From the Peep on the Street

(I was searching online for something and read this. Thought it was hilarious. Two thumbs up to Andy wherever you are...)

THE END OF THE WORLD IS NEAR... but first I needed to get some Flip Flops and clean underwear. Mom always says "Don't get caught in the Apocalypse with dirty underwear." So I hit my neighborhood Target.

You know Target has really come along way since I was a kid. I remember when it was un-cool to go to Target, we called it" La Tarshea`" (misspelled) so that it would sound fancy and okay that we shopped there because it was funny. But now you can hold your head high as you walk past the guy begging for money and say "Not today lad, ever since George Bush has been in office I can barely afford my Flip Flops and clean underwear."As I made my way past the concession stand that sells Icee's, Super Pretzels and what has to be some of the best Pop-Corn ever made.

I noticed the Easter section, now I don't have kids and I'm Catholic so I'm not religious, but I do know a little about what Easter is all about. As I stood there looking at all the candy, stuffed animals and other crap. I wondered when did NASCAR have anything to do with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, I actually picked up this huge can full of all kinds of goodies and toys. On the side of this tin-can was a picture from number 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. giving a big thumbs up, didn't his father get killed racing. I never hear about him rising from the dead three days later. I can understand hiding the eggs, getting all dressed up and eating a great meal; it makes up for sitting in church for two hours and having your Catholic guilt rejuvenated.... I'm kidding... I don't go to church. I'm kidding, no I'm not.... Yes I am. But really, Jesus didn't die on the cross so that we would buy commercialized junk with "High School Musical" on it.

So I picked up the Bible and found that I was wrong and from the Book of Hershey's I found this passage:

And Jesus looked down from the cross and saw his mother the Virgin Mary holding a brightly colored basket, "Mother come forth and give me a Peep? Mary reached into the basket and pushed aside the plastic green grass and pulled out a chocolate rabbit, "Forgive me son for I have eaten the last Peep, it's been a bad day and you know I'm a nervous eater, but I give upon you my last chocolate covered peanut butter bunny. Jesus then twitched his nose and said "Look again mother, look into the basket and tell me what you have found." In the "Bratz" themed basket, Mary found not one Peep, but many Peeps. "TA-DA!" Jesus went on to say. "On this day I say unto you, do not eat all the Peeps in one sitting for they will surly make your stomach hurt." "Okay." Mary said; but Jesus could not understand her for her mouth was full of the yellow sugar covered marshmallow treat. Amen!

Now you know why Catholics' use Peeps in the Communion ceremony.

I guess it just rubbed me the wrong way; I won't go as far as to boycott Target because it's still pretty close to the house and they do have some pretty good sales on Flip Flops and clean underwear.

Happy Easter.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/target-store-dallas (Thanks Andy v.funny)

Larger Than Life

I'm not sure many of you have the June 2007 issue of Art & Antiques magazine sitting around but I was fortunate enough to have had several magazines donated to the project I'm working on and there it was...

on the cover...
a GIANT
ORANGE
BADMINTON
SHUTTLECOCK!

Art or craziness?

Have you ever seen the giant button in Philadelphia on Penn's campus? The same two artists. Meet artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Brugon and they are the team behind badminton and the button. By the way, you can see the shuttlecock at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri or online at http://oldenburgvanbruggen.com/shuttlecocks.htm.

Check out the Bat Column (pictured) in Chicago.

They have some other amazing pieces as well. Be sure to visit their site at http://www.oldenburgvanbruggen.com/lsp.htm. The pieces are larger than life!

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

(by Max Ehrmann)

Voluntourism Trips

From Daily Candy, very cool.


You got a heart of gold — and a second helping of wanderlust. Do good with your good time when you take a vacation that lets you raise money, raise awareness, and even raise walls. Don’t worry: You’ll still have fun.

Hands Up Holidays takes you to Peru to teach English or Spanish (eres genial!) and repair buildings, and to Kenya for bird monitoring and tree planting. DailyCandy’s favorite trip is the Yucatan Explorer: You assist the elderly, but the biking, snorkeling, and kayaking sound more like fun than work. We love the site because it lets you search for trips by comfort level — meaning your benevolent bones won’t have to make do with a tent.

Forgo the jungle for the sea on an Earthwatch expedition. Voluntourists do scientific field research or conservation work in one of 40 countries. Help preserve dolphins while living in a teensy Greek village; travel to the Bering Sea to study declining seal, sea lion, and otter populations; or band too-cute penguins in South Africa.

Trek Amfar’s physically challenging fund-raisers generate money for the group’s research programs and global initiatives. In order to go you must raise at least $10,000. (Dad? Can you do me a favor?) Past excursions have gone to China, Vietnam, and Namibia. This year, it’s a twelve-day hike over Northern Thailand’s Old Elephant Trail through breathtaking countryside.

Who says giving back can’t be glam? The Ritz-Carlton Give Back Getaways let you be do-gooder by day, pampered guest by night. Guard turtles in Cancun, build homes in Jakarta, help save the wetlands in Marina del Rey. Afterward? A well-deserved sleep at the Ritz (if you wish).
And a satisfaction that money can’t buy.

For more voluntour opportunities all over the world, go to voluntourism.org.

A Bit of Wisdom

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best.
Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side as long as you are true to the best that it is in you!
--Christian D. Larson