Monthly Archives: July 2012

Best Day Ever? The Bob Ross Remix Hits the Streets

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Bob Ross

Bob Ross

A few weeks ago I shared a remix of Mister Rogers. And I pondered the other great 80’s remixes I’d love to hear.

But I didn’t know it could be this good.

You know what’s hot in the streets right now?! The Bob Ross remix.

Mrs. Dude is slightly too young to understand Bob Ross. And I feel sorry for her.

Bob Ross was the man. He kept us company after school on many occasions.

Such a cool cat. It’s impossible to watch this video and not smile. I want to hang out with Bob Ross.

And his paintings are ridiculous. He would whip together some happy little trees, a happy mountain, toss in some happy clouds, and a happy little brook rolling down a hill passed a happy little house in minutes.

And he’d get his audience to believe that they could do it too. FYI – it’s not as easy as it looks. At least it wasn’t when I was eight.

Not to mention that AMAZING hair. Love the dude.

By the way, there were a bunch of Bob Ross episodes. I think he was on every afternoon. As a result, you would imagine there would be a bunch of Bob Ross paintings floating around. Nope. I’ve searched, and there are very few around at high prices. Bummer.

I’m saving my pennies for a Bob Ross original. It’s sure to tie the whole house together.

R I P Bob.

Classic…

  • “Believe that you can do it. ‘Cause you can do it.
  • “This is your world. You’re the creator.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLO7tCdBVrA[/youtube]

The Zen of “Sure”

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Sure

Sure

I’ve been on a bit of a blogging hiatus. Mrs. Dude has me working a second job painting the sun room.

We should be able to drop the brushes soon and get back to life without painting.

In the meantime, ponder the Zen of “sure.”

It turns out the Dude and/or Mrs. Dude must use the word “sure” from time to time. Little Dude has adopted “sure” as his “yes,” and he uses is ALL the time.

Almost any affirmative statement has become “sure.” It’s hilarious.

  • Do you want a Popsicle? Sure.
  • Let’s get your shoes on. Sure
  • Get down from there. Sure.
  • Do you want to go outside? Sure.

I’ve realized that “sure” is  the perfect word. It fits almost any situation and the interpretation is left open-ended. Small inflections make big a difference.

Is that sarcastic? Is that enthusiastic? Is he just tolerating me? I guess that means “yes”?

I may adopt “sure” as my new way to navigate life. I’m just going to respond with “sure” to everything that comes my way.

The Zen of “Sure.”

It’s a lot like “Dude”…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyMSSe7cOvA[/youtube]

Words of Wisdom from the US Forest Service

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Check out this awesome list of “What to do When Lost in the Woods” from the US Forest Service way back in 1946.

It’s a practical list that can save a life in a dangerous situation, but as Brain Pickings points out, it’s also a great guide for those of us that lose our creative way. Very cool to see practical and creative joining forces.

Hats off to Brain Pickings for sharing the love – I’ve said this before, but if you haven’t checked out the B.P., you definitely should.

Words of Wisdom from the US Forest Service

Words of Wisdom from the US Forest Service

32 Year Old Dude Interviewed by 12 Year Old Self

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I don’t know anything about Jeremiah McDonald, but he has completely won the Dude over.

An awesome idea played out to perfection. 12 year old Jeremiah interviews his 32 year old self. 20 years later. 1992 – 2012. Classic.

Very clever. Very charming. Kudos Jeremiah.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFGAQrEUaeU[/youtube]

The Police Tape App. May You Never Have to Use It.

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I’ve railed against The Man on number of occasions – big government, big corporations, however you want to define that. It’s no secret the Dude isn’t a fan of some aspects of the current state of the world, and the negative seems to be spreading.

There’s still plenty of positive, and an abundance of great to be jazzed about. But we seem to be watching the slow demise of a way of life we used to take for granted.

How’s that economy doing? Yeah, about to tumble off a cliff any day now. And those civil liberties? We’re in America, right? Have you gone to an airport lately? The security checkpoints are about the most degrading thing I’ve experienced – second only to my time in the military…which is about as degrading as you can get.

I’ve often thought that if you don’t have anything to hide, then you shouldn’t have to worry about the government. But I don’t feel that way any more. The Man is a scary beast that is not afraid to ruin lives to keep itself alive.

The Police are meant to “serve and protect.” In the past I believed this serving and protecting was for the US citizens, but I’m growing to believe that the serving and protecting is for The Man. And it’s safe to say I’m not a fan of this military-style transition we are witnessing slowly unfold.

I hope you and I never have a reason to use this, but here is a pretty nifty app from the New Jersey ACLU that attempts to give some power back to the people. And like the Founding Fathers that are rolling over in their graves these days, I’m a fan of the people having as much power as they can snatch from The Man.

The Police Tape App. Unfortunately, the IPhone app isn’t out yet, so I haven’t tested this, but it’s a pretty cool idea. Here’s a video with a quick overview…nice stop-motion marketing ACLU!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a85JsJZsdIM[/youtube]

Real Life Hot Wheels! Little Dude Is In Love

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Little Dude Car Love

Little Dude Car Love

Little Dude LOVES cars.

I had a plethora of Matchbox and/or Hot Wheels when the Dude was a youngin’, but I don’t think my love ran as deep as Little Dude’s.

Cars are a constant. The movie, the toys, clothes, tooth brush & tooth paste…he even digs NASCAR! He travels everywhere with a handful of cars. His current favorite is Light Queen (i.e. Lightning McQueen) and Monsta (i.e. a monster truck). But the favorites change by the hour.

It’s awesome to see his love of life taking shape. Regardless of what anyone else thinks, Little Dude knows what he loves – luckily, the Dude is still high on that love list.

So, when I saw these real life Hot Wheels doing loops, I knew I had to spread the car love…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6PQ49B5Gpw&feature=plcp[/youtube]

Napping Really is the Bees Knees…and Here’s the Infographic to Prove It!

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As the self-proclaimed King of Naps, I feel it is my duty to kick some napping knowledge when I have the opportunity. And today just happens to be a nap knowledge kicking day!

Check out this awesome infographic proving once and for all that napping truly is the bees knees.

A couple points before the pretty pictures…

  • I miss working from home when I could siesta everyday. Sad face.
  • How about pilots Nasa’ing while the plane is in flight?! You know I love a nap, but that one even freaks me out a bit. Hey co-pilot, wake up and take the wheel for a couple minutes, huh?
  • A swinging bed makes us sleep faster. Yeah, Little Dude can attest to that after the first 6 months of his sleeping life were spent in a swing.

I need a nap.

Napping Infographic

Napping Infographic

First Pictures of the Newest Dude Bambino!

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Mrs. Dude, Little Dude, and your’s truly made an hour + trek to the baby doctor the other day for our first baby appointment. We are officially 13 weeks preggo now, and probably should have had an earlier visit, but we’ve had a difficult time determining the Doc of our choice.

We’re stuck in an interesting position. The closest hospital – the joint where Little Dude was welcomed into the world – is not very open to natural birth techniques. In fact, their c-section rate is almost 50%! That’s ridonculous.

Now, the odds of us having a c-section are pretty slim considering Mrs. Dude’s awesome performances for bambinos numero uno and numer dos, but that stat is pretty telling for the overall birthing atmosphere. And we are all about a natural birth.

We’d love to have this baby born in a tub in our bedroom, but NC has some pretty crazy restrictions on home births. As a result, we are seeking a happy middle ground, a great midwife in a medical facility. However, this middle ground is over an hour from our house.

So, we’ll trek an hour to see the Doc and/or midwife for the next six months. However, I see potential for some excitement around the birth.

In the birth story I wrote about Little Dude’s entrance into the world, you’ll notice that from the water breaking through laboring at home, driving to the hospital and giving birth, we only covered a three hour period. Heck, the doctor didn’t even make it to the birth. The nurse and Mrs. Dude’s Mom, Nina, helped Little Dude make his entrance. And this hospital was only 15 minutes from the house.

So, how are we going to get over an hour on the third baby with Mrs. Dude trying to labor in a car? Great question.

We’ll work that out when the time comes. For now, we are jazzed about the great visit we had with a Doc that we could relate to, and we’re looking forward to meeting with the midwife.

We had the pleasure of seeing the little bean – or peach I guess – on the ultrasound, and he/she was even jumping around a bit – another lunatic like Little Dude?! Little Dude even seemed to enjoy seeing his newest sibling, although he still changes the subject when we ask him where the baby is. 🙂

Here’s the first picture of the newest Dude bambino. Best looking ultrasound you’ve ever seen, right?

Newest Dude Bambino

Newest Dude Bambino