A smelly subject

An American Greetings Card

A fart can be QUIET,

A fart can be LOUD,
Some leave a powerful
POISONOUS CLOUD.
 
A fart can be SHORT,
A fart can be LONG,
Some farts have been known,
To sound just like a SONG.
 
A fart can create
A MOST CURIOUS MEDLEY,
A fart can be harmless,
Or SILENT, but DEADLY.
 
A fart might not SMELL,
While others are VILE,
A fart may pass QUICKLY
Or linger AWHILE....
 
A fart can occur
In a number of places,
And leave everyone
WITH STRANGE LOOKS
ON THEIR FACES...
 
From wide open prairie,
To small elevator,
A fart will find all of us
SOONER OR LATER.

But not all farts are BAD,
This is simply not true,
WE MUSN'T FORGET
DEAR, SWEET, OLD FARTS LIKE YOU!

I received this card from my friend Jeff, well....it was different.
Seasonal Photo:

Fireworks from the tug McAllister in Portland, Maine Harbor

Parade of Lights

Photo: Gordon Ghibrowski Portland Press Herald

And a song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_A2T_5hjy4

Bob Wills "Christmas on the Range"

It was a long morning

  The "little" trip to Probate Court turned out to be not so little.  We arrived early and sat in the hallway until the Court opened their door.  The session began at 9AM on time, the judge heard one case, they had an attorney.  At the close of that case the judge said he needed to meet with the Board of Overseers and would be back in half an hour or twenty minutes.  The judge returned in one hour, it was now 10:30!  The wooden benches were hard.
  He heard another case, they had an attorney.  He heard two more cases of people without lawyers, and finally it was our turn - we were the last one.  It ended at 11:30AM.  Two and a half hours on a wooden bench is a bit too much.

A song for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxm1FlLSfe4

 

This is Mary's boy child by Boney M, it's a bit long but very enjoyable.

Bunches, er, er, ahh, meh!

Snowed in?

  Well, the U S Senate passed the budget bill and it has been sent to the Presidents desk, I'm guessing he will sign it.
  We are going to the Probate Court this morning to delete/add Guardians for Hollie, delete mom and add mom and dad - yeah, that's the way it's done; it's called fees.
  We will allegedly have some sun today and a temperature in the 20's, now that would be a nice birthday present for me.
  The Congress of the U S is blocking more court/judge appointments - they're going for a record.  I sometimes wish that Congress would find another way to annoy whoever is President.  This stuff has been going on for at least 20 years, it does get old.  Don't vote for an incumbent - even if one is running for a different office (case in point: we have a U S Rep running for governor of Maine) no incumbent will get my vote.
Seasonal photo:

After the recent snow
Photo: Gregory Rec staff Portland Press Herald

 Seasonal music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-iFsxSNN2c

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.  The original from Spike Jones, yes! Spike Jones.

It's done! Almost.......

From: www.oms.nysed.gov
 

  The Senate will vote today, and is expected to narrowly pass, the budget that would fund the U S Government for the next couple of years.
  Not everyone is happy with this budget as it is written, and we are told it's too late to make any changes, it's either pass or fail.  Failure to pass would, or course, shut down the whole mess we call the government AGAIN!
  The biggest objection, this time, is that military retirees in the future, 01-01-14 and beyond, would have and COLA reduced by one percent, if they were under the age of 62 when they retire (that's almost 100% of retirees).  When they reach the age of 62 the full COLA would be reinstated in a sort of piece meal manner.  A fine salute to the people who protect us, sometimes with their life.

Seasonal photo:

Santa is removing Congress from his list
Photo: Getty Images via ABCNews

And a song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMlCRvY6WBY

This is "I can't have a Merry Christmas, Mary without you" by Jerry Lee Lewis.  Jerry Lee is one of my all time favorite musicians, but his holiday music was ah, meh.

What if they made a movie?

View from the "lamp room" of Moose Peak Light
Photo: Erica Fae

  Erica Fae, a New York City resident, has proposed making a movie in Jonesport, Maine and the nearby lighthouse of Mistake Island, Moose Peak Light.
  Ms. Fae is experienced in film, acting, and production and wants to portray historical women in the film.  The first Federal jobs, other than clerical work, open to women was for Lighthouse Keepers, and two very well know women worked in Maine.
  The owner of the light, a Connecticut businessman has given permission for use of the lighthouse, which he bought a auction several years ago.
  We will follow this story to wherever it leads.

Moose Peak Light on Mistake Island, Maine
Photo: Erica Fae

Seasonal stuff:
First music by Willie Nelson, "Pretty Paper"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_1CLPH9rqs

And the photo:

Santa came to town Union Square, San Francisco
Photo: Michael Short, The Chronicle

Technical stuff you should see, really!

Wildcat. A 16mph robot
Photo: Boston Dynamics

  Google, Inc. has acquired Boston Dynamics, a company who has as it's major customer the Department of Defense.  Boston Dynamics (now, Google) makes some very interesting things, not the least of which are the Wildcat and the Big Dog, both four legged robots build to carry things.
Read about the transaction (it's short) here: http://venturebeat.com/2013/12/14/google-expands-its-robot-army-with-acquisition-of-bigdog-maker-boston-dynamics/
You can also access a video of Wildcat.
Click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=W1czBcnX1Ww

to see Big Dog in action, both short videos are worth the watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tT0ln7oRdA

Now, a musical treat, the song "Santa Baby" by Kellie Pickler, the song has been done many times
the original was Eartha Kitt.
The seasonal Photo:

He's knows if you're naughty, because he's naughty too. :)
Photo: E. Munoz Reuters

It's snowing and old and new

  First, back to yesterday's entry.  I should have added that my Mother-in-law, Yvonne, her sister, Olive and her uncle Jim all worked at the Eastland Hotel.  The two ladies worked in housekeeping and laundry and uncle Jim, a WW2 vet with both legs amputated due to an accident on a Submarine operated the elevators.  His injuries never slowed him down, he dug his own cellar under one house on his knees using a shovel and a wheelbarrow!

Art in the snow - please click to enlarge it's big
Photo: Simon Beck

  The artist, Simon Beck, works in the French Alps as an Orienteer.  He took a break one day in the fresh snow and decided to make a "star".  Using his compass he laid out the five points, then he put on snowshoes; and the rest is history.  He has done many designs over the past couple of years, each time it snows.  The works are viewed from a ski lift on Aigulle Rouge a mountain in Savoie, France.
Go here:

http://www.weather.com/travel/incredible-snow-art-created-foot-photos-20131212   to view more of his work, they're worth the "trip".

 

Seasonal photo:

People get ready for Christmas in Sidney Australia
Photo: Lisa Maree Williams, Getty Images
A bonus below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wv3tkI_I7I

Music by Boney M "I'll be home for Christmas"