59 MPGs....in a plain ol' Acord

Link

I really, really hope this site keeps their articles up so this doesn't become a dead link. It's a fairly long article, so I'm not going to paste the whole thing. Basically, his driving techniques, although incredibly crazy on some of them, allow him to get 59 miles per gallon.....which with rising gas prices, is something just about everyone could enjoy.

I do 'not' recommend some of his techniques -- like shutting off the engine while going 50mph on a 25mph turn. Other things he talks about make sense, though, and you can learn a lot that might help curb some of your own bad driving habits. Guzzling gas is not something most of us can afford as prices climb even higher.

6 year old will blow you away

Link

This is 6 year old Teresa Nguyen. All you need is 20 seconds of the video to know why I posted this. If you're expecting an amazing piano player, then you won't be disappointed, but you'll still be surprised by this clip.

And if any of you watch Britain's Got Talent, this is the little girl who appeared on there at one point, but here's her playing a full song.

~Edit~ The previous link was removed, so here's a clip of what she did on BGT. It's still pretty good, but I preferred the longer version.

Check out Ferox

Ferox and I cross paths on a couple of sites, but I don't think I've ever linked to her blog here before. After seeing the image above, though, I couldn't put it off any more. Isn't that amazing? She has a couple different blogs (including one she writes as a vet student and another on D&D) and writes for Associated Content, so be sure to look around and explore all she has to offer. You won't be disappointed. :)

~Edit~ I had this postdated for today, but it looks like Ferox is the first guest blogger over at BlogEngage now, too. Perfect timing, I suppose.

Popeye Chicken Founder Al Copeland Dies

Al Copeland, the founder of Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits, has died. He was 64 years old. In his native New Orleans, he was known as much for his flamboyant lifestyle as for his chain's spicy chicken.

At the age of 18, Copeland sold his car to fund his first restaurant: a doughnut shop. When a successful Kentucky Fried Chicken moved into his neighborhood, Copeland started tinkering with recipes and opened a restaurant of his own. But it struggled: The chicken was too bland. So, he returned to his Louisiana roots and made it spicy.

Under Copeland's leadership, Popeyes opened more than 700 restaurants worldwide. At a Popeyes in New Orleans, restaurant manager Herschel Epps says Copeland was true to his roots.

"The same way that he was today, he was yesterday. He was always consistent, a caring person, and his loss will be felt heavy around here because he was a great guy."

In 1989, Popeyes acquired rival Church's Chicken, which later forced Copeland's company into bankruptcy. Through good times and bad, Copeland led an extravagant lifestyle: sports cars, speed boats — and garish Christmas light displays at his suburban New Orleans home that were so popular that authorities had to direct traffic and neighbors filed lawsuits. There were lavish weddings and bitter divorces that were the talk of the town.

Copeland died in Germany, where he was getting treatment for a rare form of salivary gland cancer.

Story

If you look around, there are some other awesome articles about him, including this snippet about his wedding:

The wedding had a fairy-tale beginning, with the newlyweds arriving for the reception at Mr. Copeland's house in a horse-drawn pumpkin coach and walking beneath a line of crossed sabers held aloft by people dressed like wooden soldiers.

Story

And he went out in style, too, with his casket being carried by a horse-drawn carriage:

Copeland's casket was borne to the mausoleum on a horse-drawn carriage and accompanied by a brass band playing the tune "My Way." In honor of his favorite number, 11, 111 balloons and 11 doves were released.

"Al's going out big. He's got all his toys here," said Eric Paulson, a morning television news anchor and the master of ceremonies.

Story

Quirky's Inbox--Smooth Talking (Joke)

Smooth Operator

My teenager was headed to school one morning when I told him that the neck tag on his shirt was hanging out.

"I know," he replied. "It's a fad me and some of the guys started."

Weeks later, as the style persisted, I commented, "I can't stand it! Every time I see that, I want to fix it for you." I gently tucked the tag in place and rumpled his hair.

"Yeah," he said smiling slyly. "All the girls do too."

Pure genius, I tell ya, lol.

Should Japan Be Our Role Model? (Ban ISPs and Old Drivers)

Sometimes, I don't think we should follow in Japan's footsteps....like banning people from the internet for file sharing:

Copyright holders would use “special detection software” to sniff out online pirates and then notify the ISPs. Punishment is reminiscent of high school with ISPs first emailing a warning, then interrupting service if that doesn’t work, and finally, chronic violators would get expelled from the service. The ISPs are convening in April to figure out exactly how the new policy would operate.

(Yes, file sharing is bad when abused and heavy, repeat offenders would deserve punishment like this, but this isn't so great for the causal net user.)

And other Japanese activities, I wholeheartedly support....like this one:

TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo businesses are to start offering benefits to elderly people who give up their drivers' licences, backing a police effort to cut back on the ballooning number of traffic accidents caused by drivers over 65.

Among more than 30 special offers, one small bank will give higher interest rates, while Mitsukoshi department store chain plans to provide free delivery from its Tokyo stores and a hotel will offer a 10 percent discount on meals in a program starting next month, Tokyo police said on their Web site.

"Have the courage to give up your licence," the police say on the site. "If you have lost confidence in your driving ... if your family says they are worried about you driving ... please think about handing in your licence."

Japan has the largest proportion of over-65s in the world and faces a growing problem with elderly drivers, who caused 100,000 traffic accidents last year, about twice the figure 10 years earlier, broadcaster NHK said.

I have no problem with people who are getting up there in age and can still drive and do things like a youngin' (actually, it amazes me and I hope to be that way someday!), but sometimes, elderly drivers are as bad as fresh teenage drivers and it 'can' get dangerous. Some people just don't know when to stop, and enticements like these making handing over your pride (as some people see it....I don't personally) not so bad after all.

What do you think about these new policies? Should other countries follow suit on both of these?

PJC--Fly-in-urinal research is real....and it improves aim

No joke, hehe. I found it on this site, but here's About.com's Urban Legend piece on it. So for you ladies who are sick of cleaning up after your husband's dribble (did I really just say that? lol), etch a fly into the toilet. Not only will it prevent "spillage" as they call it, but your husband will love you even more for giving him a new game.

PJC--Guess which one of us is stupid

Yes, I'm pulling another LolCat for the day. Today was one of those days where stupid people ruled. Now, I'm not one to even use that word. Growing up, "stupid" was a bad word. Even now, I don't use that word around my mom, and if I do, I start with "I know you don't like this word" or "I'm sorry for saying it, but..." And it's very rare, in general, because I prefer not to call things or people "stupid."

Today, though....they were stupid. It was stupid actions one after another and I couldn't even laugh about it any more. So today's picture....yeah, stupid.

PJC and Quirky's Inbox--Is it Spring Yet?

I thought I'd kick off PCJ and the series I mentioned a while back, Quirky's Inbox (or should it be Jessi'?) at the same time. I found this in my inbox last night with the caption "Is it Spring yet?" I feel the same way...

One Skull Each Day

We've all seen the 365 projects by now, whether it's blogging 365 days straight or taking a photo everyday. Well this guy took it one step closer and his theme is to create a new skull everyday, including one from the bedsheets from a hotel he stayed in and another made from a lace. They're not tiny skulls either, as each of those took up a large space. It's kinda cool and the video above is a sneak preview at some of the skulls he's already completed this year.

When I'm an Old Lady--Robin's Nest

From Robin's Nest:

When I'm an Old Lady

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,
And bring so much happiness...just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they've provided.
Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll write on the wall with reds, whites and blues,
And I'll bounce on the furniture...wearing my shoes.
I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout!
(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they're on the phone and just out of reach,
I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.
.......

And that's where you get to linky click your way on over to her Nest and read the rest of it. It's worth it...spilled milk, crossed eyes, and a cute ending, hehe.

How to Identify a Stroke

First off, I really don't know the full validity of this stuff, but it certainly cannot hurt anything.

I didn't write this....and I actually have no one to attribute it to either (hence the disclaimer about not knowing the validity).

Because of this, the formatting is a bit crazy, too. Someone went a little caps lock happy and while I did take out a few little comments (like how you should tell a million people this and that), for the most part, I just left it alone. Take it for what you will....and please don't hold it against me, lol.



STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife ha d been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die.... they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Remember the first three letters of stroke: STR

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911immediatelyand describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -- Stick out Your Tongue
NOTE: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other,that is also an indication of a stroke.

100 People Ages 1 Through 100....All Playing Drums

Yep, it starts at a one-year-old and ends with someone who is 100.....all in under 3 minutes. Kinda cool to look at how the ages compare (especially when some of the older ones look much younger than their age....and vice versa, too).

Winning a Contest, Lady Language, and the First Picture of Quirky Jessi Ever Posted!!

*Deep breath*

Okay, so this post keeps getting pushed further into my folder of "things to blog." It keeps getting ignored on my lists of "things to do today." It keeps getting dropped from my mental agenda of things I want to get taken care of this week, month, year....and to put it simply, I'm tired of something so simple getting shoved to the side, as with so many other things I've tossed aside in the last few months.

Except this is different. This isn't some random link that can wait a year and still be relevant to my blog. It's not some useless meme that makes no difference if I ever respond to.

No. This is personal. And Quirky Jessi doesn't really do "personal" here. I don't avoid it either, of course, because I don't have anything that I'm trying to hide, lol....but this blog swayed away from 'my' life after the first couple months....even though shockingly enough, I've stuck with the blog title of "The Quirky World of Jessi."

To top it off, I knew I was going to take a while to write the post. No, not going back to fine tune every word I said....in fact, I won't even go back over this to nip typos in the butt because I know I'll end up deleting, altering, and screwing up the post if I do, hehe. The main time sucker will be once I start linking. And I know I'm going to ramble because uh, I already am. :P

~~~Intermission: Great. I've already said "nip, shoved, butt, and sucker" all in the same post. I can't wait to see what kind of random searchers I end up with now. *Rolls eyes....and then hides*~~~

So right....my point. Almost 2 months ago to the day, I stumbled across Lady Language. I couldn't have even told you how if it weren't for the comment I left them that day (I was fumbling through the NaBloPoMo randomizer, commenting on random blogs I found).

A fashion blog.

Actually, one step worse/better. A fashion blog there because of the store they own/run. Great, I thought. <--Sarcasm at that point. You see, not only was my intent that day to comment on other blogs in hopes of them following me home back to Quirky Jessi (of which I didn't think a fashion blog/store owner would be interested), I also don't keep up with fashion. As if you haven't noticed by my randomness here, I tend to march to the beat of my own....well, I can't play the drums, but you get the idea, hehe.

I can tell you what looks good on a persona....and I can tell you what looks bad...but I'm certainly not going to tell you what's "in fashion" right now because it doesn't make much difference to me at all. I wear what suits my body and what I *feel* like wearing.

And I've been on "fashion blogs" before......those that cling to the every item of clothing that drapes from one celebrity's body or another. No thanks.

So why the heck am I blogging about Lady Language? Because this blog *wasn't* like that. And because the top post was about this hot little red dress that read "Holiday Sweepstakes" Okay, so I took a deep breath and opened the comments. I was going to find *something* to say if it killed me because I'd already spent more than my allotted 10 second time deadline pondering whether to click the "randomize" button to pass to the next blog.

But it was a sweepstakes...and there weren't that many commenters. And even though I don't wear dresses with Christmas right around the corner, I thought it could be a nice little surprise gift for someone I knew if I happened to win. So I tossed out a comment about how gorgeous the dress was (because well, it was, lol....but I don't wear dresses and haven't since I was little, so it also made me envious of those with bodies to pull off dresses, heh)....and moved on.

A while later, I had a message in my inbox showing me someone else had replied to the blog post, and she made a relevant point....the point that was going through my head, but mine was in not-nearly-as-nice words:

Any body type, you say? I'd like to see that. I've had no luck finding flatering dresses, of late.

Exactly. This dress was a fiery red plunging v-neck halter top dress:


At a mere 4'11", that dress would not only swallow me, but it'd make me look like a bright red penguin. It would hang to my knees, the v-neck would show my belly button, the back would dip to my waist line, and that flowy, care-free fabric blow that screamed "wide load" at the waist-line already? Oh yeah, it'd show that my hips were twice the width of my top half that would 'not' be flattered by such a gaping neckline. Heck, I'm lucky to find split pieces to fit various parts of my body appropriately...trying to find a one-piece to cover all proportions? Ha!

As I said before, I don't pay attention to fashion, but I'm not going to go outside dressed in something that makes me look awful unless I'm proving a point, lol. And to put myself into a dress after convincing everyone that I'd wear blue jeans to my wedding instead of a wedding dress? Psh. No thanks.

But the dress 'was' nice. And it's not like I was going to win anyway, right? And I knew other people that might love it 'and' have places to wear it (because well, I don't have that either...the occasion to wear a dress like that to). So I just watched. And I waited. And I kept going back to the site to see what else their store offered. And I read through blog posts to see what else they talked about....because it wasn't a normal fashion blog. This was 'real' people, talking about 'real' clothes, and selling 'real' items at 'real' affordable prices.

Pretty cool if you ask me.

And then lo and behold, I got the email. Don't tell me you're surprised. I wouldn't have this kind of build-up if I was going to be drastically disappointed by my loss at a random blog that was talking about something that interests me little and gives away something I don't wear.

But I won. Yeah, me, QuirkyJessi, non-winner of anything ever, non-wearer of dresses, non-buyer of things that make me look like enlarged penguins. I won.

And I was giddy.

The site was new, though, so maybe this was all a gimmick for page hits. Maybe they weren't really going to send anything out, I'd get the run around, and if I tried to question it, my IP address would be blocked? It certainly wouldn't be the first time it's happened in the internet world.

But then the follow-up emails guiding me through picking a size that would fit me best and congratulating me personally. This wasn't a gimmick. I'd really won something...and a dress at that!!

And I wasn't going to give it away either. It was MINE. And a few days later, it arrived promptly, safely, and perfectly....right before I had to leave for work and I had no time to try it on, lol. What a way to prolong the excitement! (And well, the fear of it being a disappointment, not fitting, etc).

The next day I tried it on and it actually fit...and didn't look half-bad really. I made a few alterations....experimented with how tight to tie the halter-top because it would create totally different looks, tossed on heels so I didn't look so frumpy, and paired it with a strapless, half-corset underneath to add a twist of covered comfort, contrast, and decreased sloppiness. And it 'was' comfy! The fabric was so soft and breezy and because it didn't cling in all the wrong spots like many things do, I wasn't nearly as scared of the dress as I had been.

Yeah, that might work.

So after all this rambling of avoiding the picture (I've never posted a picture of myself here and I'm still not going to really because the face isn't there), here it is:
Judging from that photo, you'd never guess that I struggle to find clothes to fit me (although the length 'is' still too long for that style of dress, but hey, I'm short...'everything' is too long unless it's kids clothes, and even then, kids are getting so tall these days!!)....and you'd never guess that I was scared to death of a dress, lol.

If you've stuck with me this long (hey, we all skim....it's okay if it only took you 20 seconds to get down here), Lady Language is still doing give-aways even now that the holidays have past. There's even a $250 shopping spree give-away going on right now, so better hurry. Prizes or not, though, the chicas over there are pretty cool and it's not your average "fashion blog." But if you 'are' into fashion, well, so are they....and their store offers great deals on a variety of clothing.

In Prison, Toddlers Serve Time with Mom

The article I have excerpted below discusses how in Mexico, children born in prison stay with their mothers until the age of 6. Some people think it's ridiculous while others think it's beneficial to everyone involved, even though it's not typical of what most of us are used to or would expect. What do you think about this?

Fifty-three children under the age of 6 live inside the prison with their mothers, who are serving sentences for crimes from drug dealing to kidnapping to homicide. Mothers dressed in prison blue, many with tattoos, carry babies on their hips around the exercise yard. Others lead toddlers and kindergartners by the hand, play with them in the dust or bounce them on their knees on prison benches.

Karina Rendón, a 23-year-old serving time for drug dealing, said her 2-year-old daughter thought of the 144-square-foot cell she shared with two other mothers and their children as home. “She doesn’t know it is a prison,” she said, smiling sadly. “She thinks it’s her house.”

While a prison may seem an unhealthy place for a child, in the early 1990s the Mexico City government decided it was better for children born in prison to stay with their mothers until they were 6 rather than to be turned over to relatives or foster parents. The children are allowed to leave on weekends and holidays to visit relatives.

A debate continues among Mexican academics over whether spending one’s early years in a jail causes mental problems later in life, but for the moment the law says babies must stay with their mothers. So the prison has a school with three teachers.

The warden, Margarita Malo, said the children had a calming effect on the rest of the inmates. The presence of children also inspires the mothers to learn skills or, in many cases, to kick drug habits that landed them in trouble in the first place.

And even though the prison is full of women capable of violence, the children usually walk safely among them, as if protected by an invisible shield. It is as though they tap the collective maternal instinct of the 1,680 women locked up here.

Read the rest of the article here.

More for the Gamers--Chuck Norris's Tears Do Not Cure Cancer

Chuck Norris Sues Because His Tears Do Not Cure Cancer (Nor Does He Do Any of the Other Spectacular Things The Gaming World Has Credited Him With)

For the non-gaming world, this just seems completely silly. For the gaming world, well, it is silly...but don't let Chuck Norris let you hear that. ;-) I wouldn't normally post about this but given that I just posted that w00t was the word of the year, I figured, hey, why not? If you're curious, what the hype involves, just google "Chuck Norris" and you'll quickly see....tons of sites with lists of Chuck Norris jokes, associating him with godly powers/abilities/skills.

Nasty Santa Sends Mean Letters

This kind of story rather irritates me. If you're bitter with the world and you want to take your anger out somewhere, then find somewhere to do it. If you want to be mean, then fine, whatever. Nobody deserves this kind of randomness, but trying to ruin innocent children's hopes and dreams.....I'm sorry, but I don't think it's right to try to take a child's innocence, even if only in the form of a mythical elf who brings Christmas joy once a year, is just inappropriate.

So what am I talking about? Read the article. Basically, there's a program where people reply to kids' Christmas wish lists from "Santa." I don't know any more about the Canadian program that what is said in the article, but I remember the first time my little sister got a letter from Santa and it was priceless. Our own mailman/woman (they were a couple) would go through all the letters sent to the North Pole and respond personally to each. The twinkle in her eye when my mom read the letter to her was imply magical.

Someone decided to reply with nasty letters, though, and it's caused them to shut down the program until the offender is caught. There are only 8 days until Christmas.....quite unfortunate. :(

Ah, the Wonders of Photoshop

Untwirled Pedophile

So many of you are more than familiar with Adobe Photoshop (and some of you have probably never heard of it). Most times, it is used to manipulate photos. In this particular case, though, it was used to catch a suspected pedophile after he had previously altered his photos to prevent identification. It's old news at this point (me and my tossing things in the "To Blog" folder)...but still interesting (very quick article).

FreeRice.com---Which Words Do You Know?

Free Rice

I really don't know the legitimacy of this site, but it doesn't hurt to boost your vocab anyway. Check out the details there.

A Boy Who is Allergic to Almost Every Food

The Boy Who Can't Eat Much of Anything

I really don't have much to say about it...other than, wow, that's gotta suck. He seems to understand and works with it, but still. That's gotta be rough. :(