Space Shots and Oreos

NASA - love 'em or hate 'em, they have a real knack for sharing unbelievable photos. Welcome to my screensaver slideshow.

Need something to kill some time? Try these classic arcade games.

The kid got shipped out to visit relatives in the Far West a couple of weeks ago. He came back with a tan, fun stories, great memories and even better photos. (Oh yeah - if the Aunt is reading this, I'm supposed to ask about the two girls at the mexican restaurant....) The photo at left is (obviously) sunset at The Ranch.


Care for an Oreo with a touch of Tabasco? I hear these guys are just like big kids....not into sibling rivalry with the two of them.

A ghost town had been born. A town in Namibia, born in 1908, abandoned and reclaimed by the desert. Eerie, beautiful, serene.

Talk about having too much time on your hands....Kind of puts Richard Dreyfuss in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and his mashed potatoes to shame.

Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong...I have ALWAYS liked Danny Kaye (OK, I'm old) and this is just a great video.

Now THIS is an e-commerce site worth visiting! Be sure and turn the sound up!

It's been awhile since I've posted...haven't really known what to write. I try to shy away from religion and politics (something my dad mentioned that was really good advice) unless it's in a real discussion; most of the time it's like cotton candy -- not bad at first, then you kind of wish you hadn't gotten into it because you're starting to feel kind of sick and you realize it really wasn't worth the price of admission.

Gainful employment is mine once more and I have to say, I'm a much nicer person - maybe even a game show host! I have no qualms admitting I had become a real joy to be around...stress will do that to you. I'm having a great time learning something new and thoroughly enjoying myself. Good people, decent surroundings, a better attitude. What more can one ask for?

Gotta admit job searches suck. They are also way scarier than they used to be, and I'm not even getting into the "trying to sell yourself" aspect of it. I'm talking the personal info give-aways you have to do for each and every job you look into. Soon as I went on a couple of those things, I signed up for identity fraud protection. It may just be a bunch of hooey and a false sense of security, but I feel better. And, after all, that's what it's all about..!

Random Clicks

Found this over the weekend on a couple of different blogs I follow. If you don't know who Andrew Olmstead is, he was a military blogger stationed in Iraq; he was also a phenomenal writer. He was killed last week and this is his final post, one he wrote prior to his death and left to a friend to publish when he died. The post on Fark.Com summed it up: "It's actually funny and lighthearted until he starts saying goodbye to his wife and you start bawling."

Not for the feint of heart or scared of heights (of which I am). The ten best roller coaster rides, with a short clip of each. At least you didn't have to pay for the privilege of hurling your lunch....

And now, 25 unexpectedly useful websites for the uncommonly curious.

Musical Tesla Coils - how cool is that?!

If you visited Pap's blog and listened to the classic "12 Days of Christmas", here's another version.

As Time Goes By....

It's a new year already and, as they say, "out with the old, in with the new".

I'm coming to the end of a long-term run in the one part of life most people spend the better part of their's in -- a job. It's been a hoot most of the time and more holler than it needed to be. It introduced me to some of the nicest, funniest, most brutally honest, and friendliest people I've had the pleasure of knowing. I even call a select few of them close friends. It has also proven that there are inconsiderate, thoughtless, greedy people in every walk and income bracket of life.

The kid had the greatest opportunities of childhood: meeting, growing up and interacting with adults in careers as varied as electricians to mega-business owners and everything in between. Some were great; others....feh. He had an education that most kids never get and it has already shaped a large part of who he is and will eventually become. For this, I am eternally grateful. These are lessons his dad and I could have never taught him...mainly because he wouldn't have listened, being The Dreaded Parents that we are.

We spent a significant portion of our disposable income on his "hobby"; it was worth every penny. We wouldn't trade it for anything....and I know he wouldn't.

Sometimes, for the good of those around you, changes must be made. Timing for one sucks for another. There is no good time for a major change in life or business; but, somehow, it all works out. Usually, if you embrace the change for what it is -- an opportunity to grow -- it's all for the best. Even if you don't want to believe it.

As my profile states, I'm not a game show host -- haven't been happy anywhere near every day. That makes me human. And since I can only be responsible for my happiness and no one else's, that means I can only control me. That was a hard lesson to learn, but I finally learned it. And I've been unbelievably calm and content since I discovered that lesson. Thank God...it was needed.

I'll miss my friends, I'll miss the fun, I'll even miss the cats I don't like. Really. But I won't miss any of those things as much as I missed myself. It's good to be back, even if it is just me.

Spiders! Oh My!

• I am NOT a fan of spiders and I have to admit I don't run with scissors. Someone has managed to combine the two and while they certainly look fairly deadly, I don't think I would pole vault over a counter should I see one....then again......

• From Discover Magazine: 20 Things You Didn't Know About Living in Space. I love the tag line: "Exploding boobs, toilet target practice, the second birth..." Kind of covers it all.

• Remember Spirographs? Try this one out!
  

And now, time for another productivity enhancer...

Science fiction is one of those genres that you either really like or....don't. However, sometimes, real science discoveries/inventions/advances put science fiction to shame.

Don't believe me? Read these. Then, explore the rest of the site for hours of mind-numbing information. I personally have invested many hours reading their informative, motivational articles...

What a Concept!

• Now THIS is a concept car....or maybe this one...wait, I think I like this one best (always did like a Lamborghini).

• Free mobile online copy service -- This is actually a useful bit of info
  

• Make Unlimited Calls from The USA -- Hmmmm - sounds like a good idea