Country Boys - A David Sutherland Film

For everyone who remembers what it was like to be young -- when the whole world seemed to stretch out before you while you were stuck in your own backyard -- this special FRONTLINE series tells the story of Chris and Cody: two boys growing up in a hard land, determined to beat the odds against them, and struggling with who they are -- and who they can become.

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2nd Annual Mound City Music Fest

Mound City Music Fest to benefit Music Maker’s New Orleans Musicians Fund, St. Louis’ South City Open Studio and Gallery for Children, and two additional St. Louis-based charities

Son Volt, Patterson Hood, Vic Chesnutt and Joe Pernice to perform

Jay Farrar, St. Louis resident and founder of both Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, will unite musicians from across the country for an evening of performances in support of Music Maker’s New Orleans Musicians Fund and St. Louis’ South City Open Studio and Gallery for Children (SCOSCAG). The second annual Mound City Music Fest, a special night of music, will be presented by KDHX FM 88.1 and PLAYBACK:stl at The Pageant in St. Louis on Saturday, December 10, 2005.

This year’s event features Son Volt, Patterson Hood (of the Drive By Truckers), Vic Chesnutt and Joe Pernice. Tickets for the event will go on sale November 4 and are $30 in advance and $35 day of show. Doors will open at 6:00 pm and the show will begin at 6:45 pm. Tickets will be available at The Pageant box office and through Ticketmaster. This is an all ages event.

A special limited-edition poster is being designed for this event by Eric Woods of Firecracker Press in St. Louis. The posters will be signed by all musicians on December 10 and in an effort to raise more money for the causes, they will be sold via Jay Farrar/Son Volt website for $50 each. In addition to the Music Maker and SCOSAG funds, poster proceeds will also benefit St. Stephen's Early Childhood Development Program and Friends of Carondelet Park. St. Stephen’s is a preschool and safe haven for children with allergies and asthma--the only allergen-free center in the St. Louis area. A portion of sales from the posters will benefit their tuition program for low-income families. Friends of Carondelet Park is a St. Louis organization dedicated to restoring the 179-acre city park established in 1876. Funds raised by FoCP support needed improvements such as walking paths, landscaping projects with native Missouri species, and special community events in this historic city park.

Music Maker Relief Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern musical traditions gain recognition and meet their day to day needs. Today, many such musicians are living in extreme poverty and need food, shelter, medical care, and other assistance. As an extension of the Music Maker Foundation, a Hurricane Katrina relief fund has been set up to make grants available for basic living expenses such as gasoline, food, rent, clothing and instrument replacement. The Programs Coordinator will help artists connect with FEMA, the Red Cross, Social Services and Music Cares as well as passport replacement, finding performance opportunities and relocation expenses. www.musicmaker.org

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Ben Harper - Black Rain

The situation in Katrina should be tugging at your heart everyday. Wth constant updates it’s hard to think positive in times like this. There are many of musicians leading by example donating to the Red Cross and other worthy organizations.

Ben Harper - Black Rain is a song that Ben Harper wrote in response to the Katrina disaster, I think you should hear it.

http://evilvince.com/wp-images/BlackRain.mp3

Baby Aidan

We brought Aidan home on Sunday, August 21st. He is adjusting quite nicely to his new home. Check out some pics of the homecoming here.
Introducing Aidan Philip Jenney

The Arch

I am still in awe over the Arch. Thought I would share this photo. I snapped this while walking along the riverfront for Race for the Cure.

1964 Sunbeam Tiger

My mom finally has decided to put the Sunbeam up for sale. We are very sad to see it go, but know it will find a good family. For those of you not familiar with this classic car, check out some of these websites.

Tiger United (www.tigersunited.com)

SSOCC Web Site (ssocc.com)

When I win the lottery I am going to buy this beauty!

The Son Volt revival is ALIVE and WELL, and they ROCK!

Recently, a friend of mine went to see one of my favorite bands, Son Volt perform live at the Fox Theater in Boulder, CO. Below is his review.

Show was sold out before will call line formed to wait on the opening of the box office. I arrived about an hour and 45 min before the doors (8:30). I was in line for the door behind 20 people waiting for will call tics. Then fifth at the door when that line formed.

First of all, there were no Son Volt discs on sale out front. Only Jay's solo albums. I purchased a bonus edition of 'Sebastapol' just to pitch in for the tour. Secondly, I don't know the songs well enough to name off the track list. And there was only one tracklist on the stage on top of Jay's Bassman amp. But the band smoked!

The show at the Fox was great! Opening band "Drag the River" was a reasonably good opener band. You know, each of the musicians out front had very noticeable duct tape patches on their instruments? Did you ever read about Wilco doing things like that to appear understated with their gear? Rhythm guitar and bass had their duct tape patches on the horn shapes of the instrument bodies where the strap fastens. I'm sure all were bogus. The acoustic guitarist has duct tape and a black strip taped over the sound port of his acoustic. Tacky as hell!

Jay has upgraded his guitar collection, with one black and one gold urethane finished Gretsch Electromatic Duo Jet professional models. These post on web retailer sites new for around $500. They are available in gold, black and silver finish colors and have bigsby tremolo bridges units mounted on the deck (not at the bottom of the body like David Gilmour's Gretsch and the George Harrison signature model). (modest new additions) These alternated between Jay and his guitar tech after each song. Exceptions were numbers with Jay's Les Paul (or variant) or his
sunburst acoustic "B" guitar. (Most of main acts this weekend had bass player playing through Ampeg heads and cabinets) Son Volt Bassists played a Gibson four string (or variant) With a Fender signature or other bass model for backup axe.

When Son Volt started, Jay was shaking his head at the lead guitarist's opening riff (blonde Telecaster only, played through a one of the Vox combo amp models 30 or 50 watt). But the guitarist didn't see it. From then on they really took off. Many of the songs I'm sure were new off of the Okemah disc. When Jay introduced "Joe Citizen Blues," he said they had the new cd and named Okemah and the 'Riot of Melody', "but this song isn't on it." (grimace) Then they broke into the song.

You may well already have a tracklist of the show. They played 'Tear Stained Eye,' '6 string belief,' and versions of most of "Straightaways" tracks excluding the slower tempo songs. Jay seemed to be trying to establish common ground with the audience, building familiarity with well remembered songs, then surveying listener responses to new material and Son Volt revivals. He was intent on the audience. I was front line at the banister on the right (across the dance floor from stage), directly in front of the bassist.

Jay seemed to look towards my position -- if not directly at me --or over my right shoulder --most of the time he was looking up and out. And I am sure he noticed myself and others miming an/ singing along on familiar refrains of 'Tear Stained Eye,' and '6 string belief.' I think he was looking for just this kind of audience rapport.

There were 3 songs in the encore , finishing with Neil Young cover, "Cortez, Cortez." Didn't get a look at Jay's pedal board. It was relatively small, squarish (like Katleen Edwards Guitarist's pedal board) no more than 4 pedals. Jay relies mostly on his Fender 50 watt Bassman for tonal effect. (it is a fav among many guitarists and rivals the popularity of the Marshall tube heads and cabs of way back 60s)

-by kxweave

Carondelet Bakery Review

Carondelet Bakery is a throwback to time when life was much simpler.

The 125-year-old shop stands in Carondelet's Ivory Triangle, where farmers once shopped before heading back out to St. Louis County.

BY THERESA TIGHE
Of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Linda and Bob Smith joke that they are "dinosaurs" because they own, operate and live above the Carondelet Bakery. Their bakery probably is the last in St. Louis where the owner lives upstairs, just 18 steps away from his job, and it's one of only 10 or 11 stand-alone retail bake shops in the St. Louis area, according to the Master Retail Bakers group.

The 125-year-old shop stands in Carondelet's Ivory Triangle, where farmers once shopped before heading back out to St. Louis County. Two great brick ovens are buried beneath the yard. Another stands at the baking room's far wall. The earth in the yard once provided insulation for the ovens. Bakers used wooden paddles on 12-foot poles to put the baked goods in and remove them. The brick from one brick hearth would build a three-bedroom house. Smith now uses a more modern oven installed in the 1970s.

Green glazed brick decorates the shop's front. Inside, gray marble lines the walls, and old-fashioned white and blue tile covers the floor. Round tables fill the aisle for customers who want to snack. The crystal clear glass cases are filled with almond crunch stollens, cream puffs, bread, chocolate-chip cookies and brownies. Doughnuts are sold for 47 cents. A loaf of wheat bread is $1.89. Everything in the shop is made from scratch with fresh ingredients and no preservatives.

Bob Smith began working in the Carondelet Bakery when he was 13 years old. He scraped, cleaned and swept the floor. He filled containers with poppy, caraway and sesame seeds, greased molds and pans. He made $1 an hour and $13.34 a week after taxes for 16 hours of work. At age 20, when Smith's boss decided to retire, Smith bought the place. He still laughs when ne recalls that he was too young to qualify for a car loan but he could buy a bakery with 18 employees.

The next year, he married Linda Neumann, his high-school sweetheart. He went to St. Mary's. She went to Notre Dame. They met in a Junior Achievement project. She had trained to be a licensed practical nurse, but as the babies came - the couple has four daughters - she worked more in the bakery. Cake decoration became her specialty. The couple sells about 250 wedding cakes a year. Linda Smith meets with every bride trying to fulfill her expectations and keep the price to $1.35 a serving. An elaborate cake sits in the baker's window. The cake is trimmed with traces of pink and burgundy flowers. Confetti-like strings of icing top the layers. The effect is called Victorian lace.

Bob Smith begins baking at 4 a.m. daily. Linda Smith begins at 6 a.m. He loves the smell of the shop on Saturday when he bakes rye bread. Bob Smith doesn't have much of a sweet tooth but he loves to eat the bread he bakes. Linda Smith does have a sweet tooth. One of her jobs is frying the doughnuts. She says that if she eats one doughnut hole, she will eat a dozen. So she tries to refrain.

The shop is a pretty, bright clean place like a Norman Rockwell painting of the village bake shop and it holds many memories. Bob and Linda Smith smile together as they recall feeding their girls strawberries as they sliced the fruit. Working in their home allowed them to be with their daughters, and the girls' friends liked to visit. There was always a treat, such as brownies or chocolate chip cookies.

"We have good girls," Linda Smith said. She laughs at the mention of chocolate chip cookies. She figures she and Bob have baked more than 1 million chocolate chip cookies in the past 24 years.

Bob says it is more difficult to make it in the bakery business than it was a couple of decades ago. Groceries have bakeries now. The fast-food companies sell breakfast. Even gas stations sell breakfast and bakery goods.

Sometimes Bob and Linda talk about the future. He is 45. She is 44. They wonder whether they should continue in the business for the next 20 years or so. They have no answers.

<More Info>

NameVoyager

Explore the sea of names, letter by letter...watch trends rise and fall, and dive in deeper to see your favorite name's place in the historical tides.

The Baby Name Wizard's NameVoyager is an interactive portrait of America's name choices. Start with a "sea" of nearly 5000 names. Type a letter, and you'll zoom in to focus on how that initial has been used over the past century. Then type a few more letters, or a name. Each stripe is a timeline of one name, its width reflecting the name's changing popularity. If a name intrigues you, click on its stripe for a closer look.

Launch NameVoyager (requires Java)

Top Ten Favorite Words (Not in the Dictionary)

1. ginormous (adj): bigger than gigantic and bigger than enormous

2. confuzzled (adj): confused and puzzled at the same time

3. woot (interj): an exclamation of joy or excitement

4. chillax (v): chill out/relax, hang out with friends

5. cognitive displaysia (n): the feeling you have before you even leave the house that you are going to forget something and not remember it until you're on the highway

6. gription (n): the purchase gained by friction: "My car needs new tires because the old ones have lost their gription."

7. phonecrastinate (v): to put off answering the phone until caller ID displays the incoming name and number

8. slickery (adj): having a surface that is wet and icy

9. snirt (n): snow that is dirty, often seen by the side of roads and parking lots that have been plowed

10. lingweenie (n): a person incapable of producing neologisms

Son Volt: A Retrospective 1995-2000

Rhino has announced plans to release Son Volt: A Retrospective 1995-2000 on May 24th. The 20-track compilation will feature 5 unreleased tracks alongside album tracks, rarities and demos. Liner notes from veteran rock critic and NPR contributor, Ed Ward, are also included. In conjunction with this compilation, there will be several exclusive tracks available for download on May 24: “Going, Going, Gone” from Switchback ep (Yahoo), “Medicine Hat” acoustic performance from WFUV (Napster), “Driving the View” 4-track demo (Real Rhapsody on May 31st), and “Flow” from Acoustic Café (MSN).

SON VOLT
A RETROSPECTIVE 1995-2000

1: DROWN
2: WINDFALL
3: ROUTE
4: REX’S BLUES
5: LOOKING AT THE WORLD THROUGH A WINDSHIELD
6: TOO EARLY
7: BACK INTO YOUR WORLD
8: PICKING UP THE SIGNAL
9: I’VE GOT TO KNOW*
10: CREOSOTE
11: STRAIGHTFACE
12: TULSA COUNTY
13: DRIVING THE VIEW
14: AIN’T NO MORE CANE*
15: FLOW
16: HOLOCAUST
17: TEAR STAINED EYE (Four Track Demo)*
18: LOOSE STRING (Four Track Demo)*
19: MEDICINE HAT (Live – Acoustic Café)*
20: OPEN ALL NIGHT

*Previously Unissued

<More Info>

You may be able to give someone a second chance

FRISCO - About three months after his twin boys were born, Mark McCrerey developed full-blown jaundice, accompanied by extreme fatigue and brain encephalitis.

He had been number 168 on the liver donor recipient list - which meant it would have taken about three years to get one.

But when he developed an infection which left him unable to eat or get out of bed, he ended up in the intensive care unit and moved up to No. 1 on the list. Doctors said he would have died within 24 hours had he not received a transplant.

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Spring is here!

Yellow Tulip from Neal & Tara's backyard.

Mapquest Got Ya Lost?

I have officially abandoned Mapquest. Try Google maps out. More info below.

NPJ

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Google Maps, while still in Beta test, are incredible. They're very intuitive, well designed, interactive, and the search capabilities are amazing. While there are still some snags, the site is one to be utilized if you're looking for directions or maps of anyplace in the U.S. or Canada. Visit Their Web Site

Pros Excellent search capabilities - very intuitive!
Visually appealing maps.
Maps include parks, airports, hospitals, malls, and other points of interest.

Cons Only covers U.S. and Canada.
The site has problems understanding that you want to see a new region.
Sometimes ZIP Codes are needed to make the site understand.


Description
Type in any unique place into the search, such as an address, a business name, an airport code, etc.
The resulting map will show options on the right-hand side with little balloon indicators.
Zoom the map on the left side or by using plus and minus buttons.
Zoom in for comprehensive street maps including almost every street name.
Obtaining directions to or from a location is easy by using the indicator balloon.
Type in a type of business like "pizza" and a ZIP Code and Google Maps will locate nearby options.
Pan by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse or by using the arrow keys.
Pan wide stretches of territory by using home, end, page up, and page down.
Type something like "Richmond, VA to Boston, MA" to get directions.
Spelling and capitalization doesn't count!
Guide Review - Google Maps
Google Maps is the next generation in online mapping. Their search is smart and intuitive and one can search for just about anything - the name of a business or point of interest, an address, or a city and up will pop an attractive map. The map is easily panned and zoomed through mouse or keystrokes and the street names and road outlines are crisply displayed. Directions are clear and follow the roads in vivid lines. I'm thoroughly impressed, despite the minor bugs that keep the search from being rated A+++. Google Maps is where I now go to map and address or for driving directions, they did a great job and I know the site will get even better!

Source: Geography About.Com

This is Funny

A little boy comes down to breakfast. Since they live on a farm, his mother asks if he had done his chores. "Not yet," said the little boy.

His mother tells him no breakfast until he does his chores. Well, he's a little angry, so he goes to feed the chickens, and kicks a chicken. He goes to feed the cows, and he kicks a cow. He goes to feed the pigs, and he kicks a pig.

He goes back in for breakfast and his mother gives him a bowl of dry cereal. "How come I don't get any eggs and bacon? Why don't I have any milk in my cereal?" he asks.

"Well," his mother says, "I saw you kick the cow, so for a week you aren't getting any milk. I saw you kick a chicken, so you don't get any eggs for a week. I saw you kick the pig, so you don't get any bacon for a week either."

Just then, his father comes down for breakfast and kicks the cat halfway across the kitchen. The little boy looks up at his mother with a smile, and says, "Are you going to tell him or should I ?"

There Will Be a Light

This is not your Mamma's gospel music. There is a reason this record won 2 Grammy's. Check it out if you get a chance. -- NPJ

Jam Nation hero Ben Harper tones down his lap-slide guitar flash in favor of the holy spirit for this blend of originals and gospel classics, his first full-length album with the historic singing group. They've worked together before, on the Blind Boys' excellent Higher Ground and Spirit of the Century, but here the pairing that Harper has termed "a spiritual soul movement" sounds like an outright tent-revival mission. His fevered wah-wah strutting and sweet high voice take their places in the chorus alongside the raw-throated howl of Blind Boys leader Clarence Fountain and his fellow bass George Scott, who plead for salvation like powerful old lions on "Take My Hand." The group's alto, Jimmy Carter, sails over the funky, hiccupping blues beat put down by Harper's Innocent Criminals on the classic "Satisfied Mind." The best cut may be Harper's "Picture of Jesus," a country-music-informed adventure in old-school church harmonizing with the passionate power to touch souls.

--Ted Drozdowski

<More Info>

Fast Food Nation

A friend turned me on to this book and it is really fascinating. I highly recommend it. Warning, you may never drink another milkshake after you find out all of the ingredients! - NPJ

You are what you eat. But do you really know what you’re eating?

Britain eats more fast food than any other country in Europe. Rates of obesity and food poisoning spiral upwards, but it seems we just can’t get enough of those tasty burgers and fries.

This myth-shattering book tells the story of America and the world’s infatuation with fast food, from its origins in 1950s southern California to the global triumph of a handful of burger and fried chicken chains. In a meticulously researched and powerfully argued account, Eric Schlosser visits the labs where scientists re-create the smell and taste of everything - from cooked meat to fresh strawberries; talks to the workers at abattoirs with some of the worst safety records in the world; explains exactly where the meat comes from and just why the fries taste so good; and looks at the way the fast food industry is transforming not only our diet but our landscape, economy, workforce and culture.

Both funny and terrifying, Fast Food Nation will make you think, but more than that, it might make you realize you don’t want a quick bite after all.

<More Details Here>

You Want Fingers with That?

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A diner at a Wendy's fast food restaurant in San Jose, California, found a human finger in a bowl of chili prepared by the chain, local officials said on Wednesday.

AP Photo

"This individual apparently did take a spoonful, did have a finger in their mouth and then, you know, spit it out and recognized it," said Ben Gale, director of the department of environmental health for Santa Clara County. "Then they had some kind of emotional reaction and vomited."

Local officials launched an investigation after the incident on Tuesday night and the medical examiner determined on Wednesday that the object was a human finger.

Officials are trying to determine if the finger came in the raw materials Wendy's used to prepare the chili, Gale said.

Wendy's International Inc. corporate office did not immediately return a call for comment. Wendy's is the third-largest hamburger chain.

Man peed way out of avalanche

A Slovak man trapped in his car under an avalanche freed himself by drinking 60 bottles of beer and urinating on the snow to melt it.

Rescue teams found Richard Kral drunk and staggering along a mountain path four days after his Audi car was buried in the Slovak Tatra mountains.
He told them that after the avalanche, he had opened his car window and tried to dig his way out.

But as he dug with his hands, he realised the snow would fill his car before he managed to break through. He had 60 half-litre bottles of beer in his car as he was going on holiday, and after cracking one open to think about the problem he realised he could urinate on the snow to melt it, local media reported.

He said: "I was scooping the snow from above me and packing it down below the window, and then I peed on it to melt it. It was hard and now my kidneys and liver hurt. But I'm glad the beer I took on holiday turned out to be useful and I managed to get out of there."
Parts of Europe have this week been hit by the heaviest snowfalls since 1941, with some places registering more than ten feet of snow in 24 hours.

Source: ananova.com

Blue Tongue Shiraz offers powerful flavor for less than $5

I tried this last week and it was excellent especially for the price. Although I have not yet been able to find it for less that $5.
-NPJ
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the seventh and final -- for awhile -- Australian wine I have written about since the beginning of the year. That just goes to show how strong Australia is in producing great drinkable wines at good prices.

This Blue Tongue Shiraz is no exception, being slickly packaged and packing a ton of fruit and pleasure for less than $5 per bottle. It takes real savvy to be able to bring a wine of this quality to the market in that price category.

There is a serious winemaking team behind this effort featuring juice blended from several different vineyard sites in southern Australia. The name of the wine comes from the dangerous Blue Tongue lizard that bites with a vengeance and doesn't let go, which is what the producers want you to do with this wine.

In the glass, Blue Tongue Shiraz is a deep crimson red with underlying purplish-pink streaks and a deeply opaque core going out into a purplish-red rim and medium-high viscosity.

On the nose, there is an amazing plethora of toffee, crme caramel, vanilla extract, crushed blackberries, soft black licorice, juice from Bing cherries and peppery mineral undernotes.

In the mouth, it hits you like a black fruit-laden freight train, filled with ripe supple cherries, blackberries, brambleberry juice and tons of licorice, star anise and slightly spicy pepper, then minerals and oak references. The midpalate is solid black fruit and licorice going into a lengthy powerful finish with serious structure.

A big Australian wine, Blue Tongue Shiraz requires some time out of the bottle before consumption. Try it with a black pepper-crusted grilled ahi tuna and a bed of truffle mashed potatoes. It will be good now through 2006.

Wine: Blue Tongue Australian Shiraz

Grape: Shiraz

Region: Victoria, South Australia

Vintage: 2001

Price: $4.99

Gil Lempert-Schwarz writes his wine column each Wednesday. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749 or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.

The King Of Beers Selects Its Newest American-Style Lager To Launch Nationally

Beer drinkers across the country will have a reason to celebrate as Anheuser-Busch launches Budweiser Select, a “new kind of beer” that is brewed for a “crisp taste with no aftertaste.” Budweiser Select will be introduced with a television ad on the Feb. 6 Super Bowl broadcast on FOX. The new brew will be available nationwide Feb. 21.

“The consumer response to Budweiser Select has been great. Beer drinkers in the test markets are excited about the brand, so we decided to roll it out nationally much earlier than planned,” said Don Meyer, director of Budweiser Select marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “With approximately 100 million viewers watching the Super Bowl, we can’t think of a better opportunity to introduce Budweiser Select.”

“Crisp taste with no aftertaste” delivers a true consumer product point of difference. In addition, Budweiser Select has only 3.1 grams of carbohydrates, 99 calories and 4.3 percent alcohol by volume per 12 oz. serving. Budweiser Select was developed using two-row and roasted specialty malts for a rich color. The brand spends approximately twice as long as regular beers in the brewhouse. The brewhouse is where grains are milled, mixed with water, and mashed. A blend of aromatic domestic and imported hops provides the perfect balance and flavor.

With its eye-catching graphics, and unique “pinch neck” bottle, Budweiser Select is a sophisticated, upscale beer for all drinking occasions. Brewed at seven of Anheuser-Busch’s 12 breweries including Columbus, Ohio; Houston, Jacksonville, Fla.; Los Angeles; Newark, N.J., Williamsburg, Va.; and Fort Collins, Col., Budweiser Select will be available in a full package line.

“Anheuser-Busch is an innovator in the beer industry, and Budweiser Select is one of several new beer brands we recently have developed,” said Meyer. “With Budweiser Select we are meeting consumers’ demands for variety and sophistication, while providing a beer that will immediately be recognized as high quality because it’s part of the Budweiser brand family.”

On January 25, Anheuser-Busch announced the national launch of BE, a beer infused with caffeine, guarana and ginseng.
Budweiser Select is priced on par with Budweiser and Bud Light and supported by a full line of point-of-sale and merchandising materials in addition to television, outdoor, radio and print advertising. Ad agencies for Budweiser Select include DDB Chicago, TBWA\CHIAT\DAY Los Angeles and Modernista Boston.

Nana, Nene, Nini, Nono...

Below are four ( 4 ) questions. You have to answer them instantly.
You can't take your time, answer all of them immediately. OK?
Let's find out just how clever you really are.

Ready? GO!!! (scroll down)
























First Question:

You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What
position are you in?

Answer: If you answered that you are first, then you are absolutely wrong!
If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second!

Try not to screw up in the next question.
To answer the second question, don't take as much time as you took for
the first question.


















Second Question:
If you overtake the last person, then you are...?







Answer: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong
again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST Person?

You're not very good at this! Are you?
























Third Question:
Very tricky math! Note: This must be done in your head only.

Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.

Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30.

Add another 1000. Now add 20. Now add another 1000
Now add 10. What is the total?

Did you get 5000 ?

The correct answer is actually 4100.

Don't believe it? Check with your calculator! Today is definitely not
your day. Maybe you will get the last question right?



















Fourth Question
Mary's father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono.
What is the name of the fifth daughter?








Answer: Nunu?



NO! Of course not.
Her name is Mary . Read the question again.




More illusions HERE.

Michelob Ultra Wants Consumers to Step up to the 10k A Day Challenge

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Ever wonder how many steps you take in a day? Do you know what's recommended? The answer is 10,000 steps a day and Michelob ULTRA has set out to help adults reach this goal by offering the 10K A Day challenge. For 100 days, Michelob ULTRA's 10K A Day offers pedometers which count your steps, interactive online tracking, and weekly prizes such as treadmills through http://www.MichelobULTRA.com to help participants reach the goal of 10,000 steps a day.

"Michelob ULTRA is a brand designed for the active lifestyle beer drinker and we believe challenging adults to take 10,000 steps a day, and providing them with the tools necessary to track their success, is a great way to help them make their New Year's Resolution goal last into spring," said Mike Sundet, brand manager, Michelob ULTRA. "The 10K A Day program is a fun, interactive way to connect with adult beer drinkers who live an active lifestyle."

By going to http://www.ultra10k.com, adults 21 years of age and older can register to participate in the 10K A Day challenge. Through this site adults 21 and older can order pedometers, input their daily step totals, and sort and track their progress. The site will automatically provide a daily average of steps taken. To encourage success, participants will receive inspirational, fun e-mails and will have the chance to enter a 10K A Day sweepstakes that offers weekly prize giveaways.

Michelob ULTRA is a smooth, refreshing lager with 95 calories, 4.2 percent alcohol by volume and 2.6 grams of carbohydrates per 12-oz. serving. Michelob ULTRA is brewed using the finest pale two-row and Munich six-row barley, select grains, all-imported hops and a pure cultured yeast strain. The special choice of grains, combined with the extended mash process, produces a smooth, refreshing beer with fewer carbohydrates.

Work Got Ya Bored?

Fun Stuff

Are you Bored of your training sessions?



Do you need some motivation and inspiration?




Are seeking a little excitement in the office?



If the answer is Yes, then we could have the answer...



Play the new BBC
Learning game - BBC Learning...to the rescue - and relieve the boredom.



*More Office E-lympic games coming soon!





In the meantime.....



Why not give those braincells a workout with Memory Mayhem



 

Click here to play
Memory Mayhem

Check out Goby

My good friend's band Goby has just released a new album entitled Bunnyman Bridge. They are really good. Check them out by clicking on the banner below. You can download some MP3s for a listen. If you like what you here be sure to vote for them.