Thursday Thirteen #28

The Red is a fiery red-head that seems to draw a lot of attention. So whenever we go out, interesting things happen! This week, we were out-of-town for a conference and were staying at a hotel. We would walk to dinner or to a local bar.

13 Things, Good and Bad, About Going Out and Drinking With Aimee the Red:

1. Good: Some guy on a motorcycle actually pulled over to talk to us. He was a little creepy, so I was trying to nicely get rid of him.



2. Bad: The Red let it slip where we were going to eat and Creepy Motorcycle Guy actually found us and joined us for a while.



3. Good: We watched Monday Night Football at a bar with a bunch of IT guys from Atlanta.



4. Bad: The New Orleans Saints beat the heck out of the Atlanta Falcons, so the IT guys were upset.



5. Bad: A guy propositioned The Red by asking, “So, how much do you cost?” The Red was really pissed off at him.



6. Good or Bad: I didn’t get a chance to see him, or he would have had me to deal with.



7. Good: The guy at the hotel bar that was going to Vet School. He was really cool and loved animals. Good luck at Ohio State!



8. Good: The retired dentist from Texas that was at the hotel to help a friend run a Transformers tradeshow. http://www.botcon.com/ My son loves the Transformers.



9. Bad: Transformers Dude couldn’t (or wouldn’t) give me any loot to take home to my son.



10. Bad: Transformers Dude left the bar without paying his tab. We’ll just have to send Optimus Prime after him.



11. Good: The Red kept buying me more drinks.



12. Bad: I drank too much and was up half the night throwing up.



13. Bad: We had to get up at 6:15 am to get ready for the conference and be down there by 7:30 am. I was pretty hungover all day.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. ItÂ’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thursday Thirteen #27

Since moving out to the “Sticks” where we can’t get any TV, I have become best friends with my video iPod and iTunes. Especially with Podcasts and Video Podcasts. These allow me to subscribe to and download shows that I like, so that I can listen or watch them whenever I want.

Mainly, we listen to shows on the radio when going to school or home in the evening. But there are a few video podcasts that we can watch at home. I also listen to a few more “adult” podcasts at work or when I’m doing dishes.

Here is a list of my 13 Favorite Podcasts:

1. Crazy Dave’s Kid Show – A kids call-in radio show from Des Moines, Iowa. My son called in once, and we had a great time!



2. Dantastic You Dos – A new, short, video podcast with ideas on crafts that parents and kids can make at home. It features Crazy Dave, so that’s why we love it!



3. Kids Music: Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child – Another kid radio show that plays kid-friendly music. They always play They Might be Giants, if that gives you any indication about what kinds of music they play. I’ve also become hooked to a kids version of “Jungle Boogie.”



4. National Geographic Video Shorts – Video Podcast – Great shorts about all kinds of different things, from a tribe that hunts and eats rats to a Shaman in Paraguay, my kids love this show.






5. Never Not Funny – Jimmy Pardo’s “PardCast” – Adult conversations with comics and TV personalities, it’s an interesting glimpse into the life of comedians.



6. NPR: Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me! - This is the extremely funny NPR call-in game show about current events and news. Since I can’t always catch this show when it’s live on the radio, the Podcast is great to listen to when I get a chance.



7. Penn Radio Podcast – Penn Jillette, the tall, loud one from the Penn & Teller duo, has a daily 1-hour radio show. I love him, his humor, and his topics. Especially Monkey Tuesday, when people call in to tell stories about monkeys.



8. Smelly Monkeys – A podcast created by a father and his 8-year-old twin sons. My family likes to listen to their antics. They try to stick to a format, but usually end up just being silly, like boys do.



9. Wild Chronicles – Another National Geographic video Podcast. This focuses on animals. Who doesn’t like to learn about animals?



10. PotterCast - A Harry Potter podcast with news and discussion about the Harry Potter books, fandom, and wizarding world. Since my son and I are big fans of Harry Potter, we enjoy this podcast and their advance theories about what the books are really trying to say.



11. Real Time with Bill Maher – An audio version of Bill’s HBO show. Each show features an opening monologue, roundtable discussions with politically incorrect muse Bill Maher and a guest forum, plus segments with other special guests.



12. NOW PBS – Segments from the PBS show Now that feature information about today’s most important issues. Plus, David Brancaccio has such a nice voice.



13. NPR: Satire from The Unger Report - Communiques from the edge of America by humorist Brian Unger of NPR's "Day-to-Day." Humorist Brian Unger ponders the government's response to two of the day's most pressing issues: defining torture and banning spinach

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. ItÂ’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Avast! It's Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Goodbye WOXY

Two years ago, my favorite radio station, WOXY, went off the airwaves and became an internet-only radio station. The station, formerly 97.7 on the dial in the Cincinnati/Oxford Ohio area, was a refreshing change from the cookie-cutter Pop radio stations that we are all familiar with. Especially today, when just about every radio-listening area has a few of the Clear Channel template stations running. For example, the MIX format that plays a variety of music. I counted about 30 of those stations throughout the United States.

WOXY was The Future of Rock and Roll.
I can at least take solace in the fact that the radio station is immortalized in the Academy Award-winning movie, Rainman when Dustin Hoffman's character kept repeating the station's slogan:

"97X Bam! The Future of Rock N Roll".

I hope the future of rock-n-roll is not going the way of corporate-controlled franchises and that every city will not have completely homogenized radiowaves. Already every main street in every city looks the same, with Outback Steakhouses, Applebees, and McDonalds on every corner. I hope that music does not become homogenized.

I'm listening to the last few hours of WOXY's life. And, just as I’m typing this, one of my favorite songs, Radiohead’s “How to Disappear Completely,” is playing. I don’t know if I’ll ever hear this on a radio station again. How ironic.


http://www.woxy.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOXY_(internet_radio)

Thursday Thirteen #26

Just to be weird, I thought I'd list my

13 Favorite Palindromes.

In case you don't know, a palindrome is something that is the same forwards and backwards. The word OTTO is one. But in this case, I like phrases that are spelled the same forwards and backwards. Yes, most of these are in the weird Al Yankovic song, "Bob."

1. Ah, Satan sees Natasha.
2. A dog, a panic, in a pagoda!
3. I prefer Pi.
4. Redrum, sir, is murder.
5. Was it a cat I saw?
6. UFO tofu
7. Madam, I'm Adam
8. Rise to vote, sir
9. Oh no! Don Ho!
10. A Man, A Plan, A Canal: Panama
11. Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog!
12. Do geese see God?
13. May a moody baby doom a yam?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. ItÂ’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

9/11 Tribute: For Peter Gyulavary

REBUILD

In memory of Peter Mark Gyulavary, 44, victim of the September 11th attacks.

A little over a year ago, me and my family moved out to a rundown house in the forest, far from the city that we had grown used to. The house wasn’t livable, at first, and needed massive work. But we were determined to make it our home—and a nice home—because we wanted to rebuild our life in an area that is safe. Or at the very least, safer.

You see, in 2001, two things happened to make me and my husband re-think how we were living, where we were living, and how we would want our children to grow up. The first was the April riots in Cincinnati, Ohio following the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old black male, Timothy Thomas, by a white police officer. The second was September 11th. Both events shook us, shook our foundation. We decided, at that time, that we would find a way to escape the urban violence. To rebuild somewhere else.

Don’t get me wrong, we understand the lure of the big city. How the city hums with activity and thought, and you can get coffee or beer late at night and hear jazz playing on the corner.

Peter Mark Gyulavary understood this too. Peter grew up in Geelong, Victoria, Australia and moved to New York City and married an American wife. According to Paul, Peter’s twin brother, Peter always described New York as a place of extremes. I understand what he was saying. If you’ve ever visited New York, you’d know too. That is perhaps what lured Peter to make his home there.

Peter wasn’t content to just make his home in New York, he wanted to rebuild—to make homes better. Peter and his wife, Jane, restored a Victorian house in Warwick, NY. In order to be closer to the city, they purchased a condominium in Weehawken, N.J., and Peter began refurbishing an apartment in Manhattan.

Peter worked on many building and rebuilding projects in the public sector as well. His curriculum vitae is impressive. Peter’s final position as environmental engineer for Washington Group International had him working on light rail projects. He worked from the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

Peter was working on a big project on the morning of September 11, 2001. When a plane hit the North tower, he, like so many other people, started to evacuate the building. He even called his wife. But he was sure that he was safe. He went back to work, even when his wife told him to leave.

He was last seen on the 78th floor minutes before the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.

His body was recovered in the wreckage of the buildings, and is now buried in Warwick, NY. His twin brother, Paul, was in attendance.

There are many things we can do to remember Peter: We can eat at Outback Steakhouse and drink Fosters beer. We can wear yellow and gold in honor of his homeland. We can walk and do things backward in order to “put the evil behind us,” as his brother puts it. We can point to Australia on the map and say “That’s were Peter was from.”

But I don’t think that would be quite right. Peter liked America. He had rebuilt his life here. I think, in honor of Peter Mark Gyulavary, we should revel in our American culture and spirit.

When I get home from work on September 11th 2006, five years after the tragic event that took Peter’s life, I will drink Pete’s Wicked Ale, read Psalm 91, and listen to Bob Dylan’s song, “Forever Young”. And I’ll continue to rebuild our Creekistan home, and I will teach my children that although terrible things happen, we need to look forward to the future and rebuild.

Peter worked on the 91st floor of the South Tower. Psalm 91 is especially symbolic

The Bob Dylan song, “Forever Young” was dedicated to Peter at his memorial service.

SEE OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE 2,996.

Thursday Thirteen #25

13 Things I Like About Myself

1. I have an eclectic sense of humor.



2. I’m pretty easy going. Not too much stresses me. I usually have the attitude that as long as no one is dieing or will die, it’s probably okay. For example, being late to a party isn’t a matter of life-or-death.



3. I love kids and kids love me. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t forgotten what it’s like. My daughter’s daycare class all huddle around me when I arrive because they want to see my “bubble”—a small level I have on my keychain. I spend at least 5 minutes every morning showing it to them. Plus, my 10-year-old goddaughter wants to have me at all her sleepovers—her friends said that Aunt Amy is really cool!



4. Whenever I ask someone to guess my age, they usually say 27. I’m not 27 anymore!



5. I’m a tomboy—I don’t fit the traditional “girl” mold. I like sci-fi and computers. I like to put Lego kits together and can fix things.



6. Although I’m overweight, I don’t let it stop me from buying sexy lingerie. But it is harder to find.



7. I love to introduce people to new things—to get them out of their “sphere of comfort.” I usually insist people try Indian food at least once. I also tell people that Sushi doesn’t mean “raw fish,” and although a lot of sushi has fish, there are vegetarian options as well.



8. I can play many musical instruments, but not at a professional level. I can usually figure out a new instrument within a few minutes.



9. I enjoy diversity and am sensitive to other people’s believes and traditions. I will hang out with anyone.



10. I love animals and appreciate what they bring to our lives. I swear that sometimes they communicate with me. Okay, call me crazy, but who do the work dogs come to when they want to go out? Me!




<

11. I am not easily offended—which makes it really nice when I’m in mixed company. I can enjoy all the jokes—even the dirty ones!



12. I love to learn new things. It never hurts to know things.



13. I like to break routines and try new things. I don’t go the same way home everyday, and I don’t eat the same things all the time.
    
    
    

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants