Stone Soup

Stonehenge Theory

Monday, June 29, 2009 at 2:54 PM | Posted by Unknown

For hundreds, maybe thousands of years, people have been trying to figure out how primitive people could build huge structures such as Stonehenge and the pyramids out of stone blocks weighing thousands of pounds. Scientists have been stumped. Then along comes a normal guy - a retired construction worker - and he says, "Well, I would do it like this." And he does. This guy uses the simplest tools known to man and shows how simple and easy it would have been to create Stonehenge.

This is a really great video clip. Amazing how this guy could figure out something that has confounded scholars for centuries. And he not only figures it out, but demonstrates it! This guy could build a replica of Stonehenge single-handedly, while a committee of 20 or 30 Civil Engineering professors from leading universities would be debating how it might be done.

'Stonehenge Reloaded'. You have got to see this......

Women only! Bra Size - How To Measure Your Bust

at 9:35 AM | Posted by Unknown

Eighty-five percent of women are wearing the wrong bra size. In this video find out how to measure yourself for the perfect-fitting, most flattering bra.

Fill them, file them or forget them?

at 8:06 AM | Posted by Unknown

These nails are needing some work, the manicurist told me they would need to be filled in two weeks, I have pushed it to almost a month. They have grown quite a bit and are beginning to get in my way for some things, they hinder me when I type. But I like them. They are strong and pretty. However, typing IS becoming a problem. Perhaps I will get used to it. Decisions, decisions! I need a real problem...or I need a life!

Billie Tweets: a Twitter tribute to Michael Jackson

at 5:28 AM | Posted by Unknown

Link
An awesome tribute in Twitter tweets done to the music of Billie Jean.

My favourite magazine is also free!

Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 8:55 PM | Posted by Unknown

The summer issue of the LCBO Food and Drink magazine is out. Published at least four times yeary with an extra Holiday issue, this glossy magazine features wine, drink, entertaining, style, gourmet food, menus and recipes. The photography is excellent in this quality magazine and it is free! Compliments of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and available only in Ontario. I look forward to every single issue! If you would like to look at their recipes online, go here and click the recipes tab: http://www.lcbo.ca/fooddrink/index.shtmlhttp://www.lcbo.ca/fooddrink/index.shtmlhttp://www.lcbo.ca/fooddrink/index.shtml">FoodandDrink Here is a peak of a few pages inside the magazine.

Backyard birds

Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 11:15 PM | Posted by Unknown

I don't know what my neighbour on the other side of the fence is feeding the birds but I am seeing a lot of, what I call, less desirable birds; house finches and starlings, are aggressive with smaller birds, like my favourite goldfinches, and they also leave large splats of poop down my fence and over my deck. I come home some days to find the birdbath almost empty and I know there has been a riot in the yard during the afternoon and I have to hose poop off the deck.

Today this starling, at least I think it is a starling, collided with a goldfinch who was coming to eat niger seed from my feeder, he scared the goldfinch off, grabbed a flower from my basket and ate it while standing on the fence. When the starling flew off, the goldfinch returned for a dainty snack. My neighbour is away for the weekend but she has left lots of seed in her feeders for the big bully birds.

Meyer Lemon--the whole thing!

at 3:41 PM | Posted by Unknown

Here is the whole Meyer Lemon Tree. You can hardly see the fruit and flower buds but there are quite a few, mostly on the lower branches. I count 12 little lemons already formed and over 60 bloom buds. If all the bloom opens and forms fruit I had better get feeding...it would be quite a crop! I don't know if I should be pinching off fruit to allow the plant's resources to develop better but fewer fruit or if the plant will take care of that issue. Then again, a surprise hail storm may do that if I can't get home in time. The plant measures 26 inches in height from the top of the soil to its highest leaf. I will keep posting its progress...and send you a lemon if they ripen!

Oh oh! Trouble at the bedroom window!

Friday, June 26, 2009 at 2:11 PM | Posted by Unknown

Craig pointed this out to me the other night. I called the condo corporation and got a reply today and they will send pest control next week. I have no idea what that white-ish glob is below the hornet nest...probably something else that should not be there.

Myer Lemon Tree is coming along nicely

at 1:53 PM | Posted by Unknown

I am enjoying this little tree. Bought it at an Asian Mall, they get the nicest plants, and I have been nurturing it on the patio. I noticed yesterday that the heat (and humidity) of the past few days has given it a little boost. Yes, summer began full force on June 21. There are blooms on almost every cluster of leaves and some lemons have begun to form. I am SO enjoying them! My patio has a north exposure to the light is much stronger than in the house but no full sun comes until late day. There will not be too much of an adjustment when I bring it in at the end of summer to its winter home in my south exposure hallway. This method has worked for my Key Lime and Madarina trees for a few years, they make great advances on the patio each summer. One of these summers, I will be taking your orders for citrus fruit, I imagine. *wink*

New Shoes and a purse

Monday, June 22, 2009 at 8:22 PM | Posted by Unknown

I stopped in at Winners on my way home from work, shouldn't have done that. Saw these shoes on sale, tried them on and they were so comfortabe, had to buy them. I will put the brown wedge heels (Rockport) away for the Fall. The slip ons at the back are Liz Claiborne, good for jeans and capris. The multi colored NineWest are the most comfortable shoes I have ever tried on. They will go with a few things I have for summer. Can you beleve they were only $22? The purse at the back isn't exactly a summer colour but it is canvas and big enough for my camera, brush, wallet, some makeup lots of room to spare.

Fun video from a train station in Belgium

at 7:11 PM | Posted by Unknown

More than 200 dancers performing their version of "Do Re Mi", in the Central Station of Antwerp (Belgium) on March 2009 at 08:00 AM. With just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing promotional stunt for a Belgian television program, where they are looking for someone to play the leading role in the musical of "The Sound of Music".

4 year old hamburger

Sunday, June 21, 2009 at 9:26 PM | Posted by Unknown

Iran

at 11:13 AM | Posted by Unknown

I have been following the events in Iran this past week and especially this weekend. My television is often tuned to CNN, I am following Mir Hossein Mousavi's Facebook page (you can see it here) and have been watching tweets pour in on Twitter, even retweeting some of them just to help.

Twitter has changed from a social networking site to a social infrastructure site. What an amazing tool it has turned out to be! Search for any of these hashtags in Twitter and you will be able to watch live updates on Twitter: #Iran #Tehran #Neda (the girl they killed in the street) #iranelection

I changed my Twitter account profile to say my location is Terhan, Iran and I changed my time to Terhan time. The Iranian government is searching for Iranian bloggers so they can stop them and punish them. Protesters are asking for over 1 million people to change their location to Iran to foil the government, slowing their progress in locating real Iranian bloggers. I believe in free speech and free press coverage around the world--a government should not be allowed to shoot people in the streets without the rest of the world knowing and condemning them for it.

Read why Twitter is still working in Iran here

Still working with Photoshop

Saturday, June 20, 2009 at 4:33 PM | Posted by Unknown

I have made copies of the same file to create this hdr image. I think it is not exactly hdr but a fake way of doing it which I prefer because I get exact copies of the same photo, no worry about lining them up. Here you see the original and the cropped hdr. Can I still call it hdr?

A Duck Walks Into A Pub . . .

Friday, June 19, 2009 at 11:10 PM | Posted by Unknown

A duck walks into a pub and orders a pint of beer and a ham sandwich.

The barman looks at him and says, 'Hang on! You're a duck.'

'I see your eyes are working,' replies the duck.

'And you can talk!' exclaims the barman.

'I see your ears are working, too,' says the duck. 'Now if you don't mind, can I have my beer and my sandwich please?'

'Certainly, sorry about that,' says the barman as he pulls the duck's pint. 'It's just we don't get many ducks in this pub. What are you doing round this way?'

'I'm working on the building site across the road,' explains the duck. 'I'm a plasterer.'

The flabbergasted barman cannot believe the duck and wants to learn more, but takes the hint when the duck pulls out a newspaper from his bag and proceeds to read it.

So, the duck reads his paper, drinks his beer, eats his sandwich, bids the barman good day and leaves.

The same thing happens for two weeks.

Then one day the circus comes to town.

The ringmaster comes into the pub for a pint and the barman says to him 'You're with the circus, aren't you? Well, I know this duck that could be just brilliant in your circus. He talks, drinks beer, eats sandwiches, reads the newspaper and everything!'

'Sounds marvelous,' says the ringmaster, handing over his business card. 'Get him to give me a call.'

So the next day when the duck comes into the pub the bar man says, 'Hey Mr. Duck, I reckon I can line you up with a top job, paying really good money.'

'I'm always looking for the next job,' says the duck. 'Where is it?'

'At the circus,' says the barman.

'The circus?' repeats the duck.

'That's right,' replies the barman.

'The circus?' the duck asks again. 'That place with the big tent?''Yeah,' the barman replies.

'With all the animals who live in cages, and performers who live in caravans?' says the duck.

'Of course,' the barman replies.

'And the tent has canvas sides and a big canvas roof with a hole in the middle?' persists the duck.

'That's right!' says the barman.

The duck shakes his head in amazement, and says ...

'What the hell would they want with a plasterer??!'

(From my inbox this evening)

Grace and Glenn

at 8:26 PM | Posted by Unknown

Just a couple of photos of Grace and Glenn swimming with the dolphins in Cayo Coco Cuba. Cute aren't they? The rates for swimming with dolphins were way more expensive in Mexico so I didn't bother--$95 each person for a swim that lasted 1 1/2 hours was ridiculous. Everything was expensive in Mexico. Glenn and Grace took a catamaran ride to Cayo Coco, toured the island, snorkled for an hour, and swam with the dolphins 1/2 hour, all for $65 Canadian each. They tell me the sand on the beache was pure white and soft as powdered sugar!

Sloppy Shot From Behind the Wheel

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 10:04 PM | Posted by Unknown

Hold the camera up, a few clicks and hope for the best. I always enjoy this part of the drive home, the rocks are pretty and also tell me I am half way there!

Next two days with my Mom

at 9:49 PM | Posted by Unknown

We went outside to the little park beside the home and she enjoyed being outside in the warm sunshine. First photo, I had walked her in a wheelchair around the block, we stopped at a yard sale and she was very interested. Then I found the entrance to this little park and noticed that I could have come in directly from the hospital...but the yard sale and trip around the block had been enjoyable. Next photo, she was already dressed when I arrived, different top. We went directly out the back entrance to the park, took a little walk around the paths, said hello to all we met and then found a place with a little shade to sit for a while. She was quite aware of what was going on but I don't know if she will remember anything.

My Mom

at 9:38 PM | Posted by Unknown

My Mom has been in hospital in Montreal for about 6 weeks, she had pneumonia again and then had a small heart attack. Here she is sitting up in a chair at the convalesant home last weekend where I went to visit her. It was her second day in this place and she seems to be doing well enough. She no longer needs to be strapped into a chair but she has picked up some kind of bug you get in hospitals that is dangerous to other patients so she is in isolation. We must wear gowns in her room and if we take her outside SHE must wear gloves so it doesn't spread. They are treating her with antibiotics and will test her again in a week.

Experimenting with HDR

at 6:57 PM | Posted by Unknown

High Dynamic Range imaging is the future in digital photography. At least that is what I am told so I thought I had better begin experimenting. This is my first attempt. I think I am in over my head but hope I can stay afloat. I took two (or you can use more) exposures of a scene and combined them in Photoshop so the detail in the shadows is visible without loosing the highlights. I am not so great with Photoshop, it is difficult for me. I am not even sure I can do this again, so I better try another tonight to reinforce what I have learned.

Still wondering how they get the caramel inside a Caramilk bar?

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 5:45 PM | Posted by Unknown

Caramilk Bar

That's right folks. The cat's out of the bag. After 40 years Cadbury is finally telling us how the hell they get that soft, flowing caramel inside their Caramilk bar...through interpretive dance. This "revealing" commercial by Saatchi & Saatchi New York seems to rely on the mantra that a picture's worth a thousand words. Truth be told, we'd rather take the thousand words, though we should note that our taste buds don't seem to care. It's all part of a new Cadbury campaign, the first in a decade to support the Caramilk Secret, using a bunch of mysterious executions to deliver various interpretive reveals of the Caramilk Secret, including a note written in Elvish and the testimonial of a Xhosa tribesman. Click on Caramilk Bar to check out the campaign in all its caramel-filled chocolatey glory.

Thanks for clearing it up for us Cadbury. Thanks a million.

| 1 comments |

Mona's Dare: A Tree

Monday, June 8, 2009 at 11:28 PM | Posted by Unknown

Better late than never to post my response to Mona's Dare. I lost all my photo files last week when my hard drive died so today I took my camera to the office. There are trees outside the office windows on all sides, and I see trees from the cafeteria window.

An impressive tree is right on my back fence, a big fir tree, did I say big? It must be 90 feet tall! Many birds live in this tree and the middle boughs are not far from my bedroom window so in summer a choir of birds begin to sing just before sunrise. Occasionally the odd bird gets his body clock out of synch and he begins to chirp hours before he should.

If you would like to join the fun in Mona's Dare visit Mona's page here http://monchri.multiply.com/journal/item/48/The_Dare