Thanksgiving Parade in New York City

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade never ceases to amaze. People line the streets like it's the end of the world, and they wait for each new float with bated breath. We saw the tail end of the parade this year and were amazed by the number of people watching the event. As soon as the last cheerleader passed, the police removed barricades and people flowed onto Seventh Avenue and down 42nd Street. More people than we've ever seen in Manhattan, and that's saying something!

From Cry-Baby to Sanctuary

In the movie Cry-Baby many of the lead characters parade through life with doo-wop hair styles. Styles that need copious amounts of hair supplements. Even though they don't show this in the movie, you know they're using pomade like it's going out of stock. Other fictional characters were fond of the product, including Faulkner's Popeye from the novel Sanctuary. He even used pomade on the day he was executed. Vain to the end. Now, that's the way to be a bad guy and go out in style!

Third

Third is a relative term. It is a family oriented term if you have three in the family. It can mean one more than two. But third also refers to third base. When Alex Rodriguez plays in the field he is on third base. Sometimes I think third can also refer to the planet Earth because we are the third from the Sun. And it can refer to the third of any series. For this reason the word third is one of my favorite words, and it is a favorite in my family, too.

How I Tell My Friends to Dance

There are many kind of families and they have many ways of dealing with their children. But one universal is that kids need play. And dance is my favorite form of play. That is my passion. I like tap, ballet, and jazz dancing.

One thing necessary for tap is good dance shoes. Another thing that is necessary is a type of dance shoe that is appropriate for the dance you are doing. A friend of mine regularly uses sneakers. I have told him repeatedly that he would do better with appropriate attire, such as a professionally constructed and designed dance shoe. Every time my friend dances he slips, and I laugh because he is not interested in hearing about professional shoes, although he should be.

How to Simulate Fog on a Movie Set

As a child growing up in the eastern part of the United Stated I am exposed to a prodigious amount of pollution. One form of pollution that I don't mind, however, is Backwoods cigars. They are aromatic and pleasant to the nose. My friends who travel by ship often tell me about their experiences on the movie set where they were filming Moby Dick. They said the director and the crew were all smoking cigars and they even incorporated them into the movie. At one point the cigar smoke was used to simulate fog.

Me and Santa

Here I am with Santa. He was very nice to me and he gave me a few suggestions for how to deal with Christmas past and Christmas present. After my visit with him I went to my first movie and saw the film A Christmas Carol, directed by Roger Zemeckis. I was good throughout the whole movie and ate a pretzel and didn't cry once. I wasn't scared either. The special effects didn't impress me. I prefer a good story and human emotion rather than stick figures and cardboard people.

My Favorite Avant-Garde Children's Author

William S. Burroughs said that he wished he lived in New York all his life. But his life in New Jersey was far from optimal. His thoughts of finding a working and workable drug rehab never really materialized. Instead, he became one of America's most avant-garde writers. He would continually harangue his friends with stories about his experiences, good and bad, and one day he jotted them all down and the rest, as they say, is history. Not only was he prolific, but he was full of poetry. I bet he would have loved the Bowery Poetry Club. He would have felt at home, not so much for their menu as for their poetry acts and shows.

A Child of Her Age

Three simple solutions for three simple problems: First, barcode scanners, which solve the problem of efficiency. Second, hand-held calculators, which solve the problem of calculation. And third, smokeless cigarettes, which solve the problem of degenerative lung disease. All are modern marvels, and all can be integrated into the modern office environment with ease and style. Especially if you're looking forward to the twenty-first century way of living. And as a child of her age, I sure am!

Toys I Love

I like balls and blocks. But most of all I like water bottles. My favorite are Dasani water bottles. Next I like America's Choice quart bottles. I don't know what it is about them, but there's something attractive for a kid like me. Maybe it's the plastic and the feel of the soft bottle. Maybe it's the shiny coloring and the bright lettering on the bottles. Maybe they remind me of my baby bottles! Whatever it is, I know one thing for sure. Even when I grow up I'm going to love them.

Running on Empty Works for Me

November brings the rain, June the sun, and April the flowers of Spring. But an office supply that never runs out of bargains brings smiles all year long. That's why I am a child of the ages and love to shop where I can and when I can. It doesn't matter to me that it's November and the skies are gray. I love to run out in the droplets of drizzle and do my thing. I like hibernating on a cold December morning and then taking up my pen and pencil and making notes for my blog, secure in the knowledge that I have what I need and can go from there.

Ray Bradbury and Apartment Hunting

Now is not the time to be worried about meeting the winter, because the winter looks like it will be mild. Instead it's time to look at apartments for rent. This is the season to get a good Ray Bradbury novel out of the library, curl up with a good book by the fire, and then after that do some research into where you want to live next. If you're reading a book like Something Wicked This Way Comes you may be scared out of your wits. But that's par for the course in Bradburyland. But don't let that deter you from apartment hunting. Even a child could do it . . . and I should know!

Do NOT Let Your Child Get Flu Vaccine - 9 Reasons Why

1. The swine flu is simply another flu. It is not unusually deadly.
2. This is the first time both seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines will be administered. Both seasonal flu and swine flu vaccines will require two inoculations. This is because single inoculations have failed to produce sufficient antibodies. This is an admission that prior flu vaccines were virtually useless. Can you trust them this time?
3. Adjuvants are added to vaccines to boost production of antibodies but may trigger autoimmune reactions. Some adjuvants are mercury (thimerosal), aluminum and squalene. Why would you sign a consent form for your children to be injected with mercury, which is even more brain-toxic than lead?
4. This is the first year mock vaccines have been used to gain FDA approval. The vaccines that have been tested are not the same vaccines your children will be given.
5. Over-vaccination is a common practice now in America. American children are subjected to 29 vaccines by the age of two. Meanwhile, veterinarians have backed off of repeat vaccination in dogs because of observed side effects.
6. Modern medicine has no explanation for autism, despite its continued rise in prevalence. Yet autism is not reported among Amish children who go unvaccinated.
7. Researchers are warning that over-use of the flu vaccine and anti-flu drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza can apply genetic pressure on flu viruses and then they are more likely to mutate into a more deadly strain.
8. Most seasonal influenza A (H1N1) virus strains tested from the United States and other countries are now resistant to Tamiflu (oseltamivir). Tamiflu has become a nearly worthless drug against seasonal flu.
9. Public health officials are irresponsible in their omission of any ways to strengthen immunity against the flu. No options outside of problematic vaccines and anti-flu drugs are offered, despite the fact there is strong evidence that vitamins C and D activate the immune system and the trace mineral selenium prevents the worst form of the disease.

From mercola.com.

Something from a Flying Saucer - Or a New Diet?

"There is no way to lose abdominal fat," I said a few years ago. Then there appeared research about the best way to lose belly fat. I believe that the best method is Japanese seaweed. It is tasteless. It is economical. And it is plentiful. The only problem is finding a good source. Our janitor went to Japan last year and brought back a sample in an ice-cylinder. It looked like something out of an Orson Welles movie. But he showed us how to add mustard and rice and enjoy it. Kids love it too.

Why I Like to Shop at Home

The yearly rainfall has no relation to shopping. The temperature is irrelevant. The only thing that impacts behavior on Black Friday is the drive to purchase. Buy.com offers some of the easiest ways to enjoy this shopping extravaganza. Without leaving home. Without worrying about the weather. And without a care in the world for temperature or traffic or any of the myriad of other troubles that typical shoppers face. You can do it all from the convenience of your computer keyboard.

Mick Jagger and Weight Loss

Why is Mick Jagger so thin? Is it because he eats a good diet? If so, what is that diet? Could it be that he knows some health secrets? Does he have a good doctor? Is it a result of being on the road a lot while touring? Eating in cheap restaurants? Eating on the road?

How Mick Jagger Keeps Slim

No, I did not go to the latest Aerosmith concert. But my father thinks he saw the band when they were at "The Box," a nightclub near Boston University. They were not using the best fat burner at the time. They were all thin, though. The amazing thing is that most rock stars are thin. Take Mick Jagger for example. Have you ever seen him with his shirt off? He is really thin. How do they do it? Maybe it's all the discipline of focusing on their music -- they don't have time to eat.

How I Get My Theater Up and Running

Natives in Borneo have no idea what they're missing! Theater mounts can make a home entertainment center something to write home about. Children from any culture can appreciate the fine furniture and theater accessories. They can also enjoy the movies they'll see. Like Barney and Fantasia and many others. My favorite is the Disney classic Snow White. But I like all kinds of films and documentaries. I even saw one about broccoli.