Let the Races Begin!

Okay, I've been searching on the 'net for about 20 minutes (that's all my short attention span will allow) to find out who officially has announced their candidacy for President '08. This is who I know: Tom Vilsack (D), Joe Biden (D), Mike Gravel (D), Dennis Kucinich (D), John Cox (R), and Micheal Smith (R) [Anyone know about Sam Brownback, Rudy Giuliani, or John McCain?].

Now we've got one more!! Ta Da! Sen. John Edwards! (And the crowd goes wild...)

Aww... aren't they a cute family...

Truthiness Is The Word

Love it. Check this out.











Truthiness is Webster's Word of the Year!
(At Wikipedia too...)

A Great Loss

Peter Boyle died yesterday.

So sad.

Update This Bee-yatch!

I am deathly afraid of updating. HDTV, DVDs, digital movies, electric cars - all of this I'm okay with. Any kind of computer or software updates - nuh uh. I'm not doin it. I've had too many d'oh! moments with updates that I don't do new versions of any of my software anymore without making sure that I can get back the old version if I want to.

This is why I've yet to switch to the new version of Blogger. It keeps telling me to. It says that I'll love it and everything will be magically delicious.

I don't believe it.

It sounds nice. It sounds fun. I might like it. But what if I hate it? What if I want the old Blogger back? I know I can't go back. I'll be up shit creek without a freakin paddle.

Conundrums conundrums.

I can't decide. What to do?

Be Safe

A Tale of Two Thanksgivings

Mmmm... Thanksgiving. *drool*

So this year I had two Thanksgiving dinners - one at my maternal grandmother's (lunch) and the other at my step-paternal grandmother's (dinner).


The first was the traditional turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, pie, etc. It was good and I was stuffed.



The second was turkey, rolls, fruit salad, fritos, and rotel. It was the perfect after-Thanksgiving-dinner dinner.


I'm not sure which one I liked better.

Alot of People Change the World... I'm Just One of Them

I've been DVR-ing The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. It's so beautiful.

November 14 - Fmr. Sen. John Edwards was the guest on The Daily Show.

Here ya go.



Did you hear him say that if you go to his website (johnedwards.com) you might see some exciting news soon? I did! Could it be? Are my hopes and dreams coming true?

Oh, god I hope so.





"I would be a freakin awesome President."

It's a Wonderful List

I love movies. And I love lists. And when you put them together....

AFI's 100 Years 100 Cheers was on tonight. It's a list of the 100 greatest inspirational movies. I love them all.

From the website:

Tom Hanks and Henry Fonda are the most represented male actors on the ballot with eight inspiring movies each. Sidney Poitier, Gary Cooper and Denzel Washington each have seven movies on the ballot.

Jean Arthur is the most represented female actor on the ballot with four movies.

Frank Capra and Steven Spielberg each have six inspiring movies on the ballot, leading all directors. Capra's films are MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN ('36), YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU ('38), MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON ('39), MEET JOHN DOE ('41) IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE ('46) and POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES ('61); while Spielberg directed CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND ('77), E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL ('82), THE COLOR PURPLE ('85), SCHINDLER'S LIST ('93), AMISTAD ('97) and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN ('98).

Over one third of the movies on the ballot are movies inspired by real life people and events.

1939 is the most represented year on the ballot, with 12 inspiring movies.

Where's Nemo?

Does anyone else think it's odd that both Captain D's and Long John Silver are now serving some form of lobster bites?

And on a completely unrelated note... we may be out of seafood in less than 50 years.

Rummy is Down! Rummy is Down!

CNN: Rumsfeld quitting as defense secretary
ABC News: Rumsfeld Out as Defense Chief
MSNBC: Bush announces Rumsfeld stepping down
Reuters: Rumsfeld quits

"Screw you guys. I'm outta here."






Oh, man! It just keeps getting better!

In Rand McNally, People Wear Hats On Their Feet and Hamburgers Eat People

It's like I went to bed and the world shifted.

Democrats have regained control of the House...

The Senate is dead even and depends on two states...

Democrats now hold a majority of state leadership positions...

Britney Spears has filed for divorce from KFed...

What's next? Chuck Norris for President?

Hmm....

Something About a Bird and an Early Worm...

I hate getting ready for work early.

Now I'm just laying around watching freakin' Dawson's Creek for 30 minutes.

Oh, man this blows.

Meme Me

This is a favorite of mine.

If you could be the illigitamate child of two people, dead or alive, who would they be?

Mine's easy - Katherine Hepburn and the Dali Lama.


Mommy!




Daddy!

Norris Christ at Your Service Ma'am

A couple of weeks ago, while wandering in the Christian bookstore (no I didn't burst into flames - shock and awe) Sam and I stumbled upon the most awesome book in the world.



Yes. This is a novel titled The Justice Riders by Chuck *Roundhouse kick you in the face* Norris.

You know, I can actually accept this, but one thing bothers me -

Why was this in the Christian book store? Are they riding for justice against the devil?

Love Your Body Day (Observed)

I'm so bummed. I just realized I totally missed Love Your Body Day. Dangit!

Somewhere in this apartment is a pin that Sam wore for LYBD a couple of years ago that says "My Girlfriend is a Star."

*Grin*




And you can get me this if you want.

All We Gotta Do Is...

I can't say enough about this weekend's SNL. Hugh Laurie was perfect. He performed a protest song that was like a throw back to SNL's greatness way back when. (Although he's performed it many times and it ain't new...)

I Can Drive! I Just Don't Know What the Lights Mean.

I want one of those blog-map-things that tell where visitors to your blog come from. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

If yes, do you know where I can get one?

(And no, the title of this post does not reflect it's content. I've decided that if I can't think of a post title, I'm just going to use a quote from a movie I've seen recently. Points to those who know what movie.)

Project RunGay

How have I not known about this site before?? Project RunGAY is now in my life.





I am complete.

Clap Hands

Beck was the musical guest last night on, notably, one of the best SNLs I've seen in a long time. I think it had a lot to do with the host (Hugh Laurie). I DVR'd it and am keeping it forever. Beck performed Clap Hands and I must share with the world.

Tribute to My One Fan

Hello out there.

It's me. The random blogger you read.

I don't know who you are. Most of the people that regularly visit my blog are friends. You are a mystery. The only thing I know about you is that you hail from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I really thought that no one in South Dakota knew about me.

I must admit, I feel a little more pressure to make my postings good now that I know it's not just people who know me coming to my space. I'm getting a little sweaty just thinking about the added pressure impressing someone who hasn't seen me get loopy at 3 a.m. I guess, though, if you've been checking out my blog already and have deemed it worthy enough to come back I don't have to get too worked up about you.

Just know that I know you come around and I'm grateful.

Introduce yourself sometime. Or not - you can be my mysterious visitor.

Whatever.

(South Dakota? Really? I honestly thought only antelope and stone Presidents lived in the Dakotas. Who know there were actual people there?)

Tomorrow I'm Getting a Rolling Stone Subscription

I'm kind of suprised I don't already have one.

Silly me.

Can't Sleep - Clown Will Eat Me

I can't sleep.

Stupid insomnia.

My Life in a Box Pt.II

Something exciting happened this week and I'm pretty sure my life will never be the same. It's something I've hinted for but never thought would really happen.

That's right.

We got DVR!!!

We can do so much. I've already set it to record all my shows. And then some.

I'm never leaving the couch.

So I Didn't Get My Ass Kicked at Work Today...

I didn't work yesterday. This is what I missed:

A woman became upset on the phone and threatened to come down to the store and kick Shonda (my manager)'s ass. This woman has been violent to another customer at a different store.

Shonda called me last night and told me the crazy story (it's quite a bit longer, I summerize). We were both kind of worried that she was going to come into the store today to make good on her promise. So last night Sam and I dropped his police car in front of our store. You know... just in case.

Nothing happened. But oh, the crazy business of health food.

All the President's Speeches

All the speeches the President has ever made... in under a minute and a half.

Out 'N About

Today is National Coming Out Day!

Congratulations and I love you to my GLBT friends and readers.

Here's some great links in celebration:

OutZoneTV
The Trevor Project - Because gay youth are four times as likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.
Human Rights Campaign
Your Family Friends and Neighbors
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays

Let me know if you know of other sites I need to be aware of.

Plus One

My blog is now officially cohabitated. Sam has started a new police-themed blog and will occasionally post on this blog when he has other non-police things to talk about.

So, Welcome!

I'll Never be the Same

I'm so disillusioned.

The Coke machine ate my dollar bill and I'll never have it back.

I'm disproportionately upset about this.

Because In Every City There Are Fools to Pity

Teaching Fools the Basic Rules.

Mr. T has a new reality TV show.

Mr. T on his show: "My show ain't no 'Dr. Phil,' with people sitting around crying. You're a fool — that's what's wrong with you. You're a fool if you don't take my advice."

Who else is psyched?

Movie Quote Me

How can a movie made over 10 years ago be so poignant today? Hmm... interesting. Some favorite lines from The American President.

Oh yes, [the President does answer to me] he does. I'm a citizen, this is my president, and in this country it is not only permissible to question our leaders, it is our responsibility.

Why would [he], his party's most powerful spokesman, ...choose to reject upholding the Constitution? If you can answer that question, then, folks, you're smarter than I am, because I didn't understand it until a couple of minutes ago. Everybody knows American isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating, at the top of his lungs, that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free, then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest." Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free. This is a country made up of people with hard jobs that they're terrified of losing. The roots of freedom are of little or no interest to them at the moment. We are a nation afraid to go out at night. We're a society that has assigned low priority to education and has looked the other way while our public schools have been decimated. We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious men to solve them. ...He is interested in two things and two things only: Making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle- income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and personal character.

That's right. I am the man.

U - G - L - Y You Ain't Got No Alibi

What's the policy on ugly babies? I mean, when you see an ugly baby, what do you do? I mean, seriously.

Sam and I saw a freakishly ugly baby tonight at dinner and we almost lost it. Luckily, the family sat down as we were finishing our meal so we didn't have to deal with it long.












Thanks to uahole.com for the comic. It's perfect.

Mo' Music

The latest additions to my collection:

Mr. Dylan

and Ms. Simon

Gotta love 'em.

My Life in a Box

This fall there are so many great television shows on it's hard for me to watch all of them without a DVR or a TIVO (*cough* Christmas present *cough*). So without further adieu I present my best friend in episode updates.... Television Without Pity.

My fall line up is:
Gilmore Girls - Still great.
Grey's Anatomy - which, by the way, I can NEVER catch! They switched nights on me and now I'm all confused. Damn them.
Heroes - A new show that I'm into. Very good - a little confusing, but very good.
House - I don't really watch this one live, but I do try to get the reruns when they come on USA later
Project Runway - This one really isn't fall TV, it's a hangover from the summer. But I'm still watching cause it's still on the air. And cause I love it!!
Studio 60 - My favorite new show of the fall. It's so West Wing, but so much better. If you aren't watching this show, I don't think I can be your friend anymore.

Who Hates the Amish That Much??

My god.

Just, ... dear god.

A 32-year-old truck driver took about a dozen Amish girls hostage in a one-room schoolhouse today, barricaded the door, executed four girls and wounding several others, and then killed himself. Apparently he was acting on a 20-year old grudge.

I don't care what your "childhood grudge" is, you don't execute a 6-year-old girl.

How fucked up was this guy?

I mean, seriously.

I can't even wrap my mind around this happening.

My thoughts and prayers are with this small community.

Happy Birthday To ME!!!

About my birthdate (courtesy of paulsadowski.com)
1 October 1982
Your date of conception was on or about 8 January 1982 which was a Friday.
You were born on a Friday under the astrological sign Libra.

Your Life path number is 4.
Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 6 & 7.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 3, 5 & 9.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2445243.5.
The golden number for 1982 is 7.
The epact number for 1982 is 5.
The year 1982 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 1/25/1982 and ending 2/12/1983.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Dog.
Your Native American Zodiac sign is Raven; your plant is Ivy.
You were born in the Egyptian month of Choiach, the fourth month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).
Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 14 Tishri 5743.

As of 10/1/2006 10:52:31 AM EDT
You are 24 years old.
You are 288 months old.
You are 1,253 weeks old.
You are 8,766 days old.
You are 210,394 hours old.
You are 12,623,692 minutes old.
You are 757,421,551 seconds old.

Top songs of 1982
I Love Rock `n' Roll by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
Centerfold by J. Geils Band
Maneater by Daryl Hall & John Oates
Jack & Diane by John Cougar
Don't You Want Me by Human League
Up Where We Belong by Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band
Hard to Say I'm Sorry by Chicago

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 3.43091976516634 years old. (Life's just a big chewy bone for you!)
There are 365 days till your next birthday.

In 1982 there were approximately 3.6 million births in the US.
In 1982 the US population was approximately 226,545,805 people, 64.0 persons per square mile.
In 1982 in the US there were 2,495,000 marriages (10.8%) and 1,180,000 divorces (5.1%)
In 1982 in the US there were approximately 1,990,000 deaths (8.8 per 1000)

Your birthstone is Tourmaline.

Your birth tree is Hazelnut Tree, the Extraordinary
Charming, undemanding, very understanding, knows how to make an impression, active fighter for social cause, popular, moody and capricious lover, honest and tolerant partner, precise sense of judgement.

The moon's phase on the day you were born was waxing gibbous.

WOO HOO!!

What's on Your Bookshelf? (Or Floor, Closet, Desk, Bookcase and Window Ledge... You Know ...Whatever)

This one's for you Elaine. You're welcome and I'm sorry.

I recently discovered a great little site called LibraryThing. You basically categorize all the books you own. I'm not quite done yet and I have 86. I'm going to keep a perminant link to my library on the right side of the blog in case you want to see what I have.

And none of the books in this picture are mine.

Back to Bid'ness

Ok, so I've been a little AWOL the last few... months. I'll catch you up - I swear. Here goes -

1. I'm no longer attending Auburn. I decided I didn't like it. Over the summer, when I wasn't having to go to work and classes at Auburn, I realized just how much I hated and dreaded each time I had to go. So, after much painful deliberation, I quit. And I must say, I am much calmer, less stressed, and happier now.

2. I'm working at a health food store now. It's interesting and I'm learning a lot.

3. We have a new baby kitty.


Meet Harry!

More about him later.



I swear, I'll start posting regularly. Scout's honor.

Making Up For My Slacker-ness

I know I've been quite a slacker lately in the blogging department. But I've been swamped with school stuff - end of the semester and all. I probably won't do much better in the next couple of weeks, but after the semester I'll be back.

Now to the good stuff. I promise this'll make up for what you've been missing from me.

Pink's new song Dear Mr. President - wonderful. It's my new favorite ever. Check it out here. I just found it and I'm on my 3rd listen in a row. My favorite line (and there are a bunch) "What kind of father would hate his own daughter if she were gay?" Oh, and then there's "We've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine" Holy freaking crap, it's so good. I'm going to buy the new cd just for this song.

P.S. - this is my 100th post. Yay me!

Love-y-ness

Today was mine and Sam's 4 year anniversary.

Love you sweetie.

I hope for many more.

Funny Joke!

Hooters Air is going to stop offering regular flights because, as Keith Olbermann said "profits had begun to sag and it was the only choice other than going bust."

Too Soon to Let Go

They are closing my church.

It's the United Methodist Church of Gaylesville, AL and I guess, technically, it isn't my church because I haven't gone there since we moved down to Columbus. But I still feel like it's my church. I'm not a particularlly big fan of organized religion, but I have a soft spot for this particular church. I have loads of good memories from that church. I think, at some point, every member of one side of my family has gone to this church. That's a good feeling.

They're closing it because it only has about 5 members and that doesn't generate enough collections. I think that's bullshit. You shouldn't close a church because it isn't making enough money. You should always keep a church open as long as there are people who want to attend.

Everyone knew this day would come, eventually, but it's still so sad. I hope I can get to attend at least one more time before they close the doors. The 4 hour drive would be worth it.

AHHH!! Lucy Died!

Sorry, reruns of ER on TNT.

My New Favorite Ever

I'm not a huge MadTV fan, but this is awesome.

The Seven Dwarfs of PMS

I found this on Craigslist and thought it was great. Enjoy.

The 7 Dwarfs of PMS
1 Weepy...Usually the first Dwarf to rear its ugly head especially if there is a "touching" moment during things like TV commercials that you ordinarily would not look at twice. This is a sure sign that the rest of the gang can't be too far behind.

2 Piggy... Piggy has quite an appetite for sweet and salty foods. Piggy can usually be found trying to calm down Weepy and make her smile. Piggy is Weepy's best friend but will go overboard in trying to help. If Piggy doesn't watch out then Bloaty is sure to visit.

3 Bloaty... Bloaty comes to town to bitch slap Piggy for chowing down one too many chips. Bloaty takes her job seriously and once she comes to the party she is one of the last to leave. Unfortunately Bloaty wakes the evilest dwarf of them all...Bitchy

4 Bitchy...This bad boy is sometimes referred to as THE Terminator. Don't mess with this character for she is prone to hissy fits. Bitchy takes no prisoners and usually makes no apologies. This evil-doer is likely to have Weepy watching her back and backing her up at any moment so beware. Just when you think you know what Bitchy is bitching about, Weeping will come on the scene and confuse you. Then there is a possibility that you will be the one saying "I'm Sorry".

5 Horny...This one has quite the appetite of a different kind. This creature has been known to have horny hormone levels that rival many 18 year old boys. Bitchy tries her hardest to keep Horny hidden from view. Weepy can sometimes keep Bitchy at bay long enough for Horny to make her move and be satisified. Men, you need to know that she exists and loves to come out to play.

6 Crampy...Never a welcome addition. But Crampy is usually a clear sign that Red-Tide will be here soon. Crampy can really get Bitchy going even worse than Bloaty. One of the best ways to soothe Crampy's attacks is to let Horny do her thing. Sometimes it might be best to sleep through Crampy's visits.

7 Red-Tide... While this character can sometimes be out of control and a messy trouble maker she is always an inevitable and sometimes welcome guest. But once she makes her appearance the end is always in sight. And unfortunately once she makes it onto the scene the others make an extra effort to be noticed and primary.

Today = Meh

Sam is getting sprayed in the face with pepper spray today for police academy and I have an eye twitch from all the shit I have to do for school & work.

But Phoebe is sitting on my lap being very cute chewing on my hair, so things even out.

The Unlikeliest of Places...

I came to a startling realization today for no reason what so ever. I am in that specific group of people who have seen Vin Diesel do something and said "hey, I could do that."

In my defense, it was when he was in Pitch Black and had not yet reached the rock star status that only Chuck Norris can dream of.










Teach me, oh sensei.

Murphy, I Am Your Bitch

Let me tell you how my week has gone.

Tuesday: I had a big midterm Tuesday evening, so I was getting my stuff ready to go study for a few hours with Abbie. As I was pulling my study guide out out of the printer I noticed 30-40 bugs crawling out of the wall. Yes, we had termites. The maintenance guys came over and killed them and I believe the exterminator was here yesterday, but we still have holes in our wall where they were coming through. We spent the night with Sam's mom Tuesday, because ew, gross.

Thursday: I woke up with the worst migriane I've ever had. I also threw up twice and ran a fever. Fun. Sam came home at lunch and found me on the floor in the bathroom. He stayed home for part of the afternoon and took care of me. It was sweet. I finally started feeling better (yay, no hospital trip!) so he went back to school.

Today I'm ok, but my hair is falling out. It's been doing it for a while, but for some reason, today it's really bad. I'm thinking about getting it cut short. Then, at least, there will be short hairs everywhere, not long ones.

Longing for Yore

Remember the good 'ole days when I used to post endlessly about What I Do When I'm at Work (don't forget parts 2, 3, and 4)? Yes, well now that question is answered by such fun as "coding variables into SPSS", "scoring grant applications", "making copies", and the ever popular "catching up on my readings for class." Ah, if only I knew how good I had it.

However, there is one phenomenon that is sweeping the Jackson-Browning household: Splash Back. Anytime there is a lull, however brief, this game is being played on someone's computer. I must admit, Sam is better. He got to level 18 today. I've only gotten to 13 once, I think.

Play it. Then hate me.

Yea, you're welcome.

Life Lesson

Never put a slightly skiddish cat on a retractable leash.

It's just a bad idea.

Phoebe (said slightly skiddish cat) loves going outside. It's her new favorite thing ever. So, not wanting her to get lost/go into the pool area when we take her outside, Sam and I bought her a retractable leash. We got the smallest one, but they don't make them for cats (should've been our first clue) so we had to get the kind for small dogs. I put it on her the next day to take her outside, and she HATED it. She rolled and fought and tried to get it off. But she loved going outside. (I could see her little kitty conflict playing out) I finally figured out that because she's so small, the leash was pulling her collar a lot and kind of choking her. So, I pulled it all the way out and locked it, so she could just run around as far as the leash would let her. She liked this a lot more.

That was late last week. Yesterday (Sunday), Sam and I put her on the leash and went out on the patio to study. She was running around pouncing on bugs and having a good time, so I put the end of the leash down and let her run uninhibited, but we could still catch the end of the leash if she started to get too far away. When she realized that the leash handle would move when she got so far away, she started chasing it a little. Mostly in a weird circle around Sam's chair. She got tired of that pretty quickly and went back to pouncing on bugs and eating grass. There were a couple of times where she went too far, and we had to retrieve her, but otherwise, it was going quite well.

Until -

Somehow she dragged the leash handle over a rock or obstacle that hit the lock button and caused the leash to start retracting. She apparently thought that it was chasing her. She took off around the side of the house, and Sam and I jumped up to catch her. We got to the sidewalk and she was gone. Half second of panic and we see her streak around the other side of the building and into the apartment. We ran in and found her puffed up and cowering in the corner of the kitchen. Sam reached down to get her and the leash handle moved - she bolted again. This time we found her in the bedroom, with the handle almost up to her collar. We finally got the leash off and tried to calm her down, but she was having none of that. She went into the bathroom and just kind of huddled there for a little while.

After calming her down, Sam and I went back outside to study. We left the back door open, to see if she wanted to come out again. She didn't. Pretty much the farthest she got was sitting in the doorway looking out.

Needless to say, the leash has been retired.

I Gave Up Coffee for Lent

What the hell was I thinking?

Now, I'm not a very religious person, so it may come as a suprise to some of you that I observe Lent. However, I am very spiritual. I also believe in sacrifice. I observe Lent to remember to be thankful for everything I have. During Lent, I sacrifice something of importance to remember how little I could have - I could have nothing to sacrifice. As much as I don't have, I could have so much less. I always need to remember this.

This is why I observe Lent.

Make It Work

I'm officially at my limit. I'm tired. I'm frustrated. I'm overworked. I'm underpaid. I'm under...slept...

You get it.

I never really get any quality time with Sam. Either he's asleep or I'm asleep or one or both of us are studying. I don't get to do anything fun. And I still feel like I'm fucking everything up. I don't feel 100% about anything I've done so far this semester. Nothing. I'm ready to throw in the towel. Seriously, I'm almost at that point. One more email saying Come see me, we need to talk about this and I'm out.

Done.

And the apartment smells like crap because I never have time to clean. Just add it to the list, I'll get around to it sooner or later.

It's a Red Letter Day in Mayberry

Don Knotts, one of the greatest comedic actors of all time, has died in a Los Angeles hospital aged 81. He's most loved for playing Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show, but he's been in many movies and also co-stared on Three's Company.

Goodbye Bernie. We'll miss you.

Keith Olbermann is My New Hero

I have to start watching Countdown on MSNBC. I've seen too many good clips of Keith Olbermann to ignore it any longer.

This clip proves that Keith Olbermann deserves to be my new hero.

The More Pathetic Side of My Life

I am addicted to the most ridiculous game ever. Let me introduce you to Fish Tycoon. The premise of Fish Tycoon is that you, the game player, are too lazy and stupid to actually have real live fish, so you download a computer game where you simulate having live fish. The simulated live fish (simufish, if you will) must be fed in order to "stay alive" and sometimes you must actually give them medicine because they get gross green or white spots on them. Or if you don't want to spend the "money" for medicine, you can just trash them.

The "object" of the game is to "discover" new "breeds" of fish by "impregnating" one fish with another fish. Once the baby fish gets "old" enough, you can see what kind it is and what kind it's "parents" were. You can also sell fish and make "money" to improve your "tank" and buy more fish stuff. The game goes in real time so the fish grow, get hungry, and die even when the game isn't on (like real fish).

After many rounds of impregnating and selling various fish, you might have a beautiful "tank" of simufish to enjoy.
But don't take my word on how great this game is - here are some real quotes from people who have played the game:

This game is great. Its so much fun to have virtual
fish, because they don't make a mess. Fish Ivr, Texas
It is the best fish game I ever played Frank, Albany

Of course, the most fun part about it for me is waking up in the morning to see how many of my fish have died in my sleep.

My Own Slice of Heaven

I am currently in Panera Bread simultaneously listening to my iPod, blogging, working on school stuff that is fast approaching overdue-ness, and enjoying unlimited Diet Coke and coffee (separate cups - I'm not that odd) refills for as long as I continue to sit here. How could life get sweeter?

Due to the free Wi-Fi and afore mentioned drinks, Panera has now become my place of choice to do school work. I can't focus when I'm at home because of the numerous distractions that are my life. I tried going to the library one day and it was alright, it's just that there aren't unlimited cups of coffee at the library.

Playing the Fame Game

Here's an interesting article comparing the "antics" of Mr. Cheney and Mrs. Spears-Federline to two everyday "criminals."

Very interesting indeed.

Batchin it

Since about 3:00 today, Phoebe and I have been on our own. Sam's in Forsyth for training until Wednesday night. Since I have had about six and a half hours of "me time" I can tell you something - I'm not a good "alone" person. It feels like I've been in this apartment for DAYS when in fact, it has been just an hour since I got back from the grocery store.

I have no focus either. I'm supposed to be doing reading for my class tomorrow since I have about 100 pages left to read but all I can do is watch TV and drink Diet Coke.

I've got to get myself together. It's going to be a long 3 days.

More List O'Doom

So, honestly, I forgot about O'Reilly's "Media Operations that Traffic in Defamation" a.k.a "List O'Doom." I was scrolling through my backlog of posts and came across the one I wrote about said List O'Doom. And being the curious creature that I am, I wanted to see what other appalling publications had made the list (before the list contained such highly despicable filth mongers such as the The New York Times, The St. Petersburg Times, and MSNBC).

Lo and behold, four more names have appeared since last I checked! Wee! Now we have The New Yorker Magazine, Newsday, US News & World Report, and (duh duh duuuuhn) The Atlanta Journal-Constitution! Now, all of us Georgians know how vile and loathsome the AJC is. Personally, I can barely stand to see it around. I mean, when we got it for free in college, I could hardly stand to read it two or three times a week (or basically as often as I could find it lying around - the newspaper racks emptied quickly).

Now, looking at this list, I have to wonder - what have St. Petersburg, New York, and Atlanta done to make O'Reilly so mad? Why haven't other city papers been singled out? I would think that The Washington Post would've made the list long ago. And even a paper from San Fransisco, the city he offered up to terrorists, hasn't been named yet.

Any bets as to who gets named next?

More Poignant Than Ever

I know this is old and has been circling the net for a while, but it just seems so much truer today...

This One's For You, Elaine

From a piece of Dove candy:

Guess I'm an Idiot...

From Shakespear's Sister:

I’m not being self-deprecating; Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told me I’m an idiot.

People who believe the Constitution would break if it didn't change with society are "idiots," U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia says.

In a speech Monday sponsored by the conservative Federalist Society, Scalia defended his long-held belief in sticking to the plain text of the Constitution "as it was originally written and intended."

… Scalia criticized those who believe in what he called the "living Constitution."

"That's the argument of flexibility and it goes something like this: The Constitution is over 200 years old and societies change. It has to change with society, like a living organism, or it will become brittle and break."

"But you would have to be an idiot to believe that," Scalia said. "The Constitution is not a living organism, it is a legal document. It says something and doesn't say other things."

Like, for example, how it says that black people constitute not a whole person, but three-fifths of a person. Or it did, anyway, until an amendment was made, superceding that despicable sentiment.

"They are not looking for legal flexibility, they are looking for rigidity, whether it's the right to abortion or the right to homosexual activity, they want that right to be embedded from coast to coast and to be unchangeable," he said.

Here’s where Scalia and the rest of the “originalists” get it wrong: The issue is not that the Constitution will break if it does not change with society; it’s that society will break if the Constitution does not change. We had a civil war in this country over that very principle. We cannot stop society from changing; no rule, no law, no legal document no matter how firm can stop the inevitable progression of society. All we can do is make decisions about who and what we will accommodate within the law; choosing to restrict rights on the basis of race, or gender, or sexuality, will not temper the desire of the repressed to be equal, but instead force strain at society’s margins, until it breaks.

There must be a reason beyond distaste, aesthetic displeasure, tradition, or “because my god says so” for denying equality, opportunity, and personal freedom. In the void of rational reason, we find no compelling necessity to continue to deny to some the rights that we extend to others.

I see no reason to imbue the government with the decision about what a woman should do with her body—or what a man should do with his, for that matter. I see no reason that someone who loves a person of the same sex, by fate or by choice, should be prohibited from enjoying the same rights as I have. I see no reason that the Constitution should be used as a vice to control the expanding vibrancy of our society. If that makes me an idiot, then an idiot I shall be.

And all the idiots said Amen.

Happy Valentine's Day

And Here It Is... Your Moment of Zen

The Daily Show for Monday, February 13th.

Surely to go down as one of my favorite TV episodes EVER.

And, yes. I watched it last night. It was yummy.

My Week is Made

Cheney accidentally shoots hunting companion.

Icing:
"Now I understand why Dick Cheney keeps asking me to go hunting with him," said Jim Brady. "I had a friend once who accidentally shot pellets into his dog - and I thought he was an idiot."
"I've thought Cheney was scary for a long time," Sarah Brady said. "Now I know I was right to be nervous."

Shakespeare's Sister has this picture and copy (which I love love love):
Vice President Dick Cheney, center, accepts a rifle from National Rifle Association President Kayne Robinson, right, and NRA Vice President Wayne R. LaPierre, after concluding his keynote address to the 133rd annuanl NRA convention in this April 17, 2004 file photo in Pittsburgh. Cheney accidentally shot and injured a man during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas, his spokeswoman said Sunday Feb. 12, 2006. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

I'm so happy.

Blame it on the iPod

Hello, my name is Emily and I'm a podcast-aholic. It's great. It's crazy. I wish I had more. My current list is:
HBO: Real Time with Bill Maher
NPR: African-American Roundtable
NPR: Pop Culture
NPR: Story of the Day
NPR: Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Project Runway: Tim Gunn (Elaine, it's awesome! You have to listen!)
Sit Down Comedy with David Steinberg
The L Word
The Planet: A Podcast for L Word Fans!
Toucher, Jimmy and Leslie: Mornings on 99X
VH1 Best Night Ever
VH1 Best Week Ever

I'm sure there will be more added.

Bigotry Makes Me Ill

The other day on the drive to Auburn I saw a homemade sign hanging on a street sign. The homemade sign said "Jesus Loves Babies." I had two thoughts: 1) Who doesn't love babies? and 2) Wild guess - a anti-abortionist made that sign. That was pretty much the extent of my thought about it since it's pretty commonplace to see stuff like that down here in "God's country." A few miles down the road I saw another sign made in a similar form that read "Gays Fill Up Hell." I had a few thoughts about this one, most of which utilized my cunning wit ("what, so there's no room for you?", "how hard would it be to change 'gays' to 'close minded asshole bigots'?") but it also made me very angry. How dare they use a public sign to host their pretentious filth. How dare they force that bullshit down the throat of every person that drives down this road. As I became more and more irate about the situation, I made my mind up to take down the sign if it was still up the next time I drove by.

I drove by today and it was already down.

Score one for the good guys.

I *Heart* Gay TV!

I have two new TV loves. One is on the air, one is not. Both are courtesy of Showtime. My first favorite is Queer As Folk. I just bought seasons 1-3 on eBay for a freaking steal. (woohoo!) Now I just need the last two. The other one is The L Word. It's still on the air, but again, on Showtime so I can't watch.
I've downloaded almost all of both shows. It's how I get my fix.

The Annual Burning of the Christmas Tree: Oh My, What a Production

O Christmas tree, burning Christmas tree
Your usual splendor was not there.
O Christmas tree, burning Christmas tree
Overall, this year's event rates fair.
Your usual luster was forsaken
The fireworks, I'm afraid, have overtaken.
O Christmas tree, burning Christmas tree
The burn is about you, it just seems unfair.

O Christmas tree, burning Christmas tree
It used to be just you and the fire patrol
O Christmas tree, burning Christmas tree
Now the event has become out of control
With too many guests
It is now just a mess.
O Christmas tree, burning Christmas tree
And now twice as big is next year's goal.

O Christmas tree, burning Christmas tree
And now I must say adieu.
O Christmas tree, burning Christmas tree
I feel that we are now through.
This year may have been my last
The best burns, I'm afraid, are in the past.
O Christmas tree, burning Christmas tree
This simple song is my ode to you.

A Conundrum if There Ever Was

For about a week now I've had a cold. It's been quite a cold. Usually, when I have a cold or some other illness, I break my 'No Sodas' rule and have ginger ale. Well, I've been drinking diet ginger ale for a while now because it has no sugar and I like it. So I've broken the rule for it. But it's hard to find. So this cold has caused me to break my rule again (the bubbles in the carbonation help temporarily clear my stuffy nose, if you must know), and long story complicated - I'm now addicted to Diet Coke. So, the question is: now that I've already broken my rule for diet ginger ale, do I continue to break it (assuming this cold ever goes away) for my new Diet Coke addiction or do I go cold turkey?

Oh, this wretched life I lead...

I Hate You Anonymously

I recently came across Vent, an online vent site where you can say what you want about who you want and it is completely anonymous. It's pretty funny to scroll through some of them. Equally anonymous, but where others can comment about whatever you've said is Craigslist's Rants and Raves. I've linked to Atlanta's R&R page, but it's not as good as some of them. Atl's is mostly ignorant "I hate you cuz you're black/Mexican/gay/different." Some of the larger cities (San Fran, NY, etc.) are better.

You Don't Care, But I Do.

I get very nervous when any of my computer programs prompt me to "update." A new, supercool version of this program is available. Don't you want to upgrade? You don't want to be the only one with last year's version do you? *shudder*

It makes me nervous because, while sometimes they are new and improved, often they just suck and I hate them. So, I usually stick to my old tried and true version. However, I recently upgraded my iTunes to a new version and was pleasantly surprised, so, on a upgrade high, I did the same to my iMesh (how I get all my music and videos off the 'net).

*sigh* I should've known better. It's complete crap. I should've done my homework before and read some reviews of it. I did that afterwards and lo and behold, everyone hates it. Well damn. So I fiddled with it for about 30 seconds, after which I got pissed at it and promptly deleted the whole program. Now I have no way to get my fix. I'm looking for a place to get the older version. If I do, I'll never give it up.