Drinking and Driving

I was thinking now that the summer is here and there are a lot of parties and open houses for grads we need to be aware of the potential for drinking and driving. In 2006 I had the opportunity to work with a High School SADD group on a Mock accident to impress upon the kids the dangers of drinking and driving. It's a good program but I think we all need to be mindful and responsible.

"It's fun to have fun but you have to know how"- The cat in the Hat

have a great summer..and a safe one. Volunteer to be a Designated Driver(DD)

Howard the Duck!!

Remember this movie from the 1980's? I loved it then and we watched it a few months ago and it still held up to me as a blast from the past. Lea Thompson, Tim Robbins, and Jeffrey Jones round out the cast of co-stars to Howard.



Go watch it..it holds up. I think the Howard suit/makeup was darn good. Not sure who did it though..I looked at the IMDB but didn't see who made the Duck suit.

have fun.

Check these out!

Here are the blogs for Nathan and Joshua Flynn. They are Stop motion animation students and their blogs have some fantastic behind the scenes creations of their film project, "Night at the Opera".

Be sure to check each of their blogs as they both are taking on different characters and tasks of the film. Such great talent.

Super 8

Went to see this new movie by J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg tonight. I loved the retro feel of the late 70's early 80's along with the fact the kids in the film were making a film. I loved Super 8 when i was young and have a few of the cameras to this day. I won't go any more in to the story other then to say if you like Sci-Fi-esque films this is a must see!

I was specifically loved the fact that one of the kids in the film did makeup and makeup fx and when asked where he learned how to do it he says he learned from the Dick Smith Monster makeup handbook. Score one for the film makers on this Homage to the great makeup master of our time, Dick Smith.

One other note is that one of the characters has a Charlie McCarthy ventriloquist dummy in his bedroom which I thought was a cool touch. J.J. Abrams has a Ventriloquist figure of himself that was made by noted Figure make Tim Selberg. Nice touch Mr. Abrams.

Adam and Eve by Nick Hilligoss

ok, we have learne dhow to make a head and some shoes for stop motion animation over the past few days, now sit back and watch this great animation from Nick Hilligoss. A great piece of story telling and animation.

to see more of Nicks work you can go here

Enjoy

Stop motion puppet shoes

Here is another tutorial from Nick Hilligoss, stop motion animator from Australia. He makes it all look so easy and creates methods that result in a great prop with an eye on practicality and budget.

Enjoy

Great Stop Motion animation face Tutorial

Nick Hilligoss is a great animator from Australia with a lot of great tutorials on his youtube page. His animations are fun and well executed with smooth animation and character.

This is a tutorial for making a stop motion animation face.

Enjoy

Jewels and a New Car!

Am I lucky or what? OK here's the skinny. I had the opportunity to spend 1 hour and 10 minutes swinging yesterday..swinging a metal detector coil that is. It was a fun diversion from a long day. I was workign in a downriver city and decided at the end of the day to stop at a local park I have been eye balling for months. Well in just over an hour I had managed to dig up 26 coins in total for a whopping $2.69, along with a 2010 Mustang and a bracelet. probably the most I have dug in such a short period of time. It was a nice break from a long day but it was a HOT out.

Happy Hunting to all.

Geico Civil war commercial- Classic!

This is great.

I imagine when he says "clumps hill" he means Culps Hill. Does make me wonder if they are mocking reenactors or just having fun. As a reenactor I am not offended and find this commercial very funny!

Magic the Movie

A true Classic horror film that continued to give Ventriloquists a bad name and convince everyone that we're crazy. Or are we?

Great Magic!

Mike Finney is a Fantastic Comedy Magician. About 7 yrs ago i had the great opportunity to meet him briefly at Chris Reesamans Encore Magic which was in Flint Michigan at the time and he was very kind and funny. I am a huge fan of his magic as it is greatly entertaining. He also runs a charity event every year called the Dry Heat Classic which raises money for chariable organizations.

Here is one of his great routines. Enjoy.

Civil War Remembrance days at GreenField Village 2011

Here is a nice video of some of the weekend at Greenfield Village in Dearborn Michigan during Civil War Remembrance weekend over the memorial day holiday.

I was able to attend on Saturday for the day. Was a good time.

Walters Wit!

Jokes.com
Jeff Dunham - Walter Haunted House
comedians.comedycentral.com
Jeff Dunham Videos Walter Achmed

Memorial Day

Wanted to share this with the Memorial Day Holiday coming up.  Please take a moment to think about those who sacrificed all to allow us the freedoms we enjoy today.  Is this country perfect?  No. But if we don't fight for her she certainly will never be.  Say a prayer and give thanks for those you made it possible to do so.

Happy Memorial Day

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead". While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

General John A. Logan Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-B8172- 6403 DLC (b&w film neg.)]

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.
Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.
 
To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."
 
The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.
But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."
 
(website this came from http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html)

The Musical Chicago

Loved this scene from the movie Chicago.  Of course the Ventriloquist theme is the main reason but over all it's just fun.  had the opportunity to go see the musical on may 19th at the Fox Theater in Detroit and it was great.  Be sure to check it out if it comes to your town, well worth it.

What next?

So I was working in the field last wednesday and was behind this truck at a light.  Talk about multi tasking everything.  I didn't get to see what the side fo the truck said but it was a work van so i am guessing his job wasn't to just drive around looking for potential clients looking for a divorce lawyer.  I guess it struck me funny and sad at the same time.

I am NOT promoting the site I just thought is was something else the lengths some will go to.  Like sites prmoting cheating..I guess they go hand in hand eh?  The cheating web sites and the divorce ads. heh.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

=)

True Friends

Lesson of the day

sometimes, we try too hard to get to the greener grass.

And in the process, we can end up in trouble.

And when you find yourself in trouble...

And you're stuck in a situation that you can't get out of...

There is one thing you should always remember……

...........

Not everyone who shows up

is there to help you

Happy Easter To all!

Wishing you all the best with your loved ones today!

May the Jelly Beans never run out!

"Argh..ther be treasure in them ther waters"

ok..not so much treasure and not so much IN the water..but close and close.

Went out earlier this week to get some fresh air and took the Metal detector down to the lake picnic area.  Spent about 1 1/2 hours digging junk and had a great time!  Was refreshing to get some air and some added excercize.  It worked out be a cup of various trash items such as foil and glass and such trash.  The end result was $1.68 worth of coins dating from 1959 to 1990. (4 quarters, 6-dimes, 8- Pennies)

I was using the Fisher F2 metal detector and the fpoint pin pointer which was handy but you have to pretty much touch the object with it to find it.  But, in dirt findin a copper coin or even the other coins were oxidzed so much they blended in it did help. Anywhooo...the best part was gettign out and about after this long cold winter.  Now I can't wait to get back out and get my hands dirty again.

Above all else..enjoy yourself it whatever you do.

(missing the makeup and animating but this summer plan on building a shed and getting some room in the garage to rebuild the work area.  )  =)

Great Words from a great friend

I received this from a great friend a number of years ago.  Every now and then I find it in my e-mail and read it again.  I know I get all wound up in work and forget to stop and make time for others alot of time.  Maybe I need to get this tatoo'd to my forarm...ok maybe not..but is worth reading and rereading again and again.

---------------------------------------------------------

When  things in your life seem
almost too much to handle,
when 24 Hours  in a day is not enough,
remember the mayonnaise jar
and 2 cups  of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
and  had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
he picked up a very large
and empty mayonnaise jar
and  proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students
if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The  professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar
He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the  open
areas between the golf balls.

He then asked
the  students again
if the jar was full..
They agreed it  was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand
and poured it  into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He  asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded
with  an unanimous
"yes."

The professor then produced
two cups  of coffee from under the table
And poured the entire  contents
into the jar, effectively
filling the Empty space between  the sand.
The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor,
as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that
this  jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things -
God, family, children, health,
friends, and Favorite passions --
things that if everything else was lost
and only they remained,
your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other  things that matter
like your job, house, and car.

The sand is  everything else --
the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into  the jar first,"
he continued,
"there is no room for
the  pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you  spend all your time
and energy on the small stuff,
you will never  have room for
the things that are
important to  you.

So...

Pay attention to the things
that are  critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to  get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
Play  another 18.

There will always be time
to clean the house
and fix the disposal.

"Take care of the golf balls first --
the things that really matter.
Set your priorities.
The rest  is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand
and  inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.
"I'm glad you asked".

It just goes to show you that no matter  how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of  coffee with a friend."

Please share this with
someone you  care about.


I JUST DID.