Celtic Women (Sail Away)

As Monty Python used to say, "And now for something completely different!"!

I watched a concert on PBS with the Celtic Women. They were wonderful. This song in particular stood out in my mind. I think it put the whole concert in perspective.

Solve Rubik's Cube? 36 Years Later Clueless!

In 1974, a new puzzle hit the market and took the world by storm. Rubiks Cube. Soon two groups of people emerged. The one's that could solve the puzzle, and the rest of us who were clueless. In fact, if I worked out every possible combination that it offered, I think I would still have not figured it out! I knew of someone, struggling to solve it, peeled off the colors on each cube and and re-stuck them in the right order.  And then threw it away! Not me. I couldn't get the colors off.


For more information follow this link.
From http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100813/od_afp/ussciencerubikoffbeat


In 1981 52 moves were used to solve it.  By 1992, 37 moves were needed.  Now it is down to 20 moves. They call it the God's moves, the most efficient way to solve the puzzle.  And that was with the help of Google's computers and billions of moves over a few weeks time. Fastest time to solve the puzzle, 7.08 seconds.
 My question is why? When you know how to do it, does speed matter? I guess for some it does. The research, published online, ends a 30-year search for the most efficient way to correctly align the 26 colored cubes that make up Erno Rubrik's 1974 invention.


I am still struggling to get it out of the packaging..........

I Wanna Be Like You...shoobedo, walk like you, talk like you....

Disney was known back in the day of drawing the character around the voice and look  of the person doing the part. Louis Prima , a great Las Vegas showman, was cast as the ape in Jungle Book.

The second video(sorry the sync is off, couldn't find another), singing Just a Gigolo. David Lee Roth eat your heart out!

I betting after hearing the music, those songs won't leave your head all day!

Let Them Read

Sometimes the only way to find out if anything is worth anything is to ask. Recently I brought some of my poetry to work to be read by a few of my co-workers, women of course, who I have had some meaningful conversations in the past.  Yes, I picked them hoping for a favorable response.

I gave them about ten poems, left them alone, and hoped for the best.  Talk about a gut check. Posting on the web is one thing, face to face another. Then I returned.

One thing I noticed immediately is they looked at me differently. I was cast in a new light. I heard words like "powerful, sad" and I wish I was there and glad I wasn't, and "beautiful".

I had opened up a window to my inner being and they seemed to appreciate it. One said I should read at a coffee house on a poetry night.

It did give me hope that my writing is not a useless endeavor.

Whew.

Life Is A Highway, I Want To Ride It All Night Long

Definitely one of the ride along, windows down, cranked up volume to the max, cause people to stare, car songs to add to your list, if it is not there already! Crank it up and dance in that cubicle!

Ouch! My Head Still Hurts!

There is a lot of talk about professional sports, especially football, the violent impacts causing concussions and players having problems later in life.

I wasn't a player, but I had/have my own issues growing up that maybe effected me and how I grew up. Painful memories in more ways that I like to think about.

I have been knocked out several times between 7 and my early twenties. Why was I so unlucky, I don't know. When I was little, playing by a neighbors house, I was hit in the head with a hammer that was being swung about. Knocked unconscious.





On the playground, playing baseball, I got to close to the batter who swung wildly, was hit in the head. Knocked unconscious.





I was playing catch with my brother in front of my house. My dad was sitting on the stairs watching us. At one point he called out to me, I turned, but my brother had thrown the ball and with my head turned, hit me in the side of the head. Knocked unconscious. 






I was playing ice hockey at the local park outside, aggressive hockey, one guy took exception and hit me in the head from behind with his hockey stick. Knocked unconscious.






Does that effect you later in life? Yes I think so.  My math skills are limited. I don't trust myself with figures without a calculator. I remember standing in front of the blackboard, crying, that I couldn't understand the math problems.

I always feel inferior to anyone that is good in math. or figures. or bookkeeping. accounting.



I stopped trying to move up in the business world because I didn't want to fail at something so easy for others and so difficult for me. I transpose numbers at critical times. Counting money, I couldn't be a cashier because I would make money blunders that could cost me my job.

I tried to get some additional schooling and advance myself, but on too many occasions, I just wouldn't or couldn't  get it. Like someone who never learned to read and faked their way through life,  I made do. But I knew something was missing.


All my life I struggled trying to figure out what i was good at. Wandered from job to job. I didn't know what to do.  I was very shy growing up and not until my late twenties did I start to show some promise as a salesman. Much later in life, I started getting good at it, and my pay has slowly gone up.

Almost everyone that has made it big in life seems to have great math skills. I realized early on that would not be me, but I didn't stop trying. Somethings take me forever to learn, but when I do, I can do them in my sleep. But few have the time or patience to let me find my way.

I am a voracious reader. A great thirst for knowledge. I have been told I am creative. I can visualize problems and come up with solutions. I am competitive. I believe I am compensating for my short comings, that is probably true.


I know that I am not the brightest or the dumbest. It is what it is.  It is always somewhat painful to talk about one's shortcomings. But sometime it is therapeutic to write about it.

Today's Forecast Calling For Mr. Blue Sky's

Robert Palmer Soulful Sounds

A great rendition of Marvin Gaye's Mercy Mercy Me and I Want You

Better then the original I think. Another side of Robert Palmer, a mood inducing tune. Remember Arsenio?

Tubular Bells

Possibly one of the scariest movies of all time, the Exorcist set the bar for a scary ride home after watching it and a restless sleep later that night.  It awakened hidden fears in the unknown. The movie production company was plagued with many problems during the filming of this classic.  It is recommended viewing. The song, Tubular Bells, by Mike Oldfield, is both haunting and beautiful.

Old Man Strength

No, I don't look like the picture, never have, never will.

But over the years, one's mind and body can learn to do what is needed muscle wise.

But yesterday, it happened again.
Someone was struggling, trying to move something heavy. I moved it with ease myself. He exclaimed " I have old man strength".

This is not the first time someone has said that. I must admit it made me feel good.
 And then moved on to do something else.

But for just a moment, I was young and strong....