Fun Theory

Here's a website with cute videos about how making things fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. "Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."

The vids how people taking the stairs instead of the escalator when the turn the staircase into a piano, or recycling when lights and sounds are added to the recycling receptacle.

The site is sponsored/ created by Volkswagon.

http://www.thefuntheory.com/

To Do: LA Day Trip

THE FORESTIERE UNDERGROUND GARDENS of Fresno, CA are the 40 year labor of love modeled after ancient catacombs.


Located at 5021 West Shaw Avenue in Fresno, California they are an unusual manmade creation built by Baldasare Forestiere (1879--1946), an immigrant from Sicily, over a period of 40 years from 1906 to until his death in 1946. The gardens, while subterranean, have many skylights and catchbasins for water.

There are a wide variety of hybrids and grafted trees, and the underground temperature helps guard against frost.

It is operated by members of the Forestiere family through the Forestiere Historical Center, and can be considered a spectacular and unconventional example of vernacular architecture.



Baldassare Forestiere was a Self - taught Artist, Architect, Engineer, Horticulturist and Builder.





The Forestiere Underground Gardens
are located at 5021 West Shaw Avenue
Fresno, CA 93722-5026
and are open March thru November
for tours.

The 46 Stages of Twitter

I copy and pastes this directly from ShaneNickerson.com

I'm sure I probably found it on someone's twitter feed, probably Dino's, since I seem to get more news an pop culture event info from there than I do the yahoo main page.

He has some other interesting blogs on random stuff. Much more commentary and I suppose more 'real' blog-esque than my stuff. So, if you like that sort of thing, then check him out.

The 46 stages of Twitter

1. Hear the word Twitter. Scoff.
2. Hear it again from someone else. Scoff again.
3. Hear about famous celebrity who is apparently "On Twitter." Scoff, but make mental note to check it out.
4. Log into Facebook to comfort self.
5. Sign up for Twitter.
6. Give up because it seems dumb.
7. Loudly criticize others on Twitter.
8. Follow @johncmayer, @aplusk, @rainnwilson, @wilw, @mrskutcher, @oprah, and one other person you actually know.
9. Post tweet that is a variant of: "Trying out this Twitter thing."
10. Attempt to dig a little deeper into Twitter.
11. Notice rampant usage of words: "Tweet," "Twitter," "Twitterverse," "Tweetie," "Tweetdeck," and something called "RT."
12. Scoff again, this time in confusion.
13. Tell friends you "tried that Twitter thing, but didn't get it and it's stupid anyway."
14. Log into Facebook because that site at least makes sense.
15. Read story about Twitter somewhere.
16. Log back into Twitter.
17. Try to avoid saying Tweet, Twitter, Twitterverse, Tweetie, Tweetdeck, and ReTweet.
18. Respond to @rainnwilson.
19. Curse self for fanning out.
20. Log off for 4 months.
21. Come back, just to see.
22. Post something relatively funny.
23. Get RT'd.
24. Discover that RT means ReTweet.
25. Make it your life mission to get RT'd.
26. Install Twitter app on your phone.
27. No longer ashamed to say "I've gotta Twitter that."
28. Attend events with the sole intention of "Tweeting" them.
29. Pray to get RT'd.
30. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh.
31. Close computer.
32. Open computer. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh.
33. Think in 140 character sentences.
34. Compulsively check phone all day every day.
35. Tweet that you compulsively check phone all day every day.
36. Alienate actual people in your life in an attempt to impress ones you don't know.
37. Lose weight because you forget to eat.
38. Place phone by bed so you can check first thing in the morning.
39. Defend Twitter to the death from detractors.
40. Hear self, and vaguely recognize that you have become "That Guy."
41. Feel like, and start to behave like River Tam.
42. Vow to quit Twitter to preserve sanity.
43. Read this and change mind.
44. Think to self, "I should twitter that."
45. Recognize irony.
46. Twitter it.*Related Video: "F Twitter."

Did I miss any?

Youth in Prison

"When I Die They'll Send Me Home" - Youth Behind Bars

is a short about the Human Rights Watch Report on the gross injustice some youth offenders receive in the prosecution and sentencing of their crimes. Sometimes they receive even harsher sentences than their adult counterparts and co-defendants.

In the video Sara talks about killing the man who raped her when she was 11 years old and subsequently turned her out on the street as a young teenager. She is currently serving Life WITHOUT Parole in Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, CA.

You can read the entire HRW REPORT Here.

Art & Culture: Silent Film Goddess Lingyu Ruan

Lingyu Ruan was one of the most prominent Chinese film stars of the 1930's. Before her tragic death by overdose at age 24, she acted in 29 films, all of them silent. Her tumultuous life was dogged by massive pressure and gossip from tabloids, mostly resulting from an extended legal battle with her scoundrel of an ex-husband.

Maggie Cheung played her in the 1992 biopic Yuen Ling-yuk.

Below is a clip from her 1933 film 'Little Toys', one of only 8 of her films remaining in existence, the entirety of which, along with 'The Goddess' may be viewed on THIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL.



Part 1/8 of 'The Goddess' (Wu Yonggang, 1934) with English Intertitles

Books: The Know-It-All

The Know -It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World is a witty and educational tome about the year Esquire editor A.J. Jacobs spent reading all 32 volumes of the 2002 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, all 44 million words on 33,000 pages. Any you thought the final Harry Potter book was hefty!



While I have yet to read this book, I have previewed it online. What I read there was chock full of quirky, sardonic wit and random, oddball trivia (my favorite) as well as some genuinely enlightening information. I will be purchasing this book for my dear friend Elle, who is uber-intelligent and probably has already learned much of the information in this book, but never the less will enjoy the tidbits of new knowledge and jocularity. Then I will read it and will be able to give an accurate positive affirmation when people I know repeatedly proclaim that I know EVERYTHING, as they are oft to do. And it will finally be mostly true.

The book is available at AMAZON, or preferably, try to pick it up at your nearest locally/ independently owned bookseller.

Use Your Brain

If you are looking for a fun new game to workout your brain muscles and while away the time at work, try this timed Scrabble reminiscent style word game by DEEPLEAP.



I find it hard to come up with words longer than 4 or 5 letters and the Z and X are uber frustrating! Looks like I need to play it more myself!