Your results: You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.
You are Superman
Superman 90%
Spiderman 85%
Wonder Woman 65%
Supergirl 65%
Green Lantern 65%
Robin 60%
Batman 60%
Hulk 60%
Catwoman 50%
The Flash 45%
Iron Man 40%
Saturday, August 25, 2007
It's a Bird, it's a plane, it's SuperKelly!
Your results: You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.
You are Superman
Superman 90%
Spiderman 85%
Wonder Woman 65%
Supergirl 65%
Green Lantern 65%
Robin 60%
Batman 60%
Hulk 60%
Catwoman 50%
The Flash 45%
Iron Man 40%
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
File Under: DO NOT READ
This book was so horrible I couldn't even finish it. It was so not enjoyable in any way, shape or form that I was moved to write a review at Barnes & Noble.
If they approve it should be posted HERE in approx 3 days.
Let me also say that it is very rare for me to dislike a book.
I believe only got to about page 70 before this one gave me such a headache that I couldn't continue!
If they approve it should be posted HERE in approx 3 days.
Let me also say that it is very rare for me to dislike a book.
I believe only got to about page 70 before this one gave me such a headache that I couldn't continue!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Did You Know?
* Did you know that soda will explode if you leave it in the car in extreme heat?
* I did not -- I was aware that it will explode if the temperature goes below freezing - but not of the heat element.
* Part of the bathroom and floor of my apt is now a little bit cleaner due the great soda clean-up of '07
* So I then go back to the store to exchange the soda and some bagels that turned nasty before the expiration date. No line at the customer service desk - Yay! I go and get my replacement items and return to find a whole gaggle of frat boys (you know they travel in packs) in line at the customer service desk. Are they not aware of the large row of checkout lines behind them? Ugh then while I'm waiting -- I have to listen to JimBob and every one of his buddies try to call their friend Buddy back at the lair to see if they need steak sauce. Apparently Buddy's phone wasn't working or something.
* I did not -- I was aware that it will explode if the temperature goes below freezing - but not of the heat element.
* Part of the bathroom and floor of my apt is now a little bit cleaner due the great soda clean-up of '07
* So I then go back to the store to exchange the soda and some bagels that turned nasty before the expiration date. No line at the customer service desk - Yay! I go and get my replacement items and return to find a whole gaggle of frat boys (you know they travel in packs) in line at the customer service desk. Are they not aware of the large row of checkout lines behind them? Ugh then while I'm waiting -- I have to listen to JimBob and every one of his buddies try to call their friend Buddy back at the lair to see if they need steak sauce. Apparently Buddy's phone wasn't working or something.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Fun with Photos via Boing Boing!
This first one is a photograph taken during night time in Antigua, Guatemala by photographer Ivan Castro.
Finally here is a link to photographs by Spencer Tunick in which a bunch of people posed naked on a glacier near Switzerland.
All I can say is FROSTBITE ~ yowza!
Ode to Get Rid of August from the Slate Podcast
August
Let's get rid of it.
By David Plotz
August is the Mississippi of the calendar. It's beastly hot and muggy. It has a dismal history. Nothing good ever happens in it. And the United States would be better off without it.
August is when the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when Anne Frank was arrested, when the first income tax was collected, when Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe died. Wings and Jefferson Airplane were formed in August. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour debuted in August. (No August, no Sonny and Cher!)
August is the time when thugs and dictators think they can get away with it. World War I started in August 1914. The Nazis and Soviets signed their nonaggression pact in August 1939. Iraq invaded Kuwait Aug. 2, 1990. August is a popular month for coups and violent crime. Why August? Perhaps the villains assume we'll be too distracted by vacations or humidity to notice.
August is the vast sandy wasteland of American culture. Publishers stop releasing books. Movie theaters are clogged with the egregious action movies that studios wouldn't dare release in June. Television is all reruns (or worse—new episodes of Sex and the City). The sports pages wither into nothingness. Pre-pennant-race baseball—if that can even be called a sport—is all that remains. We have to feign interest in NFL training camps. Newspapers are thin in August, but not thin enough. They still print ghastly vacation columns: David Broder musing on world peace from his summer home on Lake Michigan? Even Martha Stewart (born Aug. 3) can't think of anything to do in August. Her Martha Stewart Living calendar, usually so sprightly, overflows with ennui. Aug. 14: "If it rains, organize basement." Aug. 16: "Reseed bare patches in lawn." Aug. 27: "Change batteries in smoke and heat detectors."
You can't get a day off from August, because it is the only month without a real holiday. Instead, the other months have shunted onto this weak sister all the lame celebrations they didn't want. Air Conditioning Appreciation Week, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Week, National Religious Software Week, Carpenter Ant Awareness Week: All these grand American celebrations belong to August. Is it any accident that National Lazy Day, Relaxation Day, Deadwood Day, and Failures Day are commemorated in August?
August is the month of vagueness. October is the 10th month, March is the third month. What's August—bet you can't remember. Does it have 30 days or 31? You have to recite the rhyme to figure that one out. The great writers of history forget August: It rates three mentions in Bartlett's Quotations, compared with a dozen for December and two dozen for March.
The people with August birthdays are a sorry bunch. Sure, Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton were born in August, but the other presidential Augustans are Herbert Hoover and Benjamin Harrison. Film is represented by Robert Redford and Robert De Niro—but also by John Holmes and Harry Reems. Third-raters populate August: George Hamilton, Danny Bonaduce, Rick Springfield, and Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford were born then. August gave us Fidel Castro and Yasser Arafat. In art, August offers Leni Riefenstahl, Michael Jackson, and Danielle Steele. (To be sure, not everything that happens in August is so terrible. Raoul Wallenberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Herman Melville, and Mae West were born in August. Richard Nixon resigned in August. MTV launched in August. And Jerry Garcia died in August.)
August can't even master the things it is supposed to do well. Despite its slothful reputation, it is not the top vacation month, July is. Nor is August the hottest month (on the East Coast, at least). That crown, too, is July's. August is when the garden starts to wither, and when the long summer days cruelly vanish.
We should rage, rage against the dying of the light. The United States desperately needs August Reform. Purists will insist that we shouldn't tinker with the months, that August should be left alone because it has done workmanlike service for 2,000 years. That's nonsense. Calendars are always fluxing. August itself was a whimsical invention. In 46 B.C., as part of a broad calendar change, Julius Caesar added two days to Sextilis, an old 29-day month. In the reign of his successor, Augustus Caesar, the Senate voted to change Sextilis' name to "Augustus" (as the Senate under Julius Caesar had renamed the month before, "Quintilis," "Julius").
August was created by politics, and it can be undone by politics. For too long, bureaucrats in Washington have been telling you how you must divide up your calendar. But these are your months, and you should be able to do with them what you like. Genuine August Reform will be hard. It will require tough compromises to protect the special interests of September and July. (And who better to sponsor this revolution, incidentally, than Sen. John McCain—birthday Aug. 29?)
Here is a framework for compromise. Cede the first 10 days of August back to July, thus extending holiday revelry for more than a week. September would claim the last 10 days of August, mollifying the folks who can't wait to get back to serious work. Labor Day would come 10 days earlier, the school year would run longer, and the rush of fall activity could get jump-started. August itself will keep 10 days. That is just enough: Every summer we'll be able to toot happily, "Gosh, August went by so quickly this year!"
And as for the 31st day, it will be designated a holiday independent from any month. It will fall after the 10th and last day of August, and it will celebrate the end of that most useless month.
Let's get rid of it.
By David Plotz
August is the Mississippi of the calendar. It's beastly hot and muggy. It has a dismal history. Nothing good ever happens in it. And the United States would be better off without it.
August is when the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when Anne Frank was arrested, when the first income tax was collected, when Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe died. Wings and Jefferson Airplane were formed in August. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour debuted in August. (No August, no Sonny and Cher!)
August is the time when thugs and dictators think they can get away with it. World War I started in August 1914. The Nazis and Soviets signed their nonaggression pact in August 1939. Iraq invaded Kuwait Aug. 2, 1990. August is a popular month for coups and violent crime. Why August? Perhaps the villains assume we'll be too distracted by vacations or humidity to notice.
August is the vast sandy wasteland of American culture. Publishers stop releasing books. Movie theaters are clogged with the egregious action movies that studios wouldn't dare release in June. Television is all reruns (or worse—new episodes of Sex and the City). The sports pages wither into nothingness. Pre-pennant-race baseball—if that can even be called a sport—is all that remains. We have to feign interest in NFL training camps. Newspapers are thin in August, but not thin enough. They still print ghastly vacation columns: David Broder musing on world peace from his summer home on Lake Michigan? Even Martha Stewart (born Aug. 3) can't think of anything to do in August. Her Martha Stewart Living calendar, usually so sprightly, overflows with ennui. Aug. 14: "If it rains, organize basement." Aug. 16: "Reseed bare patches in lawn." Aug. 27: "Change batteries in smoke and heat detectors."
You can't get a day off from August, because it is the only month without a real holiday. Instead, the other months have shunted onto this weak sister all the lame celebrations they didn't want. Air Conditioning Appreciation Week, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Week, National Religious Software Week, Carpenter Ant Awareness Week: All these grand American celebrations belong to August. Is it any accident that National Lazy Day, Relaxation Day, Deadwood Day, and Failures Day are commemorated in August?
August is the month of vagueness. October is the 10th month, March is the third month. What's August—bet you can't remember. Does it have 30 days or 31? You have to recite the rhyme to figure that one out. The great writers of history forget August: It rates three mentions in Bartlett's Quotations, compared with a dozen for December and two dozen for March.
The people with August birthdays are a sorry bunch. Sure, Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton were born in August, but the other presidential Augustans are Herbert Hoover and Benjamin Harrison. Film is represented by Robert Redford and Robert De Niro—but also by John Holmes and Harry Reems. Third-raters populate August: George Hamilton, Danny Bonaduce, Rick Springfield, and Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford were born then. August gave us Fidel Castro and Yasser Arafat. In art, August offers Leni Riefenstahl, Michael Jackson, and Danielle Steele. (To be sure, not everything that happens in August is so terrible. Raoul Wallenberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Herman Melville, and Mae West were born in August. Richard Nixon resigned in August. MTV launched in August. And Jerry Garcia died in August.)
August can't even master the things it is supposed to do well. Despite its slothful reputation, it is not the top vacation month, July is. Nor is August the hottest month (on the East Coast, at least). That crown, too, is July's. August is when the garden starts to wither, and when the long summer days cruelly vanish.
We should rage, rage against the dying of the light. The United States desperately needs August Reform. Purists will insist that we shouldn't tinker with the months, that August should be left alone because it has done workmanlike service for 2,000 years. That's nonsense. Calendars are always fluxing. August itself was a whimsical invention. In 46 B.C., as part of a broad calendar change, Julius Caesar added two days to Sextilis, an old 29-day month. In the reign of his successor, Augustus Caesar, the Senate voted to change Sextilis' name to "Augustus" (as the Senate under Julius Caesar had renamed the month before, "Quintilis," "Julius").
August was created by politics, and it can be undone by politics. For too long, bureaucrats in Washington have been telling you how you must divide up your calendar. But these are your months, and you should be able to do with them what you like. Genuine August Reform will be hard. It will require tough compromises to protect the special interests of September and July. (And who better to sponsor this revolution, incidentally, than Sen. John McCain—birthday Aug. 29?)
Here is a framework for compromise. Cede the first 10 days of August back to July, thus extending holiday revelry for more than a week. September would claim the last 10 days of August, mollifying the folks who can't wait to get back to serious work. Labor Day would come 10 days earlier, the school year would run longer, and the rush of fall activity could get jump-started. August itself will keep 10 days. That is just enough: Every summer we'll be able to toot happily, "Gosh, August went by so quickly this year!"
And as for the 31st day, it will be designated a holiday independent from any month. It will fall after the 10th and last day of August, and it will celebrate the end of that most useless month.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Go Meat! MugShots & Football
Have you seen the Hilshire Farms new commercials? They are hilarious -- Go Here to see what I am talking about. My favorite spots are 3 and 5.
In other meaty news - I happened to be at MugShots with HJ the other day and we witnessed someone attempting to eat THE MUGSHOT. It consists of 3 patties piled with 6 strips of bacon, cheddar and swiss cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato and red onion. You also get beer battered fries, an onion ring and a beer battered pickle. If you finish in 12 minutes or less IT'S FREE if not $20.
The poor guy he was so close, but in the end it was ugly. His gf/wife told him to go and spit it out in the bathroom - he refused -- he mumbled with his cheeks stuffed like a squirrel that he HAD to finish -- it was a matter of pride.
If you've got some time on your hands go check out the MugShots Gallery o' Pics. Basically the gist is people take a t-shirt or a can cover and take their picture with it wherever they travel and then send them to the restaurant. They adorn every inch of the walls in the restaurant. You'll even see our new head coach!
Speaking of new head coach...There's only 14 days until the first game here in the Tusker Nation....and me with no tickets...hopefully I can snag one to see at least one of the games!
In other meaty news - I happened to be at MugShots with HJ the other day and we witnessed someone attempting to eat THE MUGSHOT. It consists of 3 patties piled with 6 strips of bacon, cheddar and swiss cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato and red onion. You also get beer battered fries, an onion ring and a beer battered pickle. If you finish in 12 minutes or less IT'S FREE if not $20.
The poor guy he was so close, but in the end it was ugly. His gf/wife told him to go and spit it out in the bathroom - he refused -- he mumbled with his cheeks stuffed like a squirrel that he HAD to finish -- it was a matter of pride.
If you've got some time on your hands go check out the MugShots Gallery o' Pics. Basically the gist is people take a t-shirt or a can cover and take their picture with it wherever they travel and then send them to the restaurant. They adorn every inch of the walls in the restaurant. You'll even see our new head coach!
Speaking of new head coach...There's only 14 days until the first game here in the Tusker Nation....and me with no tickets...hopefully I can snag one to see at least one of the games!
Friday, August 10, 2007
LS 521 Blog # 8
I have several things to discuss.
First -- I can now say without a doubt after reading Susan Patron's The Higher Power Lucky I do not understand what all the fuss is about. I found it to be a delightfully enjoyable book with a lovely ending that made me reach for a tissue. I plan on adding it to my collection and recommending it to the Retired Seniors that ask for light, enjoyable stories. I found the word that was so hotly contested (SCROTUM) to be a non-issue. It was used in the correct context and fully explained by the end of the book. I am beginning to think that some people just like to complain about everything.
Second -- I have also read the final installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was very bittersweet as I was on the last chapter, realizing that there would be no more books. I hope that the masses of children that have been captivated with Harry's adventures now look for other books to peak their interests. One of the funniest things that I have read relating to the last book was I believe from the New Yorker - which was an article containing the obituaries of everyone that dies in the last book and I do mean everyone that perishes.
Thirdly -- Ever since I blogged about Reading Rainbow I have been thinking about the quality of kids television shows. I know when I was younger I had Reading Rainbow, Picture Pages with Bill Cosby, Romper Room, Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood, Zoobilee Zoo with Ben Vereen. Then as I got older I discovered 3-2-1 Contact, The Electric Company, Mr. Wizard's World, Bill Nye the Science Guy and the Mickey Mouse Club. Where has this type programming gone? All of my younger cousins these days seem to only watch cartoons. The only non-fiction type programming that I can think of that existed when I was young and still exists to today is Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow. So am I to deduce that the only television channel that cares about the quality of children's programming is PBS??
First -- I can now say without a doubt after reading Susan Patron's The Higher Power Lucky I do not understand what all the fuss is about. I found it to be a delightfully enjoyable book with a lovely ending that made me reach for a tissue. I plan on adding it to my collection and recommending it to the Retired Seniors that ask for light, enjoyable stories. I found the word that was so hotly contested (SCROTUM) to be a non-issue. It was used in the correct context and fully explained by the end of the book. I am beginning to think that some people just like to complain about everything.
Second -- I have also read the final installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was very bittersweet as I was on the last chapter, realizing that there would be no more books. I hope that the masses of children that have been captivated with Harry's adventures now look for other books to peak their interests. One of the funniest things that I have read relating to the last book was I believe from the New Yorker - which was an article containing the obituaries of everyone that dies in the last book and I do mean everyone that perishes.
Thirdly -- Ever since I blogged about Reading Rainbow I have been thinking about the quality of kids television shows. I know when I was younger I had Reading Rainbow, Picture Pages with Bill Cosby, Romper Room, Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood, Zoobilee Zoo with Ben Vereen. Then as I got older I discovered 3-2-1 Contact, The Electric Company, Mr. Wizard's World, Bill Nye the Science Guy and the Mickey Mouse Club. Where has this type programming gone? All of my younger cousins these days seem to only watch cartoons. The only non-fiction type programming that I can think of that existed when I was young and still exists to today is Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow. So am I to deduce that the only television channel that cares about the quality of children's programming is PBS??
LS 521 Blog # 7
Project Jumpstart Read for the Record
Libraries across the nation will be reading Ferdinand by Munro Leaf on September 20, 2007.
Recently I along with coworkers read the book aloud. I actually read the book in Spanish! I may not know what all the words mean -- but I can sound them out ok.
I think this is a phenomenal program to have students, parents, libraries and teachers all reading the same book on the same day.
It reminds of a program that I was involved with in Pennsylvania called First Book where the goal was for every child to have a book of their own.
I am very excited about sharing Ferdinand with the children and adults that we serve via the public library. Leaf's message of peace and stopping to smell the flowers is appropriate for all generations in every part of the world.
Libraries across the nation will be reading Ferdinand by Munro Leaf on September 20, 2007.
Recently I along with coworkers read the book aloud. I actually read the book in Spanish! I may not know what all the words mean -- but I can sound them out ok.
I think this is a phenomenal program to have students, parents, libraries and teachers all reading the same book on the same day.
It reminds of a program that I was involved with in Pennsylvania called First Book where the goal was for every child to have a book of their own.
I am very excited about sharing Ferdinand with the children and adults that we serve via the public library. Leaf's message of peace and stopping to smell the flowers is appropriate for all generations in every part of the world.
LS 521 Blog #6
A while ago I happened to be home for lunch and I watched an episode of Reading Rainbow that featured a group of school children whose school was near the World Trade Center in NYC. They wrote and recorded a thank you song to all of those that helped after 9/11 and to all of the people that sent them letters, cards, gifts etc...
The awesome thing truly is that this was entirely the kids idea.
I attempted to search and find the name of the song or the school with no luck at the Reading Rainbow website.
Just recently I read two children's books dealing with the WTC and 9/11. The first was Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey by Maira Kalman and the second was The Man that Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein.
I also recently read two children's books about Hurricane Katrina with one of them being very graphic. So my thought was this -- how do books like these impact children. My second thought was how soon is too soon for children's books about disasters? I know it is very important to help children deal with their emotions after tragic events - but who determines when the masses are ready for books, movies or television shows about events that when they occurred were truly life altering?
The awesome thing truly is that this was entirely the kids idea.
I attempted to search and find the name of the song or the school with no luck at the Reading Rainbow website.
Just recently I read two children's books dealing with the WTC and 9/11. The first was Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey by Maira Kalman and the second was The Man that Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein.
I also recently read two children's books about Hurricane Katrina with one of them being very graphic. So my thought was this -- how do books like these impact children. My second thought was how soon is too soon for children's books about disasters? I know it is very important to help children deal with their emotions after tragic events - but who determines when the masses are ready for books, movies or television shows about events that when they occurred were truly life altering?
Monday, August 6, 2007
La Cucaracha: Redux
Well I heard it through the grapevine that my apt building will now be getting sprayed for all the nasty critters that have been invading my habitat.
I guess the squeaky wheel really does get the grease.
However I came home from work the other day -- I don't remember if it was Fri or Sat and I had a cockroach door knocker greeting me.
Not a nice welcome home...needless to say that critter is no longer breathing..
Wonder of wonders..miracle of miracles..I get a visit from the pest control man today!!
Wahoo!
They are supposed to come every month and alternate indoor and outdoor spraying!!
Also the rental mgmt people called me -- and I advised them that stuff that I told them about when I moved in (over 6 mos ago) has still not been taken care of nor did I ever get a response to the email that I sent in May !@#$% (fill in appropriate curse word here).
In other news..I am enjoying my days off and have 1 major project and my reviews to do to complete my classwork!! woowee!
Also..it is H-O-T! It was over 100 degrees the other day!
I guess the squeaky wheel really does get the grease.
However I came home from work the other day -- I don't remember if it was Fri or Sat and I had a cockroach door knocker greeting me.
Not a nice welcome home...needless to say that critter is no longer breathing..
Wonder of wonders..miracle of miracles..I get a visit from the pest control man today!!
Wahoo!
They are supposed to come every month and alternate indoor and outdoor spraying!!
Also the rental mgmt people called me -- and I advised them that stuff that I told them about when I moved in (over 6 mos ago) has still not been taken care of nor did I ever get a response to the email that I sent in May !@#$% (fill in appropriate curse word here).
In other news..I am enjoying my days off and have 1 major project and my reviews to do to complete my classwork!! woowee!
Also..it is H-O-T! It was over 100 degrees the other day!
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