Here is the front cover of the book and then it's followed by a short youtube video of his playing the drums. Please notice in his picture that he doesn't have any hands!!
This blog contains the random thoughts of a guy named Tommy. We'll share thoughts on writing, photography and anything else I want, because it's my blog and not yours.
“If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room”.-- Anita Roddick
Friday, January 28, 2011
Dan Caro
I was recently given a book, thanks Bec, that I just finished reading. If you want to read an very inspirational book, I highly recommend this one. It's the story of his being severely burned at the age of two and his journey to become a professional drummer as well as inspirational speaker.
Here is the front cover of the book and then it's followed by a short youtube video of his playing the drums. Please notice in his picture that he doesn't have any hands!!
Here is the front cover of the book and then it's followed by a short youtube video of his playing the drums. Please notice in his picture that he doesn't have any hands!!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Artist get 15 years...
"Chicago artist's protest backfires as he faces 15 years in jail... because he recorded his own arrest on video"
Check out this article at MailOnline. There's a youtube video at the bottom. Unbelievable...
Check out this article at MailOnline. There's a youtube video at the bottom. Unbelievable...
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Human Planet - Web exclusive series trailer - BBC One
If you can, view this at 1080p in full screen. It's wonderful..
Interactive view of Nimmo Bay in British Columbia
Check this helicopter ride out. Use your mouse to view left, right, up or down. It's really nice.
It's an Interactive 360° Video View From A Helicopter.
It's an Interactive 360° Video View From A Helicopter.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The best of AirVenture Oshkosh
If you like airplanes, check this out. It's really best viewed at 1080p HD.
Friday, January 14, 2011
An aging parent
On a recent post I spoke of having to deal with an aging elderly parent and I’ve decided to post an occasional update here so as to share the journey as it occurs. Maybe it’ll be of some help to someone else or maybe someone will be able to offer me some suggestions. Or maybe it’s just an exercise in futility. Who knows?
So, as I have stated on a prior post my mother is aging and is traveling down that path of slowly losing her memory. Oh, it’s not bad enough that she can‘t function and recognize people or events. And, if you had a visit with her you’d most likely not see anything wrong. But, I’ve had the chance to observe her over time and therefore I think that I understand the true situation. Recently a cousin visited her for an afternoon and reported that she was just fine and was just being her normal self. Unfortunately my mother is very good at playing this game or covering up what is really taking place. You see, in a normal conversation there is an exchange of information or ideas between the two people talking. Each injects new thoughts or subjects. My mother has learned, somehow, to avoid adding her side of this exchange or interaction. She’ll pick up on what the other person says and expand on that and carry on the conversation as if she actually knows what she’s talking about and that she has added new stuff. But, in reality she doesn’t remember anything. I’m probably not explaining myself correctly, but I have observed this multiple times. It’s really fascinating how she’s able to do this.
She’s very capable of doing her normal daily routine of things, get up, bath, go for coffee and a walk, etc. But, if you throw anything out of that normal activity, it gets a little hairy. Here’s an example of something that occurred recently. As you know I live about 4 hours away from her and therefore can’t be there in a minutes’ notice to see what is or is not being done. I discovered, prior to Christmas that a play of Dickens, A Christmas Carol was being put on for seniors in her town at a location that she’s very familiar with. All she needed to do was to go and pick up the free tickets. I called her and she indicated that she’d really like to do this and will go and get them later that day with her good friend. I called her the next day to confirm that she had gotten them. She had no memory of it. But, she did say that she’d go and get them that day. I, again, called on the next day and asked if she had gone to get the tickets. She said that no she hadn’t, but will today. Then she asked me, “Tell me again, what these tickets are for”.
That example is what I’m referring to about interjecting something out of the normal routine. If it’s not written down, it isn’t there and sometimes that doesn’t even help. She may not read the note.
And now there are money issues. There have been withdrawals that aren’t remembered and who knows where the money is. There are checks that have been cashed but, no accounting of where that money went.
Unfortunately, I’m an only child and have to do this alone. Yes, my wife is supportive on it, but it is my mother. It’s just tough and I feel very alone and have no real help I mean, how do you tell your mother that she needs to do this and that? How do you transfer her assets in order to protect them? How do you tell her that she needs to move to an assisted living facility? How do you take away her individuality and independence? How do you deal with taxes across state lines? How do you tell her that her house is dirty? How do you tell her that her clothes are dirty? How do you help when she refuses to accept it?
Thanks for listening.
So, as I have stated on a prior post my mother is aging and is traveling down that path of slowly losing her memory. Oh, it’s not bad enough that she can‘t function and recognize people or events. And, if you had a visit with her you’d most likely not see anything wrong. But, I’ve had the chance to observe her over time and therefore I think that I understand the true situation. Recently a cousin visited her for an afternoon and reported that she was just fine and was just being her normal self. Unfortunately my mother is very good at playing this game or covering up what is really taking place. You see, in a normal conversation there is an exchange of information or ideas between the two people talking. Each injects new thoughts or subjects. My mother has learned, somehow, to avoid adding her side of this exchange or interaction. She’ll pick up on what the other person says and expand on that and carry on the conversation as if she actually knows what she’s talking about and that she has added new stuff. But, in reality she doesn’t remember anything. I’m probably not explaining myself correctly, but I have observed this multiple times. It’s really fascinating how she’s able to do this.
She’s very capable of doing her normal daily routine of things, get up, bath, go for coffee and a walk, etc. But, if you throw anything out of that normal activity, it gets a little hairy. Here’s an example of something that occurred recently. As you know I live about 4 hours away from her and therefore can’t be there in a minutes’ notice to see what is or is not being done. I discovered, prior to Christmas that a play of Dickens, A Christmas Carol was being put on for seniors in her town at a location that she’s very familiar with. All she needed to do was to go and pick up the free tickets. I called her and she indicated that she’d really like to do this and will go and get them later that day with her good friend. I called her the next day to confirm that she had gotten them. She had no memory of it. But, she did say that she’d go and get them that day. I, again, called on the next day and asked if she had gone to get the tickets. She said that no she hadn’t, but will today. Then she asked me, “Tell me again, what these tickets are for”.
That example is what I’m referring to about interjecting something out of the normal routine. If it’s not written down, it isn’t there and sometimes that doesn’t even help. She may not read the note.
And now there are money issues. There have been withdrawals that aren’t remembered and who knows where the money is. There are checks that have been cashed but, no accounting of where that money went.
Unfortunately, I’m an only child and have to do this alone. Yes, my wife is supportive on it, but it is my mother. It’s just tough and I feel very alone and have no real help I mean, how do you tell your mother that she needs to do this and that? How do you transfer her assets in order to protect them? How do you tell her that she needs to move to an assisted living facility? How do you take away her individuality and independence? How do you deal with taxes across state lines? How do you tell her that her house is dirty? How do you tell her that her clothes are dirty? How do you help when she refuses to accept it?
Thanks for listening.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Crap and it's still snowing
Ever hear of the song "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow"? And the weather says we may get another 3" to 7" today. OK now, let's all think SPRING!!!
Monday, January 10, 2011
What song do you love
TC, put this on her blog lately "Do you have a favorite? Tell me which one and why". She was making reference to a song, which we've been talking about on her blog I Want to Know What Love Is.
So, below you'll find two versions of a song that beings back wonderful memories of a summer long gone by. I was at a special place during that summer by a pond where I lost my virginity.
So, below you'll find two versions of a song that beings back wonderful memories of a summer long gone by. I was at a special place during that summer by a pond where I lost my virginity.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Yellow in a picture
It was snowing last night and I went outside and took the picture below, which is totally untouched up other than the size. Please don't worry about the focus, etc as it was handheld and dark. My question is this, where did the yellow tinge come from. What I was looking at was white snow. Do you think there's some reaction between the sensor in my camera and that street light? This has happened before and I've wondered about it and how you correct it. Any thoughts?
National Geographic's Photography Contest 2010
A friend (thanks Kenny) just sent me a link to The Boston Globes
The Big Picture site. There are really some amaxing photos here. Below is one image from that site.
Click on the picture for a larger image.
The Big Picture site. There are really some amaxing photos here. Below is one image from that site.
Click on the picture for a larger image.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Interesting nudity study
Here's an interesting series of four videos on a study done on the subject on nudity in human beings. It's very interesting, I think. By the way, the videos do contain nudity so if you'd rather not see that, please don't watch them. For this reason I didn't embed the videos and give you the choice to follow the link below and see them or not.
Thanks to Letter writer Anthony in Eolakes newsletter for finding this.
Enjoy or Not..
Horizon: What's the problem with nudity?
Thanks to Letter writer Anthony in Eolakes newsletter for finding this.
Enjoy or Not..
Horizon: What's the problem with nudity?
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Devil's Arithmetic
I watched a movie last night that I had rented from Netflix. If you are interested in seeing the Holocaust from a women's perspective, I highly recommend it. Below is the description as quoted from Netflix.
"Jewish-American teen Hannah Stern (Kirsten Dunst) isn't much interested in her family's religious tradition. But her blasé attitude changes radically when she's suddenly transported back to a 1941 Nazi concentration camp. There, Hannah learns firsthand the horrors of the holocaust and the price her family and other Jews paid because of their heritage. Brittany Murphy, Louise Fletcher and Mimi Rogers co-star in director Donna Deitch's film."
"Jewish-American teen Hannah Stern (Kirsten Dunst) isn't much interested in her family's religious tradition. But her blasé attitude changes radically when she's suddenly transported back to a 1941 Nazi concentration camp. There, Hannah learns firsthand the horrors of the holocaust and the price her family and other Jews paid because of their heritage. Brittany Murphy, Louise Fletcher and Mimi Rogers co-star in director Donna Deitch's film."
Annoyed wife!
The wife and I were at home watching TV.
I had the remote and was switching back and forth between a fishing channel and the porn channel.
She became more and more annoyed and finally said: "For God's sake! Leave it on the porn channel! You already know how to fish!"
I had the remote and was switching back and forth between a fishing channel and the porn channel.
She became more and more annoyed and finally said: "For God's sake! Leave it on the porn channel! You already know how to fish!"
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Text Messaging
I recently posted a bumper sticker on cell phone use. It was kind of funny. This video is NOT. Please share this with everyone that you know.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
White Deer
I didn't know that such a variation of deer as a white deer actually existed. Watch this video about these deer in Wisconsin.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Greaqt bumper sticker
I saw a great bumper sticker on a car today..
"Do you think you'd be able to drive better if I shoved that cell phone up your ass?"
"Do you think you'd be able to drive better if I shoved that cell phone up your ass?"
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The Sensuous Dirty Old Man
I read about this book from a fellow blogger (thanks Eolake) and knew that I had to read it. Well, I found it on Amazon and convinced my wife that I should have a copy of it for Christmas. I have now learned so much that I didn't know about being a Dirty Old Man. It's just great and very funny along the way. I highly recommend it if you want to learn Dr. A's secrets. :-)
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