“The only truly pleasurable thing you can do that is still free is sneezing.”
— Paul Burton
I thought that was a true epiphany. And, although I try to argue every point, on this one, I could not. I can think of one other thing, but depending on where you do it, it could get expensive.
I used to run a lot of text sensitive ads here. I got kind of disillusioned with them because you never had a clue what ad would pop up keying on what text in your article. However, I don’t think I ever got one quite like this one from Bloglines:
The relation here would be something along the lines of first love=HPV.
Or, maybe, it was vaccination=HPV?
Or, maybe, it was catching the complaint = catching the complaint?
Regardless, that sure is a mixed message for impressionable minds.
"Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense from things she found in gift shops." - Kurt Vonnegut
I think that’s true for a LOT of people these days.
Just something to start your day off pleasantly….
"Paradise is exactly like where you are right now… only much, much better. "
- Laurie Anderson
Ted Nugent, a heavy metal guitar legend and devoted (bow) hunter, was being interviewed by a French journalist. Eventually, the conversation turned to his love of outdoor pursuits. The journalist asked, "What do you think the last thought is in the head of a deer before you shoot it? Is it, "Are you my friend?" or maybe "Are you the one who killed my brother?"
Nugent replied, "They aren’t capable of that kind of thinking. All they care about is, What am I going to eat next? Who am I going to screw next? and, Can I run fast enough to get away? They are very much like the French in that."
If you give Ted a chance to shoot back, you’re venison. What a hoot!
This one’s for tomorrow:
“Some mornings it just doesn’t seem worth it to gnaw through the leather straps.”
“To endanger the lives of these kids is not our way. Always remember, stupid is forever. You can’t change stupidity. So if somebody’s sitting next to you, make them recognize that we do not allow that here at Temple.”
John Chaney chastising the Temple crowd for throwing something on the court. Good for him too.
Now, John has been a source of many quotes. Most of them not so nice. However, he apparently took that into consideration when chastising the stupid person who threw whatever it was on the court:
“I might do a lot of dumb things, but I don’t tolerate them."
It’s a good thing Temple tolerates dumb things but not stupid.
Brett Scallions followed with a quick apology of "excuse my language."
Although Fox is tossing the FCC around in this story, it was a private party that wasn’t a "surprise" to unsuspecting parents sitting in living rooms around the country. FCC need not (and will not ) be involved.
It was, as well, a great quote.
However, it just amazes me how few entertainers, who can choreograph entire concerts, can not pronounce more than five words consecutively without using profanity. I’m no prude, and do cuss occasionally. But, when I’m in the spotlight, something kicks in and tells me to clean it up. Be provocative sure, but not offensive. It just doesn’t serve any purpose and alienates people for no reason. This is the greatest country in the world. Is that so hard to say?
I got this from a personal source I’m not going to name since I don’t have their, or the author’s permission to do so. I figure "Jim" is generic enough that it won’t identify them personally. I don’t think he would mind me putting this here, but I have my own standards to uphold.
Subject: I am OK
Dear Friends
Many, many thanks for your heartfelt concern.
It is New years eve here in Phuket and this is the first time that the phone line has been operative since the Tsunami and I’m able to answer all your EMails. For the past fifteen years I’ve been coming at Christmas to what was then a sleepy little fishing village. Over those 15 years I’ve seen changes - many changes. Some good. Some bad. But it always retained its charm and always drew me back.
It was here that I learned to be alone and write. I found a little house and practiced that craft. Every year I would greet old friends and marvel at the changes.
And every year the hard-working locals would hope that this would be a "good season" - for they depended on the annual tourist influx from mid-Dec to mid-Jan for their living. They’d spruce up their shops, decorate their charming restaurants, polish their rental cars & motorbikes and smile hopefully. The last four years have been deadly - 9/11, Bali bombing,SARS,aviary flu Reasons for tourists to stay away in droves.
And yet each year these resilient hard-working people would dig in, and hope that "this" year would be the big one. And this year - everything was in place - this year "they" (the tourists) were here in droves. Big smiles everywhere. And then came the day after Christmas.
My house is on a high hill. Normally I look out over the bay - but this year the palm trees have grown to block the view. But I "heard" the wave.
Heard the explosion. Heard the falling rock as hundreds of buildings collapsed. Heard the screams.
Over 400 people are dead or missing in my little village alone. There is nothing standing (only the new Bhuddist temple.) I pulled my barely alive landlord and his stepson out of their ruined brand-new beach house.
Please do what you can to help these poor people. I don’t know what charitable organizations have been set up - but believe me - they need all the help they can get. So many people I know have lost everything (and everyone in some cases.)
I will stay and help as long as I feel it is safe and then travel to Bangkok.
I’m one of the very lucky ones.
Jim
Google has put together a very handy page for those wanting to donate or help. To make it simple, here are some of their current links: