A place to show my work
Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”- George Addair
Interviews done as part of a 2023 study by the UK’s University of Exeter and Channel 4 revealed that one major trigger of the Sunday scaries was getting work-related emails over the weekend- so keep your computer shut down on your days off.
If it doesn’t challenge me, inspire me, or let me be creative, my brain quietly leaves the room
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler
Cows are usually known for their personality or their ability to be trained- but Ghost, a charming bovine in Nebraska, was taught by owner Megan Reimann to perform 10 tricks. Ghost can come when called, spin, nod her head, and even bow. She did it all and more in just one minute in March 2023, setting the record for mist tricks performed by a cow in that time span
“The most important thing in life is to stop saying ‘I wish’ and start saying ‘I will’. Consider nothing impossible then treat possibilities as probabilities.” -Charles Dickens
In 1943, to conserve copper and nickel for the war effort, the US Mint began producing pennies made of zinc-coated steel. However, a small number of copper-alloy coins were inadvertently struck during that time. Today, a 1943 copper-alloy penny can potentially be valued at around $336,000.
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”- Walt Disney
In 2002, Steven Spielberg enrolled at California State University, Long Beach, and he earned his credits by turning in assignments under a pseudonym. For his advanced filmmaking class, he submitted his Best Picture winner, Schindler’s List ( 1993)
“When we get to the end of the story, you will know more than you do now…” – Hans Christian Andersen, The Snow Queen
Ernie Hudson, known for his role as Winston in the original Ghostbusters (1984), auditioned to voice his character in the animated series The Real Ghostbusters. However, the director felt that his voice didn’t match Winston’s enough, so the role was ultimately given to Arsenio Hall.
“With a smile and a song, life is just like a bright sunny day. Your cares fade away.” – Snow White
Collegedale, Tennessee, is the proud home of Little Debbie Park, a unique and whimsical destination for families. The park is designed around playful structures that resemble giant versions of popular Little Debbie snacks, including Cosmic Brownies, Oatmeal Creme Pies, and Nutty Buddy Bars. Children can explore and enjoy these creative play areas, which offer a fun and imaginative environment where the sweetness of these treats comes to life in the form of vibrant playground attractions. Whether climbing on the Cosmic Brownie or sliding down the Oatmeal Creme Pie, the park promises a delightful experience for kids of all ages..
“It is only when we take chances, when our lives improve. The initial and the most difficult risk that we need to take is to become honest. —Walter Anderson
“The Safety Dance” band Men Without Hats got their name from a few founding members’ habit of never wearing winter hats, no matter how cold it was in their hometown of Montreal (they thought hats would wreck their style)
Last week we had Pondering Existential Thoughts where the theme was to find a song that makes you think about life. This week the theme is to find a song that that gets stuck in your head.
I have many songs that get stuck in my head and this is the one song that no matter if I hear the whole song or just a piece of it I have it in my head for days.
Uptown girl
She’s been living in her uptown world
I bet she never had a backstreet guy
I bet her momma never told her why
I’m gonna try for an uptown girl (uptown girl)
She’s been living in her white-bread world (white-bread world)
As long as anyone with hot blood can (hot blood can)
And now, she’s looking for a downtown man (downtown man)
That’s what I am
And when she knows
What she wants from her time (from her time)
And when she wakes up (she wakes up)
And makes up her mind
She’ll see I’m not so tough
Just because I’m in love with an uptown girl (uptown girl)
You know I’ve seen her in her uptown world (uptown world)
She’s getting tired of her high-class toys (high-class toys)
And all her presents from her uptown boys (uptown boys)
She’s got a choice
Oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh, oh-oh-oh
Uptown girl
You know I can’t afford to buy her pearls
But maybe someday when my ship comes in
She’ll understand what kind of guy I’ve been (I’ve been)
And then, I’ll win
And when she’s walking
She’s looking so fine
And when she’s talking
She’ll say that she’s mine
She’ll say I’m not so tough (she’s wrong)
Just because I’m in love with an uptown girl
She’s been living in her white-bread world
As long as anyone with hot blood can
And now, she’s looking for a downtown man
That’s what I am
Oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh, oh-oh-oh
Uptown girl (going uptown)
She’s my uptown girl (going uptown)
Don’t you know I’m in love with an uptown girl? (Going uptown)
My uptown girl (she’s my uptown girl, going uptown)
Don’t you know I’m in love with an uptown girl? (Going uptown)
My uptown girl (she’s my uptown girl, going uptown)
Don’t you know I’m in love with an uptown girl? (Going uptown)
My uptown girl (she’s my uptown girl, going uptown)
(Don’t you know I’m in love) with an uptown girl? (Going uptown)
My uptown girl (she’s my uptown girl, going uptown)
“It’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then.” – Alice, Alice in Wonderland
Alexander the Great passed away unexpectedly at thirty-two years old after a mysterious illness that lasted two weeks. However, several accounts claim that his body exhibited no signs of decay even six days post-mortem. One theory posits that he may not have been dead during that time and instead could have suffered from Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune condition that can lead to progressive paralysis.
“Learn as if you will live forever, live like you will die tomorrow.” — Mahatma Gandhi
On February 3, 2018, Paul Morgan set the record for the world’s longest birthday. He celebrated his twenty-eight-year-old by jet-setting across different time zones, stretching the day to forty-eight hours. The previous longest birthday lasted forty-six hours.
The first-ever German Shepherd was named Horand von Grafrath. He was bought by a breeder in the late nineteenth century, and most of today’s German shepherds are related to him.
What is your greatest fear?
My greatest fear is not being enough and feeling I must change who I am to earn love or care. I’m working on this in therapy; my therapist says I’ve improved and will continue to work with me on it.
What is your greatest extravagance?
My greatest extravagance is the way I care past the edges of what’s expected. I give more attention, more thought, and more emotional presence than the moment demands — not to earn anything, but because that’s the shape of my heart. It’s an overflow I don’t try to contain. I notice the small things, remember what others forget, and show up with sincerity even when silence would be easier.
According to a 2021 Royal Mail analysis, there are more than 920 streets and houses named after the poet Robert Burns in the UK. A whopping 272 towns and cities had at least one address related to Burns.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
The virtue I find most overrated is people‑pleasing. Not because kindness is unimportant, but because I’ve spent too much of my life shrinking myself to keep others comfortable. People call it being sweet or helpful, but the truth is that constantly managing everyone else’s emotions comes at the cost of my own. It’s a habit that gets praised far more than it deserves, and unlearning it has become part of getting to know who I actually am.
I’m learning that kindness doesn’t require self‑abandonment, and caring for others doesn’t mean disappearing from myself.
M.A.D. Works 