Palate Cleanser of the Day...

Just watch:

If Dogs Are a Part of Your Life...

Just watch:

Ducks, Meet Water...

Via reader Simi L., this delightful video of some “hoarded” ducks who meet water for the first time in their lives, as adult birds:

The Wind in Their Ears...

A video for dog lovers:

Your Morning Refresher...

I'd never heard of Elbert Guillory before. He's a state senator from Louisiana.  As I watched this video, I felt like jumping up and cheering – and finding the address where I can send this man a donation.

Oh, more like this, please!!!

Oh, ok, here's another:

Reunited...

Marine Sgt. Ross Gundlach served in Afghanistan with Casey, a yellow lab trained as an explosives dog.  Sgt. Gundlach wanted to take care of Casey after she was retired, but she was assigned to the Iowa State Fire Marshal's office.  After pleading his case to the Fire Marshal's office, some state officials with a heart decided to make Sgt. Gundlach's dream come true.  They arranged a surprise reunion of Sgt. Gundlach and Casey, and now the two will be together permanently.

There's a government story that makes me feel good.  First time in a while...

Caught on Camera: Good People...

What Giraffes Do When You're Not Looking...

Awesome!

Happy Mother's Day, Moms!

Here's a little something to put a smile on your face:

Dancing Granny...

Via Rachel Lucas, this is a slightly different version of a video I've posted before.  But what the hell, it's still wonderful :)

The Kid and the Camel...

These two get along very well...


Sorry about the no blogging yesterday - I was on the road to Perris, California to get my transfer case/exhaust skid modified and installed...

An Old-Fashioned Self-Reliant American Speaks...

...from New Jersey, where they are an endangered species (here in California, they are almost extinct).

Monday Morning Palate Cleanser...

Just When...

Just when you feel like it's time to give up on humanity (or maybe just Americans), along comes a story like this.

I feel better now...

A Great Moment...

Snopes has identified this as a true story written by Kent Nerburn while he was a taxi driver in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Below is the heart of the story; there's a longer version at the Snopes link...

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I walked to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'.

'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'.

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly..

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware - beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

Palate Cleanser...

Just watch it already...

Swiss Drums...

Drums like you've never seen them before, trust me:

Palate Cleanser for This Morning...

This story is wonderful from the perspective of both participants...

Even I Can Understand This...

If you know me, then you know that I am not at all interested in sports.  Any sport.  I know so little about sports that I can't even identify most sports when I see them being played.

But I understand this:


On rare occasions these days, I feel some hope for the survival of the human species.  Watching this brought that hope back, at least for a few minutes until I watched a video of Obama declaring that he wasn't a dictator.  I should make a page with a bunch of these on it, to help me regain my spirits on such occasions...

Your Morning Palate Cleanser...

Is this little guy cute, or what?  Many more photos of him here...