Welcome to My Blog Stop!, a freestyle home business and personal blog, curating advice, tips, and information for work at home professionals; and blogging about general subjects of interest, art, entertainment, views and opinions, society and culture, etc. This website complements and supplements multiple WAHM projects grouped together as Cmoneyspinner's Home Business Projects on Facebook. Thanks for visiting!
Remember Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday, TV detective from a once popular television called Dragnet? If you do, then you also know he is remembered for saying this one line which he always said whenever questioning female witnesses or suspects, in order to solve the crime: “Just the facts, mam.” Just the facts, Ma'am. (n.d.) Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price. (2011). Retrieved July 26 2016 from http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Just+the+facts%2c+Ma%27am
This website is extremely popular so the information presented in this blog post may not be news to many of you. But for those who have never heard of it, check out this site called “Mental Floss”.
Below are two plusses about this site that you might like. Plus #1) Need ideas for something to write about? Have a go at the tool they refer to as the “Amazing Fact Generator”.
For example: FACT! Every film John Cazale appeared in was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.
Isn't that cool? So my only question now is: Who isJohn Cazale? (O.o) :)
Plus #2) You also have an opportunity to submit a fact to be added to this database. Do you know an amazing fact that you can express in 300 characters? “Suggest a Fact”.
So red is my favorite color. But when you're nobody … nobody cares what colors you like (except close family and friends
). Blue is Jay-Z's favorite color which is important because … he's
Jay-Z or Jay Z!! (Used to have a dash, now his name doesn't have a
dash.) Here's a question that never occurred to me and bet Jay Z never thought about it either.
Remember the dress that broke the internet? Well, once that went viral, people started talking about colors and the science behind how we perceive the color blue. Kevin Loria went beyond that by trying to figure out the history of our perception of the color blue.
Look
up! The sky is blue. Gonna take a wild guess. The color blue is
probably the same age as the sky. Click the link for the
answer. According to the writer of the article found at cloudhax.com, ancient civilizations did not have a word for the color “blue” in their languages. Interestingly enough, this is the order in which words for colors appeared in human languages : first there was black and white, then red, then yellow and green, and last of all, blue.
That's fascinating.
Not quite convinced the research produced the true findings.
But since it's not a matter I'd care to probe any further … in the words of the wise guy philosopher … Aw! Forget about it!
Content first published on PersonaPaper, April 8, 2015.
Blue ribbon is in 20th century still a synonym of high quality and is typically given to winners of different competitions, for instance in sport, but also in culinary or at certain fairs. Did you know the most prestigious colleges like Oxford and Cambridge are sometimes called blue brick universities?
“Revenge it's a kiss, this time I won't miss, now I've got you in my sight.”
( Lyrics from “GoldenEye” - http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tinaturner/goldeneye.html ) I love me some Tina Turner. Her being picked to sing a James Bond theme song? So worthy to be chosen to become a member of the same club as Dame Shirley Bassey. She performed this song well, but alas … Revenge is not a part of my worry-free philosophy.
The advice in the image above (found at glitter-graphics.com) says: “Never go to bed angry. Stay up and plot your revenge.” Eh! That's great for a joke! But not a route one should take in real life. ♦ Never go to bed angry. Anger is an emotion that you can fully control. CONTROL IT!! Anger, more often than not, makes you do things you regret for a long long long time. Say what? Jesus got angry with the money changers in the temple? Yeah well, you're still trying to get to heaven. Don't screw up your chances! Jesus is already there! He can lock the gates!! ☺
Also, don't give me that crap about anger management or you'll make me angry!!☺
♦ Stay up and ... Stay up? WHAT???!!! I get precious little sleep as it is!! You want me to choose between beauty rest versus wrinkles, extra gray hair, and bloodshot eyes? What are my other options?
♦ Plot my revenge? Plotting is needed when writing a book or a script for a movie. If I have that kind of time to spare and can spend it on plotting, might as well write a book. Why not? I'm wide awake anyway!! You never know. Could be another Harry Potter series. So the bottom line is: Revenge is _______________. In my life, it's a blank and I'm never going to fill it in. Like to read more of my worry-free philosophy? Click this link: My Worry Free Philosophy You have my assurances that none of the quips and quotes were borrowed from Erma Bombeck. IN MEMORY OF: Erma Bombeck (1927 – 1996) Ms. Bombeck is a beloved American humorist. She was noted for using the vehicle of comedy to aptly and succinctly express practical wisdom and advice encapsulated in witty, terse, hilarious statements.
Are you a John Wayne fan? If so, I sure hope you will not feel disappointed when I say that I do not share your admiration. I am not a John Wayne fan at all. It sounds un-American, but it’s the truth. I never really liked John Wayne movies, particularly when he portrayed a person in the military because he never served. Some want to imply or hint that he was a draft dodger. I would feel uncomfortable taking it that far. Besides, many think that the roles he played as a person serving in the armed forces of the United States were great for the morale of the real soldiers. So dissing him for not serving would be kind of unfair because boosting the morale of a soldier far away from home is an admirable service and an act of patriotism. At any rate, this article is not about Mr. Wayne. It is about war movies. Read on.
When trying to compile a listing of war movies that left a mark in my memory, since I grew up during the Vietnam era, The Green Berets (1968), made my initial list. However, it was subsequently eliminated.
The Green Berets, which starred John Wayne, is about the war in Vietnam. It was taken off my list because it was difficult to recall any memorable movie quotes. On the other hand, the words in the theme song were memorable.
Song Lyrics:
“Put silver wings on my son’s chest. These are wings of America’s best. One hundred men will test today. But only three, will wear the green beret.”
This Korean drama series is adapted from a webtoon, titled “Sungseureowoon Idol”, written by Shin Hwa-Jin. The spirit of a loyal and pure high priest who faithfully serves the god in the Other World is switched and he ends up in the body of a Korean idol in a K-pop boy band in modern-day Seoul. Never mind how it happened. How does he get back?
Fortunately, in the modern world he still has his divine power, so he can continue to heal people and fight demons. It’s a good thing too because it seems that the devil has also switched and is in the body of a top executive in the entertainment industry. Furthermore, the devil is bringing in his minions from the Other World to serve him and to recruit new followers. The high priest meets an idol fan who thinks he is suffering from multiple personality disorder. She determines to help him get medical treatment for his mental health “illness”.
Eventually, she comes to recognize that the man she knows as a K-pop idol is not the same as the man she has befriended. He is not an alternate personality, he really is an entirely different person. She resolves to help him defeat the dark forces that have come over from the Other World, and in the process, falls in love with him. Their relationship gets sort of complicated. Not only are they from two (2) different worlds, but priests are supposed to be celibate. Will evil be defeated and true love find its own way? (Watch on Viki.)
Tried to do a quick list of the names of Disney Princesses WITHOUT searching for them on the Internet . Thought I could do it but I failed. Was able to draw at least ten from memory , listed below. After that I started going … UM … the one with red curly hair ??? ... and … Uuuummm … the two sisters in the “Frozen” animated flick … uuuhh … ???
Times have sure changed from when I was a little girl. Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty - they were the ones that were role models. Each one of them ended up with the handsome prince, who took them to a beautiful castle home, and lived happily after.
My youngest daughter is a budding teen, having just turned age 14 last week. Asked her the other day if she had a favorite Disney princess.
Without skipping a beat, she passionately blurts out: “Anastasia, cause she don't need nobody to do nothing for her; and Tiana too, cause she worked!”
Oooookkkkayyy. Let me back away slowly from my little 21st century girl. :)
{ P.S. Yes Willow Smith and my daughter are both the same age. But don't be jumping on me about Willow Smith and her wild behavior! I ain't Willow Smith momma and daddy. I'm just sharing a link to her video. }
The harp is mentioned more often in the Bible than any other musical instrument.
The harp is an earthly instrument with a heavenly sound. It can soothe a troubled soul.
At one time there was a debate about whether or not the harp was solely a religious musical instrument.
But thanks to breakthrough musicians like Jeff Majors ... The question mark is now a period!
Harp music will always be used as religious music, but it is no longer used ONLY FOR religious music. That's because talented harpists like Jeff Majors use his instrument to play all of the genres: sacred, classical, jazz, and gospel.
In
Jewish history, it is written that when King Saul was tormented, he
asked for someone to play the harp for him to calm his spirit. A
young harpist named David was recommended. The lad was surely an
extraordinarily talented musician because he was often summoned to
play for the king to relieve his distress. When David grew up, he
succeeded Saul as the second king of ancient Israel. Music continued
to be an integral part of his life, and in addition to being an
accomplished harpist, he also wrote psalms (songs).
Unfortunately,
none of the harp music of King David was preserved, so we can only
imagine what those hauntingly beautiful and caressing melodies may
have sounded like.
He
is a uniquely gifted harpist. Possibly the best in this generation!
Jeff
Majors followed his dream. Literally. He actually had a dream about
playing the harp and decided he would learn. He was taught by the late
Alice Coltrane (1937 -2007), jazz pianist and harpist, and the spouse
of the legendary John Coltrane (1926 -1967). Once he mastered the
instrument, he set out to share his musical gift with others.
On his official website, you can read about his journey: from forming
jazz bands to hosting a radio ministry to reaching millions through
his television program, “The Gospel of Music with Jeff Majors”.
Along
with Alice Coltrane, Mr. Majors credits the late Dorothy Ashby (1930
-1986) with influencing his musical style. The ladies Ashby and
Coltrane proved that the classical harp instrument could be easily
and effortlessly integrated into jazz compositions. Through
collaborative efforts with other artists, he has set to music some of
the Psalms written by King David. Many of his admirers know him for
his interpretation of Psalm 23, which he performed at the memorial
service for Coretta Scott King.
Majors’
music is categorized as Jazz Contemporary Gospel, and sometimes
New Age. If you have not heard of this exceptionally talented
musician, then it may come as a surprise to discover that his first
album, “Sacred”, was released in 1998. That is correct. He and
Hanifah have been around for over a decade.
Hanifah is the name of his
harp. ( A female given name: from an Arabic word meaning “true
believer” .)
In 2006, he was invited to perform on the Oprah
Winfrey Show.You know what they say. When you make it to Oprah, for
sure the world knows you now! You are officially on the map!
So
did I learn about Jeff Majors watching Ms. O? No. It was a couple of
years ago. I fell asleep one night and my husband stayed up watching
the television. I started having a wonderful dream. I won't share my
dream. It's private. But when I willed myself to wake up, I heard
this gentle soothing melody floating through the air. Curiously I
peeked to see what my husband was watching. Jeff Majors was on TV
playing the harp. Lucky for me, my husband recorded the program on
video tape so we can view it again and again and again.
Two
Questions
After
discovering Jeff Majors and doing research to learn more, there are only
two questions remaining that are unanswered.
*
Question 1: Why no Grammy?
*
Question 2: If you had a harp, what would you name her?
Under
the Queen's Umbrella is a Korean historical period drama series,
released in 2022, that is currently streaming on Netflix.
16 intense episodes. Viewers gave this series 4.9 out of 5 stars. I totally agree. Kim Hye-Soo's performance as Queen Im Hwa-Ryeong is award-worthy. But giving credit where credit is due, quite frankly, all of the actors and actresses in this series gave exemplary performances. They played their roles as if they were real historical figures in the Joseon Era.
The
worth of the flowers in the palace, i.e. the king's women, is judged
by how many sons they bare the king. Queen Im Hwa-Ryeong (played by
Kim Hye-Soo) has been very fortunate. She bore five (5) sons for the
king. Her oldest son is the crown prince, but he is suffering from
a life-threatening illness. He could die any day! If he were to
die, who would take his place? The crown prince already has a son of
his own, so according to the line of succession, his son, her
grandson, should be heir to the throne. Then as alternatives, one of
his brothers, her four other sons who are grand princes, could be
chosen. But her sons are perfectly content to never be king. She would have been content to allow them not to
pursue the throne EXCEPT … the deposed queen (i.e. the queen before her) also had many sons. When she realized the lives of her sons were in jeopardy, she immediately made up her mind that her sons would not suffer the same fate as Queen
Yoon and her sons.
Queen
Im Hwa-Ryeong now understands that THIS IS WAR!
Once stayed in a temporary residence when my family was being relocated from one state to another. We stayed in this house for a few months until we found our permanent home. What a memory! This house was right out a dream home magazine. My favorite room in this house was the office/library. Public libraries have always been one of my favorite places. But I had never lived in a house that was big enough to have my own personal library where I could retreat to and shut off the rest of the world.
If you had your personal library, what kinds of books would be on your bookshelves? Here are some of the books you might find in my library.
♦ Picture Books for Children (or for grown-ups who never grow up)
"The Eagles Are Back" : Jean Craighead George tells the story of how the American bald eagle was saved from extinction.
"Annie and the Old One" : Written by Miska Miles. It is an introduction to the customs and traditions of the Navajo people and touches upon a very sensitive subject for children: explaining the death of a loved one.
"The Emperor and the Kite": Jane Yolen tells the tale of a young child who saved a kingdom all because she knew how to fly a kite. So the next time someone says to you "Go fly a kite!", just imagine yourself on a secret mission saving an empire.
♦ Hot and exciting reads. Suspense Thrillers or Romance.
FC Etier Writes Political Thrillers : "The Tourist Killer" was FC Etier's first novel; followed up by "The Presidents Club". Two novels written for those who enjoy a web of conspiracy and intrigue with lots of political overtones.
Two Thrillers and One Romance : Just the titles of these books should tempt you. "Power Of Persuasion"; "Trusting Evil"; and "All the Beautiful Sinners". Which one do you think is the romance? :)
Irresistible Historical Romance Novels : “A Rose in Winter” and “Shanna” ~ Both books authored by the late Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, the lady who pioneered the historical romance genre and should be credited with it being one of the most popular book genres, based on book sales in the USA.
The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence : History and mystery set in the ancient Roman empire, written to encourage children to learn history but adults will equally be fascinated.
It’s official! My kids have decided that their mother has lost all the marbles in her head. Why? K-drama television series. Very pleased with the business decision by Netflix to add such programs into their database. Even more pleased that many of the programs are available for viewing online free at various websites. Can’t explain my reactions. Grew up on American television. My husband got me started watching foreign films. Once my kids began subscribing to Netflix and other similar video streaming services noticed that some of them were into binge-watching. One particularly boring day at home decided to binge-watch a BBC mystery because BBC television mysteries are my favorite. From that point, binge-watching became my way of treating myself to a healthy dose of doing … The Nothing! You know. Those days when you just decide you have earned your “Goof Off All Day” reward and no serious work will be done on that day!
However, even when indulging myself in binge-watching, never lost sleep over a TV show; and certainly never really thought any series was worth watching more than once. Might watch a few particular episodes a few times more. But never the whole series!
Did I say BBC mysteries “are” my favorite? Sorry. Meant to say “were”.
Huh?? Duh??!! That was how my children reacted. – (???) What could possibly make mom choose an alternative for the BBC? Answer. Those silly cute adorable Korean drama television series that have incredibly simple yet intricate, seemingly never-ending storylines with each episode, that leave with the thought”: ‘Gotta find out how this ends!!’
My first taste of K-drama was a movie called “Commitment”. It was intense!!
Then my husband found a more light-hearted TV series called “Tamra the Island” It’s a romantic dramedy (drama and comedy blend) that was “Inspired by the real story of a Dutch explorer, a young Englishman discovers Kdrama in the 17th century Joseon Era”. (Quote source: dramafever) One of the main characters was played by this tall handsome guy with the “skinny little body” whose name in the series was Park Gue, whose real name is Im Ju Hwan. I was impressed with him so search for more programs where he was playing a character.
My research indicated that Hwan (Park Gue) had made an appearance in this show. Started watching the program only looking for him. Got stuck on it!! Got so stuck one night and didn’t go to sleep until about 4:30 in the morning!! Hwan did make an extremely brief appearance, after about 20 episodes. Talk about an Easter egg hunt! Anyway … glad someone realized this young man’s acting abilities and gave him the lead role in “Tamra the Island”. Disappointed at only catching a tiny glimpse of Hwan in this TV show. However, my decision to view the entire series was filed under “Happy R&R Time Well Spent”. Took me a few days to finish all the episodes. Will say no more because people hate spoilers. But if you like romantic dramedy, you’ll like “Boys Over Flowers”. Wonderful love story. It’s so cute!!
Rummaging through some of my old content and material and found this two quotes. Have a board on Pinterest that I maintain called "ALL THINGS TEXAS". Published this post and tacked on an image just so I could pin them. :)
Kinky Friedman contemplates a question from the audience at a campaign rally at the Bastrop High School, West Campus Gymnasium, Bastrop, Texas, United States. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
"The folks in Mississippi are saying, 'Thank God for Texas.' " -Kinky Friedman. (Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman (1944 - ), American singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain.)
"I want to be a Texan 24 hours a day."-James Dean(James Byron Dean (1931 - 1955), American film actor and cultural icon, who died at age 24 in a tragic car accident. Best embodied by the title of his most celebrated film, "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955). - NOTE: I've heard a lot about that movie. But I don''t remember watching it. I remember Mr. Dean from the movie "Giant" with Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor.)
Mr. Dean is pictured on the LIFE magazine cover sandwiched between Marilyn Monroe and Bruce Lee.
Looking for a movie to watch on Friday night? Here's my pick. “The Truth About Charlie” (2002) is a movie which starred Mark Wahlberg and Thandie Newton. When the movie was being advertised in the media, I listened to an interview with Mark Wahlberg discussing his character. He played an American agent who was assigned to a post in Paris, France. He said to make his character more believable, he decided to wear a beret. He figured since he was an American agent performing “undercover” activities, wearing the beret might help him blend in and be less noticeable.
Hmmm? Interesting fashion tip! Come to think of it, I don’t often see American men wearing berets. But I guess the men in France wear a beret? Ya think? Here's the answer to that question.
It turns out that berets were adopted by the French military. In the 1920s, a beret became a popular fashion accessory for both men and women. However, according to Trip Advisor, these days it's mostly just tourists you will see wearing the felt berets. (LOL. Kind of like in The Bahamas. It's only the tourists who carry the straw handbags.)
In USA not many men wear berets but women often sport them to accessorize their outfits.
In America, we love to apply the word “icon” to people who sort of serve as symbols or are symbolic of something much larger than themselves, and are representative of an ideal that we, as individuals, hope to achieve in life. It's almost as if these people are idols. Almost.
A better way to explain our usage of this term would be by sharing my first time hearing it applied to a well-known figure. My first time hearing the word used was a report where people were speaking of Lee Iacocca. What did this man do to have people call him an “icon”? He's an American businessman, in the automobile industry, who (based on my recollection of events) brought the Chrysler Corporation back to life. Evidently, because of his prowess as a business warrior, he stepped up, took the helm as CEO of ailing and failing business entity, revived it and steered to success. For accomplishing this impossible feat, people showered praises on him as if he were a god of the American automotive industry.
Once read an article published at Listverse.com about Hollywood suicides. The full title of the article is “10 Iconic Actresses Who Tragically Ended Their Lives”. After reviewing the list of female celebrities, the facts presented about their deaths were indeed tragic, but describing the actresses as “iconic” kind of made me bristle. It didn't seem to jive with other people in the entertainment industry who were being described as “iconic”.
So! Decided to compile my own list of actresses who should be considered “iconic”. Nixed the requirement that that they had to have committed suicide.
Hmmm …? Now where would be the best place to start to find those sort of people very quickly? The iconicLife Magazine. Of course!
Here's my list of ten (10) female iconic celebrities (not all are actresses, but they are famous or recognizable). The parenthetical notes are my rationale or reasons why these women measure up to the criteria that sets them apart as icons.
Michael Jackson was so much more than an eclectic and consummate entertainer. He was an extremely generous humanitarian and would no doubt like for people to remember his love and genuine care and concern for children.
“HEAL THE KIDS” SPEECH at OXFORD UNIVERSITY 2001(Excerpt):
As you all know, our two countries broke from each other over what Thomas Jefferson referred to as “certain inalienable rights”. And while we Americans and British might dispute the justice of his claims, what has never been in dispute is that children have certain inalienable rights, and the gradual erosion of those rights has led to scores of children worldwide being denied the joys and security of childhood. I would therefore like to propose tonight that we install in every home a Children’s Universal Bill of Rights, the tenets of which are:
1. The right to be loved without having to earn it
2. The right to be protected, without having to deserve it
3. The right to feel valuable, even if you came into the world with nothing
4. The right to be listened to without having to be interesting
5. The right to be read a bedtime story, without having to compete with the evening news
6. The right to an education without having to dodge bullets at schools
7. The right to be thought of as adorable – (even if you have a face that only a mother could love).
A very informative post: Witch. Two ideas (or facts, if you prefer) presented that were news to me!
(1) Witches are born witches. Sorcerers get to apply for the job later on in life.
(2) Witch doctors were called witch doctors because people called on them to cure an illness believed to have been caused by a witch.