The Wall Street Traffic Light

....is currently Red.

Wall Street Traffic Light

Mark your calendar for the next update: February 28, 2010 (3:00pm CST).

Birds in my Backyard

The Only-Slightly-Cranky Waitress

This is absolutely one of the funniest blogs I've ever read....This chick should write a book.  If you've ever been a waitress or waiter, you'll surely relate.

A few snippets ~

Bastard coated bastards with bastard filling.

Here we fucking go again.  Friday through Monday were decent nights--an oasis in the shittiness of my job, so to speak. But people just have to piss me off, don't they?

If you're going to leave a 73 cent tip ....you might not want to leave behind your touchscreen phone. Ha!

I'm no meteorologist ....but I'm pretty sure it's raining bitches.

Dear lazy slobs, Those Wet Ones moist towelettes do actually cost money. They don't rain from the sky. So now that you're done eating, why don't you slide your ass out of your booth and walk the twenty feet to the bathroom and just wash your fucking hands?

"What's the difference between your chicken wings and your boneless chicken wings?" One is diamond-encrusted. Dumbass.

  

TripAdvisor's 2010 Top 10 Dirtiest Hotels

I'm not a germaphobe, but after reading about the some of the goodies found in hotel rooms, I won't travel ever again without disinfecting wipes & a can of Lysol.

TripAdvisor's 2010 Top 10 Dirtiest Hotels

We got Snow!

WunderMap Interactive Radar & Weather Stations : Weather Underground

Uhhh...ManCrunch.com

Okay this piqued my interest because I couldn't imagine what kind of Super Bowl ad would work for a gay man's dating site. So I checked out the ad & honestly, it's just plain dumb. If it had been a straight dating site ad, it would have been just as dumb. But...alas, ManCrunch is shouting discrimination. What the hell is this world coming to?

Gay dating site ManCrunch.com asks for help after CBS rejects Super Bowl ad

Dueling Pig Ads Urge People To Save, Spend : NPR

Some people are just pessimists, but not in Finland - *phft*

Finland is taking a novel approach to fighting the recession: a national ad campaign urging people in this time of crisis to spend. Some posters feature a demonic-looking piggy bank and the words, Don't feed the recession.

How can  you win if you don't play?
Dueling Pig Ads Urge People To Save, Spend : NPR

http://www.feedthepig.org/

Best Boxed Wines - Slashfood

I call it Box O' Wine



Best Boxed Wines - Slashfood

Happy Australia Day

2010 Stock Market

Stinks right now. 

On the plus side, I now have 50 shares of Berkshire B stock.  Buffet says it's 'undervalued'.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/19206666/

525,600 Minutes

This is an incredibly touching, interesting & bittersweet blog.

Molly Hightower, a 22-year-old American who volunteered at a Haiti orphanage,
was found dead in the aftermath of the Haiti Earthquake

Molly is from Port Orchard, WA and was due to return from Haiti in June. Her blog is so honest and refreshing; her writings offer the perspective of simplicity and love of someone who didn't think they'd be gone tomorrow. God Bless Molly.

525,600 Minutes

Human bed-warmers at Holiday Inn | Reuters

Reuters reporter says this is 'quirky'.....uh - yeah.

Human bed-warmers at Holiday Inn Reuters

Funny Australian Humor

Australia Guides

A really good link to find downloadable city guides in Austalia. 

In my next life I'm gonna come back as an Aussie..a 5'7", blonde, 120 lbs. of a pure sex, hot Aussie.

Adam Hills - Australian accents

It's Astralia not AUstralia....

How to Use Australian Slang

5 short steps & you too can speak like an Aussie -

How to Use Australian Slang eHow.com

Jill and Stacey Do The Roo

One afternoon on patio somwhere in Toronto we came up with the idea to create our own webshow - to document the journey of a lifetime; explore a new culture; inspire and help other travellers; and, perhaps most importantly, escape the cold Canadian winters...

Jill and Stacey Do The Roo

Nick Spitzer's American Routes

This is another one of the lineups that I listen to on Saturdays from NPR, specifically WESM 91.3 Princess Anne, Maryland. 

http://americanroutes.publicradio.org/player/

Blogtations

Blogtations: "How can you not DIE...when your 3-year-old announces in a public bathroom that she can see the hairy stripe on your pagina.
~Cheaper Than Therapy"

I'm on an F/A-18 roll today....

Cockpit video of the Blue Angels flying over Annapolis, MD. 

I'm Classic Hornet until they a go away....sigh*

Awesome F/A-18 Video

This video gives me goose bumps.

FA-18 Hornet Simulator Game

You think you have what it takes to fly an F/A-18 Hornet in the Air Force. Well here is your chance to get a taste for flying one of the most sophisticated aircraft in Australia. Your challenge is to get through your Basic Fighter Training then put your skills to the test on a mission to destroy enemy aircraft and ground based targets.

http://www.maniacworld.com/F18_HORNET.htm

I love this - it's harder than you think.

Stranded on an Island

Okay ~ given 3 choices of basic foods I would  want while stranded on an island ~

I base my choices on the fact that fresh water &  fish is available  & that miraculously grapes grow on the island.

1. Corn
2. Berries
3. Oranges

I love all berries, corn is very versatile & oranges for Vitamin C.  If I had a 4th choice it would be Gum-mi Bears.

Calvin and Hobbes

The Internet ruined my life

The Internet ruined my life

Posted using ShareThis

I love this guys suggestions; I really need to quit being a slave to email at work. I don't do the social networking during work, in fact I totally shut off my personal life at work for the most part. I don't call my spouse, I don't text message anyone unless it's work related (and rarely then either).

I do occasionally check my stocks (at lunch) though.

I can definitely relate to the time waster of reading every email that comes in; some days it's all I do vice getting any real work done. So - I'm going to try checking my email only twice a day.

I'd love to just delete every email in my inbox, but I don't have the balls.

12 Places To Go If The World Goes To Hell

I'll take Capetown over Kansas City please. 

Kewl Fact about Today

1968 - Super Bowl II (at Miami): Green Bay Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14. Packers had won every Super Bowl to date. MVP: Packers’ QB Bart Starr. Tickets: $12.00.

Butterbush - MyMiniCity

Butterbush - MyMiniCity

Something I found on the net tonight. If you visit my city the population will grow.

2010 Stock Market - 11 Jan ~ Futures are Up

The market is set to go higher today.

10,618.19 +11.33 / +0.11%

Jan 8 4:01pm ET †

Open: 10,606.40

High (day): 10,619.40

Low (day): 10,554.33

YTD%Change: 1.82%

Volume: 172,712,171.00

Prev. Close: 10,618.19

52-Week Range (Low - High): 6,469.95 - 10,619.40

Kewl Fact about Today

Pineapples Arrive in Hawaii

Most people don't know that pineapples are not 'native' to Hawaii.  On the 11th of Jan 1813, the first pineapple was planted in Hawaii. 

Mystical Photography by Frederic Larson

Mystical Photography by Frederic Larson

Reinstate Hank Williams - Petition

Reinstate Hank Williams - Petition - Sign this petition here - Signature page - GoPetition

I cannot believe that Hank Williams is NOT part of the Grand Ole' Opry... Hard living, fast & furious. He was awesomely down to earth and a fantastic, soulful artist.  He was everybodies best buddy.

This is Important News

Wine...Ahhhh ~ I like it.

Wanna Smell Like Fresh Laundry?

I discovered Demeter fragrances at CVS..I love the smell of fresh laundry & this smells just like it.  I keep a bottle in my car as an air freshner or sometimes spritz a little on myself.  People comment that I smell good.

They have lots of interesting fragrances.  I also bought 'Soap' - smells like you just stepped out of the shower.  I think I'll try 'Grass' next, as I love the smell of fresh cut grass.

For those so inclined you can get the smell of a Funeral Home too.

RIP Art Clokey

Ohhhhhhh Noooooo!!!! Art Clokey, the creator of Gumby died yesterday *sad*

I love Gumby. 

RIP Art....

I Like Birds

About us the Internet Bird Collection

I took 7 pregnancy tests and all came back positive. does that for sure mean im pregnant?

I took 7 pregnancy tests and all came back positive. does that for sure mean im pregnant?

Good God..what is this world coming to?  I mean ~ do you really have to ask this question on "ask.com".  For sure....

Brrr....It's Cold

Even in Key West, Florida.   It was a record breaking 47 degrees F yesterday.

Check out the live Duval Street webcam - I've never seen anyone in Key West wear winter clothes.
I'm sure there's plenty of booze to keep everyone oblivious to the cold if absolutely necessary.  

Key West is another one of my favorite places, but I'm not sure if my liver could reside there 365 days a year;  it's definitely a fun place to visit though.

Start Planning for A Spring Garden

I know it's early, (in fact, it's snowing here right now), but I received my Plants Delights catalog; if you're into unusual perennials, this company delivers exceptional quality & has a huge selection.   I can read their (free) catalog for hours.

This year I'm actually going to try to have a plan  for my garden.  Yeah, I'll put that on my list of  things to do. I know I want lots of fragrance.  That's a start right?

I like Plants Delights so much, I put a permanent link to their website under my favorite links.

Kewl Fact about Today

On January 8, 1835 under President Andrew Jackson, the US national debt was briefly ZERO. 

I'll venture to say that won't happen again. 

It's estimated that the national debt will exceed 15 trillion by 2011- that exceeds 100% of the projected US Gross National Product (GNP).  I'm no math expert, but that doesn't sound like a good thing.

Listen to Blues From the Red Rooster Lounge online

Listen to Blues From the Red Rooster Lounge online

Listen to Beale Street Caravan online

Listen to Beale Street Caravan online

A Not So Kewl Fact about Today

In 1986 the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.

Not so kewl, because I am a die-hard Patriots fan. 

They're going to kick Baltimore's azz  to get their asses kicked this weekend.

~*so much for my original prediction*~

The 2009 AFC East Champion New England Patriots will host the Baltimore Ravens in a Wild Card playoff matchup this Sunday. The Patriots have won 11 consecutive home playoff games and have not lost at home in the playoffs since Dec. 31, 1978

Wordle

This is pretty neat.

Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.
 

http://www.wordle.net/

Okay, today I figured that I really don't know what the hell I'm doing in this blog world..but I Googled it & I'm not too far off.   So, I'm a personal blogger.  The reason I started this is so that I can jot down random thoughts I have on a daily basis.  I have lots of them.   Some are good, some are bad.  I bought a little recorder thingy from Think Geek  to keep track of my synapses, but it's too much of a hassle to use.  (I won't link to Think Geek anymore because they won't allow me to use their logo on my heaven-forbid 'Personal Blog' & besides that, the recorder sucked). 

I'm not a Twitter kind of person, email is overwhelming me, and I'm not  interested in gaining fame.  I just want to document thoughts.  I want to document moments, feelings and opinions.  Okay, I'm ready to move on.  As Frankie1984 would say, 'Have a nice day & don't let an earthquake hit Singapore' :)

Personal blogs
The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life, or works of art. Blogging can have a sentimental quality. Few personal blogs rise to fame and the mainstream, but some personal blogs quickly garner an extensive following. One type of personal blog, referred to as a microblog, is extremely detailed and seeks to capture a moment in time. Some sites, such as Twitter, allow bloggers to share thoughts and feelings instantaneously with friends and family, and are much faster than emailing or writing.

Dow Jones Industrial Average, DJI, DJIA - CNNMoney.com

Dow Jones Industrial Average, DJI, DJIA - CNNMoney.com: "Dow Jones Industrial Average
10,572.02-11.94 / -0.11%

Jan 5
Open:10,574.06
High (day):10,647.14
Low (day):10,468.86
YTD%Change:1.38%
Volume:188,525,400.00
Prev. Close:10,583.96
52-Week Range (Low - High):6,469.95 - 10,604.97"

Back to Work Today

I have to go back to work today after my Christmas vacation. I'm actually looking forward to the New Year, it's going to be busy.

I'm refreshed and ready to roll. 

Here's a very neat video of an F/A-18 Super Hornet being assembled from biggles9.

Kewl Fact about Today

On 5 Jan 1933 construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA. It took a little over 4 years to complete & the Bridge was open to vehicular traffic on 28 May 28 1937. It's one of my favorite bridges in one of my favorite cities.

If you want to recreate the color of the Golden Gate Bridge, here's how:

Many people ask how to obtain International Orange Paint - it's easy-your paint store can mix it with the following information:
The PMS code is 173 or the CMYK colors are: C= Cyan: 0%, M =Magenta: 69%, Y =Yellow: 100%, K = Black: 6%

View Larger Map

Not Vetted by CNN

This Frankie1984 guy from Canada has a warning; I think he's serious crazy.  Did I say he was Canadian?

I had to remove the embedded video because the damn thing goes into 'auto-play'~ tried modifying the html code to stop auto-play, but haven't figured it out yet. So...if you want to be amused, you'll have to go to the link below.

iReport — Attention President Of SIngapore and US president Barack Obama the Major Earthquake 7.2 or greater will happen in January 2010 and People in Singapore Be prepared to brace for the Major Earthquake as well and have your dishes locked in your cupboards and get out of the houses and There is a Tsunami warning as possible and it will affect Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia and China and Hong Kong and India as well and eastern Africa and hide under the tables as well and do not go near the telephone poles and it will kill somebody too there are aftershocks in Singapore as possible. By Frankie MacDonald My Own News Station Broadcasting from Sydney Shopping Centre Mall

One of my favorite gadgets

I purchased a couple of these from Think Geek & I love them!  This little gadget provides a very simple and fun evil way to make things more interesting in the office.

The Original ThinkGeek Annoy-a-tron

3 simples steps.

•Turn on.*

•Hide it.

•Muahahaha...

Good 2010 Opening Day on the Market

Yesterday the Dow began new decade at the 10,428 level. If you want to know the 30 companies that comprise the DJIA click here.

I'm an optimist. Maybe the Dow will get to 1200 this year.

2010 Stock Market

In 2009, the S&P 500 gained 23.4%, the Dow industrials gained 18.8% and the Nasdaq added 44%.

Let's see what 2010 brings. I adjusted my portfolio by selling some dogs prior to the new year.

If some of your holdings lost value in 2009, sell them by the end of the year and use the loss amount as a deduction. It first must be offset any gains you had, but excess losses up to $3,000 can be used to reduce your ordinary income so that there will be less for Uncle Sam to tax. If you have more than three grand in losses, first find a new investment advisor, then keep track of the losses as you can continue to use them up each tax year in $3,000 increments until the losses are exhausted.

What if you have gains? Although the lower capital gains rates are scheduled to remain in effect through 2010, some folks fear that the huge federal deficit might prompt Congress to up the rates sooner. If you’re worried about that, you might want to take your gains now while you’re assured they’ll be taxed at, for most folks, 15 percent.

Kewl Fact about Today

In 1885 the 1st successful appendectomy is performed in Davenport, Iowa by Dr. William W. (West) Grant, 38. He diagnosed a perforated appendix in Mary Gartside, 22. He is the first physician in America or Europe deliberately to open the abdomen and sever the appendix from the cecum.

He used a procedure developed by Dr. Charles McBurney in 1884. Dr. McBurney discovered a tender pressure point important in the diagnosis of appendicitis. It is now know as 'McBurney's point'.

I still have my appendix.

Mindless Links

Bacon or Beer Can Give it a try, it cracked me up for a few minutes.

Sketchswap I suck at this, but just in case I get really inspired.

99 Rooms ~ Very Interesting Strange ~ but 'artsy' in an LSD sort of way.

Things that make me Laugh

My Morning Routine

• Get a cup of coffee. I received a free sample of Splenda with fiber - I'm too afraid to try it though.
• Check the weather - It's 18 degrees F & with the wind chill it feels like 2 ~ Invigorating.
• Smoke a Marlboro Ultra Light. I know, I need to quit. Now that the Government is forcing the cigarette manufacturers to produce only 'Fire Safe Cigarettes', I'm thinking it will be easier to quit. The FSC taste like shit & make me cough. That topic is another blog on it's own.
• Check the news. That pesky terrorist is ruining Obama's Hawaii vacation.

Kewl Fact about Today

It's a palidrome. Google it if you don't know what it is.