October 12, 2007

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 9:25 am

Konnichiwa Songfighters,

It's a day of celebration in the Niveous house as we have made major headway in the work to get our son the help he needs. If you've never heard the story of my eldest son T, the short of it is this: He's super brilliant (reads Tom Sawyer and scientific journals at age 8 ) but his social skills struggle severely. Teachers have suggested Asperger's, something we have considered as well. But in our old neighborhood, it was a battle to get T the necessary testing that his developmental pediatrician wants. This new neighborhood is different and today they have agreed to give him all the testing and help that he may need. It's a huge relief. Now, T will be able to get the help he needs to have good happy school years and the things he needs to have a strong future. Hurray.

Question of the Day:
On my blog 10kdays, I have been writing about the music of different states and I have found out a lot of interesting things about each state. And it's made me more curious to learn about the eccentricities around the world. So my question is- <b>Do you leave near any quirky interesting places?</b> Do you live near the World's Largest something? Or maybe a place where something interesting happened?

Heather. Redmon. · Post by **Heather. Redmon.** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 9:31 am

Niv! You're a week ahead, it's only the 12th!

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 9:43 am

Niv, slow the EF down yo... now you have made me miss my gig tonight.

roymond · Post by **roymond** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 9:51 am

Yeah, slow down there, fella!

That's great news about T. It's a fight but it's his right to get the right treatment. Maybe you remember, but I had a song on Glenn's "Notes for Hope" CD called "Rocket Through It" and dedicated to my son Erik's therapists for the great help they all brought to our lives. Glen made it punchy and poppy with his awesome bass playing and great backing vocals

QotD: We live two blocks from Plymouth Church, the pulpit of Henry Ward Beecher who in the mid 19th century advocated resistance to the extension of slavery, counseled disobedience to the Fugitive Slave Law, declaring that the requirements of humanity were above those of the Constitution, and encouraged his own congregation to become active in the Underground Railroad. He also auctioned several slaves from the pulpit of Plymouth Church, both to secure their freedom and illustrate the grimmest aspect of slavery. In fact, it is thought he lived in our house at one point.

Billy's Little Trip · Fri Oct 12, 2007 10:38 am

Good luck with your son Niv.

QOTD:
I live in Orange County, CA. Also known as the OC. They have, or had, a TV show about it. Although lame, it was important enough to make a show about I guess. I also live 10 minutes from Laguna Beach, another lame show is based on. Pretty close to Disneyland, about 20 minutes away. That's all I can think of at the moment. I need to save something for Ross and Steve.

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 11:12 am

Oops. Sorry about the date thing. My wife has a habit of checking off today's date early in the day on the calendar. So I looked up, saw the 19th as a Friday unchecked and you get the picture.

Question of the Day:
I live close to Menlo Park and there you can find the World's Largest light bulb.

jimtyrrell · Post by **jimtyrrell** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 11:14 am

Roll Call: It's raining. We're in foliage season up here, but the bad weather will take most of the leaves before the foliage reaches its peak. Disappointment by the busload.

As for me, I'm at work. No show tonight, so I think the boys and I will get back into Lego Star Wars for the evening. I picked up a bottle of Five Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon ($2.99), the closest thing to Two Buck Chuck in these parts. Don't think I'll get into that until the weekend though.

QotD: I live near the following points of interest.

1) Funspot. Home of the American Classic Arcade Museum. The movie The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters was shot there.

2) The Old Man Of The Mountain. Not nearly as exciting to visit as it once was. And it didn't do much then, either. But it's on our state quarter, so that's something.

3) Hmm, that's all I can think of.

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 11:49 am

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mons_Venus" target="resource window">Mons Venus</a>

...oh and we used to make and sell a lot of cigars back in the day.

(I had to edit -wiki- to reflect that Hulk Hogan does NOT own Mons. Freakin' vandals)

fodroy · Post by **fodroy** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:02 pm

qotd: In the 60's or 70's Muncie was chosen as the subject of a sociological experiment or something called Middletown. It was featured in all sorts of reports and I think documentaries as being the average American town. I don't know if it really is though. At least not anymore. Now it's sort of a dying town, economically.

fodroy · Post by **fodroy** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:02 pm

qotd: In the 60's or 70's Muncie was chosen as the subject of a sociological experiment or something called Middletown. It was featured in all sorts of reports and I think documentaries as being the average American town. I don't know if it really is though. At least not anymore. Now it's sort of a dying town, economically.

Billy's Little Trip · Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:27 pm

Fod, now I can add stuttering to my image of you with the under bite, and spontaneous quirkiness.

erik · Post by **erik** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:18 pm

Austin is home to the world's largest urban population of bats.
Something awful happened in Austin when Charles Whitman went to the top of the campus clock tower and sniped off 14 people and injured lots more.

Post by **Lunkhead** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:29 pm

I live in Berkeley. 'Nuff said.

jack · Post by **jack** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:04 pm

we have the world famous Mystery Spot, which I know some of you songfighters have enjoyed (or felt ripped off by).

also, we are known as "Surf City USA". unless you are from huntington beach.

and of course, we are home to the infamous umbrella man.

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:18 pm

This world is full of some weird as hell places.

Hey Dan, don't forget that Muncie is the home of the Fruit Jar museum. Wild times.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:58 pm

This week I've had a hell of a time getting any sleep. Last night I took some sleeping pills which didn't make it any easier to fall to sleep but it did make it harder to wake up, and all day I've continued to feel their effects so I'm pretty zonked out. Ugh.

qotd: I live in San Francisco, which should be enough said, but also my apartment is about a block away from <a href="http:/.www.folsomstreetfair.com">Folsom Street</a>.

Heather. Redmon. · Post by **Heather. Redmon.** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:18 pm

Hey Jack, that Urban Outfitters wasn't there when I lived there back in '95. What'd they tear down to build that?

My QotD answer to come sometime tonight.

jack · Post by **jack** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 4:12 pm

Heather. Redmon. wrote:Hey Jack, that Urban Outfitters wasn't there when I lived there back in '95. What'd they tear down to build that?

My QotD answer to come sometime tonight.

it's downtown next to the cinema 9. right next door.

it used to be a wherehouse records.

was umbrella man around back when you guys lived here? word is, he used to be known as "trash bag man"?

hey, tell Phil my office had Pizza My Heart for lunch today!

Heather. Redmon. · Post by **Heather. Redmon.** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:31 pm

Well, as far as roadside attractions go, a quick Google search tells me that Minnesota is home to the World's Largest Snowman in North Saint Paul, MN, the World's Largest Lutefisk (a kind of pickled fish) in Madison, MN, the World's Largest Adirondack Chair in Saint Paul, MN, the World's Largest Polar Bear in White Bear Lake, MN, the World's Largest Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, MN and my favorite, the World's Largest Ball of Twine in Darwin, MN. But please don't forget the the giant Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in Bemidji, MN or the Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth, MN. Oh, and we also have the nation's largest Great Lake, State Fair, and indoor shopping mall.

Wow! I'm so proud to be a Minnesotan!

Ross · Post by **Ross** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:41 pm

Here.

I'm closer to Disneyland than Chris is. He's closer to the famous Mission San Juan Capistrano, though.

I'm very close to the somewhat famous Orange Circle (locals call it the plaza). Lots of stuff gets filmed around there because it looks like back East but is close to LA. A famous landmark there is Watson's soda fountain - in business continuously for over 100 hundred years. Part of "That thing you do" was filmed there. The circle is shown in the opening of the kids' film "Small Soldiers" and is shown throughout "Clockstoppers." They also filmed a bunch of "West Wing" stuff down the street.

Also nearby is Knott's Berry Farm, where the Boysenberry was made famous.

Edit: fixed typos.

Heather. Redmon. · Post by **Heather. Redmon.** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:46 pm

jack wrote:was umbrella man around back when you guys lived here? word is, he used to be known as "trash bag man"?
hey, tell Phil my office had Pizza My Heart for lunch today!

I don't think he was - and I'd remember. I worked in the box office of the Del Mar Theater. It was a great place for people watching on Pacific. Man, there were/are some crazy characters in that town!

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 9:22 pm

rdurand wrote:Here.

I'm closer to Disneyland than Chris is. He's close to the fmous mission San Juan capistrano, though.

I'm very close to the somewhat famous Orange Circle (locals call it the plaza). Lots of stuff gets filmed around there because it looks back east but is close to LA. A famous landmark there is Watson's soda fountain - in business continuously for over 100 hundred years. Part of "That hing you do" was flimed there. The circle is shown in the opening of the kids film "Small Soldiers" and is shown throughout "Clockstoppers." They also filmed a buncho f WEst Wing stuff down the street.

Also Nearby is Knott's berry farm, where the Boysenberry was made famous.

See, aren't you happy I saved all of those for you?
I always forget about the Mission. Pretty remarkable that the swallows return there every year as if the Mother and Father swallows tell their baby swallows, "You have to go to the San Juan Mission every year on this such and such date or you will turn into a spit!"
Bugs Bunny even sings about the swallows coming back to Capistrano.