Weekend Cat Blogging #308

Jules, on the Cat Walk

To our feline friends and their humans across the southern U.S., we hope this finds you in safe and loving places today. Our thoughts are with you. Hold your friends, family, and felines close.

If you would like to help the victims of this week's tornadoes, here are links on how you can help:

For Alabama 

American Red Cross

This week's host of Weekend Cat Blogging is Samantha, Clementine and Maverick at Life From A Cat's Perspective.

Disaster Volunteers: Don't Forget To Take Care of Yourselves

Despite the events on Wednesday and the overwhelming task ahead of us, volunteers should not forget how important it is to take care of themselves during this time. Getting enough sleep is crucial. Relaxing is crucial. The effects of such devastation can cause tremendous psychological stress on caregivers.

With that in mind, there are several events in Birmingham this weekend where one can go to relax, be with friends and enjoy what our great city has to offer.

Magic City Art Connection - April 29th, April 30th and May 1st in Linn Park
Free Admission
From finding art to attending workshops to meeting new friends to eating good food, Magic City Arts Connection is one of my all-time Birmingham favorites. Corks and Chefs (admission fee required) gives one the opportunity to taste-test foods by various Birmingham chefs and selected wines. Beautiful park, beautiful day, beautiful event. MCAC on Facebook


Lebanese Food and Culture Festival - April 29th, April 30th
Free Admission
Held at Saint Elias Maronite Catholic Church
Amazing food, crafts, music, dancing and more. See menu and prices here.


Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil - April 29th, April 30th, Outside the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center
Ticket Information
If you like music, this is the place for you. And, don't forget the crawfish!

WorkPlay - April 29th
8 p.m. - Amos Lee performing to benefit The Alabama Red Cross SOLD OUT
6 p.m. - Special "Sound Check" performance
I saw Amos Lee at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and he remains one of my favorite musicians. No tickets are available at the time of this post but I wanted to include it to draw your attention to what wonderful events Birmingham has to offer on any given weekend.

Sweet Birmingham!

Feeling Better Friday

Any major dude with half a heart surely will tell you my friend

Any minor world that breaks apart falls together again

When the demon is at your door

In the morning it won't be there no more

Any major dude will tell you.

A "major dude" will be visiting Alabama, specifically Tuscaloosa, on Friday - President Obama.

My City, My State, My Home

On Wednesday, my adopted state and cities (both Birmingham and Tuscaloosa) suffered devastating damage from tornadoes and severe weather. Also, Mississippi classmates were affected by these storms. Some of our blogger friends are without power. All across the south, people felt the weight of this event.

Here in Birmingham, there is an amazing group of young people who are organizing relief efforts via social media. As one young woman told me recently, her generation did not wait for the government, they did it themselves, that they "are the generation of hope and change". They truly are and I have tremendous respect for them.

Magic City Post.com has an excellent summary of the events from Wednesday plus the many opportunities available on how to help. Please keep Alabama and the southern US in your thoughts.

A Weekend Cat Blogging #307 Thank-You

Thank you! It was nice to see so many new felines participating in last weekend's WCB, as well as our dear weekend regulars.

Several people expressed confusion about what they were suppose to do. It has been my experience that weekends are for humans to relax and let the felines visit their friends online. We are interested in whatever one wants to share and we especially love a photo.

Next weekend's hosts are Samantha, Clementine, and Maverick. See you next weekend!

Weekend Cat Blogging #307

Jules, demonstrating his best WCB Logo welcome pose for you.

Welcome to Weekend Cat Blogging!
This is our first weekend to host in 2011 and we're excited!
We hope to hear from as many felines and their families as possible.
Who'll be first to link up below?

Feel Good Friday

Earth Day 2011

To pledge an act of green and to learn more, go to Earth Day 2011: A Billion Acts of Green® | Earth Day Network

Facebook Hosts President Obama

Nothing is easier than solving a problem on the backs of people who are poor or people who are powerless or who don't have any lobbyists or who don't have clout. I don't think that is particularly courageous. 

~ President Obama, responding to a question on whether Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) budget plan's was "courageous" as portrayed by the media


I was one of the 44,000-plus who signed up for Facebook's town hall meeting with President Obama. The meeting was moderated by Mark Zuckerberg.

I quoted the above because that specifically resonated with me. When asked about Rep. Ryan's budget plan, President Obama had praise for Rep. Ryan but thought the plan was radical but not particularly courageous. Obama stated that no matter how much one benefits from what our country has to offer, the GOP does not expect that person to give back. President Obama stated he went to college on scholarships; while his mother was getting her PhD, she briefly had to accept food stamps; his grandparents received their Medicare and Social Security benefits; and, his grandfather was able to go to college on the GI bill. His family benefited from what our country offers, as many of our families have benefited. Many of us are willing to give back.

While President Obama was receiving enthusiastic applause in California, Rep. Ryan's constituents were booing him as he tried to explain his "Roadmap to America's Future" budget plan. He was booed when he stated the already wealthy needed their tax cuts. Video and transcript here.

If you have lived with or cared for an elderly parent, can you imagine the government telling your elderly parent to give up their Medicare and to get online to sign up for their $15,000 voucher so that they can shop around for the best health insurance rate? I'm sure those health insurance companies are all anxious to get the business of an elderly person who, most likely, have some or many health problems. Now ask yourself how far you think $15,000 would go? It cost just over $50,000 per year to keep my elderly parent in a nursing home.

Lastly, I still get excited by the ability to sign up on Facebook for a town hall meeting with the POTUS and watch online (actually, I was listening so that I could keep working at my job). Just imagine what the people in that room who work for Facebook could do for this country.

Video of Cookie, the Penguin

The only thing funnier than watching this little guy reacting to being tickled is the reaction the squealing gets from my two cats. Cookie, the penguin in the video, lives at the Cincinnati Zoo. According to Huffington Post, this shorter video is now making its way around 'the internets' a second time. Too cute!

A Bad Habit: Intervening in Nature

I have an unfortunate and embarrassing bad habit of trying to intervene in the natural progression of nature and survival of the fittest. There is a pigeon story that I won't repeat and now I have barged in on this family of ducks. Mom, Dad, ducklings and, I suppose, the nanny were resting in the shade yesterday at the side of my apartment building. When I stopped to take photos with my iPhone they decided to move on, ducklings running to keep up. Mom's tail feathers in the first photo? A warning to me that I was coming in too close. Dad was even in his attack mode so I proceeded cautiously.

I discovered one little duckling had been left behind. Despite his struggling and loud distress calls, he seemed to be unable to get out of the pine straw. My need to intervene, however well-intended, kicked in. I picked  up the little fellow - a soft little bundle of feathers who put up no fight - and placed him on the concrete. Only, he fell over on his side as if he was dead. All the little brothers and sisters rushed back and pushed him up. He still struggled to walk as he desperately tried to reach them. It was too sad.

I don't know for certain but I think the family had planned to leave this little one behind. I had to walk away and no longer watch or I would be trying to raise a baby duckling right now with two sneaky cats licking their lips. I hope he made it.

Racist or "Internet Joke"?

Orange County's (California) OC Weekly obtained and published this photograph sent in an email by Marilyn Davenport, a member of the Southern California Tea Pary and Orange County Republican Party. This photograph was shown under "Now you know why no birth certificate", insinuating President Obama was born to a family of apes.

Reached by telephone and asked if she thought the email was appropriate, Davenport said, "Oh, come on! Everybody who knows me knows that I am not a racist. It was a joke. I have friends who are black. Besides, I only sent it to a few people--mostly people I didn't think would be upset by it."

This is the same county and group that emailed the following image, specifically Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose who later apologized.

To their limited credit, OC Weekly reported that not all Republicans, particularly the Republican leadership, was not as amused. I claim limited credit because they are the GOP county leadership which, I'm sure - I hope - prefer not to be embarrassed by another incident so disgusting. To read the original article and their continuous updates, go to OC Weekly.

So, racist or 'Internet joke'? In my personal opinion, every sentence of Ms. Davenport's initial response to The Weekly is so incredibly transparent to anyone who has ever examined comments by someone accused of being racist. It is almost a mantra: I was joking. I'm not a racist. I have black friends. I said this in private to people I thought felt the same way. And, when exposed and all else fails under examination? Blame the 'liberal media', 'political correctness' or 'ACLU', or the most childish of all accuse the other party did it too.

What is your opinion? Or, ask yourself, how does this make me feel?

Weekend Cat Blogging #306

It’s the way you love me
It’s a feeling like this
It’s centrifugal motion
It’s perpetual bliss 

This kiss, this kiss

~ This Kiss ~ Faith Hill

I know the photo is a little blurry and dripping with sentimentality, but even I have a soft spot for sweetness.

Vincent is this week's entry for Weekend Cat Blogging, hosted by Pam, Patchouli, Coco, and Smudge at Sidewalk Shoes.

Reminder: We are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging next weekend. Please stop by and say hello!

Interactive Federal Taxpayer Receipt Calculator

I was blogging about federal income taxes when I found this in my email. Where do our taxes go? And, is that what we really want? Think Denmark.

Useful Tax Info in Graphs

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has published their Top Ten Tax Charts. Here are two that I thought were significantly visual to demonstrate the U.S.'s somewhat lopsided views when it comes to taxes.

This first chart particularly resonated with me. Several years in a row, Denmark has been ranked as one of the 'happiest' countries. Oprah even visited Denmark. The question on deck was why they were so content with their lives. Thomas Kostigen at MarketWatch wrote:

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says people in Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands are the most content with their lives. The three ranked first, second and third, respectively, in the OECD's rankings of "life satisfaction," or happiness.

There are myriad reasons, of course, for happiness: health, welfare, prosperity, leisure time, strong family, social connections and so on. But there is another common denominator among this group of happy people: taxes.

Northern Europeans pay some of the highest taxes in the world. Danes pay about two-thirds of their income in taxes. Why be so happy about that? It all comes down to what you get in return (my emphasis). (continue reading to read what they get)

Paul Krugman of The New York Times wrote about this: Aside from the low-tax status of the United States, it’s interesting to note that all the European crisis countries have relatively low taxes by European standards. I wouldn’t claim that this is a causal relationship — but it certainly puts the lie to those claiming that big welfare states were somehow responsible for the crisis.

This chart shows how we could HALT the rising debt that has everyone in an uproar (or at least a pseudo-uproar) if we do just this one thing - LET THE BUSH TAX CUTS EXPIRE. Just one - of what should be a no-brainer but is apparently not to the GOP in D.C. - thing.

To view the other top ten tax charts, go to the Off the Charts Blog at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Feel Good Friday

April 15th is our usual deadline for filing income taxes; however, due to a District of Columbia holiday, the 2010 federal income tax deadline has been moved until Monday, April 18th. Here is music for those last-minute filers.

Pre-Budget Speech vs Post-Budget Speech

 Photo credit

Once the giddiness of the Washington drama-a-thon on Friday began to wear off, I had to take a break from the news for a few days simply because I was starting to take it too personally. When the GOP kept kicking women, children, elderly, working people, people in my income level and lower, and most everything I believe to be right and good, I was literally down for the count.

I regained steam today after President Obama spoke and laid out his plan for the budget. As a liberal without a true liberal party, I was pleased that President Obama at least defended the Democratic Party platform.

Here are the President's four key points:

• Budget Cuts.  The President’s approach builds on the compromise reached last week and will save us $770 billion over twelve years.
• Security Spending.  Working with Secretary of Defense Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen we will find $400 billion in defense savings by 2023 while ensuring that our troops have the resources they need to protect our national security.
• Health Care Costs. The President’s approach to reforming Medicare and Medicaid keeps our commitments to seniors, people with disabilities, and children while reducing health care spending.  By 2023, these reforms will help us save $480 billion and an additional $1 trillion in the decade after that.
• Tax Reform. The President’s approach would eliminate the Bush tax cuts and limit itemized deductions for the wealthiest 2% of Americans – reducing the deficit by $320 billion over ten years.  The President is also calling on Congress to reform the individual tax code so that the amount of taxes you pay isn’t determined by what kind of accountant you can afford. (source) (fact check)

 The salve that soothed my soul, however, was the speech itself. In true Obama form, he was able to communicate what I needed to hear, when I needed to hear it. If you were unable to watch/listen to the speech, take time to read the transcript. He is willing to stand up for what I believe in, for what I voted for.

This sense of responsibility — to each other and to our country — this isn't a partisan feeling. It isn't a Democratic or a Republican idea. It's patriotism. ~President Barack Obama

Photobucket Banner Problems

Don't I have an attractive banner? I realize these things happen. Here's the recent maintenance update on the Photobucket Blog:

Photobucket customers,
We again apologize for the issues some of you are experiencing, and for not having fully resolved the issue as of yet. We want to make sure we are keeping you up-to-date on what is happening and what we are doing to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

We experienced a problem with a portion of our infrastructure, which affected the ability for some users to log in and access their account. We immediately began maintenance to fix the problem, and have been working diligently to get things running again as quickly as possible. However, due to the sheer number of files and the enormous amount of data involved, this is taking a significant amount of time and much longer than we initially anticipated.

Please know that we are doing everything possible to restore service as quickly as possible. We understand your frustration and we will continue to update you as we get better estimates around a completion time.

Thank you for your patience,
Jim Goss
VP of Operations

Dirty Laundry

Whenever I start to feel like my state and/or my area of the country is getting too much negative attention, I can now look at this map and remind myself that every state has some dirty laundry. I won't mention specific states, but you know who you are. Geez.

Humor site Pleated Jeans compiled this from various online sites and titled it The United States of Shame; I don't know how reputable these sites might be. Notice the tiny print: Produced by the Cartographic Research Lab, University of Alabama (my alma mater).

D*** You, Auto Correct!

Oops! Try explaining that one!  Damn You, Auto Correct! Everyone has had one, haven't they?

Just make sure to proofread those work-related text messages.

Norma's Hat

 

If I passed a water meter being used as a hat rack in downtown Birmingham, it probably would not really register with me and I'm sure I would never rescue it and take it home. But, this is what my friend's husband did a few months ago. He brought it home with the proposal that my friend wash it and wear it in the rain. We had a good laugh at this idea of gift-giving.The hat was thrown on a shelf and forgotten.

This particular hat was unwilling to remain ignored. While cleaning out an armoire to make room for medical supplies, the hat reappeared, still in need of some tender loving care. Searching the inside for the washing machine instructions, my friend found something much more interesting - a name and a telephone number:

Norma Brown (205) 967-***.

Being the less inquisitive of the two, I would not have thought twice about it. My friend picked up the phone and called the number. A gentleman answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Is there a Norma at this number?" (pause) "Norma Brown?"

"No. She isn't here.", the voice replied.

My friend, with good intention, explained how she came to call that number. The gentleman told her that his wife was Norma Brown but that she had died in October 2006. My friend offered him the hat, but he declined.

We later speculated how one might react to receiving such a call, a call from one's (possible) painful past that was perpetuated by something as simple as a forgotten hat. The practical answer, we agreed, seemed to be a hat donated before or after her death that for some reason was left on a water meter. Had the hat lived an interesting life of its own, separate from Norma? Had it lived an interesting life together with Norma, separate from Mr. Brown? Was it synchronicity? Had the hat made Norma's phone number available to someone who was likely to seek out Norma's partner to remind him of her spiritual presence?

My friend lives in a historical building that 100-plus years ago was a saloon that housed, determined from its physical evidence, an upstairs brothel. She is always accusing the ghosts of the 'ladies of the night' of stealing her lingerie. People in the south have always been open to the idea of ghosts and spirits and messages from the beyond. Maybe Norma had a message of her own.

Weekend Cat Blogging #305

Vincent can be in a sleep coma and still be alert enough to stretch out for an underarm scratch.  

Vincent is this week's entry for Weekend Cat Blogging hosted by Amar and Luna at CatSynth. 

Shutdown Averted

Ding! Ding! Ding!
Drama. Drama. Drama.
From $33 billion to $39 billion in cuts, which does not include the GOP policy riders.
D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival is on!

Countdown on Government Shutdown

This is the kind of day that political junkies - like me - love. Drama, debate, negotiations, comeuppance, consequences, speculation, spin doctors...I love it all. I will be awake at midnight in anxious anticipation to see if there is a government shutdown, as there was in 1995 and 1996. How did that work out for you, Newt?

This year, this is the contentious number: 0.0083% (Title X, of the Public Health Service Act). Really. I'm not kidding. (The above is me shouting in disbelief.)

This was what was in yesterday's New York Times editorial It's Not Really About Spending:

• No federal financing for Planned Parenthood because it performs abortions. Instead, state administration of federal family planning funds, which means that Republican governors and legislatures will not spend them. 

• No local financing for abortion services in the District of Columbia. 

• No foreign aid to countries that might use the money for abortion or family planning. And no aid to the United Nations Population Fund, which supports family-planning services. 

• No regulation of greenhouse gases by the Environmental Protection Agency. 

• No funds for health care reform or the new consumer protection bureau established in the wake of the financial collapse.

First a word on Planned Parenthood. You know how you respond by laughing and saying "surely not" when you hear something so ridiculous, shallow, and outrageous? Well. Surely so. First, no federal monies pay for abortions. Ever heard of the Hyde Act?

So, what other "horrible' things does Planned Parenthood provide besides abortions (3% of what they do) and birth control?

STD Testing and Treatment, including HIV Testing
Breast exams (WHERE ARE ALL THE PINK RIBBON AND THE SAVE THE TA-TAS LOBBY?!)
Cervical Cancer screenings
Blood pressure checks, etc.
Affordable women's health care
Dignified health services for transgendered men and women
Peace of Mind

Here's another "surely not" moment this week:

During last week's discussion about a bill that would prohibit governments from deducting union dues from a worker's paycheck, state Rep. Scott Randolph, D-Orlando, used his time during floor debate to argue that Republicans are against regulations -- except when it comes to the little guys, or serves their specific interests.

At one point Randolph suggested that his wife "incorporate her uterus" to stop Republicans from pushing measures that would restrict abortions. Republicans, after all, wouldn't want to further regulate a Florida business.

Apparently the GOP leadership of the House didn't like the one-liner.

They told Democrats that Randolph is not to discuss body parts on the House floor. (continued....)

When did the GOP become afraid of the word, "uterus"?

Here is my sense about Speaker of the House John Boehner. I actually think he is probably a pretty good guy. I find his emotions sincere, that of a wounded child. Word has it that he understands politics is about deal-making. It is his job to represent the House members, who campaigned on jobs, jobs, jobs, and came in with full force on social issues based on their religious ideologies. When talking budget, this is not the time nor the place. I believe Boehner probably understands that. Voters need to understand their votes have consequences. Just ask the State of Wisconsin.


For those who only believe I spout the "liberal" talking points, read the following:
(GOP political strategist) Karl Rove warns government shutdown could help Obama
(Former and probable future GOP presidential candidate) Mike Huckabee to GOP: make a deal

"As much as I want to see Planned Parenthood defunded, as much as I want to see NPR lose their funding, the reality is- the president and the Senate are never going to go along with that so win the deal you can win and live to fight another day," Huckabee said.

Since The Huck mentioned it: Damn you, NPR! This is so LIBERAL, NPR: Under the sea, sex is a slimy business

The following will be true without a doubt:
1) More women will have abortions due to the lack of birth control planning, education and services.
2) Women with money will fly somewhere safe to have an abortion where religious ideology does not trump health care.
3) NPR will continue except in the smaller rural areas.
4) Your grandmother/mother/sister/daughter/girlfriend/mistress will hate your guts. And, you guys know what that means.
5) People outside our country are laughing their asses off at us.

Less than three hours to the big event. My political junkie chops are salivating for news.

The Tower Azaleas

If you live in the southern United States, you know and love azaleas. They grow beautifully in this climate and bloom this time of year. I have wanted to take pictures of these beautiful azaleas that line the driveway into the parking deck where I work.

They are at their loveliest in the mornings. Trying to take a photo on this driveway at that time of morning, though, can be fatal! I had a chance to take these mid-afternoon from my car window. I'm not sure about the color, although I'm wondering if this might be satin robe. Any ideas?

Even if it is 7:58 a.m., these are too beautiful to not take the time to acknowledge and marvel in their beauty.

Feel Good Friday

Just a Tree

 

I like the way the sun is highlighting this tree. 

I was unable to capture how incredibly red it looked against the blue sky.

The When Harry Met Sally Sequel

When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren from Billy Crystal

As seen on Funny or Die.  They report:

The remake of 'When Harry Met Sally' that everyone has been waiting for is finally here. Starring Billy Crystal, Helen Mirren and featuring the many talents of Rob Reiner, Adam Scott, Mike Tyson, Rob Riggle, Maya Rudolph, Jennifer Crystal Foley, Mike O'Malley & Josh Fadem.

Admit it. Everybody loved the 1989 film, When Harry Met Sally. If you happened to be recently divorced and dating again when this premiered, as was I, you could truly relate to the scenarios, struggles and guessing games of relationships. It was fun. This video reminds me now of just how much fun I was having at that time in my life.

This Weekend: Birmingham Asian Cultures & Food Festival

CORRECTION: Please note that the information about our Asian Cultures and Food Festival was written by Jason Horn, as seen on Magic City Post. My sincere apologies to Jason for failing to credit him as the source of this information. You may read more from Jason at The Messy Epicure.

Area restaurants are going to provide food. Prepared plates are $7 each, and special a la carte dishes are $2. How great is that? Participating restaurants include Homewood’s Taipei 101 Sushi and Asian Bistro and Hoover’s Ginza, Silver Coin Indian Grill and Taste of Thailand. Food will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission is $5, free for age 12 and younger. The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Cedars Club of Birmingham, 301 Green Springs Avenue South.

Read more about the Alabama Asian Cultures Foundation here.

Be there or be hungry!

I was on the telephone with President Obama when...

.... it occurred to me: I AM ON THE TELEPHONE WITH BARACK OBAMA! I am a volunteer for the reelection of President Obama in 2012. When I signed up for the campaign kick-off teleconference last night I had no idea that I would hear the White House operator say, "hold for the President" and then bing-bang-boom I was listening to President Obama talk about the upcoming campaign and take questions. Oh. Vice President Biden spoke too.

Get Involved
Donate
Talk to your neighbors

Protect Our Progress!

An Easter Billboard

I'm fairly certain I can hear a collective gasp! from my deceased parents, the pastor and the pastor's wife, over the poor taste shown in this church billboard. 
Seen on McFarland Boulevard in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Protect Our Progress: Obama/Biden 2012

We're getting the organizing band back together. President Obama officially entered the 2012 race today for a second term as President of the United States. He came into office at a time of two wars, a massive debt, and a failing economy. A lot has been resolved and accomplished. Now, it is time to protect that progress and move forward to accomplish even more. Democrats can not beat Republicans with money but, as seen in the 2008 election, we can beat the Republicans by organizing.

Become involved to help re-elect President Barack Obama. It is time to do it again. Educate yourself. Talk to your neighbors. Make telephone calls. Knock on doors. Tweet. Volunteer. Donate your time and your money. Get involved!

Watch the video:

The Phone Update

As seen on The High Definite

What is really sad is that I am awake at 6 a.m. reading and sharing this stuff. I should be sleepy about the time I need to get up for work. I know I'm not the only one!

Shelby County, Alabama

I never thought I would say this, but I am embracing the county in which I live. Despite the fact that I have a Birmingham address, zip code, and utilities, I live in Shelby County. Don't ask me why because I will never understand how this works.

Shelby County is the healthiest county in the State of Alabama, as determined by the University of Wisconsin and reported by the Birmingham Business Journal.

During rush hours, it takes me 30 minutes to go two miles. I have not seen an accident in the last nine months because, frankly, we are usually moving too slow. This is not to say there have not been fatal accidents, usually in the late hours and often teenagers or young adults.

The ducks that visit the lake at my apartment complex also visit the ATM, Target, Walgreen's, and Regions Bank, as well as the many small lakes that cover this area.

The restaurants are not as great as the City of Birmingham but they are not bad for a neighborhood its size.

 Big pick-up truck with bumper sticks and Shelby County license plate

I have visual evidence I am not the only one.

I was told that when I moved to Shelby County I brought the total number of Democrats to three, but I have met two loyalists and two potential voters who moved here from Toronto, and I've seen two cars with blue dots, which brings the total to seven.We are growing, hear us roar!

Yes, Virginia, there is life outside of Jefferson County!

Talking Funny: A Comedy Special on HBO

Pull up your calendars for April 22nd and type this in: Talking Funny premieres on HBO East at 8 p.m. CT and HBO West at 11 p.m. CT. On Demand starts on 4/25. Do it now. I'll wait.

Jerry Seinfeld
Chris Rock
Ricky Gervais
Louis C.K.

That is all I personally need to know. For others who do not yet share my enthusiasm, here is the HBO synopsis:

How does a simple idea end up becoming a signature joke? Why do some comics embrace profanity while others avoid it? Do audiences really matter? In this one-hour HBO special, four stand-up legends--Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais and Louis C.K.--answer these questions and more as they let their guards down in an intimate, unscripted conversation about what it means to be a comedian, and how far each has been willing to go to push the limits of taste and originality for a laugh.

Go to HBO Comedy to view clips.

Weekend Cat Blogging #304

Over the last couple of weeks, we have watched our outdoors begin to turn green again. Before much longer, this side of the apartment will be covered with varying shades of green. A very welcomed sight indeed!

Vincent is this week's entry for Weekend Cat Blogging hosted by iMeowza.

Feel Good Friday

Good Websites for Wasting Time

Do you gravitate to the headline, "Sites you should be wasting time on right now" like I do? Huffington Post kindly gathers these for me in one handy slide show from time to time. In the service of my followers, I visit these sites, waste my time, and share them with you so you can visit and waste your time.

Here's my favorite: Cinema Nutrition
As a dietitian by degree, I find it important that we know what we are consuming in each film, particularly when we watch that film so often. Read the label. Dietitians yap, yap, yap about this all the time. (Lawd, I hate a yapping dietitian, to paraphrase Chris Rock.) Very clever!

Second Favorite: 3eanuts

From the website: Charles Schulz's Peanuts comics often conceal the existential despair of their world with a closing joke at the characters' expense. With the last panel omitted, despair pervades all.

 Other Sites:
The Penis Size Worldwide, for those with the need to compare one johnson to another geographically


Steamboats, including steam whistles and calliope songs


Deviant Sucks, part creepy, part funny


Google Labs' feature, Body Browser. My browser did not currently support WebGL so I could not view but the videos are provided for view. Cool!

I Always Wondered.  Loved this site! Ever wondered who sent the first email and when? You can find out here. Nice graphics, too. Covers current events, science, history and a couple of others for fun.

Wikibombs.  The best of Wikipedia vandalism.

From HuffPost to me to you. Enjoy wasting time on all the sites above. It's Friday, after all.