Put that Valentine's candy to good use

I am not a fan of those chalky little Valentine candy hearts. Tums taste better, and that's not saying much.

But apparently, there do have a good use - as art.

Somebody's got to do it...

My new four-lettered word-of-the-day is: Work.

It's a pain, but seeing as I have a pension for eating and wanting a roof over my head and clothes on my back, I've got to. Surprisingly, I don't think I could get by on just my looks.

So, to help relieve some work-related stress, I've found some work-related humor. And together we can all laugh and make it through yet another week in work-land.

Got to love America

Found this on the AP today. Couldn't help but chuckle while reading it.

NEW ORLEANS — Hurricane Katrina's victims have put a price tag on their suffering and it is staggering — including one plaintiff seeking the unlikely sum of $3 quadrillion.

A whopping $3,014,170,389,176,410 is the dollar figure so far sought from some of the largest claims filed against the federal government over damage from the failure of levees and flood walls following the Aug. 29, 2005, hurricane.

Of roughly 489,000 total claims, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it has received 247 for at least $1 billion apiece, including the one for $3 quadrillion.

"That's the mother of all high numbers," said Loren Scott, a Baton Rouge-based economist.
For the sake of perspective: A mere $1 quadrillion would dwarf the U.S. gross domestic product, which Scott said was $13.2 trillion in 2007. A stack of one quadrillion pennies would reach Saturn.

Some residents may have grossly exaggerated their claims to send a message to the corps, which has accepted blame for poorly designing the failed levees.

"I understand the anger," Scott said. "I also understand it's a negotiating tactic: Aim high and negotiate down."

Daniel Becnel, Jr., a lawyer who said his clients have filed more than 60,000 claims, said measuring Katrina's devastation in dollars and cents is a nearly impossible task.

"There's no way on earth you can figure it out," he said. "The trauma these people have undergone is unlike anything that has occurred in the history of our country."

The corps released zip codes, but no names, for the 247 claims of at least $1 billion. The list includes a $77 billion claim by the city of New Orleans. Fourteen involve a wrongful death claim. Fifteen were filed by businesses, including several insurance companies.

Little is known about the person who claimed $3 quadrillion. It was filed in Baker, 93 miles northwest of New Orleans. Baker is far from the epicenter of Katrina's destruction, but the city has a trailer park where hundreds of evacuees have lived since the storm.

Katrina, which is blamed for more than 1,600 deaths in Louisiana and Mississippi, is considered the most destructive storm to ever hit the U.S. It caused at least $60 billion in insured losses and could cost Gulf Coast states up to $125 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Most of the claims were filed before a deadline that coincided with Katrina's second anniversary, but the Corps is still receiving them — about 100 claims have arrived over the past three weeks — and is feeding them into a computer database.

The Corps said it isn't passing judgment on the merits of each claim. Federal courts are in charge of deciding if a claim is valid and how much compensation is warranted.

"It's important to the person who filed it, so we're taking every single claim seriously," Corps spokeswoman Amanda Jones said.


Okay, yes, people were killed and hurt in Katrina. Yes, it was a very serious thing and people lost everything. I'm not a jerk. I know people lost lives and family and their whole world. It was awful.

However, I doubt any one person lost wages, belongings and had emotional and physical pain that would amount to over a quadrillion. Maybe in the millions - or for some businesses, a trillion. A quadrillion? Seriously? What kind of person must come up with that? I can hear some poor cajun redneck schmuck...

"Hmmmm... let's see. I worked at Arby's for $10.50 an hour and lost my job. So that'd been roughly $22,000 a year. It's been two years. So there's $44,000.... yes, I COULD have gotten 'nother job, but I didn't want to. I suffered too much. I'm all sorts of traumatized. I won't be able to work never. So that's got to be at least two million I'd of earned in my life... Well, I got da big raise in there and I would have started my own video game company. That's worth a lot... And my house - that wuz $300,000... well, yes, I coughed up $110,000 for it, but it was appreciatin'. So, I'll say it'd have at least been worth a mill whenz I was done fixing it up and adding on to it. It was going to be the blitziest. I was going to put one of those alarmifiers in it too. It'd got to been about five million. Then there's the suffering. I suffered a whole lot. That's worth a few million. Great Aunt Maybel died in her house four miles away. So what if I never visited her while she was alive, her death rocked me to the core. That's a couple more million. Oh yeah, plus her cat and dog. That's a couple more. So, what am I up to? 15 Million? Let's round that to 50. Hmmm... there's gotz to be more. Them goverment peoples make all that in a year. Stupid president didn't send me a helicopter to get me out... no body didn't have electricity... I had to steal me three DVD players and a shotgun just to have something to do... this here double-wide they gave me to live in is too small... I don't get but 100 channels on this dish... ain't no good food at the local McD's... I'm scared to go swimming... oh, and of the dark... my cooh hunting dog didn't get his own trailer... plus theres the more suffering. Yeah, that's about 3 quadrillion - I think. Maybe a little less. Doesn't that sound right? 3 quadrillion. My math teacher said that wuz a real number when I asked her in the second grade. Yeah, let's put that on the form. Plus some change, for Great Aunt Maybel."

Welcome to 2008

The new year has come and we're all getting back into our routines out here. And part of my routine (and maybe even a New Year's resolution) is blogging! Yea for blogging.

So to start off the new year right, just like any good teacher would, I'm giving you a pop quiz. Put away your books, pull out your #2 pencil and one sheet of three-hole-punched college-ruled notebook paper.





I made a C. I'm sure my hubby will do FAR better, but it doesn't count. He's still in school.

Holy Toledo!

Going to a wedding... in Toledo. Wanted to know more about Toledo. Now you will too...

Toledo, Ohio is located in northwestern Ohio on the western end of Lake Erie and south of the Michigan border. In the 2000 census, the city proper had a population of 313,619. As of July 1, 2006, however, the U.S. Census Bureau listed the city with a reduced population of 298,446, allowing Toledo to maintain its place as the fourth-largest city in the state.

Residents of Toledo are usually referred to as Toledoans. Toledo is known as the Glass City because of its long history of innovation in all aspects of the glass industry: windows, bottles, windshields, construction materials, and glass art, of which the Toledo Museum of Art has a large collection. Several large glass companies have their origins here.

Toledo had also been known as "The Auto Parts Capital of the World". Several large, Fortune 500 automotive related companies had their headquarters in Toledo. The Jeep vehicle has been manufactured in Toledo since 1941 as well. Toledo is also known for being the subject of the song by Danny Michel that shares the city's name.

The Toledo Mud Hens are one of minor league baseball's oldest teams, having first played in 1896. Fifth Third Field, however, is a new stadium, having been completed in 2002. Fifth Third Field made record-breaking attendance in 2007 with over 590,000 fans, the most in franchise history. The Mud Hens are the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

Among famous residents of Toledo and its suburbs are:

• Daws Butler - voice actor who worked primarily for Hanna-Barbera and is best known as the voices of Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Snagglepuss and Elroy Jetson among many others.
• Tom Cruise - actor, briefly - films include Minority Report and Mission Impossible.
• Jamie Farr - actor, his M*A*S*H character, Maxwell Klinger, was also from Toledo and had a fanatical devotion to the city.
• Katie Holmes - actress & model, spouse of actor, Tom Cruise films include Batman Begins and Mad Money.
• Marlo Thomas - actress, daughter of Danny Thomas, spouse of Phil Donahue.
• Bonnie Turner - Creator of That 70's Show and 3rd Rock from the Sun.
• P. J. O'Rourke - political satirist, journalist, and writer
• John W. Snow - United States Secretary of the Treasury

Happy Weekend!

Wheeeee!!!

While thinking of many things I'd rather be doing this weekend than working... I thought of amusement parks. I can't tell you how long it's been since I've been on a roller coaster or fun ride.

Of course we won't go into how SOME people I know don't share my sense of adventure and fondness of all things fast and furious... but at least I would ride something if I had the chance.

Something like this...

glumbert - Amusement Park Ride from Hell

Let's get smarter!

Ran across a link for these fine words today on my morning go-round of blogs I tend to read. Pretty much can say I didn't know any of these. Still couldn't pronounce a few to save my life...

But here are twenty fun words that might get you looked at funny should you actually use them in public...

1. Erinaceous
Like a hedgehog

2. Lamprophony
Loudness and clarity of voice

3. Depone
To testify under oath

Laboring the day away!

"In the beginning, God ordained that man should labor, not as a curse, but as a blessing; not as a punishment, but as means of development, physically, mentally, morally, and has set thereunto his seal of approval in the rich increase and reward. By labor is brought forward the kindly fruits of the earth in rich abundance for our sustenance and comfort; by labor (not exhaustive) is promoted health of the body and strength of mind, labor garners the priceless stores of wisdom and knowledge. It is the "Philosopher's Stone," everything it touches turns to wealth."

You can thank the Knights of Labor for having the first Labor Day parade in 1882. (Which was not held on Monday, but a Tuesday - the day I shall return.) So three cheers for the Knights and a big hip-hip-hooray for a day I don't have to come to work.

And, in celebration of labor, I'm doing less of it - a quick post today, no posts this weekend or Monday.

Until my return, enjoy the Labor Day word search...

Can't get much hotter...

So the weather outside is frightful - frightfully HOT. Ugh.

But you know what beats the heat? A thin candy shell. Yep - that chocolate won't melt in your hands thanks to M&M's thin candy shell.

But what's even more impressive than the thin candy shell? A sexy Lady Katie-esque with a thin candy shell.

Yep, I've been M&Mized. Check it out...

And here's my sweetie:

And us on a M&M Vacation - still no melting!

And here's me in my Royal gear:

And the sweetie looking all professional:

And just for fun, here's brother Seth. Note the green and gold shoes for Baylor and the football:

And not to be out-done, here's dad - complete with his iPod earbuds:

And that's all I had time for. Want one of your own? Got to http://www.mymms.com/. Hope you like 'em.

When you gotta go

When nature calls, you must answer no matter where on the globe you are.

So naturally, you must look for a sign pointing you in the right direction - whether to the loo, baño, WC, badezimmer, ванная, the head, 목욕탕, banheiro, 浴室 (is that right, Kate?) or whatever you want to call it... you want to be sure you find that sign.

And more importantly, you want to make sure you through the door with the right gender sign.

Below are some fun signs from around the world I found through Neatorama.

I think my favorite is the blue Lego-looking ones making the faces... The alien/robot ones are pretty clever too. What's your sign?