On Hiatus

Photo by Chance Agrella
Temporarily on hiatus due to personal circumstances. Be back soon so stay tuned!

~Dani

Japanese TV: Human Tetris 6

I was so happy to find another installment online of the Japanese show, nicknamed 'Human Tetris'. I think this show is hysterical, and I love how more and more they are including things which help understand the show better, such as the illustrations of how the contestants could get through the cutouts. They are even using English words on some of the wall cutouts.

I wonder if they will add English subtitles? That would be awesome!

So, without any further ado, here is installment #6 of 'Human Tetris':

Video from aaaaaaa4000

Previous Installments:

Human Tetris #5
Human Tetris #4
Human Tetris #1-#3

BONUS VIDEO:

This is a show I believe is called "Hyper" and features some of the 'Human Tetris' guys making shapes on a pegged wall with their bodies. I really wish there were English subtitles!


video from takaluv

Do YOU have a favorite Japanese show you would like to share? Email me a link. If I like it I will post it here and give you credit for the lead.

Idaho Spuds a Fire Hazard

Photo by Chance Agrella
An interesting AP report coming out of Idaho, one of two states in the USA famous for potatoes: Idaho Fire Crew's Tater Tots Start Blaze.

I get the impression that Tater Tots Flambe' was not on the menu. *laugh*

As stated in the news item, I am sure firefighters and officials are embarrassed over this incident. But, a positive coming out of it is the reminder of just how easily a fire can start, and how careful we do need to be when cooking, and using the stove and oven.

Home fire safety tips given by the experts include installing, checking, and maintaining smoke detectors; having, checking, and maintaining fire extinguishers; keeping flashlights with fresh batteries handy; and having escape plans mapped out that include a meeting place away from the home.

At our house, we put in fresh smoke detector batteries twice a year: during both time changes. If I remember (which I admit I don't always), I test and clean all of our detectors monthly.

Each year, the extinguishers get checked. A local firefighter has a fire extinguisher refill business which is very affordable to use.

We also went through CERT training which taught us how to properly handle fire extinguishers and most effectively put out various types of fires. PASS is an easy-to-remember acronym for how to use a fire extinguisher. It stands for the simple instructions of: PULL the pin, AIM at the base of the fire, SQUEEZE the lever, and SWEEP from side to side.

Different extinguishers are for different types of fires. Knowing the difference is important when purchasing (and using) a fire extinguisher.

So what things do YOU do at your house in regards to fire safety?

Sources:

Idaho Fire Crew's Tater Tots Start Blaze. Associate Press. December 27th, 2007. 12:27 p.m. KSL News.

Fire Prevention. Home Fire Safety Checklist. Buffnet.

Using a Fire Extinguisher. Fire Extinguisher 101.

Fire Extinguishing Agents. Fire Extinguisher 101.

Flowers for Christmas

About a week ago I was given a beautiful arrangement of flowers. I should have taken a photo of them. They are still holding up surprisingly well, though a few of the elements have died off, so it isn't a pretty a bouquet as when I first got it.

There are white carnations, pink and yellow (tiger?)lilies, baby's breath, an evergreen branch(?), some tall grass blades (?), some stems with multiple small white flowers along them, and some deep burgundy flowers with golden yellow centers -similar in appearance to daisies.

I am no florist, so please forgive my lame descriptions.

As I was working on other writing projects, I noticed the arrangement out of the corner of my eye, and I began reflecting upon how this is the first time I have ever been given flowers in the winter. I have received plants before, but never a bouquet of flowers.

I hate that cut flowers die so fast, but I admit there is something very uplifting and joyful about having fresh flowers around the house. In the spring when much of my yard is blooming, I have several weeks of fresh flowers in almost every room in my home.

I love the smell, and I love the sight of it!

So, if you need to take a small cheerful gift to someone, consider a bouquet of flowers. It is quite the pick-me-up, especially in the midst of a snowy winter's day.

When was the last time YOU got flowers, and what was the occasion?

How Gulible Are You?

This quick true or false quiz about gulibility is from newstarget.com and tests beliefs in what the media bombards the public with on a daily basis.

Please take the quiz and post your results in the comment section here. Then, please give your review of the quiz: what did you like and dislike about it? How accurate do you think it is?


Here is my result:

Your GF score is 85.

FREE THINKER Welcome to the top 5%. You're a true free thinker and a person who is well informed about the reality in which you live. Although you may have been easily manipulated earlier in life, you eventually gained lucidity and developed a healthy sense of skepticism that you now automatically apply to your observations and experiences. You are endlessly curious about human behavior and the nature of the universe, and you have one or more lifestyle habits that most people would consider odd or unusual. You are not only of very high intelligence, you are also extremely creative in one or more areas (music, art, software development, inventing, etc.)

If you were in The Matrix, you would have taken the red pill, completed the combat training, and started fighting (and beating) agents from day one.

Your architects: You have cast off reality distortions taught to you by your parents, schooling, corporate advertising and government propaganda. You create your own beliefs based on what serves you best, without much regard for what the rest of the crowd is doing. You are guided by your own internal code of ethics (which may or may not agree with politically-correct ethical codes) rather than any pre-set system of ethics (such as from any one religion).

Dan Fogelberg Dead of Prostate Cancer at Age 56

One of my favorite singer/songwriters, Dan Fogelberg, passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, December 16, 2007 after battling with prostate cancer. He was diagnosed in May of 2004, but by that time it was already at an advanced stage.

On his website, when he was first diagnosed, news about his condition was posted, along with a personal letter from him to men about getting a Digital Rectal Exam (DRA) and Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) each and every year. He noted that while the medical community advocates these tests begin at age 50, men with a family history of prostate cancer should begin screenings at age 40.

More information about prostate cancer may be found at the following links:

Prostate Cancer Foundation
National Cancer Institute
The United States National Library of Medicine
The Mayo Clinic

The importance of regular screenings cannot be stressed enough. Please, gentlemen, do yourself and your loved ones a huge favor and have these tests done every year. You mean everything to someone.

UPDATE [12-19-07]:
One day after the passing of Dan Fogelberg, the news was released that singer/songwriter Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills, and Nash has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is scheduled to undergo surgery on his 63rd birthday in January.

More about this update may be found on MSNBC: Rocker Stephen Stills Battles Prostate Cancer by Reuters

And now, last but certainly not least, a musical goodbye to a talented man who touched and inspired so many with his gift:

Farewell Sweet Music Man

Video from YouTube user lotalutz


What was YOUR favorite song by Dan Fogelberg?

Joe Namath: 42 Years to a Degree

Photo by Aleksandar Momirovic
This AP report on FOXnews, Football Great Joe Namath Earns College Degree 42 Years Later is an example of one of the types of stories I love to read. At this stage in his life, the 64-year-old retired athlete would certainly not need to finish his degree in order to obtain employment. He, and the others before him, such as 90-year-old grandmothers, who finish or obtain their degree or diploma when they really don't 'have' to, are a true inspiration to me.

Its not as easy in the later years of life to study, learn, and keep up with the demands of schooling and test-taking. To go back and tackle the challenge, out of personal drive rather than need, is a beautiful thing.

For some, the challenge includes family responsibilities, finances, health, and time which limit what they can do or have prevented them from finishing.

There are many grants and scholarships available for many different people and situations. Not all are limited to financial need. One great place to look is Fastweb. After a free registration and profile are completed, the system will regularly email you information on matching contests, grants, and scholarships. Another source to check out is a website: College Scholarships. At the site, you just look for the right category, click on a link or two, and get directed to the information for how to apply for that particular scholarship. There is no need to register with College Scholarships.

If you do not have your degree or diploma, what would it take for you to finish it?