5 16 22 23 29 Powerball = 6

Well I didn't win.   If I did...I wouldn't be posting on this blog...that's for sure!   Good news...I had all the numbers!   Bad news...they were not on the same ticket, much less the same line!   And the Powerball number (6) wasn't even in the Powerball position!

Two 22s and two 23s!   Three 29s!   Payout...zilch!   Nada!

1 in 175,000,000

Okay...so here’s a different perspective on the odds of winning tonight’s $550 MILLION Powerball.   Heard this from a Microsoft statistician on this morning’s news.  Take 175 million pennies.   Put an “X” on one of those pennies.

Now lay the pennies side by side.   If you live in New York City, start to place the pennies somewhere in midtown Manhattan.   Somewhere along the line...when you come to the “X” marked penny...make sure it is not face up...but rather faced down towards the ground!   When you’re finished laying down all the pennies...you should be somewhere in Chicago!

Chicago is about 790 miles from midtown Manhattan and a penny is about 3/4 inches in diameter.   You do the math!

Okay…now that you’ve laid out all the pennies...go back to Manhattan and have a friend get in a car (without you)...and tell them to drive to Chicago.   Tell them that somewhere during their trip...they should stop the car and pick up a penny.   If there’s an “X” on it…they just won a half a BILLION dollars!

I ain’t driving to Chicago...but I still dropped a few bucks on tonight’s drawing.   As the saying goes...”You gotta be in it to win it!"   Forget the odds and who has 175 million pennies anyway!   Hell, come to think of it, if I had 175 million pennies...I wouldn't need to win this! I can be quite happy with $1,750,000!

Personalities and other pearls of wisdom

Personalities of some folks that I know are really different from what I consider the norm.   They’re just out there!

I think (know?) they don’t realize how different they really are and it’s difficult (or a waste of time) to discuss/confront them about their difference/personalities.   Forget about the possibility of change.   The degree of difficulty increases with age.   Actually I think most folks are fully “baked” sometime during their teenage years.   I’ve seen some that are “half baked” at 5 years old! Trust me...I’m fully baked, but I can’t remember at what age that happened!

Other random pearls of wisdom:

• If you don’t have anything nice to say...don’t say anything at all.
• The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.
• As my grandfather used to say...”rich or poor it’s good to have money.”
• All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.
• ”A son is a son until he takes a wife…a daughter is a daughter for the rest of your life.”   I must confess, I don’t have a son...but I do have 2 fantastic daughters...so I’m a little prejudiced here.
• If you’re new to investing and have a little money or a lot of money to invest (like tonight's 500 million Powerball)...the first book you need to read is “The Coffee House Investor”.
• Saw the movie “Lincoln” this weekend.   Every American should be required to see this movie.   Or better yet...buy the book. I will!

Oprah is Pimpin' the Pipcorn from Pipsnacks!

Here's a video of the founders of Pipsnacks, Jeff & Jen Martin, as they appeared on Oprah's televised "Favorite Things" show.   Audio/video quality isn't the greatest...but you'll get to see all the excitement in this

once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Jeff & Jen were included in a few other spots on the show!   I also recorded this via my cable provider's DVR.   Now I just need to figure out how to copy onto a DVD and edit!   That's my next task!

"Things"...the Game!

After a great Thanksgiving Day dinner and dessert...the young folks suggested we play "Things".   We've play it before...but I needed a refresher!   Let the games begin!   We had a bunch of laughs, but this one really cracked everyone up!

Things your dog would say?   The answers...

• "Can I please hump your leg?"   Woof!   Woof!
• "Do you really think I understand what you're saying."
• "I need to sh*t!"
• "What the f**ck?"
• "You gotta be kidding me!"
• "They got that sex move from me!"
• "Man...you cut my balls off...I should cut yours off!"

Helene Lightbourne: 8/22/1916 - 11/19/2012

She was the prototype for the "Energizer Bunny"...even at the age of 92...before her 1st stroke!   Always on the move...always helping where she could.   Always smiling.   Her laugh was infectious.   In all of her years, I never saw her mad or unhappy!   She brought joy to everyone who knew her.   She was short in stature (well under 5 feet tall and with a shoe size of four and a half) but was she a giant in heart and soul.   She had a heart of gold!

If you looked up the word "angel" in the dictionary...you'd see a picture of Aunt Helene!   When I was a youngster, she was Christmas!   When I needed help (without asking)...she was always there.   She was a renaissance woman way ahead of her time.

If there's a heaven...Aunt Helene is in the penthouse suite!   So on this Thanksgiving eve...if some asked me what I'm thankful for...my answer would be Aunt Helene!   I think everyone she touched would have the same answer!   If there were more Aunt Helenes in this world...the world would truly be a better place!   Rest in peace Aunt Helene...you deserve it!

Magnifing Glass versus the Command & Plus Key?

Old School versus New School!

Before posting the entry below (Education and the Electorate), I couldn't read the small font below the image detailing the source of that data.   I asked the Mrs. where was our trusty magnifying glass (it's really powerful & awesome).   She handed me the magnifying glass and left the room.   Upon her return she saw me looking at the screen of my new MacBook Retina Pro via said magnifying glass and started laughing!

What's so funny I asked?   She then hit the command key and the plus (+) key on the keyboard and...BAM!   The unreadable font was enlarged enough for me to read!   She repeated this a few times and it even got bigger and bigger!

Damn!   That's known as "old school" (me) versus "new school" (her).   I'm definitely "old school" and have a lot to learn...but it was a good laugh!   A really good laugh!

Education and the Electorate!

And this was posted on FOX Business News no less!   Not surprised by the list of the least educated!   Just the usual suspects!

2nd Largest Thanksgiving Day Parade?

Sunday, November 18th!   Dozens of balloons, dozens of marching bands!  Several thousand spectators!   Stamford, Connecticut's Thanksgiving Parade...2nd only to Macy's!   Awesome!

The Forever...Ongoing Israeli/Palestinian Conflict!

There’s something really haunting about this picture of an injured young man near Gaza City.   It just grabbed me.   I don’t know if it’s his eyes or the bloodied hand or just his look of despair/helplessness.   The photo, taken by Tyler Hicks, was on the front page of today’s New York Times.   To me, it’s testimony to the insanity of war (even though this is referred to as the Israeli/Palestinian “conflict”).   This conflict was going on way before I was born (over sixty years ago)…and will probably continue long after I’ve died!   Quite honestly…I’m really sick of it all!   I really am!

Dear Mr. Romney…I’m still waiting for my gift!

Mitt Romney said Wednesday that his loss to President Obama was due in large part to his rival's strategy of giving "gifts" during his first term to three groups that were pivotal in the results of last week's election: African Americans, Latinos and young voters.

According to Romney..."The Obama campaign was following the old playbook of giving a lot of stuff to groups that they hoped they could get to vote for them and be motivated to go out to the polls, specifically the African American community, the Hispanic community and young people," Romney told hundreds of donors during a telephone town hall Wednesday.   "In each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups."

The Catholic Church had the Big Bucks of Hatred!

“Taking up where the Mormons left off in 2008, the Catholic Church – and its affiliate, the Knights of Columbus – have made considerable investments in the marriage fights in Minnesota, Maryland, Washington State and Maine this election cycle – spending nearly $2 million. In addition, a close ally of the Church and past co-conspirator, the National Organization for Marriage, spent more than $5.2 million this cycle.   Final campaign figures for Maryland and Maine will be available by the end of the month.

Marriage equality opponents across the four states raised $11.3 million. The Catholic Church’s contributions make up 17 percent of that total figure.   When you add in the contributions of Church ally NOM, the reality of the coordinated effort becomes clear: the Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus and NOM are responsible for funding nearly 65 percent of all anti-equality efforts in Minnesota, Maryland, Washington State and Maine.”
Source: Human Rights Campaign

Money can't buy me love!

Source:   The Daily Beast

Four bucks? You gotta be kiddin’ me!

Last Thursday I offered to help my buddies at Pipsnacks.   Their headquarters is located in Englewood, New Jersey.   Englewood is about a 45 minute drive for me via the Saw Mill River Parkway.   Whenever I venture to New Jersey from Connecticut, my preferred route is:

• I95 south and connect to the Hutchison River Parkway in Mamaroneck
• Take the “Hutch” to the Cross County Parkway to the Saw Mill River Parkway
• Saw Mill crosses the Henry Hudson Bridge
• Proceed on the Saw Mill to the George Washington Bridge (“The GW”)
• Cross the GW and Bingo...New Jersey!

After driving about a half an hour, I approached the Henry Hudson Bridge (pictured above).   It was about a mile away.   I leaned over and opened the glove compartment to retrieve my EZPass (toll payment gizmo).   I dug and dug and dug.   Damn near crashed the car digging!   No EZPass!

Oh well...I’ll just go to the “CASH” lane.   The sign says $4.00!   Are you sh*tting me!   Four bucks!   I cross this bridge several times a year.   Since I always use my “automatic EZPass gizmo” to pay for bridge tolls...I never bothered to check the price of the toll!   At first I was ticked off because I couldn’t find my EZPass.   Then I was really ticked off about the price of the toll!   Time to re-route my trips to New Jersey!

I remember when the toll was 10 cents!   Yes…10 cents!   But then again, the GW was only a buck back then!   It now costs 12 bucks!   I know that was years ago...but still!   Four bucks!

(Henry Hudson Bridge photo via opus1ny)

Pat Buchanan…White America Died!

I really hope this is a hoax and a lie.   I really do!

"White America died last night.   Obama's reelection killed it.   Our 200 plus year history as a Western nation is over.   We're a Socialist Latin American country now.   Venezuela without the oil."

Maureen Dowd...Romney as President?

"Romney and Tea Party loonies dismissed half the country as chattel and moochers who did not belong in their “traditional” America.   But the more they insulted the president with birther cracks, the more they tried to force chastity belts on women, and the more they made Hispanics, blacks and gays feel like the help, the more these groups burned to prove that, knitted together, they could give the dead-enders of white male domination the boot.

The election about the economy also sounded the death knell for the Republican culture wars.

Romney was still running in an illusory country where husbands told wives how to vote, and the wives who worked had better get home in time to cook dinner.   But in the real country, many wives were urging husbands not to vote for a Brylcreemed boss out of a ’50s boardroom whose party was helping to revive a 50-year-old debate over contraception.

Just like the Bushes before him, Romney tried to portray himself as more American than his Democratic opponent."

Check out Ms. Dowd's full article in the New York Times!

Red State Socialism

I know this is based on 2005 data and the 2004 election results...but still...very interesting.   No?   Several of these "so called" red states went blue in 2008 as well as this year (Iowa, Virginia, OHIO!!!...and finally...FLORIDA!!!, etc)...but still...very interesting.   No?

Germany voted for Barack Obama!

I think you can find the German opinions here.

You say Popcorn...Readers Digest says PIPCORN!

A writer from Readers Digest endorsement:

"So what exactly is Pipcorn?   Basically, it’s mini-popcorn supercharged with flavor and a very delicate hull (translation: no more awkward popcorn hunks in your teeth).   It’s also vegan, gluten-free, popped in extra virgin olive oil and easier to digest than typical popcorn.   But most importantly, after you chomp down on Rosemary Pipcorn or one of their specialty flavors like Lemon Pesto, that alluring bag of White Cheddar Popcorn?   Pffft, Smartfood, seduce me no more!"

Check out the full endorsement here!

Florida...a swing state has swung! Finally!

Today’s official conformation that President elect Barack Hussein Obama has won Florida, adds to his wins in eight of the nine swing states, losing only North Carolina to Mitt Romney.   In addition to Florida, the President dominated in Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Virginia, Colorado and Nevada. The final electoral results…332 for the President and 206 for Mr. Romney!   I’m a happy camper!

Me & Oprah! Pimpin' the Pipcorn!

Okay!   The few of you that follow my blog know I'm pumped about Pipcorn.   As you may already know...so is Oprah.   Pipcorn, the creation of Jen & Jeff Martin, was selected as one of Oprah's favorite things.   Check out Jen & Jeff on Oprah's show airing on Sunday, November 18th at 8:00PM.

Jen & Jeff got their start at Smorgasburg located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York.   The men behind Smorgasburg, Jonathan Butler and Eric Demby, were featured in the "Metropolitan" section of the Sunday New York TImes (October 27th).

5 minutes & 27 seconds of Awesomeness!

Dear Mr. President,
I love you! You're and amazing man and a regular guy!   Enough said!

Good news...bad news

Bad news first!
Michele F*ckin' Bachmann!   You gotta be kiddin' me!

Good news!
Four more years!   Yeah baby!

Thank you Iowa & Ohio!

Damn!   Can't believe it!   I'm happy America!   All of you may not be...but I am!

The 47% and Two Americas

Candidate Mitt Romney wrote off 47% of the American population.   He pretty much said that he really doesn't give a sh*t about them...yet the red states still think he should be President.   This really sickens me.   It's 11:00PM tonight (EST)! I can't go to sleep until I see/hear the Ohio/Iowa results!  

Nate Silver...I hope you're correct!

I certainly hope Mr. Silver is correct!   If Mr. Romney and his buddy Mr. Ryan win...I'm leaving the country!   Seriously.

Obama gets emotional during final rally

Sarah Palin: Vote like Jesus would!

I'm hoping that when this is over...Ms. Palin will fade into our past.

PIPCORN! One of Oprah's favorite things!

OK folks!   Yep!   Read that title once again!   And again!   And once again!

I've told many of you about Pipcorn (and the brother-sister team of Jeff and Jen) before.   Jeff and Jen are part of my extended family.   The dozen or so of you that follow my blog also know about Pipcorn.   Check out their website.   Check out Oprah's website.

Pipcorn has been selected as one of Oprah Winfrey's favorite things.   Check out page 92 of the December issue of O magazine!   Still don't believe it.   Jeff and Jen are expected to appear on Oprah's "favorite things" show on Sunday, November 18th at 8PM!!!   That's channel 180 on Cabelvision here in Connecticut!   Latest update…their PIPCORN will appear on ABC's "Good Morning America Show" tomorrow morning!

Go buy some Pipcorn!   How cool is this!   My head is about to explode!

Forget all the Bullsh*t!

• forget your religious views (Mormon, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, whatever!)
• forget your political affiliation (Republican, Democrat, Independent, Teabagger)
• forget your position on gay rights/marriage equality, etc.
• forget pro-choice versus right to life
• forget liberal versus conservative versus moderate
• forget your race/ethnicity
• forget your position on immigration
• forget your age (boomer, gen Xer, etc.)
• forget where you live (red state versus blue state)
• forget whether you’re a dove or a hawk!
• forget whether or not you’re a fan of Donald Trump

Forget all the above!   All that aside…how can anyone vote for someone who;

1. Will not share more than one or two years of tax returns with the American public?
2. Has bank accounts in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands? (tax shelters?)
3. Pays 13 or 14% taxes? (even if that’s legal)

Again, forget all my “forgets”.   Given the three reasons above, I can’t understand why anyone would want, much let trust, much less vote for Mitt Romney to be President of the United States!   I’m dumbfounded!

Rockaway Queens, New York City

Good advice from the Republican Candidate

Newt Gingrich..."The Snake"...Paul Ryan too!

I've written about this before.   It makes me want to throw up.   On the night of President Obama's inauguration, Newt, Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor and the usual suspects got together and pledged to do whatever they could do to sabatogue the Obama Presidency!   Like I said, it makes me sick!

According to the DailyKos...rather than risk "splitting the Republican Party" Paul Ryan and 11 other GOP Congressmen vowed to sabotage the US Economy.

Why this snake Gingrich is even interviewed on television without the commentators hammering him on this...or hammering Ryan on this drives me nuts!

Black folk! Lincoln freed the slaves! Vote Republican!

This is too stupid to even comment on!

Did Romney cheat during the 1st debate?

One of the rules of the Presidential Debate Committee is that the candidates must not bring anything to put on the podium; there is nothing allowed there except for the pen and pad already placed there by the committee, to allow the candidates to take notes during the debate.   Watch this video carefully!

Stick it to Romney!

There's a whole website dedicated to this!   Check out gum elections and the video below!

Gum Election NYC 2012 from Don Yorty on Vimeo.

In the midst of Hurricane Sandy!

Carry on soldier!   Carry on...

Hurricane Sandy's aftermath!

For me, it was a simple request.   Let there be light.   Hurricane Sandy hit on Monday.   We lost power at 6:59PM.   The wind was blowing, the rain came, and then the wind blew some more, and more and more!   We had the flashlights (not enough AA batteries) and many candles.

It didn’t take long before I started to go nuts.   No TV, no internet, no e-mail, no nothing!   I was starving and deprived of information.   Yeah...we had the transistor radio.   But within hours, listening to the reported weather conditions, flooding, etc., versus watching it happen live...was driving me crazy.

Just short of two days later, at 2:00PM on Wednesday (Happy Halloween)...BAM!   Electricity is restored.   Nirvana!   With the power restored, I instantly went to get my TV fix and saw the devastation that Sandy wrought.   I was shocked and could not believe all the devastation.

I was extremely lucky.   I only lost a few hundred dollars worth of thawed food. Others lost their lives.   They lost their loved ones.   They lost their homes.   They lost everything!   Manhattan looks like Venice!   The New Jersey shore is gone!   Death and destruction that affected 18 states...most notably the East coast.   Like I said, I’m extremely fortunate.   All I lost was some food and that’s it.

The images above were taken from the weather.com.   I think they're amazing.   There are hundreds more.  Awesome images!