Friday, July 31, 2009

Senior T's




WEEKEND LOVE FORECAST:

ARIES: An "accidental" meeting is no accident at all. TAURUS: You'll help someone out with a task that's difficult for him or her but simple for you. GEMINI: Someone sees you differently than you see yourself and this causes a kind of awakening in you. CANCER: Pass up small entertainments for something bigger. LEO: Take on the mentoring role for that person you're with who so clearly needs guidance. VIRGO: You make a righteous choice. You can feel good about what happened and even better about yourself. LIBRA: Get away from a relationship, even if only for a few hours, so that you can see it more clearly. SCORPIO: Mutual love will be a great pleasure, so go only toward the person who reciprocates your attention. SAGITTARIUS: You'll do well to stay loose, free and flexible, committing to as little as possible. CAPRICORN: There's no time to obsess over inequities. Assume that a loved one is doing his or her best. AQUARIUS: You intuitively know what's on a loved one's mind. PISCES: Your plans will go off brilliantly, causing much laughter and smiles.

COUPLE OF THE WEEKEND: Leo and Cancer may be adjacent on zodiac wheel, but they're the kind of neighbors who do well to respectfully build a fence. It's not that they don't get along -- they communicate and play beautifully together, just as long as the boundaries are established. Leo needs time to flirt and show off. Cancer needs cozy moments of snuggly care at home. When both needs are met, they are happy together.

Been a little neglectful lately...

will try to get thru my email and post more...sorry!

Friday, July 24, 2009

WEEKEND LOVE FORECAST:

ARIES: You dress to impress and will be noticed by adoring eyes. TAURUS: Help the one you love stay organized. Your gentle reminders will keep your love on track and on schedule. GEMINI: Cooking for the one you love brings you pleasure. CANCER: Whatever spells "classic romance" to you, go for it. Good things will happen by candlelight. LEO: Stop keeping track of who does what and which time. VIRGO: Participation in group sports will fan the sparks of love. LIBRA: You'll hear what someone thinks about you through the grapevine and this will be satisfying information. SCORPIO: You're so attractive when hard at work. Let everyone know how busy you are. SAGITTARIUS: Create some excitement about upcoming events by dropping hints. CAPRICORN: Mastermind a surprise for the one you love. This will jolt your love life into action. AQUARIUS: Watching a thrilling or funny movie together will bring you closer. PISCES: When you put your mind to it, you always find a more creative way to say "I love you."

COUPLE OF THE WEEKEND: Virgo and Leo are zodiac neighbors who couldn't be more different. Earthy Virgo can be a bit shy and usually likes to rehearse life well, work out the kinks before the fact and handle every detail with perfectionism. Leo approaches life in broad strokes and usually makes a maximum impact with minimum effort. These two exist brilliantly side by side, as they balance each other's strengths.
Happy Friday! Pictures, Images and Photos

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Birthday Reminder


July 23rd, 1973

On this day we celebrate a special birthday.

Monica Lewinsky turns 36.
Can you believe it?! It seems like only yesterday she was crawling around the White House on her hands and knees, and putting everything in her mouth.

They grow up so fast, don't they?
Orkut Scraps - Thursday

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Adios, Chihuahua! Taco Bell dog dead at 15



Gidget, known for the tagline ‘Yo quiero Taco Bell,’ died from a stroke

She charmed millions without ever saying a word — and managed to make fast-food tacos adorable. Gidget, the Chihuahua best known for her Taco Bell ad campaign (and her famous overdubbed tagline, "Yo quiero Taco Bell"), died from a stroke on Tuesday night at age 15.

"She made so many people happy," says Gidget's trainer, Sue Chipperton. PEOPLE met both Gidget and Sue at a Hollywood animals photo shoot in February, where the pup was a consummate pro and delighted the crew with her playful nature.

"When she's on a set, she comes alive," Chipperton said at the time. But when the mostly retired canine actor wasn't joining her trainer on shoots, the 15-year-old was happy to just kick back. "She goes on hikes with me and she loves the sun," said Chipperton, who added that Gidget was happy to sleep "for 23 hours and 45 minutes a day. She'll lay outside when it's 105 degrees! I like to joke that it's like looking after a plant."

In addition to her gig as spokesdog for Taco Bell, Gidget appeared in a commercial for the '90s edition of Trivial Pursuit and played Bruiser's mom in Legally Blonde 2 (Moonie, the dog who played Bruiser, was her best friend and sometime roommate at Chipperton's house).

Other than a few other small cameos, Gidget's working life didn't continue much beyond her Taco Bell legacy. But she left quite an impression. "One time, I kid you not, she actually pushed her stand-in out of the way because he was still there when she arrived on set," Chipperton recalled with a laugh. "Gidget always knew where the camera was."

Have a great one...

Monday, July 20, 2009

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Walter Cronkite dead at 92

Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years (1962–81). During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited in viewer opinion polls as "the most trusted man in America" because of his professional experience and kindly demeanor. Although he reported many events from 1937-1981, including bombing in World War II, the Nuremberg trials, combat in the Vietnam War, the death of JFK, Watergate, and the Iran Hostage Crisis, he was known for extensive TV coverage of the U.S. space program, from Project Mercury to the Moon landings (with co-host Wally Shirra), to the Space Shuttle. He was the only non-NASA recipient of a Moon-rock award. The Beatles' first American TV broadcast was for Walter Cronkite. Following one of his central tenets to "report the news, don't become it," the title "anchor" was invented as his role. In later years, he appeared as a host or guest-star in many TV broadcasts.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Friday, July 17, 2009

Revere’s recorder - Henry retires as City Clerk, ending a 31-year career as the institutional memory of the city

At the next City Council meeting on July 20, there will be a noticeable difference in personnel.

No city councillors will be missing, but for the first time in more than 30 years, former City Clerk John Henry won’t be coordinating the meeting.

Henry submitted his letter of resignation to the council late last week, which will become official today, July 15, due to his retirement as full-time city clerk.

“I submitted a letter of resignation to the City Council that is effective this Wednesday, July 15, due to the fact that I’m retiring as a full-time city clerk,” said Henry on Monday. “My wife just retired from the Revere School System, so she’s around, and I’m 65 now. I’m in that range where people retire.”

Henry has indicated that he will stay on as temporary clerk if the council so wishes, and that arrangement will likely be the council’s first order of business on July 20 - whether to keep Henry on a temporary basis.

Two things will prevent the council from making an immediate decision about his replacement.

First and foremost, there is a spirited battle going on behind the scenes between a handful of people who are looking to become the next clerk. The city clerk’s position is an appointed position from the City Council. Only the City Council can choose whom they would like to serve as city clerk, and a mere six votes gets someone the job.

Secondly, there is a piece of legislation at the State House that looks to repeal the life tenure of the Revere city clerk. That measure passed the council several months ago, but was only recently heard on Beacon Hill. It will be reported out of a legislative committee this week and could be adopted by the Legislature sometime this summer.

The measure would give the city clerk a five-year term. Right now, the clerk enjoys life tenure, as Revere voters approved such an arrangement in a 1923 ballot question.

So while the dust settles on those matters, Henry has agreed to work without pay.

“During the interim period of time, upon a determination by the City Council, I would be willing to serve as temporary city clerk without compensation until the Massachusetts Legislature repeals the City Clerk Tenure Act and the appointment of a new city clerk by the City Council,” Henry wrote in his resignation letter.

He also indicated that any savings from his salary could be put towards keeping City Hall open on certain Fridays after Labor Day.

Mayor Tom Ambrosino said he has asked Henry to stay on as parking clerk, as supervisor of the city’s parking lots and as the clerk of the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

“I have asked him to stay on,” said the mayor. “I certainly want him to stay on as long as possible.”

Under state pension laws, Henry can retire from the clerk’s position and still work and receive income for the three other positions, which carry much smaller salaries, compared to that of the clerk.

Ambrosino and others said the potential of losing Henry can’t be measured. He is the institutional memory of the city for the last 30 years, in addition to all of the information he inherited from his predecessors, Joseph McCristal and Albert Brown.

“I was surprised to hear of his retirement,” said the mayor. “John Henry is an exceptional city clerk and very knowledgeable. I’ve relied on him quite a bit in my tenure as mayor for all sorts of advice and counseling. I hope he stays because I would miss him terribly.”

Councillor George V. Colella, the dean of the City Council, said losing Henry is devastating to the city and to the taxpayers.

“He came in with great credentials and he did an absolute superior job as clerk,” said Colella. “It’s a devastating loss.”

Henry first mentioned that he might retire late in January when the state’s fiscal crisis began to rear its ugly head. He indicated at that time that if it would help the city financially, he would step aside.

In his 30-plus years, Henry has been the continuity of the city, seeing several mayoral administrations and city councillors come and go. The personalities, the in-fighting and the victories - he has been there for all of them. There have been issues upon issues, and he and his staff have been there to record those comings and goings, along with the more mundane duties of keeping birth and death records, dog licenses and marriage certificates.

A native of Revere, he became the clerk in 1978 after having worked for several years as the director of intergovernmental affairs for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).

He said one of the biggest changes has been new technology, not only at his office in terms of computerization and the Internet, but also at the City Council meetings.

“There are fewer and fewer people participating in the Chamber meetings,” he said. “When I first came in, the Chamber was packed. Every seat was taken. Now, about every seat is open. They have access to TV now, and they watch it there.”

He said the public has access to much more information than when he came in - from the meeting agendas, which are much more detailed, to the information on the city’s website.

In the meantime, Henry said he hopes to do some traveling and he will continue doing historical research on Revere - producing short historical pieces for the newspaper, for the local cable access TV and for local lectures.

Though he said he is ready for the change, he indicated there was some sentimentality in closing his chapter as Revere city clerk, a position that doesn’t see a retirement very often.

“There’s a little nostalgia about stepping aside,” he said. “When you sit in that chair [in the council chambers] and in the clerk’s office, you become part of the building. It’s a little emotional…I’ll still be on Broadway, though, at 7 a.m. having my coffee and then coming over here and starting my computer. Any way I can help the city, I will.”

Friday!

WEEKEND LOVE FORECAST:

ARIES: Romance takes a back seat to practical matters unless you make an extra effort. TAURUS: When someone is nice to you, be sure to appreciate every little thing and you'll get more of this sweet treatment. GEMINI: You say the funniest things and a kindred spirit laughs it up with you. CANCER: Work out your stress so that you don't feel edgy and irritable around your loved ones. LEO: You'll enjoy wonderful meals with attractive people. VIRGO: Work side by side with a loved one to build your bond. LIBRA: Share a bit of your interesting past with someone new. You really have led a fascinating life. SCORPIO: Singles feel sparks of chemistry within a formerly platonic relationship. Couples turn up the heat, too. SAGITTARIUS: A visit with family that's different from yours will be eye-opening. CAPRICORN: You'll enjoy time with someone younger than you. AQUARIUS: You'll be constantly on the go. Stop to spend time with your loved ones or they'll get mad at you. PISCES: Make a list of things you like about yourself to give your self-esteem a leg up.

COUPLE OF THE WEEKEND: Cancer and Leo are neighbors on the zodiac wheel who have an equal need for loving attention. Cancer prefers to be noticed in casual, everyday ways -- with compliments, thoughtful gifts, phone calls and niceties. Leo wants applause, awards and over-the-top praise. When these two understand how to make each other feel special in the manner each prefers, they get along famously.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Tall Ships visit Boston

I wasn't in town when the Tall Ships came, but a friend sent me a few pics. They are a really beautiful site when they're in the harbor.




Redneck Stuff



Redneck Cooler (I've actually done this)



Redneck Garden



Redneck Cellar



Redneck Swing

More Maxine


Best T-shirt

Wednesday, July 15, 2009


A doctor on his morning walk, noticed an older lady sitting on her front step smoking a cigar, so he walked up to her and said, "I couldn't help but notice how happy you look! What is your secret?"

"I smoke ten cigars a day," she said. "Before I go to bed, I smoke a nice big joint. Apart from that, I drink a whole bottle of Jack Daniels every week, and eat only junk food. On weekends, I pop pills, get laid, and don't exercise at all."

"That is absolutely amazing! How old are you?"

"Thirty-four,"

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

This almost put a lump in my throat...

I seldom pass along inspirational stuff, but this one got to me.

I do believe, that in these difficult and mean-spirited times in which we live, there needs to be a message of hope. We can all use a single image that speaks to us of love, harmony. Peace, and joy. An image that suggests the universality of us all. I have been sent that image, and I want to share it with you.

All I ask is that you take a moment to reflect upon it...

Monday, July 13, 2009

New England Sand Sculpting Festival at Revere Beach 2009

Revere Beach, the crescent shaped sandy playground north of Boston, is hosting the annual New England Sand Sculpting Festival on July 15th through July 19th. World champion sand sculptors from all over the U.S. will gather at Revere Beach, the nation's oldest public beach, to make art out of sand and entertain thousands of sunbathers and spectators alike.

The art of sand sculpting

Sand sculpting is not child's play, as you will see on the event website which displays photos of the sculptures. They are big, bold, beautiful and intricately carved. The sculptures are made out of water and sand only, though the sand is actually a special brand from New Hampshire and not the stuff you usually see on the beach.

There is a set of rules for the contestants, which include specifications for the dimensions of the sculptures ( 18 feet by 18 feet); hours that the sculptors are allowed to work and so forth. Each sculptor is given 10 tons of sand to create his or her masterpiece and must also participate in judging fellow sculptors' work.

The Revere Beach Partnership

The New England Sand Sculpting Festival draws 250.000 spectators to Revere Beach annually, according to information on the organization's website. The festival is a project of the Revere Beach Partnership, established in 2001 to "help preserve the historic character of Revere Beach."

"The Revere Beach Partnership is dedicated to hosting events such as this to bring the beach back to its place as one of the premier beaches on the New England coast line," said Revere Mayor Thomas Ambrosino.

For more info: Visit the New England Sand Sculpture website and the Boston Central website

Location: Revere Beach is located in Revere, MA (about 10 miles North of downtown Boston) and is accessible via the Blue Line on the "T".

Cost: The event is free of charge but donations are welcome

Friday, July 10, 2009

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Friday, July 3, 2009

WEEKEND LOVE FORECAST:

ARIES: Your self-image is the key to attracting the love you want. Think of yourself in strictly positive terms. TAURUS: A loved one is waiting for you to make your move. Be bold. GEMINI: Your most persistent wish about your love life will be granted. CANCER: Freshen your look and update your style. It's worth the expense. LEO: A loved one wants to learn what only you can teach. VIRGO: Whom you spend time with will influence you even more than usual so be sure to surround yourself with those you admire. LIBRA: A "mistake" will tell you of hidden intentions. SCORPIO: You will be more conscious of how you create a relationship with your every word and deed. SAGITTARIUS: A loved one may become jealous of the time you spend with others. CAPRICORN: Whatever a loved one is expecting, double it and deliver with a smile. AQUARIUS: Take a chance with new love. You may be wrong, but you won't be forgettable. PISCES: You will have a good feeling about someone you meet -- and you'll be right.

COUPLE OF THE WEEKEND: Libra and Gemini are two air signs with a shared sensibility. Gemini is the sign of communication, and appreciates the way Libra makes a statement. Libra is highly aesthetic and always conscious about how he or she is coming across to others. Libra and Gemini have high-minded conversations this weekend. They will come together for the purpose of sharing exquisite and exclusive experiences.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009