"One ought every day at least to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

(some) 
Favorite Things

of S. K. Smith
(a work in progress)

  

HOME
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BOOKS
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ARTICLES
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POEMS
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SHORT STORIES
for more info
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BLOGS
for more info
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BIBLE STUDIES
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FAVORITE THINGS
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Contact me
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Picture Attributions -
    

favorite things: EffervescentEva
computer mousetheogeo 
I'm watching you:  Katia
cats:  Sage29
too cute:  Jane...

current:  len-k-a

trails:  dbking

rock,..:  winjohn

speeches:  dbking
Da Vinci:  Wiki Commons
crime: 
the_la
written word: 
*davierae*
STOP:  @n@bou
Laughter: 
Dashu Pagla
science & tech:  Wiki Commons

history:  dbking
nurses:  Wiki Commons
  

 
    

 

  Click on any item in list below to navigate to topic of interest
     (or just scroll down)

  
 
Current Concerns  
PC Watch    

Happy Trails  
 
Science & Technology   
 
Culture  
Cute Cats 

Great Speeches  
 
   Crime and Punishment
  Rock, Paper, Scissors  

  Good Advice   (updates)
 
History 
 (updates)
 
Ultimate Sacrifice 
 
  
Laughter  

 

  Bottom of the Page

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  Current Concerns

Headline News:

 Today's Front Pages   (newseum.org)
(Shows unedited front pages of major newspapers in the USA and the world, which can be selected on an interactive map  - S. K. Smith)
 

Polls:

Gallup  (Gallup.com)
(Polls.  Polls.  Polls.)
 

FOX News Poll: President Obama's Job Approval  (FoxNews.com)
 (Approval polls on the current president, past president, and political parties.)
 
Rasmussen Reports (rasmussenreports.com)
(Even more polls.)
 

Trends:

 Trends - trends, maps, lists, etc: Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

  

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 PC Watch

(That is PC as in "politically correct."  PC is NOT one of my favorite things, but exposing the insanity is. - S. K. Smith)

Political Correctness  (ourcivilisation.com)
("The origin and nature of political correctness.")
 
Political Correctness Gone Made  (tvtropes.org)
(Myths, parodies, actual PC.. - S. K. Smith)
 
Political Correctness Watch   (pcwatch.blogspot.com)
("Political Correctness around the world and its stifling of liberty and sense.")
 

Spot the difference: How today's airbrushing PC censors decided Churchill could do without his cigar  (dailymail.co.uk)
("It seems the man who steered Britain through the most dangerous period of its recent history may have fallen victim to the modern curse of political correctness.")
 

Winning the Cultural War - speech by Charlton Heston
 (americanrhetoric.com)
(I had the privilege to meet Charlton Heston at a book signing in 2002.  He kissed by hand. *sigh!*  It was not a PC event.  It was at the NRA convention in Reno, the last year he was president. - S. K. Smith)
 

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 Happy Trails

Fuel:

Current gas prices 
(As of  September, 2010, prices most places $2.66  per gallon.   Unchanged.  But Labor Day is round the corner.   - S. K. Smith)
  

10 ways to save money on gasoline  (green.yahoo.com)
(But whether you're planning a cross-country road trip or just trying to avoid spending your paycheck on commuting, there's plenty you can do to save money on gasoline.)
  

----------------------------------------

Alternatives:

Yike Bike    (yikebike.com)
(Other clever ways to get around town.)
  


History of Harley-Davidson in Under 5 Minutes  (youtube.com)
(One of my ministers really loved Harleys.  - S K. Smith)
  


The rise of foot-powered travel in the U.S.A.  (holykaw.alltop.com)
("According to new reports from the Department of Transportation, more people are walking and biking year-round than we’ve seen in decades.")
  

Be Safe:

Embrace Life - always wear your seat belt  (YouTube.com)
(Moving video illustration of wearing seatbelts!  S. K. Smith)
 

10 most annoying motorists   (mysanantonio.com)
(Title says it all.)
  

Cars:

In Depth: Worst-Made Cars On The Road   (forbes.com)
("...list any vehicles that received less than three out of five power circles in this year's Vehicle Dependability Study from J.D. Power and Associates.")
  

Best and Worst Used Cars  (yahoo.com)
("Call it what you like: used, pre-owned or new-to-you. The fact is, forgoing a brand new car for a slightly older one can save you lots of money. Well, so long as you don’t end up with a lemon…")
  

Ford Model T - 100 Years Later   (YouTube.com)
(".Watch a video all about the Ford Model T.")
  

Navigation:

 Navigating - maps, trips, etc: Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

  

Weather & other "acts of God":

How's the weather?    (weather.com)
(We all talk about it, but can't do a thing about it..  S. K. Smith)
  

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Science & Technology

General:

 General Science & Tech: Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)
    

Top 10 quirky science tricks for parties   (youtube.com)
("Created by Prof Richard Wiseman from the University of Hertfordshire (UK).")
  

Marcus Chown: 11 Of The Craziest Things About The Universe   (huffingtonpost.com)
("I'm a science writer and, as a science writer, I am constantly amazed at how much stranger science is than science fiction")
  

Science:  

----------------------------------------

Wacky Science Words  (FoxNews.com)
("I'm a science writer and, as a science writer, I am constantly amazed at how much stranger science is than science fiction")
  

Archeology:

Archeology: Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

  

Math:

Math: Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

  

Physics:

Physics: Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

  

Space & 
Exploration:

The Universe:  Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

 

Space Exploration: Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

 

Technology:  

----------------------------------------

Past, Present, Future: Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

  

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Culture

Art, Literature, 
Movies, Music,
Americana

 

American Culture:

Americana (songs, land, facts, demographics):  Click here
(Definitely deserves its own page ... - S. K. Smith)
 
  

Architecture:

ArchitectureClick here
(Deserves its own page ... - S. K. Smith)
   
  

Art:

Art WorksClick here
(Deserves its own page ... - S. K. Smith)
   
  

Literature:

The Written WordClick here
(Deserves its own page ... - S. K. Smith)
 
  

Movies:

Movies (and television, DVD, YouTube ...):  Click here
(What strikes me as unique, unusual, different, inspiring, moving ...  Deserves its own page ... - S. K. Smith)
  
  

Music:
*

Music:  Click here
(My tastes are quite diverse.   So as time goes by, this could really grow. - S. K. Smith)
 
  

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 Cute Cats

(As you can see, I like cats ... - S. K. Smith)

  The Mean Kitty Song  (YouTube video)
(Story of Sparta - the "mean kitty"  - S. K. Smith)
  
Engineers and Cats!

  - An Engineer's Guide to Cats  (YouTube video)
    
(Engineers, like cats, can be so cute  - S. K. Smith)

  - An Engineer's Guide to Cat Yodeling (with Cat Polka) 
   
(YouTube video)  (Part Two  - S. K. Smith)

   - Funny Cat Fighter Jets  (YouTube video)
   
 
(Who said cats can't fly?  - S. K. Smith)

  - An Engineer's Guide to Voting (Ginger Cat for President)
   
(YouTube video)  (Ginger did not make it in 2008.  Maybe 2012?  - S. K. Smith)

  
Cat Wranglers
  (YouTube video)
(It's a repost of an EDS ad, but a favorite. 
- S. K. Smith)
  


(oldie -  but I really love this one. - S. K. Smith)
 

Cats Musical - Memory  (YouTube.com)
("Cats is an award-winning musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and other poems by T. S. Eliot.")
   
lisaviolet's cathouse ... the best little cat house in cyberspace  (lisaviolet.com)
(This person REALLY loves cats.  - S. K. Smith)
   
The Big Bang Theory - Soft Kitty   (youtube.com)
("While playing nursemaid to Sheldon, Penny sings him a song"  It's about a kitty.)
  
Pet Adoption
 

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  Great Speeches

American Rhetoric: The Power of Oratory in the United States  (americanrhetoric.com)
("Rationaize rhetoric and it speaks to your mind; personify her and she speaks to you soul.")
  

 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt
  -
Pearl Harbor Address  (YouTube video)
          ("a date that will live in infamy")

     

 

George S. Patton
  -
Patton Speech   (YouTube video)
          (George C. Scott movie)

   
Patton Speech  (YouTube video)
          (Patton speech in Los Angeles 1945 and death.
          Narrated by Ronald Reagan
)

     

Sir Winston Churchill 
  -  Finest Hour
   (YouTube video)
   We Shall Fight Them on the Beaches ( YouTube video)
 
  -  Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat ( YouTube video)
   
so many to so few ( YouTube video)
  
Band of Brothers 
  - 
Henry V - Band of Brothers  (YouTube video)
      (Shakespeare coined the phrase "Band of Brothers" in the 
           St. Crispen Day speech of Henry V. - S. K. Smith)

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. - "I Have a Dream" 
  -  Long Version
  (YouTube video)
   Short Version ( YouTube video)
    
  

Ronald Reagan 
  -  "We the People"
   (YouTube video)

Margaret Thatcher 
  -  On Socialism
   (YouTube video)
  

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  Crime and 
Punishment

(Crime is definitely not one of my favorite things, 
but some of the cases are fascinating  - S. K. Smith)

Zodiac Killer - (more than one claim to be the one?)
Zodiac Killer's Identity And Weapon Uncovered?  (cbs13.com)  (The Zodiac Killer case launched Clint Eastwood's character "Dirty Harry."  - S. K. Smith)
California Woman: My Father Was the Zodiac Killer
(FoxNews.com)  (A California woman stepped forward to say that her late father was the notorious Zodiac killer and she as a little girl wrote and stamped some of the letters he sent to taunt police.)
Jack the Ripper revealed at last (www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk)
(Jack the Ripper has fascinated people for 120 years.  "Jack the Ripper" even made an appearance on the original "Star Trek" - S. K. Smith)
  

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  Rock, Paper, Scissors

Paper:

Print your own ruled paper
 
Free Disney Coloring Pages  (disneycoloring.net)
  

Print your own ruled paper
 

Fonts:

The Top 100 Best Fonts of All Time  (justcreativedesign.com)
  
18 Creative Examples of Typography in Motion  (www.webdesignerdepot.com)  (The use of typography in video allows us to reclaim the lost art of arranging typefaces in a way that would make an 18th century typesetter’s head spin.)
  

Typography  (vimeo.com)
("Typography Animation project for class  Poem by Taylor Mali (www.TaylorMali.com)")
  

Why you shouldn't use Comic Sans  (vimeo.com)
("Lessons in Corporate Typography ...")
  

Printers:

Awesome Lego Printer Uses Felt-Tipped Pens, Tiny Workers (wired.com)  
 

Illusions:

Grand Illusions   (grand-illusions.com )  
("...the site for the enquiring mind.")
 

Time Fountain - Optical Illusion  (media.wakooz.com )  
(What you can do with a drip and strobe. - S. K. Smith)
 

What Is Sharpness? | Video Insights  (ideo.bhinsights.com )  
("There’s more to this phenomenon than mere optical illusion. It has to do with the way contrast affects sharpness and the manner in which the human eye and brain perceive the world around us.")
 

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Good Advice

Leadership:

Leadership .... etc:  Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

  
  

Food & Diet:

Dawn Wells Potato Peeling Video  (youtube.com)
("Mary Ann" shows us how to peel on Idaho potato without a potato peeler.)
  

* NEW *

10 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds  (Foxnews.com)
(I know. It's easier said than done.)
  

Inspiration/motivation:
* updates *

Inspiration, motivation, pep talks .... etc:  Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

  

Q & A:

Questions?  There may be an Answer:  Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)
  

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History:

General:

History Channel  (history.com)
(What's on TV, Today in history, etc.)
  

The History Place (historyplace.com)
("The Past into the Future".)
  

We Didn't Start The Fire  (yeli.us/Flash/Fire.html)
(Billy Joel covers 50 years of history in 3 minutes.)
  

Inspirational:

The Story of Amazing Grace  (YouTube.com)
("The video tells the story of John Newton who wrote the famous hymn 'Amazing Grace'"  I have put it here because this story and song has touched many watershed events in history from the 18th through the 21st century. - S. K. Smith.)
  

Historical Trends:

The road to serfdom F.A. Hayek   (btinternet.com)
(Condensed version, published in the Reader's Digest, April 1945 edition).
  

Quotes:

Quotes from around history   (freerepublic.com)
("Here is a list of quotes on various topics from people from history. Some are positive, some are negative, some will make you happy, sad or angry. Hopefully they all will make you think.")
  

US Presidents:

US Presidents:  Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

  

History:

US History:   Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

 

* updates *

World History:   Click here
(Too many entries, so it deserved its own page. - S. K. Smith)

 

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Ultimate Sacrifice

Memorial Day

Freedom Isn't Free   (YouTube.com)
(Memorial Day 2010 clip, which was dedicated to our soldiers overseas.)

psalm 23 Memorial day tribute   (youtube.com)
"Some people think that the American soldier is A mindless killing machine with no remorse or compassion.  This couldn't be farther from the truth.  ...")

Memorial Day Tribute  (YouTube video)
 
("A tribute to those who have fought and given the ultimate sacrifice for this great nation.")

America's Valiant Veterans Repose in Cemeteries Worthy of Heroes -- Both in the U.S. and Abroad   (FoxNews.com)
("American troops serving at home and abroad have given their lives, their limbs and years of service to a grateful nation.")

----------------------------------------
A Wake for an Indian Warrior  (slideshare.net)
(From one of the comments;  " Rest in peace, young Marine Warrior, I am so sorry for your family and your Indian Nation. You might be gone, but never forgotten. You were and are a true American-Indian-Hero.")
 
Homeless man rescues American flag during storm  news.yahoo.com)
("An act of patriotism is earning a homeless man in El Paso a great deal of praise. He rescued a fallen American flag during a severe storm")
  
I Fought For You By The Sound Tank  (YouTube.com)
("This gripping, patriotic film short is great to honor vets, remember the fallen and teach kids the price of their freedom.")
  
It is the Solider by Charles M. Province  (iwvpa.net)
("Charles M. Province, a veteran of the US Army, is the sole and single Founder and President of The George S. Patton, Jr. Historical Society. He is the author of “The Unknown Patton”, “Patton’s Third Army”, and “Patton’s One-Minute Messages”")
  
Gene Simmons Military Tribute  (youtube.com)
(Rousing tribute to our troops from Gene Simmons of Kiss.)
 

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Laughter

General:

Ken Davis  (kendavis.com)
("Ken Davis is one of the country's most sought after motivational and inspirational speakers. His mixture of side-splitting humor and inspiration delights and enriches audiences of all ages.")

    

Funny Quotes (BrainyQuote.com)

  

----------------------------------------

Anatomy of Comedy:

 

Laughing Matters  (youtube.com)
( "Rowan Atkinson talks about what makes visual comedy funny through the use of humorous vignettes and Monty Python footage.." )
  

 Part 1    Part 2    Part 3   Part 4   Part 5  
  

Classics:

Tim Conway and Harvey Korman at the Dentist  (youtube.com)
("From the Carol Burnett Show - one of the funniest sketches of all time.")

    

Abbott & Costello, Who's on first.  (youtube.com)
("one of the greatest sketches of all time...Who's on first")
  

Jokes:

Aha! Jokes: Clean Humor and Funny Pictures!
(AhaJokes.com
)
(  I'm terrible at telling jokes - but this helps:  "Thousands of clean jokes, funny pictures, cartoons, funny audio, funny videos, and more." )
 

Knock Knock Jokes  (knock-knock-joke.com)
("Here are 100 pages in an ongoing collection of some of the dumbest, funniest, silliest, wackiest, stupidest, and most annoying knock-knock jokes ever told. ")
  

Video clips:

how to complete  the census (youtube.com)
( "Christopher Walken answering a census. it is great" )
  

Signing in the Waldenbooks  (youtube.com)
("A mystery writer's lament.")

    

The Greatest Inventor Yet  (flixxy.com)
("It's not easy to be an inventor and be so far ahead of everyone else.")

    

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