Oil Slick Solution / Oil Slick Superimposition

They're pouring more chemicals on the oil spill, the ramifications about which they aren't certain. I say pour kitty litter all over it, mix it up with the Texas-sized floating patch of plastic pieces out there in the sea, stir in some lava from Iceland and make a new island. They could call it "Atlantis".

Now, from the *fantastic to the feasible:
Get an idea of the size of the Gulf Coast oil spill. Here's an interactive map that lets you superimpose it over just about any city you can think of. Not fun. We need to get off this stuff once and for all.

Here comes the sun.

*I really don't think my idea's that far fetched if you skip the lava step.  I just didn't want to lose you for the rest of the piece.  Sun, sun, sun: here it comes!

California Poppies

Here is a nice respite with the California poppies.

I Like Drums!

A little bitty kid rocks the mall!  What a happifying experience!

Watch: Howard Drum Show

It's All About the Circulatory System

From Barbara Strauch, author of "The Talents of a Middle Aged Brain"

"Our brains are more like our hearts in that everything you do for your heart is thought to be equally as good or better for your brain."

Art is Not Mimicry

...although mimicry can be art.

I saw Tina Turner sing HELP (on TV) years ago.  She caused it to dawn on me that lots of Beatles lyrics were contrary to the mood they were presented in.  For example, HELP is such a happy peppy tune, isn't it!?

Talk about taking a song and making it your own! Watch: Tina Turner sings HELP.

Perfectly Imperfect!

Here's some good reading to rest your mind on from time to time:

The Pursuit of Imperfection

One Pantleg at a Time

It's the Handyshot portable washing machine from the 1950's:

They could have had the slogan, "We'll get your clothes clean, one pantleg at a time."

(Thank you to AtomicAntiques for the discovery.)

Baby Kangaroo!

Joyful play among species!

These Are a Few of the Most Important Things

Steve Martin: clip from interview with Charlie Rose:

Character

I saw this at an "old folks' home" and I think it is a good thing to remember about character.

The Story of Stuff: Can't Get Enough!

Watch "The Story of Stuff".  It's about 20 minutes long, but there's so much good about it, from the artistry to the intellect and of course the heart of it.

Thank you Colbert Report for featuring this last night!

Enough Hubris to Eat a Whale

They really are eating whale meat in Santa Monica.  We really should not allow it, apparently its being illegal is not enough.  Read the New York Times article about the restaurant called "The Hump".   The sting operation had the academy award winning makers of "The Cove" behind it.  Please share this information.

A Good Managment Credo

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."  -Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The Russian La-la Guy

Wordlessly, it speaks for itself.

(Thank you Ze Frank for finding and sharing this one.)

Javier's Favorite Joke: An Homage

Doubleclick and watch on youtube for correct aspect ratio (and so I won't be cut out in the driving scenes!).

Bored Beyond Tears

(Yawn...) ... but who the hell cares...

Being Bored Can Bring About Early Death

The question is, if you're worried about it, how bored can you actually be?

From the story:
"...Still, Mann said it was only people who were chronically bored who should be worried.  'Everybody is bored from time to time,' she said."

Embrace Life

A beautiful Public Service Announcement and a wonderful work of art.

Mannix Theme

I really liked Mannix and this song gets stuck in my head fairly frequently.  I don't mind.  It's usually when I'm doing something important.  It is helpful.

He was such an all around, manly guy.  Sometimes when I pour coffee into a cup I remember the episode where he went temporarily blind and was taught to wrap his index finger over the rim of the cup so he could feel when the liquid was reaching the brim.  I discovered about ten years ago that I shared the memory with a new co-worker.  It's what let me know that whatever he might do (or not do) he had the type of awareness of detail I would enjoy.  He's the one who also said there was a hymn they sang in church when he was a kid that he felt was out of context.  He wondered why they would sing about a circus bear, the kind that rides a tricycle around the center ring and wears a little hat.  I said, "what was the hymn?"  He said, "Gladly the Cross Eyed Bear."

Haiti

USA Today offers a timeline of the Haiti disaster and coverage including videos and photos.  I haven't explored in detail.

Physically Fit Elvis

Ah, so this is why they called him "The King."