What's on Your Plate?

Things I Bet U Didn't Know

2007-05-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

1 . Money isn't made out of paper, it's made out of cotton.

2. The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp (marijuana) paper.

3. The dot over the letter i is called a "tittle".

4. A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

5. Susan Lucci is the daughter of Phyllis Diller.

6. 40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.

7. 315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.

8. The "spot" on 7UP comes from its inventor, who had red eyes. He was albino.

9. On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents, daily.

10. Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine are brother and sister.

11. Chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system; a few ounces will kill a small sized dog.

12. Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the shark's stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode.

13 Most lipstick contains fish scales.

14. Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.

15. Ketchup was sold in the 1830's as medicine.

16. Upper and lower case letters are named "upper" and "lower" because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the "upper case" letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the smaller, "lower case" letters.

17. Leonardo DA Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time hence, multi-tasking was invented.)

18. Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.

19. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.

20. The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan; there was never a recorded Wendy before!

21. There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with: orange, purple, and silver!

22. Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10 years to paint Mona Lisa's lips.

23. A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death.

24. The mask used by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was a Captain Kirk's mask painted white.

25. If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19 You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.

26. By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand.

27. The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law, which stated that you couldn't beat your Wife with anything wider than your thumb.

28. The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was the Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.

29. Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with. It's the same with apples!

30. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying!

31. The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher..

32. Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.

33. Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a space suit damages it.

34. George Carlin said it best about Martha Stewart .. "Boy, I feel a lot safer now that she's behind bars. O.J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant are still walking around; Osama Bin Laden too, but they take the ONE woman in America willing to cook, clean, and work in the yard, and they haul her fanny off to jail."

INCREASE YOUR WORD POWER FOR 2007

2007-03-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Essential vocabulary additions for the workplace and elsewhere!!!
1. BLAMESTORMING : Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.
2. SEAGULL MANAGER : A manager, who flies in, makes a lot of noise, poops on everything, and then leaves.
3. ASSMOSIS : The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard
4. SALMON DAY : The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream, only to get screwed and die in the end.
5. CUBE FARM : An office filled with cubicles.
6. PRAIRIE DOGGING : When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on.
7. MOUSE POTATO : The on-line, wired generation's answer to the couch potato.
8. SITCOMs : Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What Yuppies get into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids.
9. STRESS PUPPY : A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny.
10. SWIPEOUT : An ATM or credit card that has been rendered inoperative due to excessive wear on magnetic strip.
11. XEROX SUBSIDY : Swiping free photocopies from one's workplace.
12. IRRITAINMENT : Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying but you find yourself unable to stop watching them.
13. PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE : The fine art of whacking an electronic device to get it to work again. Often feel like doing this to my computer......
14. ADMINISPHERE : The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.
15. 404 : Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error Message "404 Not Found," meaning that the requested site could not be located.
16. GENERICA : Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, and subdivisions.
17. OHNOSECOND : That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake. (Like after hitting send on an email by mistake).
18. WOOFS : Well-Off Older Folks.
19. CROP DUSTING : Surreptitiously passing gas while passing through a Cube Farm. - Author Unknown

2007-01-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Favorite things from 2006
10. I'm still healthy
9. My parents are still healthy
8. I've met more great people all over the world from playing ARGs and from TVClubhouse
7. Promoted to Major in the USAFR in May
6. Successful & profitable state dietetics meeting in April
5. Flew to Chicago for a fun weekend in July
4. Enjoyed the national dietetics meeting in HAWAII (and saw the Lost Beach)
3. Saved the world from the evil Spoocheeeee empire
2. Got to see Thule AB, Greenland and 24 hrs of sunlight
1. The most wonderful man in the world still belongs to me, 11 years and going strong

Plans for 2007
1. Have already given up french fries (over two weeks ago) and will continue to avoid them
2. Regular morning/evening jogs around the neighborhood
3. Home improvement list:
a) New bathtub/shower (master bathroom)
b) New sinks (master bathroom)
c) New sink (downstairs bathroom)
d) New kitchen (counters, oven/stove, sink, dishwasher, garbage disposal, cabinets)
e) Paint insidef) Paint outside
g) New carpet (except in the living room - put in wood flooring)

TV for 2007

2006-12-31T21:26:00.000-08:00

So, now the fall season is over....what's left on the "my TV watch list"?

Heroes
Prison Break
Battlestar Galactica
Lost
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
30 Rock
ER
Top Chef
Survivor
Smallville
Las Vegas
CSI
The Unit
Boston Legal
The Class
How I Met Your Mother
Friday Night Lights
Grey's Anatomy

And those seasonal shows coming back:
Dancing with the Stars
American Idol
Apprentice (I'll bet this is the last season)
Project Runway
Biggest Loser

I have no idea what is coming out as mid-season replacements. But I'll add my vote in support of those wacky fellows doing the "Nobody's Watching" shorts on You Tube. Paul Campbell is a cutie (much better looking without that terrible hair he had in Battlestar Galactica).

Yes, I watch a lot of tv.

Growing Old is No Laughing Matter

2006-11-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked, "How old was your husband?" "98," she replied. "Two years older than me." "So you're 96," the undertaker commented. She responded, "Hardly worth going home, is it?"

Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman: "And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?" the reporter asked. She simply replied, "No peer pressure."

The nice thing about being senile is you can hide your own Easter eggs.

I've sure gotten old! I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes. I'm half blind, can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 40 different medications that make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts. Have bouts with dementia. Have poor circulation; hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92! . Have lost all my friends. But, thank God, I still have my driver's license.

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.

An elderly woman decided to prepare her will and told her preacher she had two final requests. First, she wanted to be cremated, and second, she wanted her ashes scattered over Walmart. "Walmart?" the preacher exclaimed. "Why Walmart?" "Then I'll be sure my daughters visit me twice a week "

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffeemaker.

These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, "For fast relief."

Remember: You don't stop laughing because you grow old, You grow old because you stop laughing.

--- THE SENILITY PRAYER : Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

Getting to Hawai'i was not fun

2006-09-16T00:46:00.000-07:00

1. Review flight options on a couple of travel sites, book flights via Orbitz that leaves home around 6:20a, connects through LAX at 8:45a and delivers me and my friend to Honolulu around noon.
2. Three days before trip find out that the 6:20a flight is now a 6:45a flight so Orbitz (or the airline) has changed me to a later flight out of LAX (leaves at 10:35a, arrives at 1:10p).
3. 5:30a check luggage at the United ticket counter; very quick lines at both ticketing & security. Leave Las Vegas at 6:45a without a hitch.
4. Arrive at LAX a few minutes early, walk over to Hawaiian Airline's, terminal, nice weather. Reach the terminal at 8:00a (plenty of time, right?)
5. The Hawaiian Airline flight is CANCELLED! Stand in long line. While standing in line the cell phone rings and it's a voice mail. Orbitz called at 6:30a (when the phone was turned off because I was on the first flight). "Your connection to Honolulu was cancelled, we have rebooked you on United leaving 1:35p to Maui arriving at 5:00p, then on Hawaiian 545 leaving at 5:45p to Honolulu, arriving at 6:15p". Traveling companion who had booked identical itinerary has no phone message.
6. 8:40a my traveling companion calls Orbitz (twice) to eventually find out that they had rebooked her on United direct to Honolulu, leaving at 8:40a. Whoops! Wish we had known that when we got off our United flight at 7:30a. We are still in line at Hawaiian Airlines. Someone announces that they are rebooking people on flights that don't leave until after 3:30p.
7. Call Orbitz on behalf of less experienced (in traveling) companion and explain (3 times) that the flight was missed because she was not notified in a timely manner, that sending an email is not appropriate when the itinerary clearly showed she was enroute (i.e. on a PLANE and had no access to email). Patiently wait on hold (burning cellular minutes) for the Orbitz person (and after requesting to be transfered to a supervisor which resulted in a transfer to "scheduling", but fortunately someone who actually speaked English) who then calls United Airlines and continues on hold.....while we are still in line at Hawaiian Airlines.
8. Traveling companion gets booked on a United flight directly to Honolulu that leaves at 1:05p. How come she gets a direct flight and I have to bounce through Maui?
9. 9:45a get to the Hawaiian Airline ticket counter, verify I have a reservation on United at 1:35p but they are confused since it is taking me to Maui (they don't see the hop back to Honolulu at first). They cannot get our luggage since it is either a) gone on the earlier flight or b) in a pile of luggage for the cancelled flight but there are no baggage handlers available because they are working at the ticket counter helping to rebook the passengers.
10. Go back over to the United terminal (on the other side of the airport) to stand in another long line to get our tickets.
11. 10:30a reach the United ticket window. Won't let me get on same direct flight because "it is already overbooked" (then how did she get a ticket? because someone behind the scenes got her a seat that was designated for more expensive tickets???) Ask to be on the standbye list and was told that since my ticket is to go to Maui, I cannot fly standbye to Honolulu (but check at the gate when I get there, the two gates are right next to eachother).
12. 11:30a have a large beer at the sport bar in the terminal.
13. 12:15p ask the gate desk to get on the standbye list for the direct flight. No problem but no promises.
14. 12:45p I GOT ON THE FLIGHT!!! Get on the flight with a center seat bulkhead with the big screen right above my head. Good view for the a) TV show - First episode of Friday Night Lights, b) Movie - Xmen III. Sweet!!!
15. 3:45p arrive in Honolulu. Really nice to have a lei greeting, and Nolan takes good care of us. Very patient and understanding of our upcoming luggage woes. United finds out that Hawaiian Airlines has my traveling companion's luggage, but not mine. Fill out missing baggage tag.
16. 5:30p Hotel checkin, no problem. Nice room (bar band down below at the pool is a little loud, but they stopped at 9p on weekdays, 10p on weekends). 8:30p check United website for baggage, says "N/A". Fortunately, my toothbrush was in my carryon.
17. Wake up 3:00a local time (Whoops, went to bed too early). United website still says "N/A" - getting very nervous. Put on yesterday's clothing. Need breakfast.
18. 4:30a check at bell desk on way to breakfast "just in case" - ooh, my name is on a list...... YES!!! Give Bell Captain a hug and run back to the room to hang everything up (it's all there, safe & sound).

I do not recommend most of these steps.

What Are You Going to Watch This Fall?

2006-09-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

But only a few are still appointment TV. Like 'Lost','Survivor' and 'Amazing Race'. There are some new shows that I will check out - but I hate the idea of getting involved if they are just going to get cancelled (i.e. 'Surface' and 'Commander in Chief').

Meanwhile - what about all the Cable Shows that aren't on that schedule? Like the Stargates ('SG1' and 'Atlantis') and my other appointment TV - 'Battlestar Galactica'? I also plan to continue enjoying 'Mythbusters' and most of the Poker shows. 'Eureka' has been a nice summer fling. And 'Who Wants to be a Superhero' was one of my summer guilty pleasures.

Let's see what's still happening after October.

Weekend trip to Chicago

2006-07-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

Packing up a backpack and taking a Red Eye to Chicago.
Just for the weekend. Quick trip. Meeting some folks I know from the internet. Last minute decision to buy the ticket. Seems like a lot of money just for a weekend trip - but I'd probably just spend it at a local casino this weekend anyway. Might as well visit the Museum of Science & Industry, and Lincoln Park Zoo.

Wait, I'm traveling halfway across the US to meet people from the internet? Am I crazy? Isn't that what MySpace teenagers and predators do?

Except I know many of these folks. Some for over three years. And I met many of them over another weekend trip last year - a hot July weekend in New York City.

So next week there will be pictures of a summer weekend in Chicago with a bunch of computer geeks who usually spend the day solving ciphers and puzzles (and spend the night drinking and, uh, drinking).

Welcome to Aglaura, NJ

2006-05-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a dream that felt real?
Did you ever make a wish that came true but it didn't turn out as great as it could, or even backfired?
Does this map look familiar?
Start here and let me know what you think (hint: click on a dot)http://www.three-o-seven.com/

What Happened To Ariel?

2006-01-29T20:15:00.000-08:00

This story aired on Dateline (NBC) tonight.

Here is a transcript - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11092139/

This hits close to home since I am a certified diabetes educator.
We teach "If your child vomits, doesn't matter what you think the cause, you check for ketones. If moderate to large, you call the doctor".

Doesn't matter how much insulin is in the home, if it isn't used, it doesn't work. And it is only good for 1 month after the bottle is opened. So open bottles around the home doesn't mean that it's being used (they could be "old").

Yes, you can "cheat" (sneaking candy and eating/drinking excessive carbs) enough to keep blood glucose elevated. But if you are checking blood glucose and providing the appropriate coverage, then you can keep out of ketoacidosis. And we teach families how to give extra insulin when blood glucose level is higher than target, or when someone wants to eat extra carbs.

Children with diabetes shouldn't die from diabetic ketoacidosis if their family is monitoring blood glucose and providing insulin.

For more information:
www.diabetes.org
www.childrenwithdiabetes.com
www.jdrf.org
www.diabetesnv.org
www.dLife.com

Happy Holidays

2005-12-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Just a quick little greeting of hope & happiness to those of you who surf the net.

Living in Las Vegas II

2005-08-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

Move to Las Vegas and everyone wants to come visit. Often.
And not just visit, they want to see the shows. And eat out. Often.

Or they ask about shows "is it any good?" "how much does it cost?" "do you know ......?"
Then they ask for recommendations for eating out.

The problem with both of these is that "good" is in the eye of the reviewer. Every show, every restaurant, every nightclub will have both "good" and "bad" reviews.

"That being said" (copyright every Big Brother HOH) here are some of my "hits" and "misses" - starting with our favorite shows.

Let us start with Cirque du Soleil. The first residence show to land in Las Vegas was "Mystere" at Treasure Island (oh, whoops, that "TI" now that it's back to soliciting grownups). Great show, great acts, still a reasonable price (starting at $65).
When Wynn built Bellagio, he had very unique stage constructed for "O"(a play on the french word for water "eau"). Great show, but the ticket prices went up to $150 for the good seats. Ouch. Glad we saw it the first two years (when we got in for $99). And sometimes (as with all Cirque shows) there is too much happening at the same time (e.g. water ballet below, aerialists above).
Not sure why or how the New York New York opted for a burlesque show of contortionists and thought they could call it Cirque du Soleil for adults. It's still burlesque (funny in parts) and for adults (nearly naked performers, sexual situations including homoeroticism). "Zumanity" is a good show if you are not offended by the subject matter. Try the Duo Sofa seating if you are there with a date. We enjoyed it, but I refused to take my mother (she asked, I told her what was in the show, she agreed that she didn't need to see it).
The latest Cirque show opened up at MGM in the old EFX theatre (totally reconstructed). "Ka" actually has a story the audience can follow, and while the acrobatics is amazing, the true star of the show is the moving stage. And the typical "newer the show, higher the ticket prices", these are $99-150 as well. But in this case, worth it. My mom loved it. We just all sat there in amazement afterward.
Rumor has it that when the Mirage finishes their remodeling (trying to built up to the Bellagio & Ventian standard), they are turning the old Siegfried & Roy Theatre into a fifth Cirque venue. This will feature music entirely from the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" album. Predictions? Fun and games, but at probably more than $150 for reasonable seats, it may be out of the price range for most locals to enjoy.
Speaking of fun and games, did you know that the Las Vegas troop of "Blue Man Group" is headed up the strip to the Venetian? Yup, leaving the Luxor this summer, reopening in the lower level theatre that the Venetian has been trying to fill with something quality for years. It's a great show for the young at heart. But some folks just don't get performance art. Come to have a good time and bring your sense of humor. Let's hope they keep the tickets under $100.

Do you remember the music of the 70's? Do you like to sing along with the show? We've seen "Mama Mia" 3 times (partly because a certain someone loves the music of Abba, partly due to relatives coming to town who want to see the show). It's at the Mandalay Bay, and tickets start at $45 (so what if thats just the back rows), the $75 seats are excellent, but the highest are only $100 (guess I've lived in Las Vegas too long to say "only $100").
The other "music" show, "We Will Rock You" is at the Paris and we haven't seen it yet. I heard the music is really good (and I love Queen), but the story leaves a lot to be desired. We're putting this on our list for next year, I just hope they don't raise the prices too much (currently $80-125).

Speaking of Paris, we went to see Anthony Cools (uncensored) last month. Is hypnotism real? I dunno. But it was still a very funny show (but then again, I got my tickets from a JDRF Silent Auction and not the $75 they are charging at the box office).

There are lots of magic shows in town (despite the demise of Siegfried & Roy - who's show was already getting tired back in 1998 when we saw it). Unfortunately, I can only offer my own review of three.
David Copperfield (a frequent resident of the Hollywood Theatre in the MGM Grand). Wonderful show. And I thought that even before I got selected to be a participant in the encore illusion (nope, won't tell you how it was done, I swore on David's headshot backstage).
Not sure what I can say about "The Amazing Johnathon" - it has floated around town the past 7 years between various casino venues. It certainly is funny. But in a sick joke kinda way (sicker than Penn & Teller). Currently appears to be at the Sahara.
Speaking of Penn & Teller - they are in residence at the Rio Hotel & Casino and ticket prices are still reasonable. Not to mention they gave out a ton of free tickets for people donating blood last December (you got 2 tickets, good for the entire year except during holiday times, very generous). We love "Bullshit" on Showtime. But back to Las Vegas. Yes, it's a great show. Magic act? Well, they are known for showing you how it is done, and then giving it a little twist at the end. It's part magic, part storytelling (Penn went on a bit long about how dangerous it is to juggle glass bottles from the bar). They change up the act every once in a while, but the ending is still about them shooting guns at eachother. We have one of the shell casings and think we finally figured it out, but it's still an amazing gag.

I keep saying we need to go see Lance Burton, and then Steve Wyrick was playing at his new venue in the Aladdin (which is changing over to Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino at some point in the next decade) - they spent all this money on a new stage and such and that only lasted 2 years. I heard a radio interview that he's building another new venue where he gets to keep the alcohol sales revenue and have his own magic shop & after theatre ultra longue (called "Trixs"). Then there are the Showgirls of Magic at the San Remo (which is apparently going to become the Hooters Hotel & Casino in the also near future).

Other shows we've enjoyed include "Second City" at the Flamingo, and "Marriage Can Be Murder" which is an interactive dinner theater with a who-done-it murder to solve, mysteries change every other month.

I'll give you my dining opinions at another time.

Speaking of Big Brother

2005-07-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. I watch Big Brother. And even though I said I wasn't going to sign up for the live feeds this year, at the last minute my resolve faultered. Not only did I get Real Player downloaded on the desktop, I also set up my laptop (since I'm doing a bit of traveling this summer). And, thanks to some wonderful peeps at http://tvclubhouse.bomis.com/index.html, I set up direct links to all the cameras that avoid the 30 min time limit (without having to download the "camera reloader").

Speaking of summer traveling. This week finds me in Central California (about an hour away from wine country). Which means I'm stuck on dialup (52kpbs) which is soooo slow compared to the cable modem at home.

Speaking of slow connection. I am old enough to remember thinking I was a kewl computer g33k when I got a 24baud modem. You know, way back in the olden days of DOS, usenet, and multiple BBS phone numbers programed into my modem dialer. When women on computer boards were worshipped by the poor little n3rd guys.

Speaking of n3rdy guys, I dated a few from those early BBS - we had some fun little parties. Initially the group in San Diego got into our ice cream meets (first at Farrells, aka F-runs, then moed to Dairy Queen, aka DQ Runs) until the local shops got tired of us hanging around but not buying much (most of the participants were jobless "kids"). When I moved to another state, and I was a member of a chat BBS (32 phone lines when I first joined, doubled to 64 lines running on an 8088 DOS-based computer - now does that bring back some memories????), our face-to-face gatherings were usually done at "coffees".

Speaking of "coffees", if you are ever at a little place in Salt Lake City, off 13th street, and they serve a drink called a "Raspberry Mouse", that's me (I created the drink so it was named after me - when I first started calling the boards in 1988, I was "mouse" on every BBS.

Speaking of "mouse".......I think I'll just call it a night and sleep on that.

Men to Boys

2005-05-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

Why do men turn into boys when they are hanging out together?
A single male can be polite, look clean, dress nice, and be totally human. But put him in the vicinity of another guy (or his father) and miraculously he reverts back to childhood. Now his priority is Playstation games, shootem up movies, and alcohol (leading to attempts at sexual encounters after being lewd, crude, and smelling of beer & cigars).

My Oscar Picks

2005-01-25T06:38:00.000-08:00

Best Picture: Ray
(but Aviator probably will win - liked the film, but the ending missed the opportunity for a little postscript; didn't like the 10 second blank screen)
Best Director: Aviator (he's overdue, and it was a good directing job)
Best Actor: Jamie Foxx (that *was* Ray Charles on that screen, amazing)
(yes, Leonard did a great job as well, and if he gets the Oscar, then Jamie better get supporting actor)
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Alda (he's way overdue)
Best Actress: (have to decline - I have not seen any of these films)
Best Support Actress: Cate Blanchett (that *was* Katherine Hepburn on that screen, amazing)
Best Original Screenplay: Incredibles
(but Aviator or Eternal Sunshine will probably get it)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Sideways
(but either Finding Neverland or Million Dollar Baby will probably get it)
Best Animated Film: Incredibles
Art Direction: Aviator
(but Phantom is beautiful)
Cinematography: Aviator
(Flying Daggers is also beautiful)
Costume Design: Lemony Snickets
(come on - Aviator was great period pieces, some of those dresses would look great today)
Documentary: SuperSize Me!!!!!!!
Visual Effects: I, Robot

I get to a lot of movies every year. Here is a pet peeve: Limited release of a picture just before Dec 31st to qualify it for Academy Awards while it is still fresh in the mind of the members (but unfamiliar with the viewing public until mass release the few weeks before the Oscar broadcast (i.e. Million Dollar Baby, Phantom of the Opera). 2004 Academy Awards should be about movies released for viewing BY THE PUBLIC in 2004, not by just a few audiences in NY and LA for a long weekend.
I totally understanding the Oscars are picked by members of the Academy (a little more than 5000 people), the "People's Choice" awards are subject to internet "hacking" to get some weird results, and Film Critics may not reflect your own personal preference. Perhaps the best indicator of a good quality film is a combination of all of the above? Or just your own choices.

What entertained you in 2004?

Blog Hacker Attempt?

2004-11-27T11:15:00.000-08:00

Interesting email today.
Blogger was offering to help reset my password due to my request for assistence.
Looks like someone was looking here and wanted to access my blog to edit it for me?
Wonder what they were going to do.
Not like I get much traffic (if lack of comments is any indication).
On the other hand, I'm not all that verbose here anyway.
And I have no idea how to add pictures (but I don't have any dedicated server to store them anyway).
So, to whomever submitted a request to access my blog - hey, let's start a dialogue and if you want me to change how something is written, let me know.
:)

I watch too much TV

2004-10-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

TV shows I'm watching this fall:
Monster House
American Chopper
Mythbusters
American Casino
Fear Factor
Las Vegas
LAX
Lost
WSOPoker
Survivor
Apprentice
Joey
CSI:Las Vegas
ER
Joan of Arcadia
Medical Investigations
ST: Enterprise
SNL
Bravo Celebrity Poker

And when it comes back:
24
Alias
I probably forgot something.

Do I watch too much tv?

Walk for the Cure

2004-10-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

Today was the Las Vegas JDRF Walk for the Cure at the LV Motor Speedway.
I work with children & families with diabetes. And nothing would make me happier than to be able to come visit a family devistated by this diagnosis with the news that "we're just going to stablize you, clear your ketones, and transfer you to xxxxxx institute for your beta-cell transplant". Instead, I have to teach blood glucose monitoring (4 to 8 finger pokes a day), insulin injections (2 to 6 injections a day), counting carbohydrates (no more eating when/where/whatever you like without thinking first), how exercise affects the body and blood sugars (usually goes down, but could go up, and affects the body up to 24 hrs later), what the person with diabetes can do during their life (lots of jobs and activities, but cannot be commercial airline pilots, commercial truck drivers; and cannot serve in the US military).
So I rallied people at my work. Twenty folks showed up (and two dogs). Together we raised over $4100 towards the cure. JDRF was started in 1970 by parents of children with diabetes. Over 80% of all money raised goes directly to research for the cure.
So, next time you see one of those colorful shoes, know that your dollar is going to a good cause!
*thanks*

Living in Las Vegas

2004-08-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

The city that never sleeps. It's really a giant expensive playground for grown-ups. Sure, there are schools, parks, sport complexes and video arcades - - but it's really not designed for children. I haven't found a Youth Superstore yet.

Let's face it, Las Vegas is for adults. This past month we went to see Zumanity (the burlesque and naked version of Cirque du Soleil), had dinner & champagne at 9ine, watched the taping of a few rounds of Celebrity Poker (sat next to Howard & Eric and won a couple of t-shirts for my dancing ability), played blackjack all day (was also comped a wonderful lunch), and won $1700 at the grocery store. Hehehehe, only in Vegas, baby!

Reality TV

2004-08-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of some reality tv shows.
Survivor, Amazing Race, the original Mole, and Big Brother are all tops on the must see (or record) list. I've seriously thought about applying for some of these, if I could swing time off work without getting fired (well, not Survivor anymore - not in shape for that). I mean, wouldn't you love an expense paid vacation around the world (so what if you have to rush through an airport, eat a ton of caviar or walk through a pit of tigers)? Or how about being paid $750 a week to lay around a backyard all summer, sometimes eat only PB & J, and have all your conversations and personal care administrations recorded on video and broadcast over the internet?
How about a chance to participate in a reality tv show via the internet - have some effect on the outcome? That's what I thought about www.urbanhunt.com - I applied, got my autorespond email telling me my application had been accepted for consideration. And then noticed something strange about the choice of words (particularly the capital letters). Why would the first letter of each sentence spell out URBANMYTHOLOGYNET????
You try it and let me know what you think about some strange happenings and a missing reality tv show. Did you ever hear about Dread House? I didn't. But now I think I know why.

*sigh*

Meeting Internet Friends

2004-07-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

One nice thing about living in Las Vegas....eventually *everyone* comes here for vacation or a party. This past weekend was no exception. Over 30 members of an internet forum called TV Clubhouse (aka TVCH) decended upon sin city for a "get together - meet & greet".
Nicknames (aka 'handles') might be an insight into a persons personality or likes or dreams...but rarely do they convey their actual looks.
This is a group of folks who's internet forum started out as a Big Brother discussion board and expanded in to a world-wide community.
http://tvclubhouse.bomis.com/index.html
Shout outs to all the wonderful people I met on Sunday night when we took over an entire section at the Hard Rock cafe (spending over $1000). It's great to be able to put names to faces. And a special high five to Pcakes2 - she had the greatest luck at the American Casino on Saturday night and we ended up in the opium beds with a bottle of champagne to celebrate.
*kiss*

Long Weekend

2004-07-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

I'm such a sucker. I have a part-time job on weekends. I have a full-time salary job during the week. Part of what I at my full-time job involves teaching families how to manage type 1 diabetes (everything; answering their questions and explaining the disease, how to use the blood glucose meter, how to measure & give insulin, how to count carbs, how & when to check ketones, etc). This past Thursday we had THREE new-onset kids come to our hospital. I can't leave these families hanging all weekend. So here I am, coming into the hospital late afternoon on Saturday (after my weekend job). And today I'll be doing the same thing. But maybe I'll be home at 7p tonight instead of Saturday's 9:30p.
But it's for a good reason. All three families will be able to go home today, rather than Monday or even Tuesday (which would have happened if I didn't go the hospital this weekend). And that makes me feel good about being tired.

Holiday Weekend

2004-07-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to everyone.
It's a long weekend. People will be traveling, drinking, having fun, driving, and staying up late. Please be careful, be courteous, be cautious. Have fun, have frolick, have fetish (if that's your thing).
Stay cool, stay confident, stay considerate.
Above all, STAY ALIVE, and keep those around you alive as well.
*peace*

It's a beautiful morning

2004-06-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

And I really need to go for a walk before it gets too hot outside.

*kiss*