eye candy

i spend a great deal of time on my blog as well as viewing other blogs of interest. if you are looking for a little visual stimulation you might consider checking out peter's site "boybox" (from turkey) for a sweet collection of unforgettable images. here is just a sample of what you'll find...things could get messy, so come prepared!

the jolly green giant

Voice of Jolly Green Giant dies

The American entertainer whose voice boomed out "Ho, ho, ho" in the Jolly Green Giant vegetable adverts for decades has died at the age of 80.

Elmer Dresslar, originally from Kansas, died of cancer, his daughter announced in California where he had been living since his retirement. Dresslar periodically re-recorded the famous jingle and sang a fresh "Ho, Ho, Ho" about 10 years ago. "If nothing else, it put my sister and I through college," said daughter Teri. "He never got tired of it," she added.

The phrase, one of the most distinctive taglines in advertising history, was created by Leo Burnett. A spokeswoman for General Mills, the owner of the Green Giant Company, said Dresslar had been "the most consistent and most frequent voice of the Jolly Green Giant over the years - the one consumers are going to recognise". The figure viewers saw on screen was Keith Wegeman, an Olympic ski jumper. A navy veteran, Dresslar studied voice in Chicago in the 1950s and by the following decade had carved out a career singing in clubs, on television and in advertising jingles, the Associated Press news agency notes. He recorded 15 albums with The Singers Unlimited jazz group and appeared on the CBS television show In Town Tonight from 1955 to 1960.

Other jingles he recorded advertised Rice Krispies cereal, Amoco oil, Dinty Moore canned beef stew and Marlboro cigarettes.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4380434.stm

Published: 2005/10/27 01:29:13 GMT

© BBC MMV

the banana

After reading this, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!

Bananas containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and
substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just
allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood
pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases.
It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby
reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine, "eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PS Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!

george bush remains...

64 things about me you might want to know

1. Be honest, it's not that hard.
2. Please don't ask about anything to do with George Bush.
3. Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks, pop secret homestyle.
4. Pieces are far too romantic for today's world.
5. It sucks that we are controlled so much of our time by someone else.
6. At my age I still have problems spelling, it's embarrassing.
7. I never attended college and barley graduated high school.
8. Common scense is my strong point and intellect comes second.
9. I recently learned a few things about automotive repair and I liked it.
10. The right to marriage should be available to all regardless of sexual orientation.
11. I wish my relationship with my sister was better.
12. I hope to live to see the day when cancer & aids are gone forever.
13. Gerry Anderson'’s "Thunderbirds Are Go" is a favorite.
14. My top 2 favorite bands-The Blue Nile & Everything But The Girl.
15. Advertising in general has become too sexual.
16. I would imagine life in the 50's to be better.
17. Chicken & Fish preferred. The red stuff is out.
18. Pot is illegal because it's bad for your health… so why is'nt fast food illegal?
19. My drink-Johnny Walker Black w/water.
20. Bottom, always.
21. Love deep, sexy house music.
22. I feel incomplete without a partner.
23. The BBC and not NBC.
24. Keith Haring's art has always interested me.
25. I have a cat named Graham.
26. My MS buddy is Joan Fornataro- AKA Mummsy.
27. I want to go back to Montreal once more.
28. Sometimes technology makes people become lazy.
29. Aren’t there enough cable channels already?
30. No one should die alone.
31. Intimacy or sex? Intimacy.
32. I sleep on the right side of the bed.
33. My favorite season is the fall.
34. Schools should spend more time talking about current affairs.
35. If more people were happy inside, the drug abuse problem would lessen.
36. There isn't always tomorrow..
37. A right turn on red is a cultural advantage living in NEPA.
38. If people choose to accept money for sexual favors, so what. Everybody’s happy.
39. I think Meryl Streep or Dianne Keaton would make a good leader for our country.
40. If only more men approached things from a compassionate perspective...
41. Corporate control has gotten too strong for our own good.
42. If your minutes hang like hours, you better refocus.
43. Why most straightmen can't dance boggles my mind.
44. The term "Metrosexual" is a cop-out.
45. I have tons of respect for Martha Stewart.
46. If we are as "wise" as we are told then why hasn't minimum wage gone up?
47. I think it would be cool to be a butler for an old english family.
48. Steam your vegetables.
49. There should be more diners.
50. $40,000 for an automobile? That's fucked up.
51. Disposable razors are bad for the environment.
52. My relationship with my father died years ago.
53. Game night with friends is good.
54. Read the ingredients.
55. A friend once said I buy all the right books.
56. Don't have children if you don't have the time for them.
57. We spend too much time working, just to get by.
58. Masturbation is healthy.
59. The x-files was one of the best television series ever done.
60. When rich folks "break the law" why are they given different treatment?
61. What's it all about, Alfie?
62. I fell in love with my best friend in Boston, then i lost him.
63. I'm amazed that I survived my childhood, it was a sad and dark time.
64. You should be able to borrow against your car insurance expense; do the math.

Chances are good I‚’ll have more to share‚…

the new GJLA

I'm happy to say that the time has finally come when being in your teens isn't so terrible after all; especially if you happen to be gay.

as i have said in previous articles, i think that it's great that young gays & lesbians are "out and about" more than ever before. when i think back to my teenage years, i can vividly recall all the secrets we kept to ourselves and the times spent together were always somewhere in the "dark". we didn't have any safe clubs to go to. there were little to no support groups to share our fears with and no one who would look upon us with respect. when i collect all that i can remember, it amazes me that we have survived all the hate and brutality that we had been wrongfully subject to. yes time does have away of healing some of the social scars we bare but it also empowers future generations to continue the fight for acceptance.

today's teens are the new hope on the horizon. they have stepped up to the plate in unusually high numbers and made their thoughts and feelings publicly unavoidable. the right wing and the religious groups wouldn't hesitate pointing the finger at one of us, we're adults and we care too much sometimes what the "others" are thinking. teens on the other hand are bold and brass and only their parents can point the finger. even so, the chances of them listening to their parents advise aren't always so good.

gay teens today have made a voice for themselves. they have stood up and demanded to be counted. they have formed strong alliances with one another as well as developed large numbers of support groups. their information network s are strong and their "other" supporters are very powerful people and organizations. they are the new GJLA (gay justice league of america) and their not about to stand down to anyone or anything.


recently time magazine ran a feature article on gay teens and their new powerful awareness revolution. in the segment you'll find some interesting facts and figures on gay teens as well as a few points of interest should you want to learn more about them and their agenda. one of the most interesting and informative sites that were mentioned was inqueery, a site devoted to gay & lesbian teens. founded by chad thompson, the organization addresses lgbt issues on high school and college campuses. the site offers a wealth of information for both teens and adults. i applaud chad's efforts and hope that you will share his site with others.

my health & wellness

health & wellness...

here, my intention is to speak of my illness, ms (multiple sclerosis) kind of as an endless stream of facts, feelings and everything else.

the official word came from my neurologist, dr. farell, in april of 2003. oddly enough i think i handled it pretty well at the time. i had done some research on my own in the fall of 2002. after just a few weeks of comparing my symptoms to a few possibilities, i had a good idea what was wrong. i also had some help & endless support from a woman i barley knew. she would later become the one person in my life who knows exactly how and what i feel; sadly, she feels it to.

near the end of august 2003, my friend of many years (dan) was going to move away from his parents home in hazelton, pa to our capital city harrisburg. there he had accepted a teaching position in the hershey school district and was about to begin a new life. the plan in motion was that i would take the weekend off, drive to haddock friday late afternoon, accompany his dad for the ride down then return the next day to return the moving van. that friday morning i woke up and started getting my flat ready for my weekend away. phone calls, emails, extra cat food...normal stuff. as the day continued, i packed my bags and then showered. got dressed and started gathering a few things i had forgotten earlier.

all of a sudden i started feeling really "zippy" like i just downed three expresso's. i started literally racing around the apartment. within a few minutes my heart rate seemed to double and i started feeling nauseous. then i started getting dizzy followed by a cold sweat. i put up with it for about ten minutes then i got scared. what the hell was happening? i remember at that point deciding to go nextdoor to kate & art's since no one else was in the building at that time. kate works for a vet and has two kids so i thought she might be able to give me a little insight as to my condition. i couldn't even stand still for a second all the while she listened to me babbling about everything that was happening to me. she wanted to take me to the hospital but i declined. i said i would call my doctor and then thanked her for being there for me. so i phoned the doc and he called in two scrips for me-one for anxiety and one for the dizzy stuff. from the time this all started till three hours later, i spent all of my time either trying to lye down while the room spun around or pacing the apartment from front to back. it was a cold hell where i was. i dreaded the call to dan canceling my trip and my help. he was counting on me for this and i really wanted to be there for him; something else had other plans for me. happy to say dan was understanding about me not coming and was also concerned as to what was happening to me.

a month or so later, i started getting these pains in my head which weren't your typical headache's. they continued even though my doctor was treating me for allergy-sinus issues. nothing seemed to be working, still had the headaches, dizziness and the anxiety. after sharing some of my ideas, a few arguments and a variety of silly excuses from the doc, he agreed to have an mri done. at the time i had no idea how difficult it was to have an mri approved let alone the cost, $3,000.00! i think it was mid october around 9 am. i remember the cold breeze and how nervous i was...oops maybe it was anxiety?



time to pause, i'm tired. they didn't build rome in a day! i'll be back tomorrow...

i think, october 2005

i think...
this is the part where i spill all my marbles, regardless who might fall!

1 october, 2005
i've just gotten home from yet another shift at the big b! today wasn't very different from any other day; more of the same. it amazes me that someone can do the same thing, every couple of days, and only grasp most of its patterns. after being with them for at least seven months and asking the same routine questions, the stupids can only reply...oh, yeh, sorry. the response i wish i could say: "I'd ring your buzzer but i see the wiring is missing! what compels you to lay the dvd's on the counter where i have a difficult time reaching them? you know you can't "go home happy" if i don't scan the rentals and you pay the bill! it's always been our policy, to rent you need a membership card. with that in mind don't you think the member card is vital to your transaction? it would be nice, just once, if i didn't have to ask you for your god-damn member card every time you come here." once we are passed the initial exchange, its time to pay. isn't it wonderful, we haven't changed our rental rate for at least a few years; still $4.23. yet every time i wait on one of these stupids, they ask "how much?" then i have to wait till they root through their bag or pocket, rounding up the funds. then i notice, three persons down the line, miss lilly has that disgusted look on her face again. great, this stupid is taking too much time getting it together and now i'll have to deal with lily's anger. merry fucking christmas and thanks for all the anger i have to absorb because you just don't get it! now our time together is coming to an end. you re-educated yourself, magically, yes you added the change correctly! i know once i have the cash, you're gonna ask another dumb question, whens the movie due back? perhaps i gave you too much credit because you counted your own change? hey, look at that! its a bright yellow sticker on the cover of the rental box. it's in english and says 2 day rental...hum do you really need more time to figure it out? and if for some reason this process is too perplexing for you, we have delt you a bonus card answer! when you get home, read your sales receipt. look at that, right smack dab under the title of the movie you rented...due back 10/05/2005. aren't we just too clever for words?

lets step back a few, shall we...as i mentioned before, you need a membership to rent. all you need to do is fill out the new member application, provide us with a photo id and a major credit card (no deibt cards excepted) or a photo id and something else with your complete name and address on it (check, piece of mail, utility bill). most of them understand the photo id part although i have had a few ask "why the picture id?". what i wish i could say..."0h, thats for the talent scout from the ford modeling agency. they are always looking for a fresh face!". part two of this is the major credit card. to this i've gotten "what about my bank card?" how on earth did you miss that silver sequin from Phyllis Diller's prom gown they embossed on the front that says "debit". and now you're angry at me because thats all you can manage?. the final request is the complete name and address...you ask "can i use my social security card?" lets think about that, gosh it only has your name on it. poor poor you, the answer is now ding bat! a few have said "i have my driver registration card out in the car" dont tell me where the damn card is, just be polite and excuse yourself and go out to the car. every now and then i get one more moment to waste and step into the bonus round....after all we've been through, thanks to your silly questions, you decide to complain about how long it took just to open a membership. i wish i could..."i think first thing tomorrow you should quit your job and become a teacher. think of all t he children that would benefit from your flawless intellect!"

one of my favorite customers is the one that hears things that aren't even said...i had a guy come up to the counter and asked if we had the ken burns baseball documentary's to rent. i was sad to say that we didn't. he then got this puzzled look on his face and asked, so you don't carry documentary's? wow, did you drive yourself here?