I discovered said Universe while cooking up some tasty cake pan pizza. If you think the pattern on this lid is a fluke, I did too on the first can I opened. This was the second can. I looks like it’s own little galaxy floating there between the sink drain and the garbage disposal drain. It has a nice swirly tomato sauce pattern that was really stuck to the lid. I rinsed it before taking this picture. One can only think what the denizen’s of this wayward galaxy were thinking when the lid came off. They went from soupy pizza sauce heavens to bright lights and a car wash rinse… argghh!!!

Well the cake pan pizza turned out awesome as usual…

Mr. Dwyer is a current ISU senior in Computer Science and Entrepreneurial Studies who invented Hatchlings which started as the Worldwide Easter Egg Hunt. You can read more of the Des Moines Register’s Article on the award here. Elbert: ISU senior’s Facebook game hatches worldwide

I started playing Hatchlings about a year ago. It was the first game that I was invited to play by my facebook friends. I enjoyed hunting through all the tens of thousands of “people” pages to find the eggs hidden in the baskets. Hatchlings keeps the game fresh by introducing new eggs to find on a regular basis. There was a shark week last summer, the unicorn series, and more recently the exciting butterfly series. The butterflies were a unique series because they started out when they hatched as caterpillars. Then by feeding them the “Hot Potato” eggs they transformed in the next stage to cocoon’s then by feeding them another “Hot Potato” egg they finally blossomed as full fledged butterflies. I think a lot of people not only like collecting just the eggs themselves but can’t wait until they hatch to see what the pets look like. Once your eggs hatch then you keep hunting eggs to feed the newly hatched pets and to find missing eggs for your collection.

There are numerous fan pages surrounding this game. Last fall on one of the pages I belong to I decided to put myself on the list for Hatchling friends. This allowed me to connect with fellow game players from all over the world. It’s been kind of fun seeing all the posts on my wall of what is going on with peoples lives all over the globe. Last check on the games home page and there are well over 300,000 active players. So if your on facebook and want to check it out just search for Hatchlings in the games section. It is free to play, with options for earning or purchasing premium memberships.

Brad Dwyer… as a fellow Iowan and Computer Engineer, Congratulations!!! on being nominated for the 2010 Prometheus Awards. You done good….. keep up the good work & entrepreneurial spirit, and yes I’m typing this post during today’s game reset.

Now here is my message….

What has really changed from then to now….. not a whole lot!

Republicans and Independents in the upcoming elections DO NOT forget the power of the people that will elect you into office. I’m sure it will be a very good year to be in your position but just remember we are watching and believe me the whole world is watching. Please… Please steer us back to a purely Capitalist Society and our beloved Constitution. Do not force feed us things that the majority of the people in this country do not want. We the people in the pictures and in the news are your sons & daughters, parents & grandparents, aunts & uncles, brothers & sisters…. Respect US & Don’t tread on US.

For those in need of the dictionary definition:

Capitalism

An economic system based on a free market, open competition, profit motive and private ownership of the means of production. Capitalism encourages private investment and business, compared to a government-controlled economy. Investors in these private companies (i.e. shareholders) also own the firms and are known as capitalists.

socialism

An economic system in which the production and distribution of goods are controlled substantially by the government rather than by private enterprise, and in which cooperation rather than competition guides economic activity. There are many varieties of socialism. Some socialists tolerate capitalism, as long as the government maintains the dominant influence over the economy; others insist on an abolition of private enterprise. All communists are socialists, but not all socialists are communists.

Sources for the definitions:
Dictionary.com

Modern Language Association (MLA):
“socialism.” The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. 23 Mar. 2010. .

I went to McDonald’s for lunch on Tuesday, and I always go through the drive thru. This particular McDonald’s has one of those double drive thru’s.

a side note on this: It took me a while to master this and some people still don’t get it in Des Moines. Apparently not all of us were taught to take turns growing up.

Anyways, back to the original story… The order taker comes on and it’s one of those pre-recorded voices asking you to buy the special of the day. I swear it was a girl’s voice. I said no thank you can I have a number 6 instead. Got the usual which size fries and which kind of soft drink. The order taker finished told me my total and said pull ahead. At NO POINT in this conversation did I say Sir or Ma’am. I SWEAR!!!!!

I get to the first window and hand the check out GUY my cash. He takes the money and gives me the receipt, and then says, “By the way I’m a Sir NOT a Ma’am, you called me a Ma’am at the order board”. I was at a loss for words at this point..

First of all who the F cares just take the money and let the other 33 cars behind me get their orders and be done. Second of all quit playing the girls voice recording then, it confuses people. I blinked my eyes and looked up and him and said, (without missing a beat) “I’m sorry but I don’t recall saying this… either way you aught to be happy I was F’N polite to you in the first place.”

I pulled up to the next window and picked up my order. The whole thing just freaked me out, so I’m avoiding that McDonald’s for awhile. Besides I’m on a chicken kick lately and there’s a perfectly good KFC next door.

PS… do not tell my man that I was at McDonald’s and didn’t bring home a cheeseburger for him