Creativity = fun!

Did you know that Google updates the graphics on their opening page to reflect what is happening on a specific day? When you google, pay attention to this and you might be pleasantly surprised by the creative visuals. Here are four examples.

How do you go about getting a job like this? I once read that google gets 3,000 application a day! If you could get in, how fun would that be? Paid to be creative. Plus they let you bring your dog to work too! Right up my alley. Sign me up!

More on the polygamist sect....

This just in. 

Of the 53 female children aged 14 to 17 that were taken for suspicion of child abuse, 31 of these girls have either already given birth or are currently pregnant. How horrifying is that!? Let's break this out to emphasize what you just read. 

53 female girls, actual age unknown, but for this purpose, let's calculate averages:

Aged 14, average of 13 in this age range,

Aged 15, average of 13 in this age range,

Aged 16, average of 13 in this age range,

Aged 17, average of 14 in this age range.

Of the 53, 31 are or have been pregnant. So to be generous, let's calculate the percentages this way:

Of the 17 year olds, all 14 are pregnant,

Of the 16 year olds, all 13 are pregnant,

Of the 15 year olds, 4 are pregnant and 9 are not,

Of the 14 year olds none are pregnant.

This is down right scary, creepy, revolting, and inexcusable. To all the mother's who are over 18 and have been separated from their children stating you knew nothing of young girls being "married" or having sex with older men, you lied. Plain and simple, you lied. Therefore, in my eyes you are an unfit parent. Not to say there aren't remedies, but when you flat out lie when directly questioned on the Larry King Live show and others, then you are complicit in the crime. 

The mother's we have not heard from are the teenage mother's 17 and under. By definition a child is under 18 years of age, so these mother's have been able to stay with their children. How ironic is that? This is one mess I would not want to have to sort out. But, I have to say, I think it is good this has happened. Maybe we will take a serious look at this "religion" and rethink the definition of religious freedom. 

How scared all of these people must be. A sad situation for everyone involved. No matter how this ends, it will not be happy.

Disssh.... Drawerrr.....

Have you seen this add for Fisher and Paykel? There is a man watching TV in his living room when he notices his wife moving the dishes from the dishwasher to a draw. He sits quietly while his wife unloads the dish washer, dish by dish. He starts slowly chanting, disssh...., drawerrr...., dissssh...., drawer...., etc.

Low and behold, he has a epiphany! Let's make a dishwasher that has two drawers! Wow! Isn't he clever? Not only does he have a great idea, but he also doesn't have to do any housework! My what a brainy guy. 

Or how about this one? There is a man listening to his wife comment that front loading washing machines save water, but they are a pain to unload. She is bending over moving laundry from the washing machine to the dryer while making this comment to her husband. He is standing near her watching when he gets a gleam in his eye, bends over to give her a tiny kiss on the forehead and walks away while she continues to work.

The next scene shows him sharing his great idea of a front loading dryer to two other people (presumably in his company) and saying the idea came to him in the shower. Wow. What another clever guy. Apparently Fisher and Paykel hire lazy men who do nothing more than sit around watching their wives do the housework. Then when an idea comes to them, they don't even fess up to the circumstances that lead them to the idea to begin with. By all means, that would show the company just how lazy he really is.

I am so tired of all of the adds that show women doing housework or women making fun of men who try to do housework but not to the woman's expectation level. Silly man, what else could we have expected except poor cleaning performance. 

Sexism is so ingrained in our lives that we accept it at so many levels that we don't even question continued sexist roles promoted every day. Watch commercials, so many are just like this one. Aren't you grateful that Fisher and Paylek is looking out for your best interests and making women's work easier? Watch and see how many other companies are looking out for women too!

Penegiun in a wet suit!

Pierre, a 25 year old penguin was loosing his feathers and going bald. This posed a serious problem for him as feathers act as a form of insulation and without them he wouldn't go swimming. He was just too cold. So the California Academy of Sciences created a tiny wetsuit for the balding fella. Now he is swimming with his friends again, plus his feathers are beginning to grow back! 

Crazy view! Look out!

For all you thrill seekers out there! 

I couldn't watch this the whole way through as I seem to have an exacerbated fear of heights. Even while sitting down on a cushy chair in my living room. But for those of you who are looking for a thrill... click here! This is quite a ride. Hang on!

Oh! And the music is pretty cool too!

New Fibers 2008 opens at EMU

Fiber Arts Network of Michigan presents a national survey of contemporary fiber art.

New Fibers 2008 opens at the Student Center in Eastern Michigan University's campus in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

The show opens on May 6 and closes June 12. You can meet the artists on opening night, Friday May 9 from 5 PM to 7 PM.

Come see a sampling of some of the best national fiber artists!

Click here for directions.

Dirty Windows! Who would have thought....

As you can see, art is the topic of the day. 

This is the work of Scott Wade from San Marcos, Texas. He lives near a dirt road and has a rather unconventional way of dealing with the aftermath on the back window of his Mini Cooper. His work has been featured at many news organizations including, The Washington Post, American Profile, and has been featured on The Today Show. For more pictures here is the connection to his website.

Amazing chalk drawings

Julian Beever has been drawing on sidewalks for over ten years all over the world. This is an example of his work where he is real and the exposed water main is the drawing. You'll find he does this regularly in his pieces. If you click on this site you'll find it has a repertoire of thumb nail images of his work that can be enlarged with the click of a mouse. Give it a try, it's fun!

Texas Polygamy sect

If you know nothing about this current event, but encounter photos such as these, wouldn't the photos alone creep you out? Look at these crazy, meticulous and ridiculous hair styles. All of these women are identical. Even in their mannerisms. They all use a soft voice and speak slowly. Almost like they are all on some drug that makes them move in slow motion. Absolutely, unequivocally creepy. Think Stepford Wives...

Any woman that would condone the "marriage" of a 13 year old daughter to a 45 year old man with other "wives" has a screw loose. And don't preach to me about freedom of religion. No person under 18 should have life choices made for them. All humans should have the opportunity to grow and mature and form their own ideas and opinions. This is not freedom of religion, this is an excellent example of freedom FROM religion. 

The recent interview with Larry King Live is telltale. Mr. King specifically asks three women from this sect if they have knowledge about underage girls being married to older men or men having sex with young girls. All you have to do is watch this segment and you can see it in their eyes. These women have no experience lying and it shows in their voice, movements and eye contact, or lack thereof. When they are asked about their husbands, they refuse to answer and only refer to their children. When asked about state law they only make reference to laws they recognize. (i.e. 13 year old girls entering into "marriage" with older men.) It is devastatingly sad.

This kind of cult like environment is not healthy for anyone. In fact there have been accusations that they have been designed as a method for cheap labor. This sect has "a business tied to the group receiving a nearly $1 million loan from the federal government and $1.2 million in military contracts." These families live under the pretext of serving God while the coffers are growing without the families receiving benefit (other than basic needs). 

This is just the beginning. What happens to the boy children once they reach 18? You probably don't want to know. But if you do, there is a lot of information out there. Here is an interesting blog about Texas polygamy that might be worth checking out.

This situation poses interesting and complicated questions to and about our legal system and how it will define the term 'religion'. I will watch with interest as this all plays out.

Mike Wallace - in his own words....

Margaret Sanger, Salvador Dali, Pearl Buck, Frank Lloyd Wright, Eldon Edwards (Imperial wizard of the KKK), Margaret Sanger, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Henry Kissinger are a sampling of interviews that Mike Wallace conducted in 1957 and 1958 on his show The Mike Wallace Interview.

"Whether you agree or disagree with what you hear, we feel that none will deny the right of these views to be broadcast." ~Mike Wallace

There are 65 interviews in the collection which have recently been released to the public for viewing by Mr. Wallace. To peruse the options, here is your link to knowledge!

Faith the two legged wonder dog and Dominic too!

This amazing dog was rescued by her caretaker Jude shortly after birth. Because of her condition (she was born with only two usable legs) she was going to be euthanized. Jude stepped in and took on the unprecedented task of teaching her to walk. Here is a clip of both of them on the Montel Williams Show. She also has her own official website.

But she's not the only two legged dog, check out Dominic. He has two legs too, one in the front and one in the back. He runs and plays just like other dogs, only with just the two legs. It's amazing how adaptable animals can be!

Chocolate and math... sweet!

For my friends who are math buffs. You know, like me. I love math. Absolute. Concrete. No subjective answers. 

For my friends who like chocolate. You know, like me. I love chocolate (especially white). Smooth. Seductive. Melt in your mouth. Hmmm.

Q: So, what do the two have in common?

A: Your weekly cravings of chocolate can dictate your age! Don't believe me? Find out by clicking on the above link to take a little quiz!

Other fun stuff:

• Americans eat 13 pounds of chocolate per year.
  
• 43% of Americans list chocolate as their favorite flavor.
  
• In 1999, Americans consumed 7.1 pounds of candy!
  

Fridgerator frenzy!

Fridge frenzy!


A while back, I found a site that contains photos of refrigerators and their contents. You can search this site by country to see how they vary. Since I love all kinds of food, I found it fascinating to see what was in each countries fridges. Who knew it was going to be so much fun! The opening page is ever changing, so it is always fresh and new. Just how your produce should be!

Check out fridge watcher to see other food selections from around the world. These photos are of my refrigerator. If you look under my name, you'll find mine on their site soon too.

Finally, if you would like to feed the world and improve your vocabulary at the same time, click here. Don't believe the two can be related? Come on, give it a try. It's fun and somewhat humbling....

Winky the elephant passes away

Winky and Wanda were elephants that lived in the Detroit Zoo together for 17 years until 2005, when they were transported to the Performing Animal Welfare Society in California. Detroit Zoo officials decided that holding elephants in a small exhibit was inhumane and unhealthy. They made the journey together and lived there peacefully for three years. 

Unfortunately, Winky had arthritis which became so unbearable that she couldn't stand. Last week, at age 56 the decision was made to euthanize her. She will be cremated and her ashes will be scattered over the Sanctuary where she spent the last years of her life roaming freely with others of her kind. 

RIP Winky.

Garbage Bags as Art!

If you've been to New York City, you've probably seen the subway grates that line city streets. Well, one student artist has added something you probably haven't seen before. At first look, it appears to be a gray garbage bag on top of a grate, but then the subway train goes by and the air shoots up through the grate. All of a sudden trash becomes art! The inflated bag becomes a wobbly giraffe!

The creator, Josh Harris, was inspired by tape blowing up from the subway grates. In his quest for artist recognition, he literally took his art to the streets to create the piece. "You walk down the streets, and all of a sudden trash jumps to life," he said. "It's not what you usually see."

To see it in action, click here! (Note the commercial before the video is short.)

For more fun, some of his first pieces included polar bears. You can see them in action here.

April 11, 2007

Hard to believe, but Bear passed away, one year ago today. We all miss our best bud. Cooper had a hard first year. She didn't eat for weeks. In retrospect, I wonder how she got through the days without her protector. 

Mr. Knuckles has always wanted a playmate in these two, but neither was interested. The best he got was a big sloppy kiss from Bear. Mr. K would place his head underneath Bear's and wait paitentely for the slow wet smooch with the drag of a tounge. He keeps trying to get Cooper to play with him, but Cooper will have none of it. Mr. K begins his fun with a big MEEOOW! Then another. Then he pounces on Cooper and bites her ear. This has always terrified her and Bear came to her rescue. Needless to say, some adjustments were necessary in our household. 

Things were starting to become routine and normal again, that is until Mr. K got spring fever. Now every night, it's the MEEOOW game all over. I have to lock him out of the bedroom. I'll be glad when warm weather arrives and he can hang out on the balcony again so he won't be so active at night. Alas, and fortunately, life goes on.

Another definition of art...

This is from The New Yorker Cartoon Bank which I subscribe to. I get a new dog/cat cartoon each day. It's fun! You can, too!

Great American Meat Out

Every year there is a day the public is asked to not consume meat, in other words, the Great American Meat Out. It is in the same spirit as the day that smokers are encouraged to give up cigarettes for a day. The object is to show that it can be done and with the benefit of improved health as the outcome. Not only that, but according to An Inconvenient Truth, going vegan saves over 300 pounds of carbon dioxide per year! There are many reasons to become a vegetarian or vegan (no consumption of animal products of any kind). Won't you consider learning more about how this can help you and the planet at the same time? Once you know more, it becomes harder to ignore the overall benefits. Think long term. Think for the future. Take baby steps toward a more healthful future. Begin today!

Is 251 years old a secret code?

Okay. I'm perplexed and this has been gnawing at me for a couple of days now. Can anyone help with my quest for an answer to this question?

Is listing your age on an information page as 251 a secret code for a select group?

I encountered this when I view my profile and click on a specific interest to see who else shares the commonality. For example, when I select my book 'Animals in Translation', 57 other bloggers who have listed the book pop up. When viewing the members, I noted that 7 of the 57 list their age as one that is obviously wrong. All are women and one says she is 501, and the rest say they are 251. All 6 of the 57 are 251!? I have also encountered this same age at numerous other profile listings. 

Is this a code for 'lesbian'? Or indicating the user has a great sense of humor? Or has the original lister started a trend? 

Don't you find this intriguing? I has to be a secret code of some kind. I'm convinced! Maybe not lesbian, but it's got to be something... Anyone have any ideas?

Or, maybe I've got it all wrong and this is in dog years. 35.8. Nah. That doesn't make sense.

Q: When is a bumper sticker not a bumper sticker?

A: When you plaster your pantry door with them!

What can I say. I love the simplicity of bumper stickers. Short, often humorous, sayings that make a point. Why beat around the bush?  

One online source credits the birth of bumper stickers to a silkscreen printer named Forest P. Gill from Kansas City. They appeared shortly before World War II, were flag like in style and were attached using wires. Shortly thereafter pressure sensitive adhesive made it's debut making them more widespread and practical. Interested? To learn more listen to a recent segment by NPR.

Finally, I couldn't neglect to include a photo of the one on my car. I wish I had purchased two of these when I had the chance! I still find it funny! 

Hooooo doggie!

Attention all dog owners with fences, perhaps this is the product for you! 

For only $29.98 plus shipping and handling, PET PEEK can be yours!

Don't miss out! Order now!

NOT ANOTHER ONE!

What is it about men and their sex lives? There sure has been a lot of press on this topic lately.

• First, we had Former Governor Elliot Spitzer. Imagine being his wife and having to endure that public humiliation? 
  
• Next, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick with his alleged (ah-humph) affair with his chief of staff Christine Beatty. This fiasco already cost the taxpayers $8.4 million dollars in cover up money, and who knows how much more while it makes it's way through the legal system....
  
• But wait! Now we have Senator Debbie Stabenow's husband paying a prostitute for a blow job?! 
  

What is up? Other than the obvious. Are these the actions of unhappy folks due to economic discontent? The inability to find a good tailor with experience using zippers? Or, have I become a addicted news junkie that is noticing more of this garbage than I have in the past? (i.e. too much time on my hands?) Enough already, when will it end?

Devil Babies!

Is this art? Or something else at work? 

I found this trio when I was working at the Peaceable Kingdom. They were hanging in the window just like you see them now, and I knew they had to come home with me. I don't think they would be as fun if they weren't a set and displayed like this. I am drawn to them and can't explain the attraction. I just know that they make me smile when ever I look at them! I especially like their multi- colored underpants.

Devil babies, devil babies, go, go! Devil babies, go, go!

Meet me at the race track Jack!

Reindeer Dog...

... now I know it's not Christmas... and spring is around the corner... but this is begging to be watched. Where on earth do you think this was filmed? It makes me feel better about our winter of 85 inches so far this year...a record. To watch Bailey the reindeer dog, click here! You'll be serenaded by a mystery singer.

Okay, so I have dog on the brain! But I can't help it, this is so much fun!

Nature is poking it's head up!

At long last, spring is here! Little green things (and in this case yellow things) are poking their heads up from the earth and taking a deep breath. The birds are singing their mating calls. The buds are popping. The kids are playing soccer! Hoorah! Even the deer are frolicking at the Arb as witnessed last night (four down by the river). And a red fox has been seen in my neighborhood. You'd think I live in a rural area. Nope. My neighbor snapped a photo of the furry guy this morning. What a wonderful time of the year!

Spokesdog for Walk and Wag announced

About a month ago the Humane Society of Huron Valley asked for entrants for their Walk and Wag fund raiser in May. They were looking for a spokes dog that would represent the event. Cooper had her heart set on this as she felt she was a good candidate for this prestigious position. Unfortunately she didn't win, but the dog that did sure is cute! Cooper's a little disappointed, but at the same time slightly relived as all that attention might have been too much for a senior gal.

This is not art!

I have a friend who is a dog champion. He told me about an art exhibit where a dog is left to die in an art gallery in Costa Rica. I must warn you that this is a disturbing sight, but I implore you to look. What is more disturbing is that the artist won an award and is slated to repeat the exhibit with a new starving dog. Please sign this petition protesting the repeating of this event.

She drives me crazy!

"My fibromyalgia was particularly troubling today"

This is the opening sentence for an ad for Lyrcia where a woman is reading from her diary. This woman drives me nuts! Her voice sounds like one of the symptoms of this problem is constipation. Her lips are pinched, eyes narrowed and her nasal voice comes from a mouth that barely opens. She reminds me of Keira Knightley in twenty years. (Manner of speech, not looks.) Women who speak without opening there mouth, or speak in a breathy little girl voice drive me crazy! What are they thinking? Open your mouth, speak up, behave like a grown woman with a brain! Whew. 

Incidentally, I've noticed that she has been replaced by a new woman who has no trouble with constipation but has fibromyalgia too. 

Now don't think I don't take this illness seriously. I do. It's just the crazy woman!!! There are related sites that offer support for this debilitating illness, just not this one.