Well, spam has finally moved from my computer to my cell phone. I’m hating this crap! I get probably a dozen calls a week from various numbers all over the USA with an automated voice telling me that this is my second and final notice that the warranty on my car is about to expire.

If only this really WAS the final notice, it wouldn’t be a problem. The problem is… It never is the final anything.

They are also using my toll-free number, which transfers to my cell when I’m out of the office, so I get the joy of paying twice for each blasted call.

And the best part? My car is so old that no one would EVER offer a warranty. Ditto for my trucks and my beep-beep. I’m just not a new car gal. I’ve never owned a new car, and I never plan to. Why would I do that? It’s fiscally irresponsible, IMHO. But back to the calls…

I’ve done a bit of research and there are many others enjoying the same harrassment, and there seems to be no remedy. I’ve been blocking the numbers I can, but they change daily and it’s becoming a full-time job just to try to do so. The numbers are apparently spoofed, since you can’t call the numbers back.

If anyone has found a solution for this, I’d love to hear it. In the meantime, I’ll continue to grit my teeth.

This interesting little tiny home is built on the top of a billboard support. I find it interesting, since just the other day (being the alternative housing nut that I am)… I looked at a billboard with the surrounding platform and thought to myself, that would be a cool place to put a tiny house… as long as you didn’t have to climb to the top with an armload of groceries.

And voila! Someone else has already developed that idea into this cocoon-shaped house. Kinda cool. See a larger version of this house on Flickr.com.

GrassRoads.Blogspot.com recently published some great shots of Pakistani “Magic Buses” (including the one to the left). I’ve always thought that the gypsy look with wagon homes was a cool, overdone look, but this style is even MORE ornate and creative!

There was a book I read back in 1989 — I actually got it from the public library in Lexington Park, Maryland — that had tons of photos of gypsy and alternative mobile homes. Most were hand-built and all were amazing.

I think I can trace my fascination with tiny homes in general and mobile homes (non-traditional) to that book, way back when. I only wish I could remember the NAME of the book.

I’d love to have it in my own personal library now.

Although all the houses (and features) aren’t directly related to Tiny Homes, I just love this website, aptly named “Off Beat Homes” which displays unusual homes, details and treatments. I particularly like the idea of a tiny house with a fairytale styled roof. (Isn’t that sweet?!?!)

You may also enjoy looking at these unusual home and building photos, courtesy of HotHomesOfUtah.com (now this is an interesting way for a real estate group to draw in traffic to their website, bump up their rankings and amuse the general public, all at the same time!) Or, you may want to look through these pages of strange houses and these oddities.

Another crazy house located today:

Found at archinect.com.

Right now, as I write this, the Space Ship House on a mountain in Chattanooga, TN is just about to go on the Auction Block. If you want to see inside this interesting house (not a “little” house or a “tiny” house, mind you at 2000 square feet), you can visit the ebay auction page.

So, if you are interested in living in a house that’s only accessible with an electric staircase that pushes itself to the ground, if you always wanted to BE Captain Kirk, or if you just want a really odd shaped interior, without trying to make your home’s footprint really small… this might be your thing.

The only thing standard about this house is the “three bedrooms, two baths” designation!

I blogged earlier about one of the most disgusting parasites ever, the botfly, right before we went on our cruise to Mexico. I showed the kids YouTube videos detailing the disgustingness of it all.

Today, my son Byron sent me a simple email with a link and the subject line: “I win!”What he won, apparently, was beating me out on the grossest example of this particular critter. I give him ALL the credit, but ewwwww!

Go “see” for yourself: Botfly Trapped in Eye (with photos) *shiver*

My sister told me this weekend that her thesis professor had recently returned from a trip overseas. I can’t recall where he visited. I do remember what she told us about his bot fly “bite” that resulted.

Ok, I’d never heard of a bot fly. I could have gone my whole life without ever hearing about one. They are, probably, the nastiest things I’ve ever seen. Of course, being MY family, we all had to look them up on the web and see what they were. Big mistake… HUGE.

(more…)

According to a May article in the Seattle Times, a woman’s house was completely stripped when her niece posted an ad in the online classifieds stating that the house was being demolished and everything in it was up for grabs. (more…)

I’m an addict, I admit it. And, until last night, I’d been off caffeine for nearly two weeks. Then, while picking up a new computer mouse to replace the one I’ve killed, I saw Bawls brand caffeinated candies.

I love Bawls soda. It’s like a all-over body rush. So, I had to buy the candies in addition to my new mouse.

After I checked out, I saw a whole pyramid of CASES of Bawls soda. Now, these sodas are seriously expensive, so I controlled myself. But apparently others don’t exert such amazing self-control.

(more…)

Yep, this one is a real photo, brought to you by the wonders of cell-phone cameras in emergency rooms. (Click “read more” to see it, so I don’t offend casual readers.) My brother-in-law, sensitive man that he is, sent this over tonight with the headline “*Sister-In-Law’s Name*’s New Manicure.”

Apparently, from the third-hand story I got, they were shooting a 50 caliber revolver… I didn’t even know those existed. I was always overly impressed with my .357! But, alas, they do exist. And, as proven by this photo, they aren’t safe. When she fired, apparently part of the blast came out the side and took off the end of her thumb. (more…)

Ok, I admit it looks a little rough — but I work with what I have — the important part is that it was quick and fun to create this little multi-media mini-me. If you want to do the same, visit www.Gizmoz.com.

I was talking with a client this morning, and got the best chuckle of the past two weeks. He informed me that he was recently told that he could use his mouth to amplify the signal from his car remote.

He said that he gave it a try this morning and holding the device on his chin, and with an open mouth, the range was dramatically extended. I nearly had a stitch in my side I laughed so hard. (I think he was offended.)

So, in an effort to find something, ANYTHING on the web about this… I did a search. And I found this little video. I’ve quit laughing at my client now, but I’m still not sure I’m ready to stick a remote to my chin and let my mouth gape open in public. I mean, SERIOUSLY, as if it isn’t difficult enough to appear to be a normal human being on a daily basis without this demonstration!

Boost Car Remote With Skull – video powered by Metacafe

A recent pearl in the www — a website promoting an author’s book that is so low-tech, but so original and so cool that I don’t care that it breaks all the “rules” for websites.

Visit a book website that you won’t soon forget — using what’s available in the kitchen, a dry erase marker and flash to tell the whole story!

Writers are ALL creative people, even when out of their “customary” element!

In just five short years, the experts are predicting a solar super storm that will take down satellites and disrupt technology nets as we know them — including GPS and cell phone services.

Solar storms are documented events that would have more impact now, due to our increased dependence on technology, than ever before.

If you don’t have enough to worry about today, you can read about the next solar storm prediction for 2012.

I was looking for a cool pen holder for my desk when I tripped across this femur version (bluck!) and that led me to these “cuddly” diseases and bodily function toys.

• Pee and Poop – the stuffed version
• Syphilis and the Clap – toys everyone should avoid
• The TB toy – can you say ewww gross!?

And there is a whole plethora of other stuffed “microbes” available. I’m all for creative education, but this is just too much… even for me. I don’t even like “bodily function” humor and slapstick movies! BLUCK!

Ok, forget my fascination with the thumbdrive, the Treo and all things tiny that give me data storage. Forget every single time that I’ve said “finger tip access” as a positive thing. Forget the fact that having a data source that was unable to be lost, while still remaining conveniently tiny, is a positive. Forget it all and realize that sometimes even technology goes too far.

The latest research by in laser technology according to an article by optics.org states that a recent development in temporary data storage is literally at your fingertips — laserprinted into your fingernails. This data, according to the article printed this month, means that with fingerprint technology and this data, you would carry your secure data with you everywhere.

Now, you know I love tiny data, convenience, security and all things digital — but this one is a little too far even for me!

Go take a peek!