Wednesday, February 19, 2020

SOME STUFF YOU PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO KNOW

Lately lots and lots of things have been cracking me up, and recently, it's Gwyneth Paltrow.  I'm not a die hard fan, and have seen some of  her movies, but http://darwinfish2.blogspot.com/ reminded me of why this Oscar, Golden Globe, and EmmAward winner would just be so cool to hang out with for a cup of oolong tea and maybe a salad. I'm not so sure she'd be keen on a cheeseburger, but I could be wrong about that.

If you didn't know, Paltrow created the company Goop in 2008, and Netflix has featured Goop Lab in a recent documentary.  At the end of the day, Darwinfish and I are both wondering if she tested herself or someone else to come up with this candle. (lol) And we both agree that her marketing skills are fabulous!  This sold out for $239.50 on eBay the last time I checked, but you can grab it from Poshmark for $200, or get this sexy citrusy bergamot and rose scent at the bargain price of $75 over at www.goop.com.  


I've been pulling out my hair for the past year, but it's finally finished.  To all my friends who told me that 58 I'm way too old to start something new, I'm just gonna "Shake It Off".
Kudos once again to the super talented Lissa at https://thememoryofrain.blogspot.com/ who created such a badass logo.  More updates to come soon.


Uh oh. If you ever see the initials SSSS on your boarding pass, that's not a misprint or typo. Leave all the naughty stuff at home because you're the unlucky winner of  a secondary security screening which includes a full body pat down search, metal detector screening, and your carry on luggage will be opened and searched.
There's a word for people like me, and quite a few other book nerds in the world - abibliophobia. 
We are afraid of running out of reading material, and explains why most of us have huge TBR piles at home.


Don't call margarine butter in Iowa, please.(lol)


It's a $1 fine for blocking the sidewalk with a box in Maryland.  







Robert De Niro, who I adore,  made "you talkin' to me" famous from the movie Taxi Driver in 1976.

Ian McKellen was the only actor nominated for an Oscar for the Lord of the Rings movies.

Have you see the movie Joker with Joaquin Phoenix? Did you think it was too violent? In addition to an Oscar win for best actor this year, the movie has also become the highest grossing R- rated film of all time.


Back in 2017 on Twitter, this guy went all in to prove to his girlfriend that he was home in bed. By the way 201,000 people liked this post.(lol)  Ironically, his Twitter account hasn't been active since then! 


Did you know that 200 years ago people used corn cobs to stay warm? But there are still many instances today where they are still used for home insulation.  


More and more people are using Apps like Tinder, eHarmony, Zoosk, okCupid and more to find love, but there's an art to writing those profiles.  If you have the knack for writing that perfect pitch, you can get paid!  Sign up with E-Cyrano Go here  or with Vida  https://www.vidaselect.com/careers/,  or www.fiverr.com.  
Also, if you're a talker and have a flexible schedule, you can get paid to speak with native Chinese speakers who want to practice their English.  Yep, you're getting paid $10 per hour via Paypal just to have a remote conversation with a new friend! Visit http://tutor.nicetalk.com/  to sign up today.

Even though he was divorced from Demi Moore, Walter Bruce Willis was invited to her wedding to Ashton Kutcher.  He was also the only celebrity invited to Julia Roberts' wedding to photographer Daniel Moder.  By the way, there was talk in 2018 of a prequel called McClane, aka Die Hard 6, but now the planned release is up in the air.

Did you know that 1/4 Cup of Basil Pesto Sauce has 590 mg of sodium versus 210 mg in 1/4 Cup of Tomato Basil Garlic Italian Sauce?
So if you're wanting to lower your salt intake, tomato based is the way to go. AARP

Image result for cute cats hugging people
Can we just keep hugging and snuggling?








Friday, December 20, 2019

SOME STUFF TO PONDER & A MINI RANT

Let's be honest because we're all among friends here, right?  Have you ever given a fruitcake to anyone as a gift either before or after Christmas?  I've seen the same fruitcake given as a gift to three different people one year when I was a kid, but I never told either of my friends.  But you can imagine how much I laughed every time it showed up. (lol)

4-1/2 lb FruitcakeI've never given one, but in my lifetime, I've received 2 3. The first was years and years ago, and not very tasty, and the second was was from a place called Southern Supreme in NC https://www.southernsupreme.com/Fruitcake/products/1001/ and I loved it. The third one is pictured below that I just received a few days ago, and at 2 lbs. I can use that dang thing as a weight. (lol) Did you know a fruitcake that's stored at the right temp can last for an entire month, and even longer(up to 6 months) in your freezer?
This is a fruit cake from Carlie C's that I just received as a gift.(lol)


More and more people have stopped eating meat for various reasons, and sometimes you just need a quick snack versus an entire meal.  So several restaurant or fast food chains are offering up meatless burgers and include  Sheetz, Burger King, Cheesecake Factory, TGI Fridays, Red Robin(one of my fave burger joints), White Castle and  Hardee's.  But is that burger really all veggie?  


Vegetarians have the right to expect  meatless meals as advertised, which includes not having their food cooked on the same grill as the beef is, and that's why Burger King is being sued. Is it truly vegetarian when food is cooked in the same beefy grease or oil? Stay tuned.

Teacup Labrador Puppy Statue Hi-Line Gift Ltd.Do you have a favorite dog?  Every year the American Kennel Club shares their list of the most popular breeds based on the annual registration stats. Here are their picks for 2018.  You may be surprised to know that the Labrador Retriever is at the top of the list, and has been since 1991.  Here's where everyone else stands.

1.  Labrador Retriever
2.  German Shepherd
3.  Golden Retriever
4.  French Bulldog
5.  Bulldog

Lynn's Sick Brownie Bites( Friend of Valerie Bertinelli from the Food Network 2012)
Ingredients
  • Cooking spray, for coating the baking pan
  • 1 2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 2/3 cup shredded coconut
  • 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
  • Big pinch kosher salt
  • Confectioners' sugar, for rolling

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees, then coat 8" square baking pan with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, stir together the crumbs, coconut, walnuts, condensed milk, chocolate chips and salt.  With a spatula, press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.  Bake until the chocolate melts, and the top is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

With a spoon, stir the hot mixture in the pan until all the chocolate is incorporated, the press the mixture back out to the edges.  Set aside on rack until it's cool enough to handle.

Spread confectioner's sugar on a late, then scoop out the brownie mixture by the tablespoonful, and with your hands, shape into balls.  While still warm, gently roll each ball in sugar to coat.  These can be stored in a covered container for up to 2 days.


At approximately 5400 feet deep, Lake Baikal in Russia is considered the deepest freshwater lake and also the oldest in the world. 

The pure and clear water make this beautiful lake safe enough to swim in, and if you're a fisherman/woman, you'll love it because there are lots of fish there that can't be found anywhere else in the world. Even though it's located in the southern portion of Siberia, which is slightly warmer, bring your mittens, thermals and earmuffs because the average temperature is about -6 degrees F!

Times sure have changed. In 1960, there were 4.3 million births and 1.7 million deaths.  Fast forward to 2018 where there 3.8 million births and 2.8 million deaths!Almanac 2020

The top three states in the US with the highest percentage of divorce and annulments as of 2017 are 

1. Nevada - 4.5%
2. Oklahoma - 4.1%
3 Wyoming - 4%

So now you might be wondering which place has the lowest rate, and that would be Illinois and Louisiana who tie at 1.9%. 

Ironically, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Nevada are also at the top of the list for male on female violent crimes.



Have you ever watched Let's Make A Deal?  The first show came on in 1963 with Monty Hall, and the final show aired in 1976.  The fun started again when Wayne Brady took over in 2009, with the added bonus of winning extra cash by following the show on Twitter.  It's so fun to see the different costumes and prize wins. By the way, just in case you didn't know, Brady is the most recent winner of one of my favorite shows - The Masked Singer.  
Wayne Brady disguised as The Fox


It was cool to win this award from my good buddy Lissa of https://thememoryofrain.blogspot.com/ , and it's true that occasionally I forget to blog because I start working on other projects. (lol)  She's one of the sweetest people I know. Thanks Lissa!

Thanks and plenty of hugs to Sophia from http://delightedreader.com/review-blitzed-by-alexa-martin/ ,Elizabeth from http://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/ , Adria from https://adriasromancereviews.blogspot.com/ , Angela from https://simplyangelarenee.blogspot.com/ and Sandra from http://sandracox.blogspot.com/   These ladies are proof that blogging brings about real life beautiful friendships and fun, and I thank them so much for their gifts, laughter and support over the years. 


Thanks Adria - knows I love my planners!

Thanks Elizabeth - knows I love handmade cards and McDonald's! Isn't her tree great?!

Thanks Angela -knows I love chocolate, handmade cards and books!

Thanks Elizabeth - knows I love Martha Stewart!

Thanks Sophia - knows I can never have enough Washi Tape

Thanks Elizabeth - yay to more Martha Stewart!

Thanks Sandra - a personally signed western love story is so awesome!


Wanna earn some extra cash, and start a new life?  Grab your stuff and head to Topeka Kansas, where they're offering up $10,000 to renters and $15,000 for home buyers who move there. 
Act fast, because the Choose Topeka Program is only offering this deal to 40-60 people as they try to boost economic development in that city.  

You can also save money on that person who has everything by buying gift cards at a discount.  Use www.cardpool.com, cardcash.com, giftcards.com, raise.com, www.plasticjungle.com and giftcardgranny.com.

If you're like me and have been eating a few too many goodies this season, British researchers say we can burn calories by relaxing for an hour in a warm bath, burning as many calories as we would on a fast paced walk. Why does this work? Apparently, sitting in that tub raises our body temp with passive heating. The optimum heat should be consistently at least 104 degrees while bathing, but you'll still see some results with lower water temperatures.

 Also, according researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, adding just 30 grams of fiber to your diet and changing nothing else, can cause you to lose weight.Well that's a BIG yes for me
!




Technology is great and we continue to grow which I can appreciate, but I can't help but wish we still had old school options.  There are still plenty of people around in the world who don't feel comfortable using computers, and would prefer to fill out an application the old-fashioned way - you know, on paper with a pen.  Some prefer to use cash instead of a debit or credit card.  Without computer skills, many people are frustrated because they miss out on benefits, jobs and deals, and no one has the patience to help them. Does everything have to be computerized?  Can we still have the old fashioned stuff available for those who don't want to use technology?  Have we gone too far to turn back just a little? Here's to you, Cher.