Bert and Ernie Recording for TomTom GPS Voice

The wife thought this was funny:

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It Happened Again

I went to the Hanover Theater in Worcester, Massachusetts again tonight. This time I saw Classic Albums Live, the Michael Jackson – Thriller show. It was incredible. I took one of the children. We had a great time. The music was impeccably performed. It was billed as a bunch of musicians who get up on stage and play an album, note for note, cut for cut, start to finish, live. That might not sound too thrilling (pun intended), but it was amazing. They got up on stage and played Thriller, note for note, cut for cut, start to finish, live. Then they took a little break, came back, and played a whole bunch more Michael Jackson songs. The aisles were packed with people dancing: Kids; adults; older adults; really old adults. And they were all smiling. And clapping. And having a really good time. When there wasn’t any more room in the aisles, people stood up at their seats and started dancing. Everyone I saw was having fun. The performers were having fun. Even I was having fun.

This doesn’t usually happen.

But it did happen once before, and recently. And it was at  the Hanover Theater again. This time, it was with the other child. And the boyfriend. We went to see Buddy Valastro, the guy from Cake Boss. He showed up in town with an even sillier premise. Take an Italian baker from Hoboken, New Jersey and stick him on stage in Worcester, Massachusetts with a bunch kids and parents from the audience. Add some cupcakes. He teaches us how to decorate them. We laugh at the audience members as they try to imitate his designs. He tells stories. And everyone smiles: The kid; the boyfriend; the dad; the people on stage. Once again, everyone in the room was having a great time.

Family friendly entertainment?

I didn’t think that existed anymore.

But it does.

Search it out.

Ben

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The Price of Fighting the Fight

Ten years ago, our area was overrun by the Asian longhorn beetle. We’ve been fighting it ever since. Teams of specially trained inspectors have permeated our forests and neighborhoods as they search for the beetles and their paths of destruction.

They claim that the beetles threaten our trees, but to date, not one tree has fallen victim to the bug. This does not mean, however, that we are safe. So far, about 30,000 trees have been cut down. They say that they have done this to protect our woodlands.

I wonder who is winning.

Ben

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Is Your Cutting Board Warped?

My cutting board is warped. The one I made out of the tree from the front yard. Not to name names or anything, but one of the children put ours in the dishwasher. Sometime after that, it began to develop a significant sag: the center is now lower than two outside edges, like a shallow “U.” It’s still usable, but I miss its flatness.

Before I go making another one, I’m interested in whether anyone else is having the same problem.

Please let me know here by taking this anonymous (although I could probably track you by IP address) poll:

How Is Your Cutting Board Holding Up?
Check All That Apply

  • It is still flat. (71%, 5 Votes)
  • It is warped, but sits flat. (14%, 1 Votes)
  • It is warped and doesn't sit flat. (0%, 0 Votes)
  • I still use it all the time. (57%, 4 Votes)
  • I haven't used it very much recently. (29%, 2 Votes)
  • It's all my fault, I put it in the dishwasher. (14%, 1 Votes)
  • What cutting board? (14%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 7

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Why We Need More Hurricanes

I believe that we should schedule hurricanes a little more often. I got an incredible amount of stuff done yesterday:

The generator is all tuned up and working great.

The sump pump (the one I installed hastily during the last flood) is now in its new hole in the floor and properly piped.

The chainsaw has gas in it and runs well.

The lawn furniture and the fire pit are stored in the garage.

The barbecue grill has a full propane tank.

It’s a shame that it takes the threat of such destruction to accomplish so much.

Ben

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A Great Cook?

One of the child’s friends was over for dinner the other night. I made chicken sandwiches on the grill. After the first bite, the friend exclaimed,

“This tastes just like something from Burger King … except better for you.”

End of story.

Ben

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The Two Heroes of Harry Potter

Now that the Harry Potter sensation is coming to an end, I’d like to present my nominations for the the two heroes of the franchise: J.K. Rowling and Neville Longbottom.

J.K. Rowling is responsible for more kids reading more books than anyone else in the history of the world. She gets my deepest respect for pulling that off in this age.

If you were paying attention, Harry, Ron and Hermione just messed things up. Neville was the one who consistently got things right. I want to be like him.

Ben

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Rube Goldberg Photography

Mary thinks this is interesting:

Rube Goldberg Photography

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A Good Sleep

I went back to see a movie for the second time last night. Unlike the first showing, I brought my wife along for this one. I was counting on her to let me know how it came out in case I slept through it again. Turns out that I did.

She couldn’t help. Because she slept through it too.

Ben

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Kindle Template

This file is the first attempt at a template for self-publishing personal documents to the Kindle platform.

Notice that this is Version 0.66 which means it needs quite a bit of work before it can be considered a real Version 1.0. It is, however, in my humble opinion, far better than anything else out there.

As I learn more, I will post it here. Comments are welcome.

Kindle Template 0.66

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