Neutral Christmas Escape...

Just an update to escape-the-room fans...Neutral's charming Christmas banner mini game is available to play throughout the month of December.

Read my Jay is Games review of the game for more information, links to Neutral's site and a walkthrough.

Keeping Perspective...

The above words may or may not have been written by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, but they are beautiful and merit contemplation anyway. Happiness is an attitude. When it's a bit fuzzy, changing focus may be all that's needed to bring it into clarity again.

And now for something completely different...

Perhaps not completely different, being it's on a subject we all have to deal with sometime (and will hopefully be more solemn and respectful of when those times come), but as morbid as it may be, this video has gone viral on the laurels of being "best PSA evah!" Commentary? I have none except it's a fun tune and I like fun tunes. Way to make a song about death sound so cheerful and catchy, eh?

We Are So Thankful...

In honor of Veterans Day and in this month when we here in the United States are reminded to be thankful, I'd like to highlight an organization that turns our words of gratitude into a concrete gesture of appreciation and respect: The Fisher House Foundation.

_{UnitedHealthcare's WellnessAd program funding supports the Fisher House "Sponsor A Family" program at the Naval Medical Center Fisher Houses in San Diego, California and at Joint Base Lewis McChord Fisher House in Seattle, Washington.}

The Fisher House ensures that military personal injured during their service to our country have the one thing that medical care cannot guarantee: the presence and support of loved ones. When a service member is hospitalized or in long term care, it is not always within range of their home town and family members. Fisher House provides a place for family to stay, so they can be close by to give love and encouragement to these heroes who have sacrificed their health for our safety and continued prosperity. With locations at every major medical facility, the "Fisher House Foundation donates comfort homes, built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times - during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury."

You can donate to and read more about The Fisher House Foundation on their website: www.fisherhouse.org.

You can also help by simply spreading the word: please share this on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you and Happy Veterans Day to the great men and women who have served for our rights and our freedoms!

Too Beautiful to Not Share...

When you seek inspiration or a boost of wonderment, select an eyeful of gorgeous from Evosia Studios. Shot in Joshua Tree National Park, Ascendance utilizes time lapse photography, fitting days of glory into a few brief moments. Film artist Henry Jun Wah Lee initially sought to film a meteor shower but discovered much more.... The musical accompaniment, "Fields of Honor," by Justin Durban makes you wonder if God planned such a show for just this occasion.

A little too...distracted

I'm long in updating, but am keeping to the advice I offered another blogger: just write.

Distractions and disruptions in my normal pattern have kept me away from my little project here, but it isn't abandoned. If you have stumbled past and so happen to wonder, "What's this?" I'll be at it again soon. My goal: interesting memes and encouraging stories from around the web with a heavy emphasis on da kine I like the most.

Keep checking back! Meanwhile, I'll continue updating to Twitter more often and Facebook much more frequently.

Love Is . . . Not Self-Seeking

For St. Valentine's Day, why not warm your heart from the inside out? These two charitable organizations model what a loving heart is in the most meaningful ways:

Blood Water Mission is not only dedicated to building wells in impoverished nations where this essential, life-basic resource is not always in ready supply, they are also working hard to fight AIDS world-wide by giving communities the information and tools to be "agents of change" in stopping the epidemic. Think: teach a man to fish while also making sure he has enough fish to eat. It's the real deal; they are independently audited every year, have been certified by ECFA for integrity, and you can view their financial report here. Wherever you decide to put your charity dollars, it's always wise to investigate just how those funds are spent. In some organizations, as little as 1% of proceeds actually go toward helping those in need. Not so with BWM, which strives to put at least 80% of the funds directly into the communities it serves. It's a small world after all.

SelflessTee always remains topical...rather than focusing on only one cause, they hold two-week campaigns for a variety of good causes—both large and very small. Their current campaigns include Cancer Early Detection. All you have to do to support the cause of your choice is to purchase one of their way-cool fashionable (designed by talented artists) tee shirts. Or, if you have a foundation or organization needing support, you can contact the fine folks at SelflessTee with your fundraising needs and you might inspire their next 2-week campaign. SelflessTee's ingenuity and efficiency is truly motivating: they had an idea and just went out and did it. But don't take my word on it; hear directly from Selfless Tee founders, Danny and Josh, in the video posted below.

SelflessTee from SelflessTee on Vimeo.

Cyber Rules Tip #512: How Food Goes Viral

The Darth Vader Burger is catching a lot of attention these days. Wasn't there once a time in history that voyagers risked life and limb to traverse stormy, monster-infested oceans to bring back flavorful spices to their Kings and Queens? Now, inventors are hard at work creating fleeting tastes that spark food addiction and toying with nature's original aesthetics to grab fame and publicity.

The food industry has an edge that other businesses cannot match: everybody has to eat. It's just a matter of getting them to eat your food. Quick, a Belgian fast food chain, is certain to get its share of attention as this latest stunt has gone viral. Enjoy your fame, Quick. And, um, those folks out there who will eat this...burger...well, you enjoy your meal, too.

Mad Rush of Year End/New Year

Happy New Year! Just a little personal message from me to anyone who happens across my humble little blog here. I haven't been posting much (well, even less than before) as various other projects in teaching and writing have kept my burners at a constant boil. If you've reached this page through JIG but have not yet seen William and Sly 2, then give it a look . . . you do not have to be someone who likes video games to like that one.

My resolution for 2012 is to find more interesting, worth-sharing bits and snips to post here and to actually get this blog thing going to be a place where for you to discover more eclectic stories and information, latest viral videos or memes, and such stuff.

All the best to you and yours in 2012,

L