Thursday, July 15, 2010

Hot Rods








During the Great Depression of the 1930s, new cars were often too expensive to purchase. So the youth at that time began to “soup up” older cars with spare parts and salvage from local junk yards.


Young builders were trying new and better ways to increase vehicle speed, be it through replacing original engines with more powerful V8s to removing all non-essential components to lighten the vehicle and improve aerodynamics.


The term “hot rod” entered the national vocabulary in the late 1930s. Its specific origins are unknown, although it may be a contraction of the term “hot roadster,” or may refer to the connecting rods or pushrods inside the often over-heated engines.


“Hot rodding” took a short “time out” during WWII, then came roaring back with a vengeance in 1946. Between 1946 and the late 1950s, car customizing, drag racing and street racing exploded in popularity along with the post-war youth culture that also gave birth to rock-and-roll.


By the 1970s, the emphasis has switched from mere speed to customized exteriors, interiors and paint jobs.


Of course, we had to sing about it and dance to it. We loved the thought of speed and daring and youthful fearlessness.


HOT ROD RACE


Written by George Wilson, it became a major hit for Arkie Shibley and his Mountain Dew Boys, staying on the charts for 7 weeks, peaking at #5 in 1951

The lyrics and variations and performance information can be seen HERE at rockabilly hall.






Kathy Mattea performing 455 Rocket from 1997, written by Gillian Welch





Monday, July 12, 2010

Dried Roses

I have read different ways to dry roses (or other flowers) that retain color and texture. Some people are good at some things and other people are good at other things. I'm not good at dried roses.

I've frozen them, put them in sand, wrapped them in newspaper, stuck them in the bible and this last time, I hung them upside down. You can see how mine turned out. Perfect for using as poppouri, but not for anything else. They are definitely dead and colorless.

Maybe there is better advice to be found here.

Good luck on drying your roses and please comment on how yours turn out.


Friday, July 9, 2010

Old Farmer's Advice



 Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.

Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.

Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You cannot unsay a cruel word.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.

Don't judge folks by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer..

Live a good, honorable life.. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around..

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.
Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
--
Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight,
he'll just kill you
.

And,
 
Some days all you can do is wait for some kind soul to come pull you out of the bind you've gotten yourself into.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Mexican Drug Lords Busted with Gold and Silver and Diamond Studded Guns

This happened a few months ago but, I just read about it recently. The guns are very impressive. Click on the photograph to enlarge it.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Happy Birthday America - Fourth of July 2010

A very cool fireworks site


School House Rock - Fireworks



FIREWORKS SAFETY

According to PREVENT BLINDNESS AMERICA, nearly 13,000 fireworks victims keep hospitals busy every year. More than half of those injured are children. Fireworks not only injure users, but also 40 percent of fireworks mishaps injure bystanders.

You can get some too!


Interesting article from CNNMoney.com

Dark skies: No 4th of July fireworks here
Thanks to the ongoing recession, more than 30 cities will be dim this Independence Day, unable to afford fireworks displays. Here are seven of the unfortunate.

No Fourth of July Fireworks

OUR HOMETOWN PARADE


Abraham Lincoln Came

 The statue of liberty was able to attend.


So did the Tea Party, many members strong (minus Mrs. Palin).

And the Pink Suitcase Sisters strutted down the parade route Pink Suitecase Sisters

My grandchildren found a great use for those political stickers.


Those who continue to fight for and defend our freedom came.


What would a parade be with a Shriner's Clown?


In the end, before the horses and the street sweepers -- a tribute to those who paved the way for America.




"THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER"
Francis Scott Key
20 September 1814


Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?


On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.


And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.


Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!





Celebrate Freedom!!!!



Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Free Workout Music


Free Workout Music from Subway (you do have to submit your email address).


You can actually download Volumes 1 and 2 here.

If you do fast cardio and prefer techno music, this one is for you.


Free exercise music mixes for runners, joggers, power walkers, cyclists, aerobics, or anyone who can use nonstop, fixed-tempo music when they train. Playable on any MP3 player.


Music that moves you. There is some free stuff but you will have to create an account and log in.


Here you can make your own workout album. This one is NOT free. There is a $6.99 minimum, but you get music that you select for your workout.


Here is a YouTube link to music that many people like to use for workout music.


You can extract the music with this free program.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

The Three Stooges in 3D!

I came across another old flick that has been converted to 3D. The Three Stooges "Spooks"! Red and blue glasses are required for the 3D effect but it's still watchable without them.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

More Little Treasures from the Web

Ashampoo Burning Studio Free 6.77
CD/DVD/Bluray Burning software - Windows XP/Vista/7


Advanced System Care Free by IObit

A one-click approach to help protect, repair, clean, and optimize your PC. 100% spyware free.

Online Countdown Timer (no download)

Free timer and stopwatch software for modest users who need only a basic functionality of timer and stopwatch. 100% FREEWARE!

Sounds to go with your timer alarm


Thursday, June 17, 2010

So Are They Real or Not?

Do you believe in Ghosts? A lot of people do. Have you ever seen one? Do you believe in Angels? The bible says they exist...but have you ever seen one? Do you believe in God? I do, but I've never seen him either. I've only seen the evidence of what I believe is him in everything, felt him in my heart, heard his voice in my inner being and felt his love wash over me and make me whole. Do you believe in Fairies? Why not?

Do you know any fairies?

Well, except for Tinkerbell, the Tooth Fairy, the Fairy Godmother and fairy princesses.

Where do fairies come from?

Nobody seems to know know for sure where they came from or even if they really ever existed. There just doesn't seem to be any valid fairy documented proof, either in written form, photographs or in diaries or journals. There aren't even any fairy fossils. It seems to be widely accepted that fairies are just mythical creatures. The existence of fairies is surrounded by mystery. Ireland is saturated with fairy legendry and superstition. In modern society, fairies are thought of as having wings and posessing magic powers.

A good source of information on the origin of fairies can be found here

Fairy Remains Found April, 1, 2007

While a man was walking his dog in Derbyshire England, he came across what appeared to be a burial ground for Fairies. The remains of an 8 inch fairy female, intact with tiny nails,
wings, teeth, and remains of her flowing red hair. There were several fairy remains suggesting this was a fairy burial ground.

The bones are hollow like that of a bird, and she has a navel, suggesting they reproduced the same way as humans, although there are no reproductive organs. X rays showed the remains to be like that of a child.

An expert in the paranormal was called in to examine the bodies and revealed that these fairies were approximately 400 years old and was preserved so well some had eyebrows.

However, the discovery of fairies was an actual April Fool's joke, and very likely one of the biggest hoaxes in the UK. Illusionist Dan Baines created this fairy and others like it as a hoax. His website received 20,000 hits in one day. This story was in newspapers throughout the UK.

Baines, decided to sell his fairy on Ebay, and an unidentified buyer was the lucky recipient of a mummified fairy.

The actual hoax and more pictures can be found here. It does look pretty believeable!

The Cottingley Fairies

The Cottingley Fairies appear in a series of five photographs taken by Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths, two young cousins who lived in Cottingley, near Bradford  in England. In 1917, when the first two photographs were taken, Elsie was 16 years old and Frances was 10. The pictures came to the attention of writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who used them to illustrate an article on fairies he had been commissioned to write for the Christmas 1920 edition of The Strand Magazine. Conan Doyle, as a Spiritualist, was enthusiastic about the photographs, and interpreted them as clear and visible evidence of psychic phenomena. Public reaction was mixed; some accepted that the images were genuine, but others believed they had been faked.

Today, the photographs and two of the cameras used are on display in the National Media Museum in Bradford.

Read more about the story at:






The Coming of The Fairies by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (illustrated version) is available from

OR you can download it here. Download includes a PDF of the actual book and the plain text.

OR you can read the actual hard bound book online here.

FairyTale: A True Story - The movie was made in 1997 and Mel Gibson played an uncredited role. If Mel Gibson was in it, then it must be true!

You can purchase a downloadable version from Amazon
Here's a clip/montage from the movie.


So now, do you believe in fairies? You know you want to!!!
 

Here's a great little how-to audio in case you ever want to frame or mount a fairy that you might capture.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Andy Griffith in 3D

This is a very creative piece of work. I, being an Andy Griffin show fan, was thrilled to find this. A black and white show in 3-D!

View this 3-D video with 3-D glasses that have red on the left eye and cyan (blue) on the right. 3-D might be hard to see due to the poor quality of the original video itself. Even so, it's definitely worth watching.

The Andy Griffith Show, Season 3, Episode 21: Opie and the Spoiled Kid. Air Date
February 18, 1963.

Classic TV in 3-D by DLM Movies, http://www.dlm-movies.com

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Duct Tape Roses For Father's Day

I was looking for some gift ideas for Father's Day on Amazon, when I came across these duct tape roses. What a strange thing to think of doing! I did a yahoo search for them and was very surprised at how much information there was! I have never heard of them.

You can buy them at Amazon.com



You can also make them yourself with instructions from
instructionables and ehow

Monkey See offers a "how to" video


and so does Youtube


I don't remember where I got this poem, so I don't know who wrote it; but, I was very touched by it.

Father's Day is approaching. Yellow roses grow in
heaven. Lord pick a bunch for me. Place them in my father's arms and
tell him they're from me. Tell him that I love and miss him. When he
turns to smile, place a kiss upon his cheek & hold him for
awhile, because remembering him is easy, I ...do

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Do You Remember?

I recently received an email called "Childhood Memories" that included some photos of items from my childhood. I have to admit, I had forgotten some of them.

 I was dependent on the these spindles to play my 45's or I would have to be very accurate when placing the record on the turntable (which I wasn't). If it was off, the sound would drag and drive me crazy!


My Grandmother used to bring S and H green stamps back from the grocery store every week. Then she would lick them and put them in the stamp book. The coolest thing was that she got to trade them in for merchandise. She was so happy when she got a pressure cooker with them. It took a lot of stamps!!!


Was there any other kind of ice tray? Weren't they all metal? It was still difficult to get the ice out because sometimes it was just too hard to lift that handle and break the cubes loose.

I actually still have one (in the original box)! I wonder if it still works? Can you get film for them? Can you still buy flash bulbs? I know you can still buy Jiffy Pop! I saw it in the grocery store just yesterday.

 Of course, this was just the best thing of all!!!! It's what we spent our pennies on after school everyday. You can still get some of the candy itself, but you can't get it for a penny.

These were my very favorite! You can still buy these! The quality is not the same (nothing is), but they are still good. You can get quite a few of the old penny candy items from Oldtime Candy


I remember the Avon Lady coming to our house and I remember this commercial. Now, my sister is The Avon Lady. The products are still good. Have you checked out Avon products lately? They've come a long way! Get some from her website.The Avon Lady


Cherish your childhood memories and help make them for the current generation.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Cucumbers

Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

Did you know......

    * If you rub a slice of cucumber on your bathroom mirror it will not only eliminate the steam/fog on your mirror but it will add a spa-like fragrance to the air.

    * Place a few slices of cucumber in a pie tin and place in your garden if you are having problems with grubs and slugs. The chemicals in the cucumber will react to the aluminum if the pie tin and give off a scent that repels the grubs and slugs. The cool thing? Humans can't smell it.

    * Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

    * Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
 

    * Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

    * Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
 
    * Cucumbers clean stainless steel! I know, right??? I had to try this one and IT WORKED! Rub cucumber slices on the surface you want to clean and it will remove tarnish and bring back a shine. AND, it doesn't leave streaks. Faucets, sinks, stainless steel - TRY IT!

    * Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

    * The skin of a cucumber works great for removing ink pen, crayon and marker! Got a few spots on the wall from the kids? Try it!

    * Cucumbers can also be pureed and used to sooth burns and insect bites.

Cucumber Sandwiches (Not just for Royalty)

2 slices of bread
1 cucumber (peeled and sliced)
Mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Put the mayonnaise on both slices of bread, add the cucumber slices, salt and pepper to taste. Cut into smaller squares or triangles.
CUCUMBER PARTY SANDWICHES   

1 1/2 c. cucumber, finely chopped
1/2 c. celery
1 (3 oz.) softened cream cheese
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. onion, grated
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. chopped parsley
32 slices white sandwich bread, crusts cut off

Partially peel cucumber. Remove seeds, chop pulp and drain well by squeezing in cheese cloth.

In bowl, combine and blend all ingredients except bread. Lightly butter 16 slices of bread. Place 2 tablespoons cucumber mixture on each slice and cover with remaining slices. Cut diagonally across sandwiches to make 4 triangular sandwiches. Yield: 64 triangles.