don't browse on by

Do you ever go looking into the youtube for your next post idea?  Many many many nights go by without an idea.  Youtube has changed my life.  (have you seen any of my youtube clips?)  

TV past is well represented on youtube.  You can watch many of the first on-air performances of the fathers/mothers of rock-n-roll.  As I was browsing I came across a song title that conjured up a fuzzy memory.  The song "Baby Its You" was written by Burt Bacharach. A group called Smith performed it on some sixties TV show (I'm unable to identify the show).

Of course the fashions are fun to look at in these old shows.  The lead singer looks great and at the time I would have thought she was hot.  Even though the song sounds familiar I don't remember the band at all.  Looking at this today, I can't help but notice the dumb looking headband she is wearing.  Honestly, it reminds me of a big metal clamp used on engine hoses.  Great voice - bad headband.

(hmm do to lawyers and copyrights the clip I had post here can't be shown here anymore. The other similar clips of their performance don't allow embedding into a blog. Here's a youtube link if you are still interested.)

I'm not wearing a headband but most morning I do slip on a baseball type hat because of my "bed head".

Before you browse on by, I've got one more clip to share.  Burt Bacharach was honor this year at the White House.  He and Hal David received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.  They wrote many great songs.

Enjoy a favorite singer's performance of "Walk On By" at the White House (it was shown on PBS).

Oscar inspired

I watched it last night. I like Billy Crystal. You know way back in my previous life the Oscars were too serious for many jokes. I’m so glad they have lighten-up. 

Did you notice that “The Artist” was nominated for best original screenplay? It’s a SILENT film, as in no dialog. Maybe it could have won shortest screenplay? Alright, I know the screenplay gives screen directions and descriptions. There was writing involved, ok.
(oh BTW what award does the dog in The Artist get?)

My only screenplay playing was on Xtranormal. Remember my big hit “uncertainty principle and politics”? Yeah I didn’t think so. (the link if you care) Anyone can create a dialog but note I didn’t say “good dialog”. Do you want to try? I found this odd funny clip of a dog securing his latest treasure. Please write a dialog for this silent film. You can drop it off in the comment section.

Here’s my dialog attempt for this dog performing clip. (all spoken by the dog - a one dog show) 

He scores! 

Wooo wooo look at the size of the this baby. 

Back to my cage and enjoying all to myself. 

Damn 

Damn 

What the hell. 

Why doesn’t this work. 

Hey you human, lend a good doggie a hand here. Yeah you with the camera. Useless humans 

Oh by the way I clean this floor better with my tail than you do with your opposable thumbs. 

Useless slacker humans I’ll do it myself. 

Hmm 

Maybe if I try from inside of the cage. 

Damn still stuck 

Oops, oh no don’t roll on that dirty floor. 

Yes, yes He scores!

another circus 

fragmenter award

Hey I didn't know you could get an award for fragmenting. Especially from a school teacher. Points were taken off for sentence fragments in the papers I turned in. (Boy it's been a long time since I turned in a paper to a teacher.)

Well if you don't know about it - Mrs. 4444 (oh I know the background of that number but I'm not telling) hosts a blog meme/game on Fridays called Friday Fragments (FF).

Here's my winning entry with no sentence fragments identified - late friday fragments

Thanks Mrs. 4444 - pick up an apple at your local store and send me the bill.  ( do teachers still get apples?)

unexpected monday

You can always expect the unexpected to come your way at some unexpected time. 

Monday I got the unexpected call of babysitting grandchildren (boy and girl).  It worked out fine and they are fun but it's a long day with the travel time and the nonstop activity once I'm there.  Baby girl gave me an unexpected second helping of poopy pants.  The agreement calls for only one poopy pants during my shift.  Oh well.

After I got home I had this unexpected invite from the blogosphere.  Technobabe gave me a blog award/game invite.  Thank you Technobabe for thinking of me and putting "A Few Clowns Short" on your list.

Like most blog award/games, it has questions and a pass along rule.  Here's the questions from technobabe:
1. If you blog anonymously, are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now?
A -  Yes, I just go by lisleman on my blog and when commenting on other blogs.  Even though it's a made up name when I started the "A Few Clowns Short" blog the targeted group all knew who I was.  I don't think many of the original followers stayed with me.

2. Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side.
A -  Answering this question shows it because I am NOT stubborn - did you hear me!

3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the face in the mirror?
A -  My father's eyes, but what's behind the face is what really counts.

4. What is your favorite summer cold drink?
A -  Beer - all year round - the good stuff from small brewers has refreshing taste so you only need one or two.

5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do?
A -  One of my favorite things is going to an air show but that's not often.  More often would be taking walks or playing around with scrap electronics.  Of course there is always blogging time.

6. Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it?
A -  I have and still enjoy learning so there are always new things to learn.  My goals now are general and simple.  Just be able to enjoy life.  One appealing goal I heard years ago regarding finances was to have your last check you write bounce.  That would be a life well spent.

7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever, the class shy person, or always ditching school? Describe who you were if not one of these.
A -  It depends on which school period you pick.  I was suspended from 8th grade for a food fight (he started it).  In college I was on the Dean's honor roll most of the time.

8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment in your life, what do you see?
A -  The time I received a phone call from my sisters that our mother was diagnosed with cancer.  She only lived for a about two months after that.  (there needs to be one tough question I guess - I can think of other moments but this stuff is too sad.)

9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?
A -  I'm cautious about sharing too much.  Consider a blog as a billboard.  How much do you want up there for anyone to see?  Who knows maybe my grandkids will read it someday.

10. If you had the choice to sit and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?
A -  Sit and read - but I can talk to my younger sister at length.

I've decided not to pass this along to other bloggers.  In other blogger games I have played, not everyone enjoyed getting them passed on.  One blogger I follow really hates them Redhead Ranting.

The other part of the game is to create a list of questions for others.  At this point I have only one question.

Do you like these blog awards/games?  (I think they are better than poopy pants)

Please answer in the comments.

The Delivery is special

The web is great for finding a laugh.  Maybe I've even provided you one in a post up here.

I was just checking Mrs. 4444's blog and followed her link to Awkward Family Photos.com.

Have you seen this very funny site?

I had noticed it on Facebook but never bother to browse over there.  Well you should because I'm sure you will find something there to make you laugh and maybe even spoil yourself.

An example -  Here's a post from Awkward Family Photos.com called:

The Delivery

Doesn't she look a little too happy to see the young water boy?  It's just water right?  Are the kids about to take Max for a long walk?

There's many other awkward pictures up there and the site is up for the People's Voice Webby Award.  Now I don't typically vote in these things but the following video just had me convinced.

Don't you wish you had cool grandparents like that?

Don't Worry Be Happy

Another fun blog game.

Happy 101 Sweet Friends

What a nice surprise to be reading through your blogroll blogs and discovering your name and blog getting recognition.  That's what happened the other day on the  Technobabe's Adventure blog.  She was happy and sweet enough to pass along the above award.

These awards are also like a game so just like a game, it has rules.  The rules are to link this award back to the presenter, send it on to at least three other bloggers and list 10 things that make me happy.
Check out Technobabe and her hippie blog (her words) with the above link.

Here's a fun part - listing things that make me happy:

1. Family - supporting wife, kids, grandkids, brother, sisters and even in-laws.
2. Making the family laugh especially a little one's giggle.
3. Having my son or daughter buy me a beer.
4. Learning new stuff about the world and how it works
5. Warm spring days (soon I hope)
6. Having the mortgage paid off.
7. Finding an old postcard sent to me from my kid sister back in the 70's.  Reading it made me laugh (again).
8. Blogging and getting supportive comments (hey the comment button is just below, see it down there?)
9. My wife's homemade pancakes or waffles with her blueberries sauce (the secret is in the sauce).
10. Listening to 'Wait Wait Don't Tell Me'.  (also remembering the time my wife and I went to see the show live).

With regards to the passing this on to other bloggers rule, I refer you to both my blogroll, or the list in the  last reward/blog game post.  They are all award winning blogs.

Thanks again and
Remember as Bobby McFerrin sang:
Don't Worry Be Happy


 

I would like to thank

I feel honored and surprised. Ok maybe not as much President Obama did with the Nobel Peace Prize but still it's nice to be recognized.

Blogger friend, Fantastic Forrest over at Traveling Through Time and Space has awarded my blog the Honest Scrap Award.  Thanks FF, this gave me some ideas for the blog.

I'll be doing a post on scrap very soon.

This award comes with some rules.  (is that common?  an award with rules?)

First off you need to thank the blogger that awarded you and link back (see above).  Next you must list ten things about yourself.

Ok things about myself:

1.  I dislike running.  I hated the track sessions in High School and later in Officer Training School the required running times about broke me.  I always thought exercise should be combined with a game like baseball or tennis.  Of course running is part of most sports but when there is a game involved it's more interesting.  I thought the running story in the "Forrest Gump" movie was hilarious.

2.  After seeing a few James Bond movies growing up, I thought being a spy would be the greatest career.  They all got fast cars and fast women - right?  Part of my Air Force career included cryptography (I can't say anymore or I'd have to kill you).  It was interesting stuff but didn't include any fast cars or women.

3.  lighten up already - nobody gets out alive - I don't like people who take themselves so seriously that they become arrogant, boring, and a jerk.  Chill out - I heard or read the following once about someone: "Often in error, never in doubt."

4.  I would rather read non-fiction than fiction.  True stories can be stranger than fiction.  One of my favorite stories was Serpico (also a great movie).

5.  I listen to song lyrics.  The best ones are the ones that make you think.  Such as the song by "Police", "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da".  (lighten up already)

6.  I don't spell well.  I consider it a sign of being a better engineer.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.  I thought about blaming my bad spelling on the French.  Faux is really a fake word.

7.  I don't understand why people like lists.  A few paragraphs about myself would be better than this list.  The best ten things, the top 100 places, etc. are just opinions and everyone has one.

8.  I believe our brains are wiring to find patterns.  So we deceive ourselves by seeing/finding things that we want or are trying to see.  My best example is that tragic things come in threes.  Who thought that one up?  Some victim of a tragedy that was looking for company?

9.  One of the best things of my life (everyone's I think) is learning.  Don't ever stop because there is an endless amount to learn.  I'm very proud that a couple of our daughters are teachers.

10.  I served 10 years in US Air Force.  Started enlisted and finished an officer.  It bothers me that many people today don't even know the difference between those categories.  More importantly I wish more people would accept that you can support the troops and still be against a war.  I believe there have been some necessary wars and some unnecessary wars.  Unnecessary and sacrifice of life do not go together.

11.  Oh no I broke the rule of 10 things.  I'm on roll here people, just bear with me.  I would jump at the chance to go into space.  I might even consider some running if I knew I had a chance.  Doing a loop in a plane would be cool too.

The last step of the rules is to award ten fellow bloggers.  I consider this the "complete the sharing" step.  Now some of these ten bloggers have already been presented this award but you can get awards multiple times.

Please welcome these award winning blogs with a visit:

Two Yorks and a Bean

pearl whyyoulittle

Flying Pinto

Sick Days

Live High

gone bananas

The Fifty Factor

Unknown Mami

ONESTONEDCROW

Lilly's Life

award I didn't know existed

The lonely shopping cart just tossed aside after it's been used - so sad.

Well somebody thought abandoned shopping carts would make an interesting theme for a youtube campaign.

Most anyone who has spent sometime on youtube knows companies use it for advertising but I didn't know of this award. The 2009 INTERNET ADVERTISING COMPETITION AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN INTERNET ADVERTISING goes to:
Verisign

I'm a little surprised I didn't notice it on youtube. The series is about a Shopping Cart Whisperer. Some of the clips got over a million views. After discovering this, I decided this one is my favorite.

Look at what can happen if you get too attached to your computer screen. I don't think his boss took the time to understand him.



I stumbled on this today while I was checking on stocks. One of them is VRSN (Verisign).

I think the metal shopping carts are far superior to those thick plastic ones. Except when they get rusted.

Still interested? really? here's more at this site.



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