Archive for the ‘Humor’ Category

12-14-2013. Journal Entry   Leave a comment

I received my second gift of this Fall season yesterday.  My first gift was my broken leg that occurred at the end of October.  The second gift was the doctor declaring my leg healed after just six weeks and ordering the removal of the air cast and those dirty, rotten, miserable, and effing crutches.  Also, he felt physical therapy wouldn’t be necessary either.  He slapped on a small and unobtrusive ankle brace which allows me to once again wear a normal shoe and walk on two feet.  I was on my way home and I was thrilled BUT . . . . .

You’d think I’d be happier but over the years I’ve discovered that every silver cloud has a dark and disturbing chewing center.  During my two months of hopping around on one leg I forgot just how much of a negative effect not using that leg could be.  I lost almost thirty percent of the muscle mass in my leg in just 2 months.  I also was so concerned about the broken bone that I gave very little thought to the damage my knee suffered in the same accident.  Now that I’m able to put full weight on the leg the knee is screaming for attention. I gave up the cast for an ankle brace and gave up the crutches for a knee brace.  There seems to be no end to this madness and some one somewhere is intent on having me hobbled for Christmas.  It’s a little spooky.

I decided to celebrate with my better-half on my return to two legged walking and we planned a night out to have some fun.  First we had to babysit the grandson on my first nite back which was fun like always. My better-half returned to work the next day and upon her arrival home she was complaining  endlessly about all of the sick employees who’d been calling off and leaving early due to some kind of virus.  The next morning I was lying in bed and felt the dreaded tickle in the back of my throat.  Twenty-four hours later I’m sneezing, my nose is running, and the fever is building.  I’ve now been on my back for two days with some sort of damn flu courtesy of either my grandson or my better-half.  K M N !!!

If I don’t catch anymore diseases or break anymore bones I hope to be back on my feet by Christmas.  I’d just be happy to feel good and be able to walk into the kitchen unaided by anyone or anything.  I certainly hope New Years remains uneventful.  I’ll be locking myself up in solitary confinement on the 26th and staying there for the rest of the month.  No contact with my better-half, no visits from my cat, and especially no visits or contact from that disease carrying little runt of a grandson.  The party will be a quiet one but at least I’ll be feeling better.  I’m hoping against hope that 2014 is a vast improvement over this year.

And here’s the cherry on top of my December sundae.  I awoke this morning to find fifteen inches of snow covering everything.  I immediately attacked it with my snow blower to help my better-half go to work.  Big surprise, I traveled no more than 100 feet and it died.  They say things come in threes so I think I should be good for a while.

DECK THE EFFING HALLS

12-12-2013 Political Correctness in Sports   4 comments

I’ve been fighting the good fight against political correctness for more years than I care to admit.  All in all it’s made no difference whatsoever.  It hasn’t changed my thinking in the least but I’m out numbered by people and government institutions that have more money and power than I.  They’ve made political correctness a permanent part of the American landscape and I’m not sure what it will take to get us back on track.  The only thing I’m absolutely sure is that I won’t be alive to see the change if it ever comes.

I’ll continue to fight the good fight and ridicule those politically correct fools whenever possible and use my sarcasm as a weapon against them.  With that in mind I present for your edification the following article.  It was sent to me by a long time friend in KC who is another warrior against political correctness.  It made me laugh and then after I thought about it some more I stopped laughing.  You sports fanatics will appreciate this.

* * *

I agree with our Native American population—I am highly insulted by the racially charged name of the Washington Redskins.  One might argue that to name a professional football team after Native Americans would exalt them as warriors, but nay nay….   We must be careful not to offend, and in the spirit of political correctness and courtesy, we must move forward.

Let’s ditch The Kansas City Chiefs, The Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians.  If your panties are in a bunch because of the reference the name Redskins makes to skin color, then we need to get rid of the Cleveland Browns as well.

The Carolina Panthers obviously were named to keep the memory of the militant Blacks from the 60’s alive.  Gone.  Offensive to us white folk.

The New York Yankees offend the Southern population.  Do you see a team named for the Confederacy?  No!  There is no room for any reference to that tragic war between the states that cost this country so many young men’s lives.  Besides, the South shall rise again!!

I’m also offended by the blatant references to the Catholic religion among our football team names.  Totally inappropriate to have the New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Angels or the San Diego Padres.  The fact that there are birds on their shirts does not protect either the Arizona or the St. Louis Cardinals—gone!

Then there are the team names that glorify criminals who raped and pillaged as their way of life.  We are talking the horrible Oakland Raiders, the Minnesota Vikings, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Pirates!

Now, let us address those teams that clearly send the wrong message to our children—and it is all about the children. The Green Bay Packers and the St. Louis Rams–promote gay men.  Wrong message to our children.

The San Diego Chargers promote irresponsible spending habits.  Wrong message to our children.

The New York Giants and the San Francisco Giants promote obesity–a growing childhood epidemic.  Wrong message to our children.

The Cincinnati Reds promote downers/barbiturates.  Drugs is definitely a wrong message to our children.

The Milwaukee Brewers—well, that goes without saying….   Wrong message to our children.

So, there you go.  We need to support any legislation that comes out to rectify this travesty, because the government will likely become involved with this issue, as they should.  A high priority directly behind efficiently managing our country’s health care.

* * *

We will soon be watching the Unicorns vs Kittens on Sunday afternoons.  GO UNICORNS, KICK THE HELL OUT OF THEM KITTENS!  Can I get an amen?

12-10-2013 Osama Bin Santa   Leave a comment

A few years ago I posted this story more as therapy for myself than anything else.  I suffer from a nagging case of Santa PTSB that recurs every December.  I want it to be known that I was fighting terrorism as a six year old before it became fashionable.  Each time I repost this story it helps me with my Santa issues like nothing else can.  That big fat and jolly SOB is known in our house as Osama Bin Santa and the only difference between him and other terrorists is that Santa loves victimizing young kids.  With that in mind here’s my scary and terrifying Christmas story.

As a young child my parents made every attempt to make Christmas memorable for my sister and me.  My sister was very young and I was just turning 6 years old. I still firmly believed all the stories about Santa’s elves and all the other good stuff. In the back of my young mind there was a seed of skepticism secretly growing. I was beginning to have serious doubts about Santa and my parents as well. A lot of what I was being told by my trusted family members wasn’t what I was hearing on the street (school yard). My friends had almost convinced me that the whole Santa thing was just BS and that the adults were actually the real gift givers.  It think it was at that early age that my trust issues with authority figures first began.

My parents began to suspect I was wavering and their propaganda was now falling on deaf ears. In a conspiracy involving my mother, her sister, my grandparents, and my Dad it was decided that drastic action was immediately necessary to convince me that Santa was the real deal. I’d been acting out a lot and being a little disrespectful to my elders so it was time for Santa to step in and straighten me out once and for all.

It was the week before Christmas and we were visiting my grandparents. I was being a huge pain in the ass as usual like a lot of six-year-olds can be at that time of the year. It was just after dark and I was walking through the house down a narrow hallway towards the kitchen. It was dark outside and as I passed the window I glanced over and almost had a six-year-old heart attack. There was Santa looking back at me and smiling a frightening smile. My blood turned cold and I got the hell out of there screaming all the way upstairs to hide under the bed.  My parents let me know in no uncertain terms that Santa was out looking for those children who were being good and keeping an eye on those that weren’t.  I was on the latter list, of course.

For the next few days I was a complete angel but after dark I was still nervous about looking out the windows. Santa the terrorist had accomplished his mission. I saw him again on two or three other occasions over the next two Christmases, once at our house, and again in the coal cellar at my grandparents home. Unfortunately I’d already consulted with my knowledgeable friends at the playground and I was officially a nonbeliever by then. I went along with the charade for as long as possible since my parents  were giving the gifts.  They finally had a meeting and decided I was just playing them for extra toys and my game was over.

Many years later while I was digging through an old trunk in my aunt’s bedroom I discovered where Santa had been hiding for all these many years. His retirement consisted of being tucked under a pile of sheets and pillowcases in that old trunk. My aunt laughed until she cried when I confronted her.  We relived a very special and scary Christmas memory and enjoyed the moment very much.

What I never told her or my parents was the lingering collateral damage from their actions. To this day during the Christmas season I’m careful in dark rooms and hallways and try never to look out the windows, NEVER. In the malls and stores where Santa is holding court I stay the hell away. That guy still scares the bejesus out of me. Terrorism is no joke.

12-09-2013 More Christmas Trivia   Leave a comment

Well, we’re left with only 15 shopping days till Christmas. Instead of writing about myself and my Christmas stories, which I’ll save for later time, I found a few others that are both humorous and funny. The first story comes out of the great state of Connecticut and took place a few yeas ago. In my experience Connecticut has always had an overabundance of strange folks wandering the streets and once again I’ve been proven correct. I’ve never known anyone who found Santa all that sexy but apparently they’re a few people out there who do.  Here we go.

* * *

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Santa Claus says that a woman who sat on his lap was naughty, not nice. A Santa at the Danbury Fair mall said the woman groped him. “The security officer at the mall said Santa Claus has been sexually assaulted,” police Detective Lt. Thomas Michael said of the weekend complaint.

Sandrama Lamy, 33, of Danbury, was charged with sexual assault and breach of peace. She was released on a promise to appear in court on Jan. 3.
Police quickly found and identified Lamy because the woman was described as being on crutches, said Capt. Bob Myles. A call seeking comment from Lamy was answered by a recording Tuesday morning. A woman later called back and said: “It’s a false report and I don’t have any idea.”

Police did not give the name of the disconcerted Santa, but they said he is 65 and felt badly because children were waiting to see him. “He was apparently shocked and embarrassed by the whole incident,” Myles said.

A man who teaches hundreds of prospective Santa’s a year _ “Santa Tim” Connaghan, president of realsantas.com, said he’s never heard of a similar incident, though it’s not unusual for adults to want to pose with Santa.
“I’ve had some very nice ladies sit on my lap,” said Connaghan, who did not train the Danbury Fair Santa. “Once in a while they’ll say ‘I hope Mrs. Claus isn’t going to be upset.’ You have to be discreet and kind and say ‘Oh no, she’ll be OK. You can sit here, but only for one photo.'”

A spokeswoman for Cherry Hill Photo, the company that coordinates Santa’s for Danbury Fair, declined to comment Tuesday.

* * *

Here’s a short list of the many and varied ways you can say Merry Christmas around the world. It may not interest some of you and that’s okay, enjoy them anyway.

Glaedelig Jul – Danish

Vrolijike Kerst – Dutch

Hyvvaa Joulua – Finnish

Frohe Weihnachten – German

Kala Christouyenna – Greek

Gledileg Jol – Icelandic

Buon Natale – Italian

God Jul – Norwegian

Feliz Natal – Portuguese

God Jul – Swedish

Iyi Noeller – Turkish

There’s always room for more Christmas trivia. I think it’s a good thing to see and understand just how this holiday developed and has been interpreted around the world in so many different cultures.

  • Christmas Eve in Japan is a good day to eat fried chicken and strawberry shortcake.
  • Michigan has no official state song, but one, ‘Michigan, My Michigan,’ is frequently used. The words were written in 1863, and the melody used is that of the Christmas song “O Tannenbaum”.
  • Electric Christmas lights were first used in 1854.
  • America’s official national Christmas tree is located in King’s Canyon National Park in California. The tree, a giant sequoia called the “General Grant Tree”, is over 90 meters (300 feet) high, and was made the official Christmas tree in 1925.
  • The first department store to feature a visit with Santa was the J. W. Parkinson’s store in Philadelphia in 1841. Astonishingly, no other department stores copied this event until 1890 when a store in Boston repeated it. Before long lines of children formed at stores across America to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him their Christmas wish list. The department store Santa has been immortalized in films such as Miracle on 34th Street and Christmas Story.
  • “Jingle Bells” was originally written for a Thanksgiving celebration, in 1857.

Well, there you have it. Another short collection of useless Christmas trivia. It amazes me just how much information is available about Christmas not just here in the United States but around the world. The more I search the more I find and just so you know I intend to keep searching. Hopefully within the next day or two I’ll post my Christmas story involving Santa and and his visits to my home in Pennsylvania oh so many years ago.

12-08-2013 Christmas Journal Entry   Leave a comment

As we slowly approach Christmas Day I find a need to continue with my blogging of all things Christmas.  After the last few days of watching my better-half bake enough cookies and breads to feed an army I’m ready to scream.  Even with this broken leg my weight loss program continues and all these goodies in the house with their fantastic smells is driving me crazy.  So I decided to hide out in the man-cave and work on a few postings.  Anything to stay away from the kitchen.  I’ve lost almost thirty pounds so far and the last thing I need is a Christmas holiday season full of candies and cookies.

The first thing I’d like to pass on today are a few thoughts from past and present celebrities.  I know how most of you hang on their every word and I hope you enjoy this short look into their thought processes.

  • ‘I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.’ Bernard Manning
  • ‘I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six.  Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.’ Shirley Temple
  • ‘A Christmas shopper’s complaint is one of long-standing.’ Anonymous
  • ‘Santa Claus wears a Red Suit, he must be a communist. And a beard and long hair, must be a pacifist.  What’s in that pipe that he’s smoking?’
    Arlo Guthrie
  • Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?
    You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.
    Anonymous
  • ‘Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year.’  Victor Borge
  • ‘The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C.  This wasn’t for any religious reasons. T hey couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin.’ Jay Leno
  • ‘Merry Christmas, Nearly Everybody!’ Ogden Nash
  • Anyone who believes that men are the equal of women has never seen a man trying to wrap a Christmas present. Anonymous

Next I offer you a few Christmas movie quotes.  I live in a family obsessed with remembering movie quotes.  Having a conversation with them and not being a movie expert makes communicating difficult at times.  These quotes are for them and anyone else who’s interested.

  • Aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas?
    You know… the birth of Santa.
    Bart Simpson
  • Snowman: Did you hear about the church that burned down?
    Statler, Waldorf: Holy smoke!  Muppet Movie
  • Doris: Would you please tell her that you’re not really Santa Claus, that there actually is no such person?
    Kris Kringle: Well, I hate to disagree with you, but not only is there such a person, but here I am to prove it.
    ‘Miracle on 34th Street’
  • Look, Daddy. Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.  It’s A Wonderful Life
  • Charlie, stay away from those things. They’re reindeer, you don’t know where they’ve been. They all look like they’ve got key lime disease.
    The Santa Clause Movie
  • Rats. Nobody sent me a Christmas card today. I almost wish there weren’t a holiday season. I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it? A Charlie Brown Christmas

I’m not a fan of watching Christmas movies which puts me immediately in the minority.  It seems everyone’s Christmas memories include one or two “special” movies that they enjoyed as kids.  I stumbled on a website recently that listed the following movies as the Ten Best Christmas Movies ever.  I can honestly say I haven’t seen more than three of the movies on their list.  They may be right but I’m not the guy to make that call.  It does seem a little odd that there are no mentions made of any recent movies like “Home Alone” or “Christmas Vacation” with Chevy Chase.  Just a thought from a non-Christmas movie person.

Christmas In Connecticut (1945) – Barbara Stanwyck
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) – Frank Capra [Best Christmas Movie]
Miracle On 34th Street (1947) – Kris Kringle
Scrooge (1951) – Alistair Sim
White Christmas (1954) – Bing Crosby Classic
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol
A Christmas Story (1883) – Bob Clark
Joyeux Noel (2005) – WW1 Football Game in the Trenches
Olive the Other Reindeer

I think that’ll do it for today.  If you have any suggestions on improving that movie list feel free to say so and I’ll post your changes.

16 SHOPPING DAYS LEFT

12-06-2013 More Beer Trivia   2 comments

My better-half has an addiction. It’s one of those addictions that isn’t one that is so terrible that rehab becomes an issue.  Her addiction is more like being madly in love rather than addicted.   I kid her about it a lot but it’s always in good, clean fun. I dedicate this posting to her and the huge garbage bag of bottle caps she’s been saving for the last thirty years. At this rate we may have enough to build her a small drinking establishment made completely of bottle caps.  If we do build something like that I think it should look something like this so all of her male friends, family, and co-workers can be totally comfortable.

 bestbar

Now let’s get started with a list of some of her most favorite topics which are always beer related.

* * *

The ’33’ on a bottle of Rolling Rock was originally a printer’s error. It refers to the 33 words in the original slogan. It has generated enough mystery over the years that the company left it in the label.

Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. “Wet your whistle” is the phrase inspired by this practice.

In the Czech Republic, beer is cheaper than Coke. A half liter at the local pub costs just 30 cents (10.50 CZK) while a half liter of Coke costs 85 cents (30 CZK). Beer is a little more expensive than club soda (which costs 29 cents, or 10 CZK, for a half liter).

A labeorphilist is a collector of beer bottles.

A tegestologist is a collector of beer mats.

A flood of beer swept through the streets of St. Giles, England, on 17 October 1814. Caused by a rupture in a brewery tank containing 3500 barrels of beer, the tidal wave killed nine people and demolished two houses.

The first six-pack of beer was produced by the Pabst Brewery in the 1940s. The brewery conducted numerous studies, which found six cans were the ideal weight for the average housewife to carry home from the store.

In eleventh-century England, a bride would distribute ale to her wedding guests in exchange for donations to the newlyweds. This brew, known as Bride Ale, is the origin of the word ‘bridal’.

One method of checking a beer’s quality is the way in which the foam adheres to the side of the glass after each sip. Beer connoisseurs call this “Brussels lace.”

In 1888 citizens of Munich took to the streets and rioted after a beer price increase was announced.

Czechs drink the most beer in the world per capita – an average of 160 liters a year per person.

In merry old England, town inns paid a government tax known as a ‘scot’ for serving beer. Beer lovers who left town to drink at rural pubs were said to be drinking ‘scot free’.

Beer recipes have been found on Babylonian clay tablets from over 6000 years ago.

Guinness sells an average of 7 million glasses a day.

The British Army supplied its men with a cash allowance for beer, considered a vital nutritional staple on long overseas missions. With this allowance of one penny, soldiers enjoyed six pints of ale every day.

In Egypt, two containers of beer were the minimum wage for a day’s labour.
Beer was often served for breakfast in medieval England.

It was customary in the 13th century to baptize children with beer.

A barrel contains 31 gallons of beer. What Americans commonly refer to as a keg is actually 15.5 gallons, or a half-barrel.

The Budweiser Clydesdales weight up to 2,300 pounds and stand nearly 6 feet at the shoulder.

12 oz. of a typical American pale lager actually has fewer calories than 2 percent milk or apple juice.

The world’s strongest beer is ‘Samuel Adams’ Triple Bock, which has reached 17% alcohol by volume. To obtain this level, however, they had to use champagne yeast.

The oldest known written recipe is for beer.

* * *

This posting should kick off her holiday celebration  this year.  I’ll be helping her stock up on her beer inventory because the worst thing that can happen is for her to run out too early.  We’ll have to search diligently for a proper beer that’s special enough to be left out for Santa.  To hell with that milk and cookies nonsense.  In this house it’s beer and pretzels.

Little does she know that I was awake last Christmas eve when she slid quietly out of bed and drank all of Santa’s beer.  My parents couldn’t fool me with the milk and cookies scam and she needs to know she can’t either.  On top of everything else I hate waking up Christmas morning with a bed full of salt and pretzel chunks.  They can hurt!

12-05-2013 Christmas Letters to Santa   Leave a comment

I decided that continuing my Christmas theme this month is important.  I spent a few minutes yesterday just reading nothing but the headlines from the Drudge Report and if that doesn’t depress you, you’re a better and stronger person than I.  I’ve been reading that site for years and I have to admit it’s a real downer most of the time.

In recent days I’ve slowly been developing a little of the good old kind of Christmas spirit I had as a kid.  The tree has been decorated and the lights strung and my better-half has covered every surface of every piece of furniture in the house with Santa statues and assorted Christmas knick-knacks.  We’re shopping hard, wrapping presents, and preparing packages for shipment to various family members located around the country.  It takes a while for me to get with the Christmas program but eventually I do.

It’s meant to be a happy time so with that in mind here’s a little Santa humor to start your day.

* * *

It was coming up to Christmas and Sammy asked his mother if he could have a new bike. She told him that the best idea would be to write to Santa Claus. But Sam, having just played a vital role in the school nativity play, said he would prefer to write to the baby Jesus. So his mother told him that would be fine.

Sam went to his room and wrote, ‘Dear Jesus, I have been a very good boy and would like to have a bike for Christmas.’

But he wasn’t very happy when he read it over. So he decided to try again and this time he wrote: ‘Dear Jesus, I’m a good boy most of the time and would like a bike for Christmas.’

He read it back and wasn’t happy with that one either. He tried a third version: ‘Dear Jesus, I could be a good boy if I tried hard and especially if I had a new bike.’

He read that one too, but he still wasn’t satisfied.So, he decided to go out for a walk while he thought about a better approach. After a short time he passed a house with a small statue of the Virgin Mary in the front garden. He crept in, stuffed the statue under his coat, hurried home and hid it under the bed. Then he wrote this letter.

‘Dear Jesus, If you want to see your mother again, you’d better send me a new bike.’

* * *

Are you smiling?  Good!  Now I’ll pass along a selection of kid’s letters to Santa that should keep that smile on your face for the rest of the day. I have to admit I have no memories of writing letters to Santa as a kid but I wish I had. Being able to read them after so many years would have been great fun. Here we go.

  • Dear Santa,
    Please give me a doll this year. I would like her to eat, walk, do my homework, and help me clean my room.
    Thank you, Jenny
  • Dear Santa,
    Thanks for the race car last year. Can I have another one, only this time one that is faster than my best friend’s race car?
    Ricky
  • Dear Father Christmas,
    I wish you could leave a puzzle under the tree for me. And a toy for my sister. Then she won’t want to play with mine and I can have it to myself.
    Merry Christmas, Cassie
  • Dear Santa,
    You can send me one of everything from the boys’ section of the Sears catalogue. But nothing from the girls’ section. I can’t wait for Christmas to come.
    Kent
  • Dear Pere Noel,
    Could you come early this year? I’ve been really super good, but I don’t know if I can last much longer. Please hurry.
    Love, Jordan
  • Dear Santa,
    I lost my list of toys, so please just send me the stuff that you forgot from last year.
    Todd
  • Dear Father Christmas,
    What should I leave for your reindeer to eat? Do they like cookies, too? My mom won’t let me bring hay into the living room.
    Your friend, Sandy
  • Dear Santa,
    I need a new skateboard for Christmas. The one I got now crashes too much. Band-aids would be OK too.
    David
  • Dear Santa,
    Would you rather I leave you cookies and milk or pizza? Dad says you’d probably like the pizza. Write back right away to let me know.
    Love, Lisa
  • Dear Kris Kringle,
    Please give me a tank, a jet fighter, 20 green soldiers, and a bazooka gun. I’m planning a surprise attack on my brother. So don’t tell anyone.
    Thanks, Danny
  • Dear Santa,
    How will you get into our house this year? We don’t have a chimney and my father just installed a very expensive security system.
    Julie
  • Dear Santa,
    Mommy says that you only bring presents for the good little boys. That isn’t fair.
    Brian
  • Dear Santa,
    How old are you? How did you meet Mrs. Claus? Is your first name really Santa? Can I be an elf next year? Who is your favorite kid? How do you fit all those toys in your sleigh? I have more questions for later.
    Your pal, Pauline
  • Dear Father Christmas,
    My mother told me to write to you and say thanks for the train set. My dad plays with it all the time.
    Mike

I’m not sure when or where the tradition of writing these Santa letters began. The following article was released to the public  in 2011 after being written in 1910. The list of items reveals the age of the letter and I’m still not totally sure what some of these items actually are.

* * *

Hannah Howard’s Christmas letter was hidden and lost in a chimney for years. The ghost of Christmas 100 years past arrived early for a County Down, Northern Ireland man when he discovered the “Santa letter” his late mother wrote when she was a girl.

The scorched letter was dated Christmas Eve 1911 and had been up a chimney in a Dublin house for decades. Victor Bartlem’s mother, Hannah Howard, had written her Christmas wish list when she was just 10 years old.

It was first discovered in 1992 when the current house owner John Byrne installed central heating. He came upon Hannah’s letter in the chimney and decided to keep it as a memento of times past. He made it public in 2011 in the Irish Times and it was there that Victor – living more than 100 miles away in Bangor, County Down, read about it.

Here is  that list written over a hundred years ago.

A baby doll.
A waterproof with a hood.
A pair of gloves and a toffee apple.
A gold penny and a silver sixpence.
A long toffee.

Hannah was born on Christmas Day 1900 and she died in 1978.

* * *

The items requested then appear to be very basic and far less demanding than our modern day equivalents.  If you have young children or grandchildren, take a few minutes and let them write a letter to Santa.  Then hide them away for twenty or more years.  What better gift could you give the authors than a look back to their childhoods.  They’ll love it.

12-04-2013 New Year’s Resolution’s   Leave a comment

Today’s the day that I began my yearly chore of putting together my list of New Year’s resolutions. I realize that for most people New Year’s resolutions aren’t taken all that seriously and that over the years they’ve become something meant to be humorous. In my righteous attempt to do it seriously this year I decided to search  the Net for any new ideas or tips that could help me. Amazingly, I found quite a number of websites with prewritten lists made for both children and adults. I guess they think that just printing off the list from their webpage gives some kind of credibility to people who are too lazy to take the time to do it properly. Shame on all of you who decided to take the easy way out and use one of those sites.

Here’s one of those lists suggested for younger children and you can decide just how lame it is or isn’t.  Or better, would you want your kids to use this list or make up their own.

  • I will do my homework in time.
  • I will sleep in time.
  • I will drink milk and water, and limit aerated drinks.
  • I’ll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet or to strangers.
  • I’ll be nice to other kids. I’ll be friendly to kids who need friends – like someone who is shy, or is new to my school.
  • I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car. I’ll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
  • I will apply sunscreen before I go outdoors.
  • I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I’m playing sports.
  • I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (skipping rope, dancing or horse riding) that I like and do it at least three times a week!

You have to admit this list is no more than politically correct nonsense. You may be able to force your kids to accept this list as their own but their heart just wouldn’t be in it.   I continued my search looking for more resolutions that applied mainly to adults and found much more of the same. Premade politically correct BS which didn’t help me at all. I then sat down at my desk and put together this list of humorous adult resolutions found at another such site.

1.  This year, I’m just making one New Year’s resolution: Stop making resolutions. My only other resolution is to quit breaking my resolutions.

2.  I probably shouldn’t be making any new resolutions this year…mainly because I’m still working on the ones from last year.

3.  This year my New Year’s resolution was to stop saying ‘Seacrest out!’ after I ejaculated.

4.  I will stop peeping into my boyfriend’s female friends profile on Facebook.

Again I was disappointed. The adult resolutions while trying to be humorous were even more stupid than I’d expected. I was forced to go to the archives once more and find my posted resolutions for 2013.  I was expecting no surprises because I couldn’t remember a single one of them.  Here they are with the results of my efforts of which I’m truly ashamed.

1.  Don’t wear sweat pants outside the confines of the house less than twice a week (demanded by my better-half). FAILED

2.   Pay less than $75.00 a month at Dunkin Donuts. I failed at the $50.00 level, now I’ll just up the monthly amount and hopefully be successful. COMPLETED

3.   Tell my better-half I love her at least twenty times a day (again her idea). FAILED

4.   Attempt to develop a casual and platonic friendship with my weird neighbors.  FAILED

5.   Convince my better-half that pizza is not an official food group and refuse to eat it more than once a week.  FAILED

6.   Don’t call the President a stupid, effing, liberal, socialist, narcissistic A-hole  more than twenty times a week.  FAILED

7.   Read 3 non-fiction and 3 fiction books a month. COMPLETED

8.   Fire at least 1000 rounds of ammo a quarter to fine tune my shooting skills to prepare for the impending anarchism which will follow. FAILED

9.  Take a vacation to some exotic and strange non-American land (like maybe Boston, New York, San Francisco, or LA). FAILED

10.  Refuse to eat dog food more than three times a month to help pay for my mandated Obamacare taxes. COMPLETED

It appears that my accomplishments for 2013 were an abject failure. The fact that I couldn’t remember any of them leads me to believe that in my attempt at humor I cheapened the New Year’s resolution process. What I’m about to show you is NOT, I repeat NOT the final version of my resolutions for 2014. This is just a draft list with my initial thoughts on the matter and I’m sure some changes  may be required. See what you think about these.

(Draft Only)

1.  Start washing my hands after I use the restroom or just stop peeing on my hands.

2.  Stop licking almost everything (well almost everything).

3.  Never eat yellow snow or brown asparagus (for you lovey).

4.  Spend less than $1000.00 for coffee at Dunkin Donuts this year.

5.  Claim my pet as a dependent on my tax return.

6.  Start smoking to lose weight.

7.  Watch less T.V…. in standard definition.

8.  Buy larger clothes.

9.  Help kids stay safe by not texting on my cell phone while driving near crosswalks.

10. Stop buttering my doughnuts.

Well there you have it, my first thoughts on the subject for 2014. I certainly need to give it a little more thought as you can see. If you really think about it though,  it just makes good sense to have fewer resolutions every year.  It helps to keep you from disappointing yourself too much and you’ll then feel less guilty about how little willpower you really have.  Hopefully I’ll have my final version completed prior to New Year’s Eve which will give me one more thing to celebrate.

11-30-2013 Journal Entry – Help, I’m Being Held Prisoner!   Leave a comment

Did anyone every tell you the story about getting a message in a fortune cookie that said “Help me, I’m being held prisoner in a Chinese fortune cookie factory.” I’ve had a few people try that on me over the years and never thought it was all that funny.  It’s still not funny especially now when I’m the guy who’s the prisoner.

It’s now been five weeks since I broke my damn leg and I’ve got to tell you the novelty of walking on crutches with a big clunky cast is long over.  The only thing worse than breaking your leg is that you’re then being forced to walk with crutches.  Crutches are the devil’s way of paying us back for all the bad things we’ve done in our life.

Being totally immobilized is the worst.  I found I wasn’t able to do much of anything when on those effing crutches. I had to request my better-half to do everything because I had no ability to carry things from place to place.  I tried with a cup of coffee but on my first attempt I spilled a large portion of really hot coffee directly onto my cat who insists on running between my legs every time I stand up.  I’ll bet he won’t do that again.

So after a period of time I had to come up with some way of doing things on my own without any help.  It wasn’t as easy as it sounds.  I brought my wheeled computer chair from my man-cave to the upstairs and  then using my crutches like oars was able to go into the kitchen, prepare a snack, and then paddle my way back to the living room.  It was a moderately successful idea until I pushed too hard with one crutch, lost my balance, and flipped over.  The food tasted kind of funny after I scrapped it off the floor and part of the wall and there was no way I could save the coffee.  It amazes me just how large an area a medium sized cup of coffee can cover when tossed across the kitchen.  It took me a long time to get it all cleaned up crawling around on my hands and knees and cursing a blue steak.  It was time for a better idea.

I found an old jacket with a few large pockets and was finally able to pack the pockets full of goodies including my hot cup of coffee in a sealable travel mug. I was saved.  Do you know you can carry bacon, eggs and toast folded up in between two paper plates and tucked into a partially zipped up jacket.  I may be forced to come up with a few new recipes and packaging ideas for foods to be used by crutch handicapped people.  That ideas a little out there even for me so I’ll save it for another day.

I  now have the time to sit and design my other new idea, a Handy Dandy Crutch Caddy.  Two really well designed saddlebags that can be attached to the lower part of the crutches.  I could make one of the pockets insulated so the food remains hot during transport.  Maybe I’ll throw in a wi-fi antenna for the on-the-go one-legged computer nerds out there. It’s a good project for me since I have a few more weeks of this nonsense to deal with and if I don’t stay mentally busy I will lose my effing mind.

Help, I’m being held prisoner.

11-26-2013 More Useless Information   2 comments

I think you all need another dose of this blogs specialty, Useless Information. After working all day at the office or as a homemaker your head is filled with numbers, To-Do lists, and nasty thoughts about your boss or other co-workers.  Even though your mind is racing with all this stuff it’s now my job to slow things down, make you smile, and begin the relaxation process that’s so badly needed by us all.

These facts are sometimes funny but always interesting and I forward them along to you because I feel your mental well being is now my responsibility. Pour yourself a beer or glass of wine, put your feet up, turn on some mellow music and just relax.  Unwind totally, pet the dog or cat, kiss the kids, and a big wet one for your spouse.  Here they are:

  • Elvis Presley’s favorite amusement park ride was the bumper cars.
  • Albert Einstein slept 10 hours a night.
  • The game of badminton was once called “poona”.
  • Some obsessed fan paid $14,000.00 for the bra worn by Marilyn Monroe in the move Some Like It Hot.
  • Sammy Davis Jr. was originally known professionally as “Silent Sam, the Dancing Midget.”
  • About a quarter of the oxygen in your blood is used by the brain.
  • Sigmund Freud had a morbid fear of ferns.
  • According to mathematicians, the billionth digit of pi is 9.
  • Millie the White House pet dog earned more than four times as much as her owner, President Bush, in 1991.
  • Astronaut Buzz Aldrin claims to have been the first man to “piss in his pants on the moon.”
  • There are more plastic flamingos in the United States than real ones.
  • Alexander the Great was buried in a vat of honey.
  • The Hundred Years War lasted 116 years.
  • In 1992 Lee Harvey Oswald’s cadaver tag was sold at auction for $6,600.
  • The average U.S. student attends school 180 days; in China, it’s 251 days.
  • 40% of people killed from falling off a horse are drunk.
  • Most of the villains in the Bible have red hair.
  • You can make 11 1/2 omelets with one ostrich egg.
  • Captain Kangaroo won five Emmy awards.
  • Sherlock Holmes kept his tobacco in the toe of a Persian slipper.

There, do you feel more relaxed now.  I certainly hope so.  There’ll be more of this useless information coming your way very soon.