Do you remember…

Tetherball?

I remember there was a Tetherball pole at my elementary school, Van Slyke, in Flint, Michigan and I would play it when the older kids where not hogging playing it. All I really remember of the game is having two or more people hit the ball on the string as hard and fast as you could and have it spin around the pole. And if you “accidently” hit someone with the ball — you got bonus points!!

I don’ think those times that I played Tetherball, I knew that there were actullay rules on how to play it. I thought it was fun to hit the ball and watch it spin on the pole.

I wonder if they still have Tetherball on school playgrounds any more?

From Wikipedia

Tetherball is a North American game for two opposing players. The equipment consists of a stationary metal pole, from which is hung a ball from a rope, or tether. The two players stand on opposite sides of the pole. Each player tries to hit the ball one way; one clockwise, and one counterclockwise. The game ends when one player manages to wind the ball all the way around the pole so that it is stopped by the rope. It must not bounce.

It’s funny what pops in my head when I’m suppose to be “working”!!

The Kentucky Derby and Mint Julep

These two things go together like peas and carrots. This Saturday The Kentucky Derby will happen and there will be Mint Juleps all around Louisville.

I lived in Louisville for three years and I had my share of Mint Juleps while I was there. The thing about Mint Juleps is that the first one or two of them are really hard to get down. But after that… woo whoo!! I would tell you more, but frankly, I can’t remember much!!

I got this information from Wikipedia and how to prepare a Mint Julep.

A mint julep is traditionally made of four ingredients: mint, bourbon, sugar, and water. Traditionally, spearmint is the mint of choice used in Southern states; in particular, Kentucky Colonel. In the use of sugar and mint, it is similar to the mojito. In preparing a mint julep, a fresh mint sprig is used primarily as a garnish, to introduce the flavor and aroma through the nose. If mint leaves are used in the preparation, they should just be very lightly bruised, if at all. However, proper preparation of the cocktail is commonly debated, as methods may vary considerably from one bartender to another. By another method, the mint julep may be considered as one of a loosely associated family of drinks called “smashes” (the brandy smash is another example, as well as the mojito), in which fresh mint and other ingredients are muddled or crushed in preparation for flavoring the finished drink. The step further releases essential oils and juices into the mixture, intensifying the flavor from the added ingredient or ingredients.

Traditionally, mint juleps were often served in silver or pewter cups, and held only by the bottom and top edges of the cup. This allows frost to form on the outside of the cup. Traditional hand placement may have arisen as a way to reduce the heat transferred from the hand to the silver or pewter cup. Today, mint juleps are most commonly served in a tall old-fashioned glass, Collins glass, or highball glass with a straw.

So if you want to get into the spirit of The Kentucky Derby, have yourself a Mint Julep and enjoy the race.

Side notes:

Here are some links about The Kentucky Derby:

• Kentucky Derby (official site)
• Kentucky Derby Festival
• Kentucky Oaks (sister race)

DWTS – Week 6

Well, just finish watching  Dancing with the Stars that I had to record. Here are my picks for the week

Who did really good: Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough. I like Nicole, but really don’t want to see Derek win again.

They really need to be voted off: Jake Pavelka and Chelsie Hightower, Jake’s 15 minutes of fame needs to be over!

Surprise of the night: Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya. Boy, the judges really didn’t like his Samba at all. I hope they don’t get voted off, I would like to see him and Anna dance into the finals.

Best song of the night: “When I Get You Alone“—Robin Thicke. When I hear this song, it’s hard to picture Robin Thicke singing it. The voice and body don’t match. Plus it has a track sampled Walter Murphy‘s “A Fifth of Beethoven” – a very cool song!

Side notes:

Did Maksim Chmerkovskiy need to rip his shirt off? I know some people must of loved it, but I have to agree with Len Goodman on this one, he didn’t need to do it.

I really can’t believe I am saying this… I miss Samantha Harris!

What is on my iPod

Here is my weekly list of what is on my iPod.

“The Look of Love” (1982) by ABC

Maybe one of my all-time favorite groups from the 80’s (I know, I have a lot of favorites). When I think of this song, I think of the video. I love Martin Fry (lead singer)! Another one of their songs that I love is “Poison Arrow“.

“Groove Is in the Heart” (1990) by Deee-Lite

This song reminds my of my friend, Rita. It came out around the time we hung out together and played cards in her apartment. It is such a groovy song to listen to.

“Non Believer” by La Rocca

I love listening to music from TV shows or movies. This song is from on of the episodes of “One Tree Hill” (don’t judge me – I like that show).

“I Was Made for Dancin'” (1979) by Leif Garrett

OK, if you are a Child of the 70’s or 80’s, who didn’t like Leif Garrett? I was one of his followers. I might have only heard a handful of his songs, but this one get a couple of hits a month on my iPod.

“In the Summertime” (1970) by Mungo Jerry

There is a whole playlist on my iPod of songs that get on my nerves. You may be asking, why do I have these songs if they get on my nerves? The simplest response is… I’m a songs on my iPod hoarder! Yes, there it is, I’m a song hoarder. I blame this “disease” on my parents, who are hoarders themselves.

But back to the song…  when I was looking up information on it, I just found out that Mungo Jerry was a “group” and not one person (like Jethro Tull)!  You learn something new every day!!

I can tell within the first few beats of the song when it’s on. I can listening to about 30 seconds of it before I have to change it.

Here are a few more songs in my music collection that get on my nerves, but I have to have them:

• “Night Moves” (1976) by Bob Seger
• “I Shot The Sheriff” (1974) by Eric Clapton
• “Talking in Your Sleep” (1983) by The Romantics (hey, they are from my home State of Michigan!! #2 of learning something new!)

So these are this week’s picks of what’s on my iPod.

Friday Laugh

I got these from my co-worker, Temaka and thought I would share them.

**Warning** They might not be the greatest, but, what the heck, it’s Friday!!

A pirate at the local bar discusses his past

A seaman meets a pirate in a bar, and talk turns to their adventures on the sea. The seaman notes that the pirate has a peg-leg, a hook, and an eye patch.

The seaman asks, “So, how did you end up with the peg-leg?” The pirate replies, “We were in a storm at sea, and I was swept overboard into a school of sharks. Just as my men were pulling me out, a shark bit my leg off.”

“Wow!” said the seaman. “What about your hook”? “Well”, replied the pirate, “We were boarding an enemy ship and were battling the other sailors with swords. One of the enemy cut my hand off.”

“Incredible!” remarked the seaman. “How did you get the eye patch”? “A seagull dropping fell into my eye,” replied the pirate.

“You lost your eye to a seagull dropping?,” the sailor asked incredulously. “Well,” said the pirate, “it was my first day with my hook”

Simple operation

A man was seen fleeing down the hall of the hospital just before his operation.

“What’s the matter?” he was asked.

He said, “I heard the nurse say, ‘It’s a very simple operation, don’t worry, I’m sure it will be all right.”

“She was just trying to comfort you, what’s so frightening about that?”

“She wasn’t talking to me. She was talking to the doctor.

Bottle trouble

A woman was trying hard to get the catsup to come out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her four-year old daughter to answer the phone.

“It’s the minister, Mommy,” the child said to her mother.

Then she added, “Mommy can’t come to the phone to talk to you right now. She’s hitting the bottle.”

Funny taste

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other “Does this taste funny to you?”

In record time

Joe walks into the living room and sees Lucy whooping and hollering.

“What’s the matter?” Joe asked.

“Nothing at all. I just finished a jigsaw puzzle in record time!” Lucy beamed.

“How long did it take you?”

“Well, the box said ‘3 to 5 Years’ but I did it in a month!”

Chain saw

A West Virginian walks into a hardware store and asks for a chain saw that will cut 6 trees in one hour.

The salesman recommends the top of the line model. The West Virginian is suitably impressed, and buys it.

The next day he brings it back, complaining that it would only cut down 1 tree and it took ALL DAY!

The salesman takes the chain saw, starts it up to see what’s wrong, and the West Virginian says, “What’s that noise?”

Dinner disaster

A couple trying to break into society hosted a dinner party.

As the guests were enjoying their dinner salad, the maid called the hostess from the table. The maid informed her that the cat had climbed on the kitchen table and eaten a large portion of the salmon’s mid- section.

The hostess decided to fill the eaten portion with some canned salmon and other camouflage.

As the guests were enjoying the fish, the maid called the hostess into the kitchen and announced while wringing her hands, “Madam, the cat is dead.”

The hostess and her husband informed the guests and suggested it might be best if everyone went to the hospital and had their stomachs pumped.

Returning home, the couple asked the maid where she had put the cat. “It is still out on the road where the car ran over it.”

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day and I am wondering what am I going to do to be a part of this day?

The only thing that I have done so far is bring my lunch in plastic bag that has been around the house for a while. Other than that, I really haven’t done much. A couple of years ago, I did plant a tree at my parent’s house in Michigan. They don’t live there any more; I wonder how big that tree is now.

So if you were wondering what Earth Day is, here is some information from one of my favorite sites, Wikipedia.com:

Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth‘s environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970. Earth Day is celebrated in spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Earth Day Network, a group that wishes to become the coordinator of Earth Day globally, asserts that Earth Day is now observed on April 22 on virtually every country on Earth. World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5 in a different nation every year, is the principal United Nations environmental observance. Many communities also celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of environment-related activities, the first of which occurred in Philadelphia in 1970 (starting April 16 and culminating on Earth Day, April 22.)

My plan is to do a little something every day, not just on Earth Day.

Movies — TCM Classic Film Festival

I have mentioned before that I have a list of movies that I want to see before I die. I just found this on IMDB.com about Turner Classic Movies will host the first-ever TCM Classic Film Festival.

… April 22-25 in the historic heart of Hollywood at legendary venues like the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, featuring more than 50 screenings, world premiere restorations, classic stars and directors, panel discussions and red carpet moments.

Here are some of the movies that they will be featruing. How many of them have you seen?

• THE KING OF COMEDY (1982)
• NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
• DAMN YANKEES (1958)
• MONKEY BUSINESS (1952)
• SUNSET BLVD. (1950)
• NEPTUNE’S DAUGHTER (1949)
• MURDER, HE SAYS (1945)
• CASABLANCA (1942)

I have nort seen any of these movies and I plan to at least watch a couple of them during the TCM Classic Film Festival.

Visit the official site

And we’ll see you at the movies…

What is on my iPod

Here are some more songs that are on my iPod.

“Poison” (1990) by Bell Biv Devoe

I remember when this song came out. I was working at the Y.W.C.A. of Greater Flint Y-Teens Summer Camp. I brought my “boom-box” and single cassettes in for the teens to listen to. We must have played this song over a 100 times that summer. To this day, whenever I listen to this song it brings back fond memories of that time.

“Rock Me Gently” (1974) by Andy Kim

Not sure if I remember this song when it first came out or if it was during the time I was collecting music from the 70’s for my iPod? I would have loved to seen the teenagers when this song came out; I wonder how they how they danced to it and if they sang in front of their mirrors in a brush… not that I would know anything about doing that!!

“Little Moments” (2004) by Brad Paisley

I love this song, but the video is even better. It brings a tear to my eye every time I see it. That’s one thing about being a “Lone Wolf”, I will not have “little moments’ like these. So I guess the next best thing is listening to a song that talks about them.

Well I’ll never forget the first time that I heard that pretty mouth say that dirty word. And I can’t even remember now, what she backed my truck into. But she covered her mouth and her face got red and she just looked so darn cute. That I couldn’t even act like I was mad- Yeah I live for little moments like that.“

“Only the Lonely” (1982) by The Motels

I thought that the lead singer, Martha Davis was so cool. Just writing this, I can picture the video in my head.

“Come Out and Play” (1994) by The Offspring

I heard this song the other day and I played it about five times in a row. It’s got a groovy beat to it. I must have looked pretty funny when I was dancing in my car to this song!

“Goodbye to You” (1982) by Scandal

Again, when I listen to this song, I think of the video and watching Patty Smyth and Zack Smith sing and dance to the song. I always wanted to dress like Patty did in this video – true 80’s style!

Side Note:

You know what?, I really want a tambourine – just like Davy Jones had in The Monkees songs! I think that is one of the coolest things to play in a band!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkees

DWTS (Season 10) — Week 5

Well, I just finish watching Dancing with the Stars that I had to record since I was at work. Well, the show is getting harder and harder to watch. I really don’t care for Kate Gosselin and  Tony Dovolani. Not sure what the word is to describe their “dancing”. I really hate to think that the show and ABC are keeping Kate on the show just for ratings are to have her make more money!

OK, I’m going to get off my soap box on that topic.

The music for tonight’s show was pretty good. I love songs from the movies. So here are my picks for the week.

Who danced the best: Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough

Who really, really, really needs to go home: Kate and Tony. But I think Niecy Nash and Louis van Amstel might be voted off.

Best song of the night: “You Never Can Tell” by Chuck Berry

Amazing Scientific Facts

I found this on my friend Tom Baker‘s blog — Morning Erection and thought I would share it here. I only “borrow” from the best! Thanks, Tom!

Amazing Scientific Facts

I’ve always been somewhat of a science freak. Not the kind that would be seen in a laboratory but I’ve been fascinated with our wonderful world and the macro and micro universe. I just found out that we call our ‘world’, the universe because it means one sentence (“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”). Anyway, the planets, sharks, thunderstorms all caught my attention when I was a kid.

I thought I might share with you guys some of the facts that science has learned me. I know, I said learned on purpose. I meant taught. Have fun with this. I promise, no test. Feel free to add anything you know that I have left off.

1. The speed of light is exactly 186,287.49 miles per second or 299,792,458 meters per second.

2. It takes 8 minutes 17 seconds for light to travel from the Sun’s surface to the Earth.

3. 10 percent of all human beings ever born are alive at this very moment.

4. The Earth spins at 1,000 mph but it travels through space at an incredible 67,000 mph.

5. Every year over one million earthquakes shake the Earth.

6. When Krakatoa erupted in 1883, its force was so great it could be heard 3000 miles away in Australia.

7. The largest hailstone measured weighed over two pounds and fell in Bangladesh in 1986.

8. Every second around 100 lightning bolts strike the Earth.

9. Every year lightning kills 1000 people.

10. On February 20, 2010 an Iceberg the size of Rhode island broke free from the Antarctic ice shelf  (see clickable image below).

11. If you could drive your car straight up you would arrive in space in just over an hour.

12. The air at the summit of Mount Everest, 29,029 feet is only a third as thick as the air at sea level.

13. DNA was first discovered in 1869 by Swiss Friedrich Mieschler.

14. The molecular structure of DNA was first determined by Watson and Crick in 1953.

15. The first synthetic human chromosome was constructed by US scientists in 1997.

16. The thermometer was invented in 1607 by Galileo.

17. Englishman Roger Bacon invented the magnifying glass in 1250.

18. Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1866.

19. The tallest tree ever was an Australian eucalyptus – In 1872 it was measured at 435 feet tall.

20. Christian Barnard performed the first heart transplant in 1967 – the patient lived for 18 days.

21. The wingspan of a Boeing 747 is longer than the Wright brother’s first flight.

22. An electric eel can produce a shock of up to 650 volts.

23. ‘Wireless’ communications took a giant leap forward in 1962 with the launch of Telstar, the first satellite capable of relaying telephone and satellite TV signals.

24. The earliest wine makers lived in Egypt around 2300 BC.

25. The Ebola virus kills 4 out of every 5 humans it infects.

For some more Amazing Scientific Facts, check out Tom’s blog posting.