Nobody Knows!

Let's see, How do I do this posting thing again?

Wow! It's been a while since my last post.

I've had a challenging time finding my way around the system but - Lo!

I have found a way to recognize genius!

Having A Dog's Holiday?

Now this really took some work. You've got to appreciate the commitment.

Now get out there and do your Christmas shopping!

Thanksgiving - A little bit of History

Have you ever wondered when and how the Thanksgiving Holiday came to be in the United States?

Here's a bit of the history:

Have you forgotten about this famous Linclon Proclamation?



Proclamation of Thanksgiving
Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863
This is the proclamation which set the precedent for America's national day of Thanksgiving. During his administration, President Lincoln issued many orders similar to this. For example, on November 28, 1861, he ordered government departments closed for a local day of thanksgiving.

Sarah Josepha Hale, a 74-year-old magazine editor, wrote a letter to Lincoln on September 28, 1863, urging him to have the "day of our annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festival." She explained, "You may have observed that, for some years past, there has been an increasing interest felt in our land to have the Thanksgiving held on the same day, in all the States; it now needs National recognition and authoritive fixation, only, to become permanently, an American custom and institution."

Prior to this, each state scheduled its own Thanksgiving holiday at different times, mainly in New England and other Northern states. President Lincoln responded to Mrs. Hale's request immediately, unlike several of his predecessors, who ignored her petitions altogether. In her letter to Lincoln she mentioned that she had been advocating a national thanksgiving date for 15 years as the editor of Godey's Lady's Book.

The document below sets apart the last Thursday of November "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise." According to an April 1, 1864, letter from John Nicolay, one of President Lincoln's secretaries, this document was written by Secretary of State William Seward, and the original was in his handwriting. On October 3, 1863, fellow Cabinet member Gideon Welles recorded in his diary how he complimented Seward on his work. A year later the manuscript was sold to benefit Union troops.

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward,
Secretary of State


For the source of this document, follow this link: ThanksgivingProclamation;









And here's more......

Happy Thanksgiving!

More Crazy Commercials

Let Go of my Wiener schnitzel!

Once Bitten.... Halloween is Coming!

I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last post. I've been fighting off my personal demons and trying to resist the temptation to blog but to no avail.....

So here I am, posting again. Big surprise huh?

As every true Blogger knows, "Once you are truly bitten by the Blog Bug, you're doomed."

No matter what you do, your life is forever changed. Both meaningful and insignificant life events are now somehow twisted and seen through the lens of a blog post.


And so it goes......

I was channel surfing the other day and passed through an old 80's movie - Once Bitten- featuring the multi-talented Jim Carrey. I'd forgotten how truly talented he is/was.




Did you notice the part where Jim Carrey plays his leg like a guitar? Don't try that at home!

This movie was filmed around 1985.

By the way, I'd also forgotten how sexy Lauren Hutton looked on the big screen.

I still remember her great role in American Gigolo

Anyway, since it's the Halloween weekend, I thought sharing some ghoulish humor might be a nice segway back into my blogging. It's also a nice place to eye some good Halloween costume ideas. Look in the crowd, there just might be something there for you.

Enjoy the weekend.

Creative Card Tricks!

You look like you could use a break from the grind!

Watch this guy....

James Galea at The 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala for Oxfam Australia.


He's good!

Lady Gaga speaks on "Creative Energy"

If you google "Creative Energy" you'll be led to a variety of sites. And if you follow the links from there, one link will take you to the "premier Hot Spring Spa and Avalon Stove dealer for the entire San Francisco Bay Area!" Another will lead you an advertising, marketing, and public relations firm. Still another takes you to the "creator of the most energy efficient Roman shade."


But if you Google Lady Gaga about Creative Energy .....

(Don't you just love the way that sounds?)

You get an entirely different answer. Just ask Vanity Fair!

Photograph by Nick Knight.

I'd like to point you in the direction of a Vanity Fair interview by Lisa Robinson in which the Lady Gaga discusses the subject of "Creative Energy."

Lady Gaga tells Vanity Fair contributing editor Lisa Robinson that she tries to avoid having sex because she is afraid of depleting her creative energy—“I have this weird thing that if I sleep with someone they’re going to take my creativity from me through my vagina.”



She also says that she doesn’t trust anybody and doesn’t know if she ever will. Gaga tells Robinson, “I’m perpetually lonely. I’m lonely when I’m in relationships. It’s my condition as an artist.” Regarding men, she says, “I’m drawn to bad romances. And my song [“Bad Romance”] is about whether I go after those [sort of relationships] or if they find me. I’m quite celibate now; I don’t really get time to meet anyone.” see the entire article: click here



Lady Gaga goes on to discuss her drug use, her appearance at a Yankees game and what she wore to her sister's graduation.

I'm enlightened. And further, I now know the truth behind her song "Bad Romance."

check out the video:

Just Imagine....

Imagine one day you're at sea, sailing... sailing ... sailing.... away.

Life is pleasant and peaceful. Picture yourself parked on something like this:

There's lots of activity around you. All the people are laughing and having fun.

The next thing you know you're no longer sailing. In a millisecond, all that you had in front of you has vanished.... You're now holding on frantically to the only thing in sight - a small piece of driftwood; the only remnant of the posh life you left behind you hours ago.

You look around in all directions but there's no one or nothing in sight.

You look to the North.....


Here's your view:

You look to the South, here's what you see:

The East and the West yield similar views.

You focus on the horizon and hope for the best. Your mind starts to make a mental note of the rhythm of the waves as you stare and imagine each speck is not merely a figment of your imagination but actually a ship coming to rescue you from impending doom......

A few days ago, I parked myself in front of the above view for a few hours. Partnered with a good book, some water and shade I felt that I had truly found paradise. I felt so relaxed. Too relaxed if you will.



Never one to be encumbered by routine.... I think I relaxed myself into a state of confusion. I stopped at one point and actually drifted into fantasy. I wondered..... what would it be like to be stranded at sea. Nothing around me for miles. No telephones, traffic, loud music, or television. Not even the simple familiar pattern of speech to occupy my attention. Nothing but the sound of the water and the wind blowing over my head. The pain from the sun baking my exposed skin is interrupted by the occasional relief of a bird flying by and blocking the suns' powerful rays, if only for a second. The monotony is broken only when I stop thinking about the threat from above and focus on the predators below the surface of the water. I realize that the bleeding scrape on my shin is more than just a stinging reminder of the salt water around me but a crimson invitation to deadly creatures in all directions. My fear of what lies beneath the surface of the water takes a second place to the fact that there's no water to drink and no one around to share my misery and desperation. Every minute that passes brings me a flash memory of loved ones, friends, family, and the simple comforts that I've grown accustomed to. I struggle to stay afloat.... my arms and legs tire but I keep kicking and paddling.... never giving up hope!



Yikes... Enough of this nightmare.

Time for some coffee and a muffin!



And back to the good life!

Have a beautiful Day!

Do make the best of it!

Tequilla Sunrise? or Tequilla Sunset?

Yes, sounds like a great name for a cocktail huh? (giggle)


A glass of wine? A cold beer? A classic martini? Maybe just a cool sip of water........

The choice is yours!

That's not my boat!

You can stop it with the cards, letters, flowers, and emails.....

I just got another email from a "Friend" asking if this was my boat and asking if I'm okay. :)






Interesting story huh? And talk about being in the right place at the right time with your camera ready.

Happy Summer!

Diana Nyad - Courageous and Determined!

Wanna hear something inspiring?

"Diana Nyad "

Simply said.... The name is inspiring enough. But here's the story anyway.

In 1979, Diana Nyad stroked her way into the history books by completing the longest swim (men or women) in written history. The path --from the island of Bimini to the Florida shore-- 102.5 miles. Apparently, that incredible record still stands today.


But here's the most inspiring part - 30 years later, Diana will make her second attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida... Yep. non-stop; sharks, sunburn, dehydration, and jelly fish included.

Her first attempt was thwarted by a storm. Here's part of what happened:

41 hours and 49 minutes later, Diana's team was pulling her out of the sea – battered, delirious, ravaged by jellyfish, scarred by the salt water; and only 50 miles from where she had started. That left her almost 60 miles from her intended landing spot see full story

Diana Nyad

In her words talking about her 102.5 mile swim: "I knew that this was going to be my last swim. I was 30 years old and I thought, it's about time I grow up and join the job market. And you know, as an athlete, it's part of the tragedy of sports, is that you have to retire when you're young. Nevertheless, I was swimming 102.5 miles, from the Bahamas to Florida, and it took a long time. It took many, many long hours. But in the end, when I saw the shore, of course, some of the perspective started flooding. But the way to do it is not to think of the big picture. It's to think of stroke by stroke and do it as perfectly as you can."




Now she's at it again.... Watch these videos taken during her 24 hour practice swim:

Impressive... I'm inspired.

How will she do it? Stroke by Stroke!

Wish her luck.

Creative Ideas! SSI Shredding Systems

The other day my paper shredder jammed. I was trying to figure out if I should repair it or buy a new one.

I came across this while surfing the web:

SSI Shredding Systems...

SSI designs, manufactures and supports industrial shredders and size reduction solutions for a wide array of applications from alternative fuels processing to tire shredders.




How do you eat an Elephant? One bite at a time.

How do you eat a Volkswagon? Watch This!




Fascinating!


So if you're looking for a quick way to get rid of some of the extra junk around your house, Maybe you should consider buying one of these gigantic shredders and keeping it in your back yard. Just think, your neighbors will love you!

Who said bigger isn't better?

In My Head?

It's summer, and summer for me means travel ...... travel ..... and then more travel........

Fortunately, I LOVE to travel. I don't like crowded airports very much but that has just been the cost of doing business lately so I've learned to just tolerate the lines and crowded security checkpoints etc., I've re-defined the word patience and embraced the entire concept more dearly.

Alternatively, I've had the chance recently, to jump in the car and do a bit of driving around the "Good Old USA." That has been quite fun indeed. You get a completely different flavor driving through the heartland of America and seeing things at a different pace and up close and personally. I'll certainly cherish my memories from a Truck Stop in northern central California just last week. I'm not sure I've ever seen so many tattoos in one place at one time. But the coffee sure was good! And boy did I have to pee. I can't tell you the things I learned while standing at the urinal in the bathroom and listening to a few truckers. (I'll eventually get around to throwing some photos on the blog from my travels)

Driving on the open road was quite nice. For me, there's something a bit romantic about throwing a few bags in the car, strapping a vehicle to your back, popping in a few tunes and then hitting the open road. I just love the freedom of traveling that way. No schedules, no time crunches, no dead-lines.... It's just you and the road.

Anyway, all this driving got me to thinking about poetry. In particular, a piece by Robert Frost popped into my head and it's been roaming around there for a few days. You ever get a song stuck in your head? No matter what you do, the song keeps spinning around in your brain until finally you threaten to kill yourself and in the interest of self-preservation your brain finds something else to think about. Well that's kind of where I am with the Frost piece. I'm hoping that if I put it down on paper, well in this case - on Blog - I'll be able to move on to something else.

Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) as you may know, was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. He is a very popular and frequently-quoted poet. Frost was honored during his lifetime and actually received four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.

Robert Frost

Here's the poem that's stuck in my head:


Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Random Stop Signs, Traffic Lights, Bad Drivers, and Accidents!

You may not want to believe your eyes when you view this video!

Initially, I found it pretty painful to watch. Once or twice I scratched my head and wondered if it was possible that the infamous "Jane Turley" was at the wheel during some of these crashes - Silly me, I'm confident that she's a much better driver than most of these people.






Wow... from now on I'll view traffic lights and stop signs quite differently. There's something to be said for order and predictability. Watching this video was vexatious Indeed! Those pedestrians getting pummeled was hard to watch sober! Ouch!

And the "smash up derby" with the folks on bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles will surely induce PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

My recommendation is that you knock back a few of your favorite adult, alcoholic beverages and then watch this video. That way, it might give you a bit of a giggle.

From what I could discover, this Youtube video shows Traffic accidents captured on CCTV in China.

If you're traveling to that part of the world this summer, be careful .... It's dangerous out there!