Puppies and Pizza

So this week I was struggling with finding a topic for this wonderful blog. Two things kept coming across my radar – National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and National Pizza Month. Almost sounds like that new Animal Planet show Puppies Vs. Babies. Perhaps like the show I should have let readers vote on what they wanted to see or rather read about. However, in my indecisiveness I decided to cover both.

If I chose puppies (which in all honesty and seriousness are much more important) my stomach would growl…

If I chose Pizza – well I would keep picturing sad little eyes…

The purpose of National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month is to encourage people to get more homeless pups into forever homes. Here are 7 reasons (borrowed from pawfriendly.com) to adopt a shelter dog or cat or bunny or hamster (yes, some shelters have those critters):

1. Healthy, loving pets of all shapes and sizes are available. A common assumption is that all the pets that are brought into a shelter must have something wrong with it. Not true! Pets are surrendered for many reasons, including: owners moving to no-pet housing; allergies; an illness, death, or other hardship results in the family being financially or otherwise unable to properly care for the pet; or simply that an impulsive owner did not consider the time, effort, and money required to care for a pet.

2. Lots of choice! Pure breeds, mixed breeds, big and small, active and laid back, young and adult … there’s plenty of variety to find the right pet for your lifestyle.

3. You will probably even save money. If you’ve ever been in a pet store or at a breeder, you know how expensive pets can be. Humane societies and rescue groups usually just charge enough to help cover the costs of caring for an animal until it goes to its new home. Pets awaiting adoption have been health-checked and may even have had surgery or other treatment to make sure it’s healthy and ready for a new family.

4. You can receive more information and help about your new pet. Good shelters and rescue groups “screen” prospective adopters to help ensure that the pet suits their personalities and lifestyles. They can also offer support and guidance if you have questions about caring for your new pet. In some cases, your pet may have been in foster care prior to becoming available for adoption; if so, the foster family will be able to provide you with a great deal of of information about your new family member - his favorite food, where he likes to sleep, quirky habits, funny antics, and more!

5. You’ll save a life. Instead of feeding an industry that continues to produce animals even while there are scores of homeless and unwanted pets, you can give a loving pet another chance at a happy life.

6. You help to combat pet overpopulation. There are simply not enough homes for all the pets that need a family to call their own. Pets adopted from a shelter or rescue are usually spayed or neutered prior to being released to their new homes.

7. You gain a loving and loyal companion! Pets of all ages can form a strong bond to a new family. You will be providing a deserving pet with a loving & secure home… while at the same time gaining a devoted friend.

And here is another reason:

And for those who would prefer a Kitty:

Those are both shelter animals featured on Iams’ FB Page.

Want more information please check out the following:

ASPCA
Humane Society
SPCA

After you adopt your pet this month…

You should….
You guessed it….

Eat some pizza!!!!!!!!

Did you know? (borrowed from Pizza.com)

• The average pizzeria uses roughly 55 pizza boxes per day.
• We consume around 251,770,000 pounds of pepperonis every year
• The highest-grossing single-unit independent pizzeria in the nation, Moose’s Tooth Pub and Pizzeria, is in Anchorage , Alaska. Its annual sales are approximately $6 million.
• 36 percent of all pizza orders want their pizza topping pepperoni
• 94 percent of Americans eat pizza regularly
• And that is precisely why the top 5 pizza sales days are:
Super Bowl Sunday
New Year’s Eve
Halloween
The night before Thanksgiving
New Year’s Day
• 93 percent of Americans have eaten pizza in the last month
• Pizza accounts for more than 10 percent of all food service sales
• On Super Bowl Sunday, pizza delivery drivers can expect $2 tips to sometimes soar as high as $20 
• Domino’s delivery drivers will log about 4 million miles on Super Bowl Sunday
• Delivery sales of pizza spike the most during close Super Bowl games
• Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza a day or about 350 slices per second.
• There are approximately 61,269 pizzerias in the United States.
• Each person in America eats about 46 pizza slices a year.
As cool as those are here is the coolest fact I found:

Eating Pizza once a week can prevent CANCER. For more details please read THIS.

So order an extra pie this month to celebrate National Pizza Month, eat it while your new furry friends looks on with begging eyes, and help prevent cancer!

tumblrbot asked: WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER WHEN YOU ARE IN A BAD MOOD?

A good run, herbal tea, playing my guitar

Most anyone who has ever used the World Wide Web has seen one. The rare creatures date back 13 years. Mesmerizing, intriguing and sometimes time wasting, these creatures make people smile. What is it you ask? The Google Doodle of course!

You know the Google logo all dolled up on their homepage. On non-doodle days it looks like this:

The birth of the Google Doodle, was a joyous event in 1998. The founders of Google were attending Burning Man. In honor of their trip, they placed a small stickman behind the logo as seen here:

A new species was born!!!!

It evolved slowly. The first four years there were only a few on Earth. Mostly they only showed their face on a big holiday.

Then suddenly in 2002, there was a doodle boom! It started with the Winter Olympics:

They then started showing up for major sporting events like World Cup and every little holiday on Earth. People loved these little doodles. In May 2002, five days in a row they did different Dilbert Doodles – and the fairly random doodle was hatched!

The holiday doodle, sports doodle, important day doodles and famous people birthday’s all became different breeds of the species doodle. The doodle was no longer rare but quite a regular attendee on the Google homepage. For several years life plowed on fairly monotonously with more and more doodles showing up to celebrate the most randomness of things….

((waiting….. finger tapping… are you back yet?…..))

All in all there are now of 700 doodles in existence. Enjoy!

Moondance

Yes, the heat filled days of summer have given away to the chilly mornings of fall. October has arrived with its coolness, colored leaves, rain, wind and waning sun. October brings the first frost, apples and Halloween (All Hallows Eve or Dia De Los Muertos depending on your beliefs.)
What I find most interesting about October are the different very poignant awareness campaigns as well as the wacky (and let me tell you October takes the cake on wacky) holidays.
October is…
• Adopt a Shelter Dog Month
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• National Diabetes Month
• Lupus Awareness Month
• International Drum Month
• Computer Learning Month
• National Vegetarian Month

On the wacky side, October is home to the following holidays…
• Name Your Car Day – October 2nd
• National Frappe Day – October 4th
• Mad Hatter Day – October 6th
• Bald and Free Day – October 7 & 14th
• Curious Events Day – October 9th
• Moldy Cheese Day – October 9th
• National Angel Food Cake Day – October 10th
• It’s My Party Day – October 11th
• Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day – October 11th
• Moment of Frustration Day – October 12th
• International Skeptics Day – October 13th
• Wear Something Gaudy Day – October 17th
• No Beard Day – October 18th
• Brandied Fruit Day – October 20th
• Babbling Day – October 21st
• Count Your Buttons Day – October 21st
• TV Talk Show Host Day – October 23rd
• National Bologna Day – October 24th
• Punk for a Day Day – October 25th
• Plush Animal Lovers Day – October 28th
• National Candy Corn Day – October 30th
Which one will you celebrate? Whatever it is… Enjoy!

A special note: John Lennon’s Birthday is this this Sunday. In remembrance of a brilliant life cut tragically short I urge everyone to stop take a moment of silence, light a candle, blow it out, and sing Happy Birthday. Sing whatever you like, Lennon would like that!

Among other things, September is better breakfast month. I can already hear the groans coming across the nation: “I don’t eat breakfast (fewer than half of Americans do)” and “Bleh Breakfast.” However, yes, I sound like your mother… Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Take this into consideration you breakfast nay-sayers: www.mrbreakfast.com posts some very recent discoveries about breakfast:

April 1, 2011

A study in the Environmental Health Journal indicates that having a regular breakfast is associated with lower blood lead levels in children. In the study, children who ate breakfast had 15% lower blood lead levels than those who skipped breakfast.

May 23, 2011

A study at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center indicated that daily consumption of whole grain breakfast cereal lowers a person’s risk of developing high blood pressure. The study of 13,368 male doctors found a 20 percent decreased risk of hypertension among whole grain breakfast cereal eaters.


February 8, 2011

Eggs have gotten healthier over the last ten years. According to a report from the USDA, the average egg contains 14% less cholesterol and 64% more vitamin D than an average egg tested in 2002. Improvements in hen feed are most likely responsible.

January 11, 2011

According to a Georgia Centenarian Study, people who regularly eat breakfast have lower rates of Type 2 diabetes and are less likely to develop heart failure over their lifetime than those who don’t. The 21-year study of older Americans suggests that regularly eating breakfast may lead to a longer-than-average life span
September 6, 2010

July 1, 2010

According to a study from the USDA and Kellogg’s, kids who eat breakfast are less likely to become obese, even if their breakfast of choice is cereal. In the study, 22 percent of breakfast skippers were obese, compared to 15 percent for cereal eaters.

June 3, 2010

A University of Missouri study found that a protein-rich breakfast helped teens control hunger and eat less later in the day. In the study, adolescents who traditionally skipped breakfast ate morning meals of high-quality protein foods like eggs and lean Canadian bacon. On average, the participants ate 130 fewer calories at lunch.

If those are not extremely valid reasons to eat breakfast, then I don’t know what to tell you. Oh, wait I do…. It’s Yummy!!!!!!!!!! In fact it’s so yummy here is a great innovative breakfast recipe:

• The first breakfast cereal was created in 1863 in New York by a vegetarian.
• Kiwi fruits are so rich in vitamin C, they contain nearly all your recommended daily amount
• The average American eats 160 bowls of cereal each year.

Whatever your breakfast preference, Enjoy!

Missing….

The “experts’ say I should blog, post and write about happy shiny things (insert ridiculous smiley face here). Yet, if I conformed to the “experts” I wouldn’t be me…..

Tomorrow, September 16, 2011 is National POW/MIA recognition day. In The military POW stands for Prisoner of War and MIA stands for Missing in Action. What do they mean? Prisoner of War means that the soldier spent time in the hands of the enemy. Caught by them or surrendered to them during war. Missing in Action are soldiers who are reported missing during their service. They could have been killed, wounded, became an unnamed prisoner of war or deserted. To be designated MIA no remains or grave or whereabouts have been positively identified.

Prisoners of War often do come home (after being abused, beaten and tortured)… Missing in Action not so much. Families wait in limbo for decades with no answers. We often say that the death of a soldier is the ultimate sacrifice for your country. I believe being a Prisoner of War or listed MIA ranks right up there alongside Killed in Action.

I wish I had some words of comfort for the families who sit awaiting any shred of news. I have tried to formulate some and have failed. I have asked others and they bow their head in silence and then say, “we will never forget.” Some people thank them for their service and sacrifice. Others say, “I cannot imagine…” We cannot possibly fathom the anguish of their wait. I have the upmost respect for anyone friend or family who is still waiting. I found this poem written by Gary Jacobson in 1999 to aptly represent the feelings of most.

I wear a yellow rose
In honored memories sweet repose
A rose among life’s thorns I suppose
To herald a cruel life, cruel captor’s compose
Shed now for brothers a tortured tear,
Fathers and sons missing lo many a year,
Fate of our prisoners of war my heart sear.

May my yellow rose
Hope in failing hearts enclose
For lost comrades hearts still rack
Till they find their way to glory back,
Reborn to a mother land of milk and honey,
Reborn to a future no longer bleak, but sunny
Reborn to a land to brave men forsaken
The very essence of freedom taken.

In memory forever I wear the yellow rose,
Envisioning fellow warriors pitiable pose.
Long may we hold sweet memory of Prisoners Of War
Tightly to our bosom
America’s sons deserving freedoms chosen.
Wear a yellow rose in blessed vigil,
Till the stories close,
Bring an end of cruel sentence, cruel captor’s impose.

Oh God, let sons and brothers at last come home
Let a final chapter come in their book of war tome.
For lives in rancorous servitude atone,
Let them not die from loved ones alone.

Give them healing vision of the yellow rose
Clutched tightly in memories compose
Till it leads them to their beloved land
A land above all others chose.
Let it’s shining light guide the way back
From cruel oppressors recurring attack.

Give them strength their captors to overcome,
To escape lives darkning glum.
For I see them there across the forever sea,
Waiting,
Watching,
Hoping we will see.
Ease troubled minds condemned by abandonment numb,
Let our boys return to a fair mother lands womb.

Let he who served with honor at his nation’s behest,
Gave a legacy, a brave warrior’s bequest.
Be restored to his land of liberty
Reap a righteously earned victory.
Forever waiting now are our brothers, just for me…
Welcome my son, our finest and best,
Welcome father you’ve passed God’s greatest test,
Welcome home my brother to a final rest.

So tomorrow, perhaps you will bow in silence remember those still lost, or maybe you will light a candle or display a yellow rose, you may adopt a POW/MIA Soldier and champion their cause…. Whatever you do please remember they all haven’t come home.

For more information please visit the following websites:
The Yellow Rose Poem
Letters to Families of the Missing
A Talk with an Oak Tree
A Letter From a Daughter
POW/MIA Recognition Day
Operation Just Cause

This weekend marks the solemn 10^th anniversary of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks on the United States.  Our country watched in horror as planes crashed into the Twin Towers and Pentagons.  We watched as the towers came down, marking the largest terror attack ever to occur on USA Soil.  We all have stories about that day, where we were when we heard the news, what happened in the hours and days following the attacks, how we were changed by that horrific day.  Some people reading this most likely lost a loved one that day and I hope everyone stops a takes a moment of silence to remember those we lost. 

I am sure that during this week there will be a deluge of media coverage pertaining to the decade anniversary, memorials will be held and tears shed. The Los Angeles news market has been covering a memorial all summer – The Ride For 9/11. 

            As the website states we lost over 3.000 people that day alone and since 2009 over 800 responders have died (343 firefighters and 60 police officers) from health problems attributed to the disease and dust at Ground Zero.  Thousands of other survivors are living with lifelong lung disease.    The website goes on to explain that as the 10^th anniversary approaches a team of firefighters will be cycling across the country to honor those who we have lost.

            The ride began on July 25, 2011 in downtown Los Angeles and will end in NYC at FDNY Firefighters Memorial on September 9, 2011.  There are 6 full time riders and many part time riders (they have different requirements).  The fulltime riders had to raise over $5000 promote the ride and the charities the ride supports, be an active member of the team, pursue sponsorships, attend all functions/socials and ride and attempt to finish every day.  May I remind you that these people are not celebrities they are firefighters, they do not have $5000 at their hand.

            They have been making there way through the United States the last month and stopping in different visiting fire houses and many people along the way (Including those affected by the Joplin Tornado) as well as Shanksville, PA and Washington DC.   

                        The two charities they are raising money for are The Leary Firefighter Foundation and The Wounded Warrior Project.   The Leary Firefighter Foundation was founded by Actor Dennis Leary after we he lost his cousin, a childhood friend and four other firefighters in a horrific fire in 1999.  The purpose of the foundation is to provide support and equipment to ensure that every firefighter returns home each and every day.  The Wounded Warrior Project was founded in 2004 by Veterans and friends to help aid wounded soldiers on their road to recovery. They focus on the mind, body, economic empowerment and engagement.

            By the time the riders reach NYC they will have biked over 3,300 miles, remembered the thousands of lives lost due to the attacks of 9/11 and will have raised thousands of dollars for charities.  If you would like to track the progress of their final days of riding visit the following page.

At the end of this article I took a moment of silence, will you?

I really enjoyed writing my blog post on August. So I have decided to make it a monthly tradition – at least until it’s is no longer fun, or they get really dull. Of course I am not a format type of person…. So don’t expect them to look anything alike. Just like each month brings an extremely different experience for each person so will my blogs…. With that said…..


September is the 9th month of the year in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Septem actually mean seven, and originally September was the 7th month in the Roman calendar. Even more interesting though is that September begins on the same day as December every year save leap year. This is because there are 91 days separating September and December which is evenly divided by 7 (the number of days in a week).

September’s history is unique with events ranging from monumental to mundane:

September 1, 2011: World War II begins with the Nazi Invasion of Poland

September 4, 2011: Los Angeles was founded by Spanish as “El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula
September 9, 1956: Elvis Presley made his first appearance on the Ed Sullivan
September 11, 2001 – Attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
September 17, 1787 – The US Constitution was signed
September 18, 1970 – Jimi Hendrix dies of a drug overdose
September 23, 1806 – Lewis and Clarks expedition ended
September 30, 1955 – James Dean dies from injuries received in a car crash

What most fascinate me about September are the famous people born this month:

$750???

Unfortunately the time has come to stop signing… “Schools out for summer….” And while the days have gotten shorter, I really cannot state they have gotten cooler without lying (it will probably hit 100 here today.) Parents are struggling with the extra costs of clothes, shoes, backpacks, pens and pencils. Some are dealing with their child going to school for the first time. Students are anxious over the unknowns that the first day of school brings: will any of my friends be in my class, will I like my teacher or will I still be cool? Emotions and stress can be at an all-time high. Then it hits that one nagging question that could be the straw that broke the camel’s back…

What about lunch? (Again, I am neither supporting nor dissing Jamie Oliver). It is easy to just give your student money for lunch. But such action begs questions like, will it be used for lunch, will it be used only on the junk food they sell, will it be nutritional, will they get enough, will they have enough time to eat it after navigating the lunch line, will they be able to handle the cattle call type lines for lunch and the ultimate question can I afford it?

If you have three children (and do not qualify for free and reduced lunch – which most families don’t) that is $2,250 a year on school lunches!!!!!!

Maybe, I should have started with the cost? Obviously packing a lunch is cheaper? Even packing a healthy lunch is cheaper. (Heck you could probably sent fillet mingon sandwiches once a week and come under that price!)

Of course packing a lunch is not easy either….. You have to deal with picky eaters, finding the time to shop, make and pack the lunch, but the rewards are great: More money in your pocket and healthier kids.

For some interesting reading material check out the following:

Blogs:
Fed Up With School Lunch
100 Days of Real Food

Articles:
Home Packed Lunches
15 Fresh Brown Bag Ideas
Busy Cooks

Books:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Video/Speech
Vandana Shiva - The Future of Food and Seed


The last two are more about food in general - but very information and useful

*** First of all let me preface this, by saying in no way am I recommending, sponsoring or endorsing any of the companies mentioned in this blog whatsoever.***

I am sure you think by the title of this blog, that I am writing about Jeans, but the fact is I am writing about another “J” word.. Jingles…..

The Jingle. You know; that piece of music advertisers put in commercials to make the ad stick in your head. You hear just a few bars of the jingle and  sometimes without the company’s name being said you already know what company it is for….. Some say it’s a dying breed… But there may be hope. But will new jingles live up to the classics.?

Some good examples are:

“You deserve a break today..” (McDonald’s for those too young to remember)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBqFSad9Z88

Also from, Mickey D’s “I’m Lovin’ it…”

Sorry I couldn’t find a proper video

How about…

“I want my baby back, baby back, baby back , ribs”

From Chile’s (Did you just sing the word “Chile’s”)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1l87Wzselg

(Yes, that’s the “Nsync version)

Or…

“I am stuck on Band Aid Brand….”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7MtLNK02lI

And you can’t forget….

“Like a good neighbor…..”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB6r2Wi0E98

And although we sometimes didn’t know exactly what it was for… (chicken, yes???)

“I feel like chicken tonight…. Like chicken….” (Start flapping your wings)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ9M7bsx10I

There of course many more national Jingles I could share….

But from my Southern California friends…..

“Keyes, Keyes, Keyes…” (Who is finishing it right now?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iqvEBmIyRg

and

I cannot leave out…

“Well, you won’t get a lemon, I wouldn’t have gotten a lemon.” (From Toyota of Orange)

Sorry I couldn’t find a video – It’s mostly a radio commercial

I am sure you are wondering, why, I decided to rant about Jingles.  Welll, I heard someone singing a new one, this week, and started thinking…. Jingles may not be dead……

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNDfreK0Yno

And for my own Jingle…

Saturday… Come to my gig… It’s at the Pig … Get CD for Free…..