Kissing Willie

As I was going through my music collection, listening to stuff that I haven't heard in awhile, I came across some interesting music. Jethro Tull's Rock Island is one of them. Rock Island, their 17th studio album, was released in 1989. The band was continuing their hard rock movement following their successful Crest of a Knave album in 1987. Here is a video from that album that probably should have been banned from MTV.

WikiLeaks curiosity

1. Was it right or wrong?

2. Have you looked at Wikileaks?

3. If not, why? (fear of government, no curiosity, best left unseen, etc)

4. If you managed to get a look at WikiLeaks, what impressed/distressed you most?

The Legend of the Mistletoe

This stuff comes with a warning tag! (Well, sorta)

'Legend of the Mistletoe

Kissing under the Mistletoe is an old European tradition. It is believed that the Mistletoe holds magical powers from the 'Soul' of the mighty Oak tree. It grants strength, peace, health, fertility and love to those who kiss beneath it.'

I was fine with the strength, peace, health and love, but that fertility thing gave me the heebee geebees. That would indeed be 'magical!'

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! Sorry for no 4fF last week, I was Up North with my folks. Anyways, snow is coming this way, therefore this week's questions are about snow.

1) Are you prepared for the winter?

2) What do you like the most about snow?

3) What do you dislike the most about the snow?

4) Have you participated in any winter activities like skiing, ice skating, sledding, etc.? If so, what?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Weekend

I suppose butterflies are a little out of season . . .

"Let's Say Thanks"

This is a wonderful service. Xerox has a site which allows you to select a postcard designed by a child, personalize it, and send it to one of our troops deployed overseas:

http://www.letssaythanks.com/

"The mission of Let's Say Thanks is to provide a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas. By submitting a message through this site you have the opportunity to send a free personalized postcard greeting to deployed servicemen and women.

"The postcards, depicting patriotic scenes and hometown images, were selected from a pool of entries from children across the country.

"All you have to do is click on your favorite design and either select the message that best expresses your sentiment or draft a personal note. The postcards are then printed on the Xerox iGen3® Digital Production Press and mailed in care packages by military support organization Give2TheTroops®.

"Xerox is committed to helping people across the nation express their gratitude to our troops overseas. The launch of this program is aimed at reminding them how much Americans appreciate their service."

"Leslie Nielsen: Funny to the End"

What a fitting final salute.

A very talented Sister-in-law

Please take a listen to my sister in law that played on the radio to day. There is a button that you have to push that says something like Livemusik i P4 morgon med Catharina Hultman. I am really proud of her, she is really developing a great music style.

The twelve pains of Christmas

Here is a little ditty that should make you smile:

http://www.minibite.com/Christmas/12pains.htm

I can identify with the lights!

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my wise winter owls! How are you? I hope that each and every one of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I ate so much that I just had to do it again on Friday with the leftovers. Oh my, it will take me weeks to work off that binge. But the important thing is gathering with loved ones to give thanks for our blessings. We live in a country of plenty and thus we are fortunate. There are so many, many others who have so little, if anything. Gratitude is the attitude that succeeds where others fail. Thank you, Creator, for all of your gifts.

Unfortunately, our beloved and besieged Green Bay Packers lost last Sunday’s game to the Atlanta Falcons. I am so heartbroken. I was watching the game, but had to answer nature’s call in the final minute. Oh dear. If only I had been watching, I might have been able to put the kibosh on Mr. Bryant’s kick. I feel just awful. It’s all because of my digestive problems. Shame on me. I promise to stay riveted to this Sunday’s upcoming game against the San Francisco 49ers. I’ll watch every second that they broadcast, just in case my undue influence is required. Rise again, o most exalted Green Bay Packers, and vanquish your foes!

Speaking of digestive problems, today (Tuesday) I underwent a procedure which involves that most intimate and invasive inspection of all: a colonoscopy. I will spare everyone the details, other than to say that such things are often recommended for people who reach a certain age and/or suffer related symptoms. And not to give away too much about my age, but this was my second one. That, however, did not make it any easier or more pleasant. Sometimes we have to do the unpleasant things if we want to keep enjoying the pleasant ones. (And sometimes we have to do them because the doctor refuses to renew a prescription until we undergo the procedure. Humph!)

In any case, I’m keeping my blog short this week, my dears, so I can rest. Since it is December 1st, I consider this to be the start of the Christmas season. I thought I’d post a classic performance to kick off the joy:



Thank you, sweethearts, for reading my blog. I am so grateful for my wonderful JT Irregulars. I look forward to the holidays with my online family of irregulars and regulars and everyone in-between. Madame Zoltar loves you all.

Please send your holiday greetings and bah humbugs to: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

The infamous “they” are saying that it’s going to get colder. (Duh, it’s December.) Bundle up and prepare for winter, my dears, for it is on its icy way. Juramentum!

Driving Dog Prank

Open Blog - Wednesday

Wheee!

Hubble Holiday Cards

As you start thinking about sending Chrimahannakwanzstice cards to your friends and family, the Hubble Space Telescope is offering a free set of holiday cards for you. You can print them out at a photo shop or even on your own printer at home. Many designs to choose from. Here is one of my favorites

.

Each card has a link to the original press release so you can find out what you are looking at and why it is significant. The cards are blank on the inside, so you have plenty of room for personal messages or to tell people about the image!

There are a couple of dozen designs to choose from...just don't wait until the last minute!

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

are you ready?

Yes, this REALLY IS my big guy.
Are you in the holiday spirit yet?
Are you ready for Christmas?
The decorations and all the fun,
or do you put it off til the last minute?

I always like to set up Thanksgiving night or at least the next day.
Winter gets so drab, cold and depressing, that I can't
wait to see it more festive.
I do not rush taking it down and prefer to keep it up thru
most of January, usually the last in our area to cave.

How about you?

"My Tiny Junk is Offended!"

Yep, all security theater.

What do you want for Christmas?

Okay, what do you want? And, Drew, your front teeth is not what I had in mind!!!!

What is your true wish for Christmas this year...Liz, no three page list, please.

Let's see what you come up with.

Me, I'm happy with my life, so my wish is that it continues in this direction! Oh, and cheese...I want cheese! WISCONSIN CHEESE!

Racine Uncovered Calls for Community Donations and Volunteers

Racine Uncovered's current Open Blog lists a number of local schools and programs that are in need and how to help. You can read it here: http://racineuncovered.org/?p=25317

The Journal Times ran a series of stories over the Thanksgiving weekend on Racine's homeless children: http://www.journaltimes.com/homelesschildren/

I did not realize how many children are relying upon schools and agencies to provide them with basic necessities beyond meals. It is a shame.

Open Blog - Monday

Time to go back to the job and work off that turkey.

I'll Be Groped for Christmas...

I get to fly later this week...joy, joy!

The Six Million Dollar Man Intro

The Six Million Dollar Man is one of those cheesy '70s shows that I never missed as a kid (and I am surprised that I was able to understand as much as I did seeing as when it came on when I was only six!) I had all the toys including Steve Austin with the bionic eye, arm and all the little bionic modules you could see when you too off his clothes AND the rocket.

Recently the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast featured on show on the Enterprise, the space shuttle that never flew in space and was used for testing. Surprisingly, the host (Steve Nerlich of Cheap Astronomy) talked about the Six Million Dollar Man intro. Specifically, that they used real footage in the intro. The intro featured a Northrop HL-10 being dropped from a B-52. The HL-10 was an experimental lifting body that flew both unpowered flights and powered flights. It would be taken up to abotu 45,o00 feet on a B-52 and then released. The HL-10 is reference in the Six Million Dollar Man as being the craft Steve Austin was piloting when he crashed.

The crash used in the opening sequence of the show is also real. This crash is of a Northrop M2-F2 in 1967, another lifting body craft. The crash occurred on its last flight, an unpowered glide.

I love it when science fiction shows use real footage like this and I kind of geek out just a little bit when I find out a beloved show from my childhood did that.

Here is the Six Million Dollar Man intro so you can see the two clips for yourself (sorry, embedding is disabled)

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.