Happy sth Birthday

Ok, maybe I'm a numbers nerd... or maybe it's just a dreary, rainy Monday afternoon...

Regardless, I received this from a friend today... and it had me giggling longer and harder than usual...

Another fabulous website...

Here's another great website I was introduced to today...

it's very new, so I'm sure it'll be featured on some sort of news outlet in the near future...

but in the meantime, it's a great reminder for the ladies to take their b.c. every day :)

Enjoy! (and be sure to hit the arrow at the bottom so you can see the previous pages!)

http://shitmykidsruined.tumblr.com/

That's What She Said

This makes me laugh every time...

Do you watch "The Office"? Because you should, it's hilarious...

Information for your safety

Received this email today from a friend... I haven't verified any of it, but the whole premise of it is quite true...

oh and p.s. tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo! :)

The most dangerous thing you can post to your Facebook page or Twitter account is information about where you're going when you are not at home.

By telling the world you are on vacation in the Bahamas, or even just eating at your favorite local restaurant, you're letting potential thieves know that you're not at home.

Financial writers Ken and Daria Dolan warn that how you use Facebook and Twitter can be hazardous to your wealth!

"Burglars are fond of your constant updates," the Dolans told AOL. "Would you stand up in the middle of a crowd of strangers and announce that you're leaving on vacation for three days and then tell everyone your address? Of course not, but that's exactly what you are doing if you share such information online."

They cite the case of an Arizona man who told his 2,000 Twitter followers that he was leaving town. When he returned, he found his home had been burglarized and video equipment, worth thousands of dollars, had been stolen. "Even saying you are running to the mall, going out to dinner...is too much information," the Dolans explained to AOL.

One Web site recently found itself in the news for bringing attention to the problem. The site pleaserobme.com was designed to show how easy it is for anyone to sift through Twitter updates for a "feed" of people's current locations. The recent buzz caused confusion, because of course the site was not intended to give criminals the keys to your home. But it did achieve its goal of bringing much-needed attention to the potential danger.

Some insurance companies are catching on. Legal & General Insurance in New England says Facebook and Twitter users could be hit with higher homeowner's insurance premiums. Why? All that blabbing about activities away from home means they face a higher risk of burglary.

The company thinks burglars are actually "shopping" for victims on social media sites, looking not only for an indication you're not at home, but also photos of your home and valuables. That cute picture of your son hugging the dog? A burglar is looking in the background, eyeing your big-screen TV and new stereo system.

And it's not just adults. Teenagers are even more likely to post personal information, so Legal & General has warned that parents who aren't even online themselves could face higher homeowner's insurance premiums if their children are online.

Coleman & Coleman

Introducing a new favorite website... (and trying to get more google hits for it)...

If you need an attorney anywhere in Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Portsmouth, Hampton,Suffolk) for any residential real estate needs... buying, selling, refinancing, for sale by owner, landlord/tentant problems, evicting...

call my husband or his twin brother :)

http://www.colemanbrotherslaw.com/

Shameless marketing, I know... but his webmaster guy suggested it... soooo feel free to create a blog post on your blog to "back link" to his website! (at least, I think this is what he was asking me to do...)

Chopped

So this morning I learned about a show on the Food Network called Chopped...

the example given to me was that participants were given the following ingredients to make a dessert:

avocado
tofu skin
star fruit
oyster sauce

Naturally, this brought many questions to my mind... is the Food Network really that interesting? What channel is the Food Network anyway? What is Chopped all about? Tofu skin, really? How do you make a dessert out of those ingredients?

But the question I knew I could have an immediate answer to... What is a star fruit?

THIS, my friends, is a star fruit... aka Carambola... and guess what? it really does look like a star! ha!

aaaaaand according to Wiki's description, it sounds delicious:

It is sweet without being overwhelming and extremely juicy. The taste is difficult to compare, but it has been likened to a mix of papaya, orange and grapefruit all at once. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carambola]

Hopefully, I'll be making a trip to Fresh Market soon to check this thing out...

oh and btw - Chopped: http://www.foodnetwork.com/chopped/index.html

Maya Angelou

I received this email...

In April, Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday.. Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older.
And, there on television, she said it was 'exciting...'
Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day.....like her breasts. They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.
The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words!

Maya Angelou said this:
'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'

'I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.'

'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.'

'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'

'I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.'

'I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back....'

'I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision..'

'I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.....'

'I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.'

'I've learned that I still have a lot to learn..'

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

This made me wonder... just who is Maya Angelou? Why is she regarded so highly? I remember she wrote a poem called "Phenomenal Woman", which sparked a saying my friend, Beth, and I wrote in high school...

I am a phenomenal woman,

My expectations are NOT too high,

I deserve the best!

But what else? Google here I come...

First of all, Angelou was born in 1928, meaning she turned 82 at the beginning of this month. So, who knows how long that email has been circulating. A quick google search gave me too many options for trying to figure out when she actually appeared on Oprah's show, but it doesn't really matter anyway...

Undoubtedly, Maya Angelou is a fantastic writer. A quick look at her "official website" http://mayaangelou.com/ reveals additional thought provoking quotes...

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope...

The biography on the website outlines how much she has accomplished in her lifetime. Although, after reading the summary on Wikipedia, I feel conflicted... Wiki says this... which I find odd... The details of Angelou's life, although described in her six autobiographies and in numerous interviews, speeches, and articles, tend to be inconsistent. Her biographer, Mary Jane Lupton, when speaking about these inconsistencies, has explained that when Angelou has spoken about her life, she has done so eloquently but informally and "with no time chart in front of her".

Regardless, I've put I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings on my reading list... I might have read it in high school, but don't remember...