October 27, 2006

WTFF v.10.27.6 - Guest Host RainyPete!

So Celti is swamped and I offered to help out. Here goes a Rainy WTFF for you all to enjoy.
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To begin with, it's stupid and crudely animated but what better way to kick off a WTFF than with a wtf end of the world video right?

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It seems that Halloween has snuck up on us once again so here are a few thing to help you get through your own.

Let's start with the good ol' Jack-O-Lanterns. Are you getting tired of the same old Jack-O-Lanterns? Maybe you need to take some tips from this guy. His efforts make mine seems pretty lame by comparison.

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If carving isn't your thing then maybe you are looking for some really slick costumes. Then Mark is the man you need to talk to about getting all set up.

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It's okay to let your nerd flag fly.....just don't get caught or you may fall into Captain Wacky's clutches.

And for the record, these costumes are both hilarious and just plain wrong at the same time
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don't click this link


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What's Halloween good for if not scary movies right? Well how about a morning after the scary movie video? Talk about parenting in a manner that I can enjoy!

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Maybe a nice light snack would do you some good. If you've eaten all that Halloween candy you bought early and found it lacking in substance then it's time for you to get some snack building skills from the Pimp Daddy and his posse

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If you think you need to get your eyes checked because of the cool animated gifs you see below just make sure you do so before you end up like this lass here.
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And my personal favourite
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Let's not forget a toilet that would likely sell a terrifying number of units to the female set. Think of it as a bidet with a twist!

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If you're all worried that this strangeness will throw you off then maybe you should just kick back with a nice butterfly movie.


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October 26, 2006

95 Years

Last weekend, I managed to get down to Missouri to visit my Grandpa. I don't see him very often because it's quite a long drive. I had to go, though, because his 95th birthday is this week and we took him a birthday cake.

Grandpa was a farmer and a carpenter. He helped build many beautiful, historical buildings in the Schuyler County area, and maintained a 200 acre farm for nearly 70 years. I spent a lot of my summers on that farm, going out at daybreak with Grandpa to feed the cows, check the beans, gather the eggs...whatever needed to be done. It was he and Grandma who taught me to work the land and appreciate it and how to live simply. Yes, a lot of happy, peaceful summers.

Now Grandpa is in a nursing home. Since Grandma passed away 5 years ago, he's been very lonely - they were married for 69 years. Grandpa has macular degeneration and is nearly blind now, so he can no longer read or watch TV. He is becoming more fragile and unsteady every time I see him and I know it's just a matter of time before he leaves us. I really don't think there's much time left. He doesn't have any disease to take him out - I think he'll just drift off to sleep one of these days and never wake up. I hope so, as he's ready. He wants to be with Grandma again. I can't say that I blame him.

The world has changed so much during Grandpa's lifetime...

When Grandpa was born:

The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47.

A 3-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.

There were only 8000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California.

With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.

The average wage in the US. was 22 cents per hour.

The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2500 per year, a veterinarian between $1500 and $4000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5000 per year.

More than 95% of all births in the U.S. took place at home.

Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had no college education. Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as "sub-standard."

Sugar cost 4 cents a pound.

Eggs were 14 cents a dozen.

Coffee was 15 cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

The Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were Pneumonia and influenza, Tuberculosis, Diarrhea, Heart disease, and Stroke in that order.

The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona , Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was only 30.

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

20% of U.S. adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health."

18% of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A.

How different the world is now. I wonder what the world will be like when I am 95, if I make it that long.

October 24, 2006

It's the Simple Things

It really is...those little moments in life that give so much joy.

My son jumping with glee after making a goal in a soccer game.

My pumpkin spice latte and the way it warms all the way down.

My new fleece pajama pants. You see, I hardly ever buy anything for myself. Almost without fail, I go shopping and bring things home for the boys and nothing for me.

Anyway, all my pajamas are all in pretty sad shape - old and wearing out. I was out birthday shopping for D when I passed a rack of the softest, cutest pajama pants. I stopped and looked at them. They were on sale for $13 and had my name written all over them. I chose the lime green ones with the black polka dots and black kitties peeking out of shopping bags. They feel wonderful - I can't wait to put them on when I get home. ...all for $13. *sigh*

There are so many challenges in life, things to worry about, stresses to stew over. We all need to put them aside now and then and, like last night, curl up with my little boy, a book and my jammie pants. We have a date for the same tonight. ...that is, after I stop by the store and buy another pair with coffee cups on them. :)

October 20, 2006

WTFF v.10.20.6

Woot woot! It's Friday, folks! Here is this week's crop of WTFness for your enjoyment. I must thank the illustrious RainyPete for his contributions. Thanks, Pete! It seems that next week, Pete will be doing WTFF Friday for me - that's right, a Guest Host! Yes, you all will be subjected to his own special brand of weird and then you'll all understand why I adore him (or maybe not, that is if you don't understand me...never mind). It work out nicely for me, since I'll be deep in last-minute birthday preparations by then. D's birthday is next Sunday.

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MySpace

So...I finally caved and set up a MySpace page. Yeah, I know... I wanted to be able to comment on some of my friends' pages (you started it, Sidra!). You can check out my page here. If you have a MySpace, please add me. I wouldn't want to be one of those "uncool" ones with no friends. *sniff* (*snort*)

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Just Because



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Jackhammer Rampage

Got some pent up frustrations to work out? Bunnies and destruction just might be the ticket (actually this whole site is whacked out).
Run, bunny, ruuuun!

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Chinese Robin Hood?

I've done my fair share of shooting with a compound bow and, simply put, this dude's accuracy is astounding. wow.

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Gif time!

Yes, yes, I loves me some groovy .gif files. My favorites for this week:



- by the way, you see this shit on MySpace all the time and I DO NOT DO THE BLINKIES, PEOPLE. They make me feel all nervous & shit. heh



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Do they really need instructions?

I mean, it's really not that tough to figure out how to get your Mile High Club membership. For those who need help... *rolls eyes*

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Awesome!

This is one of the best things I've seen on youtube in quite a while.

When LP Covers Attack!
\m/

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Christ on a ...Good Lord!

Man, people can spot Jesus anywhere. The latest:

They've even animated it so you can see it better. What I want to know is why was some idiot staring for that long at this dog's butt.
Story here.
*rolls eyes again*

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Page Full of Lies

Hmmm... thought provoking.

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Whee! I'm a Megastar!

There's a fun little PhotoShop contest thingy going on over on the Blue Man Group website. I participated and they put up both of my entries! Check out my handiwork here. Mine are the first two (Queen and the Ramones in case they've moved). HEEHEE!
Just a little over three weeks until the show!

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All right, that's it for today. I've got to get some work done. No, not that kind of work! Sheesh!
You all have a fantastic weekend!

October 17, 2006

Thanks for Your Time

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said

"What box?" Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:

"Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most was...my time"

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.

"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"

Thank YOU for the time you spend coming here to see what I have to say.

October 13, 2006

WTFF - v.10.13.6 - Friday the 13th

So, it's Friday the 13th. I, personally, do not subscribe to the superstition that this is an unlucky day - hell, 13 is my lucky number. For many, however, a Friday occurring on the 13th day of any month is considered to be a day of bad luck (in English and Portuguese-speaking cultures around the globe, anyway).

Similar superstitions exist in some other traditions. In Greece and Spain, for example, Tuesday the 13th takes the same role. The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia, a specialized form of triskaidekaphobia, a phobia (fear) of the number thirteen.

Strangely, there is evidence to suggest that Friday the 13th is actually unlucky. Psychologists have found that some people are especially likely to have accidents or fall ill on Friday the 13th. This has been attributed to such people feeling a heightened state of anxiety on that day (nocebo effect). The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina estimates that in the United States alone, $800 or $900 million is lost in business each Friday the 13th because people will not fly or do business as they would normally do.

Wussies. lol

Anyway...I've thrown in a little creepiness in honor of the "holiday". heh

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Torture!

Ahh, the delights of the web are forever bringing us new games to entertain ourselves with. Here, you can bring out the vindictive evil in yourselves and torture a celebrity you hate or a former friend or enemy. Brought to us by the twisted minds that are also bringing us Saw III, it's quite morbid and, if you can get past that, kind of entertaining. I had a jolly good time torturing Jessica Simpson. Woot!

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Would you get on?


Chomp!

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Yikes!

Do you hate housecleaning? Are you ashamed of what a mess your place has become? Well, these lovely abodes will make you feel much better. Crack, anyone?

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Computer Geek or Cold Blooded Killer?

Can you tell them apart just by their picture? Try out this killer quiz. I got 5 out of 10: "Not bad, but it might be best to avoid career in law enforcement or IT recruitment." HA HA

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Dark Cut

Ahh, another sick and morbid game for your enjoyment. Bag your surgery degree treating impaled limbs, plague boils and other unsightly medieval ailments in Dark Cut. I messed up my patient every time, damnit.

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Talk About Bad Luck!

Um, let's just say don't drink from the faucet during a thunderstorm - especially today! OUCH!

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Political Rhapsody

For a little bit of comic relief, this is a bit dated, but a real knee-slapper nonetheless.

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Jason Lives!

I'll close this edition with a tribute to the Friday the 13th movie series.

Let the bodies hit the floor!

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Everyone have a great weekend and stay safe! Muuuuaaaaahahaha!

October 12, 2006

Free Hugs

This video made me smile like an idiot.

I think it should be shared with everyone.
*hugs*

UPDATE - Friday morn: I found a little history on this...
Sometimes, a hug is all what we need. Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whos sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.

In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.

As this symbol of human hope spread accross the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witness is the true spirit of humanity come together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.

In the Spirit of the free hugs campaign, PASS THIS TO A FRIEND and HUG A STRANGER! After all, If you can reach just one person...


He's apparently from Sydney, Australia...and the phenomenon is spreading! Here's an interview with the free hugs king.

October 11, 2006

Open Up My Head and Let Me Out

...little baby! So much to say, so much to say, so much to say, so much to say...

It's amazing how loud a cat can "yell" at you when you are out of cat food. Where was he when I was at the store scratching my chin last night!?

I went out on a limb and bought some mountain fresh scented laundry soap last night. In years past, such an endeavor would leave me all itchy, pink and bumpy. I've been experimenting with perfumed lotions and such for a while and haven't had any problems, so perhaps I've outgrown it. Fingers crossed, folks - it would be nice to have good smelling laundry!

Once again, my procrastination has poised itself to bite me in the butt. There's a freeze warning for tonight here, and I haven't harvested my herbs yet. Damn. Guess what I'm doing as soon as I get home? Yep.

Parent/Teacher conferences are this afternoon. This should be interesting. It's not like I don't already know what's been going on so far, so I really don't expect any surprises. We'll see.

Speaking of D, it's been a while since I posted a pic of my little man, so here's this fall's soccer picture. He's trying to look all tough. Ha ha! He has been playing quite well this season, averaging 3 to 4 goals each game - much better than last year. Now if he can just avoid getting into fights with mouthy opponents (such as the little turd last Saturday that kept calling D and his team mates losers), it will be a dandy season. I was so proud of D for not pummeling him. What was so great was that, during the game, turd-boy was knocked flat on his face by a crowd of kids going after the ball and then the ball was immediately kicked, whapping him right upside the head. Ha! Turd, meet Karma. Oh yeah, and D's team won!

Crock pots rule. I made a kick-ass pork roast with mushrooms yesterday in mine, came home, heated up some green beans and had dinner on the table within 1/2 hour. Kachaa!

So, have you heard that CBS and YouTube are entering a partnership deal, where CBS will provide daily short content from it's various programming, and in return will split revenue from adjacent ads? YouTube is also signing deals with Sony BMG and Universal Music Group. Not only will this kick up their content, it'll let those companies keep an eye out for copyright violations and probably save YouTube a few lawsuits. Announced on the same day, Google is buying YouTube. So, all that extra and premium content is now in Google's hands. Needless to say, this just catapulted Google ahead in the portal race, significantly. (Thanks, Archmage)

Chris' dad invited Chris to learn and subsequently take over his accounting business and we are so excited! It's really been a boost to his self-esteem as he always thought that the business would be passed along to his older brother or would just eventually close. I think Chris will do a great job and, with his current customer base and my marketing ideas to bring in new business, it should provide great opportunities for our family. He's been going in to work with his dad for 2 hours every day after he gets of work to learn the ropes. It's going quite well so far. His dad is so proud of him and so relieved that the business won't simply dissolve when he retires or passes away. It's a win-win all the way around.

I bought a nice little HP printer for home several months ago. It's been nice, but it finally ran out of toner. Well, I work for a company that sells toner, so I priced a cartridge (at cost, mind you) yesterday for my printer. The damn toner costs more than I paid for the printer!!! Gah! What to do...

Lost is on tonight! Woot! That is all.

October 08, 2006

WTFF on Sunday!

My sincerest apologies for my tardiness in posting. I've simply been busy. Busy working (and working!) and having arguments with insurance companies, and fixing PCs that my friends have gotten all jacked up and trying to find ways to help D behave in school and getting ready for a birthday party and shopping for said birthday and visiting with parents and running to soccer practice and games and learning to use QuarkExpress and sharpening my skills on illustrator... You get the picture.

So, here it is, eight friggin' something on a Sunday morning and I'm posting.

We all know that we've got some major WTF stuff going on in the news these days. Well, I thought I'd try something different this week, and provide for you several of the ones from this week that really made me say "WTF?".


Oregon Bakery worker trapped face down in the dough.


Police prank leads to pothead taking a dive


It puts the lotion on its skin


For Allah's sake, don't masturbate on purpose during Ramadan!


Party in the streets as pedophile's house burns


They talked about fight club!


Nothing like seeing a monkey whip a dog.


Don't talk back to Dick!

...and last, but not least - my favorite WTF picture of the week:

October 04, 2006

heh



Just a few things:

Second Life is awesome.
Lost Season 3 starts tonight.
Behavioral Psychologists are slow.
I am impatient.
Teachers are impatient.
Wisconsin rocks.
PORK!

October 01, 2006

Just shoot me. UPDATED

Things have not been going well - not at all.

The D-Man is having major problems in school. I never realized how much something like this could affect me, but it's just about all I can think about. I want so badly for him to succeed and be happy, and I just can't make it happen. The frustration is insurmountable.

Things really haven't gone too well since he started preschool there. He would be rowdy, running around, wouldn't sit down, bothering the other kids - nothing malicious or mean, just wanting attention I suppose. He showed a newfound delight in running away from the teachers which was obviously not well received.

Kindergarten started about a month ago and, honestly, it feels like it's been three months. I hoped that he would respond well to the more structured environment and that he would feel more challenged as boredom seemed to be an issue in preschool. Wrong. His behavior has only gotten worse. He won't stay in his seat, doesn't follow directions, clowns around, runs and runs, won't line up...just acts generally uncooperative. He KNOWS what's right and wrong and what he's supposed to be doing, he just doesn't do it. The teacher will ask him "what should you be doing/should you have done" and he always has the right answer. He's always sorry, but just can't seem to stop doing all this crap.

This completely blows me away, because D is usually a very well behaved kid. At home, at Grandma's, with the sitter, anywhere else he is polite, cooperative and relatively calm. I can't understand how being at school transforms him into a completely different kid. They've even said that they can see a huge difference in him when I'm there with him. How can I get him to behave for them the way he does for me???

D likes school and I want it to stay that way. I don't want him to be discouraged or have his self-confidence suffer, but this has got to stop! Yesterday, he ran out of the after-school room again, took off his shoes and threw them and then locked himself in a bathroom stall, laughing merrily. As a result, they suspended him from the after school program for a week. Now I have to skip my lunch every day to go pick him up at three, deliver him to his grandma or whoever will take him and come back to work until 5. It sucks eggs. I could write an entire post about my opinions and observations regarding the seemingly completely incompetent after-school care staff, but maybe another day.

So, with D's behavior, we've tried charts on which he gets stars for good behavior (or at this point, normal) in each activity. We've tried the same thing at home, and rewards are involved on both ends. I've sat and talked with his teacher for what seems like hours, sharing ideas and making sure we're consistent and on the same page, and nothing we have done seems to make any difference. I've talked and talked with D about it, and he promises to try to do better. He's even told me that he just can't help it. It just breaks my heart.

This whole situation has caused me a HUGE amount of stress and sometimes I start to feel like I just can't handle it any more. I don't know what to do, what to try next - I'm out of ideas. Every time my phone rings here at work I practically have a panic attack because it could be the school calling to complain about something else he's done. What the hell do they want me to tell them?!? I feel like one of those bad parents who doesn't bother to teach their kid to behave and then they're miserable because they're so bad. That's just not the case, though - at home he knows how to tow the line. I'm sure the school employees and teachers think I'm full of shit and completely incompetent. It's totally humiliating.

So, the only thing I could think of to do at this point is to seek professional help. Monday, we have an appointment to see a pediatric behavioral psychologist. Hopefully he can help us as I really can't take much more. I'm at the point now that if I think about it too much, I start crying. I'll never give up, but that doesn't mean that I don't just want to go find a huge rock to crawl under. Instead, I did what I must (dinner, bath, reading, all that), put D to bed and then drank myself to sleep last night. I dreamed about a huge tornado coming to get me. I feel like that would be easier to handle.

Oh, and due to the overwhelming response to my request for fun/weird things for WTFF this week *coughONEcough* (thanks, Vince)...aw, fuck it. Where's that rock?

SUNDAY, OCT 1
Update

I've received a lot of good feedback as a result of this post and I am grateful for it. One particular e-mail, however, mentioned that I seem powerless about the situation. I think it should be made clear that I am far from powerless. This post was written in a particularly dark time when I was feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. A lot of details were obviously left out as I was trying to work through my frustrations and, well, just generally complaining and venting.

We have tried and are trying many different constructive approaches to try to overcome this.

Some issues that were asked about:

He does have a very predictable routine.

He does have a set time for bed.

I try to always make nutritious meals and we always eat together at the table in the evening. Snacks are things such as fruit, granola bars, yogurt...there is VERY little junk food eating in our house. His lunches are made with sandwiches, cheeses, fruits and yogurt instead of sugary things like snack cakes. His sugar intake is very minimal. I also give him a good multivitamin and DHA

He is only in daycare for 1 - 2 hours per day, and after school only

We make sure that he is highly praised and rewarded for good behavior and accomplishments. He gets a lot of attention from us and is rarely excluded from any of our activities.

Although we do discuss things a lot, we also use things such as losing priveledges often as consequences - such as no TV, no movies, not getting to do something he really wants at the time. If a particular toy is being abused, it is taken away, for example, after a couple of warnings. On the other side of the coin, he is given special opportunities as rewards for good behavior such as going to see special movie or getting ice cream.

I know that I need to separate myself emotionally somewhat from the situation and be objective and rational - getting too emotional about it will only complicate matters.

This post was my emotional release, so please take it at that.

I'll be very interested to see what the behavioral psych can bring to the table to help us help him.
I realize that this will take a lot of work and dillegence, but he is so very worth it.