Other Cool Zazzle Stores: Scream'n Jenny

Scream'n Jenny's Zazzle store (out of Arizona) is full of designs like the one above! Simple and clean images that transmit ideas with an ultra-pop sensibility. Visit the store and the related sites:

• Scream'n Jimmy
• Grace Visions
• Monster Visions

New Design! The Hand (Right or Left)

The Right Hand Mousepad

The Left Hand Baby Tee

The Hand design. You can choose the Right or the Left. Maybe it's for when you're busy or lazy and you want to say, "Hi!" Or it's you letting some know to keep your personal space boundaries. Or maybe you just want to let people know which hand you use more often. You've got the upper hand when you have this design on one of these products!

Yeah, it's my hand. But it can be yours as well!

Look for a personalized gift at Zazzle.

Other Cool Zazzle Stores: Sports Spectacular

I definitely liked this hi-top sneaker from the Sports Spectaculars Zazzle Store. Lot's of sports related items with unique designs. When your not at my store, give this one a visit. Or check out their sister store, Sports and More.

Other Cool Zazzle Stores: Clareville

The Clareville store is out of Sydney, Australia. Not only are there some mind blowing designs (I love the iPhone cover above) but the profits from the store go to the Queensland (Australia) floods relief appeal. Please check out the store and tell her I sent you!

The Artwise Shirts and Stuff Daily

Get your news!

Through paper.li and Twitter (actually, the @DougEShirts Twitter Feed) comes The Artwise Shirts and Stuff Daily. It's my Twitter feed of visual artists and t-shirt designers and Zazzle store owners and related connections. The paper.li service takes your Twitter feeds (or soon: Facebook!) or groups or even a search and publishes them in a daily or weekly newspaper format. Then, you can share it with your group on Twitter, Facebook or your blog. People can also subscribe to it. It's pretty cool and, I must say, it's refreshing to view the tweets in this manner.

If you want to follow me on Twitter, click here.

Books I'm Reading: Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0: 1,001 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing Your Dream Job

I've started to read Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0: 1,001 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing Your Dream Job by Jay Conrad Levinson and David E. Perry. The image in the post has an affiliate link. I'm one of the millions who is looking for full-time employment that is worthwhile and meaningful both career-wise and financially. I'm betting that Guerrilla Marketing may have some insights I can apply to marketing my Zazzle store, Doug E. Shirts.

The beginning of the book states what everyone kind of knows already - things have changed! The workplace and the path to getting a job has never been more difficult. The difference so far is that Jay/David (I don't know who's voice is writing though I think it's Jay) tell us what what industries are soon to be history and the one's that are growing. I do think that the American public has yet to come to grips that some of the lost jobs are never coming back (at least to this country). We've inadvertently priced ourselves out of the game and big business (who despite recent rulings, is not human or tied to a location) has looked elsewhere to find cheap labor. The other thing they do to to dump payroll is to fire old, hire young and dump the job duties on those who remain.

The writing seems to be crisp and interesting. I'll update you as I read more!

Other Cool Zazzle Stores: Simo's World (Autism)

Arthur and his mom run this Zazzle Store out of Florida. The designs Arthur uses are cool and whimsical. It makes me smile.

What you wouldn't get by looking just at the artwork is that Arthur is a teenager who is autistic. The store is dedicated to Arthur to promote his art. Please take a moment or two and visit Simo's World!

Other Cool Zazzle Stores: saytoons

saytoons's Store at Zazzle

Saytoons hails from Chicago, Illinois and is not only a great Zazzle store owner, but a professional illustrator and cartoonist. As a kid, he met the legendary Grass Green (cartoonist/comic book artist) and he was sold on being a cartoonist. You can see his skills reflected in his artistic products. I like everything in his store; I particularly like his skateboards.

Check out his store and tell him I sent you!

Music: Urgin by Doug E. Shirts

  Urgin by DougEShirts

One of the tracks I created when I was playing around with Acid Studio. The tracks are created with music/sound loops.


This is music or sequential sounds created by me using the Sony ACID Music Studio 6.0. I have played guitar, roto-toms, oboe and guitar; however, I do not claim to be a professional musician whatsoever.


All tunes are downloadable and are registered using the Creative Commons Licensing. Feel free to use the music as long as you attribute me as the maker. Check out the links below to understand more about the rules of the game.


Creative Commons License --

This music free to share under a Creative

Commons Music Sharing License.

Join To Participate Mesh Hats from Zazzle.com

Join To Participate Mesh Hats from Zazzle.com

Get the wear that's sweeping the nation! Let everyone know that they "must join to participate." You decide what it means.


Create a personalized gift at Zazzle.

Other Cool Zazzle Stores: fch_agora

Flora is a Zazzle store owner operating out of Athens, Greece. She has some really artistic and beautiful designs that are all her original drawings and illustrations. Check out her store here.

Portland, Maine Case For The Ipad from Zazzle.com

Portland, Maine Case For The Ipad from Zazzle.com

A moose, Portland's skyline, and a fact about the city. Does it get any better?

I created this design when I first moved to Portland, Maine. I liked the idea of combining images of what many people think of when they think of Maine with the current skyline view. Portland is Maine's largest city and you can find out more information here. 

Doug E. Shirts on Squidoo Lens

I'm on Squidoo!

I have entered my store and info at djskagnetti's Squidoo lens page called "8 Zazzle Store Promotion Ideas to Help You Sell MORE STUFF and Build Up an Empire! :P." I'm hoping it does. Check it out, please.

I also have my own first lens for - you guessed it - Doug E. Shirts @ Zazzle. I've just started it and you can see it here.

Right Now Was The Future Shirt from Zazzle.com

Right Now Was The Future Shirt from Zazzle.com

A reminder to yourself and others to make "right now" count! Watch in fascination as people get what you're saying. Available in shirts, key chains and mugs.

I always like paradoxes and irony. It must be because of my love of time-travel stories in comics. As I get older, I realize more and more how little time we have in this place. Knowing that we're constantly living in our realized futures puts the pressure live our lives in the NOW.

Gay Pride Profile Postage Stamp from Zazzle.com

Gay Pride Profile Postage Stamp from Zazzle.com

A subtle, original image that shows to those who know that you support diversity and/or are part of the "diverse" crowd. This design is also available on shirts, stickers, magnets and aprons!

Class of 2011 - Unstoppable Tee Shirts from Zazzle.com

Class of 2011 - Unstoppable Tee Shirts from Zazzle.com

On the Doug E. Shirts FB Page, Chiefcliff had an idea for a tee shirt:

"How about a T-shirt, or lanyard, to hand out as rewards for high-school age scholar-athletes (you know, the kids who maintain a high GPA while earning a letter)?"

I thought it was a great idea! So I thought about it and came up with this design that now available at the Doug E. Shirts store @ Zazzle.com:

So, what do you think? Did I come up with something good? Please leave comments here or at the store.

The Class of 2011 is our future! With their achievements in both scholarship and sports, they will be UNSTOPPABLE! Get a shirt for your Graduate. Or better yet, get them for the entire class! Available on many different styles of tees.

Jake Shimabukuro plays "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Video on TED.com

Jake Shimabukuro plays "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Video on TED.com

Happiness is a warm uke.

I Love You! Card from Zazzle.com

I Love You! Card from Zazzle.com

Order by 2/2 to insure it will get to you on time!

Love is love. A card is only a snapshot of your current emotion and desire. Use this card to express your feelings. This one will work best with flowers or a ring or a nice dinner.

SK8 Crimes T-shirt from Zazzle.com

SK8 Crimes T-shirt from Zazzle.com

This one is for those skate-boardin' ladies out there. Please check it out!

O'Portland T-shirts from Zazzle.com

O'Portland T-shirts from Zazzle.com

Follow Your Bliss:

Laddies and Lassies of Portland! Show your love of the ol' Irish with this stylish design on the black tee from Doug E. Shirts! Follow your bliss and have it for your very own.

By the way, there are many Portlands in the USA; use it for yours. Saint Patrick's Day is coming up soon...

interbeing shirt from Zazzle.com

interbeing shirt from Zazzle.com

Everything is a part of creation. Remind people of the interconnections of life - Interbeing.

Interbeing is a modern term that describes the interconnectedness of everything. For example, the flower above can not be unless there is soil, sun, rain/water and time. We ourselves are not just ourselves but connected to many things; this makes us who we are.

Confused? I was at first as well. Check out these sites to learn more:

- 2.2 Interbeing

- CHAPTER 13: THICH NHAT HANH

O'Portland Neck Ties from Zazzle.com

O'Portland Neck Ties from Zazzle.com

Follow Your Bliss:

Laddies and Lassies of Portland! Show your love of the ol' Irish with this stylish design on a beautiful neck tie from Doug E. Shirts! Follow your bliss and have it for your very own.

By the way, there are many Portlands in the USA; use it for yours. Saint Patrick's Day is coming up soon...

Thanks! Card from Zazzle.com

Thanks! Card from Zazzle.com

Sending a simple thanks really can make someone's day. Go ahead - do it. You know you want to...

I am notoriously bad when it comes to sending thank-you notes. I say or email my thanks, but in many circles that's like saying thanks under one's breath. I made these so I can be more motivated to thank people properly. If you buy some, let me know your address and I'll send one to you.

guitar collage shirt from Zazzle.com

guitar collage shirt from Zazzle.com

Never say that I can't shill for a fellow Zazzle designer. Leetpete commented on my post about the Peace Out tee and invited me to check out his Zazzle store. I liked what I saw. The Guitar Collage shirt stood out to me and I just had to write about it. It's great!

Do Leetpete and I a favor and check out his Zazzle store by clicking here.

Buffalo Avenue Books: The Reviews Are Trickling In!

Buffalo Avenue Books: The Reviews Are Trickling In!: "Two Tales of Atlantis received a nice notice over on Examiner.com. Much thanks to reviewer Robert Sodaro! "

The e-book is written by Paul Kupperberg, who has written and edited at DC Comics (Arion, Lord of Atlantis; Checkmate and Vigilante to name a few) as well as edited at the World Weekly News. I had the great opportunity to get to know him when I helped at A Timeless Journey in Stamford, Connecticut.

Not only does he have a new book but he's currently at Archie Comics involved with a super-popular series that shows Archie married(!). One storyline has him married to Veronica; the other has him married to Betty. You can hear an interview with Paul here about that comic as well as other things.

Peace Out! T-Shirt from Zazzle.com

Peace Out! T-Shirt from Zazzle.com

Spread the peace outwards from you with this design.

This was one of my first designs when I had started my own screen printing shop. It was one of the more popular designs. I always liked this one for it's simplicity and message. As always, I'd love to get your opinion on the design.

#whatsfordinner t shirts from Zazzle.com

#whatsfordinner t shirts from Zazzle.com

Taking a cue from the popular Twitter hash-tag group, this design spins the discussion to the spiritual pursuit of feeding the hungry. The verse from Isaiah 58:10 starts, "Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble." We can raise the awareness that while some of us have the good fortune to have choices, others struggle to come up with an answer to "What's for dinner?"

Just When You Thought Taking a Plane Wasn't Risky Enough...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

My friend Christine Negroni, who has an excellent blog called Flying Lessons recently shook up the aviation world again with her recent post about laser light and planes. She's in the video and a link to her post can be found here. It's a truly fascinating article. To me, it speaks to the larger issues of responsibility and the lack of boundaries when it comes to access to technology.

I'm Gonna Be FAMOUS Keychain from Zazzle.com

I'm Gonna Be FAMOUS Keychain from Zazzle.com

Here's a design I've previously used for tees and stuff on Zazzle's new Premium Keychain. They are running a contest and I thought I'd enter. If you hit the link, you can view it and comment. Or you can comment here.

Feed The Hungry Shirt from Zazzle.com

Feed The Hungry Shirt from Zazzle.com

Shirts for creating awareness of hunger in our world. What did you have for dinner last night? The back has the verse from Isaiah 58:10 that starts, "Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble." This shirt would be great for a group that's running a hunger-thon or an hunger awareness campaign.

I originally came up with this when, like a lot of people, I could not recall what I had for dinner the previous night. I thought of the fact that I was so blessed to to take dinner for granted when many people in the world can't. But I was also troubled that people go hungry on a regular basis around the world (including the USA). Hopefully, together we can all do our part to ease hunger and suffering in the world.

Birthday Love Card from Zazzle.com

Birthday Love Card from Zazzle.com

Here's the newest item that's sweeping the nation! Birthday Love cards, bags, aprons and mugs are great. You can even "Customize It" to make it personal! Do you have a special friend that has a birthday on Valentine's Day? This card is the one for them! Also on shirts, aprons and more.

Is There Too Much History for Today's Students?

I wonder if we need to rethink how we teach history in today's school systems?

I am an African-American/black male in a wonderful relationship with a Caucasian/white woman. She has two sons from a previous marriage. The oldest in in high school. We live in a very predominately Caucasian community.

The discussion had started when I was telling how I was disheartened by some the comments for this story. Some of the commenters declared the NAACP a "Black Supremacist Group." In the ensuing discussion, it was becoming clear that there was a division of thought in our home; whereas I thought that the NAACP was still a relevant, worthwhile non-profit advocacy group, the rest of my family was feeling that the group was impeding equality by it's very existence.

After that shock to my system, I started thinking. I really don't need to have everyone agree with me. But I did wonder if the schools in this area were teaching the historical basis for the NAACP. And then I wondered if the schools had time to teach that as there's about 30 years more of history since I was in high school.

At what point do certain historical moments get lost or get demoted for the sake of relevancy? What about regional and cultural variances? Does this predominately Caucasian community value Black history more than French-American (or any other culture for that matter)? I wonder about this because it's my belief that if the full history of the NAACP was taught to non-Black students they would understand why the group is still relevant. My fear is that there's no time in school to adequately cover this or other historical moments that would prevent someone to making snap judgements.

I'm thinking that history is becoming more subjective every day. And that soon, very soon, information that my generation takes for granted will be a sidebar in a history book (if it's in there at all).

The I Have a Dream Speech - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net

The I Have a Dream Speech - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net

As we reflect on the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., I think about the idea of living life without fear. Living my life knowing what a gift it is and not wasting it. Realizing I own nothing and my life should reflect how I treat others and not how I profit from others. Everything I do should contain something that makes us better people. Living my life in a positively, hopefully and fearlessly.

Watch more free documentaries

Elevator Rider Types: The Waiter

This person is usually someone who a) is claustrophobic, b) is overweight, c) has personal space issues and/or d) is fearful of riding elevators in general. The Waiter sees a near-full elevator and freaks out. They decide to take the next one, providing they won't be in stuffed elevator.

In rare occurrences, they will opt to take the stairs rather than stand with the huddled masses. This is preferable to the experience of rubbing against shoulders (or other body parts), backpacks, seeing-eye dogs or germ-covered people. The last is particularly true during the various cold and flu seasons.

A variation of this type is the Hopper. This rider will get on a packed elevator as to not look unsociable but will silently panic and get off on the next floor. He or she will perhaps give some lame excuse ("Oh my! I think I may have left my phone in the car.") and take their chances with the next ride.

W.S.P.L. COFFEE MUG from Zazzle.com

W.S.P.L. COFFEE MUG from Zazzle.com

This design is great for groups going on a mission trip.

I've gone on mission trips to Maine and New Orleans as well as volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. I can testify that all four phrases are applicable!

Let me know what you think and leave a comment here or at the Doug E. Shirts site. Thanks in advance!

I Love You! Card from Zazzle.com

I Love You! Card from Zazzle.com

Love is love. A card is only a snapshot of your current emotion and desire. Use this card to express your feelings. This one will work best with flowers or a ring or a nice dinner. Valentine's Day is coming up soon; buy a box of cards if your heart can't settle on one person.

President Obama: Memorial in Arizona

I thought the President gave a a very uplifting message in Arizona at the memorial. I just wanted to share this as it definitely moved me. It was the kind of speech (it wasn't a eulogy, right?) that I think we all need to hear just about now.

Men's Diversity Lo-Top Keds by dougeshirts Design your own shoes at zazzle.com

Men's Diversity Lo-Top Keds by dougeshirts
Design your own shoes at zazzle.com

Traditional African-American colors for all Keds Men's lo-top lovers no matter what color you are. Live life funky! This is my first sneaker design and I think it's pretty cool if I do say so myself. I'm looking to create 11 more designs for 2011. I'm very excited. About this.

O'Portland T-shirt from Zazzle.com

O'Portland T-shirt from Zazzle.com

It's never too early to plan for Saint Patrick's Day! Well, maybe this may be a wee to early, but I figured I'd clue you in to the O'Portland design I have at the Doug E Shirts site at Zazzle (associate link). This design is on a bunch of products. Here's an example:

I created the design when I first moved to Portland, Maine. But I discovered that there's about 16 Portlands in the United States. So this design can work in a lot of places! Please check it out and let me know what you think...

Portland, Maine's Largest City bag from Zazzle.com

Portland, Maine's Largest City bag from Zazzle.com

When I moved to Maine, I first lived in Portland. It's a really cool place that faces the a lot of the same problems as other small cities in the Northeast. I was surprised that, with a population of almost 63,000 (as of 2007), Portland is Maine's largest city.

Thus the beginning of this design that incorporates one view of Portland's skyline against what a lot of people think of when they think of Maine - a moose.

This design is available on the bag, white tees and aprons. Please take a peek and let me know what you think.

Elevator Blogs: The Elevator Preservation Blog

The Elevator Preservation Blog, started in May 2009, is a great blog for elevator historians and enthusiasts. This is from their About Us page:

"The Elevator Preservation Blog is a unique website that’s dedicated to sharing with you photographs, pictures and information relating to old elevator equipment. The authors who write here have a great passion for old elevators and a passion for preserving the interior looks and features to the time the building/elevator was first constructed."

It's a blog that is run by volunteers (they are always looking for more!) and they hope to provide information that will aid in the repair and preservation of these wonders of the past.

America: A New Chance, A Fresh Start Shirts from Zazzle.com

America: A New Chance, A Fresh Start Shirts from Zazzle.com

I always want to try to be positive. A lot of the current national discourse (at least in the media) seems to be exclusionary and "winner-take-all" mentality. I had wanted to create a design that spoke to the American Dream and would kind of counter what I was hearing from the louder factions of new Conservative movement.

This design is available on shirts, stickers, caps, hoodies, buttons and more. Please stop by Doug E. Shirts @ Zazzle to take a look and leave a comment on this and my other designs. Thanks in advance for your interest!

Peace Out! T-Shirt from Zazzle.com

Peace Out! T-Shirt from Zazzle.com

This design was the most popular one when I was selling shirts at the Portland, Maine Farmer's Market. It reflects the kind of mood I want to radiate.

Blog Disclosure

I haven't blogged as much as I wanted to or should have. At this point, I'm not making any money from this blog.

But in the event that I do, I promise that:

- if I get free stuff and blog about it, you'll know.

- if someone wants to pay me to write about something, you'll know.

- if you click on the Amazon link/ad, I get money. In fact, if I decide to be an associate for any online business, your click equals payment.

- since this is my blog, I will talk about stuff that is going on in my life. One of those things is Doug E. Shirts at Zazzle dot com. If you were to purchase one of those items on that site, I make money.

- even if I get free stuff or get paid to write about something, I won't lie. And if it causes that much headache, I won't participate.

If you think I've forgotten something or need to clarify a point, let me know.

Hope to see you soon!

St. Patty Shirts I Printed

I printed these around the beginning of March 2008...

Cool New Tool

Introducing Snap Shots from Snap.com

I just installed a nice little tool on this site called Snap Shots that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, interactive excerpts of Wikipedia articles, MySpace profiles, IMDb profiles and Amazon products, display inline videos, RSS, MP3s, photos, stock charts and more.

Sometimes Snap Shots bring you the information you need, without your having to leave the site, while other times it lets you "look ahead," before deciding if you want to follow a link or not.

Should you decide this is not for you, just click the Options icon in the upper right corner of the Snap Shot and opt-out.

Sustainable Food Lab Presentation (Award Winner)

This is a cool slide show presentation about sustainable food possibilities by chrislandry. Watch and get active!

Save Internet Radio!

Heads up! It's time to take action. I got this today and I'm motivated. Please give it a read...



Internet music may soon fall silent.

An obscure regulatory agency recently buckled under pressure from giant music labels and passed a rule that could force most independent and noncommercial Internet radio stations, such as NPR, off the Web. The ruling will go into effect on May 15 unless we urge Congress to Rescue Internet Radio:

Rescue Internet Radio: Take Action Now

After intense lobbying from the recording industry the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) ignored a massive public outcry and ruled to dramatically increase the rates webcasters must pay every time they stream a song. These draconian rules will shut down noncommercial and independent Internet radio outlets, leaving the Web with the same cookie-cutter music formats that have destroyed commercial radio.

Independent musicians, webcasters, media reformers and Internet radio listeners have joined forces with members of Congress to reverse this bad decision. Late last week, Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.) introduced the bipartisan Internet Radio Equality Act (H.R. 2060), which would reverse the CRB decision in favor of a system that supports artists without putting webcasters out of business.

Rescue Internet Radio: Support the Internet Radio Equality Act

The Copyright Royalty Board passed these bad rules despite protest letters from tens of thousands of concerned music listeners. They refused our call for a public hearing and rushed through their decision at the urging of music industry lobbyists from the Recording Industry Association of America.

Musicians must be compensated for their work. But the new regulations would silence many outlets that play independent artists and musical genres you can't find on the radio dial. And nonprofit NPR, Pacifica and community radio stations would be forced to take down most of their online musical programming.

Inslee and Manzullo's legislation would allow artists and musicians to thrive alongside a new generation of Internet radio webcasters. Help pass the Internet Radio Equality Act by telling all your friends to take action now:

Tell Your Friends to Help Rescue Internet Radio

Industry-wide consolidation has destroyed musical diversity on broadcast radio. We must not let this happen to the Internet.

Onward,

Frannie Wellings
Associate Policy Director
Free Press
www.freepress.net

P.S. To learn more about this campaign visit www.freepress.net/netradio

Authors@Google: Neil Gaiman

The writer of the graphic novel Stardust (soon to be released as a major motion picture!), Neil Gaiman.

Authors@Google present: Brad Meltzer

Google folks talk to JLA writer, novelist and my Myspace friend Brad Meltzer.

Women@Google: Hillary Clinton

Hilary talks to the gang at Google. Lots of good stuff.

Vegan Lunch Box: Vegan Lunch Box Playlist

Vegan Lunch Box: Vegan Lunch Box Playlist

This is so cool! Sometimes one either forgets or doesn't know about the functionality of the applications they use on the internet or computer. This is the case for me on iTunes. Go check it out.

By the way, these are good songs!

24th

What a Christmas present!!!

Dating Site for Eclectic Interests

I have ideas for a dating site. It probably is being done currently, but because I'm "in relationship" for the foreseeable future, looking for sites like this has fallen off the radar for me.

There are dating sites for:
- straight and gay
- black, white, brown and all colors
- interracial
- religion
- divorced
- animal lovers

You get the idea. Most sites seem to cater to lifestyles. I'd like to see a dating site that focused on specific things. Some possible themes:

Love Boat - boating enthusiasts who want to find love

Film Lovers - find the love of your life based on similar tastes in movies

TV Love Guide - find that special person that loves the same shows you do

Menu Matches - for those who want to meet someone who eats the same foods that they do

I'm sure there are even more eclectic ideas. Please share your thoughts.

The Return of the Balboa!

I am sooooo stoked to see the upcoming Rocky film. I thought I was over it; but when I hear the familiar trumpets start, I'm in!

Do I Look Like These People?

I read Beautiful Soul's myspace blog and she had tried this online face recognition program. Her results were better than mine.

If you want to try it, know that you have to sign up (free) before you see your results. But then again, maybe you won't want to after you see my results. I mean, do I look like a blonde starlet to anyone?




Go to http://www.myheritage.com/ to try it yourself. I'd be interested in seeing it in the comments if you're brave enough...

Video the Vote 2006!

Learn more about Video the Vote 2006 here. Help to make sure everyone knows what going on.

Eat To Live

I, like many other Americans, am overweight. Based on the Body Mass Index scale, for a guy who's 6'1", I should weigh about 175 - 180 lbs. I'm at 225 lbs. I was ten pounds heavier but I've been trying some new things. Like not eating pizza every night (although I still think it is the perfect food). And I picked up a book.

The book, Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. has been enjoyable to me for serveral reasons. The first is related to me being a vegetarian. Many of the wieght-loss plans and "ways of eating" assume that one eats meat and plenty of it. Dr. Fuhrman's plan is essentially a vegetarian food plan. Eat as many raw vegetables as you want and stay away from animal products.

This actually leads me to another cool point - you don't have to starve yourself. Believe me, you can get full on celery, broccoli and carrots. What about protein, you ask? Believe it or not, according to Fuhrman, most raw, unprocessed vegetables trump meat for protein-per-calories percentage. For example, one cup of frozen broccoli has more proteins-per-calorie than one Burger King cheeseburger:

1 Cup frozen broccoli - 5.8 g protein - 52 cal - 45% protein

1 BK cheeseburger - 18.0 g protein - 350 cal - 21% protein

Dr. Fuhrman endorses a more efficient way of providing nutrition to the body. It's a 6 week plan; I kinda think the book is really a lot of pages for such an easy method. Certainly, if you have pre-existing medical conditions, this may not be for you. But I'm finding it very easy to pretty much stick to the plan. The book has a lot of explanations in the first five chapters about nutrition and what is and isn't the realities of protein, calories and carbs. The back end of the book contains recipes and an extensive f.a.q.

Let me know if you've read this book or another like this one that focuses on vegetables and beans.

Wilson's Real Pit Barbeque (Fairfield, CT)

Tonight I ate at Wilson’s Real Pit Barbeque and, man-o-man, it was tasty. I’m a vegetarian but I eat chicken once in awhile. The cool thing is that all the sides like collard greens, beans and such are vegetarian! No joke. I don’t know how he gets collards to taste like that without bacon or ham, but he does. "He" is Ed Wilson (hence “Wilson’s”). He’s done the amazing thing of bringing great authentic barbeque to Fairfield County. It’s actually amazing how many BBQ places there are around here. If you’re in the area, you should make the time to stop in and have some good food. The link to the webpage is here.

New Wonders

 

 According to news reports (like this one), there is only one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World remaining (hint... it's in the picture). Yes friends, the times they are a-changin'. History books will have to be revised, for sure!

 

Anyways... apparently, there was an effort to name a new seven wonders and the list came down to these 21 choices (to be whittled down to seven at some point):

1 Acropolis, Athens, Greece

2 Alhambra, Granada, Spain

3 Angkor Wat temple, Cambodia

4 Chichen Itza Aztec site, Yucatan, Mexico

5 Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

6 Colosseum, Rome

7 Easter Island Statues, Chile

8 Eiffel Tower, Paris

9 Great Wall, China

10 Hagia Sophia church, Istanbul, Turkey

11 Kyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan

12 Kremlin/St.Basil's, Moscow

13 Machu Picchu, Peru

14 Neuschwanstein Castle, Fussen, Germany

15 Petra ancient city, Jordan

16 Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

17 Statue of Liberty, New York

18 Stonehenge, Amesbury, United Kingdom

19 Sydney Opera House, Australia

20 Taj Mahal, Agra, India

21 Timbuktu city, Mali

 

I've got a question. Why does it have to be a location? I mean, why can't it be an idea or scientific breakthrough or whatnot? I happen to wonder about a lot of things.

I humbly submit Planet Doug's 7 Wonders of My World:

1 New Jersey

2 Obscene Salaries for Professional Athletes

3 The Commercialization of Children

4 Rain after I Wash My Car

5 Jellybeans

6 The Internet

7 Why is there still Poverty?

 

Do you have any wonders in your life? Leave a comment. Thanks.

While You Were Sleeping

Thanks to 06solareclipse, we have a time-lapse view of the Northern Lights. It's both beautiful and scary; the way nature works is awesome at times. It's only a minute or so, so I hope you take a peek.

24 Wins!

My favorite show won big at the recent Emmys. 24 is a FOX broadcast network series. Here's Kiefer Sutherland accepting his Best Male Actor in a Series award...



And here's an example of his acting on 24 (one of my MySpace buddies!)...

Nancy Pelosi on David Letterman

From DemShow on YouTube, here is a clip from US Democratic Party Leader Rep, Nancy Pelosi. She should be the first woman president. She speaks a lot of sense here...

Busy Monday Make for Tired Weekend

I can already see that, based on today's activity at work, it's going to be a busy, fast week. The weekend looks to be as involved. I have my fun. But it's bumpy getting through the weeks occasionally.

Sometimes, I really have to force myself to realize how well I have it. There are probably many people who would love to have as many things going on between jobs, starting a business, maintaining a long-distance relationship, keeping up with family, volunteering and such. I just have this thing where I usually want to be doing anything except what I should be doing at any given time. I think it's because of the ADD. I need waking time alone to center myself and it seems harder and harder to come by. I have to give you parents credit. I think I understand how you guys just dream of getting through the day to have at least a little time to yourself.

Yesterday, I found myself with some time and, for the first time in awhile, I watched a movie. It was V for Vendetta. It was really good; it was one of those movies that make you think. I look forward to having that kind of time again.

Saturday's Wrap-Up

Okay. Today was a pretty good day. Worked at my part-time job; had a couple of Boca Burgers at the house I'm cat-sitting at; talked to some people on the phone. Not much but not bad.

I know I'd go crazy if every day was as slow as this one was. But, as I listen to the rain fall, I'm glad I got a chance to slow down. I know it won't be this way come Monday. And I even got to watch some of the Deadwood and Amazing Stories DVDs.

Everybody's workin' for the weekend!

Where's the Time Gone?

Wow. Go to a couple of conferences, take a vacation, put in overtime and (really) start a new business... I guess I have lost track of time.

For those who mange to view the blog, I apologize for the lack of updates. But I'm here to tell you "I'm back!"

More tomorrow...

Doug

Sighting of a New Star?

This 11 year old girl does what we all want to do at some point in our lives... blow a whole bunch of people away with our incredible skills. Bravo! From the television show America's Got Talent.

An explosion of ink

This story was sent to you by: Doug

--------------------
An explosion of ink
--------------------

By Brian Lockhart
Staff Writer

June 3, 2006

STAMFORD -- Paul Salerno's business was blown to smithereens Thursday, a dream come true for the comic book store owner.

"Everybody's just thrilled," Salerno said.

In the real world, his store A Timeless Journey remains open for business at its Summer Street location.

But in the 532nd issue of "The Amazing Spider-Man," which shipped this week, Salerno's shop becomes a casualty of an explosive battle between superheroes and villains in the fictional Stamford of Marvel Comics.

All that remains is Salerno's soot-covered sign, which sharp-eyed local fans can find lying amid rubble on page 6 of the book while Spider-Man and Iron Man discuss the neighborhood's destruction and its ramifications.

The Spider-Man comic book is part of an ongoing Marvel summer event called "Civil War." As The Advocate reported in April, the politically charged story finds the publisher's iconic characters split on a governmental initiative to force them to register their names, alter egos and powers in response to the Stamford tragedy.

The suggestion to use Stamford came from Marvel writer Jeph Loeb, who grew up near Riverbank Road and attended the former Riverbank Elementary School, taken over by the Mead School in the mid-1990s. The school is at the epicenter of a devastating explosion that claims many civilian lives and turns up the scrutiny on costumed vigilantes.

It was Salerno's desire in that article to discover a "twisted Timeless Journey sign" in the series' illustrations that resulted in his store's small cameo.

"The day after you ran that article, I got a call from (Marvel). They asked if I was serious about what I had said and asked for digital pictures of the sign and storefront," Salerno said.

He said Marvel made no promises but he has eagerly flipped through every comic in the Civil War storyline to catch a glimpse of his shop.

The issue of Spider-Man was illustrated by Ron Garney, whom Salerno has hosted at his store in recent years for autograph signings.

Marvel spokesman Jim McCann said it was too late to include A Timeless Journey in the first issue of the Civil War limited series, "but we were working on Spider-Man that dealt with a lot of aftermath."

McCann said he forwarded the photos Salerno provided to the book's writer and artist.

"We left it up to them but said it would give a nice bit of authenticity and a nod to our retailers," McCann said. "It came back and looked great -- as great as a blown-up building can look. I'm glad it panned out."

"I've sold a ton (of the comic book), obviously," Salerno said. "I'm out of them now because I didn't know. I ordered 150 for next week."

Copyright (c) 2006, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.

--------------------

This article originally appeared at:
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-spiderman2jun03,0,4864835.story

Visit the Advocate online at http://www.stamfordadvocate.com

Sent to you from PhysicsWeb by a friend

Article sent by Doug (nospamdzymurgy@cyberdude.com)

PhysicsWeb (May)

How to make an object invisible

Theorists believe that metamterials could be used to make objects invisible

URL: http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/5/16/1

Comments: Closer, closer still...

Keep up-to-date with the latest news in the physics industry, subscribe to Physics World. For more information visit http://physicsweb.org/subscribe

[ HuffingtonPost.com ] Recommendation: School To Punish Students For "Illegal Or Inappropriate" MySpace, Blogs...

nospamdzymurgy@cyberdude.com has just sent you a piece from HuffingtonPost.com

A HuffPost post about a soon-to-be trend of schools monitoring and disciplining "illegal and inappropiate" behavior on the internet blogs and sites by students.

School To Punish Students For "Illegal Or Inappropriate" MySpace, Blogs...

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thenewswire/archive/../../2006/05/23/school-to-punish-students_n_21528.html

High school students are going to be held accountable for what they post on blogs and on social-networking Web sites such as MySpace.com. The board of Community High School District 128 voted unanimously on Monday to require that all students participating in extracurricular activities sign a pledge agreeing that evidence of "illegal or inappropriate" behavior posted on the Internet could be grounds for disciplinary action. ... Read the rest at HuffingtonPost.com

© 2006 HuffingtonPost.com, LLC

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My Carol Burnett/CBS Memories circa 1971-72

I was just looking back at my posting with the Carol Burnett clip with the Carpenters. Turns out that clip is from 1972; I would have been 10 years old around then. Saturday night was the big night to watch TV. I could stay up until 11PM and that was fine with me! I would get to watch TV without anyone tellong me to do things. And better yet, everyone wanted to watch CBS... so no arguments. But Carol was on Wednesday nights that season. Mission Impossible was the 10 PM show on Saturday nights.

This clip is from the Fall of 1971 (thanks newvillefan):

Saturday Night CBS Lineup '71 - '72:
8:00 All in the Family
8:30 Funny Face
9:00 The New Dick Van Dyke Show
9:30 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
10:00 Mission Impossible

In 1971, Carol was on Wednesdays at 8 PM; then Medical Center at 9 followed by Mannix at 10. TV was magical for me then. All I knew was that the shows were on every week. We didn't know every detail about the stars. We could just watch and enjoy.


It was quite the treat because we only had three national stations; not 700 like we have now.

I'm getting old, aren't I?

Doug

The TV IV