This week we explore New Years' Traditions around the world. Where is Hogmanay celebrated? Who celebrates the Festival of St. Basil? Why do people set off fireworks and make noise? (Other than the obvious answer of "Because they can, and it's fun.")
And what are the words to the other verses to "Auld Lang Syne"? Yes, it actually has more than one verse. Find out all this and more at the linked site, and have a happy and safe New Years' Celebration!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
O Come O Come Emmanuel
VERY cool video a friend just sent me.
Not sure what's up with the horse at the end; rather LOTRish, but the rest is just...wow.
Not sure what's up with the horse at the end; rather LOTRish, but the rest is just...wow.
Weekly Webness - Christmas Carols Online
In keeping with the season, this week's offering is Christmas Carols Online. This site features little stories about many popular Christmas Carols, including history, lyrics, and appearances in the media.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Monday Morning Musings
Okay, it's COLD outside. Not normal cold. Not something you can sing about. It's REALLY REALLY COLD. Nose-hair-freezing cold. Don't-go-outside-you-moron cold. So, of course, I went outside in it.
BUT, I have two - count 'em, TWO - lovely warm wool legwarmers that designatedknitter gave to me for my Robo-Leg so that my Metal Inserts don't get cold. And I gotta tell ya, after that looooong walk across the parking lots (about 1/3 mile or so) the ONLY thing that was warm was my right leg, between my knee and ankle. Coincidentally, that's the part that was covered by my two - count 'em, TWO - lovely wool legwarmers.
I also forgot my cane at home...so I'm having to be QUITE a bit more careful walking than I have had to be. Oh well, I'm sure it'll be good for me. Or something. Without the cane I do tend to "roll" from side to side, though, and i don't like doing that, so I'm working at not-rolling while walking. Which of course means I take a bit longer to walk anyway, so I'm out in the cold a bit longer. But at least RoboLeg isn't getting cold, because i have two - count 'em, TWO - lovely wool legwarmers.
Heard something incredibly stupid today on the radio. "Doctor Joel Wallick" was advertising for his new "energy pack". He's all about Colloidal Minerals and anti-doctor. Incidentally, the guy is a Veterinarian, not a people-doctor. And he's one I certainly wouldn't take my pets to see, I'll tell you what. This guy's new ad touts his energy pack that's made from "flower pollen." He even emphasizes that it's not made from BEE pollen - this is pollen that's taken right off the flowers! (Seriously, that's exactly what he says in the commercial. Just like that, too.)
Not bee pollen, flower pollen. News flash to the stupidpeople of the world: THIS GUY IS SNOWING YOU. Seriously. BEES DON'T MAKE pollen! They collect it from flowers. Right, just like "Doctor" Wallick. Only they're smaller. And probably smarter.
BUT, I have two - count 'em, TWO - lovely warm wool legwarmers that designatedknitter gave to me for my Robo-Leg so that my Metal Inserts don't get cold. And I gotta tell ya, after that looooong walk across the parking lots (about 1/3 mile or so) the ONLY thing that was warm was my right leg, between my knee and ankle. Coincidentally, that's the part that was covered by my two - count 'em, TWO - lovely wool legwarmers.
I also forgot my cane at home...so I'm having to be QUITE a bit more careful walking than I have had to be. Oh well, I'm sure it'll be good for me. Or something. Without the cane I do tend to "roll" from side to side, though, and i don't like doing that, so I'm working at not-rolling while walking. Which of course means I take a bit longer to walk anyway, so I'm out in the cold a bit longer. But at least RoboLeg isn't getting cold, because i have two - count 'em, TWO - lovely wool legwarmers.
Heard something incredibly stupid today on the radio. "Doctor Joel Wallick" was advertising for his new "energy pack". He's all about Colloidal Minerals and anti-doctor. Incidentally, the guy is a Veterinarian, not a people-doctor. And he's one I certainly wouldn't take my pets to see, I'll tell you what. This guy's new ad touts his energy pack that's made from "flower pollen." He even emphasizes that it's not made from BEE pollen - this is pollen that's taken right off the flowers! (Seriously, that's exactly what he says in the commercial. Just like that, too.)
Not bee pollen, flower pollen. News flash to the stupidpeople of the world: THIS GUY IS SNOWING YOU. Seriously. BEES DON'T MAKE pollen! They collect it from flowers. Right, just like "Doctor" Wallick. Only they're smaller. And probably smarter.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Weekly Webness - Online Devotions from LHM
Another Daily Devotion site: Daily Devotion from Lutheran Hour Ministries. They offer several ways to get that devotion, too: you can get it in your email box every day, you can visit the website, OR you can subscribe to their podcast and hear the devotion on your computer or MP3 player.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Weekly Webness - Online Devotions
Today's Weekly Webness is Portals of Prayer online, a daily devotion provided by Concordia Publishing House.
It has all the features of the hardcopy version of Portals of Prayer: an associated Scripture reading, an associated Psalm, and a little devotion and prayer.
You can also order the hardcopy version, AND they offer an audio version as well - just click the link and you can hear the day's devotion.
It has all the features of the hardcopy version of Portals of Prayer: an associated Scripture reading, an associated Psalm, and a little devotion and prayer.
You can also order the hardcopy version, AND they offer an audio version as well - just click the link and you can hear the day's devotion.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Fashion is Stupid
I went looking for a pair of flannel pajamas over the weekend. First I checked with my favorite store - the Internet. Hrm....flannel bottoms, but no tops. O....kay.....
Let's try the store.
Walmart: flannel pajama pants.
Target: flannel pajama pants. Oh, and these "charming" little useless bits of cloth with spaghetti straps that were supposed to be paired with the flannel bottoms. Excuse me? If I'm buying flannel pajamas, I'm not making a freaking fashion statement, I'm trying to keep warm. How is that stupid little bit of nothing supposed to help keep me warm????
Oh, and my personal favorite: "thermal pajamas". Longjohns. They were longjohns in happy colors with little flowers and bunnies on them. Which did, in fact, come with thermal tops as well, so I was all prepared to buy them, not caring much what they looked like, as long as they keep me warm, but apparently fat people don't get cold enough to warrant warm bottoms and tops, since the largest size they had for these thermal jammies were a size medium. Fabulous.
I finally found something that might actually work, and it was on sale, so at least there's that. But come ON. Flannel bottoms with what looks like an attempt at a "sexxxaaaayyyyy" top? Please. I want warm, people, not "sexxxxaaayyy". Market your stupid sexxxay stuff all you want, but give us some warm stuff for on top to go with the warm stuff on bottom, hey? Sell 'em as Separates - that way you can still market your stupid "flannel bottoms and useless tops" to people who want that sort of thing, and the rest of us can have our flannel bottoms AND flannel tops.
Let's try the store.
Walmart: flannel pajama pants.
Target: flannel pajama pants. Oh, and these "charming" little useless bits of cloth with spaghetti straps that were supposed to be paired with the flannel bottoms. Excuse me? If I'm buying flannel pajamas, I'm not making a freaking fashion statement, I'm trying to keep warm. How is that stupid little bit of nothing supposed to help keep me warm????
Oh, and my personal favorite: "thermal pajamas". Longjohns. They were longjohns in happy colors with little flowers and bunnies on them. Which did, in fact, come with thermal tops as well, so I was all prepared to buy them, not caring much what they looked like, as long as they keep me warm, but apparently fat people don't get cold enough to warrant warm bottoms and tops, since the largest size they had for these thermal jammies were a size medium. Fabulous.
I finally found something that might actually work, and it was on sale, so at least there's that. But come ON. Flannel bottoms with what looks like an attempt at a "sexxxaaaayyyyy" top? Please. I want warm, people, not "sexxxxaaayyy". Market your stupid sexxxay stuff all you want, but give us some warm stuff for on top to go with the warm stuff on bottom, hey? Sell 'em as Separates - that way you can still market your stupid "flannel bottoms and useless tops" to people who want that sort of thing, and the rest of us can have our flannel bottoms AND flannel tops.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Waiting, or copping out?
I had a thought over the weekend - when does "waiting upon the Lord" become actually "copping out so I don't have to make decisions"? Seriously, it'd be so easy to just sit and say, "well, God will tell me what He wants me to do, so I'm gonna sit back and just keeeep floating along until He tells me what He wants me to do with my life." Easy - no decisions, no responsibility for those decisions if they go wrong, because it's all God's Plan, you see?
But...I wonder at what point "waiting for God's Plan" becomes "so I don't have to do anything." How can you tell?
But...I wonder at what point "waiting for God's Plan" becomes "so I don't have to do anything." How can you tell?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
More Lessons
I've been learning something new lately. Permanent hardware in Surgical steel or whatever they used -- gets really cold, really fast. Even when implanted into one's body.
See, unfortunately, my leg-with-hardware is on the windward side of me when I'm walking INTO work - the colder of the two to-and-from trips - so it gets nailed with a LOT of cold wind. Which, I have found out, makes the plate and screws in my leg really cold. REALLY FAST. The first time it happened, it felt like someone had just stabbed me in the leg with an icicle. YOW.
I wonder if I can find a place that sells legwarmers. Man, those looked stupid when I wore them as a teenager. I'm pretty sure they'll look even stupider now, but I do not care. I bet it'll help...if I can find 'em in my size.
See, unfortunately, my leg-with-hardware is on the windward side of me when I'm walking INTO work - the colder of the two to-and-from trips - so it gets nailed with a LOT of cold wind. Which, I have found out, makes the plate and screws in my leg really cold. REALLY FAST. The first time it happened, it felt like someone had just stabbed me in the leg with an icicle. YOW.
I wonder if I can find a place that sells legwarmers. Man, those looked stupid when I wore them as a teenager. I'm pretty sure they'll look even stupider now, but I do not care. I bet it'll help...if I can find 'em in my size.
Monday, December 1, 2008
More Advent Calendars Online
Here's one from the Liverpool Museums. It looks like it might be ads for stuff they have in their online stores, but the stuff looks kinda neat, nonetheless.
And one about Christmas Customs from around the world, at http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/calendar/.
Today's is about...well, I can't tell you, can I? That's part of the experience - learning things about other countries!
The one featured in "weekly webness" is more for kids - especially small children - but these two are more for bigger kids and adults, although obviously the age of "bigger kids" varies.
And one about Christmas Customs from around the world, at http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/calendar/.
Today's is about...well, I can't tell you, can I? That's part of the experience - learning things about other countries!
The one featured in "weekly webness" is more for kids - especially small children - but these two are more for bigger kids and adults, although obviously the age of "bigger kids" varies.
Weekend Revelry
Had a good time over the weekend. My parents came down, and we enjoyed having them visit. We all went to a friend's house for dinner, and we enjoyed that. Hung out most of the weekend at our house with my parents. I really liked having them visit. We had a lot of fun, even if it WAS mostly hanging around and watching NCIS. :D
Trying to arrange Christmas Schedules...whoof. Dunno what we're going to do about that yet. Last-minute schedules, yay. I swear, I'm last-minute-planophobic, but this year it's pretty much not going to work out any other way.
I hope things work out well.
Trying to arrange Christmas Schedules...whoof. Dunno what we're going to do about that yet. Last-minute schedules, yay. I swear, I'm last-minute-planophobic, but this year it's pretty much not going to work out any other way.
I hope things work out well.
NBC Rickrolls the ENTIRE UNITED STATES
Awesome. They Rickrolled the MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE. THAT is the best rickroll EVER.
Weekly Webness - Online Advent Calendar
Doing this a couple days early, because the link is dated:
Get your own Online Advent Calendar. This looks to be geared toward kids, and they do have some pop-ups, but nothing obnoxious.
It's a cool way to count down the days till Christ's birth!
Get your own Online Advent Calendar. This looks to be geared toward kids, and they do have some pop-ups, but nothing obnoxious.
It's a cool way to count down the days till Christ's birth!
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Saw this pic and I HAD TO post it here for Tom, just in case he didn't see it elsewhere. Hope this brightens your day a bit, buddy - an...
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I believe a lot of things. For example, I believe that people use the English language very imprecisely. I heard someone on the radio this...
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Well, so to speak. I'm back to work (week 2!) and, due to some things around home that need attending, Kev stayed home this week. So, ...
