Today's Mighty Oak


Alright, I’m finally starting to go through everything from last month, let’s see how much I can cram into this one post before it gets too unwieldy or I get lost and confused.  I’ll try to break up the links with images and videos, so read and click away!

I’ve followed the story here and abroad for a while because I’ve found it extremely interesting, but it seems that now gay men can donate bone marrow in Canada.  Another step in the right direction for Canada, we’ll see how long it takes the U.S. to follow.  Sweden also recently ended their ban on gay blood donation.

I kind of like Lady Gaga’s music, and even though she sometimes comes off as bat-shit crazy, she really is a good person.  Seen here, she meets Queen Elizabeth II, obviously knowing when to pick her publicity/battles.  I wonder what she would be called if she was ever given the title “lady”?

This is kind of crazy, but strands of tiger DNA has been found in the AIDS virus.  From what I’ve read, it is thought that HIV/AIDS came from monkeys (I think), so I’m not sure how this fits in with research and whatnot.  But in a giant breakthrough, researchers have found that stem cells can kill HIV, or at least, have the proof of concept.

Have you seen the Wii’s holiday ad, I really like it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGRaTaNCPMc

Are you in a dire situation?  Just hit the button.

If you haven’t seen it, PostSecret’s new video is pretty amazing:

PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death and God from Frank Warren on Vimeo.

The Episcopal Church elected its first openly lesbian bishop.  Canterbury isn’t too happy, I can’t even imagine (or care for that matter) what ex-bishop Duncan is saying.

When you click through to see Yale students protesting some evangelical preacher on their campus, make sure to see how many categories on his sandwich board you fall into.  Obama voters, Dirty Dancers (really?), Hindus, Feminists…you’re all on there.  And going to hell, apparently.  Like I always say, it will be a party, and we’re all apparently invited!

And here is a picture of my favorite protester, Chris Pesto from Syracuse:

This link from Gizmodo, is an awesome cheat sheet for buying a new TV, check it out if you’re in the market.

I think the evangelical preacher at Yale would like this link.  It ends up making me angry if I read too much, but if you want to see the hilarious things that people worry about, namely, people working retail during December that would dare to with you “happy holidays” instead of “merry Christmas.”  Stupid people aren’t allowed to believe things that I don’t.  Currently the most offensive, GAP, mostly due to their awesome commercials.  Here’s an example:

I am absolutely sickened by the new Gap commercial comparing Christmas to Solstice and “do what you like”. I will NOT shop at the Gap, Old Navy, or their sister stores any more nor will my teenagers. …

And here’s the commerical

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVMPWlWDvsI

I’m liking the campaign mostly because it’s pissing off the right so much.  And from what I can gather, a direct response to the right after they pulled shenanigans back in the fall.

Speaking of good ads, I love this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovMbBEZNXuE

As well as this campaign for Levi’s:

Also, this one for Discovery Channel:

Someone alert the Russians, vodka is now available in pill form.

I’ll go ahead and say no, progress bars on traffic lights is not a good idea.  But interesting idea though.

The Catholic diocese of St. Louis sent $10,000 to Maine to help overturn their marriage equality law.  I have a big post coming up for that, with all kinds of links and updates, really everything that has happened since NaNoWriMo, and the election at the beginning of November.  People are now protesting the diocese of St. Louis, but truth be told, $10,000 was just a drop in the bucket.  It will make your skin crawl, stay tuned.

Dollhouse may be cancelled, but their marketing is just really starting up (thanks a lot, Fox), here is Rossum’s November ad:

I don’t understand this at all, how it works, or even that it could be done.  Scientists have trapped a rainbow, and my mind just exploded a little bit.

I found this song on a mix CD that I’ve had for a while, and I’m really liking it, although the music video leaves a lot to be desired:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF-3TUcva9M

If I was in Seattle, I would go here, and blow up golf balls and use cannons for mini-golf!  I would go there a lot.

This has been making its rounds, and it rocks:

And since it is the end of the decade, we’ll be getting lot of these vidoes.  Although I think this left out a lot of stuff, it’s a good start.

Ok, one more video then I’ll break it up a little bit.  This video made me like Martha Stewart a lot.  It’s a good thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ow_nZO8vfQ

If you liked Harry Potter, or even if you didn’t, you should really read The Magicians, I read it, and could not put it down, and was really hoping there would be more than one, but as of now, it’s a one off book.  However, you should pick it up, it examines what a magical world would be like if it was college, instead of a prep school, and the hazards and problems young adults have to face instead of teenagers.  Check out this article from io9 about it if you’re interested, and you should be.

Ok, I think that’s it for now, sorry for the length, although there is still a lot more for me to go through and post for you.  I’ll be back with more soon, enjoy the day!



I meant to write up a post on Sunday, but quite frankly, I was even more exhausted than I thought I would be and promptly falling asleep after visiting Diana for her birthday.

Speaking of, for her birthday, we went to Rita’s. I have never been to a Rita’s before, and it was good, although I’m not sure if it is good enough to support all the hype I hear every year about it. I had a gelati, which is Italian ice sandwiched between custard. I made a root beer float with vanilla custard and root beer Italian ice, which worked out pretty well. I did promise Diana that we’d go to Charlie’s, the local soft-serve place before it closed since she has never been there.

Fishing Derby and Trailblazer were a lot of fun, and everyone seemed to have a really good time. I was in the kitchen for most of it washing dishes, but I was able to walk around a bit and even run the trading post for a while. Dinner was crazy and I never thought I’d make it through the pile of dirty trays, and by the time we were done, it was time to start cooking for cracker barrel, but that’s the fun of the kitchen. We had music going and I got to play in the bubbles, and we had a great time.

My boss has a wii, and plays Call of Duty, or at least has tried it for a little bit. That makes me happy.

Coming home from camp, I came via Rt. 66 and when I merged back onto Rt. 22 I was met with two giant billboards.  The first with a large picture of the sun with the line “Man made global warming, the big lie” and directly underneath it, one with an old white man shaking his fist, declaring that seniors will lose Medicare coverage and instead be encouraged to die.  Fun times!

I’m currently reading the new Dan Brown book, The Lost Symbol (look for a fun link in the next couple days once I find it again), so I’ve taken a short break from “Haunted.”  However, I didn’t realize it glowed in the dark, since up until now, I had it face down.  This is what I was staring at, glowing in the dark last night:

A bit unnerving to say the least.

I’m still fairly tired, allergies are in full swing, so I’m saving a bunch of links until I can think a bit better.  Until then, have a great one!

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