GodsendJen

I've been playing with a new photo site online called Tablo.  They do poster style arrangements of your photos in varrying layouts.  This one has pictures of my last trip to Virginia. Click on it to view it in real size.

About once a year I can count on getting sucked in by a show on Discovery.  Past shows to grace my TiVos season pass manager include Monster House, Wing Nuts, MythBusters and American Casino.  I'd been hearing some guys at work talk about their newest Discovery fav, Deadliest Catch.  I hadn't been interested enough to go out and look for it on TV.  I mean it's a fishing show about guys who smell of fish and are out in so much cold that they have icicles on their beards.

Then yesterday, faced with a rainy day in Georgia, I found myself being a bum in front of the tv.  And what did I watch?  Deadliest Catch.  Not just one episode...I found the marathon and had consumed at least 5 hours of that show before I went to bed. I don't know if its the elements, the danger the narrator keeps on telling us about, the Bon Jovi theme music, my efforts to guess the number of crab in a pot, or just the thought of eating so much yummy Alaskan crab.

Get out the peanut and set a wish list...

Deadliest Catch.

A nice article about the work Dorothy and her grandparents are doing with a ministry to the homeless. Complete with photos.

Ministry Helps City's Homeless

I've been mesmerized by the Stanley Cup finals. I'll admit it.  The improbable road that Edmonton has travelled makes for a great story--and what has at times looked like both horrible and incredible hockey.  Despite this, the "Quest for the Cup" sure hasn't consumed my life...but some people appear to be more taken in than I've been.  Exhibit A:  My-NHL.com.  MyNHL was this year's marketing push by the league, but I don't think they are behind this site.  Whoever these funsters are, they are making excellent use of a video camera and a bubble hockey table.

Here is my favorite one so far....possibly because I too believe Rod Brinda'mour is a bit rough on the eyes.  Check them all out at http://my-nhl.com/

This week's races.  I think I need a video gallery now.

Butterfly

FreeStyle

Backstoke

When I was growing up I remember trying earnestly to convince my cousin Chad, whose birthday fell on Christmas Day, that my birthday was better because grown-ups care more about Flag Day than Christmas. 

I've since realized the foolishness of that argument and thought that in honor of my birthday it would be fun to create a list of other cool stuff that turned 30 today. You would think that the wonder that is google would make this easy.  Sadly the only pop culture event I could find attributed to my birthday was the premeir of the Gong Show.

What I did turn up was a few terrible things that happened on June 14.

1940: Auschwitz, the largest Nazi concentration camp was established in German-occupied Poland
1954: The first national civil defense drill was held. 
1985: TWA Flight 847 was hijacked by Lebanese Shi'ites after takeoff from Athens, beginning a 17-day ordeal

Other events attributed to "Today in History"

• In 1775, the United States Army was founded.
• In 1777 we adopt the stars and stripes.
• 1789 - Whisky distilled from maize is first produced by American clergyman the Rev Elijah Craig. It is named Bourbon because Rev Craig lived in Bourbon County, Kentucky.
• In 1846, a group of U.S. settlers in Sonoma proclaimed the Republic of California.
• In 1946 Donald Trump was born.
• In 1951 the first Univac Computer was dedicated.
  
• In 1954, President Eisenhower signed an order adding the words ``under God'' to the Pledge of Allegiance.
• In 1976...well that's when I showed up.

Cheers to getting older.

Wow. For spots enthusiast who didn't know already, there is a company out their helping you in your battle to make sure junior appreciates your college team.  Team Baby Entertainment has a selection of DVDs and other merchandise to start the brainwashing training out on the right foot. Soft merchandise includes sunshades, mobiles, puzzles and books.  The DVD itself features officially licensed footage of Hokie sports, mascot, marching band and campus attractions to expose children to Virginia Tech in an exciting, playful and educational manner. I don't know what's worse: that we brand our kids so young, or that I want to buy the dvd for my nephew.

I hear that normal women spend endless amounts of time fretting over our clothes and shoes.  A blouse that suggests without revealing. A skirt that shows the perfect amount of leg.  Heels high enough to make you look curvier but short enough to keep you from towering over your date. All this after we spend hours in the dressing room at Victoria's secret trying to find something that balances sexy and practical without having so much lace you'll spend the whole evening scratching.

Maybe, just maybe we aren't alone in this quest.

A highly entertaining article over at Slate gives a fun little rundown of the quandary men face in choosing their underwear.  Forget scratchy lace issues.  This article mentions the concerns of floppage, bubble buts, the y-front, containment and trunks. What does this fascinating read suggest all men should wear?  Boxer briefs. 

In Praise of Boxer Briefs. An Underwear Manifesto.

Here is some shaky camerwork for you sporting enthusists.  And for the swimming enthusiasts among you, be warned that 8 year olds don't really have the perfect backstroke technique yet.

I always knew that people had some pretty crazy ideas for inventions.  This site does a good job of poking fun at them.  Its run by a stand-up comic and an illustrator, and they put those skills to good use.  Beware of your viewing location though.  Some inventions might not be safe for work.

I finally broke down and got a new camera.  I'll spare you the technical details, but so far I'm happy.  I will try to add a video I took soon...I just need to figure out how to best edit it first. This is my favorite picture so far, from Dorothy's swim meet. For more shots, see the photo gallery.