Memories of Those Who Passed Away in 2011

On a more personal level, the New York Times invited people to send photos and stories of people they loved who had died this year. It's a touching tribute to loved ones.

via Miss Cellania

Puppies of the Earth, Beware!

The penguins are trying to take your jobs.



via The Presurfer

What Can You Do with a Volkswagen Beetle? Make a Sculpture, of Course!

The Volkswagen Beetle has always fostered an intense devotion in its fans. It has lasted through the years with very few visible changes. But its small size apparently also makes it a good candidate for artwork.

Image by Scott..?

Check out more Volkswagen Beetle sculptures at 22 Words. These were so much fun I had trouble deciding which one was my favorite.

More Unique (and Amazing) Bookshelves

I read a lot of ebooks and I adore the portability of ebooks, but I still buy print books and probably always will. There are various reasons for this, but sometimes I think it's just because I love the look of books on a shelf. And I am fascinated by the ingenuity of people who design bookshelves. I have the usual (somewhat boring) kind in my house, the plain shelves you can buy anywhere for a relatively low price. But there are some truly gorgeous shelves. Not all of them are practical, but they're intriguing to look at. So now and then I'm just going to pop in here and post some bookcases (or shelves). (For the shelves that are for sale, I have included links back--in most cases in this particular post, these are from Etsy shops).

Via Etsy

Via Etsy

via Etsy

via Etsy

This one is by designer David Garcia:

Here's another image of what is, I believe, the same shelf by David Garcia

Design by ifsodoso design company

There is a padded seat inside the shelf

More images of the bookshelf above along with a time-lapse of its construction:

And a truly amazing bookcase/stairway (you're looking down the staircase in the image)

Image by Brett Jordan 

This bookcase (above) was designed by Levitate Architects in the UK, a firm dedicated to sustainable design. For more on how this came about (and more images), here's the article on this unique staircase at Apartment Therapy.

That's all for now. More bookcases to come in the future.

Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt Duet

I rarely post music videos unless there's some attraction other than the music, but I'm a big Joseph Gordon-Levitt fan, and this video of him and his good friend, Zooey Deschanel, singing What Are You Doing New Year's Eve is cute and charming (and seasonal, of course). Just a feel-good video. Enjoy!

The Royal Australian Navy Knows How to Entertain

I'll admit to being a sucker for these videos where people in otherwise serious jobs let their hair down and get a little silly. In this case, this comes from the HMAS TOOWOOMBA (the Royal Australian Navy) lip synching and dancing to Duck Sauce's Barbara Streisand during their last 6-month operational deployment.

The Beauty of Mont St. Michel

This time lapse by Philip Bloom was filmed in Normandie at Mont St. Michel (on two freezing days, according to the filmmaker). The music is by Claude Debussy (Nuages from Nocturne). This just makes me want to go out and travel the world!

It's a Gloomy Day Here - Let's Have Some Yellow (Carrizo Plain)

The sunshine has fled and it's a bit gray outside. I'm really in the mood for some bright colors. Having recently seen a show (Motion, an outdoor series) featuring the Carrizo Plain National Monument in California, I thought I'd post a few bright photos. (And start planning my trip to the monument). Apparently, the place is awash in yellow flowers in the spring.

Image by Mikaku

Image by Chica_Maravilla

Image by flythebirdpath~}~}~}

Image by emdot

If you find this interesting, you can find more about the monument at The Bureau of Land Management's Carrizo Plain National Monument site. You can also watch the episode of Motion that attracted my attention. One of the nice things about the show is that the episodes are all available to view online, so I've included the link so that you can find other episodes. However, for ease of viewing, I've embedded the Carrizo Plain video below (it's just over 20 minutes long).

A Clothing Company That Makes a Difference

First, a note: I had never heard of United by Blue before today (so this is not an endorsement), but they appear to be a clothing company with a mission. The Blue Movement is about cleaning up the earth's oceans and waterways, so for every product the company sells, they remove one pound of trash from the oceans and waterways.

Here they are in Pennsylvania in November cleaning up tires from an illegal dump site:


It's an intriguing concept. I'll be interested to see how this all plays out. I'm glad they're at least specific (one pound of trash for every product sold), since I'm very leery of companies that promise to donate "a portion of each sale" to charities (because that's so vague--what's a portion? One percent? One millionth of one percent)? In the end, I often feel that such companies are using good causes to help them sell their products while they may be doing little to actually help those causes. In this case, I'm hoping that the company's more specific promise ends up benefiting everyone in a win-win situation.

Book Sale - $1.30 or Less

I just noticed that Riches to Rags Bride is on sale at Amazon.com right now ($1.30 for the paperback and $1.24 for the ebook). I have no idea how long the sale has been going on or when it will end, but whenever I notice these things, I try to pass the info along.

Here are the links: (Amazon always calls the more expensive Large Print mass market (and for some reason that's the one that often shows up on the main page), but it's the regular print mass market book that's on sale. Just an FYI if you're shopping for books and think that Harlequin Romances now cost $5.25. They don't. Only the large print books are that expensive):

Mass Market at $1.30

Kindle ebook at $1.24

Rainbow Science: What Fun!

More than you might want to know about rainbows, but I love these little "science capsules." I know so much more today than I did yesterday, and all in 6 minutes!

I Think I Can See the Ocean (Russian Transformer Bike)

This video of a bike that can operate at street level or at a vantage point that's much higher, enabling the bicyclist to see traffic, has been making the rounds. I see the benefits (although there are times when the cyclist in this video appears to ride rather unsafely). I'm not quite sure how it works (near the end of the video you can see the bike in action better than you can at the beginning). I read a comment that indicated that the bike seat appeared to operate on a gas mechanism similar to an office chair. Makes sense to me.

More Cinema 2011

This time by kees van dijkhuizen. I know it's another montage of movies when I just posted one, but I'm always fascinated by which movies and which clips are chosen. And in this case, kees included a very cool link to the movie titles, including the times that match up with the video, so if  you see something that looks intriguing, you can figure out what movie the clip is from.



I'll admit that I love movies, and if I had more money and time, I'd go to the theater more often. As it is, I watch a lot of DVDs.

The Year in Movies

The Cinescape 2011 Movie List with lots of clips and some great music.



Here's a link to the movies (in alphabetical order).

The clip at the beginning is from the 1950 movie, Sunset Blvd.

I Guess That's What Friends are For...if You're a Cat

This poor kitty gets a helping hand in getting down the stairs.

The Berezka Floating Dance Step Looks Almost Magical

In 1948, the Russian dance group, Berezka, was formed. The word "berezka," means birch tree in Russian. The birch is a symbol of Russian nature, and has been a big part of Russian life (shoes, paper, toys, musical instruments and crafts were made from the birch). In this video you'll notice that the dancers are carrying birch leaves. The almost magical trademark floating step that you'll see here lends a surreal touch to the dance, and the secret to the step is...a secret (the step is so fluid that it looks a bit as if they're skating rather than dancing). The dancers are not supposed to tell anyone how it's done, not even their families. 

Contest Results

The contest winners have been drawn and the twenty-dollar Amazon gift certificate goes to marybelle, with Laney4 and Colleen each receiving a ten-dollar Amazon gift certificate. If the winners will contact me at myrnamackenzie@yahoo.com, I will send those out. In addition to your email address, I will also need to know which Amazon you prefer to receive the card from (gift cards from the different Amazons are not interchangeable, so I have to send it from the right place, although I believe that all of the divisions will ship to any place in the world. You just have to make sure that the Amazon where you are shopping matches the location of the gift card you have).  

Thank you to everyone who entered and who visited!

Best Wishes,

Myrna

A Sweet Animated Love Story

Lavatory Lovestory was nominated for an Oscar in 2009. It's cute and a bit unusual.

via The Presurfer

More Things That Happen on the Internet in 60 Seconds

Just in case you didn't click through and see this yesterday.


Infographic by- GO-Gulf.com Web Design Company

This is Late, but... (Christmas 1914)

This post should have gone up earlier, but I only saw the 2005 movie Joyeux Noël last night. It's a fictionalized portrayal of real incidents that took place at Christmas during World War I in 1914 when numerous incidents of truces along the Western Front took place.

Here's a video someone posted several years ago with a song that tells the story:



music by Mike Harding

On YouTube, the following text (from Wikipedia) is posted beneath the video:

The truce began on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1914, when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres, Belgium, for Christmas. They began by placing candles on trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols, most notably Stille Nacht (Silent Night). The British troops in the trenches across from them responded by singing English carols.


The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, there were calls for visits across the "No Man's Land" where small gifts were exchanged — whisky, jam, cigars, chocolate, and the like. The artillery in the region fell silent that night. The truce also allowed a breathing spell where recently-fallen soldiers could be brought back behind their lines by burial parties. Proper burials took place as soldiers from both sides mourned the dead together and paid their respects. At one funeral in No Man's Land, soldiers from both sides gathered and read a passage from the 23rd Psalm: The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.


The truce spread to other areas of the lines, and there are many stories of football matches between the opposing forces. The film Joyeux Noël suggests that letters sent home from both British and German soldiers related that the score was 3-2 in favour of the Germans.

And here's a trailer from the movie (it's worth seeing even if Christmas is past):



Peace on Earth. It's not just for Christmas...

Niagara Falls Bound (at Least Virtually)

I'm sure that some of you have been to Niagara Falls, so you know how majestic and awe-inspiring the experience is. Still, even if you've seen the falls, they never cease to amaze. Here's a very short video (although I'm not sure a video can ever really convey how massive the falls are). I believe this was taken from the U.S. side:



And from the Canadian side:



Here, you can see some of the gorgeous entries from the "Picture This Niagara" photo contest as well as some Things You Probably Didn't Know About Niagara Falls. (Okay, I'm sure that at least some of you knew some, if not all, of those things. Still, I think that the authors managed to come up with some fun facts that not everyone would know).

Contest for Amazon Gift Cards

Note: I'm fooling with this contest announcement and considering hanging it at the top as a reminder (which is why the date is wrong). If I do that, please note that the daily posts will still be here below this one and you can comment on any of the posts to enter the contest.

As a Christmas gift to my readers, I'm running a December contest. From December 5th through December 26th, if you leave a comment, you'll be entered in the contest (you can enter once a day). There will be 3 winners (one $20 and two $10 Amazon gift cards).

Just a note here: I really don't like to feel that I'm forcing people to comment on the site. Although I love visiting with people, I'm aware that many visitors read but don't comment, which is totally fine (I do that a lot myself). Comments are simply the easiest way to have people enter. In other words, you don't have to be eloquent in your comments.

See you in the comment section!

Things That Happen on the Internet in 60 Seconds

A lot happens on the Internet in 60 Seconds. The site Go -Gulf spells it out.


Infographic by- Shanghai Web Designers

via  and via  

Passing Kindness On, One Kind Act at a Time

This video by Life Vest Inside (music by Matisyahu) encourages us to be kind. What a nice message!

May You All Have a Wonderful, Joyful Holiday!

A Card by Malcolm Sutherland (a Canadian filmmaker, animator and illustrator)



via Nag on the Lake

See you on the other side of Christmas!

A Very Calvin & Hobbes Christmas

I miss Calvin & Hobbes. It was always one of my favorite comic strips. This video, by Jim Frommeyer, Teague Chrystie (and of course, Bill Watterson) helped fill the hole a bit.



And here is how they made the video.

Animals Singing The 12 Days of Christmas

Singing being the operative word, of course. Silly and fun.



I hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas Eve!

A World Record, A Christmas Treat and the Spirit of Giving...

All of that comes in one package. This house in Australia has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the house having the most Christmas lights in the entire world (330,000 lights). To get into the driveway, guests are asked to donate a gold coin, and 100% of the proceeds go to the SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and Kids charity.

And the Cats of the Year are...

There are always so many cats on the Internet. Cats rule over dogs in "Virtual World." At least it seems that way. In fact, there are so many that it's easy to miss a lot of them, but someone has been nice enough to post "The 30 Most Important Cats of 2011." (I would venture to hazard a guess that this decision was probably made by one individual or a small group of individuals. Nonetheless, I'm grateful to them for distilling all the cat stuff available, so that you and I can see some of the best). So here they are in videos and images (and yes, you've already seen one or two of those videos here).

Image by Goney

via Buzzfeed

How Candy Canes are Made

Tis the season...for candy canes!

A Very Sweet Proposal

If you click through (on the Vimeo button), there's a nice story and some photos that go with this one.


Mike & Christie - Proposal from Christie St. Martin on Vimeo.

The Busy Life of a Modern Woman...

If the woman happened to be six-years-old, that is. When she was typing, I could so relate. That's exactly how I type most of the time (or at least it feels like it).

A Sweet Marriage Proposal

In image memes. He was so obviously nervous. It was cute and clever. I do love proposal videos.

More Seasonal Gifts from Google

If you do a Google search for "Hanukkah," a string of "Stars of David" march across the screen.

And a search for "Christmas" calls up a string of Christmas lights. 

via The Presurfer

A Little Google Maps Humor

If you open Google Maps and ask for walking directions from "the shire" to "mordor," you get this tongue-in-cheek warning:

Sketchy Guard (or How to Know When You're Beaten)

An animated short about a guard with a bit of a problem.

A Brief History of Santa Claus

I really like these little fun and informative videos. And there's something about the narrator (C. G. P. Grey) that appeals to me.

The Hobbit is Coming...

All right, it is a full year away from being released, but the official trailer is here now for all of you Lord of the Rings fans.

It's Winter (at least in this part of the world). Drive Safely Or...

I don't know what these guys are saying (wish I spoke Russian), but I can imagine. Take a deep breath and watch.

Júzcar, the Blue Village

For years, the houses of Júzcar, a village in Spain, had all been white, but in 2011 Sony asked the villagers to paint the entire village blue for the Smurfs movie. The townspeople agreed to leave them that way for six months. Read the story to find out what happened when the six months were up (and to see more images). 

Image by Landahlaut

via Kuriositas and The Presurfer

Two Minutes of Christmas Puppy Cuteness

Nothing says Christmas like a puppy chewing on wrapping paper.



And yes, I do know that it was actually two minutes and six seconds, but what's a few seconds among friends? The title sounded better this way.

How Pencils Are Made

It's been awhile since I've posted one of these "how things are made" videos, and I was in the mood to find a good one. I think this pencil one fits the bill.

Just When I Told You It Was Safe...

Well, okay, what I actually said was that I didn't spend much time talking about my books. But I did see my new cover (for the upcoming March book) up on Amazon, and that's always either an exciting day or a letdown. Kind of a hold-my-breath and hope for something good mystery. In this case, I'm pretty happy. The artist clearly used the images of the hero and heroine I sent in. And while the heroine isn't really that pregnant in the book (she's only a little bit pregnant LOL), I understand that if you're going to say she's pregnant in the title, readers will expect her to look pregnant. Also, I didn't choose the title (I think my original title was The Heir's Pregnant Cinderella, but I wasn't exactly married to it). Anyway, I thought I'd share, so you can be some of the first to have a look at the new one.

We now return you to your usual blog entries after this brief interlude, but I had to post this. Because even though I may appear unaffected by this business of publishing most of the time, I still get excited whenever a new cover appears. It's a bit like opening a present to see what you received.

Alcohol as Art?

This isn't new (although it is to me), but I'm assuming that most of you haven't seen it yet. The images in this video were taken with a 35mm camera in Florida State University's chemistry department, and according to the company, Bevshots, founder, what we're seeing in these "alcohol under the microscope shots" are the "crystallized carbohydrates that have become sugar and glucose."




Here is more info on the history of the company (which sells prints and clothing made from the images) along with more images. If you go to the home page, you can even choose your images based on color or particular drinks.

via Nag on the Lake

The Digital Story of the Nativity

This is from a year ago, and with more than 10 million views, some of you surely  have seen it. I hope no one is offended. I thought it was cute, but then I sometimes have a slightly odd sense of humor.

Senior Citizen Flash Mob

They're a little sparse on participants, but it did make me smile to see this group of seniors getting in the spirit (one of the comments said that they were friends from a local retirement center, and judging from one local news story, I think the man was just a shopper who joined in). Very cute. I hope I have the guts to take part in something like this when I'm that age.

David Attenborough - Wonderful World

This ad by David Attenborough has been making the rounds, so you may have already seen it, but I liked it enough to think that it was worth repeating. (Plus, I just love David Attenborough).

Singing Christmas Hedgehogs

A cute and imaginative interactive video good for a few minutes of fun



via Presurfer

Google's Christmas Easter Egg

I suppose it's really a winter Easter egg. If you go to Google and type in "Let it snow" your screen will begin to fill with snowflakes. Eventually, the screen fogs up and you can use your cursor to wipe away the fog. Or you can click on the Defrost button, and the snow will continue to fall, but it won't fog your screen this time.

Digital Art

I know that at least some (maybe all) of these are Photoshopped, but they're all amazing images.

Image by Paul (dex)

Image by I Am Not I

Image by  Garry - www.visionandimagination.com

Image by shchukin

Image by mendhak

Image by balt-arts

Image by theFella

Image by ViaMoi

Christmas Lights! Music! Fun!

There are numerous Christmas light displays by creative souls who know how to use computers to control their lights and music. I just saw one last night up in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and it was one of the largest I've ever seen. Unfortunately, there's no video of it on YouTube and you had to listen to the music via a local radio station, so I don't have a synchronized film of that one. Below, however, are two of the best online.

From Brisbane, Australia

From League City, Texas

This Lizard Knows How to Play and Win!

I'm not usually a big lizard fan (please don't throw tomatoes), but this one was actually kind of cute. And he really figured out the game pretty quickly.



via Miss Cellania

Ribboned Asparagus Salad: a Work of Art

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm addicted to these cooking films by Tiger in a Jar. They're more art than film, almost like a dance with food. And while this one wasn't my favorite (the lighting seemed a bit off, perhaps intentionally?), there are so few of these films that I savored every second. I love the simplicity, the fact that making the dish becomes an event in itself. Enjoy!

Parallel Parking Nightmare

I don't know whether to admire this person or something rather the opposite. No, definitely leaning toward the opposite. I can't imagine what the person behind him or in front of him would have thought had they returned during (or after) this process.



via Presurfer

The Muppets: Ringing of the Bells

A little Christmas fun from The Muppets Studio


via Miss Cellania

I love the Muppets! (Wait for the end when a couple of familiar favorites show up)

La Mer de Pianos (The Sea of Pianos)

A short film about Marc Manceaux, the owner of the oldest piano shop in Paris. At first glance, it sounds a bit boring, but these little "slice of life" films are fascinating to me. And it's a touch of history as well. I wish there were more videos like this.


La Mer de Pianos from Films & Things on Vimeo.

A Holiday Advertising Parable

Maybe this is the way it really works.



via Miss Cellania

Creating a White Christmas Store Window

I'm not familiar with this store (I'm sure some of you are), but I found the process for making one of their store windows interesting.

The Men in Black are Back...for the Third Time

I've always been a big fan of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, so the Men in Black series had my number all along. I hope it lives up to my expectations. Here's the first trailer that was released a couple of days ago.

Christmas Past - Marshall Fields in Chicago

In an earlier time (lots of these images are before my time), families took a visit downtown to Marshall Field's to look at the windows and other decorations and have breakfast with Santa (and possibly buy some Frango mints, once a distinct Chicago product, as gifts).

Unfortunately, Frango mints are no longer made locally and Marshall Fields is now Macy's, just another big department store. But the memories (and footage) still remains.

The Best Animal Photos of the Year

From Buzzfeed, The 50 Best Animal Photos of 2011. Check them out.

Image by Adam Foster | Codefor

Jingle Bells in Baby Speak

The ideas people come up with sometimes astound me. This video is about a year old, although I'd never seen it until I ran across it the other day. It consists of clips of a baby's laughter to make up the song Jingle Bells. You'll either love it or hate it. Cute baby no matter what your reaction is to the concept.

Kurt Browning Christmas Cowboy Tribute

I don't know if any of you follow figure skating (I used to, but I've fallen behind of late), but I always enjoyed watching Kurt Browning. Since I'm writing a cowboy book right now, I was looking for a cowboy Christmas video to inspire me, but I didn't expect to find one so touching. This tribute to Kurt's cowboy father was uploaded last year.

The Soldiers - A Soldier's Christmas

This video isn't new and I don't often post music videos (by musicians), but it seems appropriate for the season.

Proteigon

I'm not sure what the title means, but this is a short stop-motion film. Interesting.

Today's Google Doodle Robert Noyce

Today's Google Doodle honors the 84th birthday of Robert Noyce, responsible for co-inventing the integrated circuit and changing all of our lives, technologically speaking.

Here's a short video of Mr. Noyce talking about the future of technology (this was in 1981).

Even if you find technology boring, you have to admit that the world would be a very different place without this kind of technology. We might not even be able to meet here every day!

Happy Holidays from T-Mobile...in My Neighborhood

This holiday surprise for shoppers took place at Woodfield Mall which is in the Chicago area.

Junkmail Snowflakes

I love it when someone comes up with a creative idea that is fun, pretty and also involves recycling. Here, Michele Pacey of Michele Made Me shows us how to make bright and colorful junkmail snowflakes.

11 Sounds That Young People Have Never Heard

This article from Mental Floss showcases 11 sounds that "people of a certain age" will be able to call up instantly. If you don't fall into that category, these may be unfamiliar to you.

Image by Lower Columbia College

via Presurfer

(I don't necessarily agree that all of these are sounds the very young haven't heard--the Internet makes all things readily available--but they definitely are no longer part of daily life the way they once were).

Lovely, Lovely Christmas!

There have been some beautiful Christmas images floating around this week. Like this one:

Image by Denis Collette...!!!

Click through to this gorgeous collection of images from The Atlantic (the one of candle trails in Salisbury Cathedral is my favorite, I think). 

All That in One Christmas Card!

A Christmas Greeting that contains a whole lot more than one would think looking at that envelope.




A Petite, Yet Extraordinary Holiday Greeting! from Tripp/Jenna Watt on Vimeo.

via Kuriositas

A Great Big Welcome Home from Man's Best Friend

This video was actually made for Veteran's Day, but it seems appropriate at this time of year, too, when home is on the minds of so many soldiers. It's a "best of" compilation of dogs welcoming their masters home.

My, How Times Have Changed!

This video is from before my time (yay! something that's older than I am!), but I thought it was cute and a bit funny. Although I'm sure it was helpful at the time it was released.



via Nag on the Lake

You Might Have to Be a Cat Lover to Get into This...

But apparently Procatinator has found its niche. It teams up cat animated gifs and songs. A link lets you change the image (and song) repeatedly. And while some of the images were a bit grainy, others were amusing and totally mesmerizing. The temptation to keep clicking away as your day disappears down the...procatinator drain is definitely alive and well (I found myself caught up in the "just one more click" sensation and had to back away from the computer. A fun way to spend a few minutes, though). By the way, word is that this site has been an instant Internet sensation, so it may load slowly.

via Presurfer

Atlas' Revenge

Atlas is placidly enjoying life in his aquarium when an intruder brings danger into his world.



via Presurfer

The film took first place in the Industry Animation Category of the SIGGRAPH SpaceTime Competition and Exhibition.

Favorite Secular Christmas Songs

Buzzfeed posted a list (with videos) of The 19 Best Secular Christmas Songs the other day. But, of course, as in all things, as soon as you say  (or write) the words "the best," there's bound to be disagreement. A few of those songs on the list are the very ones that make me want to turn off the radio. So, I'm adding two more of my own here.

"Sleigh Ride" (this is the instrumental version by John Williams and the Boston Pops)


And "We Need a Little Christmas" (this is the Johnny Mathis version, but I also like the Percy Faith version)


Here's another list of the 100 Greatest Christmas Songs. So, what songs are your favorites?

Christmas Flash Mob

A fun addition to the season. A saxophonist and nearly 300 of his friends from the University of Minnesota's School of Music paid a surprise visit to the Carlson School of Management.



via Julie Hilton Steele

Pincel de Zorro

This is a promotional trailer for the book "Pincel de Zorro" by Sergio A. Sierra. It uses a scratchboard technique known as grattage.



Magical! I love stuff like this.

Some Movie Trailers for 2012

I'm always on the lookout for a good movie. Here's the trailer from Snow White and the Huntsman.




And The Pirates! Band of Misfits (by the makers of Chicken Run)

Opera the IKEA Way

We all know IKEA (yes, I'm a fan. Great place for young people to get a start):

Image by bizmac

And then there's opera. History, class, very formal. In other words...not exactly IKEA-ish (yes, that is a word. I just made it up). 

Image by Joseph Mancy

(That's the opera house in Stuttgart, Germany)

The two would seem to have nothing in common. But as seen in this article by Designboom, IKEA is being used in the sets for two operas at teatro carlo felice in Genoa. Classical meets modern, and all I can say is, "I want those shelves." (I wish I could have found a video, but I'm sure that cameras are banned from the opera house and a search turned up nothing. On the other hand, it's not the first time IKEA and opera have crossed paths. In 2009, an opera, Flatpack by Tom Lane, was staged at the IKEA store in Wembley. (I really wish I knew what he was saying when he was assembling that furniture. Probably "why can't I understand these instructions?").

Cute or Not?

I'm not sure this is mean or just cute as heck. (click image to play)

Source: http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkw4rzplPY1qazdhko1_500.gif

Here are more cute cat animated gifs.

The Military Wives Choir's "Light Up the Dark" Rises Through the Charts

The song "Light Up the Dark," used words from letters and poems the women and their husbands shared while they were parted. Led by Gareth Malone (from the BBC's "The Choir"), the women performed at The Festival of Remembrance in Albert Hall.



I happened across this by chance, and I'm glad I did!

What Teddy Bears Really Do For Us...

Who doesn't love teddy bears? They're made to be cute and cuddly, aren't they?

Image by the-icing-on-the-cake

But according to Buzzfeed poster, TxBlackLabel, this image by artist *begemott shows what teddy bears really do for us. I think I agree.

sweet halloween dreams by *begemott on deviantART

And yes, I know it's a Halloween image, but teddy bears and Christmas just seem to go hand in hand (for me at least), so I hope you'll bear with me for switching the holiday (and for posting something that was making the rounds back in June. My apologies if you've already seen this).

Keep Smiling!

A jaded school photographer lets his bad mood spill over onto his subjects until...



I love the way this ends!

That's One Really Long Slide!

I've seen several videos of these really long roller slides in Japan. I've never seen anything like this in the states. It looks fun (even though I'm sure that I could find some way to fall off and skin my knees).



Have you ever seen one of these? We have roller slides, but they're usually just a few feet long. Very tame in comparison.

A Merry Christmas Story

British sailors aboard the HMS Ocean had planned for a 7 week deployment exercise with other nations, but were diverted to Libya and ended up being away for 7-1/2 months. When they heard that they would be home for Christmas, they made a DVD to the tune of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas."


via Miss Cellania

Merry Christmas to All! So glad you made it home in time for the holidays!

Born to Be Santa

Sometimes life drops stories into a person's lap. This weekend I was up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin reading one of my favorite newspapers, The Beacon, a free paper published out of Williams Bay, Wisconsin. On the back of the paper was a story about the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, located in Midland, Michigan. It's a non-profit that was established in 1937 and it's the longest continuously running Santa Claus school in the world. This year it graduated its 75th class of Santa Clauses, with potential Santas from all over the United States and the world and former Santas returning for a refresher course (and not everyone gets in. There is an application process).

Image by USAG-Humphrey

(Note: the image above is not from the school. I just needed a photo with permission to use it). 

Being Santa is a more complex and very touchy job than one might expect. In an increasingly complex world, Santas have to be careful what they say and do (and promise). They have to steer clear of lawsuits. They need to know things (like the names of all the reindeer, how to say "Merry Christmas" in sign language, the history of St. Nicholas and...there's so much more). Altogether a fascinating article. I highly recommend reading the whole story of the Santa School, and because there was one image (that I loved) that wasn't with the original article, here's another great article on Santa Claus School, also from the LA Times (the comments about "attorney Santa Claus" made me smile). 

Check out the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School's website (including a wonderful quote from the school's founder: "He errs who think Santa enters through the chimney. Santa enters through the heart." Charles W. Howard)

Lastly, this article came at an interesting time. This year, a documentary called "Becoming Santa" was made. It's on television this month (unfortunately, only on US cable right now, but I'm sure it will soon make its way to us mortals without cable and those around the world). Here's the trailer.

Twas the Night Before Christmas by Impressionist Jim Meskimen

I'm sure you'll recognize most, if not all, of these voices. A nice touch to the holidays.

Timescapes (a Portrait of the American Southwest) Preview

This beautiful piece by Tom Lowe (music by Nigel "John" Stafford) will be released soon, but until then enjoy this preview. (For those of you who prefer YouTube, the sound wasn't working in that version).


TimeScapes 4K from Tom Lowe on Vimeo.

For more info, check out TimeScapes (and the blog there).

The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus Warms Up with a Few Tweets

To help warm up the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus, Calgarians were asked to tweet their tips on how to stay warm in a Calgary winter. Very cute (and they provided subtitles).



via Presurfer

Looking for a Present for Your Pet? How About a Luxury Dog House

I'm a bit of a real estate nut. I love touring houses and if I had lots of money, I'd probably buy several houses of different types just for the fun of it (or maybe not. I'm probably too practical for that, but the idea sounds nice).

For people who have dogs, I can sort of see getting into the spirit and building a unique dog house (or buying one from someone who will build it for you).

Here's one that looks like a castle:

Image by libraryrachel

And this one has a porch:

Image by Neuski

But there are so many other choices available on the Internet:

This one is from a company called Best Friend's Home (click through to check out their other models).

There's even a dog gazebo.

This one is from Paw Homes where there are some pretty awesome dog houses available.

This one looks rather spacious.

It's from Premo Products. They have several designs and will build to suit the size of your dog.

All that's left is to pull a Snoopy and add all those lights and Christmas ornaments!

Finding Oregon

"Finding Oregon" involved six months of time-lapse photography (and the compilation afterwards) and is by Uncage The Soul Productions.



Truly beautiful images. For more of the background on Finding Oregon, visit the Vimeo link.

What Can You Do With 22 Candy Canes (Besides Eat Them)?

You can make a candy cane wreath! Here are the instructions on how to make a quick a candy cane wreath with only some candy canes, ribbon, hot glue and E6000 (which I take it is a type of adhesive widely available, including at Amazon).

Image by Genbug

Thank you to Julie Hilton Steele for the link.