Live365 has just about every musical genre you can think of, and it is free - if you clicked on the link above, just click on the 5 day trial, then click on the Live365.com icon on the top right of the page, or the home link at the bottom, which will take you to the free version.

Other sources for barbershop include:

a-cappella.com and the Public Radio Music Source 800-75-MUSIC

Happy listening!

Another fun way to fill those precious moments when you have nothing better to do: The Way Of The Exploding Stick - Stick-man Kung Fu at: http://www.evolver.co.uk/wayofthestick.html

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. "I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life.

"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer.

At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel. "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.

"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.

"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of." And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, he graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill.

His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.

***********************************************

Work like you don't need the money.

Love like you've never been hurt.

Dance like nobody's watching.

Sing like nobody's listening.

Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

***********************************************

AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH:

May there always be work for your hands to do;

May your purse always hold a coin or two;

May the sun always shine on your windowpane;

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;

May the hand of a friend always be near you;

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

I personally have very mixed feelings about the whole situation.

One the one hand, I would prefer for there to be no more war - ever, anywhere. Humankind has lost too many (usually) young souls to war - often for the sake of greed and power of a few. The crusades come to mind.

On the other hand, there have been times when civilized people have had to battle evil people for the greater good. The second world war comes to mind.

I know that there is so much that I don't know about this situation that I don't believe that I can intelligently decide what is right.

I also know that, whether the "war" is ultimately right or wrong, if the decision is made to place our soldiers in harm's way, that I will support them 100%.

Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give the faculty a sense of the mindset of this year's incoming freshmen. Here is this year's list:

The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1982.

They have no recollection of the Reagan Era and probably did not know he had ever been shot.

They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.

They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart and do not remember the Cold War.

They have never feared a nuclear war.

They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.

Their lifetime has always included AIDS.

Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.

The expression you sound like a broken record means nothing to them because they have never owned a record player.

They have likely never played Pac Man.

The Compact Disc was introduced when they were 1 year old.

They have always had an answering machine.

Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels.

They have always had cable.

There has always been VCRs, but they have no idea what BETA is.

They cannot understand not having a remote control.

They were born the year that the Walkman was introduced by Sony.

Roller-skating has always meant inline for them.

Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.

Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.

They have never seen Larry Bird play.

They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.

They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.

They never heard: "Where's the beef?," "I'd walk a mile for a Camel," or "de plane, de plane."

They have no idea who J.R. and do not care who shot him.

Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America, and Alabama are places, not groups.

McDonalds never came in Styrofoam containers.

The Christmas Guest

It happened one day near December’s end,
two neighbors called on an old-time friend,
and they found his shop so meager and mean,
made gay with a thousand boughs of green.

And Conrad was sitting with face a-shine,
when he suddenly stopped as he stitched a twine,
and he said, “Old friends, at dawn today,
when the cock was crowing the night away,
the Lord appeared in a dream to me and said, “I am coming your guest to be”.

So I’ve been busy with feet astir,
strewing my shop with branches of fir,
the table is spread and the kettle is shined,
and over the rafters the holly is twined.

Now I will wait for my Lord to appear,
and listen closely so I will hear,
His step as He nears my humble place,
and I open the door and look in His face”.

So his friends went home and left Conrad alone,
for this was the happiest day he had known.
For long since his family had passed away,
and Conrad has spent many a sad Christmas Day.

But he knew with the Lord as his guest,
this Christmas would be the dearest and best.
So he listened with only joy in his heart,
and with every sound he would rise with a start,
and look for the Lord to be standing there,
in answer to his earnest prayer.

So he ran to the window after hearing a sound,
but all that he saw on the snow-covered ground,
was a shaggy beggar whose shoes were torn,
and all his clothes were ragged and worn.

But Conrad was touched and went to the door,
and he said, “Your feet must be frozen and sore,
I have some shoes in my shop for you,
and a coat that will keep you warmer too!”

So with grateful heart the man went away,
but as Conrad noticed the time of day,
he wondered what made the dear Lord so late,
and how much longer he'd have to wait.

When he heard a knock he ran to the door,
but it was only a stranger once more.
A bent old lady with a shawl of black,
and a bundle of kindling piled on her back.

She asked for only a place to rest,
but that was reserved for Conrad’s Great Guest.
Yet her voice seemed to plead, “Don’t send me away,
let me rest for while on Christmas Day.”
So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup,
and told her to sit at the table and sup.

But after she left, he was filled with dismay,
for he saw that the hours were passing away,
and the Lord had not come as He said He would,
and Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood.

When out of the stillness he heard a cry,
“Please help me and tell me where am I”.
So again he opened his friendly door
and stood disappointed as twice before.
It was only a child who had wandered away
and was lost from her family on Christmas Day.

Again, Conrad’s heart was heavy and sad,
but he knew he should make the little girl glad.
So he called her in and wiped her tears
and quieted her childish fears.
Then he led her back to her home once more.

But as he entered his own darkened door,
he knew that the Lord was not coming today,
for the hours of Christmas had passed away.
So he went to his room and knelt down to pray,
and he said, "Dear Lord, why did you delay?
What kept You from coming to call on me,
for I wanted so much Your face to see”.

When soft in the silence a voice he heard,
“Lift up you head for I kept My word.”
“Three times My shadow crossed your floor—
Three times I came to your lonely door—
For I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet,
I was the woman you gave something to eat,
and I was the child on the homeless street.”

“Three times I knocked, three times I came in,
and each time I found the warmth of a friend”.

Of all the gifts, love is the best,
I was honored to be your Christmas Guest.

by Helen Steiner Rice

I was never really into poetry. I just didn't get it.

For most poems, I can't get the rhythm just by reading the words on the page. Even if I read the poem aloud, I still can't get the rhythm.

This poem I do get. I understand the imagery, and I get the rhythm.

I especially like how I came to know of it.

I was listening to "Car Talk" on NPR one day, and the poem was mentioned in their weekly puzzler.

The question was "what is a smithy?"

Turns out, a smithy is the workshop of a [black]smith.

So, in one of those strange gyrations of the universe that keep things interesting, I learned a new word, and discovered a poem that I liked - while listening to two brothers talk about cars on the radio.

Are they really going to cancel Farscape? Please, tell me it ain't so!

Anyway, she has some links in her entry entitled "If you love me" to petitions to try to save the show.

Even if you've never watched the show, I would be grateful if you would take a few moments to link to the petitions and sign them... even if you don't love me, or even like me, or know me...

$0.

Well, I did pay sales tax, and I did have to pay postage to mail the forms, so I guess it actually ended up costing a few dollars.

Still, not bad.

So far, I have been very fortunate; every rebate I have submitted has been paid. I do take time to read the instructions very carefully, and take my time filling them out. I also scan the form, receipts, and UPC codes before stuffing them in an envelope just in case there are problems down the line.

How do I find these deals?

Part of my daily ritual is to scan a number of web sites that specialize in posting great deals. I then take any that seem especially interesting to me, and post them on Dealdom. The sites I scan can be found on the links page on Dealdom.

Since you've read this far, why not take a moment and click on the link above? It won't cost you anything, and there is no obligation, but it will give me a kick to get a few more hits on the site.

The original theory was that all of my friends would sign up for at least the freebies like credit cards, and a few strangers here and there would wander by and click through to the merchants I am affiliated with, and the resulting little commissions would help defray my habit.

So far, that hasn't happened (I have yet to actually receive my first commission check), and I get even fewer visitors to Dealdom than I get here, but, ever the optimist, I still keep hoping...

Have you seen the "Coffee Cup Project?"

I just sent in my entry, and if you have a favorite coffee cup, maybe you should do the same by visiting The Coffee Cup Project at GrillBoy.net.

Promoguy LOVES these "project" blogs. If this sort of thing turns you on, you might want to visit his site where he has lots of links to other project sites.