Showcasing A Neighborhood

That you won't find on any realtor's list of homes to see.

This article and video clip showcases Rick Lowe, a public artist, and a recipient of the 2014 MacArthur Genius Grant.

I was raised in a house that looks very much like one of these.

What he's doing is noteworthy and valuable.

Check it out.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/02/rick-lowe-project-row-houses_n_5920778.html?utm_hp_ref=black-voices

A Rare Opportunity

To see the same subjects, in this case sisters, have their picture taken every year for forty years.  It's like the cartoon flip book, watching them age before your eyes.

What a legacy to leave behind, for the photographer and these ladies.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/03/magazine/01-brown-sisters-forty-years.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=LargeMediaHeadlineSum&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Gotta Have Gadgets

These are featured as tailgate essentials, but I think they make any outdoor activity more fun.  I especially like the maxed out cooler.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryangrepper/coolest-cooler-21st-century-cooler-thats-actually

http://www.instagating.com

Young Techies

This app teaches kindergartners how to program.

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268744/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=Uig8ffOA

Amazing!

This Proves Weddings Can Be Colorful

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/01/awkward-bridesmaids-photo_n_5913984.html

Not For Everyone

In fact, this is not for most.

"This" being . . . (wait for it) . . . living in a dumpster.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/02/jeff-wilson-living-in-a-dumpster_n_5922806.html

I'm more curious about the back story.

You?

Unconventional Tourist Spots

Found in the South.

Check them out.

http://www.usatoday.com/experience/south/best-of-lists/10best-quirky-attractions-in-the-south/16157301/?csp=travel

Ben's Extracurricular Activities

Ben is getting in touch with his artistic side with some modeling and advertising gigs.

It's really fun stuff that provides more fodder for his Mom to brag about.

She's shameless, you know :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1wMe989Hpw&list=PLEC0394D04F5A75D5
(Skip to 2:05 to see Ben)

https://gocomfy.com
(He's an extra in this one; look for him as one of the bundled up staffers)

Greetings from Armenia!

We're on a long holiday weekend and I'm visiting Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.

This is a tiny country, just north of Iran and east of Turkey.  It was a part of the Soviet Union until 1991 and the influence is evident.

The day began at o-dark thirty, to catch an early flight from Dubai, so I crashed after arriving at the hotel.  The flight was only three hours, on the same time zone, which made it an ideal place to visit for a days.

It is a group tour, with a total of nine of us.

We explored the immediate area around the hotel, then broke away to do our own thing, which for me, was getting some sleep.

I'll have more to share soon.

Boys Having Fun

Will they ever grow up?

Probably not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOzQ3CN5La4&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs

The "Real One"

Below is a clip of Judy Smith, the real Washington "fixer" that the character Olivia Pope on Scandal is based on.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/29/olivia-pope-george-hw-bush_n_5902472.html

Simply Amazing!

The lunches this Mom makes for her kids are too cute to eat.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/28/li-ming-bento-lunch-boxes_n_5889292.html

Let's Dance!

This is a really cool way to spend the time waiting for traffic lights to change.  The wait at lights here are especially long because only one side moves at a time while the other three wait.

Enjoy!

http://laughingsquid.com/the-dancing-traffic-light-a-dont-walk-light-that-entertains-pedestrians-by-putting-on-a-show/

"I'm Back"

Thank God, all is well with my technology.

I can not express just how important this tool is to me, living halfway around the world.

It's my newspaper, my magazines, my television, my cinema, my phone, and yes, it's my computer, too.

FYI - The thing that saved me TWICE was having everything on my computer's hard drive backed up to an external drive.  Each time I've had issues, my computer was wiped clean, and in the case of my new one, it came clean, but a couple of hours later, all of my stuff was back in place.  An absolute lifesaver!

If you don't have a back up, seriously consider it.

Anyway . . .

Yesterday was a long day, and I'm tired.

The good news is, today is my Friday.

More soon.

Technical Difficulties

This morning I woke up early, ready to start my day, but my computer did not.

It worked perfectly last night, but this morning it didn't recognize me.  It's like it completely forgot who I was.

There were hints of a problem brewing with it while I was away this summer.  In fact, that's why I made a trip to the Genius Bar while in Sacramento to have it checked out.  The Apple guys did a lot of work on it and replaced most of the moving parts.  Thank God, it was still under warranty.

We had a rough start, me and my MacBook Pro.  It took more than a notion for me to grasp how to use it.  That time was not pretty.

Now  . . . I love my guy.

As you know, this gadget is my life line. 

So, when it was needing some attention this morning, I didn't panic.

I used my iPad to Google solutions, including wiping the hard drive clean, and restoring it to the factory settings.

But . . .

Nothing worked.

Thank God, I had just backed up the hard drive last night.

In addition to my iPad, I also have another Windows tablet that I purchased when I couldn't access my work website from home on my Mac.

So I'm not completely stranded.

It could be much worse.

But now I have a big decision to make.

Do I buy the small MacBook Air that I get in the UAE to tide me over while I'm here, or do I splurge and buy the top of the line Macbook Pro with a massive hard drive?

Keep in mind, this one that just died lasted less than three years.

I love Apple, but I expected to replace it because I wanted the new and improved model, not because I had to.

Anyway, this is where I am.

I'll post as much as I can, but if there is a slow down, you'll know why.

As always, thanks for taking this journey with me.



 

Cool Bowties

Below you will find some of the coolest bow ties on the planet.  I bought one as a gift and it was even better than advertised.

http://wonderlee123.storenvy.com/products

Who Knew?

That there were more uses for beer than just drinking it?

Below are some pretty cool household uses.  If I could, I'd head out to buy a six pack, but then I remembered this is a dry country.  Liquor is only sold in hotels and the very rare "liquor shack."

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/10-things-you-didnt-know-you-could-do-with-beer-esqsyn?click=smart&kw=ist&src=smart&mag=ESQ&link=http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/10-things-you-didnt-know-you-could-do-with-beer-esqsyn

Using Their Platform for Good

Esquire Men's Magazine is featuring a series on mentoring highlighting the people who influenced notables.  Kudos to this organization for using their platform to reach the masses with a serious message on the importance of having a positive influence in our lives.

Click on "Why Do Mentors Matter?" in the middle of the page on the link below, and it will lead to the meat of the matter.

https://mentoring.esquire.com/?src=nl&mag=esq&list=nl_enl_news&date=091714

A Marriage Made in Heaven

QuestBridge is an organization that helps low-income students gain access to some of the best colleges and universities in the country.

Check out their story and see some of the many kids they have helped.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/upshot/a-national-admissions-office-for-low-income-strivers.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&region=CColumn&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&src=me&WT.nav=MostEmailed&abt=0002&abg=1#

Lovin' the Skin You're In

We can all learn this lesson from Lupita and Elmo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIC2hHECZ6Y