fire! fire! heehehehhehehhehehhe

remember when you just took newspaper and made doughnuts to help start a fire? i think people are feeling crafty about making fire because there is an article in lifehacker about making fire starters with egg cartons, candle wax and drier lint.

it turns out that boy scouts have been doing this for a long time.

The ever practical Martha Stewart is in my camp, but she makes fancier newspaper firestarters. Whatever shape you use, I still believe in the roll-the-newspaper-and-tie-into-a-knot method. Why go to all the fancy trouble? unless it really is THAT environmentally friendly? I don't know.

GoFugYourself's photo

Neville grew up GOOD. GoFugYourself has this great before and after series of Matthew Lewis.

thinking of my mom

here she is in the arms of her father. it's her first birthday (April 5). :)

rock on, Hawk Creek Wildlife Center, rock on

Ah those wacky Japanese tv shows

hilarious

love the baby talk

blink blink blink

quotable

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.

Albert Einstein
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

nice hat

Austrian man wins right to wear pasta strainer in his license photo. Claims to be a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FROB!

AND HAPPY BASTILLE DAY TO YOU TOO

XOXO,
Michelle

Frussell and Frob

Sleepy baby

Korean babies are the cutest...

NETFLIX - YOU SUCK

NETFLIX is raising its rates and for that, i sayeth you suck.

http://blog.netflix.com/2011/07/netflix-introduces-new-plans-and.html

after!

So the keratin treatment worked! It's just a bit messy in this photo, but not frizzy! I should have done this a long time ago. Of course, the next time I do it, I will definitely find a cheaper place.

save money, save energy

I unfortunately can't do a lot of these little changes to save energy in my home, but for you homeowners out there, takea gander at this article on Lifehacker "Save substantial energy with small household changes."

I'm just a gurl who cain't say no

So, I went in to get bangs. Because my hair is really curly, if I want bangs, I have to get them straightened. However, instead of just getting my bangs, I got my hair dyed and got a keratin treatment. I spent about 5 times more than I wanted to AND i also came home with a new shampoo and conditioner. I am an easy mark!

SO TRUE!!!!

From NPR's MonkeySee Blog - Toenails On The Train: Your Private Business And Public Transportation

maps are fun

THE WORLD MAP OF USELESS STEREOTYPES by Christoph Niemann

stop it

Someone told me they had mosquito bites and of course showed me them and now I can't stop scratching. Why is that?! It's like contagious yawning, which is a real phenom.

However, since my friend told me about the bites, I really can't stop scratching. Well it turns out itching is contagious. Of course, more studies need to prove this, but I can tell you that anecdotally, it's true.

yup

I am wondering if you are wondering where I have been the last year and some. It's been a while since I posted anything and now it's never ending posts of kittens and cute animals and weird happenings in the world and universe. Well, I was working. And now that my workload is lighter (I still am working, but seriously my workload is no longer in the tonnage. It's more like in the grams), I blog. So enjoy!

i believe i can fly

i concur

Food Safetyz y'all!

new public service announcements from the FDA - Food Safetyz y'all! I love a good PSA.

File under YUM

I saw this picture and the first thing i said was "ooOOoooooh!" Doesn't it look good?



Bucatini with spicy baby octopus sauce by Nick Kindelsperger

good read

Good article: For Many Immigrants, Marriage Vote Resonates (NY Times)

Shake it up.

From NASA

This Friday is another freaking eclipse, but this time, it's solar. So hold onto your seats and get ready for some big changes!

And I can't wait because i finally get to go on vacation - a vacation for me. Vermont or bust! I looked at my timesheets this year and I have only taken 0.5 personal day. That's it. I need to catch up on the vacation days stat!

Have a great and safe 4th, everyone!

Check out your Free Will Astrology horoscopes at http://freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/printer-friendly.html

making biscuits

cute

tired from Matt Wiebe on Vimeo.

Rinderpest is gonez y'all!

Rinderpest, Scourge of Cattle, Is Vanquished

CHEESE

Jezebel has posted photos of the past 10 years of winners of the World's Ugliest Dog Contest. Adorable.

beauty

From Gawker - Watch 8,000 Paper Lanterns Float Into the Sky

LOLWHOOOLOL

From Flickr Blog
Check out Flickr blog. The geniuses at Flickr have a blog which they post daily if not several times a day. Today's is quite hilarious - Owls with stupid expressions on their faces. Awesome

I should've taken the left in Albuquerque

from HuffPo



Emperor Penguin Takes Wrong Turn, Ends Up In New Zealand

another winner from cuteoverload.com

Everyone's favorite customer

it's the summer solstice, y'all!

stolen from http://news.delees.com/news/summer-solstice.html

It's the summer solstice, y'all! Get your longest day groove on!

seriously, WHERE?!

where do they get these cats?

hehehehehhe

i am speechless

head exploded!

Stolen from http://www.bichon-moosgaard.dk/hvalpe-bichon.html

the angels are weeping...

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Monday, June 13, 2011 -- 8:23 PM EDT
-----

Bachmann Announces Candidacy for President

Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota interrupted her answer to a question at a Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire to announce that she had filed papers on Monday to formally declare her candidacy for the Republican nomination for president.

Dr. Pepper, meet Dr. Pepper and Dr. Pepper

Photo and article, "Does Dr. Pepper Ten Taste Even More Like Regular Dr. Pepper?" from SeriousEats.com

Um - In my opinion, there is negligible difference between Diet Dr. Pepper and Dr. Pepper. How will Dr. Pepper Ten be any different? Are we sure the company isn't sending out the same drink with different wrappers?

OH YEAH?

So am I! Where's my People magazine article? HUH???!!!

up yours

I can't stop blowing raspberries today. In a very crummy mood. And feel about 5 years old. :) Even though I am supposedly an adult, I feel the need to stomp around and have a tantrum in the middle of K-mart, like I did when I was 5.

Of course, I wouldn't get bribed with a Barbie outfit like I did when I was 5. I would probably be arrested and thrown in the pokey.

BAH! Phhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhppppppppppppppptttttttttttttttttttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhht

so freaking cute

Photos: Shape-Shifting Cuttlefish Can Mimic Pictures

Photos: Shape-Shifting Cuttlefish Can Mimic Pictures

how awesome is this? cuttlefish mimicking photos to blend into their environment. Like a Jedi, the cuttlefish waves its limbs, saying, These are not the cuttlefish you are looking for...

Happy Memorial Day!

Thanks to all who fight for our freedom!

Cheating elephants via NPR

watch this from NPR - amazing. Of course, it's not amazing that elephants are highly intelligent. It's amazing that scientists are just realizing this.

BIG ASS MOOON

(Image from NASA)
Super big moon expected Saturday night - go watch!

"Apples" No Worse Than "Pears" in Terms of CV Risk

You might have to register to read this article but did you know that central adiposity is apple shaped, where the fat is accumulated in the front? Science sure is fun!

happy pi day!

Pi = 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510
58209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679
82148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128
48111745028410270193852110555964462294895493038196
44288109756659334461284756482337867831652712019091
45648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273
72458700660631558817488152092096282925409171536436
78925903600113305305488204665213841469519415116094
33057270365759591953092186117381932611793105118548
07446237996274956735188575272489122793818301194912
98336733624406566430860213949463952247371907021798
60943702770539217176293176752384674818467669405132
00056812714526356082778577134275778960917363717872
14684409012249534301465495853710507922796892589235
42019956112129021960864034418159813629774771309960
51870721134999999837297804995105973173281609631859
50244594553469083026425223082533446850352619311881
71010003137838752886587533208381420617177669147303
59825349042875546873115956286388235378759375195778
18577805321712268066130019278766111959092164201989
38095257201065485863278865936153381827968230301952
03530185296899577362259941389124972177528347913151
55748572424541506959508295331168617278558890750983
81754637464939319255060400927701671139009848824012
85836160356370766010471018194295559619894676783744
94482553797747268471040475346462080466842590694912
93313677028989152104752162056966024058038150193511
25338243003558764024749647326391419927260426992279
67823547816360093417216412199245863150302861829745
55706749838505494588586926995690927210797509302955
32116534498720275596023648066549911988183479775356
63698074265425278625518184175746728909777727938000
81647060016145249192173217214772350141441973568548
16136115735255213347574184946843852332390739414333…

Relief Orgs - Be Careful of Scams

Donate but be careful about to whom you donate. See link

awesome

New post from Christoph Niemann on NYTimes

I ran for student counsel one year and one of my teachers asked me why people run for office, why don't we walk? I replied, because everyone will run past me.

i (heart) storycorps on NPR

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/11/134423796/a-bar-a-date-and-a-datsun-lead-to-years-of-fun

more friday fun

Friday fun

fruit

how come when I buy grapes, they are bitter and taste nasty, but when I eat grapes at someone's house, they are delicious?

Another reason why I (heart) Snoop Dogg

from Rob Breszny's Free Will Astrology:

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The coming year will be a time to think big -- maybe even bigger than you've dared to think in over a decade. That doesn't mean you should be rash, reckless, or unrealistic. On the contrary. Your expansive dreams should be carefully wrought and anchored in a detailed understanding of how things actually work. As an example of what not to do, learn from Snoop Dogg. The rapper wanted to rent all 62 square miles of the small European nation of Liechtenstein so he could film his music video there. Liechtenstein authorities turned him down, but only because his team didn't ask far enough in advance. Had he been better organized, the whole country could have been his.

YOU CAN RENT LIECHTENSTEIN??????

SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR!

A total lunar eclipse glows red over Germany (file picture).
Photograph by Heribert Proepper, AP [from National Geographic]

We have survived to celebrate the shortest day of sunlight of the year - the Winter Solstice is today, my friends! Starting tomorrow, we inch our way back to more sunlight!!!!! YAYAYAYAYYAYA!!!

My roommate's daughter and son-in-law are staying over and they graciously woke me up to watch the equinox at 1:30 this morning, which I was very happy to see.

More about the equinox and the eclipse here.

a funny bird

Sentence structure is a funny bird. When I read the headline below, I thought - why is the government studying how people got injured while having sex:

QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Who Had Migraines or Severe Headaches, Pain in the Neck, Lower Back, or Face/Jaw, by Sex

Then I realized that they meant male vs female.

yep

back to the navel gazing. and ire.

old lady

so this weekend i visit friends frannie and frabney and frannie kept calling me old lady - which i totally am. see previous posts below. i am one step away from a hip fracture. one geritol away from boxes of medicine. one melodrama away from a soap opera.

really.

my ailments

so three weeks ago I got these weird bug bites on my leg and hand (not bed bugs - dust mite allergy). two weeks ago my neck muscles start spasming. one week ago, more dust mite bites (seriously people, no bed bugs). this last week, stomach virus and continued neck problems.

really, can't I catch a break already?!

so i got the magic shot

i got the magic shot in my neck to quell the spasms, but then I bend over and hit my head on my desk.

Really, is there no justice?

caveat

i should probably caveat this with i have been dealing with neck and back spasms for the last 5 days. I am generally happy go lucky (unless I have the snarky hat on) but the relentless pain has made me into a very angry person. Hopefully the MD will help fix this and everything will be rosy again. :)

I still hate YAHOO though.

YAHOO MAIL SUCKS

I forgot my password and the answer to the security question and guess how long it took for me to get my password reset. 1 hour? 24 hours? No. It took one week. One week of emails to Yahoo. One week of logging on, attempting three times and then getting locked out for 12 hours. LOCKED OUT. WTF does Yahoo thinks is going to happen in 12 hours? I will miraculously remember my freaking security answer or password in 12 hours???

Today, Yahoo finally sends me a phone number and the customer service rep asks me the SAME DAMN SECURITY QUESTION THAT I CAN'T ANSWER!!!!! Seriously. I told him - if I knew the freaking answer to that question, I wouldn't be talking to you now. He made me try to answer the question three times. And three times i couldn't answer the question. In frustration, I asked if I could speak to his manager because I cannot fathom how my attempting to answer the security question is going to fix this situation. AND the rep said there is no way to reset the password unless I know this answer.

...

Seriously.

Finally, I don't know what made the rep look again (!!! other than me freaking out and saying - what do you mean that's the only way you can reset the password? that can't be the only way you can reset the password!) but then he asked me what email address I included as an alternate. of course, THAT took me three times as well (seriously - my mind erased all information related to this account). But finally, the third time worked and the email address was accepted. THEN he reset my password.

And then the poor schmuck said he would be sending me a survey which will be sent to his manager about the service I received today.

Really.

blog death

I am not saying this blog is dead, BUT i am not very good at updating it. And it's a trend I have noticed with lots of friends. less and less posts, more and more Facebook. I am not sure whether I like this, but it is what it is. So, thanks for hanging in there with me and I will make more of an effort to post :) Pinky swear.

omygersh

http://cuteoverload.com/2010/07/28/buyer-beware/

It's all Chinese to me

I don't know which list I got on but this blog gets at least 1 Chinese comment per post. And of course, I have no idea what the comment says. It's very annoying.

upper east side

Ok, I moved on up to the east side to deeee-luxe apartment in the sky. And I just learned that when the electricity is out and the elevators aren't working that you really can't get to work. I mean, I could walk down the many, many flights of stairs, but in the middle of a heat wave? I don't think so.

summer lovin'

I-Disgust-Me BBQ Burgers

I-Disgust-Me BBQ Burgers
Originally uploaded by Whimsical Cookery

o m g

about frickin' time

Health insurers may soon offer contraceptives at no extra cost

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/02/AR2010070204641.html

love government booklets and news, especially for its illustrations

http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Jul2010/Feature2

totally awesome

http://astromuse.com/2010/07/05/and-now-for-something-completely-different-astrological-world-cup-analysis.aspx?ref=rss

a heat wave, a tropical heatwave....

my office turned off its overhead lights to save energy and cool down the office. seriously. we are all working in the dark.

predictions for the World Cup

I love my friend Astromuse - especially since she has written up her predictions for the World Cup based on the players astrological signs. Totally awesome.


http://astromuse.com/2010/07/05/and-now-for-something-completely-different-astrological-world-cup-analysis.aspx?ref=rss

need more days in the week to go tubing

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

good morning, love mom

Photo by scoutny

i know, i know, i should be working, BUT...

I know someone who really deserves these!!! From Williams Sonoma of all places...

#2,145 on my X-Mas List

Tauntaun sleeping bag!

tee hee

totally worth the spam

Get $10 off at Shoebuy.com | Private Events

Shoebuy Events features private sales events with up to 90% off on leading fashion and lifestyle brands. Click Get Started now and receive $10 off your purchase of $50 or more.

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New Phrase of the Day

Frannie came up with a great new phrase: noodly goodness. As in "I could live on seafood chow fun - noodly goodness!"

Peace reigns again in the kingdom...

HILARIOUS! From Apartment Therapy

The Dog In The Plastic Bubble

The Dog In The Plastic Bubble
Originally uploaded by Back in the Pack

omg - the saddest and sweetest thing

A Wonderful Day for a Wedding

On Monday, May 3rd, Frob and Frussell, my two wonderful mentors, friends and sweethearts, tied the knot in Connecticut. After 20 years, they are able to make their loving relationship legal. S'wonderful isn't it?

Ah the frimpsons

I haven't been around to watch the frimpsons in a long time, but I was on a plane coming back from FL and got to watch it on my luxurious little TV screen in the air. Gotta love FretBlue.

The intro was this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbnIgpcEIjQ&feature=related which I now can't get out of my head. Thanks Frimpsons and Fre$ha.

IT'S STAR WARS DAY!

May the Fourth be with you!

Thanks to Fraire!

Grilled Burger

Grilled Burger
Originally uploaded by roboppy

from roboppy

omg. i want. now

From Frob

You might think it’s funny

To kiss your honey

When your nose is runny

But its snot.

File under 'nuff said

blue

current mood: level aqua blue

this is an image i made on pc paint :) talented, no?

watching vh1 top 20 countdown

and who are these people? seriously.

grasshopper fudge cake from betty crocker

i don't know what to think about this. I just don't know.

What kind of *(&^%%*$%$ English is that?

Seriously? How did this get approved? Not on my watch. To clarify - it should be EAT WELL. WELL. Bunch of (*&*^&%& idiots.

I am smart!

My friend Frartha sent me this:

Reason # 1,293,888 to be glad you quit

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587241,00.html

Study: Smokers Have Lower IQs Than Non-Smokers

Reuters

February 23, 2010

Cigarette smokers have lower IQs than non-smokers, and the more a person smokes, the lower their IQ, a study in over 20,000 Israeli military recruits suggests.

Young men who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day or more had IQ scores 7.5 points lower than non-smokers, Dr. Mark Weiser of Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer and his colleagues found.

"Adolescents with poorer IQ scores might be targeted for programs designed to prevent smoking," they conclude in the journal Addiction.

While there is evidence for a link between smoking and lower IQ, many studies have relied on intelligence tests given in childhood, and have also included people with mental and behavioral problems, who are both more likely to smoke and more likely to have low IQs, Weiser and his team note in their report.

To better understand the smoking-IQ relationship, the researchers looked at 20,211 18-year-old men recruited into the Israeli military. The group did not include anyone with major mental health problems, because these individuals are disqualified from military service.

(FULL TEXT AVAILABLE BY CLICKING LINK ABOVE)

Bark if you love dogs

My friend Fryvette's dog won a barking contest and is now famous :)

A great short film!

Check out this great animated film http://www.theladyandthereaper.com/

Click on "See the Film" to watch.