Happy New Year!!!!

I was watching CNN this morning and they were doing a countdown of the best dances of 2007 (of all things).  They showed a clip of this cadet in the Air Force Academy and  I was able to find it on YouTube.

This is the way to start the new year - dancing, jumping, and just having a good time for the heck of it.

I wish everyone a safe and happy New Year.  I especially send out my thoughts to the men and women in the military still overseas.  We hope to see you back home soon.

R

New TSA rules for batteries in your baggage starting Jan 1st 2008

I don’t recall seeing this in the news.  But I was out on the TSA site looking something up for an upcoming trip and thought I would pass it on.

From their Website:

Effective January 1, 2008, spare lithium batteries - extra batteries not installed on devices - will no longer be allowed in checked baggage. Spare lithium batteries may be packed in carry-on baggage and lithium batteries installed in a device may be packed in either checked or carry-on, as long as the battery is installed in the device

The link to the page can be found here.  Thy also point to a DOT site that talks about battery saftey tips.

Depending on the length of the flight, I will usually have a spare laptop battery with me and I always bring spare batteries with me for the camera gear.  Both camera batteries and batteries for the flash units. 

It will be interesting to see if they put any limits on the number or type of batteries you can carry-on.  Or, if they too will get the Ziploc treatment.

R

Happy Holiday’s…

I know.  It’s a little late.  OK, very late, but better late than never.  Saw this over on Helen’s site, I Forgot Where I Was Going with This.  Here’s my contribution…

Wrapping paper or gift bags?I like paper.  Nothing like the sound of that paper tearing off the gift.

Real tree or artificial? Real.  The fakes are getting better, but there is nothing like a real tree.  I’m a northerner.  I’m used to real trees.

When do you put up the tree?Depends.  This year we did it just after Thanksgiving.  Other years we wound up with a Charlie Brown tree because we didn’t get around to it until Christmas Eve. 

When do you take the tree down? When I get tired of cleaning up the needles.

Do you like eggnog?Yes, along with the extras that go in it.

Favorite gift received?Hmmmm….  They were all pretty good.  Hard to pick a favorite.

Do you have a nativity scene? No.

Hardest person to buy for? Until recently, my father-in-law.  Now that we have found “his thing” (music), it’s a lot easier.

Easiest person to buy for? Everyone else.  I can usually come up with a good idea for just about everyone.

Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Clothes.  Especially when they are a size or two too big.  Oh, I did get a fruit cake once.  but, that was actually pretty good.  Is that weird?!?

Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail them.  We also use one of the services where we can put our own picture on the card (not us, but a picture of a landscape or some other item).

Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Storywith Darrin McGavin and Peter Billingsly.  I also like the claymation movies.

When do you start shopping for Christmas?   Tends to be last minute.

Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?  Ummm…. Errrr….

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas cookies/deserts.  I see a lot of stuff this time of year that you don’t see the rest of the year.

Clear lights or colored on the tree? Depends on the mood.  Last year was clear, this year was colored.

Favorite Christmas song? Aren’t they all good??  LOL!!!

Travel at Christmas or stay home? I try and stay home. 

Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes.

Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.

Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning.

Most annoying thing about this time of year? OBNOXIOUS SHOPPERS!  <– Yeah, what she said.

What I love most about Christmas? Everything - music, food, lights, most people are happy/nice.

For those who don’t know the basics…

I came across this sign in the restroom of a local grocery store the other day.  I’m hoping it’s a proactive attempt at inform people and not a reactive response to an issue… (Yuck!!). 

Just click the pic and check out the bottom left…

R

Ass Pimples on the rise - Warming Link???

It’s crazy…  Every time we turn around these days, it seems like someone is trying to link global warming to some issue or situation.  Regardless of your beliefs in what is happening with warming you have to admit, some of the headlines out there are a bit crazy.

Take this one for example, Global Warming Affects NFL.  Apparently, the warming of the planet can cause kick-offs (punts and throws I would also assume) to go farther than they have in the past.  Did we really have a group of “scientists” (yes, I’m using the bunny ear quotes here) spend time on the impacts to the NFL?  Come on…

I came across a few other articles out there that talked about opponents of astro turf stating that astroturf contributes to global warming.  Apparently the fields run a little warmer than natural grass and cause heat wells. 

People (media??) are really stretching sometimes. 

During the recent fires in Malibu (and most of California) I heard quite a few references to warming.  Could it be that, besides fire being part of the natural cycle of life, that people are building homes in areas that are normally fire prone?  If we’re encroaching on areas that normally would burn, we have to realize that homes are probably going to burn at some point.  It’s not warming…  Why don’t we have those discussions?

Well, I need to go take care of some laundry.  Global warming caused the BBQ sauce to thin out a little and it dripped all over me.  The warming probably also caused it to bind into the fibers.  Hey, there’s a thought.  I have solar water heating.  If it is getting hotter, more free hot water for me…

What do you think?

R

Note to the people in California.  I don’t want to see anyone lose their home or more importantly their family memories.  I’m truly sorry for the loses…