The Biggest Candyland In The World

I love America. Have been there many times, to many parts, but always feel more at home in California. Whatever my intended destination was, I always made a point of at least stopping over in there, near San Francisco, even if just for a few days.

I was there just 4 years ago, to see the very unique and world famous Lombard street (the crooked street) converted into the biggest Candyland in the world. It was to celebrate the 60th birthday of this popular table game. The street was painted in many enormous rectangles of colours, so that all the children can participate in the game in it's gigantic version.

Candyland is apparently more than a game in America. It's a cultural icon. The popularity of the game is due to it's simplicity, that doesn't even require the player knowing how to read, enough just to know how to count a few numbers.

Like most games, what's required more than anything else is imagination.

Tags:candyland, lombardst

Current Mood: Accomplished

Is Computer Feminine Or Masculine?

Well I think the computer is bisexual if, unlike the English language, nouns are designated as masculine or feminine as in most Latin languages.

I will prove my theory by examples and back them up giving 4 reasons to each gender to demonstrate it.

It should definitely be feminine, because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for possible later retrieval; and ...

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your pay-cheque on accessories for it.

It should be defined as masculine, because:

1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but they are still clueless;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and ...

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you'd waited a little longer, you could have got a better model.

There you have it. It's bisexual.

Tags:computer,bisexual

Current Mood: Amused

The English Language - 2

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on!

There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France.
Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'?

Tag:EnglishLanguage-2

Current Mood: Amused

The English Language - 1

I thought you would all enjoy the following ...

Homographs are words of like spelling but with more than one meaning. A homograph that is also pronounced differently is a heteronym.

You Think English is easy?? I think a retired English teacher was bored ...

1) The bandage was wound around the wound. 2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture..
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert..
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear..
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Tag:EnglishLanguage-1

Current Mood: Amused

Remembering ...

Summer me, winter me. And With your kisses, Morning me, evening me. As the world sleeps, far away, star away, Forever me with love, Wonder me, wander me. Tags:summer,winter,you,me

Current Mood: Artistic

Jacquelinne - Nude And Immortalized

Jacqueline Onassis, photographed totally nude? The very unusual photo does exist, but none of us, the general public, would ever get to see it. After all, she was the first lady of America and this in the United States,is sacred. Jacqueline had the reputation of indulging her friends and she gave a photo of herself, nude and autographed, to Andy Warhol as a gift.

This is one of the 610 boxes of treasured odds and ends accumulated by Andy Warhol, and the museum in Pittsburgh bearing this artist's name, has begun to catalogue these treasures. Other unusual objects found included a piece of wedding cake fossilized, and 17,000 dollars in coins.

However, taking advantage of the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, the museum invited the first ladies to view these small treasures of a great artist. Perhaps some of the ladies might be inspired to pose nude and be immortalised, by some renown artist of the present day?

Tags:nude,jacquline,immortalized

Current Mood: Artistic

Football And Me

Many Barcelona citizens who are familiar with the streets were surprised yesterday when they saw the statures of the fountain of Gran Via, (in the centre of the city, near the very confluent Rambla Catalunya), wearing wrist-bands of the famous football team Barca. Tourists who noticed it too were taking photos of this strange scene. This soon attracted many people stopping there, looking, pointing, commenting, and no doubt all were wondering who had taken the trouble putting them so high up on the fountain.

It's not hard to guess, most likely a fan, a fanatic of the team. More difficult is how they got up there having to wade through the fountain and climb up to the top of the rather tall statues. Somebody had challenged and somebody else had responded I think.

This reminded me of something that happened to me when I was living in London. One evening I was on my way through the area which is nicknamed Theatre Land, and stopped in front of a theatre looking at some publicity stills in the foyer. A group of noisy young men, seemed to me all had had a beer too many, were passing by there, easily recognisable as football fans for the same scarves they all wear. As boys would always be boys even they were not children any more, they whistled and asked me to join them!

I don't now remember what exactly I said, something to the effect of a capital NO perhaps, but with a smile. Without giving any further thought I turned back to look at the pictures. One of them walked right up to me and draped his scarf round my neck. I pulled it off and extended my arm to return it, but he waved and said that's for me, with his pals cheering behind him.

I am not a football fan but I still have that scarf, the only thing remotely connecting me with football

.

The wrist-bands on the statues were removed after a few hours by nobody knows who, so this picture of the statue is rather unique.

Tags:football,statue,armband

Current Mood: Cheerful

The Answers We Seek ...

Sometimes what we seek seems so inaccessible or unreachable, yet the answers are often simple and right within our sight. Sometimes the answers can be found in your own room ...

Roof said: Aim high
Fan said: Be cool
Clock said: Every minute is precious
Mirror said: Reflect before you act
Window said: See the world
Calendar said: Be up-to-Date
Door said: Push hard to achieve your goals.

Some of the best music was composed by Beethoven, he was deaf;

Some of the best poetry about nature was written by Milton, he was blind;

One of the greatest leaders was Franklin Roosevelt, he served from a wheel chair.

Turn scars into stars ...
Possible is inside the imPOSSIBLE

Tags:impossible,possible

Current Mood: Accomplished

Marilyn, Michael And Warhol, Who Is Worth More?

In the Art Gallery Vered of East Hampton, in the state of New York, a portrait of Michael Jackson painted by Andy Warhol was sold for more than one million dollars. 'Respecting the request of the buyer, his name and the exact amount he paid for it were not announced.' revealed one of the 2 partners of the gallery Janet Lehr. She added that they were all happy  how the auction was developed and concluded. The portrait, of 76,2 x 66 cm, in which MJ appears young and smiling, wears the red jacket which he wore in his famous video-clip 'Thriller'. It's commissioned by the magazine 'Time', that had used a version of this on yellow background for their cover of the magazine on the 19th of March 1984. The original version is exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery  of Washington. Although the sale had fetched more than a million dollars, up till now, the portraits by Andy Walhol that had been sold for the biggest amount was that of Marilyn Monroe, titled 'Lemon Marilyn', sold for an impressive price of 28 million dollars, by the auction house Christie's in New York in March 2007. I can't help but wonder whether it's not Marilyn or Michael, but Andy Warhol that the collectors paid for those colossal sums of money? Tags:Michael,Marilyn,Warhol

Current Mood: Artistic

The Organist

Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married. She was admired for her sweetness, and her kindness to all.

One afternoon, the Pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to take a seat while she prepared tea. As he sat facing her Hammond organ, the young Minister noticed a cute glass bowl sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom!

When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat. The Pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and it's strange floater, but soon the curiosity got the better of him and he could no longer resist.

"Miss Beatrice" he said. "I wonder if you would tell me about this?" pointing to the bowl.

"Oh, yes," she replied, "Isn't it wonderful? "I was walking through the park a few months ago, and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet, and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know, I haven't had the flu all winter!"

Tags:flu,organist

Current Mood: Amused

Genius Or Madman?

Blas is 20 years old. He speaks equally fluently Spanish, English, German, French, Portuguese and Swedish. But he is incapable of catching double meanings. On one hand, the incredible talent and on the other, socially incapacitated.

Together with the protagonists of 'The Rain Man; or 'Forest Gump', or that of 'The curious incident of the dog at midnight', the book of Marc Haddon. All these people have 2 things in common: possessed outstanding talent for concrete or specified topics, activities or applications, but totally incapable to connect normally with other people. This is the syndrome of Asperger, also called 'syndrome of the sage'. Known names suffering this include Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Andy Warhol and Steven Spielberg.

The parents of Blas began to notice that something was not right with their son when he was 3. He showed astonishing ease of speech with words and phrases not appropriate at his age, and had fixation on certain concrete themes. Although very intelligent, his social behaviour was weird. He preferred to be alone, didn't show any emotions with parents and tended to throw tantrums. His learning was not balanced. At that time very little was known about this medical condition, even psychologist, psychiatrist and neurologist didn't give any clear diagnoses. Finally a psychologist who had been in America knew something about this abnormality Blas was linked to when he was 12. Similar to autism.

They achieve amazing results working on something alone, not so much in groups. If people in general take some effort to understand the disease and those who are affected, things would be much easier for all and their talents would also be better employed and utilized. All I know is, there's only a very thin dividing line between a genius and a madman. Depending on each person's view and mentality, morality as well as ethics to decide, and even so one might still be wrong.

Tags:madman,genius

Current Mood: Accomplished

The Ice-Cream Diet

The recent heat wave here in Barcelona has been suffocating, not just for people, but animals too. To combat this, the animal carers of the Barcelona Zoo had come up with an excellent remedy, feeding the animals with ice-cream, catered to the taste of each different species.

The bears are getting fish, crabs frozen inside huge ice cubes, more like blocks, and yogurt. The primates extra vitamins, fruit and vegetable in ice blocks too, to play with before getting to the goodies inside, and elephants are given water melon and carrots also frozen into the ice blocks. They took care to chain the melon blocks to prevent the elephants picking them up with their trunks and throwing them at people!

Tags:icecream,animaldiet

Current Mood: Cheerful

Why's And Therefore's ...

** What do you call a deer with no eyes?
No idea.

** How do you get down from an elephant?
You don't: you get down from a duck!

** What has three tails, twelve legs and can't see?
Three blind mice.

** How do you save a drowning mouse?
Give it mouse to mouse resuscitation.

** Many a poor husband was once a rich bachelor.

** Husband: You have to admit that men have much better judgement than women.
Wife: You're right. You married me and I married you.

** Fred: Have you ever seen one of those machines that can tell when someone is telling a lie?
Joe: Seen one? I married one!

** I don't need to buy an encyclopedia - my wife knows everything.

** Wedding rings: The world's smallest handcuffs.

** A Husband is The man who knows he is in charge, and has his wife's permission to say so.

** Bigamy: one wife too many;
Monogamy; same thing.

** It used to be wine, women and song. Now it's beer, the old lady, and TV.

** Why is it if you send a package by Ship it is called Cargo, and if you send it by Car it is called a Shipment?

Tags:why's,therefore's

Current Mood: Amused

Pink Panther And Cocaine Bermuda

Panda, universal symbol of peace and friendship, is the principal key figure in the newest creation of Vulcain, the luxury watch manufacturer. They have just launched a limited edition of 'The Pandas' only 60 watches in 2 models, in pink gold or white gold, with the case in 18K gold and leather strap. It indicates the world time zone in 24 spindles, and resistant to water up to 100 metres of depth. The price is €31,700. For that I could think of a thousand other things I would prefer to spend the money on. This is a police photo of a man detained at the Barcelona Airport, his Bermudas worn under a pair of jeans is full of cocaine, sewn inside cylindric pockets. He came from south America, probably trying to make enough money to buy that watch! Tags:goldpanda,cocainebermuda

Current Mood: Blah

If Only Life Could Be Computerized ...

If Only Life Was Like A Computer!

• If you messed up your life, you could press “Alt, Ctrl, Delete” and start all over!


• To get your daily exercise, just click on “run.”


• If you needed a break from life, click on “suspend.”


• Hit “any key” to continue life when ready.


• To get even with the neighbours, turn up the sound blaster.


• To “add/remove” someone in your life, click settings and control panel.


• To improve your appearance, just adjust the display settings.


• If life gets too noisy, turn off the speakers.


• When you lose your car keys, click on “find.”


• “Help” with the chores is just a click away.


• You wouldn’t need auto insurance. You’d use your diskette to recover from a crash.


• We could click on “send” and the kids would go to bed immediately.


• To feel like a new person, click on “refresh.”


• Click on “close” to shut up the kids and spouse.


• To undo a mistake, click on “back.”


• Is your wardrobe getting old? Click “update.”


• If you don’t like cleaning the litter box, click on “delete.”


• And, most important, If you need God, click on "insert"..

Tags:lifecomputerized

Current Mood: Amused

Bionic, Now And Smiling

It has been quite a trying day. The morning started off so hot it's almost suffocating. I had a couple of personal problems seemingly without solutions. One Blog site where I had hundreds of articles posted had lost them all simply because I updated it with new e-address!

Just then when I was about the throw in the towel, I saw the news report about Jesse Sullivan of Chicago, an electrician, 62 year old and had lost both his arms. He has been for the last 3 years learning, quite successfully, to use his bionic arms. The process, needless to say, was much more than the operations, fitting him up with the artificial arms.

It's medical and mechanical science, the operations themselves, the rehabilitation that's painfully slow and no doubt very frustrating, the change of life style, the determination, the patience, the will power, the learning and accepting ... Quite a bit of that you can see on You Tube; you only have to tap in Jesse Sullivan. There's the video of 4 years ago, and the one just 6 months before, showing how he was progressing with the life changing situations, literally becoming a different person and leading a totally different life. With optimism. Just look at that wonderful hearty smile of his, and that of the lady in the same condition.

Then I said to myself: What on earth have I got to be upset and complain about?

Jesse Sullivan and Claudia Mitchell greeting each other with their

bionic arms and hands, in the medical congress.

Tags:bionicarms

Current Mood: Accomplished

Being Honest

Although nobody signed the articles (perhaps precisely because of that), the British magazine 'The Economist' is one of the international publications with the best written articles, the best quality of clear and precise writing, the first and foremost requirement of good journalism.

For a brief period when I was contemplating my future career, I thought of taking up journalism. Even though the idea soon vanished, I remain interested to this day my appreciation and respect of the profession, and especially my high regard for those exceptionally good journalists. I also still remember what I read about the 6 elemental rules, or guides, in George Orwell's 'Politics and the English language'; I can't quote them word for word, but the important gist of them:

1. Never use a metaphor or play of words in prints you have read.

2. Never use long words if you could use short ones.

3. If you could cut off a word, cut it.

4. Never use passive voice if the direct positive will do.

5. Never use foreign words, a foreign scientific term if they are not called for.

6. Break these rules if it's necessary.

It's not a coincidence that the 'Economist' got ahead & prospered with George Orwell (1903-1950). In fact, the British writer and author of 2 universal metaphors on totalitarianism, 'Rebellion in the farm' and '1984', should be the reference for any journalist. His writing always gives the impression that he was trying his best to be absolutely honest and truthful.

In his book 'Homage to Catalunya' now being reedited in pocket version, within the volume 'Orwell in Spain', where he said to the readers:

"Do bear in mind my partiality, my likely wrong details and the inevitable distortions that came about with having witnessed the incidents, only from my side of the version and my own point of view."

What author is capable of saying that to his readers? To admit and warn of his partiality and possible mistakes? That makes him the most honest and most reliable, because the linguistic clarity of Orwell reflects, above all, a moral clarity that's born of doubt.

Tags:georgeorwell,honesty

Current Mood: Accomplished

Greased Poles Of Indonesia

Every country has it's very own unique traditions and customs. Yakarta is celebrates each anniversary of Independence of Indonesia, with games and the traditional greased pole competition. As in the photo, these poles are greased and therefore very slippery. They are all adorned with bicycles, toys and other objects. The idea is that you try to climb up the pole, if possible, all the way to the top. The higher you could manage to get without falling or sliding down, the better the prizes are. Considering that the poles are very high, it would be quite a task to get up there without them having been heavily greased, making it almost impossible to grab and hang on to. What you can reach and grab is yours, as a prize. And, if you are very good and grabbed more than one prize, how do you bring them down the pole I wonder? Tags:greasedpoles,Indonesia

Current Mood: Accomplished

Forbidden Fruit

Did you know smoking is bad for you? Of course you did. It's printed on all the cigarette packets and seen all over the place on posters. Perhaps some of us still don't know how bad it is to get fat because the hanburgers don't come out of the grill pan with a label saying so, nor does the other fatty food.

The experts recently assured us that ''Bad or inadequate nutrition is a health risk factor more serious than tobacco (possibly these experts are smokers!), as the impact of it is more grave in many systems. Well then do we put warning labels on everything? Or not?

What about cars? The fume coming out of the exhaust pipes are no better than cigarette smoke surely. Do we put up posters saying 'Driving is harmful to your health'? Or perhaps we could also warn about working? The work related stress is responsible for heart diseases and accidents caused by vascular blockage in the brain and all that. And excess of age? The source of many ills. Yes, friends, old age could provoke impotence.

Twenty years or so ago, there was a new brand of cigarettes on sale in London called 'Death' . The packet is jet black, the only decoration consisted in a skeleton with 2 crossed bones. The promoters' intention was to discourage smoking amongst teenagers (so they said. I say nobody invents something, put it on the market, and hopes to encourage people to ignore it!) And, (yes, you guess it), it sold like hot cakes, especially to the young who all considered it rather cool and it became their favourite brand. So much so that they had to retrieve the lot and stopped it's production. Short lived, but huge profit and priceless advertising. I bet they expected the outcome right from the beginning, as the Spanish idiom says 'Ya ha hecho su agosto' (Literally: they have by then made their August; meaning having made their pile, fun, profit, etc.) Or, in English: Forbidden fruit.

It's what is called reversed advertising. The more dangerous or evil you shout about something, the more appetising it becomes for the young and curious. Haven't we all done something we are specifically warned or forbidden to do? I did. Still do them.

Tags:forbiddenfruitt,reversedadvertising

Current Mood: Accomplished