MODU's Musings

One of my favorite ways to relax is to log online and watch viral videos off of YouTube and Google.  There are some great amature videos out there, with some looking like they were made by professional studios.  It impresses me how creative people can be, and to be honest, I wish I had that skill.

Every now-and-then I come across a link that says the video was removed because of copyright and license violations, and it made me start to wonder.  How do you obtain video licensingfor a homemade video? Doing a quick search online, there are in fact services that help you license your material to protect your work (such as mDistribute). In fact, you can even earn money in the process.

So what can I create a video on and publish? I could possibly film how I create some of the elements on my train table, or create an instructional video on how to do origami. But the first thing I need to do is to learn how to do video editing. I should work on that this year!

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“Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure” is on!

It is such a most triumphant movie, that I love it when I catch it on tv.  I remember the first time I saw it.  We were in a movie theater, and the projector booth was having issues with the film.  The audio kept cutting out, and video would skip at times.  Got to love the old movie reels, let alone the early works of Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter . . . along with my personal favorite George Carlin.

However, “Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.”

There are rumors that there will be a remake of this classic movie.  Wyld Stallions will be replaced by the Atomic Gorillas, and many of the famous catchphrases will be replaced with new modern references.  Such a shame, really.  The movie cannot be improved upon, which the “Bogus Journey” proved.  While it was a great sequel, it didn’t have the magic of the first. 

My hope is that the rumors of a remake do not pan out.  In the mean time, be excellent to each other, and . . . PARTY ON, DUDES!

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I love this list just for the mere fact that I’ve either seen or heard of these alternate uses in practice. And when you consider how cheap these coffee filters are, you might just want to go ahead and experiment for yourselves.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

Seen this in the office.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome… Coffee filters are lint-free so they’ll leave windows sparkling..

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

I’ve heard about this before.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter..

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

I’ve been thinking about trying this when I repot one of my little trees.  When you poor water into the pot currently, it runs right through, leaving a dirty trail behind.  I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.  It stops coffee grounds from entering the coffee pot after all.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter..

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.

I’ve always used papertowels in the past, so I’ll have to try a filter next time.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great “razor nick fixers.”

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22.. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23.. Use them to sprout seeds.. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.

If I try to start some flowers from seeds this year, I might give this a try (and post pictures).

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..

25. Use as a disposable “snack bowl” for popcorn, chips, etc.

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Have you ever wondered “why?”  I mean, have you wondered why you are working in the career field you are in now, or why you’ve gone through certain experiences in the past?  I do from time to time.

Is there some purpose to the changes in my life?  I’m not in the career field for which I originally went to school for.  I’m not living where I thought I would be.  I’ve gone through things which I felt would never happen to me. 

Don’t consider this a complaint.  Would I be happier if things were different?  It’s hard to tell.  I know I wouldn’t be the person I am today, and I would have helped those that probably would not be in my life today.

Maybe I was meant to be who I am and where I am for a reason.  I would like to know, but knowing might cheapen the purpose.  I guess time will tell.

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In 2004, the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard participated in the Norwegian Military Tattoo.  This biannual show spotlighted the finest military ceremonial disciplines, including the Royal Norwegian Navy band, the Berlin Police motorcycle display team, the Finnish Guard band, the King’s Guard band and drill team, as well as the U.S. Navy band.  An excellent article highlighting this event can be found here.  In the mean time, here is a video of the performance by the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard.

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