Sunday, July 29, 2007 - Dick and Ricky Hoyt...the amazing love of a father...

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Sunday, July 29, 2007 - Kid Nation...40 kids, 40 days, no parents....hmmmmm...

A new show premiering in September from CBS....

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/kid_nation/


40 children, 40 days, no adults—eager to prove they can build a better world for tomorrow in the new reality series KID NATION. Settling in Bonanza City, New Mexico, once a thriving mining town but now deserted, these kids, ages 8 to 15 and from all walks of life, will build their own new world, pioneer-style. They will confront grown-up issues while coping with the classic childhood emotions of homesickness, peer pressure and the urge to break every rule. Episodes end with a town meeting in which the kids award one child a gold star worth $20,000, all leading to the grand finale, with an unimaginable test, the biggest awards and a special surprise for every child.

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This will certainly be interesting to say the least....wonder if they'll actually make a school?  Ha ha!

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Saturday, July 28, 2007 - Meanings of phrases that we say...

You might want to verify some of these sayings here: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/index.html
but some of these I had no idea about.....I feel educated today :)

In George Washington's days, there were no cameras.  One's image was either sculpted or painted.  Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms.  Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted.  Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer more.  Hence the expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."

As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year May and October)!  Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs.  Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool.  They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes.  The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig."  Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.

In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair.  Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining.  The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor.  Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal.  To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge.  They called the one sitting in the chair the "chair man."  Today in business, we use the expression title "Chairman" or "Chairman of the Board."

Personal hygiene left much room for improvement.  As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood.  The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions.  When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax."  Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile."  In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt therefore, the expression "losing face."

Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front.  A proper and dignified woman, as in "straight laced" . . . wore a tightly tied lace. 

Common entertainment included playing cards.  However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the "Ace of Spades."  To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead.  Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck."

Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important.  Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars.  They were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's conversations and political concerns.  Many assistants were dispatched at different times.  "You go sip here" and "You go sip there."  The two words "go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term "gossip."

At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers.  A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming.  She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts," hence the term "minding your  "P's and Q's."

One more:  Bet you didn't know this!

In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons.  Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls.  It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon.  However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck?  The best storage method devised was a square based pyramid with one ball on  top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen.  Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon.  There was only one problem . . . how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others.  The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations.  However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it.  The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys.

Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled.  Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey.  Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey."  (All this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 - Senior Exercises....from my mother!

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007 - Birthday Poetry from my friends!

Birthday Poetry from my fellow TOS Staff Members...

Julie, Julie, she’s so very cool

Though on occasion she may act the fool

I know for a fact she’s creative and smart

I can tell by the way she gets subs flooding the cart

And that she’s a beauty I just don’t understand

Cuz she’s emailing me – not in “beauty-sleep land”

I’m glad that I know her that much is for sure

Cuz’ I’ll never get bored – Julie’s the cure!

 
Happy Birthday, Julie!

Dena Wood, Director of Finance & Customer Relations, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC

Our dearest friend Julie, her humor is funny

With such a sweet spirit, she makes our day sunny

Not one to complain but in case you forgot

Her name’s not just Julie, it’s Julie NOTT!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIE NOTT!!!!

Your unpoetic friend,

Deborah Wuehler, Senior Editor

"Julie, Julie Julie do ya love me?
Julie Julie Julie do ya care?
Julie Julie are you thinkin of me?
Julie Julie will you still be there??"

From Kim Thomas, Marketing Assistant
TOS Magazine

Julie Nott is getting older

Not that Julie’s getting bolder

No, we all sometimes have to ask

For others in our birth to bask

We hope this day brings forth good tidings

For our Nott in all her strivings

For she is a lady oh most fair

Working so hard in her homeward lair

Julie this day belongs to you

With hearty joyful wishes too

On now and every natal day

May God’s blessings with you always stay!
Happy Birthday!

Warmly,

Kate Kessler, Product Reviews Manager

TOS Magazine

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You say your name is Julie

Well mine is Julie too

And I just found out today

That I am older than you

I guess that makes me Julie #1

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Monday, July 23, 2007 - Birthday graphic from my artsy fartsy friend Christi!

Thanks Christi! I'll cherish it forever!

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Monday, July 23, 2007 - happy birthday to ME! I'm 36....ack!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEEE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

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Saturday, July 21, 2007 - I love my Mommy!

I love my Mommy...I really do.
It's just that I'm a horrible phone caller and communicator.
Mommy...I love you!
I miss you bunches!

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Saturday, July 21, 2007 - Some people just like the sound of their own voice...

So I'm sitting here in Panera Bread (they have the most delicious whole grain bagels!) having a nice cup of coffee hoping for some peace and quiet...and there's this man sitting reading the paper with his wife. They are probably in their 60's. He has now talked about everything from recycling, politics and how no one is going to tell him what to believe, to how men don't like cats, sex education in schools (even using the word f***) and now he's on to another topic....and he's so loud that the whole restaurant can hear every word he's saying. I don't think I've heard his wife say one word. She's just reading the paper. His voice is probably like a soft murmuring in the background after all these years.

Oh, now he's talking about his take on history.

I'm gonna put my earphones on and listen to some Jim Brickman.

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Friday, July 20, 2007 - Observations on public women's restrooms...

1. You know, I'm all for not having to actually sit on the toilet seat in a public restroom. But if you're gonna squat and splash on the seat, at least have the decency to wipe it off when you're done. I obviously came to the Barnes and Noble restroom today after someone who didn't have "time" to do that.

2. I really hate having to dry my hands with those air dryers. I'd much rather use paper towels made from trees, throw them away and fill up the landfill. [grin] One day as I was having to dry my hands in one of those stupid air dryers, I decided to actually time how long it took for my hands to dry. It took all of 15 seconds. And I balk at having to wait that long....I'm so impatient.

3. I've heard that the first stall in a bathroom is the one that is least used. Something to do with brain psychology and not picking the first stall....who knows.

4. I've always thought that the person who came up with putting marketing materials on the back of bathroom stall doors is a genius. What else are we going to look at when we're sitting there?

5. I really feel sorry for guys having to just line up and go without any privacy. At least we have the luxury of closing a door and no one knowing whether we're doing #1 or #2.

Well, that's all for today....just some feeble observations on women's public restrooms.

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