**Recent Tags**
Ads Beauty Bookmarks Books Breasts Business Cars Catholic Comics Computers Diet Dogs Economics Family Funny God Google Health Hiking JasonMraz Kids Lectures Leptin Lyrics Mac Music Philosophy Photography Quotes Reference WarrenZevon
**Books I'm Reading**
Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability
by Lierre Keith
Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason - by Sam Harris
Contents Copyright © 2003-2010 by Brent Zupp — All Rights Reserved.
A Dog's Purpose
I received this by email. I can't find the origin (look up "Dog's Purpose" and you'll get all kinds of hits). But it's worth repeating here. Very cute.
Toast to the Absent Ones
It's a tradition in our family to say a toast at 2:00 PM on Christmas day. Here is the toast I gave this year.
Here's a toast...
To the laughter of children on Christmas morning
To The taste of a meal shared with family and friends
To transcending grief with music, memory, and beer
To the journey we all take to the future,
We'll do our best to celebrate without you, even while we carry your spirits in our hearts
We miss you dearly, we love you so much it aches,
But we know that life is for the living, and our lives are so much richer because of you...
We raise our glasses in a toast to you all
A toast to the absent ones
I'm Yours - Lyrics - Jason Mraz
This was the CD my Mom had in her player when she got sick. I imagine this is the last album she listened to before she died. My sister gave it to her, and it's wonderful, particularly this cut, I'm yours.
And Then the Fight Started
I rec'd this by email from my wife. I told her I wasn't sure what she was trying to communicate...And then the fight started!
One year, a husband decided to buy his mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift...
The next year, he didn't buy her a gift.
When she asked him why, he replied,
"Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"
And that's how the fight started...
Missing Beauty
I received this from a dear friend by email...Enjoy!
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning. A man with a violin plays six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people passed through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule....
4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again...
Come In / Go Away - Doormat
Not Had Sex in a While - Sperm to Frog Comic - by Whyatt
Not Had Sex in a While - Whyatt Comic - My wife said the comparable image for a woman would be show her eggs turning into little chick--chicks and frogs.
PETA - "Angel For Animals" Ad - Joanna Krupa
Catholics slam PETA nude adopt-a-mutt poster | The Register -
Lisa (Watson) Coyle - Obituary
Lisa Coyle
Lisa was a year behind me in high school, and while I can't say I knew her, I certainly admired her and the family she and John created.
I remember chatting with her at the last high school reunion, and she was so sweet and endearing. What a shock to know she is gone. Just doesn't seem possible or fair.
Copied below is the obituary that appeared in the Fresno Bee. Also included are the guest book entries, which the Bee said would be removed soon, and I felt the need to preserve them.
Oh, John...I am so sorry.
Uncharted 2 - How to Defeat Final Boss - Lazaravic - Cheat/Hint/Tip
Uncharted 2 Final Boss - Lazaravic
After some frustration, I found a clue about how the final boss in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves can easily be defeated.
Obviously...SPOILERS ahead...This is a cheat in my mind, so it does take away from the fun of this fight, making it quite boring. Don't resort to this cheat until your thumbs are about to fall off.
Calvin and Hobbes - Surest Sign of Intelligent Life
Brilliant comic from Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes comic...One of my favorites.
Salma Hayek - Google Logo Picture
Steps for Avoiding Swine Flu - H1N1 Virus
Received via email. Seems like sensible advice, and none of the steps would hurt.
Ocean and a Rock - by Lisa Hannigan - Lyrics
Let's get lost, me and you...Indeed...I think of the long distance courtship with my sweet wife when I hear those words. Hannigan's music and poetic words haunt me...To say I love her stuff doesn't do justice to my feelings. I want to live her music, body and spirit. Gorgeous in melody and sentiment.
Don't Let Breast Cancer Steal Second Base
My Mom, a breast cancer survivor, would have laughed at this one.
Creating Border Around Images in Photoshop
Using the Basic Stroke
- Open an image in Photoshop
- Click Select and then All
- Select Edit and click Stroke
- In the dialog box, select width, color, and other options for border
- Click OK
Lisa Hannigan - I Don't Know - Lyrics
Lisa Hannigan - I Don't Know - I love the studio version of this song by Lisa Hannigan. It's amazing the group pulled this one off. Didn't sound too bad given the circumstances, though Lisa's voice seems a bit hoarse.
Hunter S. Thompson - Quotes
Hunter S. Thompson
There are times, however, and this is one of them, when even being right feels wrong. What do you say, for instance, about a generation that has been taught that rain is poison and sex is death? If making love might be fatal and if a cool spring breeze on any summer afternoon can turn a crystal blue lake into a puddle of black poison right in front of your eyes, there is not much left except TV and relentless masturbation. It's a strange world. Some people get rich and others eat shit and die.
~ Gonzo Papers, Vol. 2: Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the '80s (1988)
Keep Me In Your Heart (for a while) - Warren Zevon - Lyrics
This would have been a good song for my mom's "momorial." Maybe I can have it for mine.
Shadows are falling and I'm running out of breath
Keep me in your heart for awhile
If I leave you it doesn't mean I love you any less
Keep me in your heart for awhile
When you get up in the morning and you see that crazy sun
Keep me in your heart for awhile
Ballet Photo Art - by Patrick McDonald
Love this Photo Art done by Patrick McDonald. Original photos by Richard Calmes. Very nice, colorfully vibrant yet soothing images.
Shiatsu Massage - Shoulders & Scapula
- YouTube - Shiatsu 2
- This work on shoulder and scapula looks awesome...So deep and effective.
An Old Dog, a Leopard, and a Monkey
Received this from my sister by email. Cute...I'm gonna go watch the Westminster dog show!
A wealthy old Gentleman decides to go on a hunting safari in Africa, taking his faithful, elderly dog named Killer, along for the company.
One day the old dog starts chasing rabbits and before long, discovers
that he's lost. Wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch.
The old dog thinks, "Oh, oh! I'm in deep doo-doo now!" Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap, the old dog exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder, if there are any more around here?"
Ordinary Day - by Emilie Mover - Lyrics
Ordinary Day by Emilie Mover was used for a Bounce laundry sheet commercial. What I thought to be a simple commercial jingle is actually a neat little tune. How embarrassed am I that my musical tastes are seeded by Bounce, Apple computer (Feist 1234), and other commercials?
Think Fast - Be Happy
Don't worry, be happy--by thinking fast! - A new study out of Harvard and Princeton suggests that "thinking fast" can help your mood. In the study, subjects were encouraged to "think fast" by generating as many problem-solving ideas as possible in 10 minutes; by reading a list of ideas on a computer screen at a brisk pace; and by watching a video clip of I Love Lucy--in fast-forward!
When compared with other study subjects who performed the same tasks at a "relaxed speed," the fast thinker reported feeling more happy and, to a lesser degree, more energetic.
So fast thinking activities, such as racing through an easy crossword puzzle or quickly brain-storming ideas, can boost energy and mood.
Jon Stewart's Solution to Financial Crisis
Jon Stewart's solution to economic crisis - While interviewing Lawrence Lindsey, author of What the President Should Know, Jon Stewart's shares his solution for the economic crisis: Instead of paying bail out money to banks, pay the money to consumers, who will pay it to the banks to help reduce the consumers' loan debt. That way everyone (except for taxpayers) wins: the banks get the money AND consumers gets debt relief.
Lindsey, a finance savvy guy, sort of agrees, but argues that paying the consumers rewards consumers for bad behavior ("Oh, I can get a loan and get money from the Government to pay it off"). As Stewart quickly pointed out, same can be said for the banks.
Bad Faith Economics - by Paul Krugman
Bad Faith Economics - by Paul Krugman - Nobel Prize Laureate for Economics Paul Krugman rebutts conservative Republican arguments against President Obama's economic stimulus plan. In his New York Times editorial, Krugman's declares that Republicans are arguing in "bad faith." Below is a summary with some added commentary...
Evolution of Bush to Obama - Morphing Photos
Do look at the full-sized original. Really cool effect. Everyone I've showed this to says the same thing...
The middle photo freaks me out!
Resveratrol - Why Red Wine Extends Life - French Paradox
Resveratrol - 60 Minutes recently ran a piece about Resveratrol, a compound produced by certain plants (like red wine grapes) when they are under attack by bacteria or fungi. Some think resveratrol is the explanation for the French paradox, the observation that the French have a low incidence of heart disease, despite a diet rich in saturated fats. To explain the paradox, some researchers pointed to the relatively high red wine consumption of the French. As red wine studies progressed, researchers isolated a compound in grape skin called resveratrol.
How to Make "Cafe Americano"
How to make Cafe Americano - Michael Eades demonstrates how to make a better tasting, less caffeinated cup of American coffee or Cafe Americano. The technique came during World War II from the Italians, who didn't have drip coffee makers, but who hosted many drip coffee loving American soldiers. In Italy, espresso is king, but espresso proved to strong for the drip coffee loving Americans, so they came up with an alternative. The alternative, which turned out even better than the original, was called Cafe Americano.
How to Use a Napkin - Dan Roam - Six-by-Six Rule
The Back of the Napkin author Dan Roam gave a wonderful Google Talk where he described his Six by Six Rule of problem solving. In his consultant work with corporate execs, Roam's "value proposition" is...
He supports this assertion with the observation that humans are fundamentally visual creatures -- over 75% of the sensory processing going on in the brain is visual processing. Further, the brain seems to process information using at least six "pathways"...
Why Religion Is Poor Guide to Morality
Defiling the Eucharist, which Catholics believe is the body and blood of Christ, is also considered a sin of extreme gravity and one which is on the increase, the high-ranking members of the tribunal said.
Such sins, which can only be dealt with by the Pope, acting through the tribunal, bring automatic excommunication from the Church. If the Pope decides to grant absolution, the excommunication is lifted.
~ Vatican reveals secrets of worst sins - Telegraph
This illustrates why religious values are a poor guide for human morality. Desecration of a symbol (though Catholic believe the Eucharist IS the body of Christ) is ranked as a worse sin than, say, a priest molesting a child or a man murdering his wife.
Busty Virgin Mary - Outrages Catholic Church
Busty Virgin Mary Outrages Catholic Church
Busty Virgin Mary Outrages Catholics - For his fashion show in Chile, designer Ricardo Oyarzun plans to dress models according to his vision of the Virgin Mary. True to his industry, that vision features women with ample, near-naked breasts. True to their mission, the Roman Catholic Church has condemned Ricardo Oyarzun and his show, and a conservative group has tried and failed to block the show's production in court.
Why Does Your Voice Sound Different on a Recording?
Why your voice sounds different on a recording - Timothy E. Hullar in Scientific American describes the reason. The sound of your voice reaches the inner ear by two paths:
- Sound conducted by air enters the auditory canal of the ear and impacts the eardrum, which transmits the sound down the middle ear and finally into the fluid filled spiral of the inner ear called the cochlea.
- Sound conducted by bone travels through the medium of bone and body tissue directly to the cochlea in the inner ear.
But there's a catch...
Cholesterol Levels NOT Highly Correlated with Heart Disease
Cholesterol levels not highly correlated with heart disease - Recent study indicates that the two most commonly used risk algorithms (based primarily on blood cholesterol levels) correlate poorly with heart disease. Lead author Dr. Kevin M. Johnson says the risk profiles based on Framingham score or the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) are "weak discriminator of the overall atherosclerotic plaque burden and may lead to over- or undertreatment of patients."
Johnson points out that the Framingham risk estimate is derived from epidemiologic observations. As other studies have shown, Framingham predicts the risk of a coronary event only 60% to 65% of the time. "When you turn around and you try to use that kind of epidemiological data to make a clinical decision in the doctor's office, it falls apart....[T]here will be a lot of people who have a low Framingham risk who have a lot of atherosclerotic plaque, and a lot of people with high risk, by Framingham score, with no plaque,"
Jeremy Brett - Bio Notes
Jeremy Brett's performance as Sherlock Holmes generated a worldwide fan base for Brett. Jeremy Brett (born Peter Jeremy William Huggins) died in 1995 of heart failure related to a childhood case of rheumatic fever (and smoking). Some say he died from prolonged grief after the death of his second wife in 1985. In The New York Times obituary, Mel Gussow wrote: "Mr. Brett was regarded as the quintessential Holmes: breathtakingly analytical, given to outrageous disguises and the blackest moods and relentless in his enthusiasm for solving the most intricate crimes." Below are a few more details found on Wikipedia about Jeremy Brett's life and death...
Gregory Bateson - Favorite Quotes & Ideas
Gregory Bateson (9 May 1904 – 4 July 1980) was a British anthropologist, social scientist, linguist, semiotician and cyberneticist whose work intersected that of many other fields. Some of his most noted writings are to be found in his books, Steps to an Ecology of Mind (1972) and Mind and Nature (1979). Angels Fear (published posthumously in 1987) was co-authored by his daughter Mary Catherine Bateson.
Gregory Bateson - Wikipedia
Value of a Library - In Its Read or Unread Books?
In his book The Black Swan, Nassim Nicholas Taleb discusses the following question with Umberto Eco, who happens to possess a rather significant, personal library.
- Is the value of a library in the books you've read or in the books you have not read?
Most people are disappointed to learn that Eco hasn't read most of the books it contains. Eco feels precisely the opposite. To him, the value of the library lies in the unread books--the books yet to be discovered.
Which is why he continues adding to his collection. So to Eco (and Taleb), the library's value lies in its undiscovered volumes, which echo's Shakespeare's line about the "undiscovered country."
But others answer the question differently...
Unified Theory of Heart Disease - by Linus Pauling
The story of coronary artery disease (CAD) begins with where artery blockages occur and where they don't. Typically, blockages occur in the coronary arteries on the outer surface of the heart. However, blockages are not often found in arteries or veins in any other part of the body (though carotid blockages are becoming more common). Furthermore, the CAD blockages do not naturally occur in other species. What's different about the coronary arteries of the human species that make them vulnerable to heart disease?
To explain the difference, Linus Pauling posited a theory, his Unified Theory of Heart Disease. Pauling observed that the CAD blockages occur in areas of high mechanical stress. Due to their location, these arteries are subject to continuous squeezing, pulling, and tugging from the ceaseless contractions of the heart. Like a garden hose that's repeatedly compressed or squeezed, this mechanical stress has the potential for causing damage. Normally, the body quickly repairs that damage, and in most other mammals (those that do not naturally suffer from CAD), the repair is seamless. In humans, however, the repeated repair process leads to CAD. Why?
Across The Universe - Beatles Musical with Evan Rachel Wood
Jude and Lucy
Across the Universe
Across the Universe - Directed by Julie Taymor, Across the Universe is a classic "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl" story--all presented as a musical containing 33 class Beatles songs. I'm not usually drawn to musicals, but the familiar and catchy Beatles tunes quickly got my attention. From there, the ensemble cast of young actors/singers (including Evan Rachel Wood from King of California) brought something genuine and earnest to the often psychedelic storyline that knitted together lyrics from Dear Prudence to Why don't we do it in the road.
Ways to Hedge Against Fall of U.S. Dollar
Ways to Hedge against Falling U.S. Dollar - If all your money and investments are in U.S. dollars, the falling value of the U.S. dollar is a huge concern. After record stock market and real estate market declines, the next big theft of your money will be devaluing of the U.S. dollar--in simpler terms, inflation. Your dollar simply won't buy as much as it did before if the value of the U.S dollar continues to fall. Some consider this the most insidious of taxes.
So you need insurance, currency insurance. You need some way to hedge against the falling U.S. dollar. Below are some options suggested in Several ways to hedge against falling dollar by Kathleen Pender.
