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See you there!
04 June 2008
03 June 2008
I Think The Editor Was Napping When This Story Was Posted
An article on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel web site titled, "Packers Herron fights off home invaders," leads with this sentence:
"Green Bay Packers running back Noah Herron fought off intruders during a burglary to his Village of Howard home, striking one with a bed post that he unscrewed from his bed last weekend."
So, did Herron's home get invaded last weekend, or did he unscrew a bedpost from his bed last weekend in anticipation of a home invasion to come? Because if that's the case, then he could give Allison DuBois a run for her money.
Thus ends my geek-out for today.
"Green Bay Packers running back Noah Herron fought off intruders during a burglary to his Village of Howard home, striking one with a bed post that he unscrewed from his bed last weekend."
So, did Herron's home get invaded last weekend, or did he unscrew a bedpost from his bed last weekend in anticipation of a home invasion to come? Because if that's the case, then he could give Allison DuBois a run for her money.
Thus ends my geek-out for today.
01 June 2008
Chick-Flick Weekend
I'm not much of a "girly girl." I hate dressing up, wear makeup only when I have to, and like watching baseball. However, there are a few "girly" things I enjoy, namely chick flicks and chick lit.
So you can imagine my anticipation at seeing "Sex and the City" on the big screen during its opening weekend. My friend Jenna and I ventured out to the Majestic Theater in Brookfield to take in the big-screen version of the pay cable show we both enjoyed during its six-year run. We got our tickets, then went to the snack stand and got some refreshments.
Apparently I've never before watched a movie with an audience that was 98 percent women, because I wanted to kill almost every one of them at some point during the film (Jenna excluded, of course -- you're fabulous!). The first time Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha each appeared on screen, gasps and screams filled the theater. The gasps and screams continued during almost every piece of dialoguye that was spoken between any of the characters; and, in case Jenna and I couldn't hear what was being said on the screen, a helpful woman sitting in front of us -- who we suspect had one too many cosmos -- would loudly repeat any line that she found particularly funny (she did this a lot). So, essentially, I missed probably about 15 percent of the dialogue.
Don't misunderstand me. I appreciate the fact that this movie is the ultimate "girls' night out" event that will probably ever happen in our lifetime (deer hunter widow's balls don't count because, frankly, I don't plan on marrying a deer hunter). And I appreciate friends wanting to experience the return of this beloved-by-many show, because that's exactly what my friend and I wanted to do. But most of these women behaved as if they were sitting in their homes with their girlfriends watching the show each week on HBO. Except this behavior doesn't translate well into A THEATER FULL OF PEOPLE! All I really wanted to do was watch the movie, take in every syllable, every scene, every outfit, every brief, fleeting shot of full frontal male nudity -- but these harpies in the theater wouldn't let me. I guess I didn't realize what happens during a movie watched by primarily watched by women.
Fortunately I loved the movie and will be buying it on DVD, so I'll be able to experience the movie again in the privacy and quiet of my own apartment.
* * *
After the movie Jenna I went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner -- yes, the restaurant with the "Cattle Crossing" sign right outside the ladies' room.
Jenna decided to get dessert, and then tempted me to help her finish it (what am I if not a good friend?). J ordered the "Big 'Ol Brownie," a sinful and rich warm brownie with ice cream on the top.
I started out planning to just have a forkful, but of course I ate half of it, not counting the portion that I dropped right down into my cleavage.
So you can imagine my anticipation at seeing "Sex and the City" on the big screen during its opening weekend. My friend Jenna and I ventured out to the Majestic Theater in Brookfield to take in the big-screen version of the pay cable show we both enjoyed during its six-year run. We got our tickets, then went to the snack stand and got some refreshments.
Apparently I've never before watched a movie with an audience that was 98 percent women, because I wanted to kill almost every one of them at some point during the film (Jenna excluded, of course -- you're fabulous!). The first time Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha each appeared on screen, gasps and screams filled the theater. The gasps and screams continued during almost every piece of dialoguye that was spoken between any of the characters; and, in case Jenna and I couldn't hear what was being said on the screen, a helpful woman sitting in front of us -- who we suspect had one too many cosmos -- would loudly repeat any line that she found particularly funny (she did this a lot). So, essentially, I missed probably about 15 percent of the dialogue.
Don't misunderstand me. I appreciate the fact that this movie is the ultimate "girls' night out" event that will probably ever happen in our lifetime (deer hunter widow's balls don't count because, frankly, I don't plan on marrying a deer hunter). And I appreciate friends wanting to experience the return of this beloved-by-many show, because that's exactly what my friend and I wanted to do. But most of these women behaved as if they were sitting in their homes with their girlfriends watching the show each week on HBO. Except this behavior doesn't translate well into A THEATER FULL OF PEOPLE! All I really wanted to do was watch the movie, take in every syllable, every scene, every outfit, every brief, fleeting shot of full frontal male nudity -- but these harpies in the theater wouldn't let me. I guess I didn't realize what happens during a movie watched by primarily watched by women.
Fortunately I loved the movie and will be buying it on DVD, so I'll be able to experience the movie again in the privacy and quiet of my own apartment.
* * *
After the movie Jenna I went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner -- yes, the restaurant with the "Cattle Crossing" sign right outside the ladies' room.
Jenna decided to get dessert, and then tempted me to help her finish it (what am I if not a good friend?). J ordered the "Big 'Ol Brownie," a sinful and rich warm brownie with ice cream on the top.
I started out planning to just have a forkful, but of course I ate half of it, not counting the portion that I dropped right down into my cleavage.
28 May 2008
Addition to My Summer Reading List
This book should be extremely interesting.
Former press secretary's book bashes Bush
From Associated Press
May 28, 2008 8:26 AM EDT WASHINGTON - Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that President Bush relied on an aggressive "political propaganda campaign" instead of the truth to sell the Iraq war, it has been reported.
The Bush White House made "a decision to turn away from candor and honesty when those qualities were most needed" - a time when the nation was on the brink of war, McClellan writes in the book entitled "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception."
The way Bush managed the Iraq issue "almost guaranteed that the use of force would become the only feasible option," the book contends, according to accounts Wednesday in The New York Times and Washington Post.
"In the permanent campaign era, it was all about manipulating sources of public opinion to the president's advantage," McClellan writes.
The White House had no immediate comment on the book.
In a surprisingly harsh assessment from the man who was at that time the loyal public voice of the White House, McClellan called the Iraq war a "serious strategic blunder."
"The Iraq war was not necessary," he concludes.
McClellan admits that some of his own words from the podium in the White House briefing room turned out to be "badly misguided." But he says he was sincere at the time.
"I fell far short of living up to the kind of public servant I wanted to be," McClellan writes. He also blames the media whose questions he fielded, calling them "complicit enablers" in the White House campaign to manipulate public opinion toward the need for war.
The book is scheduled to go on sale June 1. Quotes from the book were reported Tuesday night by the Web site Politico, which said it found McClellan's memoir on sale early at a bookstore.
McClellan draws a portrait of his former boss as smart, charming and politically skilled, but unwilling to admit mistakes and susceptible to his own spin. Bush "convinces himself to believe what suits his needs at the moment," McClellan writes.
He also faults Bush for a "lack of inquisitiveness."
20 May 2008
Adventures in Cat Ownership: The First Trip to the Veterinarian
Ginger had her first visit to the "V-E-T" tonight! She did very well. Didn't fight me when I put her in her carrier, but yapped at me the entire drive there.
We got there and they had me put her (inside her carrier) on the waiting room scale, and she and the carrier weighed something like 13 pounds. When we got into the office, we tried to coax her out with a treat, but she wasn't too interested. It took her about 15 seconds to come out, and then she hopped off the table and started to explore the room. We finally got her back up on the table and the vet looked her over while the assistant gently held her in place. She squirmed for the rabies shot, but not too badly.
All in all, my little Ginger is very healthy, and the assistant commented a couple times on how sweet she is. The vet said I should cut down on her food a little more (from 1/3 c. to 1/4 c. a day) to help get her weight down (without being in the carrier she weighed in at 9.8 pounds, which is slightly larger than he'd like to see her, but nothing to worry about. He also suggested I bring her in to get her teeth cleaned once a year, but otherwise she doesn't need any of the vaccinations that outdoor cats get, so that's good.
Then I put her back in her carrier, went out to pay for the shot (only $28 -- the exam was free thanks to the WI Humane Society, as part of adopting your pet), and saw on the counter a picture of a cute little cat, whose name I think was Stuart. The poor little guy has only three legs (he was being abused) and had tested positive for feline leukemia, so he could only go to a one-cat home (or a home with another cat who tested positive). They were asking me if I wanted to take him and I said I couldn't because Ginger is negative. Some of this can be attributed to PMS, I think, but not all ... I was almost in tears reading about this little cat. He had such a sweet little face, and while I never understood animal abuse before, now that I have a pet of my own, I can't even fathom hurting her like that, or imagining someone else hurting her. Maybe animal abusers are similar to child abusers -- weak cowards who only prey on things smaller than them and defenseless. When I got to the car, I did cry, it was just so sad. I get like that sometimes, it's a weird quirk about me -- I over-identify with a complete stranger or strange situation, and get way to emotional about it. I guess I'd rather cry at the drop of a hat about something like that than not care at all. :)
I was going to take pictures of her during her vet appointment, but I figured the vet (who was kind of cute) would think that was weird. So I waited until we got home to photograph the "aftermath" of the vet trip.
Ginger replenishing her fluids after the vet trip
Because I am now a "new mom" pet owner, here are some more photos I took of her over the weekend.
I'm on ur bed, stealin ur coverz
Being lazy on the couch
The menacing huntress watching for birds
We got there and they had me put her (inside her carrier) on the waiting room scale, and she and the carrier weighed something like 13 pounds. When we got into the office, we tried to coax her out with a treat, but she wasn't too interested. It took her about 15 seconds to come out, and then she hopped off the table and started to explore the room. We finally got her back up on the table and the vet looked her over while the assistant gently held her in place. She squirmed for the rabies shot, but not too badly.
All in all, my little Ginger is very healthy, and the assistant commented a couple times on how sweet she is. The vet said I should cut down on her food a little more (from 1/3 c. to 1/4 c. a day) to help get her weight down (without being in the carrier she weighed in at 9.8 pounds, which is slightly larger than he'd like to see her, but nothing to worry about. He also suggested I bring her in to get her teeth cleaned once a year, but otherwise she doesn't need any of the vaccinations that outdoor cats get, so that's good.
Then I put her back in her carrier, went out to pay for the shot (only $28 -- the exam was free thanks to the WI Humane Society, as part of adopting your pet), and saw on the counter a picture of a cute little cat, whose name I think was Stuart. The poor little guy has only three legs (he was being abused) and had tested positive for feline leukemia, so he could only go to a one-cat home (or a home with another cat who tested positive). They were asking me if I wanted to take him and I said I couldn't because Ginger is negative. Some of this can be attributed to PMS, I think, but not all ... I was almost in tears reading about this little cat. He had such a sweet little face, and while I never understood animal abuse before, now that I have a pet of my own, I can't even fathom hurting her like that, or imagining someone else hurting her. Maybe animal abusers are similar to child abusers -- weak cowards who only prey on things smaller than them and defenseless. When I got to the car, I did cry, it was just so sad. I get like that sometimes, it's a weird quirk about me -- I over-identify with a complete stranger or strange situation, and get way to emotional about it. I guess I'd rather cry at the drop of a hat about something like that than not care at all. :)
I was going to take pictures of her during her vet appointment, but I figured the vet (who was kind of cute) would think that was weird. So I waited until we got home to photograph the "aftermath" of the vet trip.
Ginger replenishing her fluids after the vet trip
Because I am now a "new mom" pet owner, here are some more photos I took of her over the weekend.
I'm on ur bed, stealin ur coverz
Being lazy on the couch
The menacing huntress watching for birds
16 May 2008
New Addition
Last night I welcomed a new addition to my family.
Meet...Ginger Snap!
I adopted her from the Wisconsin Humane Society last night. Her original name was Yolanda -- don't think so. Ginger Snap it is!
My friend R went with me. The whole process took about two hours. I originally found her online, and when we got there I couldn't find her at all, so I was worried that she had already been adopted. Turns out she has a bit of a cold, so those animals are kept separately from the healthy ones.
The adoption coordinator brought her into one of the vet exam rooms in a carrier, and she climbed right out of it and started "marking" R and I, along with everything else in the room. R and I both looked at each other and said, "This is the one!" So they got her ready to go, and sent me home with my "cat starter kit" (litter box, litter, scoop, food, food bowls, toy, brush and lint catcher) and her antibiotics and we were off for home.
She yammered at me the entire 5 minute car ride, it was pretty funny. R prepared me for her probably being freaked out, and said she probably would hide under my bed for a day or so. I put the carrier in the living room and opened it up to let her out. She immediately started exploring the house. We put her litter box together and R suggested I carry her to the litter box and put her inside it so she knows where it is (R has a cat, he's not just a cat genius, lol). She has discovered the top of the sofa, where she can look out the window at the cars going by. When I was uploading the pictures of her last night she was on my bed, head-butting me and being generally affectionate. Last night she slept in bed with me the majority of the night, her little paw and head on my hand. So cute!
So now I am officially a cat lady! Guess that seals my role as a spinster, lol.
Meet...Ginger Snap!
I adopted her from the Wisconsin Humane Society last night. Her original name was Yolanda -- don't think so. Ginger Snap it is!My friend R went with me. The whole process took about two hours. I originally found her online, and when we got there I couldn't find her at all, so I was worried that she had already been adopted. Turns out she has a bit of a cold, so those animals are kept separately from the healthy ones.
The adoption coordinator brought her into one of the vet exam rooms in a carrier, and she climbed right out of it and started "marking" R and I, along with everything else in the room. R and I both looked at each other and said, "This is the one!" So they got her ready to go, and sent me home with my "cat starter kit" (litter box, litter, scoop, food, food bowls, toy, brush and lint catcher) and her antibiotics and we were off for home.
She yammered at me the entire 5 minute car ride, it was pretty funny. R prepared me for her probably being freaked out, and said she probably would hide under my bed for a day or so. I put the carrier in the living room and opened it up to let her out. She immediately started exploring the house. We put her litter box together and R suggested I carry her to the litter box and put her inside it so she knows where it is (R has a cat, he's not just a cat genius, lol). She has discovered the top of the sofa, where she can look out the window at the cars going by. When I was uploading the pictures of her last night she was on my bed, head-butting me and being generally affectionate. Last night she slept in bed with me the majority of the night, her little paw and head on my hand. So cute!
So now I am officially a cat lady! Guess that seals my role as a spinster, lol.
15 May 2008
It's About Time!
California Supreme Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban
It's about time.
While I'm not gay and would benefit in no way from this announcement (particularly because I live in Wisconsin, where the real happy cows are!), I welcome the news nonetheless. No one bats an eye when someone like Britney Spears or Pamela Anderson enter into ill-advised marriages that last hours or even a few months, but when a loving, committed same-sex couple wants to get married, stop the presses! Does God favor a straight person who enters into marriage frivolously over a homosexual whose marriage could potentially last 10 times as long? I would like to think the God I believe in doesn't discriminate this ridiculously.
I wish I were optimistic that this decision by the California Supreme Court would stand, but I am not holding out much hope. Unfortunately it seems those who are against same-sex marriage are far more well-funded and connected than those of us who believe that every person has a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, whether that happiness entails marrying a man or a woman. I don't recall that phrase in the Declaration of Independence including a codicil about the pursuit of happiness only being limited to heterosexuals. Or that "the pursuit of happiness" means more for heterosexuals than for gays.
Another argument that amuses me is the whole "marriage is a religious sacrament" garbage. Don't people who go to the courthouse to get married call it "getting married?" If Catholics don't want gays to marry in the church, fine. A marriage in a courthouse is presided over by a judge, not a priest, so does that make the marriage any less recognized in anyone's eyes? Maybe they should call church weddings "marriages," and non-denominational weddings "civil unions," and just take religion completely out of the equation. Because any marriage, no matter where performed, isn't legal until the couple obtains a marriage license, which is provided by the government.
See where I'm going with this?
Unfortunately, until this country achieves the true separation of church and state that our founding fathers envisioned and built this country on, bigotry like anti-gay marriage amendments will continue to erode society and keep good people from being able to legally declare their love for another person. I hope I live to see the day that this finally happens.
It's about time.
While I'm not gay and would benefit in no way from this announcement (particularly because I live in Wisconsin, where the real happy cows are!), I welcome the news nonetheless. No one bats an eye when someone like Britney Spears or Pamela Anderson enter into ill-advised marriages that last hours or even a few months, but when a loving, committed same-sex couple wants to get married, stop the presses! Does God favor a straight person who enters into marriage frivolously over a homosexual whose marriage could potentially last 10 times as long? I would like to think the God I believe in doesn't discriminate this ridiculously.
I wish I were optimistic that this decision by the California Supreme Court would stand, but I am not holding out much hope. Unfortunately it seems those who are against same-sex marriage are far more well-funded and connected than those of us who believe that every person has a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, whether that happiness entails marrying a man or a woman. I don't recall that phrase in the Declaration of Independence including a codicil about the pursuit of happiness only being limited to heterosexuals. Or that "the pursuit of happiness" means more for heterosexuals than for gays.
Another argument that amuses me is the whole "marriage is a religious sacrament" garbage. Don't people who go to the courthouse to get married call it "getting married?" If Catholics don't want gays to marry in the church, fine. A marriage in a courthouse is presided over by a judge, not a priest, so does that make the marriage any less recognized in anyone's eyes? Maybe they should call church weddings "marriages," and non-denominational weddings "civil unions," and just take religion completely out of the equation. Because any marriage, no matter where performed, isn't legal until the couple obtains a marriage license, which is provided by the government.
See where I'm going with this?
Unfortunately, until this country achieves the true separation of church and state that our founding fathers envisioned and built this country on, bigotry like anti-gay marriage amendments will continue to erode society and keep good people from being able to legally declare their love for another person. I hope I live to see the day that this finally happens.
22 April 2008
Turning a corner
I jogged for the first time today. I had an appointment with my trainer, and it was nice outside so we did 10 laps around the rectangular building: we walked the long sides, and jogged the short ones. On the last lap, we sprinted a short one and walked the rest. It was awesome! She also told me how to do something similar on the treadmill.
Then we did crunches and rollouts with a big exercise ball.I'm still not seeing much of a weight loss, but I'm starting to lose some inches and see some muscle definition. Even more importantly, I'm doing things I could not have done when I first started training with her. I'm pushing myself harder than I did before, I have more stamina, and I'm just plain capable of doing more and different things. It's a great feeling!
I'm also experimenting a bit for the next couple of weeks, and trying to eat fewer overall carbs, as well as fewer bad carbs and more good carbs. For instance, I'm replacing bread for sandwiches with flour tortillas (I wanted spinach tortillas, but couldn't find them), which have 5 g of fiber. I'm also trying my hardest to have less caffeine and more water, although I slipped a bit today and had two 20 oz. diet cokes (in addition to 80 oz. of water, so hopefully that balances out).
Then we did crunches and rollouts with a big exercise ball.I'm still not seeing much of a weight loss, but I'm starting to lose some inches and see some muscle definition. Even more importantly, I'm doing things I could not have done when I first started training with her. I'm pushing myself harder than I did before, I have more stamina, and I'm just plain capable of doing more and different things. It's a great feeling!
I'm also experimenting a bit for the next couple of weeks, and trying to eat fewer overall carbs, as well as fewer bad carbs and more good carbs. For instance, I'm replacing bread for sandwiches with flour tortillas (I wanted spinach tortillas, but couldn't find them), which have 5 g of fiber. I'm also trying my hardest to have less caffeine and more water, although I slipped a bit today and had two 20 oz. diet cokes (in addition to 80 oz. of water, so hopefully that balances out).
02 April 2008
Did Wal-Mart get a heart, or was this a PR decision?
I don't think this story was widely reported, but a now-former employee of Wal-Mart was permanently disabled in a car accident eight years ago and received a settlement. Wal-Mart (who made billions of dollars last year) then took her to court, trying to get money from her settlement to reimburse them for the $470,000 in medical expenses paid as part of her insurance.
Unfortunately -- and not surprisingly -- Wal-Mart won. After several appeals (which Wal-Mart also won), the Supreme Court refused to hear her case (if you're surprised by this, shame on you). This poor woman -- who is only 52 lives in a nursing home and has lost much of her memory and ability to communicate. Oh yeah, and while this case was going through the courts, their 18-year-old son was killed in Iraq.
After being reamed in the press (I first saw this story on Countdown with Keith Olbermann), Wal-Mart is trying to stop the shitstorm of bad press by opting not to recoup their expenses from this woman. Click here to read the story.
If I had not been refusing to shop at Wal-Mart before, this pretty much would have done it for me. I realize that the law is on their side, but sometimes doing the right thing means not necessarily taking advantage of every loophole you're offered. I wish I could say this showed that Wal-Mart was growing a heart, but I think it had more to do with repairing their image in the media than actually caring about how this woman will be cared for for the rest of her life. And it's not as if her family is living in the lap of luxury with their settlement. They won a $700,000 settlement from the trucking company, and after attorneys fees, the remaining about -- about $417,000 -- was put in a trust for her care.
Unfortunately -- and not surprisingly -- Wal-Mart won. After several appeals (which Wal-Mart also won), the Supreme Court refused to hear her case (if you're surprised by this, shame on you). This poor woman -- who is only 52 lives in a nursing home and has lost much of her memory and ability to communicate. Oh yeah, and while this case was going through the courts, their 18-year-old son was killed in Iraq.
After being reamed in the press (I first saw this story on Countdown with Keith Olbermann), Wal-Mart is trying to stop the shitstorm of bad press by opting not to recoup their expenses from this woman. Click here to read the story.
If I had not been refusing to shop at Wal-Mart before, this pretty much would have done it for me. I realize that the law is on their side, but sometimes doing the right thing means not necessarily taking advantage of every loophole you're offered. I wish I could say this showed that Wal-Mart was growing a heart, but I think it had more to do with repairing their image in the media than actually caring about how this woman will be cared for for the rest of her life. And it's not as if her family is living in the lap of luxury with their settlement. They won a $700,000 settlement from the trucking company, and after attorneys fees, the remaining about -- about $417,000 -- was put in a trust for her care.
21 March 2008
18 March 2008
I'm a Two
Your Score: 4- the Individualist
Thanks for taking the test !
you chose BY - your Enneagram type is FOUR (aka "The Romantic")
"I am unique"
Romantics have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.
How to Get Along with Me
- Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.
- Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.
- Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.
- Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.
- Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!
What I Like About Being a FOUR
- my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level
- my ability to establish warm connections with people
- admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life
- my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor
- being unique and being seen as unique by others
- having aesthetic sensibilities
- being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me
What's Hard About Being a FOUR
- experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair
- feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved
- feeling guilty when I disappoint people
- feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me
- expecting too much from myself and life
- fearing being abandoned
- obsessing over resentments
- longing for what I don't have
FOURs as Children Often
- have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games
- are very sensitive
- feel that they don't fit in
- believe they are missing something that other people have
- attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.
- become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood
- feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)
- help their children become who they really are
- support their children's creativity and originality
- are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings
- are sometimes overly critical or overly protective
- are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed
Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele
The Enneagram Made Easy
Discover the 9 Types of People
Harper
SanFrancisco, 1994, 161 pages
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so S P R E A D I T ! tell everyone!!!
(use Quick-Paste below)
you wanna know MORE?
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You chose BY
Would you rather have chosen:
| Link: The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test written by felk on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(felk) |
17 March 2008
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
When I visited my friend Maureen in Arizona, we were waxing nostalgic and listening to some of the music we loved in college. She put Concrete Blonde's greatest hits CD in her car's player and we were tooling around town singing along. One of my favories, "Tomorrow Wendy" came on and I mentioned to her that she should make sure this song is played at my funeral. Then the bridge came:
"I told the priest,
don't count on any second coming.
God got His ass kicked
the first time He came down here slumming.
He had the balls to come
the gall to die
and then forgive us.
No I don't wonder why
I wonder what He thought it would get us."
Hmm, maybe not the best thing to play at a funeral of someone's whose family is still essentially Catholic.
In the words of Bill Lumberg, "Yeahh, that'd be great."
"I told the priest,
don't count on any second coming.
God got His ass kicked
the first time He came down here slumming.
He had the balls to come
the gall to die
and then forgive us.
No I don't wonder why
I wonder what He thought it would get us."
Hmm, maybe not the best thing to play at a funeral of someone's whose family is still essentially Catholic.
In the words of Bill Lumberg, "Yeahh, that'd be great."
14 March 2008
Captive Audience
One of my favorite work-week lunch haunts is Potbelly. The turkey and swiss sandwiches, chocolate malts and chocolate-chip oatmeal cookies are great, and I can always get through the line quickly (which frees up more book-reading time until my phone alarm goes off, sending me back to work for the remainder of the day).
In the location I visit (and I assume it's similar everywhere else), there's a small one-person-sized stage in the corner of the restaurant, and most days there can be found a lone guitarist (not always the same person) playing/singing covers to the "audience." I put that word in quotes because Potbelly at lunchtime strikes me as a strange place for a hopeful singer to get some exposure.
This poor guy (or gal, but usually a guy) is playing his heart out, and drowning him out is the sound of people talking, laughing and eating. It seems like people rarely listen to the music being played -- no one applauds, very few people even acknowledge there is someone sitting on that little stage, and anyone who has visited a Potbelly knows that acoustics are not its strong suit. I guess a part of me feels a little sorry for the singer, though I am just as guilty as anyone else of not paying attention -- if I'm not reading (which is at least a quiet pastime) I'm sitting and talking with a co-worker.
I have this weird empathy button in me, where oftentimes I feel so incredibly sorry for the plight someone or something is enduring, that it literally hurts me or upsets me. While this isn't something that upsets me or drives me to tears, it's certainly something that enters my mind from time to time.
Just another weird quirk about me, I guess.
In the location I visit (and I assume it's similar everywhere else), there's a small one-person-sized stage in the corner of the restaurant, and most days there can be found a lone guitarist (not always the same person) playing/singing covers to the "audience." I put that word in quotes because Potbelly at lunchtime strikes me as a strange place for a hopeful singer to get some exposure.
This poor guy (or gal, but usually a guy) is playing his heart out, and drowning him out is the sound of people talking, laughing and eating. It seems like people rarely listen to the music being played -- no one applauds, very few people even acknowledge there is someone sitting on that little stage, and anyone who has visited a Potbelly knows that acoustics are not its strong suit. I guess a part of me feels a little sorry for the singer, though I am just as guilty as anyone else of not paying attention -- if I'm not reading (which is at least a quiet pastime) I'm sitting and talking with a co-worker.
I have this weird empathy button in me, where oftentimes I feel so incredibly sorry for the plight someone or something is enduring, that it literally hurts me or upsets me. While this isn't something that upsets me or drives me to tears, it's certainly something that enters my mind from time to time.
Just another weird quirk about me, I guess.
07 March 2008
Leaving on a Jet Plane...
I'm off tomorrow (well, today technically) for Bullhead City, Ariz. via Las Vegas, to visit my college friend Maureen. Nice little long weekend, back in town on Tuesday.
On Monday we're spending the day/night in Vegas, which I'm looking forward to, as I've never been. I told Mo not to let me get so drunk that I let Elvis marry me to some stranger.
I don't know why she laughs whenever I say that, because I'm very serious. No Elvises. No weddings. No weddings performed by Elvises.
End of story.
On Monday we're spending the day/night in Vegas, which I'm looking forward to, as I've never been. I told Mo not to let me get so drunk that I let Elvis marry me to some stranger.
I don't know why she laughs whenever I say that, because I'm very serious. No Elvises. No weddings. No weddings performed by Elvises.
End of story.
04 March 2008
Jesus Has Turned in His Cleats
Brett Favre has finally retired.
Those who know me well are aware that I am not a huge fan of Brett Favre. I appreciate and respect his talent, but that's where my adoration ends.
I am sure I'm one of the few people in Wisconsin who didn't look forward to "Favre Watch" each off-season as he contemplated whether he'd play another season. With the announcement of Favre's retirement, there are several things I won't miss:
And now, Aaron Rodgers would seem to be the heir apparent. Unfortunately he won't have benefited from any direct tutelage from his predecessor, because Favre has said more than once it "wasn't his job to mentor understudies." As great as Favre was, this quote shows he could also be incredibly selfish, as is usually the case with an egomaniac who doesn't want the student to become better than the master.
I for one hope that the Packers stand behind Rodgers and groom him to become a great quarterback -- he has shown flashes of it during the few times he's been able to play.
Now, if he can just get rid of the porn star beard...
Those who know me well are aware that I am not a huge fan of Brett Favre. I appreciate and respect his talent, but that's where my adoration ends.
I am sure I'm one of the few people in Wisconsin who didn't look forward to "Favre Watch" each off-season as he contemplated whether he'd play another season. With the announcement of Favre's retirement, there are several things I won't miss:
- I won't miss watching the Wisconsin news media trek down to Kiln, Miss. to hang on Brett Favre's potential retirement announcement, which turned out not to be an announcement at all but a publicity stunt perpetrated by an assistant of Deanna Favre;
- I won't miss his "aw shucks" mentality when any unbiased observer can see that the man can't stand to not have his name in the news (hence the last several years of him making the Packers and the local media wait with bated breath -- far longer than they should have, and in some years this affected the search for a backup quarterback and other offensive players -- for an announcement of whether he was coming back for another season).
- I won't miss interceptions thrown from the knees;
- I won't miss game-losing interceptions thrown into double/triple coverage when there is a perfectly good receiver open who could catch a pass/win the game/send the Packers to Super Bowl XLII.
And now, Aaron Rodgers would seem to be the heir apparent. Unfortunately he won't have benefited from any direct tutelage from his predecessor, because Favre has said more than once it "wasn't his job to mentor understudies." As great as Favre was, this quote shows he could also be incredibly selfish, as is usually the case with an egomaniac who doesn't want the student to become better than the master.
I for one hope that the Packers stand behind Rodgers and groom him to become a great quarterback -- he has shown flashes of it during the few times he's been able to play.
Now, if he can just get rid of the porn star beard...
03 March 2008
Shaken Suri Syndrome
Doesn't it look like Mr. Scientology is shaking the life out of his daughter in this photo??? (Image from eonline.com, click to view the actual story, which is not about Tom Cruise shaking his daughter.)
29 February 2008
Welcome Home, Harry
According to People magazine online, Prince Harry is being pulled out of Afghanistan after a story broke about where he had been fighting. I remember reading how anxious he was to go over to the Middle East, and how disappointed he was when his group went without him, so I can imagine he isn't happy about being sent home.
It makes me wonder if the royal family had a little something to do with "leaking" the story of Prince Harry's location, just so they could get him home?
It makes me wonder if the royal family had a little something to do with "leaking" the story of Prince Harry's location, just so they could get him home?
28 February 2008
Dirty Dining, Indeed
I guess that Texas Roadhouse can be the first on my list of questionable restaurants at which to consider not eating.
Either that or I will be sure to never send my food back if I eat there.
Either that or I will be sure to never send my food back if I eat there.
I think my subcounscious really wants to be at home, because for the last two days when I go to get a paper towel from our "kitchen" station at work, I open the cabinet under the sink to get them (which is where I keep mine), even though I know they sit on the counter here.
Apparently the weekend can't come fast enough for my brain!
Apparently the weekend can't come fast enough for my brain!
25 February 2008
Manic Monday
I was shocked today to discover that someone actually reads this thing. Now the pressure is on to continue to make it readable.
22 February 2008
Obama-ssassination
Am I missing something, or is the mainstream media not doing a great job of covering the fact that the Secret Service told Dallas police to stand down and stop scanning people for weapons at the auditorium where Barack Obama was appearing, one hour before he took the stage?? I've only been able to find mentions of it by Googling the actual keywords "Obama, Secret Service," and even then only found the story in a few non-major newspapers. I heard it on the radio station I listen to on the way to work, and haven't seen anything since.
What the heck, people?!
Okay, I take it back, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram covered it. But I still have not seen any national dailies mention it.
What the heck, people?!
Okay, I take it back, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram covered it. But I still have not seen any national dailies mention it.
24 January 2008
Why all the hate?
I just read that a radical Baptist church plans to protest any service held in the U.S. for Heath Ledger because he portrayed a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain.
Why is it sometimes that the most devoutly religious people are also the most hateful? I would love to crawl into one of their minds and see how they justify that behavior to themselves.
Why is it sometimes that the most devoutly religious people are also the most hateful? I would love to crawl into one of their minds and see how they justify that behavior to themselves.
18 January 2008
Money issues
Baby steps
I've had a goal for quite awhile now to get $2,000 in savings for emergencies (e.g. car repairs, something breaking down, etc.). With this latest paycheck yesterday, I finally hit that goal, with $2,055.41!
This was thanks in large part to the $100 that is taken from my paycheck and put directly into savings. As someone who is not good with money will agree, in theory that's a great idea, but the money doesn't always stay there, and in my case it sure didn't.
I wonder what to do now that I've hit my goal. I still have considerable credit card debt (considerable to me, at least -- far less than my friend who is $50,000 in debt!) and am wondering if it would be a good idea to start putting that $100 toward the $500 I already set aside for credit card bills. I also am sticking my cards in the back of the freezer so I'm not tempted to use them. When I think about the things I could have right now (like, a house!) if I didn't have that debt just makes me sick. But I have good intentions, and that's a start.
Wasting money
One area I know I need to improve in is eating lunches out during the week. It wastes a HUGE amount of money, and I don't know why I do it other than I have a close co-worker friend with whom I eat out quite a bit. Coupling that with not always entering my ATM slips into my checking account until my next payday (I get paid twice a month), makes a recipe for disaster. It seems like I'm always in the minus, so then I pull money from savings to cover the difference.
I need to find a way to try and save a little money on lunches out. I think next week I will start my making my lunch the night before, twice a week to begin with and see how it goes. (Although many times even when I do that, my friend will ask me if I want to have lunch and I will go -- those times I think it's more for companionship than anything else, which is probably a subject for another post.)
I've had a goal for quite awhile now to get $2,000 in savings for emergencies (e.g. car repairs, something breaking down, etc.). With this latest paycheck yesterday, I finally hit that goal, with $2,055.41!
This was thanks in large part to the $100 that is taken from my paycheck and put directly into savings. As someone who is not good with money will agree, in theory that's a great idea, but the money doesn't always stay there, and in my case it sure didn't.
I wonder what to do now that I've hit my goal. I still have considerable credit card debt (considerable to me, at least -- far less than my friend who is $50,000 in debt!) and am wondering if it would be a good idea to start putting that $100 toward the $500 I already set aside for credit card bills. I also am sticking my cards in the back of the freezer so I'm not tempted to use them. When I think about the things I could have right now (like, a house!) if I didn't have that debt just makes me sick. But I have good intentions, and that's a start.
Wasting money
One area I know I need to improve in is eating lunches out during the week. It wastes a HUGE amount of money, and I don't know why I do it other than I have a close co-worker friend with whom I eat out quite a bit. Coupling that with not always entering my ATM slips into my checking account until my next payday (I get paid twice a month), makes a recipe for disaster. It seems like I'm always in the minus, so then I pull money from savings to cover the difference.
I need to find a way to try and save a little money on lunches out. I think next week I will start my making my lunch the night before, twice a week to begin with and see how it goes. (Although many times even when I do that, my friend will ask me if I want to have lunch and I will go -- those times I think it's more for companionship than anything else, which is probably a subject for another post.)
16 January 2008
Financial Goal Reached
I've had a goal for quite awhile now to get $2,000 in savings for emergencies (e.g. car repairs, something breaking down, etc.). With this latest paycheck yesterday, I finally hit that goal, with $2,055.41!
This was thanks in large part to the $100 that is taken from my paycheck and put directly into savings. As someone who is not good with money will agree, in theory that's a great idea, but the money doesn't always stay there, and in my case it sure didn't.
I know wonder what to do now that I've hit my goal. I still have considerable credit card debt (considerable to me, at least -- far less than my friend who is $50,000 in debt!) and am wondering if it would be a good idea to start putting that $100 toward the $500 I already set aside for credit card bills. I also am sticking my cards in the back of the freezer so I'm not tempted to use them. When I think about the things I could have right now (like, a house!) if I didn't have that debt just makes me sick. But I have good intentions, and that's a start.
This was thanks in large part to the $100 that is taken from my paycheck and put directly into savings. As someone who is not good with money will agree, in theory that's a great idea, but the money doesn't always stay there, and in my case it sure didn't.
I know wonder what to do now that I've hit my goal. I still have considerable credit card debt (considerable to me, at least -- far less than my friend who is $50,000 in debt!) and am wondering if it would be a good idea to start putting that $100 toward the $500 I already set aside for credit card bills. I also am sticking my cards in the back of the freezer so I'm not tempted to use them. When I think about the things I could have right now (like, a house!) if I didn't have that debt just makes me sick. But I have good intentions, and that's a start.
07 January 2008
Poor Hillary
Does anyone else think that Hillary Clinton has the same crazed look in her eyes that Howard Dean had after the Iowa primary, right before his campaign imploded? (New Hampshire! Vermont! New York! Gaahh! Yaaah!)
This Sounds About Right
Although I still have a penchant for Edwards. I'd like to see them run together.
90% Barack Obama
89% John Edwards
86% Hillary Clinton
85% Chris Dodd
82% Dennis Kucinich
82% Mike Gravel
79% Joe Biden
78% Bill Richardson
45% Rudy Giuliani
34% John McCain
27% Mike Huckabee
25% Mitt Romney
24% Tom Tancredo
16% Fred Thompson
15% Ron Paul
2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz
90% Barack Obama
89% John Edwards
86% Hillary Clinton
85% Chris Dodd
82% Dennis Kucinich
82% Mike Gravel
79% Joe Biden
78% Bill Richardson
45% Rudy Giuliani
34% John McCain
27% Mike Huckabee
25% Mitt Romney
24% Tom Tancredo
16% Fred Thompson
15% Ron Paul
2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz
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