Musical Mondays: Wind

When choosing a theme for this week, I decided to go with something that was representative of the month of March, since this is the last day of the month. The first thing that naturally came to mind was wind, so I went with it. While that might not sound like a musical theme, there are plenty of songs out there that either mention or are about wind of one sort or another, so I figure there's gotta be one for just about anyone's musical taste. As for me, I chose "Winds of Change" by Kutless. It's a great song, and the tune is pretty catchy. I'll probably be humming it all day! So, here it is:

Song:


Lyrics:

Winds Of Change Lyrics

Pandora's similar songs:

1. Faithful by La Fee
2. Call Me Liar by Plankeye
3. Shorty by Guardian
4. Our God by Troy Kennedy
5. Butterfly by Seven Day Jesus

Bad BunGirl! No cookie!

I know, I know, I've been a baaaaad blogger. I have a lot of catching up to do. I was laid off last week, and I've kinda taken the week off from everything. Well, almost everything. Anyway, expect to see a bunch of backdated posts coming up here really soon.

Friday Quiz: Walk

Your walk is: Pimp/Thug Styles Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Musical Mondays: Easter

Well, the song I wanted to use for this Easter edition of Musical Mondays was "The Cross" by Kevin Max (with help from his DC Talk pals), but that's out because I can't even find the lyrics online, much less the song itself. At any rate, if you get a chance to hear that song, give it a listen. It's quite good.

So, second place it is. This one is no less powerful, in fact possibly more so due to it's having been around for a few generations. It's "The Old Rugged Cross," a hymn that I grew up singing in church on Sundays. I couldn't really find a video that captured it quite as I remember it growing up, but this one's fun. As a bonus, it also includes "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross"



Here's the lyrics:
1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

2. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary.
(Refrain)

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
a wondrous beauty I see,
for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me.
(Refrain)

4. To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I'll share.
(Refrain)

Really, that's what Easter is all about, isn't it?

So what does Pandora have to add? Here you go:

1. Who Is Like The Lord by Marantha
2. Escape by The Turning
3. Because He Lives by Kristen Chenoweth (Hey look -- another Easter tune!)
4. In Your Presence, O God by Travis Cottrell
5. Love Without End by RainSong
   

Sunday Seven #134

Here's this week's challenge:

Ever counted how many ice cream flavors there are out there? It’s amazing. There is just about every conceivable variety already invented, yet they keep coming up with more flavor options.

This week, you’re the ice cream chef. You get a counter full of seven ingredients to experiment with, and as much vanilla ice cream as a base as you’d like so that you can create your own flavor. You don’t have to use all seven, but if you were asked to choose seven ingredients that you might use in the ultimate flavor, which would you choose? That’s this week’s challenge.

Choose seven ingredients you’d use with vanilla ice cream to invent the next great ice cream flavor.

Now, I don't think that even I would add all of these flavors into one mixture, but I'm sure that from them I could come up with several tantalizing mixes!

1. Dark Chocolate
2. Milk Chocolate
3. Caramel (the gooey kind, not the hard chewy kind)
4. Mint
5. Butterscotch
6. Cookie Crumbs
7. Marshmellow

What would your flavors be? Head on over to Patrick's Place and let the world know!

Just Say NO to Easter Bunnies!

10 Reasons NOT to Buy a Rabbit for Easter

1. Baby rabbits are fragile mammals that are usually taken away from their mothers before they are fully weaned. Once placed in a pet store or feed mill environment (usually at the age of 3-4 weeks!), they become stressed, sick and can die. Their immune systems are not fully developed until they are six weeks of age.

2. Rabbits mature sexually as early as three months of age and can have offspring even though they themselves are still "babies". People often purchase two rabbits and keep them together not realizing that they can mate and produce offspring that quickly.

3. Male and female rabbits will mark their territory by spraying their surroundings with urine. This behavior is undesirable, smelly and messy and can be prevented by spaying the female and neutering the male.

4. Rabbits are not a "low-maintenance" mammal. They require daily care such as making sure they have appropriate amounts of food and water, must be kept in a safe housing environment, played with, socialized with the family, groomed and taken to the vet for yearly checkups. The cost of a checkup at the vet is usually $45. To spay or neuter is at least $90!

5. Rabbits, if kept outdoors in a hutch, will die of loneliness, heat stress or other diseases that can occur. They will also become very unsociable and will not trust their "owners".

6. Rabbits that are not spayed or neutered can and often do become aggressive not only towards one another but also their human companions. They can lunge and bite causing deep wounds. Rabbits, however, do not carry rabies and do not require vaccinations.

7. Rabbits require a specialized diet consisting of fresh greens, good quality pellets, hay and fresh water at all time. They require constant monitoring to ensure that their health has not been compromised because of a poor or inconsistent diet.

8. Rabbits are fragile physically. If you pick up a rabbit the wrong way, you can cause permanent or even fatal damage. Small children especially are not suitable caretakers for rabbits. They tend to drop the rabbit, pull it's legs (dislocating the hips) and poke at it's eyes/ears - both very vulnerable sites on a rabbit.

9. Rabbits cannot voice their opinion of how they are cared for - except when they scream. Since they are quiet, they are considered "dumb". On the contrary, they are intelligent and gentle creatures that can sense danger and react accordingly.

10. Rabbits are easily stressed and can lose their lives if frightened or forgotten about.

Our volunteer group has rescued over 1,000 domestic rabbits in the Dallas Ft. Worth area over the last 15 years - and most were “Easter Rabbits.” If after reading the above 10 reasons not to buy an Easter Rabbit you still want one of these beautiful creatures then PLEASE adopt. Contact your local animal shelter or a local rabbit rescue group.

For more information, please visit the Make Mine Chocolate campaign -- because the best Easter bunnies are the ones found in the candy aisle!

Note: this will remain at the top of this blog page through Easter. This is really a crucial message, so I want to make sure it gets as much on-site time as possible. For newer content, please scroll down.

Friday Quizzes: Chocolate

THE CHOCOLATE EXPLORER

You’re a free-spirited adventurer, who loves life and constantly seeks out new, exciting experiences. You make your own rules, question authority, and stand by your convictions. You’re curious and restless. You love a good story and a great joke. You’re gregarious without being overbearing, and willing to try anything once. Chocolate-covered grasshoppers…why not?

What's Your Chocolate Personality and Style?

You are Milk Chocolate

A total dreamer, you spend most of your time with your head in the clouds. You often think of the future, and you are always working toward your ideal life. Also nostalgic, you rarely forget a meaningful moment... even those from long ago.

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

Trivia

This was just so silly I had to do it. Hat tip to Princess Jami.

Ten Top Trivia Tips about BunGirl!

1. BunGirl invented the wheel in the fourth millennium BC!
2. The pupil of an octopus's eye is shaped like BunGirl!
3. Louisa May Alcott, author of 'Little BunGirl', hated BunGirl and only wrote the book at her publisher's request.
4. The first toy product ever advertised on television was Mr BunGirl Head.
5. BunGirl is actually a fruit, not a vegetable.
6. Carnivorous animals will not eat another animal that has been hit by BunGirl!
7. In the Spanish edition of Cluedo, BunGirl is the victim!
8. BunGirl is incapable of sleep.
9. In Eastern Africa you can buy beer brewed from BunGirl!
10. Red BunGirl at night, shepherd's delight. Red BunGirl at morning, shepherd's warning!

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

dNeero Survey: Hamburgers and French Fries

I probably eat a lot more fast food than I should. Funny thing is, a few years back, I wouldn't have eaten a burger if you paid me to -- I was not fond of beef to say the least. Now though, I can't get enough. My favorite is probably the Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe from Wendy's. It's not huge like a lot of burgers are (I still don't eat much of anything in quantities), it's loaded with toppings, and it's only a buck! Can't beat that, far as I can tell. My $2 dinner: Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe and a small fries. (drink from the fridge at home) It's the perfect portion size for me -- enough to be filling without feeling full.

Musical Mondays: St. Patty's Day Edition

Being that it's St. Patty's Day, I had to choose another Irish tune to share for Musical Mondays. I almost picked out a Chieftains song, but since I featured them just a few weeks ago, I figured I'd go with Danu this week.



No lyrics on this one, it's just a really fun upbeat tune!

Here's what Pandora spit out:

1. Jack Coughlan's/Kilteery/Michele O'Sullivan's by Danu
2. Jonny's Flush/The Boiling Hen by The McDades
3. Anlon McKinney | Mind The Dresser by Liz Carroll
4. Stolen Purse by Lunasa
5. Song Of The Chanter/Rakes Of Clonmel by Danu

Sunday Seven #133 -- Radio Formats

Here's this week's list topic:

Rank your seven favorite radio station formats.

1. Christian Rock -- I listen almost exclusively to Power FM. If you think Christian Rock is an oxymoron, you should probably go check it out -- you have no idea what you're missing! In fact, if you listen to a lot of rock/punk/alternative etc. you probably already know some Christian artists... Bands like Flyleaf, POD, MXPX and Switchfoot have all made the jump to mainstream at one point or another. /soapbox
2. Alternative. I'm not sure if it's adult alternative or regular alternative, but I know it when I hear it. Stations that play Pearl Jam, Nirvana, U2 and the like.
3. Oldies -- and the cheesier the better! I love the Monkeys and all of the bands they were a parody of. I grew up listening to oldies in my Mom's car, so I know most of the lyrics to most of the songs, even though I'm a generation or two too young for them.
   
4. Classic Rock -- now we're getting into the stations that I only listen to once in a blue moon. In this category I place things like Credence Clearwater Revival and Lynrd Skynrd.
   
5. Soft Rock -- particularly stations that play a lot of 80's music. Hooray for the 80's and their sappy love songs!
   
6. Wow, I'm kinda hard-pressed to come up with two more... I guess now and then I'll tune in to Christian Contemporary stations, but usually only for a specific song or something. Really, I'm not that fond of groups like Point of Grace and 4Him. They remind me too much of regular pop music, which I loathe.
   
7. Once in a great while I'll stop the dial on a country station, but that's pretty much a last resort. And again only for specific songs. The Devil Went Down to Georgia or Tennessee Flat Top Box, for example.

Well, that's my list. Go check out the other entries at St Patrick's Place!

Photo Hunt: I Spy

Wow -- this is sooo late. Thank goodness for backdating!


This week's theme is "I Spy." Group photos always remind me a little of an I Spy game, because you just can't take in the entire photo at once. You have to look through all of the details to be able to pick out your friends or people you know. This particular one was from the last night of our trip to Russia last year. Bonus points because it's a silly photo!

Friday Quizzes: What Type of Fruit Are You?

Fruit quizzes from two different sources:


Take the What Fruit Are You? test by Ellen!

You Are an Orange

You have a zest for life, especially for anything colorful, wild, or dramatic. You have a unique take on the world, and you're not afraid to be a little funky. You are a bit reserved toward people who don't know you well. You have a thick skin, which can protect you from anything that goes wrong in your life. Once someone does get to know you, they totally get and appreciate you. Your friends see you as a bright person with a refreshing take on life.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

The Grammar Nazi Strikes Again!

This post is inspired by a recent post over at Textual Relations. Go read it. Seriously. Now.

Back? Great. So at the end of that one, Mr. President asks:

What about you, what are your pet peeves when it comes to spelling and grammar?

I have a few. I'll narrow it down to the top three here.

#1: "They're, Their, There" Any third grader can tell you the meaning of these three words, but it seems most adults have lost that knowledge. They're is the simplest. It's a contraction. If you can't replace it in a sentence with the words "they are," you're using the wrong word. There refers to location. This should be easily to remember because it has the word here in it. If it's not here, it's there. Their on the other hand is possessive. It means "belonging to them." So, the following sentence would be the correct three uses of the words they're, there and their: They're going to get in their car and drive there.

#2: "Might Could" This may be entirely a Texas thing. I certainly had never heard the phrase until I moved to Texas. It has since become like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. Some examples: "You might could find that at the store," "She might could come over after dinner," "I might could show you how to do that." No, no, and more no. Not only is that redundant, it also just sounds wrong. Use either might or could, but never both.

#3: Double Negatives I'm sure everyone's heard the phrase "two wrongs don't make a right" before. While that's certainly true, two negatives in language do make a positive. It's not "I don't have no money." It's either "I don't have money," or "I have no money." If you don't have no money, then you must have some money. In almost all situations, one negative will suffice. The exception of course, it when you really do mean it to work out to a positive. If that's the case, why not just simplify and remove both of the negatives?

dNeero Survey: Weather -- It's Everywhere!

I LOVE a good thunderstorm. I love watching the clouds roll across the sky, darkening the horizon in preparation for the lightshow to come. I love the smell of rain and the rhythm of it pounding against the sidewalk and roof. I love watching the lightning flicker across the sky, dancing from cloud to cloud. God makes the best lightshows!

Musical Mondays: Underdog

I've long been a fan of Audio Adrenaline, and this is probably one of my favorite songs from them:

The song:

The lyrics:


Underdog Lyrics

Pandora's top five:

1. Burning Bridges by Seventh Day Slumber
2. Wind of God by Among Thorns
3. Inside by Whiteheart
4. Blind Man by Seventh Day Slumber
5. It's Over by Audio Adrenaline
   

Sunday Seven #132

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
Name seven of the most popular urban legends you’ve received emails or heard about.

I don't get a whole lot of these any more because I've pretty well trained my friends and family to check snopes.com first. Still, now and then I do see a few of these, so here's my list of seven that have made it through recently:

1. Is Barack Obama a Muslim?
2. Lemon Slices Pose Health Risk in Restaurants
3. Shark Attacks Helicopter (Photo)
4. Reverse PIN # to Signal Police at ATM?
5. New Dollar Coin and "In God We Trust"
6. Andy Rooney's Political Views
7. Cell Phone Directory and Telemarketers
   

Photo Hunt: Different

For this week's theme I chose a shot of my two coneheads. I think this particular picture really illustrates just how very different the two really are... Jared (left) is very gentle, nervous, and always aims to please. Donovan (right) is cocky, hard-headed and impish. I love them both dearly, but sometimes I wish Jared would gain some of Donovan's fearlessness and Donovan would be a bit more obedient!

Friday Quizzes

And in the no surprise here category:

Your Inner European is Russian!

Mysterious and exotic. You've got a great balance of danger and allure.

Who's Your Inner European?

Life in BunGirl's World...

Busy busy busy today... Some things that have been going on:

• Last weekend while I was at Irish Fest, our littlest dog Donovan got himself in a good deal of trouble. Grump arrived home to find that he had pulled the water line off the back of the toilet and flooded the bathroom. The water then ran under our flooring and through the bedroom and living room. We've been dealing with the aftermath ever since. I haven't slept in my own bed in days because the bedroom is all torn up right now and there have been several industrial-strength dryers running non-stop down there. As of this morning we're down to one dryer. Next step is to get the flooring folks to come out and measure and whatnot and see how bad the damage is there. I'll be glad when this is over.
• The very same little imp got neutered today, so now I have two dogs wandering around in e-collars. It's kinda cute -- they match.
  
• Big bunny-business meeting tonight, which means stuff to do. If anyone is reading this in the Dallas/Denton area and would like to help out, just let me know! We can always use more foster homes, and there are lots of other ways to help too. Also, could use a projector that would run from my laptop, for classes and slide shows and such, so if anyone out there knows of a place to get such a thing for under $400 (cheapest I've found so far) or a place who would be willing to donate one to a 501(c) group, please let me know!
  

dNeero Survey: Pizza -- It's A Food Group!

I loooove pizza, but since we live way out in the boonies, I can't get it delivered very easily. The only place around here that delivers is Mr. Jim's, and I'm not what you might call a fan of their pies. (though their nacho sticks will do in a pinch) Imagine my elation when I saw them putting up a Dominos sign just down the road the other day! Dominos is by no means my favorite, but they're miles better than Mr. Jims, so I'll take it!

Musical Mondays: Lukey/Lukaloney

Having just spent the weekend at Irish Fest, I had to choose something with an Irish feel to it. This particular one is off one of my favorite albums, a compilation featuring the Chieftans sitting in for informal live sessions with various celtic groups in Canada. I'm not a big fan of the slower versions of this song, but this particular version is amazing. You can't help but feel happy listening to this! Anyway, here's the song:



Here's the lyrics:


Lukey Lyrics

Pandora gave me:

1. Never Lived at All by Ellis Paul
2. Very Fine Funeral by Eddie From Ohio
3. Julie by Jens Lekman
4. Three Of Us In A Boat by Jackopierce
5. Pecan Pie by Golden Smog
   

Time to Vote!

Please visit the Mystery Topic Challenge Blog to view all of the other entries. Once you've read them all, please be sure to vote HERE in the Sidebar for your favorite.

(And you thought this was going to be about politics, didn't you?)

Sunday Seven #131

This week's question was kind of fun to research:

Name up to seven license plate designs available in your state that you’d consider for your car.

You can check out all of the Texas special plates here, but this is a list of the seven I would choose. I pick them based not only on the look of the plates, but also what they support.

1. The first would have to be the Animal Friendly plate:
   
2. Texas Parks and Wildlife Conservation - Bluebonnets:
   
   
3. God Bless America:
   
   
4. Urban Forestry:
   
   
5. Fight Terrorism:
   
   
6. United We Stand:
   
   
7. and finally, Texas Reads:
   
   

Mystery Topic Challenge #8: Debit Card Fraud

It's time for another Mystery Topic Challenge. Here's the theme for this one:

Last Thursday I received a call from the fraud department at Visa. It seems someone created a duplicate of my debit/ATM/credit card and used it at truck stops in Alberta, Canada and again several days later at an amusement park in Baltimore, Maryland. I suspect I’ll never know how they got my number, what they bought with my money or why they needed those things.

Write a story using the above elements and shed some light on the mystery for me.

Well, with a little investigation and a whole lot of luck, I managed to catch up with your thief. Daniel Perkins, or "Perky" as his friends call him, agreed to an interview and I hopped on a plane to go meet him.

BunGirl: Thanks for meeting with me, Mr. Perkins. I appreciate your time.

Perky: Please, call me Perky. It's no problem at all really. I want this chance to clear my name.

BG: You mean to tell me you didn't steal a debit card and make purchases in Alberta and Baltimore?

Perky: Oh, no, I did that. I couldn't help myself though. Addiction is a tough thing to overcome you know. It compels you to do things you would never do under normal circumstances.

BG: Ok... Well then, why don't you just tell us how this all started.

Perky: Sure, sure. A few years ago, a friend of mine took a vacation in Jamaica. He was a pretty good friend, so of course he decided to bring me back a souvenir from his trip. He had no idea

BG: Hate to interrupt, but I meant how the debit card incident started.

Perky: I was gettin' to that! Geez, you want to hear this story or not?

BG: Sorry.

Perky: As well you should be. Now where was I? Oh, yeah. Anyway, Bill decided to bring back a treat for me from Jamaica. He had no idea what it would turn into, he really meant well. Still, I wish he had never done it. He brought back some of the finest Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee beans this world has ever seen.

BG: I'm sorry, did you say coffee beans?

Perky: Sure did. These weren't your regular Maxwell House beans either. Jamaican Blue Mountains can go for upward of $50 a pound. And here I was, uneducated to the delights of coffee, an innocent in a connoisseur's world. I still thought the coffee at the local Quick Stop was the best stuff around. Those beans really opened up my eyes to the world around me, you know what you mean?

BG: Not really... Please continue though.

Perky: Alright. Well, the five pound bag I was given didn't last very long, and before I knew it, I was scouring the shelves at the local supermarkets, looking for new varieties. The folks at Starbucks knew me by name and always were sure to point out to me any new stock they had in. I had heard that caffeine could be addictive, but this was something different. This wasn't about the caffeine buzz -- I could have gotten that from any old bean. This was about the experience. The flavor, aroma, the pure joy of that first taste, these are the things I crave. Not some cheap, jittery high.

BG: So it was your addiction to coffee beans that inspired you to steal someone else's debit card?

Perky: Well, yeah. I got in way over my head pretty quick. Before I knew it, I was flying to Jamaica, Panama, Costa Rica, just to try to get a fresher brew. I plowed right through my meager savings, but I just couldn't stop. It was like a compulsion. Pretty soon I had turned to shoplifting to meet all of my other needs. I didn't spend a single dime on anything other than coffee. Somewhere in all of my travels, I ran across this guy who taught me how to rig an ATM to capture someone's debit card information. I figured I had hit the payload -- with that kind of information, I could afford to go anywhere the beans called!

BG: So you chose Alberta?

Perky: Well, that wasn't my first choice, just the first one on your friend's card. There had been seven or eight other cards prior to that. Anyway, Calgary's got some pretty good coffee shops. A guy in Guatemala told me that the Black Diamond had some special beans in stock and I should rush right up there and get me some. Of course, I was so taken by the addiction by that point that I wasn't even researching my leads anymore. No sooner had he suggested it than I was on the phone booking plane tickets to Alberta.

BG: So you got to Alberta and searched out this Black Diamond coffee shop?

Perky: Yeah, except it's not even a real coffee shop. It's a bakery that also has a coffee shop attached. And they didn't have anything close to the kind of thing I was looking for. All somewhat pedestrian if you know what I mean. Well, I was fuming. I had missed out on the Kona Coffee Festival because of the "tip" this joker had provided, so I decided to track him down and give him a piece of my mind. I searched for him everywhere. He was a traveller like me you see. Coulda been anywhere on the planet, but where do I find him? Baltimore Maryland.

BG: So that's why you went to Baltimore?

Perky: Of course. I had to let the guy know that this was not acceptable.

BG: Where was it that you caught up to him?

Perky: A little dive of a place, called Bingo World. Can you believe they have the nerve to call that dump an amusement park? Anyway, he was there with his granny, celebrating her 80th birthday or something. But I was ready for my revenge. I tailed the pair all day. I watched them as they played the mid-day, matinee, main and night owl games, but just before the twilight game at one am, I finally caught him alone. I didn't really mean any harm, just wanted to rough him up a bit. Let him know he couldn't get away with playing tricks on me. Course, I got a bit carried away...

BG: And that's how you landed yourself here in prison?

Perky: Yep. It seems that Bingo World security had been keeping an eye on me all day. I guess they don't have much else to do. I would've gotten away with it otherwise. Like I said, I only meant to rough him up, but I got carried away. Turns out a broken bottle can kill a man if you hit him with it just right, repeatedly. I was about to jump the fence and take off, maybe hide out in Columbia for a while, when the guards grabbed me. They threw me in the pen after that. I guess you probably already know this, but the judge has denied me bail. Says I'm a flight risk. I'm cleaned up now though. I'm ready to do my time.

BG: Cleaned up?

Perky: Yeah, have you seen the coffee they serve here? It's like industrial waste. No way I was drinking any of that stuff. I went cold turkey as soon as they locked me up. The first few weeks were kind of shaky, but I'm better now.

Photo Hunt: Party

This week's theme is Party, and since I just spent the day at a big, weekend-long party, I figured I'd post a picture from that. I chose one of my favorites, a shot of a pipes and drums band. Now, this may not look like much of a party to some, but it's from the North Texas Irish Festival, which is undoubtedly a partying kinda event, so it counts in my book.

I'll probably have some more pictures from the event at some point in the near future, but it won't be tonight... I'm exhausted!