Entertainment

Entertainment

From games to photography, this section will capture your attention with a myriad of contributions from our network of contributors. 

 Not a registered contributor . . . email me with your selected user name (animal or farm related) and I’ll get you registered giddyfilly@atTheFunnyFarm.org .  Do note registration is limited to friends, family, colleagues or by recommendation from someone already in the network.  All registrants must be over 18 years of age or close in age and approved for participation by their registered parent.

Amazing video and story about saving a young humpback tangled in fisherman’s net . . .

Posted by on Feb 10, 2012 in Incredible Animals | 0 comments

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Time Lapse Auroras Over Norway HD

Posted by on Jan 16, 2012 in Amazing Videos | 0 comments

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People are awesome 2011 (Best of 2011 videos)

Posted by on Jan 1, 2012 in Amazing Videos | 0 comments

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Crash Test 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air VS. 2009 Chevrolet Malibu (Frontal Offset) IIHS 50th Anniversary

Posted by on Dec 26, 2011 in Amazing Videos | 0 comments

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The Greatest Speech Ever 2011 refresher

Posted by on Dec 20, 2011 in Inspirational | 0 comments

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Flash Mob Tribute to Michael Jackson 2010 – Cebu, Philippines

Posted by on Dec 20, 2011 in Amazing Videos | 0 comments

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Declan Galbraith – talented 13 yr wrote, composed and sings about the world

Posted by on Dec 15, 2011 in Talented Kids | 0 comments

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Michigan Humane Society Straw Drop

Posted by on Dec 15, 2011 in Incredible Animals | 0 comments

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Japanese Tsunami from Car Camera

Posted by on Nov 24, 2011 in Amazing Videos | 0 comments

Wow … this is absolutely incredible.  This is the earthquake & tsunami in Japan from an automatic camera inside the vehicle of the deliveryman.  Found recently by the police & video was restored.  Firsthand reporting!  Amazing!

A camera mounted on Yu Muroga dashboard captured not only the March 11 earthquake, but also the moment he and other drivers were suddenly engulfed in the Tsunami. You will be pleased to know that he survived:

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RC Roundup

Posted by on Nov 24, 2011 in Incredible Animals | 0 comments

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A Day Made of Glass

Posted by on Nov 24, 2011 in Amazing Videos | 0 comments

Now here’s some really cool stuff . . . a looking glass into the future

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Detroit Landmarks . . .

Posted by on Nov 5, 2011 in Games and fun stuff | 0 comments

And yes, some of these were landmarks elsewhere:)

Old-Line Retailers –

Arbor Drugs Arbor Drugs opened its doors in Troy in 1974, when founder Eugene
Applebaum combined several drug stores under the name. At the time, he owned a
handful of pharmacies, including one in Ann Arbor. Because the Ann Arbor store
was the best of the bunch, he decided to use the second half of the city’s name
for his business.

 

Atlas Beverage Company For more than 60 years, Atlas Beverage Company produced
carbonated beverages with names like Brownie Root Beer, Bulldog Ginger Beer,
Cheer-Up, V-Mix, and Golden & Pale Dry Ginger Ale. A Polish immigrant in
Hamtramck founded the company in 1929, and it closed in 1996.

Barthwell Drugs When the pharmacy where Sidney Barthwell was employed failed during the
Great Depression, Barthwell borrowed $500 from friends to open Barthwell Drugs
in 1933. Barthwell Drugs grew to become the largest chain of black-owned
drugstores in the United States, with a total of nine stores and three
ice-cream parlors. Although the chain no longer exists, the Barthwell legacy
remains in Detroit with the establishment the Sidney Barthwell Endowed
Scholarship at Wayne State Universitys College of Pharmacy.

Burroughs The Burroughs Adding Machine Company moved to Detroit in 1904 and was once the
largest adding-machine company in the United States. William Seward Burroughs
founded the company when he invented the Burroughs Registering Accountant in
the 1880s; it was the first practical adding-listing machine that printed
calculations on paper tapes. The company partnered with the Sperry Corporation
in the 80s and is now called Unisys. Although the company is now headquartered
in Blue Bell, N.Y. It currently still occupies the old Burroughs factory and
office space in Plymouth, Mich.

B.Siegel Company B. Siegel Company’s fine-clothing store in Detroit was
originally Heyns Bazaar, until Benjamin Siegel purchased it in the late 1800s
and changed the stores name. The Woodward Avenue shop was reputed to be the
finest and most complete suit and cloak store in America, until the company
filed for bankruptcy in 1981.

Crowley Milner and Company (Crowleys) When Detroit department store Partridge and
Blackwell was struggling to stay in business, the Crowley brothers stepped in
and took over. In the early 1900s, the store flourished by catering to the
city’s affluent clientele, but by the end of the century, Crowleys had bowed
out of the market!

Cunninghams Andrew Cunningham opened Cunninghams Drugs in 1889 and had 11 stores in
downtown Detroit when the company was purchased by Economical Drugs owner Nate
Shapero in 1931. Cunninghams was famous for its special promotions and used an
elephant symbol to represent their jumbo sodas, sundaes, and photo-print
services. The chains slogans included: Don’t say drug store “Just say
Cunninghams and We’re a drug store  and a whole lot more.”

Farmer Jack The story of Farmer Jack stores can be traced to 1924, when Russian
immigrant Tom Borman opened Tom’s Quality Meats in Detroit. Tom and his
brother, Al, ran grocery stores that were a metro Detroit staple, becoming
Farmer Jack in 1966. The last remaining Farmer Jack stores closed in 2007 (some
were converted to A&P’s), others are just empty shells of abandoned
buildings.

Federals Steven West’s spans a range of endeavors, from writing five self-help books to
committing some major tax evasion. He’s perhaps best-known in the Detroit area
for (BURNING), taking over Federals department store in the late 70s. In 1980,
Federals dissolved.

F&M Phar-Mor, Drug Emporium, and F&M were once the most powerful bargain
drugstore chains in America. The industry was pioneered in Ferndale when Fred
and Margaret Cohen opened the first F&M in 1955. The Cohen’s business
strategy was selling brand-name products at bargain prices, relying on
word-of-mouth advertising, and banking on stock-up shopping popular in more
affluent areas. When the Cohen’s sold the business in 1977, their
9,000-square-foot store was grossing $13 million per year.

Fretters Ollie Fretter opened his first self-titled electronics store in Livonia in the
1950s. He may best be remembered for his commercials, in which he promised,
“I’ll give you five pounds of coffee if I can’t beat your best deal.”

Gantos Lebanese immigrant Theodore Gantos long dreamed of opening his own linen store,
and when the devastation of the Great Depression ended, he did just that. With
his wife, Haseebie, he opened the first Gantos store in Grand Rapids in 1932.
Over the next few decades, the store shifted gears to become a successful
women’s-wear boutique before going out of business in 2000.

Grinnell’s Pianos Once known as the largest piano factory on the earth, Grinnell’s Pianos
opened its doors in Holly, Mich., in 1913. The company lasted for nearly a
century, thanks in part to its quality pianos and to its consistent community
involvement hosting annual statewide music festivals.

Harmony House Carl Thom opened the first Harmony House music store in Hazel Park in
1947. Known for its superb selection of Detroit music, the chain grew to 38
stores before finally closing in 2002.

Highland Superstores In 1933, Harry Mondry founded the first Highland Appliance Store,
named for its location in Highland Park. The company had a dramatic rise and
fall in its time, expanding to three states before finally liquidating in 1993.

Himelhochs The first Himelhoch’s clothing store opened on Washington Boulevard in downtown
Detroit in 1907. Fifty years later, the chain had stretched across the country,
and even to Paris. But in 1977, the company filed for bankruptcy and closed.
Its original location on Washington has been preserved as a historic landmark.

Hudsons The J.L. Hudson Company was founded in 1881 by Joseph L. Hudson. The 29-story
flagship store, located at 1206 Woodward in downtown Detroit, was the worlds
tallest department store throughout most of the 20th century, with 706 fitting
rooms, 68 elevators, 51 display windows, five restaurants, a fine-art gallery,
and a wine department. After many changes in the retail sector, the chain was
eventually folded into Macys.

Hughes & Hatcher In 1910, Fred Hughes and Leslie Hatcher opened their clothing
store in downtown Detroit, and it soon became the top name in gentle men’s fine
apparel. Aside from its stupendously stylish suits, Hughes & Hatcher was
known for having the largest display windows in town.

Jacobson’s In 1838, the first Jacobson’s store opened in Reed City, Mich. The store
catered to the fashion needs of upscale Michigan clientele, and eventually
expanded to Florida and other states. The store is still profitable in Florida,
but the Michigan stores, after more than 150 years, remain closed.

Joshua Doore Furniture In 1973, Harvey Leach opened the doors to Joshua Doore and, for
years, drew in customers with the charming slogan “You’ve got an uncle in the
furniture business.” A few years later, amid the company’s transformation into
Uncle Robinson Furniture, Leach was found dead in the trunk of his car,
allegedly as a result of financial challenges.

Kern’s Where the Compuware building stands in downtown Detroit today once stood
another grand retailer of the city’s golden era, Kern’s Department Store.
Kern’s opened in 1900 and competed with J.L. Hudsons until closing in 1959.
After much restoration, the famous Kern’s clock was rededicated by Compuware in
2003.

Kinsel Drug Store The next time you need a remedy for a late-night cough, you can
thank Edward C. Kinsel, who opened Detroit’s first 24-hour drugstore. Kinsel’s
opened in 1894 and offered patrons everything from cold remedies to cold cuts.

Klines Eugene B. Kline founded Kline’s women’s fashion store in 1911. The chic-looking
store on Woodward Avenue was called the most modern store in the country in
1940.

Merchant of Vino Founded in 1974, Merchant of Vino was well known for its fine wine and
gourmet foods. Although Eddie Jonna eventually sold his popular chain to Whole
Foods Co., his sons Marc and Matthew picked up where their father left off,
opening the state-of-the-art Plum Markets now seen around metro Detroit.

New York Carpet World Marvin Berlin opened New York Carpet World in 1967. Along
with his partner, Irving Nusbaum, Berlin grew the chain to an impressive 250
stores in 17 states, including Michigan, making it the top source for household
flooring.

Perrys Drug Store Jack A. Robinson founded the hugely successful Perry’s Drug Store
chain, which was taken over by Rite-Aid in the mid-90s. The first Perry’s store
opened in Pontiac in 1957, named for its location on Perry Street.

Pfeiffer Brewing Company Conrad Pfeiffer began brewing his own beer in 1882. His Art
Deco red-brick brewery was built between Beaufait and Bellevue avenues on the
east side of Detroit, complete with a stable and hospitality area that offered
tours, products for sale, and a beer garden. Pfeiffer Brewing Company began
producing its olive-drab cans with black lettering for the government during
World War II, soon after it began selling its yellow Johnny Fifer cans to the
public.

R.H. Fyfe and Company Detroit was once home to the largest shoe store in the world.
Fyfe’s opened in 1865 and, by 1919, it had expanded to include 10 floors of
shoes and service areas, as well as a miniature-golf course. After closing, the
headquarters at Woodward and Adams was converted into residential lofts.

Sams Jams Opened in 1979, Sam’s Jams was a hip Ferndale record shop where customers
could always find rare and vintage tunes. Sam’s frequently hosted album
signings with popular and alternative bands of the day. But much to the dismay
of the local underground music community, Sam’s closed its doors in 1993.

Sanders Frederick Sanders opened his first retail shop in downtown Detroit on June 17,
1875. At one time, Sanders had over 57 stores around town selling an assortment
of candy, fudge toppings, and baked goods. Sanders sold his first Ice Cream
Soda in 1876, when he substituted ice cream for the sweet cream used in his
Sweet Cream Soda.

Sebastian S. Kresge/Kmart With his humble beginnings, historic philanthropist Sebastian
S. Kresge likely couldn’t have imagined that the city of Detroit would turn his
modest five-and-dime store into the gargantuan enterprise it became. S.S.
Kresge Co. opened in Detroit in 1899, and later expanded into Kmart
Corporation, before merging with Sears, Roebuck & Co.

Sibleys Shoes Aaron Ross and Norm Rosenfeld opened the first Sibley’s shoe store in
Detroit in 1920 and soon expanded to various locations throughout Michigan and
Ohio. Headquartered in the Fox Building and, for a time, the Renaissance
Center, the chain was finally dismantled in 2003.

Strohs In 1850, Bernhard Stroh established what would become a Detroit institution,
then referred to as Lions Head brewery. During Prohibition, the company stayed
afloat by producing ice cream and near beer and selling it in grocery stores
and ice-cream parlors (Stroh’s Ice Cream can still be found today). With its
headquarters at Grand Park Center near Grand Circus Park, Strohs was
family-owned and -operated for more than 145 years.

Thorn Apple Valley After miraculously escaping from a German concentration camp
during World War II , Henry Dorfman immigrated into the United States and
opened his own butcher shop in Detroit in 1949. The small company, originally
called Frederick Packing Company, expanded nationwide and was renamed Thorn
Apple Valley in 1984.

Towne Club In the mid 1960s, Harold Samhat began selling Towne Club soda at various
pop center around Detroit. Towne Club, sold in wooden crates with 24 glass
bottles in each, was more affordable than Coke or Pepsi and was famous for its
wide variety of flavors.

Twin Pines Dairy Farm It’s been a long time since fresh milk, cream, and cottage
cheese were delivered right to your milk chute, but for almost 20 years, Twin
Pines was perhaps Detroit’s finest creamery. Before the emergence of
convenience stores, Twin Pines was such a success that it even had its own
children’s television show, Milky’s Party Time, from 1950 to 1967.

Vernors Legend has it that Vernor’s ginger ale was created in 1866 when Detroit
pharmacist James Vernor returned home from the Civil War and found that the
syrup he’d created and stored for four years had transformed into a deliciously
different drink. Combined with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (preferably
Strohs), the distinctly Detroit soda created a Midwest delicacy: the Boston
cooler, believed to be named after Detroit’s Boston Boulevard.

Winkelmans The first Winkelman’s store was built in Detroit in 1928. The founders,
brothers Isadore and Leon Winkelman, were born and raised in the Upper
Peninsula, but fell in love with the city and stayed to open their successful
clothing stores.

Woolworths Perhaps the best-known of the old five-and-dimes was Woolworth’s, which expanded into a larger discount store chain and thrived for most of the 20th century. After the stores demise in the 80s, the company broke off into several parts, including a sportswear division now known as Foot Locker.

Draw a Stickman

Posted by on Oct 28, 2011 in Games and fun stuff | 0 comments

Amuzing interactive stickman that you draw.

The English Language

Posted by on Jul 13, 2011 in Games and fun stuff | 0 comments

You think English is easy?

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more
refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to
present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear..

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let’s face it – English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant,
nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins
weren’t invented in England or French fries in France . Sweetmeats are
candies while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat. We take English for
granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work
slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor
is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce
and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the
plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2
indices? Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them,
what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats
vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English
speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what
language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and
send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a
wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a
language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill
in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the
creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That
is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are
out, they are invisible.

PS. – Why doesn’t ‘Buick’ rhyme with ‘quick’ ?

You lovers of the English language might enjoy this …

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other
two-letter word, and that is UP.’

It’s easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list
but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP ?

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP?

Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP
to the secretary to write UP a report?

We call UP our friends.

And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver; we warm UP the
leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.

We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.

At other times the little word has real special meaning.

People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think
UP excuses.

To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.

A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the
dictionary.

In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add
UP to about thirty definitions.

If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is
used.

It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don’t give UP, you may wind
UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP.

When the sun comes out we say it is clearingUP.

When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.

When it doesn’t rain for awhile, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I’ll wrap it UP,  for now my time is UP, so……..it is time to shut UP!

The Beach Walker

Posted by on Jun 24, 2011 in Amazing Videos | 0 comments

Theo Jansen is the Dutch creator of what he calls “Kinetic Sculptures,” where nature and technology meet. Essentially these sculptures are robots powered by the wind only.

Oceanview Room

Posted by on Jun 16, 2011 in Amazing Photography | 0 comments

Here’s the guest room with an oceanview . . . seriously . . . you can count fish to fall asleep