03.31.08
Richard Carpenter performs “Dizzy Fingers”
Spectacular performance from The Carpenter’s 1980 TV Special “Music, Music, Music”.
Link (to Youtube video)
03.30.08
Latest on Deborah Shank Wal-Mart Story
This blog gotten a lot of traffic and comments about our post “Walmart Sues Disabled Woman For Long-Term Care Money” — apparently a link was posted to this recent story on AOL News:
“The family’s situation is so dire that last year Jim Shank divorced Debbie, so she could receive more money from Medicaid.
Jim Shank, 54, is recovering from prostate cancer, works two jobs and struggles to pay the bills. He’s afraid he won’t be able to send their youngest son to college and pay for his and Debbie’s care.
“Who needs the money more? A disabled lady in a wheelchair with no future, whatsoever, or does Wal-Mart need $90 billion, plus $200,000?” he asked.”
I think it’s great that so many people care about this story. Let’s keep blogging about it, and sharing it with our friends until Wal-Mart decides to do the right thing. I hope this makes the national news. It really says a lot about the power of “new media” to reach people with stories that matter.
And, no, I won’t be shopping at Wal-Mart anytime soon either.
UPDATE ON THIS STORY (4/3/2008) HERE
Link (to “Wal-Mart Sues Disabled Ex-Employee” on AOL News)
Art Garfunkel “Waters of March”
Here’s a great Youtube find to close out the month of March — it’s a fan-made video of Art Garfunkel singing Antonio Carlos Jobim’s bossa nova classic “Waters of March” (”Aquas de Marcos”).
The song was originally in Portuguese, but Jobim apparently wrote the English lyrics himself. This song is from Art’s excellent 1975 album Breakaway.
Link (to “Waters of March” video on Youtube)
Thanks for a great month!
A BIG THANKS to everyone who has read this blog, posted comments, or linked to us in 2008.
March was Spiddlement’s most successful month ever — thanks in part to our friends at Neatorama.com who linked to our product review of Black Facial Tissues in Japan.
All the support has inspired us to continue finding stuff worth blogging about to share with you.
Happy Spring to all!
03.29.08
World’s Simplest Weight Loss Advice
I really liked this recent weight loss column by Debbie Rocker on Yahoo Health.
Some might think her advice is too simplistic, but, as someone who has gained and lost weight at various times in his life, I think it’s right on the money.
“But I do realize one thing: Whether you are agonizing over losing 2 lbs or 200 lbs, looking at weight loss as a formula can provide you with some simple, practical, and effective steps that can be taken. And just knowing that this formula is fact, and works, just looking at the black and white of it and seeing that there are absolute and realistic steps that will lead to weight loss, may help someone, maybe you, who is struggling with body issues and weight loss.”
The most shocking thing about her advice is how straightforward it is. No magic secrets revealed, no overnight miracles promised, no 300 page book to buy. Weight management, sadly, is not much of a mysterious subject at all.
Link (to “Keep It Simple, Keep It Off” on Yahoo Health)
Keeping Travel As Simple As Possible
Here’s a great post on the Zen Habits blog titled “36 Great Tips for Keeping Travel as Simple As Possible”.
“Many of us have had the nightmare experience of lugging around too much luggage, waiting in the baggage claims area, trying to cram too many activities into each day, and generally being so stressed that we need a vacation when we get home.
Instead, simplify your travel.”
This reminds me a lot of our previous post on “Traveling With One Bag” (a post that seemed to be rather popular).
Link (to “36 Great Tips for Keeping Travel as Simple as Possible” on Zen Habits)
03.27.08
The B-52’s Funplex — Lyrics Quiz, New Video
We are really enjoying The B-52’s new album Funplex (out now in North America).
Being longtime fans, we were delighted to discover this B-52’s Lyrics Quiz on the Atlanta Journal website. How well do you know your B-52’s lyrics? Take the quiz and find out! 
And even better: Here’s a link to the video for “Funplex”. See if you can spot RuPaul making a cameo appearance.
Link (to “Cosmic Sing: A B52s Lyric Quiz” at Atlanta Journal)
Link (to The B-52’s at Myspace)
Link (to “Funplex” video on Myspace TV)
03.26.08
Wal-Mart Sues Disabled Woman For Long-Term Care Money
Everyone who shops at Wal-Mart should read this story — and then write Wal-Mart a letter asking them why they have acted so heartlessly (or just meme it on your blog like I’m doing).
I first saw this story on Yahoo News (video), then read it again today on Neatorama.com and CNN.
I hope that all the negative publicity inspires Walmart to change its mind. Go read the story yourself and see what you think.
Link (to “Wal-Mart Wants Disabled Woman’s Life-Term Care Money Back” on Neatorama.com)
03.23.08
Need an Anecdote?
Just discovered this great site, Anecdotage.com.
Anecdotes are organized by category, or you can just get a random one.
In later life Mark Twain suffered from various ailments, among them arthritis and bronchitis. Whenever a newspaper reported that he was ill again, Twain would receive a flood of remedies, prescriptions, nostrums, and miscellaneous cures promising to effect a speedy recovery.
By way of reply, he would send the following form letter: “Dear Sir (or Madam), I try every remedy sent to me. I am now on No. 87. Yours is 2,653. I am looking forward to its beneficial results.”
03.22.08
Dixieland Jazz Radiohead
I found this band, The Seven Arms Of Shiva, on Youtube when I noticed their excellent cover of “After Hours” by the Velvet Underground (one of my favorite songs, originally sung by Maureen Tucker).
Great sound! Spiddlement loves ukuleles and jazz banjo! Check out their Myspace page for more.
Link (to The Seven Arms of Shiva on Myspace)
Link (to video of “Creep” on Youtube)
