Dance dance revolutions

I've decided that today is:
DANCE DANCE WEDNESDAY

Everyone loves talking about Tapoos

It's true... so very true. Not neccessarily taboos, but not polite. Like, in spite of my manners, I started a topic on the MS20somethings myspace site about poop... it's the one topic that's had the most hits this year on their site! It's simply because someone (I) had had enough of not knowing about a subject that people don't talk about. I was frustrated in not knowing about MS and bowel movements being related... turns out a lot of people have felt that way and everyone was releived (haha) to have the subject finally broached. So don't be afraid to speak your mind, don't hold anything in... especially when it comes to holding stuff in!
Sorry guys, I just had to spread the word that it's okay to not be polite on the subject matter, as long as you are polite to one another in talking about it. :P

Chris Flinstone

Sometimes I feel like Wilma Flinstone. Not because I feel like a sexy pre-historic red-head... but because Chris' newest hobby/sport:
BOWLING
It's good to see him active in something. And since it's indoors he'll be doing it all year round. There are a lot of people here in a league and he's on the team. It's fun, but I like to tease him I feel like Wilma because he's doing it so much.
I've even made a deal with him that for every frame that has less than 8 pins down he has to do a set of 10 push ups and sit ups. This was devised because he complained that it wasn't really a "sport" or "excersize"... so I made up this rule. Haha.
Anyway, hope all is going well, just a basic update... mainly because he just left to go bowling with the guys.

Loss of Wisdom

Alright, I went today to the dentist who as really nice (Dr. Dean) and she said that my teeth were in perfectly good shape, minus the two wisdom teeth coming in. I just went for a routine cleaning. But now I've got a consultation with an orthodontic sergon to take my two wisdom teeth out (yes, I only have two... I must not be that smart). I'm nervous, but it's not gonna happen for a while, so I'm actually not bad. I have a consultation when we get back from Ok, July 7th. Fun, fun, fun.

Movin' Out

I'm so excited! We're nearly out of the old house and into the new! There are tons of boxes littering my living room, but I'm fine with that. I'm just happy that the other house is emptying out. Chris is getting excited too.
The chin's have been moved, and are enjoying their clean "new" home (same cage, just reformatted). We try to take the pups over every day, walk them about and get to know the neighborhood, and neighborhood kids. Pixi is being pickey and just whines and whines when we're moving the boxes running in and out of the house. She's even tried to get out from under the fence. Tira, on the other hand, just stays calmly indoors and watches us, waiting for us to let her check out the stuff we bring in.
Pixi, the poor dear, has been acting like an abandoned child and just following us around everywhere she can, even trying to guard the bathroom for me a time or two.
Anyway... back to the house! We're getting the big truck to move stuff this upcoming weekend. So the remaining part of this week is moving the small stuff and moving it around, so that there's room for the furniture when it gets here. Ohh, excitement!
We're trying to sell one of the former MFAs the fridge that's in the new house and one of the washer/dryer sets. We haven't heard back from him, but we need to know before this weekend. Grrrrr.
Chris has completely changed the locks over and loves the new presspad system he put in. He thinks it is the coolest... and I do too. I can't wait to actually spend a night there, though. I keep waiting, urgh.

Home Sweet Home

This should probably go under News & Views but I thought about it and it's such good news I can't help but put it here. I've got a new home! I'm so excited. I'll be moving into it next month.
I'll tell you more about it later, but I'm so drugged right now It's hard to make complete sentences... I've had to go back a few times already now. Love you all, I'll send pictures later.

Revelry

I've found this great cool web-site: www.reverendfun.com
It's got some cute, religiously based, comics that are actually pretty funny. Here's one I thought fit on this page... but check it out for yourself.

MS150!!!

The MS 150 is right around the corner. Graham Lowrey is my pedal partner again this year. You can go and support him here. He's the co-captain this year and is hoping he and his team exceed the $3,000 from last year! Go and support him. His company is matching all funds raised, so please donate! You can do so via the link. The MS 150 has already raised $4.2 million so far! If you'd like to learn more, just go to http://ms150.org/

Happy Easter

Build your own Blingee



Keep going to www.bythebridgephotography.com/contest.html and voting for PC 15!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Go to this website to check out the history of St. Patrick's Day


Build your own Blingee

Sammy Boy!

Ohh! I found the cutest pictures of little Sam! He's such a doll! Go check out his site here:
http://growingsam.blogspot.com/
I wasn't able to post comments, but I absolutely love the one of him by the big snowman on the bench and the one where he's peaking out from under his chair... oh, and the one at Christmas with the huge smile on his face! He's absolutely adorable. Check out the slide shows, and his awesomely fun twin sisters.

VOTE PC 15!!!

Hey everyone,
I've recently entered my dogs (Chris' dog Tira & my little Pixi) in the Pet Supplies Plus "Cutest Pets" Contest.
I'm trying to win this poll and some other dog is way ahead. I need you all to VOTE as best you can EVERY DAY! It takes one vote a day per computer! But other than that you can vote as many times as you'd like (even go into the store and vote!)... So, vote at home, work, school, coffee shops, wherever! The contest ends at the end of April, and the winner gets free dog food for a year! So spread the word for me, get everyone you know to vote for PC 15, and get them to spread the word, too!!!
The Web page is : http://www.bythebridgephotography.com/contest.html
I know ti's a bit biase, but I'd really like it if you'd vote for my dogs: PC 15

Please vote for PC 15!!!

Just News

Okay, so today was a weird day and I don't know if this blog entry should actually be in Job, but I thought it was funny, so it's here.
Today I was locked out of my house... again. I was wearing my summer pajamas, houseslippers, and long coat when Pixi decided to run the other way instead of going to the back. I quickly stopped her from running away, but in the process I slammed the door so Tira wouldn't escape outside and run either. Silly me... I didn't have a key! Everything was well locked, and I didn't have my phone. I must have looked pretty odd running around the house trying all the windows and doors.
I am, however, happy to report that our house is very safe! I won't tell you how I got in, I'll just say Chris and I have some shopping to do after work today. I got in with enough time to get ready for work, and run out... with my keys.
Oye, vey!

I'm not as crazy as I thought...

Which Britney Spears Are You?
created by Catherine
Your Results:
Stable Britney
You are quite happy with your achievements and you just keep on winning. You love your life and your goal is to continue living a well balanced life of work, family, friends, and boyfriend! People admire you and you love that, but you some of your favorite things about life includes good home cooking, dance, passion and of course, shopping!

28 Days Later

Why February gets the shaft.
By Melonyce McAfee
Posted Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2007, at 6:51 PM ET

The shortest month of the year seems to have gone by in a flash. Why does February have only 28 days?

It's the Romans' fault. Our modern calendar is loosely based on their old, confusing one. Though records on the Roman calendar are sparse and sketchy, legend has it that Romulus, the first king of Rome, devised a 10-month lunar calendar that began at the spring equinox in March and ended with December. It is unclear whether there were any official months between December and March, but it's likely they were left off because the wintertime wasn't important for the harvest.

The second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, decided to make the calendar more accurate by syncing it up with the actual lunar year—which is about 354 days long. Numa tacked on two months—January and February—after December to account for the new days.

The new months each had 28 days. But that didn't sit well with Numa because even numbers were considered bad luck at the time. So, he added a day on to January, giving the year an odd-numbered 355 days. No one knows why February was left with 28 and remained an unlucky month. It may be related to the fact that Romans honored the dead and performed rites of purification in February. (The word februare means "to purify" in the dialect of the ancient Sabine tribe.)

The 355-day calendar couldn't stay in sync with the seasons because it didn't account for the amount of time it took for the Earth to orbit the sun. So, an extra "intercalary" month of 27 days was inserted after February 23 every couple of years or so to even things out. The pontiffs who were in charge of calendar upkeep didn't always add the extra month on schedule. (Some officials took advantage of the system to extend their time in office, for example.)

In around 45 B.C., Julius Caesar commissioned an expert to put aside the lunar origins of the Roman calendar and make it sun-based, like the Egyptian one. Caesar added 10 days to the calendar year and an extra day in February every four years. (The leap-year day was inserted after the 23rd, the same time as the old intercalary month.) Now, the year averaged out to 365.25 days, very close to the actual average length of a year: 365.2425 days (and even that varies).

Some have speculated that Caesar added a day to February when he reformed the calendar—making it 29 days long. The story goes that when the Senate renamed the month of Sextilis to honor the emperor Augustus, that day was subtracted from February and added to August in order to make it equal in number to July—the month named for Caesar. But this theory is now believed to be bunk; it's likely that Julius never even added a day to February.

New News Blogger

Alright, because I've become somewhat obsessed with the weird news on Fark, I've noticed I've been sharing more and more of those stories on my home blogger page (this one). That's all about to change!! I've started a new page of weird, amazing, crazy, cool, and/or informative news that I find interesting. That means I won't be filling up this page every day with informational news, so it might be blank more often, but feel free to check out the News & Views page... have fun.

WTF!! Phantom Sequel

Is a Phantom Sequel in the Works?

By Andrew Gans
and Kenneth Jones
20 Feb 2007

The on-again, off-again sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera seems to be in the on-again mode.

In his Feb. 16 blog, the award-winning composer writes, "I can confirm what I told the studio audience whilst on the set of 'You're The One That I Want' last week in the U.S., that I am considering writing a sequel to Phantom of the Opera based on an idea presented to me over a decade ago. I will be returning to the U.K. shortly and hopefully have a blog for you, but let's just say, I am full of ideas!"

Lloyd Webber had previously written "The Heart Is Slow to Learn," a song for a Phantom sequel. That song was unveiled to the public at the televised London concert celebrating Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday. Kiri Te Kanawa performed the ballad. The composer later dropped the idea of the sequel and chose to collaborate on the musical The Beautiful Game.

The winner of seven 1988 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, The Phantom of the Opera became the longest-running show in Broadway history on Jan. 9, 2006. It surpassed Cats' record-holding run of 7,485 performances. The musical at the Majestic Theatre recently celebrated its 19th birthday on Broadway Jan. 26.

The musical, based on the Gaston Leroux novel, has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and is directed by Harold Prince. Lyrics are by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe) and the book is by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Rambo goes for another tour!

SLY Stallone is making his new Rambo film without blockbuster action scenes for the hero.

The 60-year-old star hopes his fourth movie featuring the Vietnam veteran will follow the success of Rocky Balboa.

Sly said: “It’ll be Rambo reaching old age and dealing with that and a new threat.

“He won’t be outrunning helicopters and dropping napalm. It’s more of an emotional journey.”

Filming on John Rambo is due to begin later this year.

Uses for Ear Hair

Saturday, February 17, 2007
Ear-hair powered space-suits

NASA is investigating the use of a protein found in human ear-hair as a means of powering space suits. The protein converts motion into electrical energy -- and if it's augmented with an electricity-conducting microbe, it could form self-healing, semi-living "skins" that convert Martian wind and even the jogging and walking of astronauts into juice.

They are focusing on a protein called prestin, which is found in the outer hair cells of the human ear. In the cell membranes of these cells, prestin converts electrical voltage into motion, elongating and contracting the cell. This movement amplifies sound in the ear.

However, prestin can also work in reverse, producing electrical charges in response to mechanical stresses, such as tiny vibrations. Each protein is only capable of making nanowatts of electricity, but Matthew Silver and Kranthi Vistakula, both of IntAct Labs, believe that many proteins used together may be able to power small devices or help charge a battery...

But eventually, they say networks of the proteins could form 'power skins' to coat spacesuits, so that the astronauts' natural movement would be able to generate power for their equipment. The skins could also wrap around buildings on the Red Planet, where gusts of wind would activate prestin.

Which Disney Princess Do You Relate Best To?
Snow White YOU ARE SNOW WHITE!!!!
Take The Quiz Now!	Quizzes by myYearbook.com

Anniversary!!!

Today is Chris and I's 1 Year Anniversary!!!

US Navy uses Dolphins with Freaking Lasers!!!

Navy May Deploy Anti-Terrorism Dolphins

By THOMAS WATKINS
Associated Press Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Dozens of dolphins and sea lions trained to detect and apprehend waterborne attackers could be sent to patrol a military base in Washington state, the Navy said Monday. In a notice published in this week's Federal Register, the Navy said it needs to bolster security at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, on the Puget Sound close to Seattle.
The base is home to submarines, ships and laboratories and is potentially vulnerable to attack by terrorist swimmers and scuba divers, the notice states.
Several options are under consideration, but the preferred plan would be to send as many as 30 California sea lions and Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins from the Navy's Marine Mammal Program, based in San Diego.
"These animals have the capabilities for what needs to be done for this particular mission," said Tom LaPuzza, a spokesman for the Marine Mammal Program.
LaPuzza said that because of their astonishing sonar abilities, dolphins are excellent at patrolling for swimmers and divers. When a Navy dolphin detects a person in the water, it drops a beacon. This tells a human interception team where to find the suspicious swimmer.
Dolphins also are trained to detect underwater mines; they were sent to do this in the Iraqi harbor of Umm Qasr in 2003. The last time the animals were used operationally in San Diego was in 1996, when they patrolled the bay during the Republican National Convention.
Sea lions can carry in their mouths special cuffs attached to long ropes. If the animal finds a rogue swimmer, it can clamp the cuff around the person's leg. The individual can then be reeled in for questioning.
The Navy is seeking public comment for an environmental impact statement on the proposal.
The Navy wanted to deploy marine animals to the Northwest in 1989, LaPuzza said, but a federal judge sided with animal-rights activists concerned about the effects of cooler water, as well as how the creatures would affect the environment. Water in the Puget Sound is about 10 degrees cooler than in San Diego Harbor, which has an average temperature of about 58 degrees, LaPuzza said.
Since then, the Navy has taken the dolphins and sea lions to cold-water places like Alaska and Scandinavia to see how they cope.
"They did very well," LaPuzza said. If the animals are sent to Washington, the dolphins would be housed in heated enclosures and would patrol the bay only for periods of about two hours.
Stephanie Boyles, a marine biologist and spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said that sea mammals do not provide a reliable defense system, and that they should not be kept in small enclosures.
"We believe the United States' citizens deserve the very best defense possible, and this just isn't it," Boyles said, adding that dolphins are easily distracted once in open water. "They don't understand the consequences of what will happen if they don't carry out the mission."
Dolphins can live as long as 30 years. LaPuzza said the Navy occasionally gives its retired animals to marine parks but generally keeps them until they die of old age.
The Navy has been training marine mammals since the 1960s and keeps about 100 dolphins and sea lions. Most are in San Diego, but about 20 are deployed at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga.
The Navy hopes eventually to downsize its marine mammal program and replace the animals with machines.
"But the technology just isn't there yet," LaPuzza said. "The value of the marine mammals is we've been doing this for 35 years, and we've ironed out all the kinks."

Car Trash

A car crash in West Yarmouth led police to the discovery of a filthy car filled to the brim with trash and rubbish.

According to police, there was so much trash inside 53-year-old Ann Biglan's Ford Focus, it completely filled the inside from the floor to the ceiling front and back.

The copious amounts of trash apparently caused the crash. Biglan told police several old coffee cups and pieces of trash fell onto the gas and brake pedal, which caused her to lose control while backing out of a parking space near the West Yarmouth Post Office.

Police said the trash that fell on the pedal caused the Focus to pick up speed, drive over a curb, across Route 28, hit a Ford Explorer and back over a sidewalk. Biglan's car finally came to a rest after crashing into a flowerpot in the parking lot of the West Yarmouth Mobil gas station.

No one was injured during the crash. Bigan is charged with impeded operation of a motor vehicle, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to use care in backing, operating with a rejected safety inspection sticker.

The Holy Grail of Geek Lists

Star Trek Meets the Holy Grail!!!...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnCvpJwKKpw

Which brings us to....

Fifteen geek movies to see before you die!!!!

• Brazil
• The Matrix
• The Fifth Element
• Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek: The Voyage Home
• Serenity
• Dark City
• 12 Monkeys
• Shaun of the Dead
• Darkman
• Army of Darkness
• War Games
• Monty Python & the Holy Grail
• Office Space
• Repo Man

From the count (10 of 15) it logically seems that I'll be dead sooner than I thought. What's your count?

11 Most Important Philisophical Questions (& Why)

1. “The unexamined life is not worth living” – Socrates (470-399 BCE)

Socrates’ [wiki] belief that we must reflect upon the life we live was partly inspired by the famous phrase inscribed at the shrine of the oracle at Delphi, “Know thyself.” The key to finding value in the prophecies of the oracle was self-knowledge, not a decoder ring.

Socrates felt so passionately about the value of self-examination that he closely examined not only his own beliefs and values but those of others as well. More precisely, through his relentless questioning, he forced people to examine their own beliefs. He saw the citizens of his beloved Athens sleepwalking through life, living only for money, power, and fame, so he became famous trying to help them.

2. “Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily” – William of Ockham (1285 - 1349?)

Commonly known as Ockham’s razor, the idea here is that in judging among competing philosophical or scientific theories, all other things being equal, we should prefer the simplest theory. Scientists currently speak of four forces in the universe: gravity, the electromagnetic force, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. Ockham [wiki] would certainly nod approvingly at the ongoing attempt to formulate a grand unified theory, a single force that encompasses all four.

The ultimate irony of Ockham’s razor may be that some have used it to prove God is unnecessary to the explanation of the universe, an idea Ockham the Franciscan priest would reject.

3. “The life of man [is] solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” – Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679)

Referring to the original state of nature, a hypothetical past before civilization, Hobbes [wiki] saw no reason to be nostalgic.

Whereas Rousseau said, “Man is born free, and he is everywhere in chains,” Hobbes believed we find ourselves living a savage, impossible life without education and the protection of the state. Human nature is bad: we’ll prey on one another in the most vicious ways. No doubt the state imposes on our liberty in an overwhelming way. Yet Hobbes’ claim was that these very chains were absolutely crucial in protecting us from one another.

4. “I think therefore I am” – René Descartes (1596 – 1650)

Descartes [wiki] began his philosophy by doubting everything in order to figure out what he could know with absolute certainty. Although he could be wrong about what he was thinking, that he was thinking was undeniable. Upon the recognition that “I think,” Descartes concluded that “I am.”

On the heels of believing in himself, Descartes asked, What am I? His answer: a thinking thing (res cogitans) as opposed to a physical thing extended in three-dimensional space (res extensa). So, based on this line, Descartes knew he existed, though he wasn’t sure if he had a body. It’s a philosophical cliff-hanger; you’ll have to read Meditations to find out how it ends.

5. “To be is to be perceived (Esse est percipi).” Or, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” – Bishop George Berkeley (1685 – 1753)

As an idealist, Berkeley [wiki] believed that nothing is real but minds and their ideas. Ideas do not exist independently of minds. Through a complicated and flawed line of reasoning he concluded that “to be is to be perceived.” Something exists only if someone has the idea of it.

Though he never put the question in the exact words of the famous quotation, Berkeley would say that if a tree fell in the forest and there was no one (not even a squirrel) there to hear it, not only would it not make a sound, but there would be no tree.

The good news is, according to Berkeley, that the mind of God always perceives everything. So the tree will always make a sound, and there’s no need to worry about blipping out of existence if you fall asleep in a room by yourself.

6. “We live in the best of all possible worlds.” – Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646 – 1716)

Voltaire’s famous novel Candide satirizes this optimistic view. And looking around you right now you may wonder how anyone could actually believe it. But Leibniz [wiki] believed that before creation God contemplated every possible way the universe could be and chose to create the one in which we live because it’s the best.

The principle of sufficient reason holds that for everything, there must be sufficient reason why it exists. And according to Leibniz the only sufficient reason for the world we live in is that God created it as the best possible universe. God could have created a universe in which no one ever did wrong, in which there was no human evil, but that would require humans to be deprived of the gift of free wills and thus would not be the best possible world.

7. “The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk.” G.W.F. Hegel (1770 – 1831)

Similar to “vision is 20/20 in hindsight,” Hegel’s [wiki] poetic insight says that philosophers are impotent. Only after the end of an age can philosophers realize what it was about. And by then it’s too late to change things. It wasn’t until the time of Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804) that the true nature of the Enlightenment was understood, and Kant did nothing to change the Enlightenment; he just consciously perpetuated it.

Marx (1818 – 1883) found Hegel’s apt description to be indicative of the problem with philosophy and responded, “the philosophers have only interpreted the world differently, what matters is to change it.”

8. “Who is also aware of the tremendous risk involved in faith – when he nevertheless makes the leap of faith – this [is] subjectivity … at its height.” – Søren Kierkegaard (1813 – 1855)

In a memorable scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indy deduced that the final step across his treacherous path was a leap of faith. And so it is in Kierkegaard’s [wiki] theory of stages of life.

The final stage, the religious stage, requires passionate, subjective belief rather than objective proof, in the paradoxical and the absurd. So, what’s the absurd? That which Christianity asks us to accept as true, that God became man born of a virgin, suffered, died and was resurrected.

Abraham was the ultimate “knight of faith” according to Kierkegaard. Without doubt there is no faith, and so in a state of “fear and trembling” Abraham was willing to break the universal moral law against murder by agreeing to kill his own son, Isaac. God rewarded Abraham’s faith by providing a ram in place of Isaac for the sacrifice. Faith has its rewards, but it isn’t rational. It’s beyond reason. As Blaise Pascal said, “The heart has its reason which reason does not know.”

9. “God is dead.” – Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900)

Well, you might not hear this one in a graduation speech, but you’ll probably hear it in college. Actually, Nietzsche [wiki] never issued this famous proclamation in his own voice but rather put the words in the mouth of a character he called the madman and later in the mouth of another character, Zarathustra.

Nevertheless, Nietzsche endorsed the words. “God is dead” is often mistaken as a statement of atheism. It is not, though Nietzsche himself was an atheist. “Dead” is metaphorical in this context, meaning belief in the God of Christianity is worn out, past its prime, and on the decline. God is lost as the center of life and the source of values. Nietzsche’s madman noted that himself came too soon. No doubt Nietzsche, too, thought he was ahead of his time in heralding this news.

10. “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.” – Albert Camus (1913 – 1960)

Camus’ [wiki] solution to the philosophical problem was to recognize and embrace life’s absurdity. Suicide, though, remains an option if the absurdity becomes too much. Indeed Camus’ own death in a car crash was ambiguous. Was it an accident or suicide?

For Camus, the absurd hero is Sisyphus, a man from Greek mythology who is condemned by the gods for eternity to roll up a stone up a hill only to have it fall back again as it reaches the top. For Camus, Sisyphus typified all human beings: we must find a meaning in a world that is unresponsive or even hostile to us. Sisyphus, Camus believed, affirms life, choosing to go back down the hill and push the rock again each time. Camus wrote: “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s
heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

11. “One cannot step twice in the same river.” – Heraclitus (ca. 540 – ca. 480 BCE)

Heraclitus definitely isn’t alone here. His message was that reality is constantly changing it’s an ongoing process rather than a fixed and stable product. Buddhism shares a similar metaphysical view with the idea of annica, the claim that all reality is fleeting and impermanent.

In modern times Henri Bergson (1859 – 1941) described time as a process that is experienced. An hour waiting in line is different from an hour at play. Today contemporary physics lends credence to process philosophy with the realization that even apparently stable objects, like marble statues, are actually buzzing bunches of electrons and other subatomic particles deep down.

Bonus: Fake Your Way Through a Conversation (with Correct Pronunciation!)

If you fumble with a philosopher’s name, nothing you say afterward will sound credible. So, learn to pronounce these names correctly, then start worrying about their ideas.

(George) Berkeley is properly pronounced like Charles Barkley (bark-lee). This name is commonly mispronounced “burk-lee” like Berkeley, California, which, ironically, is named after George Berkeley.

(Friedrich) Nietzsche is commonly mispronounced as “nee-chee.” The correct pronunciation is “nee-ch-ya” and rhymes with “pleased ta meetchya.” “Pleased ta meetchya, Neechya.” Say it!

Lao-tzu (born ca. 604 BCE) is spelled several different ways in English transliteration from the Chinese. But no matter how you spell it, the proper way to pronounce it is “lau” (sounds like “ouch”)-“dsuh”. The stress goes on the first syllable.

(Charles Sanders) Pierce (1839 – 1914) is commonly mispronounced as “peer-s.” The correct pronunciation is “purse,” which is somewhat funny because Pierce rarely had a penny in his purse. Oddly, Pierce took his middle name, Sanders, as an anglicized form of Santiago, or “St. James,” in honor of a fellow pragmatist, William James (1842 – 1910), who helped him out financially.

(Ludwig) Wittgenstein (1889 – 1951) is a name that demands authentic German pronunciation, and there are plenty of ways to slaughter it. Here’s one that embodies all of them, “wit-jen-steen.” The correct pronunciation is “vit” (rhymes with bit)-“ghen” (rhymes with ken)-“shtine.” The first name is pronounced “lude-vig.” If you think it’s hard to pronounce his name, try reading his Tractatus.

Super Bowl XLI

The Colt's won. It was a very exciting game of super bowl firsts. Sorry Bears.

Bond, Tom Hanks

Press play, you'll enjoy this. I promise.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wOcQr-2-pE

Hobbits becomes a new Species

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The tiny woman dubbed the Hobbit who lived 18,000 years ago on a remote Indonesian island deserves to be deemed a new human species and not a deformed modern human as skeptics assert, researchers said on Monday.

In the latest salvo in a heated scientific shootout, an international team led by Florida State University anthropologist Dean Falk compared the Hobbit's skull to those of nine people with microcephaly, a rare condition in which the head is abnormally small due to improper brain development.

They concluded the 3-foot-tall (1-meter) adult woman had a highly evolved brain, unlike that of a microcephalic person, confirming she belongs to the proposed extinct species Homo floresiensis, closely related to modern Homo sapiens.

"Lo and behold, it doesn't look anything like a microcephalic. In fact, it's antithetical," Falk said in an interview, rebutting scientists like primatologist Robert Martin of the Field Museum in Chicago who suggest the skull came from a person with microcephaly.

A previous study by Falk had been criticized because it compared the Hobbit, with a brain a third the size of modern people, to just a single microcephalic skull.

Martin remained unconvinced. "My gut feeling is what they (Falk's team) did is just played around with the measurements until they got something that suited them," Martin said.

Martin said the new study was flawed, questioned whether Falk's team knew enough about microcephaly and insisted the question of a separate species is unresolved.

The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Michael Morwood, part of the group that discovered the remains, is a co-author.

WONDROUS PLACE

Scientists in 2003 found the bones in a cave on the island of Flores east of Bali, contending they were a previously unknown species living at a time the species Homo sapiens was thought to have been the world's only human inhabitant.

These little people -- bones from several other individuals also were found -- lived in a wondrous place populated by strange animals like pygmy elephants and large rodents. In this isolated locale, evolutionary forces stemming from limited resources may have pushed some inhabitants toward dwarfism and others toward gigantism.

Tools and evidence of fire were found near the bones of the adult female, dubbed the Hobbit after the small people in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Falk's team compared three-dimensional, computer-generated reconstructions of the brain of the Hobbit to those of nine microcephalics from all over the world and 10 normal people.

Two features in the frontal lobes and a structure called the cerebellum separated the two groups, with the Flores woman fitting in with normal humans, not microcephalics, the study found. But she was unlike modern humans in four other features distinguishing her from Homo sapiens, crying out for recognition as a separate species, the researchers said.

Falk said the origin of this new species is now the key question, adding she is open to the possibility it descended from Australopithecenes, ape-like human ancestors, or was a dwarf form of the extinct species Homo erectus.

Martin said it is possible it is a new species. "But the other strong possibility is that this is actually just a pathological modern human," Martin added.

"At the end of the day, hopefully, the truth will come out," Martin added. "And I'm not mad enough to think I'm right about everything. But there are ways of doing it and ways of not doing it."

© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.

Hair Theft is the Unkindest Cut of All

IN a new twist in Rio de Janeiro's crime files, scissor-wielding thieves have clipped off the long, flowing locks of a 22-year-old Brazilian woman as she rode in a city bus.

"We got on at the same stop and they sat behind me,''"sales assistant Mirna Marchetti says.

"Then all of a sudden I felt someone pulling my hair. My friend tried to help me but they just cut it off, right at the base.''

Marchetti's hair was dark, straight and reached down to her waist.

Police suspect the thieves hope to sell the hair to a hairdresser or beauty salon, which can charge more than 500 reais ($320) for top-quality hair extensions.

"This is a new kind of crime," said a police officer at the station where the report was filed.

"They really did mean to steal her hair."

Why I wear glasses...

A Chinese man had to have his contact lenses surgically removed after he did not take them out for a year.
Liu, 40, started to wear contact lenses a year ago and never took them out because he found it difficult.
"I only have some eye drops for when they feel uncomfortable," he told Chutian City News.
Liu recently felt his eyesight was getting worse, so he bought another pair of lenses and wore them on top of the old ones.
But when his eyesight still didn't improve, he took another startling decision.
"I put a pair of used disposal contact lenses over the other two pairs in my eyes. By then, I was wearing three pairs of lenses," he said.
By the next day, Liu's eyes had reacted badly to his DIY eyecare and he finally sought medical attention.
A doctor was shocked to find the first lenses had grown into his eyes and surgery was needed to take them out. - Ananova.com

Ok Miss America #6

Congratulations, Miss Lauren Nelson. And major congratulations to all Oklahomans! We are the prettiest state! This is the sixth Miss America we have produced, and certainly not the last.

Puppy Love

Phone Calls

Allright everyone. I have my new phone. But they were unable to transfer all the numbers to it because the Cingular Store had burnt out the cord to do so, so I'm trying to answer all the phone calls I get so I can figure out who is calling. It's the same number, so feel free to call... between the hours of 6:30pm and 10pm. Remember, folks, I work from 9-6, and won't be answering it then. Sorry. Try and leave a message, but this phone is kind of screwy right now in getting to my voice mail (it won't let me, and when it does, there's nothing there). It's best to text, and add your number in there somewhere, because I get those. Talk to you all soon.

Stolen McDonald Statue

Ronald McDonald Statue Reported Stolen
Email this Story

Jan 16, 4:13 PM (ET)

STEWARTSTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A broken Ronald McDonald statue brought home by a McDonald's assistant manager, repaired, and used to decorate her family's lawn for 20 years has vanished.

"It was a holiday today," Thomas Grieger II said Monday. "I think the kids came and got him."

State police were seeking information about the cement statue that Grieger estimated must weigh about 300 pounds.

The statue originally sat outside the Shrewsbury McDonald's where Grieger's wife, Joy Grieger, was assistant manager. Someone tried to steal it, breaking off a hand and cracking a foot before giving up on the attempt.

McDonald's did not want it back, so the Griegers took it home, patched it up and have used it as a lawn mascot ever since.

---

Information from: York Daily Record, http://www.ydr.com

Name Calling

I think I've figured out a name for my little one: Pixie. Full name: Tinkerbell Pixie Goodness Rano. Long name for a little pup, but Pixie seems to fit, I think, and it's a name that will work when she gets bigger without being weird (like Little Bear or Munchkin if she ends up being part Lab... or bigger). I Like the name Tinkerbell, but so does trashy socialite Paris Hilton, who has already named her pet chiwawa (I know my spelling is terrible) that. I'm not big on copying her. And I think Pixie thinks her name is Goodness because she has that "Kennel Cough" and every time she would sneeze or cough I would say "oh, goodness." or "goodness, girl." So in trying to find a more appropriate name Pixie seems to work.
It's hard to say her name and Tiras. It ends up one of them getting called Trixie.
It's still early, so if anyone has suggestions I'm welcome to try them. As of now, Pixie is doing well and her cough is being medicated. She and her aunt, Tira Masu, are getting along wonderfully.
I better go, Pixie's looking at me like "why aren't I in bed yet?"... and I'm thinking the same thing.
Night folks!

Too Cute A Story to Let Slide By

You don't foal anyone pretending to be a dog
by ANDREW LEVY Last updated at 10:35am on 8th January 2007



Just like his labrador friends, he wags his tail, fetches sticks and rolls on his back to have his tummy tickled.

But the hooves and mane give away his real identity - as a Shetland pony.

Eight-week-old Rory picked up his canine traits after he was befriended by dogs at the Essex Horse and Pony Sanctuary in Pitsea.

Owner Sue Allery said: "In 18 years I've never seen anything like it. When vets visit us they can't believe it either."

Rory was rejected by his mother after he was born in Colchester on Friday the 13th of October. After arriving at the sanctuary he became ill and spent all his time being nursed in the office - attracting the interest of labradors Alfie and Millie, owned by stable manager Sam Edwards.

"Rory would be lying in my lap with his little hooves sticking out and Alfie would come up and wash them,' said Mrs Allery.

"And when he was left with a white moustache after drinking milk, Alfie would clean that too. Despite all that, Rory ended up being closer to Millie because she is nearer to his size."

Shetland pony expert David Hodge said: "They are a herd animal by nature which means they learn by copying other ponies. So if you put them with another animal, they'll copy them."

My Newest Addition

This little girl is unnamed right now. She's a cocker mix we got from the humane society, and she is adorably cute. Just a baby at 6 weeks, Tira is a little jealous and unsure of what to do with it. They'll be friends in no time.

Phone

A Phone is on it's way!!! I got one, finally and it's in the mail! YEAH
You'll be able to call me soon enough, for now just call through Chris. Thanks!

Christmas in London

Travel Light (Headed)

I just had to spread this around for everyone...


Grandmother Puts Infant in Airport X-Ray
AP. LOS ANGELES (Dec. 20) - A woman mistakenly put her 1-month-old grandson through an X-ray machine at Los Angeles International Airport, authorities said.
A startled security worker noticed the shape of a child on the carry-on baggage screening monitor and immediately pulled him out, the Los Angeles Times reported for a story in Wednesday's editions.

The infant was taken to a local hospital, where doctors determined he did not receive a dangerous dose of radiation.

"This was an innocent mistake by an obviously inexperienced traveler," said Paul Haney, deputy executive director of airports and security for the city's airport agency.

The incident happened early Saturday, airport officials said.

Haney said in 1988, an infant in a car seat went through an X-ray machine at the Los Angeles airport.


Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2006-12-20 12:47:56

Cute Celebrity Look-Alike

Celebrity Look Alike

http://www.myheritage.com

DC comics to sue Russian intelligence agency over Bat Logo...?

This was posted Wednesday, December 13, 2006


Russia spy HQ has giant batman mural in floor.
Aldo says: "Check out the floor at the new defence intelligence HQ in Moscow." Even Putin does a double-take.


Here's another photo of the logo. It's from the Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravlenie (GRU), or Main Intelligence Directorate. I badly need this on a T-shirt. In fact, the Russian government could probably pay off its deficit by selling clothing and accessories with this logo on it. The GRU could be the next Von Dutch! (Via Riding Sun)

Christmas Carols for the Disturbed

1. Schizophrenia --- Do I Hear What I Hear?

2. Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are

3. Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas

4. Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

5. Manic --- Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and.....

6. Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me

7. Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire

8. Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why

9. Attention Deficit Disorder --- Silent night, Holy, oooh look at the froggy, can I have a candy bar, why is France so far away?

10. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder --Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle,Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle, Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle

Merry Christmas Everybody! And as a nyctophobian would say: "May all your Christmas' be bright!"

The 10 Least Successful Holiday Specials of All Time

I got the following list from http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/003030.html

An Algonquin Round Table Christmas (1927)
Alexander Woolcott, Franklin Pierce Adams, George Kaufman, Robert Benchley and Dorothy Parker were the stars of this 1927 NBC Red radio network special, one of the earliest Christmas specials ever performed. Unfortunately the principals, lured to the table for an unusual evening gathering by the promise of free drinks and pirogies, appeared unaware they were live and on the air, avoiding witty seasonal banter to concentrate on trashing absent Round Tabler Edna Ferber's latest novel, Mother Knows Best, and complaining, in progressively drunken fashion, about their lack of sex lives. Seasonal material of a sort finally appears in the 23rd minute when Dorothy Parker, already on her fifth drink, can be heard to remark, "one more of these and I'll be sliding down Santa's chimney." The feed was cut shortly thereafter. NBC Red's 1928 holiday special "Christmas with the Fitzgeralds" was similarly unsuccessful.
The Mercury Theater of the Air Presents the Assassination of Saint Nicholas (1939)
Listeners of radio's Columbia Broadcasting System who tuned in to hear a Christmas Eve rendition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol were shocked when they heard what appeared to be a newscast from the north pole, reporting that Santa's Workshop had been overrun in a blitzkrieg by Finnish proxies of the Nazi German government. The newscast, a hoax created by 20-something wunderkind Orson Wells as a seasonal allegory about the spread of Fascism in Europe, was so successful that few listeners stayed to listen until the end, when St. Nick emerged from the smoking ruins of his workshop to deliver a rousing call to action against the authoritarian tide and to urge peace on Earth, good will toward men and expound on the joys of a hot cup of Mercury Theater of Air's sponsor Campbell's soup. Instead, tens of thousands of New York City children mobbed the Macy's Department Store on 34th, long presumed to be Santa's New York embassy, and sang Christmas carols in wee, sobbing tones. Only a midnight appearance of New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in full Santa getup quelled the agitated tykes. Welles, now a hunted man on the Eastern seaboard, decamped for Hollywood shortly thereafter.
Ayn Rand's A Selfish Christmas (1951)
In this hour-long radio drama, Santa struggles with the increasing demands of providing gifts for millions of spoiled, ungrateful brats across the world, until a single elf, in the engineering department of his workshop, convinces Santa to go on strike. The special ends with the entropic collapse of the civilization of takers and the spectacle of children trudging across the bitterly cold, dark tundra to offer Santa cash for his services, acknowledging at last that his genius makes the gifts -- and therefore Christmas -- possible. Prior to broadcast, Mutual Broadcast System executives raised objections to the radio play, noting that 56 minutes of the hour-long broadcast went to a philosophical manifesto by the elf and of the four remaining minutes, three went to a love scene between Santa and the cold, practical Mrs. Claus that was rendered into radio through the use of grunts and the shattering of several dozen whiskey tumblers. In later letters, Rand sneeringly described these executives as "anti-life."
The Lost Star Trek Christmas Episode: "A Most Illogical Holiday" (1968)
Mr. Spock, with his pointy ears, is hailed as a messiah on a wintry world where elves toil for a mysterious master, revealed to be Santa just prior to the first commercial break. Santa, enraged, kills Ensign Jones and attacks the Enterprise in his sleigh. As Scotty works to keep the power flowing to the shields, Kirk and Bones infiltrate Santa's headquarters. With the help of the comely and lonely Mrs. Claus, Kirk is led to the heart of the workshop, where he learns the truth: Santa is himself a pawn to a master computer, whose initial program is based on an ancient book of children's Christmas tales. Kirk engages the master computer in a battle of wits, demanding the computer explain how it is physically possible for Santa to deliver gifts to all the children in the universe in a single night. The master computer, confronted with this computational anomaly, self-destructs; Santa, freed from mental enslavement, releases the elves and begins a new, democratic society. Back on the ship, Bones and Spock bicker about the meaning of Christmas, an argument which ends when Scotty appears on the bridge with egg nog made with Romulan Ale.
Filmed during the series' run, this episode was never shown on network television and was offered in syndication only once, in 1975. Star Trek fans hint the episode was later personally destroyed by Gene Roddenberry. Rumor suggests Harlan Ellison may have written the original script; asked about the episode at 1978's IgunaCon II science fiction convention, however, Ellison described the episode as "a quiescently glistening cherem of pus."
Bob & Carol & Ted & Santa (1973)
This ABC Christmas special featured Santa as a happy-go-lucky swinger who comically wades into the marital bed of two neurotic 70s couples, and also the music of the Carpenters. It was screened for television critics but shelved by the network when the critics, assembled at ABC's New York offices, rose as one to strangle the producers at the post-viewing interview. Joel Siegel would later write, "When Santa did his striptease for Carol while Karen Carpenter sang 'Top of the World' and peered through an open window, we all looked at each other and knew that we television critics, of all people, had been called upon to defend Western Civilization. We dared not fail."
A Muppet Christmas with Zbigniew Brzezinski (1978)
A year before their rather more successful Christmas pairing with John Denver, the Muppets joined Carter Administration National Security Advisor Brezezinski for an evening of fun, song, and anticommunist rhetoric. While those who remember the show recall the pairing of Brzezinki and Miss Piggy for a duet of "Winter Wonderland" as winsomely enchanting, the scenes where the NSA head explains the true meaning of Christmas to an assemblage of Muppets dressed as Afghan mujahideen was incongruous and disturbing even then. Washington rumor, unsupported by any Carter administration member, suggests that President Carter had this Christmas special on a repeating loop while he drafted his infamous "Malaise" speech.
The Village People in Can't Stop the Christmas Music -- On Ice! (1980)
Undeterred by the miserable flop of the movie Can't Stop the Music!, last place television network NBC aired this special, in which music group the Village People mobilize to save Christmas after Santa Claus (Paul Lynde) experiences a hernia. Thus follows several musical sequences -- on ice! -- where the Village People move Santa's Workshop to Christopher Street, enlist their friends to become elves with an adapted version of their hit "In The Navy," and draft film co-star Bruce Jenner to become the new Santa in a sequence which involves stripping the 1976 gold medal decathlon winner to his shorts, shaving and oiling his chest, and outfitting him in fur-trimmed red briefs and crimson leathers to a disco version of "Come O Ye Faithful." Peggy Fleming, Shields and Yarnell and Lorna Luft co-star.
Interestingly, there is no reliable data regarding the ratings for this show, as the Nielsen diaries for this week were accidentally consumed by fire. Show producers estimate that one in ten Americans tuned in to at least part of the show, but more conservative estimates place the audience at no more than two or three percent, tops.
A Canadian Christmas with David Cronenberg (1986)
Faced with Canadian content requirements but no new programming, the Canadian Broadcasting Company turned to Canadian director David Cronenberg, hot off his success with Scanners and The Fly, to fill the seasonal gap. In this 90-minute event, Santa (Michael Ironside) makes an emergency landing in the Northwest Territories, where he is exposed to a previously unknown virus after being attacked by a violent moose. The virus causes Santa to develop both a large, tooth-bearing orifice in his belly and a lustful hunger for human flesh, which he sates by graphically devouring Canadian celebrities Bryan Adams, Dan Ackroyd and Gordie Howe on national television. Music by Neil Young.
Noam Chomsky: Deconstructing Christmas (1998)
This PBS/WGBH special featured linguist and social commentator Chomsky sitting at a desk, explaining how the development of the commercial Christmas season directly relates to the loss of individual freedoms in the United States and the subjugation of indigenous people in southeast Asia. Despite a rave review by Z magazine, musical guest Zach de la Rocha and the concession of Chomsky to wear a seasonal hat for a younger demographic appeal, this is known to be the least requested Christmas special ever made.
Christmas with the Nuge (2002)
Spurred by the success of The Osbournes on sister network MTV, cable network VH1 contracted zany hard rocker Ted Nugent to help create a "reality" Christmas special. Nugent responded with a special that features the Motor City Madman bowhunting, and then making jerky from, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree, all specially flown in to Nugent's Michigan compound for the occasion. In the second half of the hour-long special, Nugent heckles vegetarian Night Ranger/Damn Yankees bassist Jack Blades into consuming three strips of dove jerky. Fearing the inevitable PETA protest, and boycotts from Moby and Pam Anderson, VH1 never aired the special, which is available solely by special order at the Nuge Store on TedNugent.com.

Now some of you might say "Why isn't the Star Wars Holiday Special on there?" Because it's the only holiday special that celebrates Chanukah... and it's got Harrison Ford.

Chris' Wist List

Everyone has been asking me what Chris wants for Christmas... well this is direct from the horse's mouth:
http://richwishlist.blogspot.com/
He loves masks and movies and baseball hats. There's also some stuff like cirque de sole posters (he has Mystere and Alegria), the martini girls, etc.

Tira is in the mood for Christmas

A Very Good Day

Thanksgiving 2006!

I had a very "Rich" experience this Thanksgiving. I celebrated with Chris and his family, and his extended family the LaPattes. Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

New Phone Old Number

Alright, by popular demand I have chosen the pink one. Just thought I'd update yaall. Same number though

New Phone or New Phone

This is up for grabs:
Okay, folks, I'm taking a poll, which phone should I choose?
a)

b)

The story behind all of this is that my phone is quickly becoming extinct... and I need a new one. Both of these are motorolas, and pretty much the same except the buttons, color, and a 10 dollar price. The silver one is 10 dollars cheaper and has nice bubble buttons you can feel. The pink one has those weird flat buttons like the razor, but is... well... pink.

New and Improved

I've got a new job! I'm so very happy. I'm still working at ASF, just in the Box Office now. It's great hours, friendly people, and I'm not overextending myself to death. I love it. I feel like a great weight has lifted off my shoulders.
Even my MS agrees... my left hand, which has been at around 30-40% capabilities for about a month, is at 90% capabilities. It's nice to know that I'll be back to normal soon.
I'll be posting Halloween and new house stuff soon... now that I've got the time and energy.