For many of us, we don’t even know we’re walking around with this virus, but it’s there alright, destroying all the peace of mind cells we have in our body.Being offended doesn’t just hurt our feelings, it compromises our whole “happiness immune system.”
So, go ahead, you can say it. It’s only three words: I get offended.
And don’t worry.
You’re not alone.
We all do.
In fact, there’s almost nothing we don’t get offended by.
We get offended by a roll of the eye or a shake of the head, as easily as we get offended when we’re ignored, picked on, talked about, not talked about, overworked, unappreciated, or taken for granted.
And, that’s not counting all those times in a day when we get offended by life disappointing us. You know what I’m talking about…those times when someone cuts us off on the road, jumps in front of us at the market, or doesn’t say thank you when we think they should.
We get offended by parents who can’t control their kids in restaurants, friends who don’t invite us to parties, neighbors who refuse to pick up after their dog’s mess.
Take your pick. There’s something for everybody.
Now, you might say being offended is nothing more than a collection of pet peeves—all those little annoyances that get under our skin.
And it’s true.
Of course, seeing as how the skin is the largest organ in the body, that’s a lot of room for these “pet peeves” to get into our system and thrive. We need to be careful of infection.
It’s time to let the healing begin.
Here is a simple prescription on how to stop being offended—three small pills to help clear up the irritation of life.
Stop Being Offended Today: The Cure For Everything That Irritates You
There is an epidemic spreading across the world. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we’re all carriers of the disease. It’s called Offend-initis, a skin condition whereby the thickness of our skin melts away to the point where everything offends us.
Symptoms may include: hurt feelings, indignation, irritability, disappointment, grumpiness and an all-around allergic reaction to anyone who says or does something we don’t like.
Fortunately, there is a cure.
But, before the healing begins, we need to start by acknowledging that there’s a problem in the first place.
The “Tree that ate a bicycle”
(Real ,Not Photoshoped)
A boy left his bike chained to a tree when he went away to war in 1914. He never returned, leaving the tree no choice but to grow around the bike. Incredible that this bike has been there for 98 years now!
Origins: The “tree that ate a bicycle” on Washington’s Vashon Island has been a popular destination for curiosity seekers for years, particularly for those who have read Berkeley Breathed’s 1994 book, Red Ranger Came Calling, which was inspired by this arboreal oddity. Many photographs of the bicycle tree can be found on the Internet on sites such as RoadsideAmerica, and
a trek to the site is captured
Although text is commonly associated with pictures of the tree claiming that the bicycle was left chained to it by a boy who
went off to war in 1914, the bike is not nearly that old, nor was it left behind by a young man setting off to take part in World War I. According to the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber, the bicycle was left behind in the mid-1950s by a local resident who simply abandoned it:Tales abound explaining how a red bicycle came to be lodged in a Vashon tree a dozen feet upSome say it ended up there by chance, while others contend in was intentional cleverness. One former Islander, Berkeley Breathed, even wrote a children’s book about the mystery.But one longtime Island family had laid a solid claim to the bicycle in a tree just north of Sound Food. Two generations concur that the bicycle belonged to Don Puz, who in 1954 left his bicycle in the woods, forgot about it and never went back looking for it.
Don received the bicycle as a donation after the family home burnt down, he said.The bicycle wasn’t his favorite — it had hard, solid rubber tires “and skinny little handlebars like a tricycle,” he said. “I
was too big a kid to ride it.”
As his mother Helen Puz tells the story, Don and his friends were playing in the woods together, and Don was the only child who had ridden his bicycle there. When the boys left, Don left his bike behind, walking home with the other boys.”Apparently, he wasn’t too excited about that bike,” she said.
After the bike was discovered, making headlines, both mother and son paid it a visit.”We went down there in the woods, and there was this bike in the tree, and I said, ‘That’s my bike,'” Don recalled. “I recognized it immediately. When I saw that bike, I recognized it, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen another one like it.”
Don Puz said nothing about leaving his bicycle chained to a tree, so given the current position of the bike within the tree, most likely one or more persons had a hand in moving it after Don abandoned it back in 1954.
Tattoo Pictures and Zombie transformation by Brian Cummings
Brian Cummings (Brian Cummings) – American advertising photographer and director, who is considered a master of staged photography and the use of make-up. We bring to your attention two independent photoset author.
In addition to the ability to get up and take pictures of high quality, Brian Cummings (Brian Cummings) called expert conceptual images and ideas. At the time, an American who now lives and works in St. Louis, received a bachelor’s degree in visual design, which undoubtedly helped him in the future profession. We shall now describe two photoset. In the first, we go to visit the tattoo artist, and the second look unusual transformation of ordinary people into zombies.

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10 Things I Wish I Knew 10 Years Ago – By Marc
Stay in tune with your spirit. Be calm and think. Listen to your inner voice. Anticipate and plan. Take 100% responsibility for your life. Lean into your struggles. Act with courage. Maintain an open mind. Practice kindness and compassion. Keep your promises. Forgive, let go, and move forward. This is how you get from where you are to where you want to be.
I’ve learned these concepts gradually over the last decade. Together they have helped me live a life of purpose. Had I understood these things 10 years ago, I could have avoided quite a bit of confusion and grief. So today I figured I’d share a few more things I wish I had known sooner. My hope is that they help you hurdle over some of the barriers I stumbled into on the road of life.
- Loving someone should not mean losing YOU. – True love empowers you, it doesn’t erase you. True love allows human beings to build amazing things, by working together through passion, kindness, and good will. So be strong enough to stand alone, be yourself enough to stand apart, but be wise enough to share your love and stand together when the time comes. Read The Mastery of Love
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- Getting even doesn’t help you get ahead. – You will never get ahead of anyone as long as you try to get even with them. Sometimes we don’t forgive people because they deserve it. We forgive them because they need it, because we need it, and because we cannot move forward without it. To forgive is to rediscover the inner peace and purpose that at first you thought someone took away when they betrayed you.
- You attract what you show to the world. – So if you want it, reflect it. Happiness, freedom, and peace of mind are always attained by givingthem out to others without expectation. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are eventually helped. You have two hands; one to help yourself, the second to help those around you.
- Failure is success when you learn from it. – Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. Obstacles can’t stop you. Problems can’t stop you. Other people can’t stop you. These barriers are temporary – they come and go. Which is why, over the course of a lifetime, the only barrier that can truly stop you, is YOU. So don’t give up. Sometimes you have to journey through hell on Earth to find heaven on Earth.
- You are not what you have done, but what you have overcome. – All the hardships. All the mistakes. All the rejections. All the pain. All the times you questioned why. All of these things have given birth to the wisdom and strength that will help you shine your light on the world, even in the darkest of hours. Read Emotional Freedom
- Your past can only hurt you today if you let it. – Do not pay any attention to what the past whispers if all it’s doing is bad-mouthing what today has to offer. There are times when you need to release the bitterness and grab a firm hold of happiness, without permission and without reason. The only way to get over the past is to leave it behind. If you spend your time re-living moments that are gone forever, you might miss the special moments that are yet to come.
- It’s never too late to become the person you are capable of being. – Repeat after me: “I AM FREE.” You can fulfill your life purpose by starting here, in this moment. The purpose of life is not to simply be happy, but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to make some kind of difference that you have lived at all. Remember, life is constant change, but growth is optional. Choose wisely, starting now.
- Passion is important. – If you are trapped between your dreams and what other people think is right for you, always travel the route that makes you happy – unless you want everybody to be happy, except you. And whatever you do, don’t chase the money. Catch up to the ideas and activities that make you come alive. Go for the things of greater value – the things money can’t buy – and use them to create a relevant profession. Read Quitter
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- The pain is worth it. – You can’t really begin to appreciate life until it has knocked you down a few times. You can’t really begin to appreciate love until your heart has been broken. You can’t really begin to appreciate happiness until you’ve known sadness. You have to struggle up the mountainside to appreciate the breathtaking view at the mountaintop.
- Sometimes what you don’t want is what you need. – Sometimes the things you can’t change end up changing you for the better. Master your responses to external events; don’t always attempt to control them. You will rarely end up exactly where you wanted to go, but you will always end up exactly where you need to be.
Stunning Water Wigs by Tim Tadder
Commercial advertising photographer Tim Tadder just finished shooting a new project he calls “Water Wigs”.
Any fan of Curb Your Enthusiasm is familiar with the twinkling gleam of protagonist Larry David’s bald head, and the third season finale that had him firing his chef for fraud – for wearing a toupee to cover his own hairless head. But even Larry, in his infinite cynicism, must occasionally look in the mirror and wonder – what if? In a recent series from L.A. photographer Tim Tadder, bald men are given virtual water wigs using some cool lighting effects, microphones, lasers and good, old-fashioned water balloons dropped from a ladder onto the models’ heads. The resulting images are vivid and full of movement and while Larry would most certainly take issue with the methodology, he would have to applaud the results.
Website: timtadder.com
The Friar

The Angel

The Don King

The Conquistador

The Jesus

The Bob

The Mohawk II

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The Bun

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The Burning Man

1970 Pontiac Firebird
When I set out to build my dream car the vision was to tastefully integrate modern styling and technology into the classic 1970 Pontiac Formula Firebird body. Built as a high-performance daily driver, this Firebird needed to include many luxuries and appointments found in late model sports cars such as a tuned suspension, fuel injected adjustable twin-turbos, climate control, power windows with a state-of-the art stereo and multimedia electronics.”

The body modifications provide a contemporary yet bold look and will increase performance by managing and directing airflow. Plus there is an enormous amount of black. Although this Machine of muscle might appear to be a garage happy show car, it has lots of wear and tear with both street and track miles.
Nearly 2 decades ago, owner Tom Cronkright’s first car as a juvenile was a 1970 Pontiac Firebird, but his spirited youth combined with a heavy right foot shortened that relationship. This latest 1970 Firebird stretches its 1200hp wings with the help of Brian Moat/All Speed Customs, based in Muskegon Heights, Michigan – where the muscle car has the proper pedigree for a build of this nature.
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INTERIOR:
Custom design full leather interior with dual stitching
Front leather Corbeau bucket seats
Five point safety harness
Rear bench with molded buckets
Custom center console
Original-reconditioned Trans Am gauges
New aluminum Trans Am dash plate
Power windows with billet switches
Custom billet door handles
Custom Budnik split-grip sport wheel anodized black
Vintage Air Sure Fit climate control system
Ididit tilt steering column/keyless ignition
ENGINE: 475 Cu. In. Custom Twin Turbo Pontiac
Block – IAII cast iron 4.250″ bore.
Mains – billet 3.00″ splayed mains,
Crank – 4.00″ stroke crank – Scat 4340 forged steel











10 MOST BEAUTIFUL BIRDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
I’ve always enjoyed seeing birds in the yard. Most of the birds I see in my area are generally small and monochromatic. I grew up learning about birds from my grandmother and she gave me a bird book when I was still a small child. The birds in this book astounded me. I’d never seen such colors and plumage on anything like them before. Thanks to the Internet, I’ve been able to explore the bird world even further. Here are what I believe to be the 10 most beautiful birds from around the world.
Photo Credit: Harley Mac
I think this bird is greatly overlooked, except by avid bird watchers. The beauty of this bird isn’t immediately visible, due to its mostly gray plumage. The Bohemian Waxwing has rose-colored feathers on its face that seem to gradually blend into the rest of its gray body. The tip of the mostly black tail appears to be dipped in vibrant yellow. The tuft at the top the Bohemian Waxwing’s head makes it even slightly comical, as well as beautiful.
Photo Credit: –BP–
The male of this species is colored so randomly that it looks as if someone used the last little bits of paint in the palette to color him. Female Painted Buntings are sort of an olive green with lighter and darker hues of the same color spread over her plumage. The male, on the other hand, has a bright blue head, brilliant red chest and underside, vibrant yellow shoulders, and small patches of green on the upper wing portions. He is truly a mish-mosh of color.
Photo Credit: hoganphoto
This happens to be one bird that can be seen in the woods near my home, but not very often. These birds can be bullies to smaller birds. My family and I often refer to them as The Beasties. They can be heard taunting one another and then are usually seen chasing a smaller bird through the trees. The bright blue feathers that are intermingled with black bars and tipped with white always reminded me of a stained glass window. Blue is also my favorite color!
Photo Credit: tenseofthousands.blogspot.com
There are many varieties of bird-of-paradise. The Blue Bird-of-Paradise has gorgeous teal wings and a stark black head and neck for contrast. Teal plumage is also seen along the back of the bird, which has an additional patch of bright blue that shows up along the bottom of the teal feathers during the mating ritual. There are also two single tendrils of black feathers that stick out from the bird’s tail like a couple of antennae.
Photo Credit:bayucca
Even though this bird is called a Scarlet Macaw, the colors seen in its plumage consist of many more colors than simply red. The underside, head, and shoulders of this macaw are red, but then these feathers gradually change to vermilion, yellow, green, and finally blue at the tips of the wings. Some color variations have a bit of a purple tinge at the very tip of the wings, but usually the vibrant blue color more common. I love the rainbow wings on the Scarlet Macaw most of all.
Photo Credit: Brad Carlson’s Photos
Both the male and female of this bird species are brightly colored. I’ve always found this to be interesting since usually the male of each species is the only one with vibrant colors. The male Baltimore Oriole has a bright orange underbody and shoulders. As for the female, she has mostly yellow plumage with some black on her wings. The wings of the male and female Baltimore Oriole are patterned similarly with black and white bars.
Photo Credit: pravin indrekar
Not only is this bird very pretty, but it is extremely graceful too. For such a large bird, I think the peacock is able to flaunt his tail well. The main portion of this bird’s body ranges between turquoise and bright blue. I’ve seen both hues on peacocks and sometimes it just the way the sun is hitting the feathers that causes this variation in color. The tail feathers make this bird even more beautiful.
Photo Credit: Kyle McCreary
Usually Cardinals are the red-feathered birds seen in the trees around my home. However, occasionally I get a chance to see a Scarlet Tanager in the spring. These medium-sized birds only come with red bodies and black wings and tails if they are the male variety. The females are olive and yellow. The ‘scarlet’ feathers on this bird almost seem to have more of a vermilion hue to them. The muted black tail and wings go nicely with the vibrant red!
Photo Credit: dracobotanicus
I adore all hummingbirds, but I think the male Broad-billed is the most intriguing. The iridescent blue that spans from throat to belly begins in bright blue and finishes in a pale turquoise color. The beak is orange with a black tip, while most hummingbirds have a completely black beak.
Photo Credit: tim ellis
These tiny birds have plumage that is a collection of the most random colors I’ve ever seen. Although the colors seem to be placed haphazardly, I think this is a one of the prettiest birds I’ve come across. I used to use my crayons to decorate birds in my coloring book in a similar fashion when I was a kid. Colors seen in the plumage of these tiny birds consist of red, green, purple, black, yellow, turquoise, and olive.
These are the 10 most beautiful birds from around the world that I wish I could see all of the time. At least I get to enjoy a few of these species of bird during migration each spring. What birds do you think are some of the prettiest you’ve ever seen? Do you have a list of birds that you hope to see in your lifetime?
Top Photo Credit: pieway.com
1. BOHEMIAN WAXWING

2. PAINTED BUNTING

3. BLUE JAY

4. BLUE BIRD-OF-PARADISE

5. SCARLET MACAW

6. BALTIMORE ORIOLE

7. PEACOCK

8. SCARLET TANAGER

9. BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD

10. GOULDIAN FINCH
