Halloween

Science of Happiness

We've all heard the sayings "Money doesn't buy happiness" and "There is more happiness in giving than in receiving".  What brings happiness to people can vary greatly.

That's why I'm sharing with you this terrific video "The Science of Happiness".  It takes just 7 minutes to watch, and I bet it will change your life.  You may need a tissue.


Will you do it?  Call someone and tell them how much you appreciate them?

Thanks to BosGuy for bringing this to my attention.

Beardy boy

Bravo Bravia

About a month ago our expensive, 52" Toshiba Regza LCD HDTV developed a wide multi-color bar down the middle of the screen.  It wasn't some phantom change in one of the settings.  It was just plain "broke".

This really pissed me off because the TV is only 5 years old and was their top-of-the-line model.  I really expected this TV to become obsolete before it broke.  So much for paying extra for the name brand that will last forever.  Conversations with multiple 'techy' friends confirmed there was no fixing the TV.

For the past month we've had to compromise and watch the same shows (gasp!) while we looked at different models, compared prices, and decided which features we thought we'd use and which we wouldn't.  For instance, the rage now is internet-enabled TVs or 'smart' TVs.  Our friend Joe P has one.  He's a super 'techy' guy and loves all kinds of gadgets.  But Spouse & I decided we did not want to pay the considerably higher price for an internet-enabled TV.  We find it very easy to stream movies from my laptop by popping the TV's USB cable into my laptop.  We really just want a good, clear picture and decent sound.

So after an exhaustive online search we ended up buying at 50" Sony Bravia LCD HDTV.  

Although the screen is 2" smaller than our previous TV, the total size of the TV is about 6" smaller because the new TV has a much smaller bezel/frame.  The new TV is also thinner, about 1/2 the weight of the previous TV, and less than 1/2 the cost.

Swapping out the previous TV for the new one as very easy, especially when compared to the ordeal we went through when we got rid of our old behemoth box TV 5 years ago.

So domestic bliss has returned to our household since I can once again watch all my HGTV shows and Spouse can once again watch all 3 home shopping channels and reruns of The Sopranos.

Life is as it should be.

Thierry of relativity

I saw this cheeky commercial/video on facebook and couldn't resist sharing it with you.  It features Canadian model Thierry Pepin who's walked fashion runways and appeared in ad campaigns for nearly every major designer.  He also had bit parts in a couple films and TV series.

I think you'll agree that Thierry's body is pretty impressive.  If only we would look this good by wearing these underwear!

Just because

Ben Cohen

Ben Cohen.  (Big sigh)

What more can I say besides 'that man is so damn sexy!'??  

Well, maybe I could say that in addition to looking sexy with a serious face (when modeling), he's also absolutely adorable when he smiles, too.  

Or maybe I could say that although he is straight, he created the StandUp Foundation whose mission is to raise awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying and to raise funds to support those doing real-world work to stop it.

Really, what's not to love about this guy???

As if all of that weren't enough, I saw a video of the making of Ben's 2014 calendar.  (Huge sigh.)


Missed the making of Ben's 2013 calendar?  Watch it here:

Beardy boy

Thanks to JeepGuy for this hot dude!

Congratulations NJ!!

Last year the NJ Legislature passed a bill to grant marriage equality to GLBT citizens of NJ, but Gov Chris Christie refused to sign the bill.  Supporters pushed the case to the state supreme court and last Fri a judge ruled that the state could not deny marriage equality.  Christie said he would appeal, but today withdrew that decision.

Same-sex marriages began at 12:01 AM today in NJ!!

 
NJ became the 14th state (plus DC) to pass marriage equality.  Nearly 1/3 of the states now have marriage equality, and several more appear to be getting closer.

The times they are a-changin'...

Lovely lyrics

Please enjoy another installment of Lovely lyrics!

What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
performed by The Real Group

What are you doing the rest of your life?
North and south and east and west of your life?
I have only one request of your life
That you spend it all with me.

All the seasons and the times of your days.
All the nickels and the dimes of your days.
Let the reasons and the rhymes of your days.
All begin and end with me.

I want to see your face, in every kind of light,
In fields of gold and forests of the night;
And when you stand before the candles on a cake
Oh let me be the one to hear the silent wish you make.

Those tomorrows waiting deep in your eyes
In the world of love you keep in your eyes,
I'll awaken what's asleep in your eyes,
It may take a kiss or two.

Through all of my life
Summer, winter, spring and fall of my life,
All I ever will recall of my life
Is all of my life with you.

Just because

Facebook

Beardy boy

Stinkin' thinkin'

Here is an example of the GOP's stinkin' thinkin' in regards to President Obama:

Oct 2008: "You'll never get elected and pass healthcare."
Nov 2008: "We'll never let you pass healthcare."
Jan 2009: "We're gonna shout you down every time you try to pass healthcare."
July 2009: "We'll fight to death every attempt you make to pass healthcare."
Dec 2009: "We will destroy you if you even consider passing healthcare."
March 2010: "We can't believe you just passed healthcare."
April 2010: "We are going to overturn healthcare."
Sept 2010: "We are going to repeal healthcare."
Jan 2011: "We are going to destroy healthcare."
Feb 2012: "We're gonna elect a candidate who'll revoke healthcare NOW."
June 2012: "We'll go to the Supreme Court, and they will overturn healthcare."
Aug 2012: "American people will never re-elect you - they don't want healthcare."
Oct 2012: "We can't wait to win the election and explode healthcare."
Nov 2012: "We can't believe you got re-elected and we can't repeal healthcare."
Feb 2013: "We're still going to vote to obliterate healthcare."
June 2013: "We can't believe the Supreme Court just upheld healthcare."
July 2013: "We're going to vote like 35 more times to erase healthcare."
Sept 2013: "We are going to leverage a government shutdown into defunding, destroying, obliterating, overturning, repealing, dismantling, erasing and ripping apart healthcare."
Oct 2013: "WHY AREN'T YOU NEGOTIATING???"

National Coming Out Day

Today is the 25the anniversary of National Coming Out Day!

In case you're having trouble recalling how NCOD got started or what its purpose is, you can refresh your memory here.

Although I fully support the idea of NCOD, personally I've had very little need for the annual reminder. Ever since I 'came out' I've lived my life openly. My daily conversations with friends, neighbors, and colleagues contain references to my partner and our lives together.

But just for kicks, today I 'came out' to my office.  It went like this:
   ME:  Today is National Coming Out Day.  I'm gay.
   10 seconds of silence
   ANONYMOUS OFFICE PERSON:  Duh. 

Did you 'come out' to anyone today?

Just because

Simple Dreams

I just finished reading Linda Ronstadt's book "Simple Dreams - a Musical Memoir".

I have always loved Linda Ronstadt's music so when Spouse heard an interview on NPR with Linda, he told me about it and I listened to a recording of the interview on NPR's website.  In the interview Linda mentioned her memoir, and I ordered it from Amazon that day.

I really, really enjoyed it!  Since it is a memoir, it is written in the 1st person (like my blog) which made me feel as though I were sitting in my living room with Linda, hearing about her childhood, her musical influences, the shifts in her music from folk to country to pop to standard to traditional Mexican songs. It was like having a conversation with an old friend, for indeed, I have been living to Linda Ronstadt's music for a very long time.

When I was 13 years old I saved my allowance to buy Linda Ronstadt's Greatest Hits album and played it over and over and over again until I knew every word to every song.  I even practiced singing the harmony lines in my favorite songs "You're No Good", "Heatwave", and "That'll Be The Day".  I used my parents' old Underwood typewriter to type a letter to Linda Ronstadt, letting her know that I knew all the words and harmonies to her songs, so if her back-up singers ever got sick, I could fill in for them.  Unfortunately my parents did not see the "charm" of this offer and did not let me mail the letter.

Its a great read and I'd recommend you download or order it today.

Beardy boy

Beach day

In my Labor Day post I mentioned being annoyed by everyone's claim that summer ends on Labor Day.

Well, yesterday was Oct 6 and it was 83 degrees and sunny here in Southern Delaware.  What did we do?  We went to the beach! Steven & Thad, Joe P, and Spouse & I enjoyed what will probably be our last beach day for the year... in October!

The water must have been pretty warm too, because there were plenty of folks in the ocean.  So take THAT, all you people who can barely wait for Labor Day to say that summer is over!!!

Coffee

I really enjoy coffee.  Both my parents and all 4 of my grandparents were coffee drinkers.  I began drinking coffee when I was 18.

When I lived with my 1st partner (who was 9 years older than me) we drank Green Mountain Coffee because my then partner believed their Arabica coffee was the purest.  We had no local source for obtaining Green Mountain Coffee so he had it shipped to the house via UPS.

Sometime after that I began to try and enjoy flavored coffees.  Hazelnut and French vanilla were probably among the 1st ones I tried and enjoyed.  I remember having Southern Pecan flavored coffee at a B&B, and I also remember getting a 'holiday blend' with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves as a Christmas gift years ago, which I also enjoyed.

Spouse & I enjoy flavored coffees so much that we don't even buy 'regular' coffee anymore.  Every night I set up the coffeemaker so the pot of aromatic flavored coffee is waiting for us in the morning. 

Nowadays there are lots more new flavors, and its not necessary to order your coffee to be shipped to you.  We get flavored coffees at our local grocery stores, HomeGoods, Marshalls, and Dunkin Donuts.

Recently enjoyed flavors include Hazelnut, French Vanilla, Blueberry Muffin, Pumpkin Spice, Jelly Donut, Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Glazed Chocolate Donut, Vanilla Nut, Holiday Blend, and Mint Chocolate Chip.  The only flavored coffee I've tried and didn't like was Buttered Rum.

Do you like flavored coffee??

Just because

Excuse

Ever get caught with your hand in your pants?  Just say you're checking your balls for signs of testicular cancer.
LFTC Testicle Check from Maverick TV on Vimeo.

Its the perfect excuse, and just might preserve your health!

Beardy boy