A Day at the Zoo

We took Ben to the zoo today. We went to the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, RI. We had a great time! Here are some pics:

Ben walked almost the whole time. We brought his stroller, but he didn't want to be in it. He wanted to walk which was just fine with us.

Geese in front of the fountain. When we got close they came right up out of the water to us.

These are some goslings we found later on in the day.


Bald Eagles - They have an all new open air habitat this year. I'm not sure, but they must have their wings clipped or something because there's nothing keeping them from flying away.


A monkey

Some penguins. He loved this because viewing glass went all the way to the ground so he could stand there and watch them himself without having Mommy or Daddy holding him. He kept trying to knock on the glass.

They have a rare species of cow there (I can't remember what it's called) and he kept leaning over and saying "Moo!"


It was pretty sunny most of the time and we forgot his hat, so we got him a new one.



Snow Leopard


They're building a huge new enclosure to house both the elephants and the giraffes. While the area is under construction, the elephants are in a building. It was cute because the walls looked like they had been painted by a 2 year old. Come to find out, one of the elephants likes to paint! The new enclosure is supposed to be open sometime this summer.

He kept cracking us up! He was getting so excited that he was flapping his arms and screeching.


Camels. One hump, not two.


Our little stinker had such a great time!

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Sweet Sixteen

My sister Jessica had her Sweet Sixteen party on Sunday, May 18. These are some photos from the party.

This is Jess and some of her friends. (sorry,but I don't remember their names!)

This is my brother Jon and my nephew Jacob.

This is my brother James and his girlfriend, Katie

Jessica's grandparents and some other family members.

These are of Jess and her friends playing darts.

This is my brother Tim and my sister-in-law, Erika.

This is a cute one of Auntie Jess with Ben.

Here are a few of the pinata.

The cake


And, what did she get for her birthday, you ask? What does every 16 year old girl want?
A brand new car, of course! lol

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Food for Thought

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Laser Magician

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

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Florida Mother Jailed for Keeping Children Caged

This is the kind of story that makes me think we should punish people by doing to them exactly what they did to their victims. How could a sicko like this even be able to adopt children in the first place? This story originally came from here.

A Florida mother has been jailed for 20 years for keeping her teenage adopted son in a cage.

The 17-year-old weighed 22kg (3st 7lb) when child welfare workers found him in 2005.

He suffered from severe medical and emotional problems. His mother, Brenda Sullivan, told a judge at the time that authorities told her to keep the boy in a crib.

In January she pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated child abuse. Prosecutors agreed to drop lesser child neglect charges.

"There's only one conclusion when you look at the medical evidence in this case, and that is that she literally starved him," said the prosecutor, Julie Schlax.

Sullivan's husband was also arrested but died in January 2007 while awaiting trial.

Two other children, 13-year-old twins the couple adopted as infants, testified that they were kept in similar cages.

Sullivan's lawyer, Charles Fletcher, said prison was not the right option because she did not pose a threat to society. He said they would appeal the sentence.

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10 Best Beer Names

10. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde How can you not love a beer that calls itself "End of the World?" Fortunately, the only thing that will end after enjoying this complex brew is your ability to make do with just any beer.

9. Harveistoun Old Engine Oil Mega-breweries spend millions of dollars on image building, cultivating a look, image and an enticing name that's not distasteful. Then there's the Harviestoun brewery in Scotland that simply looked at its tasty old ale and named it after the first thing that came to mind: Old Engine Oil.

8. Sweetwater Happy Ending Imperial Stout The name refers either to living happily ever after or the beer's great finish. It has nothing to do with massage parlors. Would a brewery that also has beers named Donkey Punch and 420 go there? I think not.

7. Ridgeway Santa's Butt A butt is a wooden keg of beer. The picture on the bottle of jolly St. Nick's butt crack peeking out from his baggy pantaloons ensures no one misses the double entendre. It has the distinction of having been banned in Maine and New York.

6. Buffalo Bill's Alimony Ale Billed as "the bitterest beer in America," this India Pale Ale is clearly the brainchild of someone disenchanted with the notion of till death do us part.

5. Dogfish Head Golden Shower Originally named Prescription Pills, the brewery was forced to change the name, lest someone think it was a pharmaceutical. Golden Shower saw one release before the government folks figured out what they'd approved. The beer is now known as Golden Era.

4. Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Pooh Coffee The coffee added to the beer is pooped out by a civet (a catlike mammal that loves coffee). A bit literal? Yes. But still funny.

3. McQuire's I'll Have What The Gentleman On The Floor Is Having Barley Wine The name is a subtle hint that at 12 percent alcohol by volume, this beer is meant to be sipped. If you can drink it faster than you can say it, slow down!

2. Avery Collaboration Not Litigation This beer typifies the spirit of the craft brewing community. Vinnie Cilurzo of Russia River Brewing and Adam Avery of Avery Brewing realized they both had beers named Salvation. Showing a selfish disregard for the financial health of America's lawyers, the two brewers decided that instead of suing each other, they'd team up to brew this bold beer.

1. Wasatch Polygamy Porter The slogan explains perfectly why this is the coolest beer name ever: "Why have just one?" I have big love for this beer's name.

Read the original and entire article here.

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Katamari Cats

Anyone who's played the game Beautiful Katamari will get this pic.

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Telemarketing

You may have seen this before. I think it went around as an email a while back. It's still funny, though so I'm reposting it here. Click here to be directed to the site where I found it.

One thing that has always bugged me, and I'm sure it does most of you, is to sit down at the dinner table only to be interrupted by a phone call from a telemarketer.

I decided, on one such occasion, to try to be as irritating as they were to me. The call was from AT&T and it went something like this:

Me: (swallowing) Hello

AT&T: Hello, this is AT&T...

Me: Is this AT&T?

AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T...

Me: This is AT&T?

AT&T: Yes This is AT&T...

Me: Is this AT&T?

AT&T: YES! This is AT&T, may I speak to Mr. Byron please?

Me: May I ask who is calling?

AT&T: This is AT&T.

Me: OK, hold on.

At this point I put the phone down for a solid 5 minutes thinking that, surely, this person would have hung up the phone. I ate my salad. Much to my surprise, when I picked up the receiver, they were still waiting.

Me: Hello?

AT&T: Is this Mr. Byron?

Me: May I ask who is calling please?

AT&T: Yes this is AT&T...

Me: Is this AT&T?

AT&T: Yes this is AT&T...

Me: This is AT&T?

AT&T: Yes, is this Mr. Byron?

Me: Yes, is this AT&T?

AT&T: Yes sir.

Me: The phone company?

AT&T: Yes sir.

Me: I thought you said this was AT&T.

AT&T: Yes sir, we are a phone company.

Me: I already have a phone.

AT&T: We aren't selling phones today Mr. Byron.

Me: Well whatever it is, I'm really not interested but thanks for calling.

When you are not interested in something, I don't think you can express yourself any plainer than by saying "I'm really not interested," but this lady was persistent.

AT&T: Mr. Byron, we would like to offer you 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Now, I am sure she meant she was offering a "rate" of 10 cents a minute, but she at no time used the word "rate." I could clearly see that it was time to whip out the trusty old calculator and do a little ciphering.

Me: Now, that's 10 cents a minute 24 hours a day?

AT&T: (getting a little excited at this point by my interest) Yes sir, that's right! 24 hours a day!

Me: 7 days a week?

AT&T: That's right.

Me: 365 days a year?

AT&T: Yes sir.

Me: I am definitely interested in that! Wow!!! That's amazing!

AT&T: We think so!

Me: That's quite a sum of money!

AT&T: Yes sir, it's amazing how it adds up.

Me: OK, so will you send me checks weekly, monthly or just one big one at the end of the year for the full $52,560, and if you send an annual check, can I get a cash advance?

AT&T: Excuse me?

Me: You know, the 10 cents a minute.

AT&T: What are you talking about?

Me: You said you'd give me 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That comes to $144 per day, $1,008 per week and $52,560 per year. I'm just interested in knowing how you will be making payment.

AT&T: Oh no, sir, I didn't mean we'd be paying you. You pay us 10 cents a minute.

Me: Wait a minute here!!! Didn't you say you'd give me 10 cents a minute? Are you sure this is AT&T?

AT&T: Well, yes this is AT&T sir but......

Me: But nothing, how do you figure that by saying that you'll give me 10 cents a minute that I'll give you 10 cents a minute? Is this some kind of subliminal telemarketing scheme? I've read about things like this in the Enquirer, you know. Don't use your alien brainwashing techniques on me.

AT&T: No sir, we are offering 10 cents a minute for.....

Me: THERE YOU GO AGAIN! Can I speak to a supervisor please!

AT&T: Sir, I don't think that is necessary.

Me: Sure! You say that now! What happens later?

AT&T: What?

Me: I insist on speaking to a supervisor!

AT&T: Yes Mr. Byron. Please hold.

So now AT&T has me on hold and my supper is getting cold. I begin to eat while I'm waiting for a supervisor. After a wait of a few minutes and while I have a mouth full of food:

Supervisor: Mr. Byron?

Me: Yeth?

Supervisor: I understand you are not quite understanding our 10 cents a minute program.

Me: Id thish Ath Teeth & Teeth?

Supervisor: Yes sir, it sure is.

I had to swallow before I choked on my food. It was all I could do to suppress my laughter and I had to be careful not to produce a snort.

Me: No, actually, I was just waiting for someone to get back to me so that I could sign up for the plan.

Supervisor: OK, no problem, I'll transfer you back to the person who was helping you.

Me: Thank you.

I was on hold once again and managed a few more mouthfuls. I needed to end this conversation. Suddenly, there was an aggravated but polite voice at the other end of the phone.

AT&T: Hello Mr. Byron, I understand that you are interested in signing up for our plan?

Me: Do you have that friends and family thing because you can never have enough friends and I'm an only child and I'd really like to have a little brother...

AT&T: (click)

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Unusual Ebay Feedback

Ebay Feedback (click here for the original site)

POSITIVE: Item shipped quickly, have been having erotic dreams about seller. Thanks!

POSITIVE: Thanks for great Rainbow Brite lunchbox. Should shrunken head be inside?

NEUTRAL: Excellent communication, but should've poked holes in box before shipping the kitten. Refunded.

NEGATIVE: Despite indication in listing, I could not fit item into any of my body cavities.

NEGATIVE: Honda R-Type sticker did not add horsepower as advertised.

NEUTRAL: Item shipped promptly and in good condition, but I should not have to bid on birthday presents from my parents.

POSITIVE: I don't really remember what I ordered. But I've been sitting in the box it came in all day, and it's great!

NEGATIVE: Product didn't work, possibly broken. I woke up this morning and was disappointed to find I still believe in Jesus Christ our Savior. :(

POSITIVE: Excellent Buyer. A++++++. Thrilled by the quartz movement of the "Rolex". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

NEGATIVE: Should have been clearer that seller only accepts payment in Bhats via Eastern Union Moneygram.

POSITIVE: Plain brown packaging seemed to fool my wife. Thanks!

NEGATIVE: The dog won't hunt.

NEGATIVE: Very nice monkey mascot costume, but it's a size 34, not a 63 as advertised.

NEGATIVE: Lederhosen not as pink as the picture led me to believe.

POSITIVE: A+++++. Items are exactly as described. Best case of kalashnikovs I've ever bought. Allah Akbar!

NEGATIVE: This is clearly the ninth, NOT THE SIXTH, repackaging of Mad Super Special #24.

POSITIVE: One of the scents mixed in with the packing peanuts remind me of a passionate weekend in Rio... was that you?

POSITIVE: The way you wrote my zip-code makes me weak in the knees. Such smooth strokes. A+!

NEGATIVE: Though you did nothing wrong, I am giving you this negative feedback to teach you that the universe is arbitrary and unfair.

NEGATIVE: Buying this Space 1999 Lunchbox did not fill the void in my empty life for as long as I'd hoped.

|Back to lists|

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Jelly Battle

This is a pretty cool game which is like a cross between battle and strategy. The first three levels are training and are pretty slow, but once you get past that it's pretty fun. You can play single or multiplayer and it's totally free and requires no download.

www.jellybattle.com

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UnCommon Goods

This is an interesting store with a lot of unusual things. Everything from housewares to jewelry. Interesting to browse through even if you're not in the market to buy anything.

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It's a Baby...No, Wait, It's a Burrito

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"These Photos Are Mines"

This is freakin' hilarious!! You have to hear the clip of the phone call. I couldn't download it so you'll have to go to the site to listen to it. Sooo funny! Below is the blurb from the site. You can see the original photos they refer to and hear the phone message here.

Moral of this story: if you're digging yourself into a hole, stop digging. Yesterday, we got a tip about a self-described "Mr. Right" on NYC's Craigslist, who posted a personal ad with 30 pictures of himself, several of which feature him waving a stack of $20 bills. We put up a few of his photos and chuckled. But he was upset! So he called up the Gawker offices to voice his grievances. He charged us with fraud. He threatened to "punch the fucking guy whoever did this" and "fuck him up." And he warned us, "I'm ten times smarter than these people, cause I"m gonna record it right now." So are we! You have to hear it to believe it. Remember, kids: Craigslist is a public place.

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Who Needs a Car? I'll Just Ride My Horse!

This seems a little ridiculous to me. As long as there's a place for the horse to stay during the day and he cleans up whatever messes is makes, who cares? I give this kid credit for getting up at 4 am to get there on time. We all know how hard it is for a teenage boy to get out of bed that early! lol The whole story can be found here.

Brad Walker saves $25 a week riding his horse Pumpkin to Rockwood High School in Roane, TN. It's a protest to high gas prices that has the support of Rockwood High's principal and has turned a lot of heads in the rural town.

It was a different story all together for a Dickson County High School student who was told this week he would not be able to participate in his graduation ceremony for riding his horse to school.

Caleb Anderson rode the horse to school on his last day of classes. The trip took him almost four hours, arriving at Dickson County High at 7:40am after leaving home at 4am. According to Caleb's grandmother Sandra Anderson, Caleb didn't think it would be as big of a problem as the principal made it out to be. Besides, he was doing his part as a new high school graduate to go green and save a little gas.

But once Caleb arrived at school, Dickson County High Principal Ed Littleton told Caleb to get the horse off the school property. Police arrived shortly after Caleb put the horse in a friend's pasture near the school. As punishment, Caleb was told he will not be allowed to participate in his graduation ceremony Friday.

Caleb missed an exam due to the incident but his grandmother tells us he didn't need the credit to graduate anyway. Seniors participating in Friday's graduation ceremony held a practice ceremony earlier today.

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I Want Your Baby

I think this story is really creepy. I think if someone had given me something like this I would have been totally creeped out. Who does something like that?? This story is from NWCN.com and you can read the entire thing here.

EVERETT, Wash. - J.D. Ross and Julie Moore are expecting their first child.

The young woman who is five months pregnant was waiting tables at a Mill Creek restaurant Monday night when a table of 12 adults ordered a round of cocktails.

After they left, she opened the bill holder to get the tip and also found a card inside that read:

We wish to adopt a baby. We are a caring, happily married, financially secure and loving couple. We want to share our joy and love with a child.

The card included the names of the couple and phone numbers.

"I was just shocked because they didn't say a word to me about being pregnant, ask me how my pregnancy is going or ask me if I was pregnant or anything," said Julie.

"I thought it was really creepy," said J.D.

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Einstein Parrot

Einstein le perroquet - Vidéo

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Honey, I'm going to Home Depot

This was posted in a generic site that displays pics. I'm not sure where it originally came from or I would give them the credit. Click on the picture to see the whole story.

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Chinese Food

lmao! They probably get lots of business just because of their name. lol

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"I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura"

How cool is this? It's crazy how smart these birds are. The whole article can be found here.

TOKYO — When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught — recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help.

Police rescued the African grey parrot two weeks ago from a neighbor's roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital while police searched for clues, local policeman Shinjiro Uemura said.

He kept mum with the cops, but began chatting after a few days with the vet.

"I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura," the bird told the veterinarian, according to Uemura. The parrot also provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the hospital staff by singing songs.

"We checked the address, and what do you know, a Nakamura family really lived there. So we told them we've found Yosuke," Uemura said.

The Nakamura family told police they had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years.

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Nekkid Gator Wranglin'

Some people just deserve what they get. I say just let the guy go and wrestle the gators. Pretty soon it won't be indecent exposure because those parts will be missing.

This is an excerpt from an article which can be read here.

Apgar, 47, was being held at the Polk County Jail on Tuesday night with a bail set at $1,500.

He was originally charged with trespassing, exposure of sexual organs and breach of the peace in March when deputies found him scratched up, naked and wading toward an alligator in a pond at Saddle Creek Park in Lakeland.

But that wasn't Apgar's first run-in with the reptiles.

In November 2006, the same deputies rescued Apgar from the jaws of an alligator in Lake Parker. That gator wrangle left him with a partially amputated arm. The gator also took out several chunks from his side and buttocks.

Knowledge of his behavior prompted Polk deputies to do a wellness check on Apgar last weekend when an unidentified body was found in the jaws of a gator at Saddle Creek Park, a PCSO spokesman said.

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Jail Time for Growing Grass (not the kind you smoke)

C'mon...doesn't law enforcement and the court system there have better things to prosecute than people who let their lawns grow too high? I'm all for nice neighborhoods, but this seems a little ridiculous to me. The entire article can be found here.

CANTON (OH) For residents tired of that overgrown lot that resembles a minijungle next door, the city wants to help by trying to put high-grass violators behind bars.

City Council wants to beef up its existing high-grass and weeds law by making a second offense a fourth-degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine of up to $250 and up to 30 days in jail.

In the spring and summer, it's not uncommon for council members to field complaints from residents about overgrown lots owned by individuals or banks and corporations that ignore the law and notices in the mail.

More than 8 inches constitutes high grass or weeds, according to city law. First-time violators now face a minor misdemeanor, which carries up to a $150 fine and no jail time.

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How Embarrassing!

Talk about embarrassing! How do you live this down? This story is quoted from here.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) — A firearms instructor in southern Massachusetts has been assigned to other duties after his gun accidentally went off while he was teaching a class on weapons safety.

Officials say the Glock handgun discharged while Maj. Donald Lamar was demonstrating to Bristol County deputy sheriffs how to safely holster the weapon.

The bullet ripped a hole in Lamar’s pants but missed his leg and foot.

Sheriff Thomas Hodgson says the officer made a “gross error in judgment” by not emptying the weapon before the class last week.

Lamar, a certified firearms instructor since 2005, was transferred to another division and will not carry a firearm while the incident is being investigated.

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A Serious Case of the Munchies

As reported on an Australian news network:

A New Zealand man who found himself in a service station queue with no money has attempted to pay for his food with cannabis, the Dominion Post newspaper reported.

Unfortunately he did not get a chance to discover whether the attendant would accept his offer, as the person behind him in the queue was a police officer.

The man's attempt to buy two packets of chocolate and a packet of potato chips to satisfy his "munchies" was caught short when he was arrested.

He must have been hungry, as he failed to notice the police patrol car being filled with petrol, the paper reported.

The 28-year-old mechanic from the small North Island town of Carterton pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis in the Masterton District Court and was remanded for sentencing.

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Losing Your House Over $300?

This seems a bit ridiculous to me. Really, I wonder if there's some kind of under-the-table deal going on with the parties involved here. This just seems too ridiculous to be legit. You can read the entire article here.

A woman who has lived in a Salt Lake City home for the past 15 years is in danger of losing the house -- due to a $300 dental bill that went unpaid over a decade ago.

Ramos purchased the home for approximately $51,000 in the early 1990s. In 1995, the $300 dental bill went unpaid and a collections agency eventually filed a lawsuit against her.

Ultimately, the courts ordered the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office to sell the home as real estate to pay off the dental debt -- which by that time had reached $958.

At an auction, the home sold for a mere $1,550 to a firm called Jarmac Properties.

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Hungry President

I stumbled on this joke today. A groaner, but still funny.

One day George W. Bush and Dick Cheney walk into a diner. A waitress walks up to them and asks if she can take their order. Bush leans close to her and says, "Honey, can I have a quickie?"

The waitress is appalled and yells at the president about women's rights and then storms away, Cheney then says to Bush, "George, its pronounced quiche."

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A House Not For Mere Mortals

This is the coolest looking house ever, although I don't think I'd want to live in it. The text below is quoted from a New York Times article about the house and its designers. You can see the whole article here.



Its architecture makes people use their bodies in unexpected ways to maintain equilibrium, and that, she said, will stimulate their immune systems.

In addition to the floor, which threatens to send the un-sure-footed hurtling into the sunken kitchen at the center of the house, the design features walls painted, somewhat disorientingly, in about 40 colors; multiple levels meant to induce the sensation of being in two spaces at once; windows at varying heights; oddly angled light switches and outlets; and an open flow of traffic, unhindered by interior doors or their adjunct, privacy.

All of it is meant to keep the occupants on guard. Comfort, the thinking goes, is a precursor to death; the house is meant to lead its users into a perpetually “tentative” relationship with their surroundings, and thereby keep them young.

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Stupid Clients

This site is hilarious. People write in with their true stories of customer service nightmares. Anyone who deals with people for a living can relate to these.

This is a true story from the WordPerfect Help line which was transcribed from a recording monitoring the customer care department. Needless to say, the Help Desk employee was fired however, he is currently suing the WordPerfect organization for termination without Cause. This is the actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee (now I know why they record these conversations)

Rich Hall computer assistance; may I help you?

Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect.

What sort of trouble? >

Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away.

Went away?

They disappeared.

Hmmm. So what does your screen look like now?

Nothing.

Nothing?

It's a blank; it won' t accept anything when I type.

Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?

How do I tell?

Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?

What's a sea-prompt?

Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?

There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type.

Does your monitor have a power indicator?

What's a monitor?

It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have
a
little light that tells you when it's on?

I don't know.

Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power
cord goes into it. Can you see that?

Yes, I think so.

Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the
wall.

Yes, it is.

When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two
cables
plugged into the back of it, not just one?

No.

Well , there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other
cable.

Okay, here it is.

Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of
your computer.

I can't reach.

Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?

No.

Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?

Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle it's because it's dark.

Dark?

Yes, the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in
from
the window.

Well, turn on the office light then.

I can't.

No? Why not?

Because there's a power failure.

A power....... a power failure?.... Aha, Okay, we've got it hacked now.
Do
you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer
came
in?

Well, yes, I keep them in the closet.

Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it
was
when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from.

Really? Is it that bad?

Yes, I'm afraid it is.

Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?

Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer.

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It's all a Blur

I thought these were pretty neat. These are both examples of what you can do by adjusting the shutter speed on your camera.

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