Happy Halloween!

First, here's some candy for ya...just take one!

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Have you ever heard of Darwin Chamber? Well, that's not his real name; it's a stage name. His real name is Mark Greenfield. DC/MG is well-known for his "environment" albums...you know the ones where you hear the sounds of a particular environment? He's got everything from Thunderstorms to Oceans to Rain Forests to Birds to Whales to Frogs...and the list goes on. Darwin Chamber also does trance-y electronica-type music as well.

Some of the best environmental sound effects he's done are those for Halloween. It sounds very real. If you have a good surround system, you can especially hear the sounds playing back and forth among your speakers. It's amazing and creepy all at the same time. His work is most accessible on iTunes, where some tracks are 30 minutes in length, but only cost $0.99. Well worth it.

Here's a little sample of his SPOOKY Halloween sounds...

3D 2007 Halloween Sampler

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And, finally...if you are in the mood for some scary stories or podcasts, go here!

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Watch Out For That Hole!

So, if you haven't seen this video yet, here's your chance. A model named Sarah Welch fell through a hole in the runway during Fashion Week. Apparently she was a former contestant on The Bachelor. Her name sounds familiar but I'm drawing a blank on remembering her on the show. Anyway, if you watch Heroes, you might recognize the guy who helps her up...yep, that's Jimmy Jean-Louis, The Haitian (mind-eraser guy)!




Back to the fall at hand. My first reaction really was not laughter, but shock...I couldn't believe that she somehow didn't see the hole before she stepped into it. And, at the very least, why didn't anyone backstage warn the models? Duh. Perhaps next time a big orange cone will be more effective...I'm sure they can work it into the show somehow!

Let's Say Thanks

I want to share a great website my sister sent me (thanks, Kel). Xerox is sponsoring the "Let's Say Thanks" program. Basically, people can visit the site and view cards to personalize and send to our troops. All of the card designs were done by kids from across the country. Once you select your design, you choose a pre-written message (or write your own) and then send. It's that simple! It's all done electronically and takes no more than 5 minutes. (Well, I used all 5 minutes because I couldn't decide which card to choose...they were all so cute!) Now, go send a card and then pass the link on to someone else so they can do the same!

www.LetsSayThanks.com

Mad Skills

Apparently, my family and friends have caught on to the fact that I like to cook and bake. So every once in awhile I receive homemakerish type gifts. For example, for my last birthday, my sister Erin bought me an ice cream maker. This one, to be exact. This summer, I used to it to make a Vanilla Custard Ice Cream...it was delightful...so delightful, in fact, that my cousin told me that I had to make it every weekend from then on. My next attempt at ice cream will probably be for Thanksgiving next month. Erin would like to see, er eat, the fruits of her gift to me, so she has requested that I make a Pumpkin Ice Cream. So, I found this recipe on my beloved Food Network website.....sounds yummy, so I'll give it a go.

In addition, I have inherited the job of making my Grandmother's cole slaw for Thanksgiving (as well as for any other holiday or picnic it's requested), which I have been doing for the last few years now. I call it "Grammy's Famous Cole Slaw" because no one makes it like hers, not even Mr. Ron. Sorry, Mr. Ron.

And, finally, my friend Jon really likes Pumpkin Pie...I mentioned to him that my Mom-Mom makes them at least once every year, and will most likely be making some for Thanksgiving. His exact words were, "Steal me some! I'm serious." No need to steal! I'll just get her recipe and make it myself! He and my other buddy, (Jon's roomie) Tom, will just have to fight over it!!!!

Poor Ellen

If you happened to see the Ellen DeGeneres Show today, you probably saw her crying over a dog she gave to her hairdresser's family.

Here's the scoop in a nutshell...Ellen had adopted this dog, Iggy, from a non-profit agency but realized, even after spending thousands of dollars for the dog to be neutered and trained, that he just had too much energy and was causing problems with her cats. She wanted to make sure Iggy had a good home; she had talked about it with her hairdresser, whose daughters would have loved to have the dog. Ellen decided to give them Iggy because she felt it would be a better place for him to live. The agency found out about it when they called Ellen to check in on the dog and she told them she gave him to a friend. Unknowingly, Ellen had violated the adoption agreement, so the agency went and took Iggy away from the family. So, this ended with Ellen sobbing on air today when telling the story.

Here's a pic of Iggy with a blog post by Ellen from her site.
You can view the snippet of Ellen crying on her show here with an AP story.
Look at all this stuff and then come back here for my opinion!

My Opinion

Basically, I feel bad for Ellen. I think the agency could have handled it in a more appropriate and civil manner. Ellen admitted she did not read the agreement carefully enough and thought she was doing the right thing by finding a good home for the dog. Perhaps the agency could have worked out a new agreement with the new family instead of being so harsh with its actions. It's apparent that Ellen feels terrible for how things played out...I think if she didn't care about the dog or for the feelings of those girls then she probably wouldn't have attempted to make things right.

What do you think?

Priceless

This is my favorite commercial right now......so cute!

NL East Champs

I was fortunate enough to be at the Phillies game yesterday as they beat the Washington Nationals...and, boy, was it exciting! As we watched the Phillies, the whole park had a collective eye on the scoreboard showing the Marlins/Mets score. Each time the Marlins' score increased or the Mets went out of another inning without scoring, the Phillies fans cheered. The energy was indescribable. After the win, as we poured out of the park, fans were cheering and high-fiving all over the place. The celebration continued up Broad Street as people honked horns and waved their rally towels out car windows. It was madness...in a good way! Here are two pictures from my camera phone, but I'll have a few more to share as soon as I get them uploaded. GO PHILS!