Welcome to ToTG!



September 29, 2009

Tornado Trivia

From today's Start Sampling poll:



I'm in the minority segment of the poll takers with my "Yes" answer. The number would be smaller if the question had been "Have you ever been IN a tornado?" and I would've been in that group, too. In fact, the question could have been plural, i.e. "Have you ever been in tornadoes?" and my answer would still have been "Yes". Each of my "in the tornado" experiences was terrifying, but also had humorous aspects that might make for an interesting story. (and I *might* write something about them sometime in the future)

The site also has daily trivia:



Again, my answer is with those in the minority. I'm fairly certain tornadoes don't normally travel at 90 or even 60 mph.

They move fast enough to make you swallow your gum, though.

Hot Spot - Simon's Cat

Where You Are is Where You're At




You Crave an Unpredictable Adventure



Life has gotten a bit too boring for you lately, and you're really looking to stir things up.

You couldn't imagine planning your great adventure. That would go against the whole point of it!

All you need is a plane, train, or bus ticket to anywhere. You'll make the rest up as you go along.

You want to visit every corner of the world and have many different experiences. The sooner you start, the more you'll see.


ameliorate

ameliorate \uh-MEEL-yuh-rayt\ , transitive verb:
1. To make better; to improve.
intransitive verb:
1. To grow better.



Certainly doesn't describe my future plans for this pathetic excuse for a blog.

September 27, 2009

predilection

predilection \preh-d'l-EK-shun; pree-\ , noun:
1. A predisposition to choose or like; an established preference.



I have a predilection for posting stupid stuff to this blog.
I also have a predilection for posting videos when I can't come up with stupid stuff.

I Want Cake!

September 25, 2009

cavort

cavort \kuh-VORT\ , intransitive verb:
1. To bound or prance about.
2. To have lively or boisterous fun; to behave in a high-spirited, festive manner.



I've cavorted before.

I just didn't call it that.

If the Beatles Were Irish

Loopa Bowl



From the website:

Aren't you tired of your little children spilling their cereal all over the place? Short of gluing the box to their face, what's a loving parent to do? The answer is in the stars, dear friend, in the stars. Taking an inspiration from Saturn and mixing it up with the science of a gyroscope, two geeky parents created the Loopa Bowl!

The descriptions says it's for ages 6 months and up, and that'd include me. I want one of these for Christmas, would save a lot of spills. (either that, or I need a dog to lap up those same spills)


September 24, 2009

assiduous

assiduous \uh-SIJ-oo-uhs\ , adjective:
1. Constant in application or attention; devoted; attentive.
2. Performed with constant diligence or attention; unremitting; persistent; as, "assiduous labor."



I'm not very assiduous with this blog, am I?

ROFL Copter

Photobucket

Just thought this animation was funny, that's all.

Rock On!




You Are Classic Rock



You are a pretty average American guy or gal, even if you don't live in the US.

You like music that's basic, honest, and real. The best songs don't have a lot to them.

You consider yourself to be pretty normal. You work for a living and put your pants on one leg at a time.

You love songs that stand the test of time. You don't fall victim to musical trends.


Right or Left?



No, not politics, but why do certain countries drive on the side they do?

Find out why at How Do Countries Choose Which Side They Drive On?

Several times when my British friend elle came over to see me and we'd decide to go somewhere, she would go to the car and stand by the driver's side. I'd go to her with the keys, unlock the door and then hand them to her. "Want me to unlock your side?" she'd ask, probably wondering why I couldn't do it myself.

"Nope." I'd tell her. "Just thought you were wantin' to drive."

Thom Browne Spring Collection



Uh, I don't think so. I wouldn't be caught dead in any of those.

In fact, I might wind up dead if I wore them out in public around here.

These very well might fit the definition of eldritch.

See more at: Thom Browne Spring 2010

September 23, 2009

Coaster Mishap

Buena Park, Calif. (September 16, 2009) – Two guests were transported to the hospital today when a cable came loose from the Xcelerator roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm. The incident caused lacerations to one 12 year old guest who came in contact with the cable. A male adult guest complained of back pain. All other guests were asked for a statement and released.

Internet Firsts

The first image posted to the 'net:



From the website:

The first image in web history was... four women, all of whom now probably regret being part of the first image in web history.

A programmer named Silvano de Gennaro worked for CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research, located in Geneva, Switzerland... aka the birthplace of the World Wide Web).

In 1992, the non-ManBearPig-focused founder of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, had just built this new information system called the World Wide Web, and created the first website, http://info.cern.ch.

Berners-Lee asked Gennaro to scan some photos from a CERN party and post them on that page. Gennaro didn't really get what he was talking about but scanned in the photos, FTPed them to the server and linked them to a page. The picture of the four women, complete with their early '90s "Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead" fashion sense, was the first one ever viewed in a web browser.

Included in the list are the first e-mail, the first spam, the first banner ad, the first YouTube video and others.

11 Firsts In Internet History

September 22, 2009

Zombies Need Not Apply

From Craigslist:

(I've seen some weird stuff there, but this one might very well be the strangest)

Need Housing - Zombie Prepared (Salt Lake City)

Date: 2009-09-22, 1:41AM MDT
Reply to: hous-8z6x4-1386386973@craigslist.org

Single white Male seeking place, Owns guns and Zombie attack kits, is well prepared incase of the apocalypse. Excellent marksman and weapons improviser and Hunter. Portly, Prone to drink, of Irish and Scandinavian descent. Roomate must like Battlestar Galactica. Like to wear a Kevlar helmet to bed

* Location: Salt Lake City
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1386386973

Storm Chasers



Promo for the third season of Storm Chasers, first episode will be Sunday, October 18 at 8:00 pm CST on Discovery.

One of my favorite shows.

cognoscente

cognoscente \kon-yuh-SHEN-tee; kog-nuh-; -SEN-\ , noun:
1. A person with special knowledge of a subject; a connoisseur.



This is a word that definitely doesn't describe me. Oh, I know a little about a lot of things, but not much about any thing.

I Ain't Marching Anymore - Phil Ochs



From Wiki:

Philip David Ochs (pronounced /ˈoÊŠks/) (December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was a U.S. protest singer (or, as he preferred, a topical singer) and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice. He wrote hundreds of songs in the 1960s and released eight albums in his lifetime.

Ochs performed at many political events, including anti-Vietnam War and civil rights rallies, student events, and organized labor events over the course of his career, in addition to many concert appearances at such venues as New York City's Town Hall and Carnegie Hall. Politically, Ochs described himself as a "left social democrat" who became an "early revolutionary" after the protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago led to a police riot, which had a profound effect on his state of mind.

After years of prolific writing in the 1960s, Ochs's mental stability declined in the 1970s and eventually he succumbed to a number of problems including bipolar disorder and alcoholism, and he took his own life in 1976.

Some of Ochs's major influences were Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Bob Gibson, Faron Young, Merle Haggard, John Wayne, and John F. Kennedy. His best-known songs include "I Ain't Marching Anymore", "Changes", "Crucifixion", "Draft Dodger Rag", "Love Me I'm a Liberal", "Outside of a Small Circle of Friends", "Power and the Glory", "There but for Fortune", and "The War Is Over".

Lots of Blots




You Are Balanced and Thoughtful



You view people with optimism. You have many meaningful relationships in your life.

You had more conflict with your father than your mother. Your relationship with him was difficult and possibly unhealthy.

You don't deal with stress well. Even moderately stressful events tend to send you in a tailspin.

You require a lot of calm in your life. When things get too hectic, you need to step back and reassess things.




Wrong about viewing people with optimism, right about my father, wrong about the stress and right about requiring calm.

The Progressive Quiz

A 40 question quiz that will evaluate how progressive or conservative you are. When a statement appears, click on a number or press the corresponding key. You must assess each statement before you can proceed to the next.

The Progressive Quiz

My score didn't surprise me:



I think my score is skewed a bit because I strongly disagree with govt. having much of a role in anything at all and am a firm believer in free trade. It probably goes the other way because I don't want religion mixed in with govt. and then back again to the right because I don't think minorities are discriminated against as much as is commonly thought, and then back again because I think the US has no business in the affairs of other countries. I'm not sure if my score means I'm "under-average" or overly conservative.

The Progressive Quiz

Doggy Style

Keep your pooch in high style with any...or all...of these 15 luxury items.

One of my favorites is this (faux) fur coat.



Doggy Style

Rollercoaster Creator



This looks like a fun game, but I'm not very good at it; my coasters keep falling off the track, killing everyone aboard.

Build your coaster with the tools provided and collect the coins and stars along the way.

Rollercoaster Creator

Albania! Albania!



In honor of the 103rd country to visit ToTG.

September 21, 2009

equivocate

equivocate \ih-KWIV-uh-kayt\ , intransitive verb:
1. To be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or to avoid committing oneself to anything definite.



Yet another word invented with politicians in mind.

Uncle Jay Explains (9-21)

tchotchke

tchotchke \CHOCH-kuh\ , noun:
1. A trinket; a knickknack.



This would describe pretty much everything I own.

Pit Stop in Amarillo

The space shuttle Discovery, piggyback atop a specially modified 747, makes a stop in Amarillo to refuel the plane carrying it.



Video at Amarillo.com

Some great photos at Panhandle Skies.

September 20, 2009

And I Crave 'Em




You Are Carbs



You are a very energetic and seductive person. You tend to be driven by your impulses, and people often find you tempting.

Often your energy is brief and almost manic. You have a lot of ups and downs if you're not careful.

When you take care of yourself, you feel alert, balanced, and satisfied. You can live a very balanced life if you play your cards right.

When you don't take care of yourself, your life is a nightmare. You can be moody, cranky, and unpredictable.





Sometimes I want to eat spaghetti 'til I bust wide open. -sigh-

It's high blood sugar that makes my life a "nightmare" and me to be "moody, cranky, and unpredictable."

Normandy 1944 - Then and Now

A fascinating look at houses and places along Normandy beach in 1944 compared to how they look today; here's one example from the site:





See more at:

Normandy 1944 - Then and Now

Muleshoe 21, Crane 7

I thought this football game was really interesting. No, I didn't go to it, but while reading the H.S. scores Sat. morning this one caught my eye.

Nothing unusual about the score, but it is the novelty of the town names and the school mascots:

Muleshoe Mules 21
Crane Cranes 7

How Many People?

Are in space right now?

If you're curious, go to howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com and find out!

As of this writing, there are:



howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com

September 19, 2009

Magic Mystifies Monkey

Baseball in Heaven

Two old men, Abe and Sol, sit on a park bench feeding pigeons and talking about baseball. Abe turns to Sol and asks, "Do you think there's baseball in Heaven?"

Sol thinks about it for a minute and replies, "I dunno. But let's make a deal -- if I die first, I'll come back and tell you if there's baseball in Heaven, and if you die first, you do the same."

They shake on it and sadly, a few months later, poor Abe passes on. Soon afterward, Sol sits in the park feeding the pigeons by himself and hears a voice whisper, "Sol... Sol...."

Sol responds, "Abe! Is that you?"

"Yes it is, Sol," whispers Abe's ghost.

Sol, still amazed, asks, "So, is there baseball in Heaven?"

"Well," says Abe, "I've got good news and bad news."

"Gimme the good news first," says Sol.

Abe says, "Well, there is baseball in Heaven."

Sol says, "That's great! What news could be bad enough to ruin that?"

Abe sighs and whispers, "You're pitching on Friday."

Maukie - The Virtual Cat



Maukie is the fiercest, cutest cat ever to terrorize your mouse pointer. Move your cursor and Maukie will follow. Scratch her head, and she'll meow. Rub her tummy, and she'll purr. All the while, she's breathing in and out, and watch the tail. She may even try to swat the cursor. The creator of this entertaining feline is unknown.

September 18, 2009

The Eyes Have It




Your Brown Eyes Say You're Clever and Witty



You are seen as brilliant and irreverent. You speak your mind, and people love you for it.

You don't let other people see any insecurities you might have. You like to present a brave front.

You are sharp as a tack and very quick on your feet. You're the first to get or tell a joke.

You are also clear thinking in a crisis. You are an excellent problem solver.






*Some* people say my brown eyes mean something else, something that rhymes with "witty".

50 Useful Firefox Extensions

50 Firefox Extensions to Turn Google Into the Ultimate Research Tool

I use several of the ones listed: the Adblock Plus, FlashGot, DownThemAll, IE Tab and Grease Monkey.

fonolo



Fonolo lets you skip the phone menus when calling large companies. Connect to the right person with less hassle!

fonolo.com

September 17, 2009

Raindrop Melody Maker



Click on a raindrop to play a sound that loops every 6 seconds. Click on it again to stop its loop. The metronome button starts a beat that can help you keep time. The stop button stops all the loops and the metronome too.

Raindrop Melody Maker

Geico Pothole Commercial

I've been hearing this advert on the radio and a quick search on YT turned up the TV version.



The caveman and gekko commercials were gettin' a little old.

Puff the Magic Dragon-Peter, Paul & Mary



RIP Mary Travers

Is There?



Uh, about the second result...I'd have to say "Yep". There was no need to Google the answer.

Chicken Fried Bacon

September 16, 2009

On the Tarmac



Technicians clad in protective suits check for any hazardous gases emanating from space shuttle Discovery moments after it rolled to a stop on the main runway at Edwards Air Force Base on Sept. 11. The checks are required before the crews move in for recovery operations.

Image Credit: NASA/Brian Soukup

logorrhea

logorrhea \law-guh-REE-uh\ , noun:
1. Pathologically incoherent, repetitious speech.
2. Incessant or compulsive talkativeness; wearisome volubility.



This word was thought up with politicians in mind, betcha.

This Quiz Doesn't Add Up




Disliking Math Says You Are Expressive



You are an expressive, passionate, and spontaneous person.

For you, math is way too cold a subject. You dislike how black and white it is.

While some people have extreme passion for math, that would take far more work than you're willing to put in.

What you're into changes like the wind, and you could never be forced to choose one thing. You have to be free to follow what you love.


September 15, 2009

Splitter



Object of the game: Help the smiley face guy get to the exit.

Use your mouse to split objects and joints. You have a fixed number of cuts at each level. Only wood and joints can be split; the metal and brick objects can not be split. Collect stars to get points.

In the example above, you would need to cut through the wood that the smiley guy is on (just to the left of the left brick that it's sitting on), then cut the metal weight to make it fall and propel the the smiley upwards to the exit (the brown button) and getting points by hitting the star on the way.

Unlike many other games, you can immediately try the level over, or skip it entirely or even view the solution. You must complete all levels, however, to send your score.

Play Splitter

September 14, 2009

crapulous

crapulous \KRAP-yuh-lus\ , adjective:
1. Given to or characterized by gross excess in drinking or eating.
2. Suffering from or due to such excess.



No need to make some witty remark about this word; it's funny enough as it stands.

Uncle Jay Explains (9-14)

September 13, 2009

tHanks a Lot, KotH



The last episodes of King of the Hill aired tonight. -sniff-

A description at Hulu.com sums up the premise of the show the best, I think:

KING OF THE HILL depicts the life and times of HANK HILL (Mike Judge), his family and their neighbors in the fictional suburb of Arlen, Texas, the heartland of America. A hard-working, loyal family man and proud Texan, Hank is assistant manager of Strickland Propane. He's a blue-collar Everyman who sees himself as the voice of common sense and reason in a world of incompetent sales clerks, meddling bureaucrats and do-good liberals.

From Wiki:

King of the Hill was an American animated series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997 to September 13, 2009 on FOX. It centers on the Hills, a small-town Methodist family in Arlen, Texas. It attempts to retain a realistic approach, seeking humor in the conventional or mundane aspects of everyday life.

Judge and Daniels conceived the series after a run with Judge's Beavis and Butt-head on MTV, and the series debuted on the Fox Network on January 12, 1997, becoming a hit early on. The series' popularity has also led to syndication around the world, including every night on Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. The show has risen to become one of FOX's longest-running series, and the second longest-running American animated series, behind The Simpsons. In 2007, it was named by Time magazine as one of the top 100 greatest television shows of all time. The title theme was written and performed by The Refreshments. King of the Hill has won two Emmy Awards and has been nominated for seven since its inception.



I could say so much more about this series, but to be honest, I'm too sad. Perhaps "sad" isn't the word, but maybe "melancholy" would fit better. As the Wiki entry said about the Time article, it was one of the best 100 shows of all time, and in my OWN rating, is one of the top five that I've ever enjoyed. (and that's saying a lot, because my list wouldn't go much past ten or so. IMHO, network TV basically sucks)

It will live on in syndication, I'm sure, but that's no help because I think I've seen every show at least twice, but there MIGHT be one that slipped by me.

If you've never seen the show, there are several of the latest episodes at Hulu.

September 12, 2009

Hot Legs - Rod Stewart

A Horny Quiz




You Believe That You're Wise


You may not be the most successful person, but you have a lot of knowledge.

You like to be competent, and you're continually building up your skill set.

You respect people who spend a lot of time learning and thinking. You think it's very important to exercise your mind.

You have no respect for anyone who is ignorant or lazy. You don't want to be anyone's teacher.


Pioneer Couple

September 11, 2009

Honoring September 11th: He Kept Us Safe

John Nolte at Big Hollywood:

My sense that the September 11th attacks would transcend partisan politics lasted less than a few days. That may sound cynical, but after counting myself as one of them for over a decade, I know how the Left thinks and I knew what was coming.

Within days of the attacks, it began. Without a word, those who had endlessly looped the video of the beating of Rodney King stopped airing footage of Americans jumping to their deaths from the burning World Trade Center. Not long after, those who would later sear the images of a few misfits at Abu Ghraib into the hearts and minds of the enemy, began the inevitable murmurs of “being responsible” when it came to airing footage of passenger planes exploding into the towers.

Soon, and predictably, the footage all but disappeared.

Step one at chipping away at our resolve was complete, and all in the name of a few sophisticates doing what was best for us.

What followed was also expected.

The Leftists, these Enablers of Evil, stopped at nothing. Skewed coverage, front-page CIA leaks, taking it to the streets, Hollywood’s unholy brand of patriotism…The list is as endless as the dirty work was relentless. And yet, as they wielded their worst, 50 million people in two countries were liberated and we have not been attacked again … because of something else we’ve come to expect.

The valor and bravery of those charged with keeping us safe: The United States Military, the CIA (especially the interrogators), the FBI, our first responders and finally, something that was not expected…

The mettle of President George W. Bush.

“He kept us safe” is not an argument of last resort after the other side has finished ticking off well-rehearsed talking points, it is why George W. Bush is a great man.

He Kept Us Safe.

And while he did, while the Enemy Within rained hell on him, this uncommonly decent man stood firm as he grew old before our eyes.

Where this country would be had he not possessed such unexpected grit is unthinkable.

And we now know what it is to live with the unease of him not being there.

God bless the men and women who guard the wall. God bless President Bush. God bless the grand and noble experiment that produced them.

Yeah, But Kenya Reach 200?



Just now noticed that ToTG has reached a hundred countries on our Flag Counter thanks to a recent visitor from Kenya.

Please, be proud for me. I don't have much else to brag about, gimme this one.

puissant

puissant \PWISS-uhnt; PYOO-uh-suhnt; pyoo-ISS-uhnt\ , adjective:
1. Powerful; strong; mighty; as, a puissant prince or empire.



If you used that word around these parts to describe someone as strong, you'll probably get knocked on your butt.

In a related note, I noticed that "alliterative insults" is a Google search that leads folks to this post here in ToTG.

A Day of Remembrance



Visible from space, a smoke plume rises from Manhattan after two planes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center. This photo was taken of metropolitan New York City the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, from aboard the International Space Station. "Our prayers and thoughts go out to all the people there, and everywhere else," said Station Commander Frank Culbertson of Expedition 3, after the attacks.

Image Credit: NASA

Piranhas vs Hotdog

September 10, 2009

noisome

noisome \NOY-sum\ , adjective:
1. Noxious; harmful; unwholesome.
2. Offensive to the smell or other senses; disgusting.



I've been this.

Yes, I have.

100,000 Stars



Omega Centauri

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope snapped this panoramic view of a colorful assortment of 100,000 stars residing in the crowded core of a giant star cluster. This is one of the first images taken by the new Wide Field Camera 3 that was installed aboard Hubble in May 2009 during Servicing Mission 4, which can snap sharp images over a broad range of wavelengths.

Image Credit: NASA



And, as always, available as lovely wallpaper in several sizes.

Oh Yeah, I'll Tell You Something

I think you'll understand, when I say that something...




You Are I Want to Hold Your Hand



You are sweet, expressive, and the truest romantic around.

Love inspires you, and you're the type of person who always has a muse.

You are good at expressing yourself. You are quite a verbal charmer.

You could woo anyone into falling in love with you. You wouldn't fall for just anyone though.


September 9, 2009

malapropism

malapropism \mal-uh-PROP-iz-uhm\ , noun:
1. An act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, esp. by the confusion of words that are similar in sound.
2. An example of such misuse.



Sorry, I couldn't help it.

It was either President Bush or:

Oh Nine!

Know what day it is today? It's the ninth of September -the ninth month- of '09, a rare occurrence, but even more rare will be nine minutes and nine seconds after nine a.m. this morning:

09:09.09 09/09/09

zero-bouncenine-bounceexclamation-bounce

It even works on the European method of the date, reversing the month and day from how the United States does it.

You can read Why 09/09/09 Is So Special or what Wiki says about all the things that have happened on the regular years of each September 9 .

Here's some more information about the date:

* 09-09-09 is also the last of the single-digits dates for quite a while - 92 years to be precise.

* It is also the upside-down number of "the beast" - satan = 666, of course.

* The day itself falls on a Wednesday and both Wednesday & September have 9 letters.

I bet a lot of folks will play zero and nine on their lotteries, which will mean it would be strange if the numbers came up together...and will also mean a lower payout because so many people played those numbers. I dunno about the "666" deal, never was sure about that, but it's probably true that the devil is having an easy time in this evil world, probably can do it standing on his head, maybe that's why "999" is "666" upside down.

Anyway....

Weird, huh?

zero-wavynine-wavy

Happy Nein Nein Nein Day!

Revolution Number 9 - The Beatles

Not the entire song, but a cool snippet starring the guest of honor today!



BACKWARDS

Wiki entry about this song being backmastered. Also interesting is the following entry explaining the ties to this song and Charles Manson.

Nigeria is #99



Not that it's all that big of a deal, but here's what I'm talking about.

September 8, 2009

Reaching Out

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.

Indira Gandhi

Image Credit: Caricature Zone

Hello Goodbye - The Beatles



Grooveshark lets you find specific songs by specific artists, make playlists, and play them whenever you like...all for free!

AND, as you can see, the embed code is available for websites or Blogger and many other social networking sites.

Millions of songs. Find yours.

Grooveshark

September 6, 2009

HowPack

From the website:

It’s the most powerful online guide and value added one stop station for about packaging design, constracture, materials and package printing, manufacturing etc.

You would find the current happenings in global packaging world and the up to date packaging solutions here.

It’s the answer for about how to pack and make your package perfect.

Patterns include a hardware box, shadow box, toothpaste or paint tube protector and many more. One of the more interesting and functional ones, IMHO, is the french fry sleeve. (click for larger view)



When I first saw this website, I immediately thought of our dear, departed online friend Brad in Kentucky. Since he was a whiz at origami, this site was something I think he would've enjoyed...or maybe even created.

HowPack

Sic 'im, Sgt. Friday

"Just the facts" Joe (Jack Webb) tells Obama where he's going wrong.

(with some help from Officer Gannon/Harry Morgan)



Love the old Dragnet series, have seen every episode at least twice.

Ride the ToneMatrix

From the website:

Simple sinewave synthesizer triggered by an ordinary 16step sequencer. Each triggered step causes a force on the underlaying wave-map, which makes it more cute.

ToneMatrix screenshot

Fascinating application that's bound to keep you amused for more than ten seconds! I also think it could become extremely annoying if someone ELSE was playing this around you.

How to play: Click to add or take-away a square; space to clear the board. Build a melody!

ToneMatrix

September 5, 2009

And Swaziland Makes 98

Even though the state flag counter (at bottom of the page) has maxed out on all 50 states and the District of Columbia, I still enjoying seeing the newest countries to have visited this blog.

For a week or longer, the newest country visitor was Montenegro, but the other day I noticed Swaziland had been here. It's always interesting to view the country information for countries such as Swaziland.



The African continent is the most under-represented, so I was pleased to see this latest new country from that region of the world.

As the list of new countries grew, I was chuffed to think of the "success" of this blog...then I visited the Flag Counter Forum and saw posts by several bloggers who had well over that number visit their own sites; some claimed over 200.

Several weeks ago, I noticed an odd entry, not a country but listed as "Unknown - Satellite Provider". Now, I'd bet that is exactly what it says it is, someone uses a satellite dish for their ISP. (I've read they're not reliable, touchy to keep in place and while it's faster than a dial-up connection, they are at the low end of everything else)

It's that, or some govt. agency checking for subversive activity...or maybe it's from a UFO who was attracted to the special frequency of this blog. (or perhaps they thought they saw a photo of one of their own kind in here)

Whatever, only two more to reach 100!

September 4, 2009

Tooth Fairy Letters

Great printables from ToothFairy.net

Choose from a dozen printable Tooth Fairy Letters ready to instantly download and print. Great gift idea for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and more. The PDF version is free; editable Microsoft Word (DOC) version is just $5.

Also, 10 Free Tooth Fairy Coloring Pages you can download and print. Grab one, or grab them all, download and print them. Entertain your little ones with several Tooth Fairy-themed coloring pages.

Here's a Tooth Fairy joke letter, my favorite of the bunch:
(click for larger view)



ToothFairy.net

September 3, 2009

Never Had It

But it sounds pretty good!




You Are Apple Iced Tea



You are warm hearted and generous. You believe it's important to make others feel comfortable.

You are a bit of a cozy homebody who feels out of place in the warm weather. You'll drink iced tea but you prefer the hot stuff.

You are more serious than most, and you shy away from superficial people. You prefer to look beyond the surface.

You like deep conversations, engrossing novels, and moving films. You find ideas and human interaction fascinating.




I put these things in as filler, just a free, fun thing to post, and never take them seriously, hope everyone knows this.

This one hits pretty close to home, though, at least it's how I perceive myself to be. I do like hot tea better than iced, but hot apple tea sounds better.

September 2, 2009

Working in a Vacuum


Credit: NASA

From the Nasa website's Image of the Day Gallery

Discovery spacewalker Danny Olivas at work during the STS-128 mission's first spacewalk. During the six-hour, 35-minute spacewalk, Olivas and astronaut Nicole Stott, removed an empty ammonia tank from the station's truss and temporarily stowed it on the station's robotic arm.

Olivas and Stott also retrieved the European Technology Exposure Facility and Materials International Space Station Experiment from the Columbus laboratory module and installed them on Discovery’s payload bay for return.