Smile Of The Day

Smile of the day comes courtesy of this young man and his pet...





Cheers!

Funny

People with a sense of humor make the world go 'round...

No matter what your life's calling may be, it's OK to have fun.

Image uploaded with ImageShack.us

Happy Birthday Houdini

Harry Houdini was born on this day in 1874.

Has there ever been a more legendary magician? No.

Will there ever be? No.

There's a good bio of Harry Houdini at Biography.com - Check it out.

Cheers!

One Room Schoolhouses

Here are some really cool pictures of one room schoolhouses.
I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I do.
They represent the childhood experience of simpler times.

Many thanks to the wonderful artists that captured these on film.

Photo by Greg Obst

Photo by Thoeflich

Photo by Dennie Orson

Photo by Greg Orbst

Cheers!

Paris

I was fortunate enough to visit Paris some years back and remember it fondly.

I often wonder if I will ever return.
To be sure, I would love the opportunity.
But, the last visit was so perfect, I sometimes fear spoiling the memory of such a beautiful place.

Then I see pictures like those below and I realize that the risk is probably worth the reward...I'd be a fool to not go back should the chance present itself.

Here's a whole gallery of Paris pictures if you like the images below.

Cheers!

Flight Of The Bumblebee -- 101 Bottles

I wish I could make the time to develop a talent like this.....



AWESOME!


Cheers!

St. Patrick

Sure the holiday is mostly popular because of the Irish in America.
St. Patrick's Day was a somewhat minor holiday in Ireland until Irish-Americans (likely wanting a taste of home) helped make it the huge celebration it is today.

And, though Guinness is my favorite beer and I celebrate today with the best of them, it should be noted by everyone (Irish or not) that St. Patrick was a rather interesting fellow. Certainly one worth reading about.
And for nearly all you ever could know about St. Patrick - here's a great site.

Soldier And Loyal Canine Partner Die On Same Day.

British soldier Lance Cpl. Liam Tasker had a special partner in his duties.
His partner was a bomb sniffing Springer Spaniel named Theo.

Only hours after Tasker was shot and killed by a sniper in Afghanistan, Theo died of a seizure...some claim it was a broken heart.

May both rest in peace.

Read the full story and watch the video below for further details.





Peace.

First Photograph Of A Human Being Ever!

What is believed to be the very first time a person was caught on film.
The year was 1838.
The medium is not really a "photograph" but a daguerreotype.
The image was taken by the inventor of the medium himself, Louis Daguerre.

Click on the photo for a much larger view!

The "person" in the image is of a man getting his boots shined on the corner of a boulevard in Paris.

The sidewalks and streets of Paris were likely busy during the taking of the "snapshot" and not empty as the appear.
But, the process for taking the image took approximately 10 minutes.
Thus, anything that wasn't relatively still for 10 minutes did not appear on the daguerreotype.

Some have found images of other people on the photo like a man standing under an awning, a woman under a streetlamp, a person in a window, and a child peering through another window.
Do you see them, too?

A fine study of the image has been done by Nicholas Jenkins. See his blog for more information about this amazing picture.



CHEERS!

Weirdest Vending Machines On The Planet

In a world where we expect everything at our fingertips, it's not so astonishing to believe there are vending machines selling some pretty crazy stuff....and I'm not talking about those old Skittles you find in some machines.

I'm talking about live crabs, bikes (Yes. Bicycles), milk, and toilet paper.
Those are some examples of the weirdness I'm referring to...HAVE A LOOK FOR YOURSELF!

Bike Vending Machine in the Netherlands

Are Your Tires Safe?

Even your NEW tires may not be as safe as you believe.
The appearance of a good tread is no indicator.

This video is from 2008, but still applicable to today's tire purchases.
Become an educated buyer of tires to avoid buying or driving on old tires.






Cheers!

Levan Songulashvili

Watch the video of some stills showing the work of young Georgian artist Levan Songulashvili.

His work is amazing.
And all of the artwork in this video was created by Levan as a teenager.

Here's his Youtube page for more videos of his work and one of him playing the piano.
Yes. He's a great piano player, too.....and all by ear (never had one lesson).





Cheers!

Black And White Photographs

Sometimes color ruins a photograph.
Below are some examples.

Each of these photos would not be nearly as good had they been taken in color.
Click the link below each picture to see more work from the artist.

by Push1987

by BetsyW566

By Pablo Germade

By Spenser81

By Nenad Djedovic

The last two are my personal favorites.
But, they're all great.




Cheers!

Dr. Seuss

Let's remember today as the day one of the greatest children's book authors was born....THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL...or, as we all know him, Dr. Seuss.

What American childhood in the last few decades has not been touched by one of Seuss' stories?
We all have a favorite. Mine is The Cate in the Hat.

Cheers!

Remote Control Spybots - birds, insects, etc

Careful! That may not be a real hummingbird at your bedroom window.

Companies like AeroVironment are developing spybots that look and act like insects and birds.
These bots are meant for use by the military.
Officials suggest they could be used by police and fire departments, too.
Although, I can't imagine why the fire department needs their camera to look like a hummingbird.

Check out the video of AeroVironment's Nano Hummingbird in action below.
The upper left corner of the video is a feed from the Hummingbird's camera (located in it's belly).



If that doesn't give you any the willies, consider this:

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is creating ways to use REAL insects (equipped with cameras and manipulated by electric stimulation) in the way the Hummingbird above can be used.


Cheers!

The Dirty Thirties -- Dustbowl photos

There are many reports relating the hardships created by the Dustbowl years of the 1930's.
So many deaths and so many nightmares.


We should learn the stories of the people most effected.
Also important to remember: the cause of the "black blizzards" was man-made.


Humanity continues to shape our world for our benefit.
What generation will suffer another tragic response by mother nature?

As, the saying goes, "It is the doom of men that they forget".


Here are some photos from the period:

Best Snow Slide EVER!

80hrs of work = a LIFETIME of memories.





Cheers!

TOP 5 TRAVEL TIPS

Having been fortunate enough to do a little traveling in my lifetime, I thought I’d share my list of TOP 5 TRAVEL FACTS…#1 being the most important to remember:

5. Get used to the idea that itineraries are not set in stone

It’s okay to have an itinerary. But, don’t fill up every second of your trip with a scheduled event. You will fail at staying on schedule. More importantly, you will fail to enjoy your trip.

4. Expect surprises

Some will be pleasant: Some of the best nachos I’ve ever eaten were not in Mexico, Texas, or California, but in Scotland. Yes. Right in the Highlands…they were delicious.

Some will be unpleasant: My family once had a tire blow out at TWO separate times during ONE short two-hour drive on a weekend get-away. One-blowout-per-hour is not a good measure of travel distance.

3. Pack Light

In order to take only what you need, you should know what “need” is.

6 pairs of shoes for a 10 day trip is probably not something that falls in the “need” category. Sure, MAYBE you might sometimes regret not packing something. But you WILL ALWAYS be glad you don’t have to lug heavy bags on and off of vehicles, through parking lots, or in and out of airports.

2. Meet the locals and get to know yourself a little better

Forget the stereotypes. I’ve been to Paris, France and I’ve been to New York City.

I have not met one person that fits either of the negative stereotypes most people associate with both of those cities. Visit the tourist-traps for the fun of it. There's nothing wrong with it. But, for truer and more exhilarating travels visit with the locals. You will be glad for the experience. You will discover as much about yourself as you will about other people.

1. Go somewhere, ANYWHERE!

My family never has been financially well-off, but my mother loved to travel…she still does.

As a child in my mother’s home we scraped up and saved up all we could for our vacations. Then we packed into our old station-wagon and make great memories. Most of our trips weren’t the kind you find in popular travel books and magazines. Most were to simple inexpensive places. But ALL were vacations that live fondly in my memory.

Ultimately, it’s not the destination that makes vacations great. 

It’s the time spent away from the daily drudgery life is filled with. 

Disney World is truly magical. Paris at night is lovely. The English countryside is beautiful in the spring. I’ve been lucky enough to experience these things and will not argue the facts.

But the emotional benefits of my time spent traveling with my family are what made the biggest impressions on me as a child. And now, I gather life-long memories from vacations with my own children.

Sword Dance and Shadowgraph

This is very entertaining.
I wish could see it live some day.




Cheers!

11yr old drummer - ROCKS!

Sure I've always been a Dream Theater fan.
And sure, I think Mike Portnoy is one of the best drummers ever.
But, even if neither of those things were true -- THIS  young man is awesome.

Time Flies

This video creeps me out.
If 8 dead flies can power a clock for 12 days, what will the world use other organisms for in the future?

Turning the consumption of organisms into electricity sounds like a recipe for disaster.



Cheers!

Little People

This is such a fascinating art form.

Check out the rest of the bunch at the Little People Project Blog
MAKE SURE you check out the archives -- these creations go back years, so there are A LOT.

I just can't get enough of these little guys and gals.

Look closely...the stranded couple are in the puddle



Can you see the little dudes?



There's a VIDEO on the artist's blog showing this being created

Hope he's got a BIG wallet!

Check out the artist's blog!

Cheers!

Are you paying the IRS too much money?

Here are some interesting facts I found on the Dave Ramsey site:

According to the U.S. Government

• Over $1 billion is overpaid to the IRS
• 2.2 million people overpay taxes
• 61% of homeowners miss deductions

The IRS does make mistakes

• Incorrectly accuses thousands of owing money
• Mistakenly keeps an average of $438 of standard deductions

Research shows that a lot of those people overpaying the IRS are Americans who go to less-than-qualified tax professionals to get their taxes done.
So, my friends, please take the time to do your homework before deciding who gets to do your taxes.
Going to someone just because they do your taxes cheap may be costing you money in the long run


Cheers!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Forget about the commercialism of the holiday.

Just make sure you spend some time doing what today was meant for.

Whether it's your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, parent, child, brother/sister, neighbor, or friend.......FIND SOMEBODY TO LOVE TODAY!

These two know what it's all about!

Photo by kidkodak

Dusk

I have always enjoyed photos of city streets at dusk.
I do not know why they hold such fascination for me, but they do.

Coincidentally, Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" is one of my favorite poems.
It has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember.

I can stare at photos like those I found on Flickr (below) for a really long time.
Something about the city lights and the fading blue sky combines to make every picture of a city at dusk postcard worthy.

Photo by zedzap

Photo by tracydekalb

Photo by yozza

Photo by Rafakoy

Photo by eskimo_jo

Photo by Jessica New

Rage against the dying of the light!


Cheers!

Is that Space I smell or are you just a bad cook?

Ever wonder what space smells like?
It smells like burned steak!



We can't actually smell space due to the lack of oxygen up there.
But a burned steak odor is what comes off of the astronaut's space-suit according to astronauts after they have spent some time outside of their spacecraft.

Popular Science has a recent article explaining what space smells like and why the smell is "like a burned steak".
The article confirms an astronaut is not just longing for a home-cooked meal when he/she smells the burned beef after a space-walk.


Cheers!


Photo by Terry Hancock

Catholics - Make Confession Easier

From Little iApps, LLC comes a new app for Catholic iPhone, iPad, and iTouch users called Confession: A Roman Catholic App

It's not meant to take the place of the sacrament.
It is instead something that is to be used to better prepare for confession whether you are a practicing or returning Catholic.

From the creator (Of the app -- not that Creator):

Designed to be used in the confessional, this app is the perfect aid for every penitent. With a personalized examination of conscience for each user, password protected profiles, and a step-by-step guide to the sacrament, this app invites Catholics to prayerfully prepare for and participate in the Rite of Penance. Individuals who have been away from the sacrament for some time will find Confession: A Roman Catholic App to be a useful and inviting tool.

I do not mean to belittle Catholicism, or ANY religion, but this seemed a little...umm...weird.
Still, if it makes you a better man or woman -- GO FOR IT!
We need more good people in this world.

Cheers!

Wot Rong Khun - The White Temple

This Buddhist Temple in Thailand - Wot Rong Khun - is still under construction.

But, it is already a breath-taking work of art.
Enjoy!

Cheers!

Some Great Works of Surreal Art

I found a list of 30 wonderful pieces of Surreal Art at webdesigncore.com that I had to pass along.
Here are my three fav's from their post:

Cheers!