Lost Wallet Returned to Owner After 40 Years

"Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost."

~ Robert H. Schuller







40 years ago Rudolph Resta, now 77, was an employee of The New York Times. One day his wallet was stolen, the cash removed, and the rest of it stashed between a window and a masonry seal. It wasn't until recently that it was discovered and finally returned to him - along with a small treasure trove of family pictures, an old Social Security card and other mementos from the time.

You can read more about the wallet, its contents, and the people involved here.

Aww, longest kiss ever - new world record!

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves."

~Albert Einstein





This Associated Press clip covers a kissing contest in Thailand where couples competed to see who would last the longest. Couples had to remain in contact the whole time, even when going to the bathroom. The winners lasted almost two days! The time still needs to be certified by Guiness, but if it stands it will be a new world record.

Oh no! The National Christmas Tree was Toppled Today!

"Trees are your best antiques."

~Alexander Smith








Winds in the capital gusted up to 60 mph today and toppled the national Christmas tree. The Colorado blue spruce was 47 year old and has been decorated and lit by the President in an annual ceremony every year since 1978.

Fortunately no one was hurt when the tree fell, and there is a backup tree at an undisclosed location.

You can find the New York Times' article about it here.

Borders files for bankruptcy - OKC store closing, liquidating

"We determined that the best path for Borders to have the ability to achieve this reorganization is through the Chapter 11 process, which we commenced February 16th."

~ A Feb. 16th email from Mike Edwards, President/CEO, Borders, Inc.





I'd heard rumors for a while that Borders was going bankrupt. February 16th they sent out an email confirming this; that same email also said that they would remain open and would restructure their business.

This morning I received another email: apparently the Oklahoma City store will be closing. If you are local you might want to check it out and see if you can grab some bargains.

If you aren't local, you might call and see if any of your local Borders are closing/liquidating due to the restructuring.

PBS, NPR Threatened - Congress is debating whether to completely eliminate funding

"Brought to you in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting"
~ Thousands of shows and radio programs over the years








The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or CPB, helps fund public television and radio. Sesame Street, Nova, and PBS News Hour are just some of the shows that recieve funding, and radio stations such as National Public Radio(NPR) and many smaller television and radio stations (like my local classical station!) depend on these funds to operate.

Congress is currently considering not just reducing but COMPLETELY CUTTING all federal funds. Without this funding many stations and programs would have to end - especially those in smaller communities.

News, educational shows, documentaries and the arts - all of these will suffer, and all of these enrich us as individuals and as a nation!

Please, contact your Congressman and let him or her know that the CPB is an investment in our country!

To find out more about the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, check out their website at www.cpb.org

You can read an NPR article about the proposed elimination here.

Funny Animals - BBC's Walk On The Wild Side

"Nighttime....Daytime!"

~ The Nighttime/Daytime Bird









This is a clip from the BBC show Walk On The Wild Side. They show short videos of animals in quick succession with voices dubbed over them for comedic effect. Groovy badgers, caffeine-addled owls, feuding giraffes and a wide assortment of other characters from the Animal Kingdom await.








There are several more clips on YouTube if you want to see more. I know I couldn't stop at just one!

World Builder - Short, Sweet and a Little Sad (YouTube)

This 9 minute video has some really neat special effects and a touching premise - definitely worth a watch!

The YouTube description:

"A strange man uses holographic tools to build a world for the woman he loves. This is a short by filmmaker Bruce Branit known also as the co-creator of 405."

Pikachu Kitty

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

~ Ash Ketchum, Pokémon









Isn't this cute? It's just photoshop - no kitties were painted, rouged or otherwise harmed in the making of this image.

Original post is here.

Everyday Luxury - Lancome Hypnose Mascara {Giveaway}

I've always got an eye out for inexpensive everyday luxuries - those little indulgences that make me feel like I'm living high without breaking the bank. This is Everyday Luxury #2 - Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara
.

Having one or two really nice products in your makeup routine can help you feel (and look) glamorous every day. Often these makeup counter treats aren’t as expensive as you might think, especially if you consider how long they last.

Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara - $25 for a tube that usually gives at least six months of daily use for me




Close-up from a picture where I'm wearing the mascara - no eyeliner needed!



I’ve been a fan of Lancôme for over a decade now - their high-quality Dual Finish foundation has always been my one constant makeup splurge even if everything else was the cheap stuff. They often do a free gift or offer “purchase with purchase” specials where you can get a pre-set assortment of products for free or relatively cheap; this can include full-size lipsticks, eyeshadow pallets, mini perfume bottles or any number of other things. They almost always include a tube of mascara, usually their standard Definicils, and I used all of this to round out my makeup collection.

One time, however, the mascara was different - a new product called “Hypnôse”. After using it just a few times I was hooked. This mascara not only darkened, lengthened and volumized with only one coat, but it actually curled my lashes for me. It complements my eye shape extremely well, doesn’t smudge or flake, and looks perfect all day/all night. Since then it has been my mascara of choice, and though I’ve tried others, nothing tops my Hypnose.





Another close-up from another picture - again, no eyeliner!




Recently Lancome put out a new mascara called Hypnôse Drama. While similar to Hypnôse, Hypnôse Drama has a new formula that just doesn’t thrill me the way my regular Hypnôse does. Often when a line comes out with a “New and Improved” product, they discontinue the original; fortunately for me, Lancome decided to carry both!

Hypnôse Mascara - $25 at Lancome.com or check out your local Lancôme counter


Because I love this mascara and wish to share the joy, I am offering one lucky person the chance to try it. Enter below to win a full-sized Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara!

(Note: Lancôme is not sponsoring this in any way; I just love it that much and want to spread the word!)




To enter:

Tell me what shade you’d like if you won! The color choices are Brown, Black and Deep Black.

After you’ve done that, you can gain bonus entries by doing the following and letting me know in a comment(1 entry each):

Follow me on Google Friend Connect (on the right side of the page)
Follow me on Twitter
Subscribe to my feedburner emails



Be sure to comment once for each entry. I will use random.org to pick a winner. Make sure to leave me an email to contact you if you win if it's not visible in your profile! The last day to enter is this Sunday, February 20th (02/20/11).

Coke's Secret Formula Discovered!

"It's the real thing!"
~ Coca-Cola slogan








Producers from This American Life were researching Coca-Cola and found an article from 1979 that had - get ready! - a hand-written copy of the original recipe as one of its illustrations.

This recipe has been closely guarded for over a century, with precautions as extreme as taking all labels off ingredients (mixers use sight/smell only to identify them) and only having two people alive at the same time who know how to mix the mysterious "7X flavor".



Here's the recipe, as posted Time.com:

The recipe:

Fluid extract of Coca: 3 drams USP
Citric acid: 3 oz
Caffeine: 1 oz
Sugar: 30 (unclear quantity)
Water: 2.5 gal
Lime juice: 2 pints, 1 quart
Vanilla: 1 oz
Caramel: 1.5 oz or more for color

The secret 7X flavor (use 2 oz of flavor to 5 gals syrup):
Alcohol: 8 oz
Orange oil: 20 drops
Lemon oil: 30 drops
Nutmeg oil: 10 drops
Coriander: 5 drops
Neroli: 10 drops
Cinnamon: 10 drops




You can read more about this neat discovery here.