University. Oh how I love Fr. Sarducci!

Calm down!

Louis C.K. on Conan O'Brien. We have it great but all we do is complain. We're all such babies.

Strand-up comedy

From today's Urban Dictionary e-mail:

Strand-up comedy
The way one's hair can look first thing in the morning, sticking straight up in all directions. When Bob woke up this morning, his hair looked like a strand-up comedy.

Monday sillies: with kittens!

To brighten your Monday morning. From the goofies at rathergood.com

Expunge that criminal record

Saw this ad and it made me laugh out loud. Well, more accurately, LQTM (laughing quietly to myself -- Demetri Martinism) Found the ad on Alltop -- a great news aggregator site by the way.

Despondex

In my opinion, if you use the phrase, "cool beans," you should be slapped. Not hard. But slapped.

FDA Approves Depressant Drug For The Annoyingly Cheerful

Think/thank ... hmmm...

From tut.com

Have you ever noticed that the only difference between "think" and "thank" is one letter?
I haven't decided what that means, but it's got to be absolutely HUGE.

Tallyho,
The Universe

More than this?

Maybe it's the never-ending winter. Maybe it's my job. Maybe it's the gray day. But this song really resonates today. And Peter Gabriel's voice calms me down.

2 laughs for Wednesday

The Bugle referred to Al-Qaeda as "Everyone's least-favorite independent filmmakers."

This photo from a Tweet by eBeth

Hell

There's a show on TV Land called High School Reunion. For me, a high school reunion is the epitome of hell. Throw in continual small talk, math (story problems, shiver) and country music and it's a big hellfire and damnation party.

Accident Hash: Black Lab

Accident Hash is a favorite* podcast. All sorts of independent bands. A fabulous song from Black Lab, "Perfect Girl". It's the first track after the morning-DJ-type intro (forward to 3:00 to skip it).Accident Hash

*The host can be quite annoying -- calling listeners "home fries" -- but the music is worth it.

5 good things

Five things good about today:

1. Peter Smith's very clever commentary about how to end the Minnesota Senate race: sumo wrestling.
   
   
2. Whad'ya Know now available as a full-length podcast.
3. Heard a lovely call and response between a couple of birds this morning.
   
4. The sun is shining.
   
5. Pele has not chewed on a library book in over a week.

Laika

Another beautiful ditty from Rather Good, the creator of the Fearsome Stomping Kittens and Looking for My Leopard.

In honor of Laika, the first dog in space.

More fun at Bush's expense

What's in the George S. Bush library? I'm not sure where this list came from but thanks to Karen for forwarding!

The George W. Bush Presidential Library is now in the planning stages and accepting donations. We urge you to support this effort because those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
The Library will include:

• The Hurricane Katrina Room, which is still under construction.
• The Alberto Gonzales Room, where you won't be able to remember anything.
• The Texas Air National Guard Room, where you don't even have to show up.
• The Walter Reed Hospital Room, where they don't let you in.
• The Guantanamo Bay Room, where they don't let you out.
• The Weapons of Mass Destruction Room, which no one has been able to find.
• The National Debt Room, which is huge and has no ceiling.
• The Tax Cut Room, with entry only to the wealthy.
• The Economy Room, which is in the toilet.
• The Iraq War Room; after you complete your first visit, they make you go back for a second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth visit.
• The Dick Cheney Room, in the famous undisclosed location, complete with shotgun gallery.
• The Gift Shop, where you can buy an election.
• The Decider Room, complete with dart board, magic 8-ball, Ouija board, dice, coins, and straws.

The library will also include many famous quotes by George W. Bush:

• "The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country."
• "If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."
• "Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child."
• "No senior citizen should ever have to choose between prescription drugs and medicine."
• "One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is "to be prepared"."
• "I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future."
• "We're have the best educated American people in the world."
• "Illegitimacy is something we should talk about in terms of not having it."
• "It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
• "I stand by all the misstatements that I've made."

I know you see the priceless nature of this collection. PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY!
Sincerely,
Jack Abramoff, Co-Chair
G.W. Bush Library Board of Directors

A Super Bowl ad worth the hype

I saw just a few Super Bowl ads yesterday. Mostly ho-hum. CareerBuilder's, however, was brilliant. It was like a British ad. Yes. It was that good.



By Wieden + Kennedy.

Super Bowl Sunday -- what else is there to watch?

Every year I threaten to have friends over for a Jane Austen film festival on Super Bowl Sunday. I'm not a football (American that is) fan and I like to have my little rebellion. Well, another year later and I haven't pulled it together. Oh well.

For those who wish to spend time with the television on Sunday, but want to avoid the football broo-ha-ha, mental_floss to the rescue: What else is on Super Bowl Sunday? Other than the Puppy Bowl, the list isn't exactly the best television has to offer. But the Biography channel's program on Charles Manson could be interesting.

On a completely different note, I'm really like this song from Laith al-Deen. The official video is disabled so take a listen to this one. No need to watch. That would be a waste of time.

Makes me feel smart

I love stories about stupid criminals. It's Schadenfreude along with a bit of superiority. "No matter what, I'd never by that stupid."

From News of the Weird. You can get their daily e-mail which is delightful in a twisted way.

Your Daily Losers
If you're a couple carrying $2.5m worth of cocaine, you might stay on the highway itself rather than driving on the shoulder, and more important, you might anticipate what your cover story's going to be if you get stopped. Like, if you're visiting "cousins," are they the husband's cousins or the wife's? If they're yours, why don't you know their names? When did you last see them (5 yrs ago, or last month)? Thus, Jose and Virginia Melendez and their 21-yr-old daughter are in lockup. Omaha World-Herald

Ummm, sorry about that

My friend Jeannie sent this to me. I don't know where it originated but it's indeed beautiful.

Dear World,

We, the United States of America, your top-quality supplier of the ideals of liberty and democracy, would like to apologize for our 2001-2008 interruption in service.

The technical fault that led to this eight-year service outage has been located and the software responsible was replaced on November 4, 2008.

Early tests of the newly installed program indicate we are now operating correctly and are fully-functional as of January 20, 2009.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the outage. We look forward to providing full service and hope to improve in years to come. We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

The United States Of America

Disturbing dance

I am not a fan of liturgical dance (free-form dancing during a worship service). I find it hard not to giggle. I know some people find it very moving and helpful in accentuating the biblical message. I am not one of them.

Here's the brilliantly silly Stephen Colbert with his take on "King of Glory." 

Sophisticated love song

Love can make us act a little crazy and sometimes stupid. The brilliant Hugh Laurie's take:

Proud to be an American

"This Land Is Your Land," is a song that made my teeth hurt. But on Sunday in the We Are One concert, I changed my mind. It fits the tone and hope running through the country. I actually sang along! For the first time in a long time I was proud to be an American.

What a day!

It still doesn't seem real. But it is! The President is Barack Obama. (I love the new White House site!) I'm hoping to see footage of people all over the world celebrating -- just like they did on election night.

This Candorville cartoon was in the Sunday paper. Totally gave me the chills. In a good way. See it larger and/or buy it here.

Elephant pal

This is a beautiful story. One day I'd like to have an animal sanctuary. All sorts of dogs that don't have homes. Mostly Pit Bulls, probably. It will be great.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Silly goodness

More silly goodness from Toothpaste for Dinner.


toothpastefordinner.com

'Cool' doesn't begin to describe it

Via the Color Association, a watch by Nicolas Meiresonne that changes color depending on the time of day. Amazing.

Nicolas explains, “I thought of a bracelet with a color that shows what time it is. Blue/green = morning, yellow/orange = noon , red/purple = evening and night. The colors rotate around the bracelet. The color on top indicates the current “time”. When one colour reaches the top for a second time, 24H have past.”

Another cool personality test

Via the EatonGolden blog. EG is a fabulous interactive firm.

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a Self-Knowing Tree Hugging Believer

Better than a resolution

From Jack Cheng, writing about Buckminster Fuller.

Buckminster Fuller saw each person as an experiment by the universe, and therefore each has important role in the greater story. Fuller believed that it was his responsibility to take on what the Universe called him to do and live as proof of what a single individual was capable of. With this sense of purpose, he was able to approach projects, successes and failures alike with gratitude and patience.

Oooh la la, Twittervision

I'm captivated by Twittervision. It's a world map and as people tweet you get the text, their profile photo and location on the map. The map scrolls around to follow the tweets. It's in real time. It's fun to see little bits of information from people all over the world. Who says the Web makes us less connected?

Focus for 2009

I like the idea of choosing a learning focus for the year. A focus that I wouldn't naturally navigate toward. (I got the idea from Peter Drucker, a big advocate of lifelong learning, who would focus on an area he knew nothing about for something like two or three years.)

For this year I think I'll focus on learning more about Asia. Yes, a bit broad! I'm thinking particularly of China and southeast Asia (e.g., Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam). Not just the wars but what are the cultures and people like? What are the histories? I'm hoping that in addition to being interesting, it will push my brain outside it's western-world focus. I know next to nothing about this area of the world. I'm notoriously distractable so it will be interesting to see if I can stay with this.

Earlier I thought I'd really challenge myself by concentrating on economics or something math related. I am not gifted in these areas and frankly, they freak me out. For longevity's sake it's probably best not to focus on something that makes my stomach seize up.

But for now I need to finish When the Astors Owned New York. It's not about Asia but it's another world -- ueber wealth -- I know nothing about.

High yellow

I just took a personality profile on ecademy.com, a business networking site kind of like LinkedIn. I just love personality profiles. They often help me to understand and appreciate more about myself. Although sometimes it seems as if someone else took the test. According to this test I am "High Yellow." It's pretty true. My comments are in italics.

High Yellows at a glance

You are gregarious, optimistic, fun loving, friendly, and can be a risk taker. You have good persuasive skills although you can be a dreamer and can get others caught up in your dreams.

You need to feel that you are getting the credit you deserve and will be quick to draw attention to your achievements. Draw attention? Not so much.

You are skilled at influencing others and use this ability to shape your environment to accomplish the results you need. You are both open and assertive with a preference for a fast paced and spontaneous work life.

When stressed you may become confrontational and wasteful of time. However when you are under stress others may view you as manipulative and over eager. Manipulative? Ouch. I prefer to think that I'm more "Let's keep this moving."

To help you increase your effectiveness High Yellows must control their time and emotions, develop an objective mind set, follow through, concentrate on tasks, and take a more logical approach. Concentrate? Oh yes. I'm even more distractable when really stressed.

Huh?

I often get posting ideas when I don't have the time or imagination to write. So I open up a new post, put in a draft title and a short description. I'll go back later and write something.

Most of the time it's helpful. But sometimes not. "I really thought that was funny enough to record?" "What does 'Vote for BBQ mean?'" (Vote for BBQ was a real idea.)

Redemption

This is a fabulous story of redemption (via Day to Day on NPR -- audio).

Skinhead and former victim's alliance
"For nearly three decades, Tim Zaal thought he had killed a man during his rage-filled youth. The idea haunted him, but he buried it with the rest of his skinhead past."

"This used to be my stomping grounds," says Zaal, standing on a street in West Hollywood, Calif., where he used to hang out in the early '80s. "Mostly punk rockers would hang out around here after concerts and we would be involved with violence on a regular basis. Violence for me, back in those days, was like breathing."

More from Al and his monkey chum

I love, love, love the PG Tips ads. Saw this one at the British Advertising Awards earlier this month.

My brother the philosopher

I recently learned this phrase from my brother Steve (aka JoJo): "It is what it is." I love it. It reminds me to not fight what I can't control. (As a control freak, this is not an easy task.)

Speaking of JoJo, he helped put out a big fire at a Taco Bell in Fargo. He isn't one of the speakers in the video but you can kind of see him. Names are stenciled on firefighters butts. Look for Thompson.

More reasons to love Obama

President-elect Obama is nominating people to his cabinet, and other posts, who have experience in the posts to which they are nominated. It's sad that this is newsworthy. A couple of examples, Treasury Secretary: Timothy Geithner, president of Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Energy Secretary: Steven Chu, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a Nobel Prize-winning physicist.

Another great example of the right person for the job: Jon Favreau, Obama's chief speech writer (in the Star Tribune via the Washington Post). He's only 27 years old but is completely in sync with the president-elect.

During the campaign, the 27-year-old with a buzz cut helped write and edit some of the most memorable speeches of any recent presidential candidate. When Obama moves to the White House next month, Favreau will join his staff as the youngest person to be selected as chief speechwriter. He helps shape almost every word Obama says, yet the two men have formed a concert so harmonized that Favreau's own voice disappears.

"He looks like he's in college and everybody calls him Favs, so you're like, 'This guy can't be for real, right?' " said Ben Rhodes, another Obama speechwriter. "But it doesn't take long to realize that he's totally synced up with Obama. . . . He has access to everything and everybody. There's a lot weighing on his shoulders." Rest of story.

Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas! It's a beautiful, quiet day today. Tomorrow is our family Christmas. The children descend and all hell will break loose. In a good way.

This is my Christmas card. A few years back my cousin Joni got a picture of me under one of those beauty shop dryer hoods. My annual weird/silly Christmas photo tradition was born.

Earlier this year I saw a photo similar to this at Bucca. I thought something similar would be perfect for my Christmas card. The original was very Town & Country. The woman in the photo, with her very sophisticated dog, was very refined and no doubt extremely wealthy (old money, of course). She likely holidayed at The Breakers, had a personal shopper at Nieman Marcus and a lifetime subscriptions to Gourmet and Town & Country. This is my interpretation.

Jude and Bill helped me take the photograph. Jude took the picture while Bill was off to one side keeping Sophie and Pele's attention with treats. The session was quite silly. And Laura, Photoshop whiz, made it the refined version you see here.

May the new year bring us all much joy!

Worst movies of the year

The Times has a list of the Top 100 worst movies of the year. The worst, not surprisingly, stars Paris Hilton. I don't think "Sex in the City" belonged there. It was a sweet movie. But if you didn't watch the show you might think it's banal. "Brideshead Revisited" wasn't all that bad. It was rather superficial and lacked the intensity of the book and miniseries. But still. I does not belong on a list with "House Bunny."

I was happy to see the Hannah Montana movie on the list. What are her parents thinking? Her mug is on everything imaginable. I haven't seen a Hannah Montana toaster yet. If there isn't one I'm sure there will be soon. Well done, parents. Nothing like whoring out your kid.

Jingle Bells

One of my favorite Christmas songs is "Jingle Bells," sung by Lena Horne. Normally I don't like this song -- to syrupy. She adds oomph and jazziness.

The song was on one of my Mom and Dad's Christmas records. This was on one of those we played over and over in the lead up to Christmas. We'd play records and sit under the tree looking at the packages. We'd put the little Christmas lights under wrapping paper seams in a futile attempt to see what was inside. My Mom was very clever. She'd put a number on each present and not replace with a name until right before we opened presents. We had no idea who was getting which presents. It drove us all crazy!

The photo at right is me and my brother Mike.

Thanksgiving message from the Mutts

It says, "We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." -- Thornton Wilder. From Mutts.

Smart talk from the man

'What's in it for me' is not good for anyone.
--Barack Obama

Obama was on Meet the Press yesterday. Every time Tom Brokaw referred to him as President-elect Obama I smiled.

Peace via dancing

This is just wonderful.

Matt Harding traveled through many nations on Earth, started dancing, and filmed the result. The video is perhaps a dramatic example that humans from all over planet Earth feel a common bond as part of a single species. Happiness is frequently contagious -- few people are able to watch the above video without smiling.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Good advice for tough economic times

From The Bugle, my very most favorite podcast, a great idea to save money this holiday.

Start a bitter family fight beginning in December and keep it going until Christmas Eve. By then you'll have no time to shop so you'll save a lot of money. You'll also give "the greatest gift of all: love. And simmering grudges that will flare up at all future family gatherings."

Well done little man

Via News of the Weird and titled, "Warm up a cell right now for this 5-year-old because it's just a matter of time."

Dad tells 5-year-old, 'You did the crime, you walk the line'

ALYSSA BETTS
November 28th, 2008
A TERRITORY man has been making his five-year-old son walk two-and-a-half hours to school every day, after he was kicked off the school bus.

When Jack Burt confessed that he'd been banned for five days for hitting the bus driver in the head with an apple core, dad Sam thought he should learn the hard way.

He and Jack last week were getting up at 5.10am for the dusty 13km-hike from the Darwin rural area of Herbert, all the way to Humpty Doo.

The boy did not learn his lesson. When he returned to the bus he was in trouble after only three stops. More.

From Northern Territory News

Maybe I shouldn't have taken the corporate jet

Well done. CEOs from the big American car makers went to Washington this week asking for money to keep them afloat. They flew in on their corporate jets and didn't bring a plan that outlines what they plan to do with the money. Scott Simon (NPR, Weekend Edition Saturday) likened this cluelessness to showing up at a soup kitchen in a top hat and tails.

Don't these people have minders? Trusted advisers that would at least counsel that if you're asking for $25 billion to get you out of dire financial circumstances perhaps you should fly commercial? Let alone showing up without a plan. "I need 25 billion dollars." "What do you plan to do with that money?" "I need 25 billion dollars."

Or is it just plain arrogance?

Ximena Sarinana

Scott Simon interviewed Ximena Sarinana on Morning Edition Saturday. She has a crooner style and her voice is gorgeous! Take a listen.

Video from YouTube for "Normal" below



You can hear more, beautiful full-length songs from her CD Mediocre on her MySpace page.

A Dumb Dare that needs to be tried

Phone a colleague's extension and ask if you can ring them right back in a moment. Put the phone down and don't call back.

From my Dumb Dares for the Office calendar. This really would mess with someone's mind. That is extremely appealing to me.

Photography inspiration

This inspires me to take and display more photographs of everyday objects (from 20x200). I purchased this and will hang it in my bathroom.

10 best RV commercials according to Facebook users

Includes this one from FedEx


Via Silicon Alley Insider
Posted using ShareThis

Word of the day: skive

I heard this new-to-me word on The Bugle podcast. I like it very much.

skive
Noun. An evasion of one's tasks, a period of shirking.
Verb. To evade doing one's work or duties, to truant. E.g."Every Friday afternoon you can guarantee he'll be skiving and getting drunk down the pub.

Former London Mayor, (Red) Ken Livingstone used it to describe diplomats who are refusing to pay London congestion fees.

My horoscope via The Onion

I usually pay no attention to horoscopes. The Onion is the exception. Here's today's.

Horoscope: Libra
They say you have the kind of a face only a mother could love, but that's mainly because she feels guilty about all the drinking.

Silly toothpaste

I love Toothpaste for Dinner.


toothpastefordinner.com

Miriam Makeba

Miriam Makeba, the beautiful voice of South Africa, died today. Her voice against apartheid led to the revocation of her citizenship in the 1960s. She returned after Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990. Rest in peace.

Home

Last night I got back from a tech conference in Tampa. I loved the conference -- and the great catch-up time with my colleague CloEve -- but I was so glad to be home. I got in my car started it up. The radio came on and Prairie Home Companion was just starting. Audio substantiation: I am home.


*Snaps to the airport shuttle drivers for TEAM Parking (on Shepard and Davern). Their drivers are always so friendly and helpful. I won't park anywhere else.

Cool stuff from Veer

Veer has a lovely assortment of things you don't need but want. You can get this on a t-shirt. I would like one that says, "I write stuff all day." Maybe I'll have to wander over to Cafe Press and make my own.









They also sell a shirt with this on it. But I think I'd feel too pressured to prove myself all day.

Puppy love

I just love these sweet, silly pups.

Sunbathing beauties.

Completely knackered after trick-or-treating with Tori & Katy.

Best inventions of 2008

Surprise! Non-election news. Time's 50 Best Inventions of 2008 (via psfk on Twitter)

Invention of the Year: The Retail DNA Test
2. The Tesla Roadster
3. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
4. Hulu.com
5. The Large Hadron Collider

Thank goodness for Hulu*. Otherwise I'd be totally clueless about the top 5. OK, I know about the Large Hadron Collider but cannot get my brain around it.

The rest of the list.

*Full-length episodes of great shows like Bones, The Daily Show, The Simpsons, etc. -- all in one place. Some movies, too.

Fab-u-lous

A talented video editor + lots of time = very funny video. Thanks hmatkin! (Via zeFrank)

Boy bands & the election

Best campaign video. Ever.

Who are these people?

Great story in the The New Yorker about the undecideds, by the brilliant David Sedaris. It is a wonder of the universe. Who are these people? {Said in a an exasperated, slightly condescending tone.]

Undecided
David Sedaris
The New Yorker, Oct. 27, 2008
I don’t know that it was always this way, but, for as long as I can remember, just as we move into the final weeks of the Presidential campaign the focus shifts to the undecided voters. “Who are they?” the news anchors ask. “And how might they determine the outcome of this election?”

Palin as President

This has been almost everywhere but I still want to share the love. When you get to the site, click all over the photograph. Lots of lovely surprises!

Vote on Tuesday! Vote on Tuesday!

A joke for Halloween

I heard this one on the Colbert Report (hands down the silliest show on television):

What does Karl Marx put on his pasta?

Communist Mani-pesto.

Happy Halloween!

Lovely insult

Heard this one from John (you know who you are):

You've completely met my expectations.

What kind of genius are you?

A great story by Daniel Pink in Wired about two type of creatives.

What Kind of Genius Are You?
A new theory suggests that creativity comes in two distinct types – quick and dramatic, or careful and quiet.
By Daniel H. Pink

In the fall of 1972, when David Galenson was a senior economics major at Harvard, he took what he describes as a “gut” course in 17th-century Dutch art. On the first day of class, the professor displayed a stunning image of a Renaissance Madonna and child. “Pablo Picasso did this copy of a Raphael drawing when he was 17 years old,” the professor told the students. “What have you people done lately?” It’s a question we all ask ourselves. What have we done lately? It rattles us each birthday. It surfaces whenever an upstart twentysomething pens a game-changing novel or a 30-year-old tech entrepreneur becomes a billionaire. The question nagged at Galenson for years...

...Now, however, Galenson might have done something at last, something that could provide hope for legions of late bloomers everywhere. Beavering away in his sunny second-floor office on campus, he has scoured the records of art auctions, counted entries in poetry anthologies, tallied images in art history textbooks – and then sliced and diced the numbers with his econometric ginsu knife. Applying the fiercely analytic, quantitative tools of modern economics, he has reverse engineered ingenuity to reveal the source code of the creative mind. More.

Via Accidental Creative -- one of the best sites on the Web.

The ad awards are coming! The ad awards are coming!

The British Advertising Awards are at the Walker in December. Hooray! I gladly pay to watch advertising that's original and clever. My favorite from last year was for PG Tips. I've called my nieces and nephews 'monkey chums' ever since.