BB 4/30/16

Good morning Phoenix - it's time once again for Sippin' Saturday!
Here's a good one for you - enjoy!
Have a fangtastic day - <3  Brock V"""V

Fireball Apple Jello Shots

BB 4/29/16

Good morning and TGIF Phoenix! It’s time for some Friday Funnies!

Little Johnny is acting up again….

One day at the end of class, little Johnny's teacher asks the class to go home and think of a story to be concluded with the moral of that story. The following day the teacher asks for the first volunteer to tell their story.
Little Suzy raises her hand. "My dad owns a farm and every Sunday we load the chicken eggs on the truck and drive into town to sell them at the market. Well, one Sunday we hit a big bump and all the eggs flew out of the basket and onto the road."
When the teacher asked for the moral of the story, Suzy replied, "Don't keep all your eggs in one basket."

Little Lucy went next. "My dad owns a farm too. Every weekend we take the chicken eggs and put them in the incubator. Last weekend only eight of the 12 eggs hatched."
Again, the teacher asked for the moral of the story.
Lucy replied, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

Next up was little Johnny. "My uncle Ted fought in the Vietnam war, and his plane was shot down over enemy territory. He jumped out before it crashed but could only take a case of beer, a machine gun and a machete. On the way down, he drank the case of beer. Then he landed right in the middle of 100 Vietnamese soldiers. He shot 70 with his machine gun, but then he ran out of bullets! So he pulled out his machete and killed 20 more. Then the blade on his machete broke, so he killed the last ten with his bare hands."
The teacher looked a little shocked. After clearing her throat, she asked what possible moral there could be to this story.
"Well," Johnny replied, "Don't fuck with Uncle Ted when he's been drinking."

Enjoy your Friday and make it fangtastic! <3  Brock V"""V

BB 4/28/16

Good morning Phoenix! It’s Thursday, and we’re another day closer to the weekend. Anyone got any good plans?
Today for your enjoyment, I’m highlighting a city that was suggested by Peggy – Uniontown, PA.
Uniontown is 46 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, and is considered part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. As the 2010 census, the population was 10,372, and it is the county seat of Fayette County.

Here’s some interesting tidbits:
• Popularly known as Beesontown, “The Town of Union” was founded by Henry Beeson on July 4, 1776, the same date the Declaration of Independence was ratified.
• The National Road (US 40) was routed through Uniontown in the early 19th century, and the town grew along with the road.
• Uniontown’s role in the Underground Railroad in the antebellum years is commemorated by a marker on the corner of East Main Street and Baker Alley.
• In the late nineteenth century, the town grew based on the development of coal mines and the steel industry. Uniontown was the site of violent clashes between striking coal miners and guards at the local coke works during the Bituminous Coal Miners' Strike of 1894. Fifteen guards armed with carbines and machine guns held off an attack by 1500 strikers, killing five and wounding eight.
• The USS Uniontown (PF-65), a Tacoma-class frigate, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Uniontown, Pennsylvania on August 16, 1944.
• In 1967 Uniontown was the birthplace of the McDonald’s Big Mac sandwich. In 2007 the Big Mac Museum was opened in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania to the disappointment of some Uniontown residents.
• Notable people: Ernie Davis, the first African-American Heisman Trophy winner, lived in Uniontown for most of his early life. Torry Epps, former NFL defensive lineman for the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, was born and raised in Uniontown. William James, current NFL cornerback for the Detroit Lions, was born and raised in Uniontown. James Lawson, American Civil Rights leader, was born in Uniontown in 1928. Larry Pennell, actor of film and television, born in Uniontown in 1928, among many others.

Interesting sites in Uniontown:
• The Fayette County Courthouse
• The State Theatre Center for the Arts - built in 1922
• The Old West School House on West Main Street built around 1820
• The White Swan built in 1805 as a tavern
• The Methodist Cemetery founded in 1791
• The Old Settlers Public Cemetery founded in 1794
• A Civil War monument erected in 1867 in the Oak Grove Cemetery
• The Underground Railroad on Baker Alley off East Main Street
• The Highland House hotel and tavern founded in the 1890's
Peggy, I hope I did justice to your hometown!

Have a fangtastic day my friends! <3  Brock V"""V

BB 4/27/16

Good morning Phoenix and welcome to Wacky Wednesday! It’s hump day, and we’re halfway through the week.
To beat the midweek doldrums, here’s a list of 25 FREE things to do to make today feel awesome. You’re welcome.
1. Talk with someone who makes you laugh. You should laugh every day.
2. Watch a movie scene that makes you cry. You can hunt down particular scenes on YouTube instead of watching the entire movie. Find a clip that shakes your heart. Watch it. See what happens.
3. Answer your most burning question by learning. Learn something new every day. Use Wikipedia as an overview and to locate other sources that can add more detail.
4. Exercise until you have to stop five times. Go till you have to stop and catch your breath, then go and go again.
5. Eat a couple pieces of fruit instead of a heavy meal. Lunch is an excellent time to do this to avoid afternoon lethargy.
6. Spend at least two hours outside – perhaps in a park, or even just sitting in your back yard. Just listen to nature and soak up some healthy Vitamin D.
7. Make a giant list on paper of all the things to do you have floating in your head – “brain dump”. You probably have 20 or 30 things floating around that you need to take care of, so put them on paper and out of your head. You’re going to have a big list, but it will feel really good. The mental weight is lifted by putting it on paper.
8. Do two or three of those things immediately. Look for ones you can do quickly and easily, and cross them off your list. The positive feedback you get by looking at the items crossed off is so very worth it.
9. Call your Mom or Dad and tell them you love them. If you don’t have them with you any longer, call another relative that is close to you and tell them what they mean to you. You’ll make their day and yours.
10. Play music you love while in the shower and stay for a while.
11. Play with a child and do whatever the child does. You may end up in a sandbox making castles, or going down a slide. Play catch or have a tea party. Get lost in the moment.
12. Forget your cell phone and live without it for a while. Turn it off. Nothing super urgent is going to happen. You can concentrate on what you’re doing and get a lot more value out of it, and not absorbing negative stuff from your phone.
13. Help someone who is struggling. Help someone load their groceries into their car, or hold a door for someone.
14. Tell someone you admire that you admire them and why. Write out a note and mail it, or even send an email. You’ll feel good about it, and you will know that you did just a little to lift up someone that has done so much for you. Feels pretty good.
15. Share that appreciation publicly. Post it on Facebook for example. Tell everyone in the world how incredible someone is for what they have done for you and others. What will often happen is that you will see lots of people coming out of the woodwork to agree with you and to also thank that person. It’s contagious, and a batch of pure positivity in a sometimes negative world.
16. Make a list of things (5 or so) that you are grateful for. Gratitude journaling is a well-known idea, but that’s because it works.
17. Focus on your breathing for five whole minutes. Turn off all sounds – phone, TV, music. Lean back in your chair, close your eyes and focus on nothing but your breathing. This relaxes your mind.
18. Remind yourself to smile and do it often. It really is contagious.
19. Ask someone for advice because you value their input, and offer advice when it is asked of you. Think of it as flattering when the other person thinks highly enough of you to ask for advice.
20. Volunteer. It feels great.
21. Pick up some trash in a place you enjoy. If you’re going for a walk around your neighborhood or in a park, take a small trash bag with you and pick up any trash along the way.
22. Call your oldest relative. What exactly would you say to that person if you knew they were going to pass away tomorrow? How would you feel if that went unsaid? Call and tell them.
23. Walk to a place near your home that you’ve never visited before. Just go out your front door and keep walking. Discovering new things is part of the fun.
24. Make dinner for yourself from very simple ingredients. Make vegetable soup if nothing else. It beats pulling dinner out of a package and tossing it in the microwave. Making your dinner, even if it is simple, makes you feel more joyful and connected.
25. Go to bed when you feel tired. Not before, not after.

Try using some of these tactics to lift your mood a little, especially if you find yourself prone to things like retail therapy. It’ll likely help. If nothing else, it’ll probably feel good for a little while, which is pretty nice! And if all else fails, today is National Naked Gardening Day!

Have a fangtastic Wednesday! <3  Brock V"""V

BB 4/26/16

Good afternoon Phoenix – it’s time for some trivia Tuesday! Today’s spotlight is on a suggestion that was made.
How about learning a little behind the history of Hanging Dog, NC? It’s located about five miles north of Murphy NC, in Cherokee County.
The name? Not what you may think. It doesn’t refer back to animal cruelty, but to a legend from a Cherokee Indian who lived in the area. There are as many variations of this legend as people in the area, but here’s the most often quoted version.

Many years ago when the Cherokee Indians owned the lands of western North Carolina there was a horrible snow storm that left the tribe without means of getting food. One young brave who owned a hunting dog decided to help his people and set out on a hunting trip.
He was gone for many days and his dog finally took off and chased something into view – a large deer. The young brave took aim and an arrow whizzed thru the air and struck its target. He ran towards it but the deer got to its feet and took off with the brave’s dog on its heels.
The weather had caused a creek to overflow its banks and waters were rushing down the mountain. The deer took an escape route across the wild creek and the dog attempted to follow but got caught up in some hanging vines. Eventually, the young brave cut his partner free and they continued the chase.
They found the deer lying a short distance on the other side of the creek and dragged it back to the tribe providing enough meat to help them survive what seemed like a destiny of starvation. The young brave told his story of how he and his dog found the deer and how his heroic dog got caught up in the vines over the rushing waters. He and his dog were celebrated as heroes and the area was then named Hanging Dog Creek.
It was later shortened to Hanging Dog and the area boasts its Hanging Dog Fire Department and the Hanging Dog Recreation Area as well.
The last battle of the Civil War east of the Mississippi was fought in Hanging Dog, NC, May 6, 1865 being the date of the final shots, fired by Hugh Hayes.
So, next time you’re traveling in western North Carolina be sure to swing through Hanging Dog - an area dating back to the Cherokee Indians.
While you’re there, you can check out Moonshiner Wayne, a resident of Hanging Dog, known to the locals as “Hill Billy”, and a star of season 3 of the Discovery Channel’s TV Series Moonshiners.
Have a fangtastic day my friends, and keep the suggestions coming!<3  Brock V"""V

BB 4/25/16

Good morning and welcome to Movie Mondays, Phoenix style!

Today we’re looking at an oldie, but a goodie, being re-released in limited theaters to commemorate Prince – Purple Rain.

Plot:

A young man with a talent for music has begun a career with much promise. He meets an aspiring singer, Apollonia, and finds that talent alone isn't all that he needs. A complicated tale of his repeating his father's self-destructive behavior, losing Apollonia to another singer (Morris Day), and his coming to grips with his own connection to other people ensues.

Trivia:

·         Most of the songs were recorded live.

·         When The Kid's father is playing the piano, the music is actually being played by Prince.

·         The story is based loosely on Prince's own life.

·         Director Albert Mongoli admitted that the "Never get married" scene between the Kid and his father moved him to tears.

·         The original screenplay, found on various websites, contained an extremely explicit sex scene between Vanity and The Kid during the "ride of rage" sequence. It's unknown if the scene was actually filmed when Apollonia replaced Vanity as the leading lady. This adds to the mystery of a long rumored early edit of Purple Rain that was given an X-rating by the MPAA.

Goofs:

·         When Jerome and Morris are walking around the block, discussing the problems with the girls' group, as Morris says: "That Apollonia babe we saw last night" his lips don't move in sync with the dialogue dub. He's actually mouthing "Vanity" instead of "Apollonia", indicating that this scene was filmed before Vanity backed out of the shoot.

·         When Apollonia says "I'm thinking about buying a guitar", the boom mic is visible.

·         Prince's motorcycle tire changes from a street tire to an off-road tire when he is near the river.

·         The notecard application Apollonia fills out in the first club scene lists her experience as "Singer & Dancer," yet when it is posted on the board in later scenes this section is blank.

·         As Prince drives up his street returning home at the end of When Doves Cry, a palm tree is visible in the background, suggesting the scene was shot in Hollywood, not Minneapolis, where the film is set.

Enjoy and have a fangtastic Monday!  <3 Brock V”””V

BB 4/24/16

Good morning Phoenix and welcome to Sunday! To relax and kick back before the work week starts, I thought I would indulge our own Cathy Hunter McCarron by featuring her city in today’s post.

BTW – Keep those cities, towns, and villages coming. I’m making a list – they do not have to be US cities either.

By request – Philadelphia – the 5th largest city in the US!

Did you know:
• The first daily newspaper was published in Philadelphia in 1784.
• Fairmount Park in Philadelphia is the largest city park with over 8,000 acres.
• Philadelphia population: 1,526,006 (2010 census).
• The Liberty Bell weighs 2,080 pounds.
• The first U.S. stock exchange was in Philadelphia.
• Edwin Booth, brother of John Wilkes Booth, once owned the Walnut Street Theater.
• Movies filmed in Philadelphia: Rocky (1975), Rocky II (1978), Dressed to Kill (1979), Blow Out (1980), Birdy (1984), Witness (1984), Age of Innocence (1992), Philadelphia (1993), 12 Monkeys (1995), Beloved (1997), The Sixth Sense (1998), Fallen (1998).
• The first bank in the United States was created in Philadelphia in 1791.
• Philadelphia has 14 television stations and 83 radio stations.
• William Penn was kicked out of Oxford University for religious nonconformity.
• Over 600 Philadelphians were killed in the Vietnam war.
• The first Mummers parade was held in 1901 – held every New Year’s Day, and believed to be the oldest folk festival in the US.
• Benjamin Franklin and four other signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried in Christ Church cemetery.
• The Marquis de Lafayette was the guest at a banquet in his honor at City Tavern.
• The Philadelphia Mint produces over 30 million coins per day.
• Philadelphia has more public art than any city in the country.
• Logan Square was once used for public executions. Gallows stood in the square until 1823.
• Al Capone was once a prisoner at Eastern States Penitentiary.
• The Walnut Street Theater is the oldest continually operating theater in the United States.
• Worshippers at Christ Church included Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Betsy Ross and Thomas Jefferson.
• Famous people from Philadelphia: Will Smith, Margaret Mead-anthropologist, Kevin Bacon, John, Lionel, and Ethel Barrymore, Maria Bello, Joey Bishop, Danny Bonaduce, David Brenner, Peter Boyle, Dick Clark, Imogene Coca, Bradley Cooper, Bill Cosby, Blythe Danner, Curly Joe DeRita (of the Three Stooges), Tina Fey, W. C. Fields, Larry Fine (The Three Stooges), Richard Gere, Grace Kelly, Bob Saget, Teller (of Penn & Teller), and the author Louisa May Alcott, among many others.
• The Philly Cheesesteak war still rages on between Pat’s and Geno’s as to which of them serves the best version of the iconic sandwich. They’ve been competing head to head for over 40 years.

Cathy can point out anything I may have missed. Have a fangtastic day my friends! <3  Brock V"""V

BB 4/23/16

Good morning Phoenix and welcome to Sippin' Saturday.
Today in honor of a great musician gone too soon, I have a special drink for you.

Have a fangtastic day my friends and rock on! <3  Brock V"""V

BB 04/22/16

Good morning, or afternoon in other parts of the world, Phoenix – we made it to the weekend! Instead of posting some funnies today, let’s take a look at the work week as it exists around the world.
You think you work a lot of hours? Let’s take a look.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development headquartered in Paris, here’s some stats on the average amount of hours worked.

If one works a 40 hour week, 52 weeks per year, that comes out to 2080 hours per year. Surprisingly, most don’t work that many hours.

The OECD average is 1770 hours per year, or an average of 34.03 hours per week.

Where does the US fall in this? The US comes in 17th place among the member countries, with average work hours per year at 1789. It could be worse – number 1 on the list is Mexico, with a yearly average of 2228 hours per year.

The least number of hours? That would be Germany at 1371 hours per year. The Netherlands is the next lowest at 1425 hours. The UK comes in at 25th scoring 1677 hours per year.

For the US, in 2006, the average man employed full-time worked 8.4 hours per work day, and the average woman employed full-time worked 7.7 hours per work day. There is no mandatory minimum amount of paid time off for sickness or holiday. However, regular full-time workers often have the opportunity to take about nine days off for various holidays, two weeks (10 business days) of sick leave and two weeks (10 business days) of paid holiday time, with some workers receiving additional time after several years. The majority of jobs in America do not offer paid time off. Because of the pressure of working, time is increasingly viewed as a commodity.

Many professional workers put in longer hours than the forty-hour standard. In professional industries like investment banking and large law firms, a forty-hour workweek is considered inadequate and may result in job loss or failure to be promoted.

Workweek policies are not uniform in the U.S. Many compensation arrangements are legal, and three of the most common are wage, commission, and salary payment schemes. Wage earners are compensated on a per-hour basis, whereas salaried workers are compensated on a per-week or per-job basis, and commission workers get paid according to how much they produce or sell.

Under most circumstances, wage earners and lower-level employees may be legally required by an employer to work more than forty hours in a week; however, they are paid extra for the additional work. Many salaried workers and commission-paid sales staff are not covered by overtime laws. These are generally called "exempt" positions, because they are exempt from federal and state laws that mandate extra pay for extra time worked. The rules are complex, but generally exempt workers are executives, professionals, or sales staff. For example, school teachers are not paid extra for working extra hours. Business owners and independent contractors are considered self-employed, and none of these laws apply to them.

Generally, workers are paid time-and-a-half, or 1.5 times the worker's base wage, for each hour of work past forty, unless they are in “exempt” positions.

Now that I’ve given you these depressing facts, cheer up! It’s the weekend!
<3  Brock V"""V

BB 4/21/16

Good morning Phoenix and welcome to Thursday Trivia! As the city trivia seems to be quite popular, Tuesdays and Thursdays will be devoted to city trivia for a while.

Please send me your requests for cities you would like to see trivia on. You can either post it in the comments, or if you wish to remain anonymous, private message me. The cities can be anywhere in the world – not just the USA, so start thinking about it! Let me know what you want – I do this all for you, the fans, as do the rest of us here at Phoenix.

Today’s city was suggested by Lisa – Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Sorry Cathy – Lisa was next in line…. Your turn is coming. *grins*)

Facts and trivia about Ann Arbor Michigan:
• It was founded in 1824, named for wives of the village’s founders and the stands of Bur Oak trees.
• The University of Michigan, one of the foremost research universities in the US, moved to Ann Arbor from Detroit in 1837. The University employs over 30,000.
• During the 1960’s and 1970’s, the city gained a rep as a center for left-wing politics, and became a focal point and hub for the civil-rights movement and anti-Vietnam war movement.
• Ann Arbor is the #5 gay friendly small town in the US, and #1 Michigan town to raise children.
• Median age of the population is 28.
• Some famous folk from Ann Arbor include – Iggy Pop, Bog Seger, and Bill Hewlett, the co-founder of Hewlett-Packard. Also Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino’s Pizza, and the former owner of the Detroit Tigers.
• Commonly referred to as “A2” – Ann Arbor – 2 A’s – get it?
• Many movies have been filmed at least partially in Ann Arbor. Here’s a few: Scream 4, Whip It, Flipped, The Ides of March, Jumper, The Five-Year Engagement, and many more.
• Famous University of Michigan grads/students: James Earl Jones (actor and voice of Darth Vader), Madonna, Larry Page, co-creator of Google, Mike Wallace, Ann Coulter, and Bill Ford, the former CEO of the Ford Motor Company, among many others.
• Population of Ann Arbor as of 2014 was 117,770.
• Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger, a local favorite since 1953, has been featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives, Man vs. Food, and Food Paradise TV shows.
• Michael Symon, a famous chef (also an Iron Chef), lists Zingerman’s as one of his favorite places to eat on Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Hope you enjoy this Lisa, and let us know if you decide to visit there and check it out!
Have a fangtastic Thursday my friends! <3  Brock V"""V

BB 4/20/16

Good morning Phoenix and welcome to Wacky Wednesday! We made it to Hump Day, so the weekend is just around the corner.

How about some hauntingly beautiful abandoned places?
• Pripyat, Ukraine - The Ukraine city of Pripyat was home to 49,000 residents until it was evacuated and abandoned following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Although the area remains abandoned, it’s been deemed safe to visit and some outfitters there offer guided tours of the site.
• Lake Shawnee Amusement Park, Mercer County, WV - According to the New York Daily News, the Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in southern West Virginia was abandoned in 1996 after two young guests died accidentally. Though many of the old, creaky rides still stand, what was once a lively play place is now a decrepit plot of and that many say is haunted. Those who’ve dared to explore the deserted site say they’ve seen the ghost of a little girl.
• Kings Park Psychiatric Center, Kings Park, NY - This eerie, aging asylum dates back all the way to the late 1800s when it was created to serve as a treatment center for New York’s mentally ill. Long Island locals simply refer to it as the “Psych Center,” and while the large plot of land was declared a state park after the institution was shut down in 1996, the site more closely resembles the setting of a horror movie rather than a refuge for outdoor recreation.
• Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Weston, WV - (pictured below) This long-abandoned Civil War-era mental institution was left to deteriorate when it was forced to close in 1994. The brave souls who have visited since report that the building is now haunted and the current owners offer ghost tours year round. Plus, in October guests are invited to the asylum for seasonal festivities such as the Asylum Ball and Zombie Paint Ball.
• Chateau Miranda, Celles, Belgium - Curbed reporter Spencer Peterson called the Château Miranda (or Château de Noisy) a “ghost hunter’s paradise.” Well, at least it looks that way. According to photographer David Baker, construction of this enormous Gothic-style structure began around 1866 and was finished in 1907. Now, Baker wrote, it’s “in a heavy state of disrepair,” but despite all of the destruction and decay it’s endured, “the building still maintains [its] beauty.”

Be sure and wish Rune a happy birthday! Have a fangtastic day.<3  Brock V"""V

BB 4/19/16

Good morning Phoenix!   It’s Trivia Tuesdays.  By popular request, I’m going to highlight some cities – recommended by you, our fans.

PLEASE – keep your recommendations for cities coming!  I want to do topics on what you want to hear about.

Today’s topic was suggested by Traci Mac Walter – Climax, Colorado.

It was named Climax because it is near the summit of Fremont Pass.  It has the distinction of having a post office and railroad station at the highest elevation in the US.  It sits at 11,300 feet in altitude. 

It didn’t achieve much importance until the early 1900’s when a mineral identified as molybdenum was discovered.  Even then, there wasn’t much call for that mineral until World War I.  The mineral is used in the making of radio tubes, auto and plane parts, and in chemical compounds and dyes.  The Climax Molybdenum Company employed more than 1000 people, most of whom lived in Leadville after 1959.

A 1959 strike nearly made a ghost town out of Climax.  Eventually, the mines reopened with what few people were left in the area.

It is now considered a ghost town.  After a 17-year shutdown, the Climax mine has reopened and resumed shipment of molybdenum on May 10, 2012.

There is no census data available, thus the designation of a ghost town.    The nearest city is Denver, CO, 69 miles away.

Have a fangtastic Tuesday!  <3  Brock V"""V