5/31/2006

Counting sheep


Counting sheep is a mental exercise used in some Anglophone cultures as a means of lulling oneself to sleep. It most likely arose from Yan Tan Tethera, a traditional numbering system used by some British shepherds to count their flocks.
In most depictions of the activity, the practitioner envisions an endless series of identical white sheep jumping over a fence, while counting the number that do so. The idea, presumably, is to induce boredom while occupying the mind with something simple, repetitive, and rhythmic, all of which are known to help humans sleep.
Although the practice is largely a stereotype, and rarely used as a solution for insomnia, it has been so commonly referenced by cartoons, comic strips, and other mass media, that it has become deeply engrained into popular culture's notion of sleep. The term 'counting sheep' has entered the English language as an idiomatic term for insomnia. Sheep themselves have become associated with sleep, or lack thereof. For example, an ad campaign of the Serta mattress company features the Serta Counting Sheep, a flock of animated sheep who resent said company's mattresses for supposedly rendering their services unnecessary.
According to an experiment conducted by researchers at Oxford University, counting sheep is actually an inferior means of inducing sleep. Subjects who instead imagined 'a beach or a waterfall' were forced to expend more mental energy, and fell asleep faster than those asked to simply count sheep. Sleep, by this logic, could be achieved by any number of complex activities that expend mental energy.
It has also been whimsically suggested that the phrase originates from a Hebrew pun on a Latin phrase 'sopor sond' (supposedly sleep deeply/soundly). The Hebrew pun is ספור צאן (sopwor tsoan), an imperative that means "count sheep!". However, this is likely a folk etymology; for one thing, "sopor sond" is not actually meaningful Latin (although "sopor" does in fact mean "a deep sleep").

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counting_sheep"
"

5/30/2006

Blogthings - How Weird Are You?

Blogthings - How Weird Are You?: "
You Are 60% Weird

You're so weird, you think you're *totally* normal. Right?
But you wig out even the biggest of circus freaks!
"

Well isn't that special....


The Chosen One Arrives
It almost had to happen this way: Sometime on Saturday night, noted trickster Angelina Jolie finally gave the order to her team of Namibian midwives to administer the bubbling potion that would induce a quick and painless labor and allow the Chosen One, the genetically perfect biological offspring sired by the actress and partner Brad Pitt, to be born while most of the celebrity-obsessed United States population was distracted by the Memorial Day weekend. As almost everyone certainly knows by now, the couple christened their baby girl Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, a twin tribue to Pitt's beloved childhood Labrador and to Jolie's affection for all things vaguely French. Shortly after donating $300,000 to Namibian hospitals for the establishment of high-security, private celebrity birthing facilities, Pitt and Jolie announced plans to tour Africa with young Shiloh, where they expect thousands to gather in various town squares to gaze upon the baby that first introduced their continent to millions of American Us Weekly and Life & Style subscribers.



And while some pilgrims will gaze upon the infant and become free of their crutches, wheelchairs, and bad credit ratings, many more will be instantly blinded by direct exposure to her brilliance, the searing of their retinas a painful indication to the unpure of heart that they are not quite ready for an audience with the world's most flawless lovechild. "

25 people suffer bumps and bruises in English cheese chase - Yahoo! News

...CHEESE, GROMIT!!!!

5/26/2006

RING RING RING RING RING RING RING BANANAPHONE

...cracking up, the kids are dancing around to this freaking funny......

Dracula's castle returned to Van Hapsburg - Yahoo! News

..cool...

5/25/2006

'American Idol' Hicks celebrates big win - Yahoo! News


WWWHHHOOO HOOO:doing spazzy sideways movement...
You go Taylor!!!

Top 100 - Project Gutenberg

5/24/2006

ThinkGeek :: Nabaztag Wifi Smart Rabbit

5/23/2006

5/21/2006

Leather Handbags Italian Jewelry Watches Briefcases Jackets Designer Shoes and Fine Luxury Gifts at FORZIERI

OMG......Italian BLING:), must have Italian Bling!!!!!!

Herb Garden: Indoor Herb Garden Kits

neat idea ...good for cooking

Pool Toys, Pool Floats, Water Toys, Snow Tubes and More - PoolRafts.com / Pool Toys USA, Inc.

looks interesting:) it's hot here...

5/20/2006

Anniversary...

***Married May 18th 1963***

Happy Anniversary Mum and Dad...
It would have been their 43rd.

Mum- 1977, Dad-1991

Mum was lovely in her wedding dress ,she made it herself, it was gorgeous heavy taffeta, and lace. the Lace over bodice was removable, the strapless dress could be worn with a lovely cobalt blue velvet sash around the waist,

I remember this dress when I was a little girl.

Dad was wearing his Queen's University Crest Jacket.

they had an Honor Guard of Scottish Piper's, very cool...

5/19/2006

Funnies from Aunt Deena

A couple in their nineties are both having
problems remembering things, so
they decide to go to the doctor for a checkup.
The doctor tells them that
they're physically okay, but they might want to
start writing things down to
help them remember. Later that night, while
watching TV, the old man gets up
from his chair.
His wife asks, 'Where are you going?'
'To the kitchen' he replies.
'Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?'
'Sure.'
'Don't you think you should write it down so you
can remember it?' she asks.
'No, I can remember it.'
'Well, I'd like some strawberries on top, too.
You'd better write it down
because you know you'll forget it.'
He says, 'I can remember that! You want a bowl of
ice cream with
strawberries.'
'I'd also like whipped cream. I'm certain you'll
forget that, so you'd
better write it down!' she retorts.
Irritated, he says, 'I don't need to write it
down, I can remember it! Leave
me alone! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped
cream - I got it, for
goodness sake!' Then he grumbles into the
kitchen.
After about 20 minutes the old man returns from
the kitchen and hands his
wife a plate of bacon and eggs.
She stares at the plate for a moment and says -
'Where's my toast?"

Mizkan Recipes - Nakano Seasoned Rice Vinegar Recipes - Four Monks Cooking Wine Recipes - Barengo Balsamic Vinegar Recipes- Mitsukan Asian Sauce Recipes

Citrus Chicken Salad
Chicken:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1-1/4 cup orange juice, divided
1/4 cup MITSUKAN Citrus Seasoned Soy Sauce*

*1/4 cup light soy sauce plus 1 tsp. lemon or lime juice can be substituted

Salad:
8 cups mixed salad greens
1 large grapefruit, peeled and sectioned (white or ruby)
1 avocado, peeled and quartered
1/3 cup toasted shelled pistachio nuts
1/2 cup NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar�Roasted Garlic
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy skillet until very hot. Quickly sear chicken on both sides. Pour 1 cup of the orange juice, and Mitsukan soy sauce over chicken and continue cooking over high heat until juice is evaporated and chicken is glazed. Turn chicken once or twice during cooking.
While chicken cooks, prepare dressing by mixing together remaining orange juice and olive oil, Nakano seasoned rice vinegar, and dry mustard.
Arrange salad greens and grapefruit sections on four serving plates. Top with chicken that has been sliced, and avocado that has been sliced into fan shape. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with pistachio nuts.
Store any remaining dressing in refrigerator for future use.

suggestions: Makes a lovely main dish salad. Serve on four individual plates, may be accompanied by warm crusty Italian or French bread.

servings: 4"

Cool Song....check it out, if you can

The Raconteurs

:::::Steady As She Goes.

Blogthings - What's Your Ideal Pet?

Too Funny,,,how perfect:)

Your Ideal Pet is a Little Dog

You're both high strung, hyper, and cute.
You're one of the few people who can get away with carrying your little dog in a little bag.
"

The Body Shop

one of my favorite shops...
having a contest ...trip to Hawaii..aloha!

modern pooch : your daily doggy fix


PET RULES
To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - nose height.
Dear Dogs and Cats, The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food.
Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate of food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack.
Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run. I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm. For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years --canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.
The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!









To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:
To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets
1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it 'fur'niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.











Remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
1. Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3 Are easier to train
4. Usually come when called
5. Never drive your car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't wear your clothes
10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children"

5/18/2006

Dog Survives Fall Off Cliff; Owner Rescued - Yahoo! News

LOS ANGELES - A dog survived a plunge from an oceanside cliff and his owner had to be rescued when he got stuck searching for the animal. Pepe, a Jack Russell terrier, darted over the cliff's edge in the upscale Pacific Palisades area while chasing a squirrel on Tuesday.
He landed next to Pacific Coast Highway, where he narrowly avoided being struck by a big rig.
Motorist Jenny-Lyn Marais stopped and coaxed the dog into her Range Rover.
'I leaned across and opened the door and whistled for him to come,' said Marais, who works in a Santa Monica dental lab. 'He was so gentle and so grateful. He jumped right over on my lap and started licking me.'
Meanwhile, Pepe's owner Brandon McMillan drove down to the base of the cliff and began climbing back up in search of his pet, but got stuck about 15 feet from the top when the ground began to give way.
Firefighters rescued McMillan, and a man who had been on the beach below told him that someone had stopped to pick up a dog.
Marais had dropped Pepe off at veterinary hospital. By chance, a friend of McMillan's who is an animal rescue volunteer stopped at the hospital to distribute a flyer about Pepe.
A few phone calls later, man and beast were reunited.
'If this dog has nine lives, he used two yesterday,' McMillan, an animal trainer, said Wednesday. 'One was falling off the cliff and the other was landing on Pacific Coast Highway and living to tell the tale. He did both.'"

Strawberries and Cream Cake Recipe from Betty Crocker

Strawberries and Cream Cake
Make a "berry" delicious cake with a little help from a mix. Be prepared for lots of compliments!
Cake
1
box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1
package (0.14 ounce) strawberry-flavored unsweetened soft drink mix
3/4
cup water
3
eggs (including yolks)
1
package (10 ounces) frozen sliced strawberries, thawed and undrained
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
1
package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1
tablespoon milk
2
cups whipping (heavy) cream
2/3
cup powdered sugar
1.
Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom only of rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches, with shortening; lightly flour.
2.
In large bowl, beat cake mix, drink mix (dry), water, eggs and strawberries with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into pan.
3.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
4.
In chilled large bowl, beat cream cheese and milk on low speed until smooth. Beat in whipping cream and powdered sugar on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until soft peaks form.
5.
Frost cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. Store covered in refrigerator.

Last Male Purebred Rabbit Species Dies - Yahoo! News

sad...poor Bunny.

Last chromosome in human genome sequenced - Yahoo! News

Dean Koontz - Meet Dean Koontz - Messages From Trixie

TRIXIE'S MESSAGE ABOUT FOREVER ODD

Hello, is me, Trixie Koontz (who is dog). If you are not dog, I am sorry. Life is not fair. Not everyone can be dog. World needs humans for belly rubs and comic relief. Would be different world, all dogs. Would be no garment industry if everyone came fully furred. Poetry would be worse, 'cause dogs are rhyme-challenged. But dogs have good sense of narrative structure, so movies would be better than plotless, meaningless dreck produced by Hollywood. Dogs would be allowed to drive, so all cars would be convertibles. Would be far fewer cuisines. Dogs have no patience for culinary arts, just eat raw ingredients. But all mysteries of quantum mechanics would be solved 'cause dogs have more talent for theoretical physics than humans. Math, too. I, Trixie (dog), play three-dimensional chess with Dad (not dog, human). Poor Dad is so cute, face puckered with concentration, working out big strategies, but always loses.
Dad is better writing novels than playing three-dimensional chess. His new one, FOREVER ODD, lands in stores Tuesday, November 29. Is sequel to ODD THOMAS, which draws more mail than anything Dad ever wrote. I, Trixie (still and always dog) think it is good book, good, and wanted you to know about it. Now I get cookie. "

5/17/2006

GRILLED MARINATED LEG OF LAMB Recipe at Epicurious.com

oh yummmm....

5/16/2006

Cowell Picks Hicks to Be Next 'Idol' - Yahoo! News

Miss Pris goes to the Gold Bow Spa





Our New Baby..Priscilla...Miss Pris


A lesson for all...

"Coyotes are extremely loyal to their mates. If
one is caught in a trap,
the other will bring small game for it to eat; it
will soak itself in a
river to allow its thirsty mate to chew on its
damp fur for water. It
has been documented that the free coyote will
stay with its captive
partner until death."
Your Mommy Is Angelina Jolie

What You Call Her: Mum

What people say about yo momma: Yo momma so ugly they didn't give her a costume when she tried out for Star Wars.
"

5/15/2006











































5/14/2006

For Mom's...

Feeding America

"The Michigan State University Library and the MSU Museum have partnered to create an online collection of some of the most influential and important American cookbooks from the late 18th to early 20th century. The goal of this project is to make these materials available to a wider audience. "

5/12/2006

Woman Discovers Heart-Shaped Potato - Yahoo! News

aaawww isn't that cute....

Daughtry to Use 'Idol' As Launchpad - Yahoo! News


RALEIGH, N.C. - Getting booted from "American Idol" this week is going to launch the music career he's dreamed about his entire life, Chris Daughtry said Thursday.
He didn't have to wait long — hours later he was offered a job with the band Fuel.

"I'm a songwriter myself," the 26-year-old told reporters Thursday, one day after viewers shocked just about everyone and voted him off the TV talent show. "To be able to launch my own career would be a dream" come true.

Daughtry, who dreamed of becoming a rock star while working in the service department at a Greensboro car dealership, said he is considering whether to pursue fronting an established rock band or launching a solo career.

Then Fuel made its offer. Bass player Jeff Abercrombie and guitarist Carl Bell made their pitch on the TV show "Extra."

"Chris, if you are watching, we've talked about this before, and if you want to entertain it again we'll take it and go," Abercrombie said.

The buzz around Daughtry for weeks has been that he could end up the band's lead singer. He performed the band's song "Hemorrhage" on a recent "Idol" show.

His wife, Deanna Daughtry, said she's not sure which option he should pursue, but either way music is all he's ever wanted to do.
"He's got a lot on him and hopefully he'll have a lot of wisdom there," she said. "The public forgets so fast about those idols once they get off the show. I just hope they don't forget about Chris."

Many observers thought the shaved-head rocker from McLeansville would win this year's competition.
On Tuesday's show, Daughtry performed two
Elvis songs. His rendition of "Suspicious Minds" drew strong reviews from judges.
Paula Abdul' said, "See you in the finals."
Judge Simon Cowell said his second song — "A Little Less Conversation" — was "flat" and not as good as the first performance.
Daughtry, who said he doesn't regret anything he did on the show, said he was shocked to get voted off because so many people had picked him to win — which may have led overconfident fans to not bother casting votes.
"They didn't have to vote as hard, and I think that was the downfall, in my opinion," he said, refusing to critique the other three finalists. "It was definitely a gut-wrenching moment and I was not expecting it, even a little bit."
Some fans around his hometown fear their votes were mistakenly credited to one of the other contestants because they'd get another hopeful's voice thanking them for the call instead of Daughtry's, family friend Tracey Adams said.
One music industry expert said it definitely shouldn't be the end for Daughtry, who has a great opportunity to cash in as a solo artist because of the equity he's built on the show.
"I think he should definitely pursue that at this point," said Jeff Walker, president of AristoMedia, a Nashville-based company that develops and promotes music artists. "He's got a lot of people that like him."

I used to have that game Dogz 4,






















OMG Baby POODLE SHOES>>>