Rush Limbaugh blames liberals for Hurricane Sandy deaths
Boy, Limbaugh is really off his crock with this thing about the New York marathon. It pushed him over the edge, apparently. And yet although he has a whole lot of "BLOOMBERG SUX LOL" on his website, I don't see a single article saying "I'm glad Bloomberg canceled the marathon" or "Congratulations to Bloomberg for doing the decent thing and making the right decision." Oh heavens no. Instead, he's just going to leave his angry rhetoric to stand, uncorrected by the facts. Literally yesterday's news.
Shut up!
There were few bad words in my house growing up, and those that were didn't tend to follow the basic four-letter word rule. We weren't allowed to say “I hate you” (although to be fair, hate is a four letter word). “It's too hard” was also frowned upon. But the phrase my mom hated the most was “Shut up.” Saying this would land us in our rooms with no privileges for the bulk of a day.
I didn't even hear the phrase “shut up” until I was in school. I remember by first grade teacher used it often, and it colored the way I thought about her. It seemed so rude and so disrespectful to six-year-old me. As I got older, it became more common for me to hear it from both kids and adults.
I once asked my mom why I couldn't say it. Her answer? “Shut up tells me that what I have to say is not important nor worth hearing. Quiet please tells me that you need quiet right now, but that my ideas and thoughts are still important and perhaps we can discuss them later.” Now as a mom myself, I tend to agree. “Shut up” is confrontational and mean sounding, while “quiet please” is not.
My husband comes from a house where “shut up” was the norm. I found it really off-putting at first and I told him why. Sadly enough, his home was one where children's thoughts and ideas weren't appreciated, and kids were expected to always be silent. He quickly got on board with the no “shut up” rule when we had kids.
Old habits are hard to break, though. Many times he would catch himself saying “shut up” to our young son. Fortunately he almost always caught himself but only after half the word was out. His answer was to turn it into “shush please.” Until one day he failed and instead said, “Shud-ush please!”
My son loved it. He giggled while also providing the necessary quiet, and the next time he wanted quiet he exclaimed “Shud-ush daddy!” So now we are not a shut-up house nor are we a quiet please house. We are a shud-ush please house, and proud of it. I'm not sure if shud-ush is any better than shut-up, but in the end my family sees it as a wonderful inside joke and it doesn't evoke any hard or hurt feelings when it's used.
Spring bulbs for easy color
It's not all vegetable and fruit growing on our little plot in the city. There are a few places where I allow some plants that are just nice to look at to grow. I do have rules for these plants, though. They can't hog resources like water or fertilizer, and they also need to be able to grow and look good with minimal help from me. I just don't have time to focus on plants that only provide beauty.
This is why I love spring bulbs. I can stick them in the ground and pretty much forget about them. They also fill that aching gap for color by springing to life while winter temperatures are still keeping the rest of my garden in bleak dormancy. Daffodils, tulips, crocuses and hyacinths are my favorites to plant. If you want to grow some of these, now is the time to get them in the ground!
All bulbs have the same basic requirements. Sunny spring exposure and well-drained soil. While they aren't opposed to fertilizer, I've found mine do just fine with an annual application of organic mulch. The mulch keeps down weeds and provides nutrients as it decomposes.
Plant bulbs with the pointed end up and about 2 inches beneath the soil surface. For a natural look, forgo the neat rows and instead cluster five or seven bulbs together, placing clusters about 10 inches apart. You do need to dig up the bulbs every five years or so and divide them, but that only takes a morning if your planting isn't too large.
One warning about hyacinth bulbs: Many people have a topical allergy to these. If you plant hyacinths wear gardening gloves and wash your hands afterward to avoid a painful rash! If deer or squirrels are a problem, both hyacinths and daffodils are fairly pest-proof, but tulips are like candy to them!
Cat snuggle party disrupted by police
Iceland can get pretty chilly this time of year. What's a stray neighborhood cat to do but throw a snuggle party in an unoccupied home? Unfortunately, the home's human neighbors noticed "several cats" moving in and out of the house via an open window. They contacted police for assistance, and when the officers arrived on the scene they found several cats (two or three; their report was unclear) which were "snuggling on a couch that had been left behind by the previous residents."
Sketchy Sketches: Marriage Equality and more scripted dumps
Hair tricks that will help you look younger
Would you like to look younger? Did you know that certain hair styles or tricks can instantly take years off of you? Some of these tricks are so simple to accomplish that you don’t even need a stylist.
The easiest trick is to add a pony tail to your style. You already know that this is a go-to style when you are in a rush or when your hair needs to be washed. However, it is a go to style when you want to look a bit younger, too. However, you can’t just style your hair in any pony-tail. First, stay away from the severe slick back-style pony tails.
These will just add more years to your look by emphasizing every pore and every wrinkle you have. Instead, go for a soft pony-tail, one that is a bit messy, slightly frizzy and considered a bit on the sexy side. You may even want to go for one that sits at the side of your head, instead of the back.
Skip the center part. Instead, shift your part to the side and consider zigzagging it. This will create an effortless stylish look. It will also help hide any gray strands or that tale-tale sign that you need to color.
Add some gloss to your hair. This will add shine. Shine is a symbol of youth. You may want to try one of those many at home glazes. Finally, you may want to consider cutting your hair or adding some bangs to your style. If you go for a cut, consider adding some layers to your hairstyle, too.
Featured Artist: Kit
The artwork of Kit reminds me a little bit of Cliff Chiang in its simple sharp lines, a little bit of Dave Johnson in its overall design work and use of blacks, and a little of Dusty Abell in its sense of fluid motion. The use of bright colors that make his forms pop and the mix of narrow line work that creates the illusion of curves give Kit’s artwork a very graphic poster quality that attracts the eyes. Check out more on his DeviantArt page.
Why you should hire a professional wedding photographer
If you’re getting married soon, chances are that you’re looking to save money in any way that you can. So when your cousin or that distant great aunt that you’ve only met twice calls you up and volunteers to take your wedding photos for free with their fancy new camera that they just bought, it can be quite tempting. I am here to tell you that if you care at all what your wedding photos look like, DON’T DO IT! Hire a professional!
Here’s why:
Even though your great aunt may have that fancy camera, she most likely doesn’t know how to use it properly. Does she even know what aperture is? Maybe, but a professional knows their camera inside and out.
A professional has experience. They’ve been doing this for so long that they know what shots they need to get, how to pose people and how to use the light. Before capturing a moment, they can frame it so that the composition is just right. Now that light post is beside you, and not sticking out of your head.
A professional will always have a backup camera, memory cards, lenses and battery packs. It would be extremely stressful if Aunt Karen’s fancy camera suddenly died, and this is definitely a day where you want to have the least amount of stress.
A professional knows how to edit. Your aunt may be able to do selective coloring in Photoshop, but that doesn’t mean she should. It’s probably the tackiest thing anyone could do to a photo.
Unless your wedding day is a day you really don’t care about and don’t want to remember, hire a professional! They’re expensive, yes, but I can’t imagine anyone looking back fifty years later on beautiful photos from their wedding day and regretting it.
ABC hopes that “Malibu Country” can help bring them some needed ratings
During the year 2005 and prior, Friday nights was also known as TGIF nights for ABC viewers. This was another night of week in which fans could enjoy a night of laughter. Yet, the summer of 2005, that tradition was terminated. Now, ABC is trying to rebuild that tradition with two shows: “Last Man Standing” and “Malibu Country.”
“Last Man Standing” is a comedy show that stars Tim Allen. It was almost cancelled last season. This year it started with a very slow start. It saw a rating of 1.9 and a total of 7.8 million viewers.
“Malibu Country” is a new comedy that stars Reba McEntire. The story involves a divorcee, who is trying to rebuild her life, while raising two kids and supporting an opinionated mother. It is similar to Reba’s previous show, “Reba.” The main difference is that in her new show, the ex-husband is a country music star and her character is trying to become one herself. Plus, she moved her children from Nashville to California.
“Malibu Country” received a rating of 2.2 and a total viewership of the night of 8.9 million. “Last Man Standing” airs at 8 p.m. EST and “Malibu Country” airs at 8:30 p.m. EST on all ABC networks.
Of course, ABC hopes each show will become a huge success and that a new TGIF tradition will begin for their network. The question is will the fans continue to tune or did they just check in on that first night out of curiosity sake? Time and ratings will soon tell that story.
Simple decorating tips for Thanksgiving
Many people will forgo the idea of decorating for Thanksgiving since it is so close to Christmas. They will also forgo the idea because they have so many things to do. However, they can do some simple things to make the holiday more of a festivity. Here are some simple tips they can incorporate into their plans.
First, they can dress up their dining table. They can simply do this by dragging out those special plates, glasses and tablecloths that they save for special occasions. Afterall, Thanksgiving is a special occasion.
Next, they can actually add a centerpiece to their table. They can do this by placing a nice fall boutique of flowers to the center, adding a fall theme candle to the center or adding a basket filled with painted pinecones to it.
They can even dress up their living room a bit. They can do this by adding some warmer, darker throw covers and pillows or even some Thanksgiving theme ones, if they have some. Adding some pumpkin or spice scented candles, bowls filled with candy corn or a bowl filled with dried leaves are also nice touches.
Finally, one could add a nice fall theme wreath to their door. If there is no room for a wreath on the door, one could add a fall-inspired welcome mat in front of their door. All of these touches are easy to do. They take little to no time to accomplish. Plus, they add a little bit of Thanksgiving spark to your get together.