Was it the debut of MTV? Is your favorite moment patriotic pride in Mary Lou Retton's 1984 Olympic gold medal win? Was it Samantha Fox's ass-less leather pants? Was it David Lee Roth's ass-less leather pants? Does "Sixteen Candles" qualify as your favorite Eighties moment? Or was it that special someone with whom you saw "Dirty Dancing"? We know you were there. Spill it!
Born in the early 1960's, I was a child of the cold war. The mentality of that era had a very stong grip on me. I had a very vivid mental image of an "iron curtain" which hung somewhere in Europe, separating the good countries (the free world) from the bad (*gasp* communists). So strong was this idea ingrained upon my mind that I cringed in terror when one of the nuns teaching at our church school informed my class that the way of life practiced in convents was in fact communism in it's truest form. I can also quite clearly remember the question that I asked when my uncle was moved from his military post in Vietnam to one in Munich. "Is that in Good Germany or Bad Germany, mommy?" Our teacher constantly told us tales of the horrors of being an ordinary person in places such as Berlin, a city divided by a wall (separating the good from the bad, of course).
As I grew older, I grew to realize the foolishness of this mindset, but the vestiges of it that remained could still be seen clearly in the world around me. Bad guys always have Russian accents,don't they? So, it stands to reason that I was greatly moved by the destruction of the Berlin Wall. I can remember literally feeling a chill when I heard the news. It was the be the beginning of the end of an era. Gone would be the suspicious hatefullness between nations that was so prevalent during the cold war, or so I hoped. There would be friendship between nations that had been at odds for so long. It was a truly moving experience. Alas, we did not learn. We just found new faces to put on a different enemy. Hatred and suspicion live on. Will we never learn?
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Friday, July 30, 2004
Quite Frankly, I'm Baffled...
We all know that I am a member of the List Of Torture, more commonly referred to as The Scorpions Newsletter, but some things have happened recently which have left me a bit puzzled. I was quite used to the little glitches in the mailing system that sent me multiple copies of the same email. I had even grown to expect it. But my last duplicate (at least I think it was some sort of duplicate) email left me decidedly baffled. It read as follows...
Hallo liebe Scorpions Fans,
für diejenigen unter euch die dort hinfahren wolltet: das Konzert in Portugal am 18. Juli wurde vom Veranstalter abgesagt.
Übrigens haben wir neue Bilder aus Halberstadt und Mainz in der Galerie.
To this I say, "Huh?!" When was my name added to the German mailing list? I don't speak very damned much German, I thought I was quite clear about that matter! To make matters more interesting, this email arrived before its English counterpart, leaving me to decipher what it said. As closely as I could figure , it said that a concert in Portugal had been cancelled and that as a consolation, new photos from concerts in Halberstadt and Mainz had been added to the site. Upon the arrival of the English email, I discovered that my rough translation was fairly accurate. Damn, I'm good.
But the question remains, Why did I get the German email in the first place? Could it be that my dear Wolfgang has happened upon this blog and heard my plea for someone to teach me to speak German? I have had the occasional visitor from Germany, but I had always assumed that they had drifted here from my guestbook entry at Word-of-Smilies.de. Could I possibly be mistaken?
If this is the case, Wolfgang, my darling, I do seriously hope that you will kindly accept my offer to tutor you in the English language, because, quite frankly, your English grammar is atrocious! Since you have been so kind as to help me with my German, I will even lower my fee for you. I will ask only for an introduction to this man.
I promise not to do anything to him that he won't enjoy...
1. You're in a relationship, or you've been in one before. You get into a fight or misunderstanding with your significant other...does fighting help? That would depend on what is meant by help. Fighting does most certainly help me feel better. It certainly beats the hell out of holding my feelings in. But very few problems ever got solved by fighting, so in that respect it is very little if any help at all.
2. Do you fight fair? Does/did your partner? Or is/was it a big game of 'he said, she said'? Hell no! I don't fight fair, I fight to win! Unfortunately the insignificant other uses the same method. But I do have limits to what I will do. I try to avoid using my children as weapons. I wish I could say the same for him.
3. Did you ever have a disagreement so bad, you thought 'this is it' for the relationship? What happened? Many times. My relationship with the estranged one has always been an on again off again kind of thing. We've tried again more times than I can count. The result is always the same, we can't bear to live with each other. It's the "children as weapons" thing that prevents me from filing for divorce. I just don't want to deal with the ugly custody battle that he has promised to put up should I do so.
Bonus Question for Comments: When you've been fighting with a loved one, how do you make up (No, it doesn't have to be someone you're involved with)? Sometimes it is necessary to apologize, even if you don't believe you have done anything wrong. If it has been a particularly bad fight, a little gift doesn't hurt either.
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Some Times These Tests Are Just Scary!
I was just wandering about the web with nothing better to do when I happened upon this test. Curious to see what my results would be, I decided to take it. I wanted the most accurate result, so I selected the option with the most questions. Read what it says about me. It's uncannily accurate if not more than a little bit scary!
1. If there was a movie to be made about your life, what actor/actress would portray you? A movie about my life, how boring! If it were made the audience would end up looking something like this... Perhaps if they did it about my fantasies rather than reality, somewhat like The Many Lives Of Walter Mitty , it might keep them awake. In any case, I think that the person to play me should be Demi Moore.She would be familiar with at least some of the material, since we went to school together for a year when we were in junior high. If anybody is wondering, her real name is Demetria Gwymes.
2. What actor/actress would portray your love interest? Your best friend? Since I've already decided that this movie is going to be about fantasies rather than reality, I want myself to be surrounded by good looking men. Bring on Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham, Johnny Depp... My best friend can be played by Glenn Close just because I think she's a great actress.
3. What would be the title of your film? Confessions Of A Middle Aged Drama Queen
Bonus~ What moment of your life would be the highlight of this film? This is fantasy, remember... I guess I'd want the highlight of the film to be my marriage to one of the aforementioned handsome men. I haven't decided which one...
Yippee! It's Hump Day! Let's skip the fries and party our buns off in celebration of Hamburger Day commemorating the creation of the hamburger in 1900 by Louis Lassing.
Loonies and Loonettes -- start your engines and let's warm-up for the hump. For this warm-up, put your humility away and using the letters H-A-M-B-U-R-G-E-R reveal to us nine wonderful things about you.
Helps people who are lost Always cracking jokes Mom to two wonderful sons Bakes yummy cookies when inclined to do so Under no circumstance will she intentionally harm an animal Really loves to play 12 string guitars Generous Easily amused Reads instructions before attempting new tasks
This week let's do a getting-to-know-you-hump mixed with some cwaziness to make it a fun hump too. Ready? Hump it!
1. You have opened a fast food joint that features YOUR favorite food prepared in many different forms. What would the name of your joint be? List several things that would be on the menu. My restaurant will be called "Carnival Of Carbs -The Most Atkins Unfriendly Place On The Planet." The lunch menu will feature all sorts of hot and cold sandwiches made with different varieties of thick crusty bread. All sandwiches will be accompanied by a generous side dish of potatoes prepared however you like them. The dinner menu will include plenty of pasta choices, with an international flair, spaghetti, lo mein, haluski, etc... We will, of course, offer a full line of cakes, pies, cookies and pastries for dessert! Gotta love those carbs!
2. You are holding a public auction for all your belongings ... what is the oddest or silliest item that would be on the auction block? That would be a toss up between my collection of NeoPets plushies and a framed picture of the animé character, Treize Khushrenada.
3. If you could buy "instant anything" what would it produce when you just add water?
Mmmmm... Instant Matthias Jabs!
4. If it were possible to miniaturize any sort of environment and keep it in an aquarium-like enclosure, what type of environment would it be and what sort of creatures would you keep in it? That sounds incredibly cruel! I would never do such a thing.
5. If you were offered a "Get Out of Jail Free" type of card today (i.e. magically fix something, get out of doing something, etc...) what would the card be for? It would remove that stupid Lovegate virus from my desktop computer. So far, nothing that I've tried has worked. The card may just be my only hope...
Ahhh - that's the Hump for today! It was good for us ... was it good for you? ;)
From the "few-bubbles-short-of-a-bubble-bath" staff of BDI ... PEACE and humptiness forevah!
Today's dirt provides me with an opportunity to do some extensive ranting! Please forgive me if you find what I have to say offensive. These are only my opinions, after all...
Sticky Topic Alert: Religion
1. What basic religion are you? I am a Christian, although at many times I am ashamed to admit it, not because I am ashamed of my faith, but rather because I am ashamed of the actions of so many people who call themselves Christians. The teachings of Christ are about the love of God and our fellow human beings. They are not about hatred and condemnation! I see far to much of this in the Christian community. A prime example of this is the way that many so-called Christians react to homosexuals. They cry out that these people are sinners, and even go so far as to want these people not to have the same rights as those in hetrosexual community. How, I ask myself, are these actions faithful to the teachings of Christ? Even if one believes that homosexuality is a sin (which I do not), does not our lord teach us to love and forgive the sinner? Are we not all imperfect by nature, and therefore sinners ourselves? Why not allow these people to live their lives in the manner that they choose and leave the judgement to God!
~End of Rant #1~
2. What denomination/sect/etc are you? I am a baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic. I do not agree with many of the teachings of the church (birth control, divorce, priestly celibacy, etc), but it is the church that I grew up in and it is where I feel the most comfortable.
3. How do you feel about evolution? Like it or not, evolution is fact. Homo Sapiens evolved in the same way as all of the other creatures on the planet. This also is not an un-Christian attitude, if one considers the following:
1. The Bible is not a history book. It was written as a guide to faith in writing styles which are no longer well understood.
2. God did not toss the Bible from the sky as a book written in beautiful, flowing, Elizabethan English. It was written by human beings, and therefore subject to the limits of their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
3. The books of the Bible were written in many different languages which are no longer spoken. Errors in the translation are to be expected.
4. Since Jesus commonly taught using parables, it should be obvious that many of the stories of the Old Testament are parables as well, creation being one of them.
5. The books of the Bible were written to address the questions and concerns of the people living at the time they were written. Many issues that we have today were non-existant at the time of their writing, which brings about my final point...
6. The Bible was not allowed to grow as our knowledge and understanding of the world around us changed. The most recent books of the Bible were written over 1600 years ago. To view the Bible as a literal, final, and unerring basis of faith limits us to the viewpoints of ancient men!
Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-Bible. I just happen to believe that we need to take a different approach to looking at its words to fully appreciate the beauty of the teachings contained within it.
~End of Rant #2~
4. What do you think of Wicca & Wiccans? There is truth and beauty contained within all of the world's religions. Each person must come to her own understanding of the powers in this world which are greater than herself. Any hatred or fear which is felt by us towards faiths other than our own is caused by lack of understanding. With understanding comes tolerance...
~End of Rant #3~
5. Do you like Greek/Roman/Norse or Native American mythology better? All of them contain much insight into the culture from which they originated and are very fascinating, but being an American, I am most intrigued by the beliefs of those people who occupied this land long before my ancestors settled here.
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Monday, July 26, 2004
Here is the beginning of each of the following questions.....
'If you had your choice between this and that, what would you choose?'
1. Skipping or Running? Skipping, because it is so much more fun!
2. Coke or Pepsi? I'll pass on the extra calories (I really don't need 'em!), and take a Diet Coke.
3. Rock or Hip Hop No question about it, rock! I don't much care for hip hop.
4. Laptop or Desktop? I love my laptop! It follows me nearly everywhere I go...
5. Cold Weather or Hot Weather? Hot weather, because... "Nobody's mailbox ever got knocked over by the sunshine plow!" ~Bonnie Howell~
6. Swimming or Bicycling? Swimming, because I have a bathing suit, but not a bicycle!
7. Chocolate or Vanilla? Everything tastes better when covered in chocolate...
8. Day or Night? I am a night owl!
9. Looks or Brains? Brains are forever (unless you get Alzheimer's), but looks fade away... But, if a magical genie promised me good looks that would last forever, I'd take them!
10. Cable, DSL, or Dial-Up? Cable is fast, but too damned expensive. Dial-up is cheap, but oh so slow. DSL is somewhere in between these two and makes an excellent compromise. I really should get myself a DSL connection...
Well, Monday is upon us again, Guys and Dolls. Do you know what that means? If you guessed, "Time For Another Mambo," you're absolutely correct!
Let the Mambo Gal dance her bootay off! So lets get ourselves warmed up and dance, shall we, with a little "I say...You think..."
Magazine: Rolling Stone Photo: Photograph - Def Leppard Concert: Tour Video: MTV, I remember when they used to be played there... Pass: Backstage Pass Ticket: Ticket Stubs, I save 'em forever! Line: A Chorus Line Excitement: What I will feel if the Unbreakable tour should happen to come to the US!
Are you warmed up yet? That's good, cos the Mambo Gal is getting impatient. She wants to get her mambo going on. So let's get started.
1. If you had backstages passes to the show of your chosing, who would it be, and what would you do once you were backstage? (Try to be clean.) The band would be The Scorpions, of course! Once backstage, I would make a beeline for this man...
I would really like to talk with him for a bit, get to know him, since everything that I know about him seems to show that we are two quite like-minded individuals. Perhaps we could play a couple of songs together, just for fun. After that, well, you want me to keep this clean, so I really can't say any more. I'll just let these smilies say it for me...
2. What entertainment magazines do you read? I subscribe to Entertainment Weekly and Guitar Player , but the latter is more about getting music than it is about entertainment.
3. Do you read concert/album reviews in your local newspaper? And if so, do you let the review sway your opinion on the band/album? I very seldom read them. I don't take much stock in what those pompous a-holes who call themselves critics have to say.
4. Create your dream concert lineup. (a sort of Lollapalooza event of your making) This event is gonna have one really odd line up! Playing at Starlight Fest , will be...
Def Leppard The Moody Blues Gorky Park (I'm going to Russia to bring 'em out of hiding!) Elton John Neil Young
and my headliner...
The Scorpions!
5. If you could have attended any festival show at any time...From Woodstock on...which one would it have been, and why? I would have liked to have seen one of the Oz Fest shows the year that The Scorpions were a part of it. Do I really have to explain why?
1. What is your favorite mode of transportation when traveling? The best way to travel long distances from home is flying. It gets me where I'm going fast, without getting lost en route. Once I reach my destination, I prefer to have a rental car. It gives me more freedom than using public transportation.
2. If you had the means to travel anywhere in the world, where would
you go? I would really like to see The Scorpions plaing a show in their homeland, Germany, especially since the Unbreakable tour does not appear to be coming to the US!
3. Have you ever been to another country? I have been to Canada several times. Most of the times that I was there, I was at Niagra Falls, but once I went to Toronto for a bowling tournament! I also have been on a vacation to Spain, which included a one day stay in Morocco.
4. If time were not an issue, how long would could you stand to be away from home? That would depend on who was with me on the trip. If the people I care about most were with me, I could stay away indefinitely.
5. What trip that you've taken was the most fun or interesting? The trip to Spain was probably one of the best I've ever taken, but this year's jaunt to Atlantic City was a very close second. The Tropicana is adding all sorts of new stuff in September. I WANNA GO BACK!!!
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Saturday, July 24, 2004
Some People Truly Deserve These Things!
I know that this sounds cruel, but when a person knows how to do nothing more than invade the personal webspace of others for the sole purpose of harassment, she needs to be stopped. What better way to stop her than to fill her computer with all sorts of nasty viruses?!
Now, I am certain that you all know by now that I am referring to that demented loon whom I affectionately call the Moody Bitch. The lady is seriously lacking in computer savvy. She continues to visit my blog and that of my sister, leaving behind a trail of IP addresses. Does she not know that in the hands of a hacker, these IP addresses can be used to send her all sorts of unwanted "presents"? Does she think that I will put up with her immature crap forever? Could anyone possibly be so deluded?! I guess so...
So, in order to to burst her little bubble of delusion, I am making the following declaration to any wanna-be hackers out there (Lady Starlight, unfortunately, lacks the skills to do any hacking herself)
It's Open Season On Moody Bitches!
And just to help you along, here is her IP address:
4.156.6.55
Have fun with it!
By the way, Moody Bitch, I never claimed to be thin. But you see, I happen to like myself just the way I am. I don't need to go around insulting people to make myself feel better about who I am. I'm a bit more mature than that. Besides, I'm a slut, you said so yourself, so I guess the men like this little piggie! OINK!!!
You are an SEDF--Sober Emotional Destructive Follower. This makes you an evil genius. You are extremely focused and difficult to distract from your tasks. With luck, you have learned to channel your energies into improving your intellect, rather than destroying the weak and unsuspecting.
Your friends may find you remote and a hard nut to crack. Few of your peers know you very well--even those you have known a long time--because you have expert control of the face you put forth to the world. You prefer to observe, calculate, discern and decide. Your decisions are final, and your desire to be right is impenetrable.
1. Do you like your name? Why or why not? Deborah, YUCK! I hate it. My mother was so not creative.There are just too damned many women my age with that name. I would have preferred something a bit more unique. At least it means something interesting... Queen bee!
2. If you could change the spelling of your name, would you? And what might you change it to? Most people call me Debby, which as you can see, I spell a bit differently than most. It's starting to catch on a bit more with others now. I'm thinking of changing it again, to Debi!
3. If you could change your whole name, what would you change it to? Tee hee! If I were married to Matthias Jabs, people could call me "DJ"!
4. What girls' name do you like? If either of my children had been a girl, her name would have been Charlotte. Not only do I think that this is a beautiful name, it was also the name of a beloved cousin of mine who was senselessly murdered when I was but a child.
5. What boys' name do you like? My sons are named Raymond and Michael, so I suppose that I like those names. I had wanted to name my youngest son either Matthew or Matthias (this was before the Scorpions obsession), but the estranged one liked neither.
1. What's your least favorite trait in a person? Why? Two very closely related traits vie for this title, stupidity and ignorance (No, they are not the same!) The reason that these traits claim the title is because almost all other undesirable traits stem from them in some way.
2. What is your least favorite kind of music? Explain your reason. I like most all types of music, from heavy metal to country to Broadway show tunes, but I find that rap music has very few redeeming qualities. I think that it is quite a stretch to even call it music. It is talking to a semi-musical background, and in most rap songs what is being said isn't very... well... nice.
3. What is your least favorite house chore? Are you able to somehow get out of it? If not, do you do it anyway? Since I am so short, I hate washing walls and ceilings. To do such a thing properly would require me to use a ladder. I am not fond of ladders! I am occasionally able to bribe someone into doing it for me, but usually I just have dirty walls and ceilings.
Bonus Question for Comments: What do you think is your worst trait/bad habit/etc? Have you done anything to change it? Why/Why not? I do believe that it is one of the seven deadly sins, envy! I realize that no good can come from jealousy, but I often find myself consumed by the "green eyed monster." I am getting a bit better at controlling it. I no longer want Gabi Meine to die. I just want her to be abducted by aliens!
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Guess-A-Hump Answer From the BDI Wednesday Mind Hump
Yes, you were all correct. My hump is in fact one of my offspring, to be specific, my oldest son, Raymond.
This week's Theater Thursday is dedicated to those Onscreen Moments that stay with you forever.
1. What moment from what movie still makes you laugh out loud - no matter how many times you see it? Just about any scene from this movie will leave me in stitches.
This has to be one of the funniest movies ever made.
2. What moment from what movie still makes you cry like a baby - no matter how many times you see it? I'm not one to cry like a baby over any movie, but there are certain scenes which will always bring a tear to my eye. Most memorable is the scene near the end of Return Of The Jedi where Darth Vader kills the emperor to save Luke. It just goes to prove one thing. Blood really is thicker than water!
3. What moment from what movie made you actually turn your head from the screen - either in fear, revulsion, or contempt for the fact that you actually paid money to see the film? On occasion, my ever-so-insignificant other comes around to take advantage of the fact that my satellite television subscription includes HBO and Cinemax. Just about any movie that he chooses to watch is enough to make me turn my head in disgust.
BONUS~ What is one single moment from a film that is indelibly etched in your brain? Not a scene or a sequence exactly, but three or four seconds from a movie that contain an image or phrase or concept that transcends normal movies? At the end of The Secret Window , Johnny Depp takes another ear of corn from the steaming pot... I may never look at corn the same way again!
This Wednesday is Moon Day! HEY! Pull your pants back up!!! Not that kind of moon!!!
July 20th marks the anniversary of the first lunar landing in 1969. Did you know that the word "lunacy" is derived from the word lunar because it was once believed that people would be intermittently insane due to the phases of the moon. Soooooo.... as a warm-up, using the letters L-U-N-A-C-Y reveal six peculiar activities or rituals you do only at night -- something that other people might consider somewhat looney or at the very least, a little odd.
Likes to watch Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. Under a blanket while sleeping, even on the hottest days! Needs an extra pillow to hug. Always leaves the TV on! Calls the extra pillow "Matthias!" Yes, I do my laundry late at night!
Okie dokie smokie -- now that we're warmed up we're going to have a little fun with free association aka "I say ____, you think ___". Ready? Set? C'mon -- let's hump like crazy!
1. diamonds - Diamonds in the rough 2. night - Night Moves by Bob Seger 3. wrestle - Wrestle Mania... How many of those things are the going to do?! 4. blaze - Blaze of glory 5. candlestick - Candlestick Park. I know it's a baseball field but I can't remember where it is! 6. child - What Child Is This , one of my favorite Christmas carols 7. tiptoe - Tiptoe Through The Tulips by Tiny Tim 8. homemade - Homemade ravioli are what the guys at work are always pestering Mary Beth to bring! 9. zoom - A show that I watched on PBS when I was a kid 10. joint - 11. polka - Polka dots 12. rhythm - Rhythm Of Love by The Scorpions
Back by popular demand: The Guess-A-Hump!!
Think of an item ... any item...
...don't tell us what the item is. Now, describe that item in a brief paragraph (the size, the color, etc) but don't give it away. Okay, now you're ready to hump it up! Replace the name of the item with the word "hump". Other players will come to your blog and try to guess what your hump is. Tomorrow morning, add the answer to your hump and for big fun add a picture.
My hump is quite large. It weighs about 160 pounds. I've had my hump for more than eighteen years, but it was not nearly so big when I first got it. My hump does many things that annoy me, but I still love my hump. My hump helps me when I have computer problems...
Answer: ???
Leave your guesses in my comments. The answer will be posted sometime tomorrow afternoon.
There it is, the incredible Wednesday Mind Hump, brought to you by those "one-sandwich-short-of-a-picnic" wenches over atBLOGDRIVE INSANITY!
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Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Today Is A Special Day For My Favorite Moody Man!
Yes, the loveley Mr. John Lodge was born on this day in 1945, making today his fifty-nineth birthday. I would like to take this opportunity to wish him a very Happy Birthday and many happy returns! I hope he doesn't mind that my sister and I gave him his present a bit early...
Tee Hee! Those are our bras lying there on the stage! We Love you, Lodgey!
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Monday, July 19, 2004
Let's talk about YOU again!
1. Do you prefer to be out in the sun or in the shade? To quote John Denver, "Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy..."
2. Regarding the walls in your house, do you prefer neutral colors or bright colors? I prefer pastel colors for my walls. They do not necessarily have to be neutral. Bright colors are just a bit too overwhelming for my tastes.
3. When hanging pictures on your walls, do you like things symmetric or asymmetric? Huh? When hanging picture on my walls, the only thing I consider is "Will this cover that huge crack in the paint?"
4. How about where you'd like to live; country or city? Every year at Christmastime, one of my customers offers to give me this horse.
If I had a nice little house in the country, I would probably take him up on his offer!
5. Your blog; Blogger, Blogdrive, Blog-City, or another one altogether? This blog is on blogger, but I also have another on Diaryland that I seldom update anymore.
6. Email; Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, or other? I have several email accounts, but I use Yahoo mail almost exclusively. They have the best spam blocker, a key factor in my decision to use this as my main mail account. There is supposedly a Gmail account waiting for me, but I haven't claimed it yet.
7. Air conditioning or just a fan when it's hot at night? I wish that I could afford whole house air conditioning, but I can't, so I have to make do with my ceiling fan.
8. Dinner; seafood or steak? I cannot choose! That is why restaurants offer surf and turf dinners on their menues.
9. Your all-time favorite music media; CD's, cassette tapes, or vinyl (or 8-tracks)? Nothing is ever going to compare with the old vinyl album. Their size made it possible for all sorts of goodies to be included in the packaging (posters, photo albums, book covers, iron ons, etc.). I miss them! All of those scratches that you heard when you played them, they were just signs of love!
10. When learning a new software program, do you find it easier to follow a book or an online tutorial? I own several programs that incude tutorial videos in the software. I prefer this to accessing the tutorials online or reading an instuction manual.
Get out your Mamboing Shoes boys and girls! It's that time of the week again.
This week it's all about "New Music!" So why don't we get warmed up with a little bit of "I say...You think..."
Release: "Please release me, let me go..." Tuesday: Tuesday Afternoon - The Moody Blues Sounds: The Sound OF Silence - Simon and Garfunkel Disc: Compact disc Radio: Pathetic DJs and their lame attempts to be funny. Store: National Record Mart. Oh, how I miss that store! Tape: Cassette tapes, the only thing that can be played on my car stereo without an adapter. Mix: "It's all in the mix." I've been watching too many Twix commercials.
Ok, now that we are all warmed up, are you ready to Mambo? If you are, come on and shake your groove thang!
1. What's your favorite way to discover new music? I'm on the mailing lists of my favorite bands, so that is how I find out about their new material. For other new material, I tend to be influenced by what others who share my musical tastes reccommend. I don't put much stock in radio stations or video music channels for finding new music. They are more about money than music these days.
2. Do videos influence whether or not you buy a cd? Of course they do! That's why they make 'em.
3. What was the last CD you purchased? That would be the American release of The Scorpions' Unbreakable.
4. Tell us about a band you recently discovered. I bought Nickelback's Silver Side Up because Matthias Jabs said in an interview that they were a good new band. He was right. They have now been added to my list of favorites.
5. And lastly...answer the musical question: Did Video Kill The Radio Star? In a word, yes! You don't think that the Britneys and Christinas of the music world are selling albums because of their great musical talent, do you?
1. Do you or should you wear glasses or contact lenses? I've said this before. I don't need glasses. I need longer arms! But since my arms don't appear to be cooperating, I do own a pair of glasses.
2. What is your favorite type of footwear? None! I like to go barefoot, but if I am forced to wear shoes,I prefer sandals.
3. What is your worst habit? Oooo... I have so many bad habits! It is difficult to choose. I suppose that under today's guidelines of political correctness, my worst habit would be being a smoker.
4. Are you an average, so-so or very good cook? I don't cook very often. I hate cleaning the mess that this activity creates.When I do choose to cook, most people enjoy the dishes that I prepare, so I suppose that I am a fairly decent cook. If only someone would clean up after me...
5. Do you spend more time watching television, listening to music or surfing the internet? You do know that it is possible to surf the internet and listen to music at the same time, don't you?
Me!
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Look! It's Stuffed Sausages!
Well, it seems that my old nemesis, the Moody Bitch, has finally emerged from her hibernation. This is actually a good thing. I missed her during her absence. Really, I did! It seems that Miss Moody B now has a new complaint. She doesn't like the way my sister looked in Atlantic City. She says that the dress she was wearing made her look like a stuffed sausage. This brings several things to mind...
1. Andrea was not wearing a dress at the concert.
2. How could she possibly know what we were wearing? She wasn't there. I know this because she visited my blog in the wee hours of the day on June 20. There is no way in hell that she could be home from Atlantic City in time to visit when she did. It's a long drive from Atlantic City to the Boston Metro area!
3. There were no pictures of either of us taken in Atlantic City, so that rules out the only other way she could possibly propose to know what we were wearing.
4. If anyone of us looked like a stuffed sausage at the show, it was me! Does that bitch even know which of us is which?
5. Why does she continually leave comments on my blog? She must know by now that I will just delete them and use them to make a bigger fool of her the next day!
6. Does she think that I care about anything she has to say? Why should I? She has proven herself time and time again to be nothing more than a lying sack of shit.
In closing, this happy stuffed sausage gives you a lovely photo from the show. I had a great time there, I got plenty of good pictures, and at least Justin Hayward doesn't hate me...
I always run a week behind on these, since they are posted so late in the day for my location.
Dear ________, I’m sorry we never __________. Fill in the blanks, then elaborate.
Dear Brian, I'm sorry we never slept together. You were my first real love. Our relationship ended all too soon. Even though she never met me, your mother decided that she didn't like me. You were seventeen and still in high school. I was an eighteen year old college freshman. She considered our vast age difference (one year, gimme a break!) to be a problem. You needed someone yor own age, she said. She forced your hand in our break-up. We were both so young and stupid. Neither of us had the courage to go against her wishes. I don't believe that you wanted the relationship to end any more than I did, but she convinced you that you would be better off with some girl in your high school class. I can still remember how you made me laugh. "Where is Grandview Ave?" Do you remember that? I remember that we shared the same interests, both of us being aspiring young musicians. There was so much that we could have done if we stayed together. Time caused my dreams of those days to fade into the background. Were you able to fulfill yours? Most of all, I remember what it felt like when you held me in your arms. I remember your kisses. I have nothing more than that to remember in that area. I was not bent upon morally corrupting you, as your mother seemed to think that I was. Had I known that our relationship would end so soon, perhaps I would have been. Now I only wish that I could at least have the memory of what it was like to make love to you... It has been many years since I last saw you. I hope that life has dealt you a better hand than it has to me. I hope that you are happy.
Love, Lady Starlight
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I Have An Inner Hero!
This is not something that I ever believed that I had, but if the knowledgable authortities at this site say that it is true, who am I to argue?
My Inner Hero - Rogue!
It's a good thing I use my powers for good and not evil, because quite frankly, I could get away with murder. I'm clever, tricky, and charming. I know how to make you laugh with one hand and pick your pocket with the other. Not that I'd ever DO that, of course...
This was Thursay's Dirt. I missed it somehow. So I'll just have to do it now...
Loves and crushes...
1. Do you have a crush? A picture is worth a thousand words...
2. Do you think you're in love right now? As much in love as anyone can be with someone who lives on the other side of the world who she has never met.
3. Have you told that person you loved him? See the answer to the above question. Since we have never met, telling him this an any way would make me seem crazy.
4. Does the person know you have a crush on him or are in love with him? Highly unlikely, but if he does a Google search for his own name, he's bound to stumble across this...
5. What do you look for in a love/crush? I believe that you don't look for these things, they just happen.
TGIFF!! It's Friday once again! Are we ready for Furry Friday?!
1. Do your pets act differently when you don't feel well? If so, how? Only when I'm feeling really ill. They are more responsive to my moods than to my physical health, but when I am so sick that I stay in bed they will stay there with me.
2. How do you comfort your pet when it doesn't feel well?
I try to do what she wants me to do. If she comes to me looking for affection, I give it, but if she goes off and hides, I don't seek her out. No one, not even pets, wants to be pestered when she is ill!
3. What's the scariest health moment you ever had with a pet? My border collie, Layla, the most wonderful dog ever to live, was an epileptic. The first time she had a seizure, I was terrified. She panted, drooled, threw up, and generally lost control of all her bodily functions. I was certain she was going to die. I called my vet, but he was out of town. (It was the day after Thanksgiving.) Fortunately there was another vet that I was able to contact. She told me to bring my Layla immediately. By the time I got there, my dog was fine. She took several blood samples for testing. It was from these tests that we learned of Layla's condition. I was told to keep track of her seizures, but if they did not occur more frequently than once a month, it would not be necessary to medicate her. Layla lived for fourteen years. She only had seizures about twice a year after that first incident. I would hold her on my lap when they occurred, so that she wouldn't hurt herself. This was not always an easy task, considering her size, but I never minded. She was, after all, the most wonderful dog ever to live... I miss her.
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What The Hell Has Blogger Done?!
I am fuming! I really don't need or want their new html for idiots features. They are wreaking havoc with my template. I have no idea from the preview feature what my posts will look like. I was perfectly happy writing my own html. I like it that way. Why can't they at least give me the option of turning these new features off? I knew which codes worked with my template. Now I don't. This post is an experiment for me. One that I feel that I should not have to do. Yeah, I know, we've got to accomodate all of the idiots of the world who aren't intelligent enough to learn a bit of basic html before they go publishing web pages. "Bullshit!" I say.These people will never learn to do anything for themselves if you constantly offer them cheats. Make them learn. Offer tutorials on the site, but don't mess with my fucking codes! Now you know that I'm pissed. I didn't even attempt to edit my profanity! Oh, well... Here goes nothing!
This week sees the opening of the film adaptation of Isaac Asimov's classic "I, Robot" starring Will Smith.
1. Who or what is your favorite movie robot? Technically, he's not a robot, he's a protocol android. His name is C3PO. His buddy R2D2, comes in a close second! I love the robot characters in Star Wars.
2. Will we ever see the day where walking, talking robots truly become a part of every day life? Probably not in my lifetime, or even my children's, but I do think that it will happen eventually.
3. Should a robot ever be programmed to kill a human? Absolutely not! If someone wants to kill another human, he should do it himself! I can just imagine the legal tangle that killer robots might cause...
BONUS ~ If you had a personal robot, what would you call it? What would you like it to do for you? I would name her Hazel after the maid of television fame because that is what she'd be, my own personal maid-servant!
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I Was Feeling Bored
Nothing quite beats the boredom blues quite like stumbling upon a new and interesting meme! Here is a new one that I found for Thursday...
1. What's the longest distance you've had to commute? Was it worth it? Believe it or not. I've only had one full time job in my lifetime, the one I hold now. My office is located a mere five miles fom my home. When I was first hired, I had to do three days of training in Pittsburgh, an approximately thirty mile commute. Another time, I traveled about fifty miles for three days of QWL training (a union related workshop). Hell, yeah, it was worth it. I was reimbursed for the additional travel expenses, got paid overtime for the time in the training sessions, and I got to get a break from the hum-drum, day to day routine of my job.
2. If you have a commute, what mode of transportation do you use? What do you do during it? I go to work in my "creepy little car", an old Pontiac Sunbird. The five mile commute takes between ten and twenty minutes, depending on weather and traffic conditions. I spend that time with the car stereo turned all the way up. What's playing? The Scorpions, of course!
3. How important is commute distance when choosing a job? Very important! I am not a morning person. I don't want to have to spend long periods of time travelling to work if I have to start at seven or eight in the morning. I might be willing to travel farther if my job had hours that started later in the day.
Bonus Question for Comments: What do you think of carpooling? Does it work? Why/Why not? In theory, carpooling is a great idea. In reality, it is much too difficult to make it work. You need to have several people who live and work near each other who also work approximately the same hours. These conditions are a bit too difficult to meet in a small town such as mine.
This Wednesday is Cow Appreciation Day so let's make this hump "udderly moovelous"! Using the letters of H-O-L-S-T-E-I-N list seven things on your fantasy wish list! The key word here is FANTASY!! So milk it for all it's worth!
Housekeeper to clean up after me! One night spent in the arms of Matthias Jabs (at least). Lots of money to spend however I wish! Summer twelve months a year. Tiny waistline! Explorer 76 model guitar by Gibson I want a twelve string Strat!!! Never having to go to work again...
Now that you're all warmed up let's do some "Getting To Know You" humping!
1. An artist paints your portrait while you are engaging in one of your favorite activities...what would you be doing? What would the title of the portrait be? Hmmm... I suppose that I should keep this clean, so I guess I'll be playing one of my guitars in the portrait. The title would be Twelve Strings At Twilight.
2. You come in a bottle and you have magical properties, what are you? Examples: genie, pancake syrup, etc... What would be on your instruction label? Caution: This bottle contains an anti-genie! Shake vigorously and pop the cork. The anti-genie will emerge to undo three stupid things that you have done in your lifetime (of your choosing). Legal Notice: Anti-Genies Inc assumes no responsibility for changes which occur in your circumstances due to the use of this product. Please choose wisely!
3. You've just been selected as a poster child for a make-believe organization. What is the organization and why have they specifically chosen you? U S Tour 2004 has chosen me as their poster child in their efforts to get The Scorpions to bring the Unbreakable tour to the US. Why? Oh, come now, do you really have to ask?
4. "You can fly, you can fly, you can fly"! ...and you are NOT Peter Pan! Who or what are you? Tee Hee! Of course I'm not Peter Pan. I'm a girl! I'm Wendy!
5. If you had a vanity horn on your vehicle (one which plays a song) what song would your horn blow to announce your arrival? My cell phone already has a vanity ring. It rings Wind Of Change . My horn would have to play another Scorpions song. Perhaps the one which I wanted for my phone that was not available, Rock You Like A Hurricane.
1. Are you going anywhere this summer? I already went. The Atlantic City trip was my first real vacation in at least twelve years!
2. If so, for how long? We were there for about two days. I wish that we could have stayed longer. I didn't have enough time (or money) to play the slots in the casino very much.
3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? I think that everyone who knows me knows the answer to this one... I wanna go to Germany!!!
4. What do you like to do while you are on holiday? That would depend on where I was going, but a bit of sight seeing and finding the best places to eat are a must, no matter where I might happen to go!
5. Where was the best place you have ever been on holiday? In 1980, I went to Spain and Morocco. I had a great time. Bought a beautiful hand made classical guitar at a little shop on the Sun Coast really cheap, got lost in Madrid (twice!), and met plenty of nice people from all over the world! It was the best vacation ever!
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I'm Feeling Evil!
When I get in one of these moods, I positively must do something , so I decided to do something that I said I would never do, I invaded the Moody Bitch's personal web space! Damn, that place was boring! I only found one picture ther worth "stealing." Here it is...
The rest of the photos there weren't even worth a second glance. My twelve year old son takes better shots! Certainly there was nothing there that compares to this...
Funny thing about that photo from Miss Moody B's site, the date stamp (which I removed) says that it was from the Atlantic City show on June 19 of this year, but it couldn't be. I was at that show. The clothing is all wrong! There was no intermission that night. The Jays never changed their clothes. Justin was wearing the ugly pink shirt from hell, and John was in all black, as you can see from the photo above. I wonder when and where the photo was really taken...
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Monday, July 12, 2004
I've Been Taking Quizzes Again!
Except for a few bits, this one was fairly accurate.
You Are Right Brained In Love
Bit of a drama queen Peacemaker, first to end a fight Good at thinking up creative dates Tend to fall in love and get hurt easily Going with your gut instead of your head Emphathetic and caring, sometimes to a fault Good at recognizing patterns in relationships Been in love many times, perhaps too many to count Wildly passionate and intense when falling in love Spontaneous with relationships, going with the flow Overly visual - can play back past dates like movies in your mind
Roses, love poems, and stuffed animals are a good start to winning your heart
Let's try some 'true or false' questions this week! Feel free to elaborate as you wish!
1. I like my job. True. Most of the time, but there are days when I hate it.
2. I find time to 'smell the flowers' so to speak. False. Flowers? What flowers? I didn't see any flowers...
3. I have no problem thinking of things to write about in my blog. True. What I do have a problem with is finding the time to post them!
4. 'Organization' is my middle name! False. "Slob" is my middle name!
5. If 'Plan A' doesn't work, there's always a 'Plan B.' True. There's also "Plan C" and "Plan D" and...
6. I adjust easily to new surroundings. True. It's the old surroundings that I have problems with!
7. I'd rather work 'behind the scenes' than 'in the spotlight.' False. I admit it! I like to be the center of attention.
8. I'm happy where I am, at this point in my life. False. There are so many things that I wish I had done that I haven't.
9. I can wake up in the morning without an alarm clock. False. I am not a morning person. Half of the time I can't even wake up with an alarm clock. A ringing telephone seems to be the only thing that works!
10. I can function pretty well on less than 8 hours of sleep. True. I do it almost every day!
It's that time again. It's time to dance the Mambo. Are you wacky enough to dance it with us? I bet you are! After all, if this guy is crazy enough, we have to be too!
I'm going to get us warmed up with a little "I say...You think..." musical style.
dance: Dance-a-thon club: Metropol, I miss that club... Saturday night: Saturday Night Fever. I betcha everybody gives the same answer on this one! strobe: Strobe lights boogie:Jungle Boogie . I remember that song from my high school days. I think it was by Jethro Tull. fever: We're back to Saturday Night Fever. I'm in a rut! jazz: The Jazz Singer, a movie that was remade starring Neil Diamond. chorus: A Chorus Line, one of the musicals that I was supposed to see during my 1980 trip to New York, but didn't.
Now it's time to get the Mambo on. Are you all ready?
1. Have you ever done any line dances like the electric slide or the Macarena? I am terrible at those things. I always seem to forget what I'm supposed to do next or turn in the wrong direction, or... You get the picture!
2. Do you like to dance? Sure, just as long as no one is watching!
3. Where's your favorite place to dance? At home, alone, in a locked room, with no one watching!
4. When you dance, what's your favorite kind of music to dance to? Anything bouncy and upbeat. Music from the 60's makes for good dancing.
5. What one dance best describes your personality? I don't know that there is one, so I'll make one up! The bitchy boogaloo! Give me a couple of days and I might be able to devise some steps for it!
1. Pool party or picnic? I like to eat. I don't like to wear bathing suits (Probably as a result of liking to eat!). The picnic wins this one.
2. Frisbee or volleyball? Frisbee, because my dog is always willing to play. She doesn't even care if the Frisbee is actually a styrofoam plate!
3. Amusement park or local fair? I wanna go to Kennywood! I love amusement parks.
4. Ice cream or sno-cone? I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream!
5. Hot dog or hamburger? I can't help myself. I love McDonalds hamburgers...
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My Desktop
I have seen so many others share their desktops, that I have decided that it is time to show you mine. This one is from my laptop, which I have been using almost exclusively recently.
The display is much the same on my HP desktop computer, despite the fact that it is now running on Windows XP. I loathe that new blue and green color scheme that they made for XP. One of the first things that I did upon installing that god-awful new OS was to set the display to Classic Windows. Yeah, you're reading this correctly. I completely regret updating to XP> That OS is some sort of virus magnet! The damned things creep onto the machine instantaneously, even though I have a firewall and a virus scanner installed. It is a constant battle that I am beginning to feel that I cannot win. If I don't soon get these problems fixed, I'm removing that pain in the arse OS and going back to ME!
My desktop also displays a few of my other computer related quirks. I like my program icons on the right. I am right handed so it makes perfect sense for them to be there, unfortunately my computer does not agree. Every time I install a new program I have to move the icon to the right. Sometimes I just delete them. Who needs all of those desktop shortcuts anyway? That's what the start menu is for! I don't need a bunch of ugly icons defiling my lovely background image of Matthias Jabs!
1. Do you work full-time, part-time or do you work a seasonal job? I am employed full time by the United States Postal Service as a rural mail carrier.
2. Are you more often on time, early or late for work? I am not a morning person. I never arrive at work early. I usually arrive promptly at my start time, 7:30 AM.
3. Have you ever called in sick when you actually weren't? Hasn't everyone? I haven't done so recently, since I now am in a higher leave earning category, but when I first got my full time position, I found myself forced to do this on occasion when my annual leave (vacation and/or personal days) had run out.
4. How many hours per day do you put in? I am paid a salary based on a 6.7 hour work day for six days a week. In an ideal world, this would be the number of hours I actually work. This, unfortunately, is the real world. At Christmastime I often find myself working 8+ hours every day. At this time of year it is the opposite. There are many days when I only work 5 hours. No matter how many hours I put in, my pay remains the same. Is it any wonder that I hate to see summer come to an end...
5. Do you socialize with any of your co-workers? We are a very close knit group in my office. We often have parties, picnics, and other sorts of get-togethers. I like to consider most of my co-workers to be friends.
I wonder... Why does the new Slant never go up until Sunday afternoon? Last week's looks like fun, though...
Backstage Pass
The concert was incredible—loud, rocking, virile. Your favorite artist, dripping with sensuality, held the audience—and especially you—enrapt from entrance to encore. During the final encore, a stage hand drapes around your neck a laminated Backstage Pass. It’s from your onstage idol, the roadie says. Thanks to a radio giveaway, you’re at the concert alone. What happens next? Who is the artist?
The band is, of course, The Scorpions... My knees would begin to shake at the prospect of meeting the object of my fantasies.
I would be trembling so much that the roadie would probably have to half carry me to my destination! The pass was from Matthias... I would wonder how he had known about me. Had he stumbled upon my blog and been intrigued by my fantasy of covering him in whipped cream and licking it off? How embarassing... Unless he wanted to fulfill it! My mind would be filled with so many questions which could only be answered when we met.
Since this is my fantasy, here is what would happen when we met:
We would talk for a while to get to know each other. Perhaps we might even play a thing or two together on a couple of the guitars which would be bound to be lurking around. Then he would ask me to come back to his hotel, where we would spend the night making wild, passionate love... (after a pit stop to buy a couple of cans of whipped cream!)
This was Thursday's Dirt, but some computer issues prevented me from doing it then. These questions are just too much fun to pass up!
Girly Crap...
1. What is your favorite brand of lip gloss? I have a couple of friends who sell Avon, so a lot of my make-up products come from their catalog. They do tend to come up with some very interesting flavored varieties.
2. What is your favorite color lip gloss? I prefer flavored lip gloss to the colored kind. If I'm looking for color, I wear regular lipstick. It lasts longer. I often top it with a coat of sparkly or flavored lip gloss...
3. What is your favorite store? I am the Queen of Wal Mart! People who work there come to me with questions about where stuff is kept!
4. What's your favorite chick flick? Chick flicks, EWWWWWWW! I don't like 'em. Not at all...
5. What is your favorite thing to shop for? Give me lots of money and send me to the Guitar Center in Monroeville. I long to own an entire roomful of guitars one day. I am currently keeping an eye out for Gibson 76 explorers and Fender 12 string Strats. Should I happen to find either of these models priced less than $500, I'm robbing my piggy bank and buying it!
1. If you could watch only one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be? Currently, I'd have to say it's Van Helsing . I just can't seem to look at this man enough!
2. What is your absolute favorite movie soundtrack? The soundtracks from most Disney films are excellent, but I suppose the best is the one from The Lion King.
3. What's your favorite movie-time snack? I do believe that I've answered this question recently for a different meme. It just ain't a movie without popcorn!
4. Favorite Actor: The master of playing characters who are twisted, demented or just plain strange...
Christopher Walken.
5. Favorite Actress: Glenn Close, because that lady has the ability to play any part they throw at her quite well!
Here we see her beside my favorite actor in a scene from The Stepford Wives.
6. And last but not least, what is your favorite kind of movie: comedy, drama, action...etc.,??? Comedies and sci-fi/fantasy flicks are my favorites, but I can enjoy just about any type of movie that doesn't involve romance (YUCK!).
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Guess-A-Hump Answer From the BDI Wednesday Mind Hump
I didn't have too many guesses for this week's hump, so I must assume that you guys are either stumped or not humping! I hope that you're all stumped, because I'd hate to think that you weren't humping!
Only one of the two humpers who ventured a guess was correct. Hmmmm...That would be my sister, Andrea. Perhaps she should be disqualified from guessing....
For the record, my hump is... *drum roll*
My laptop computer. You know, the one with the dead sound card!
Today is Chocolate Day (be still my heart)! , commemorating the introduction of chocolate in Europe in the year 1550! In honor of this beloved day, and to get us all in hump mode, using the letters C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E , tell a little about yourself.
Cannot stand the silence surrounding her. Hears no sounds coming from her computer. Omigod! The sound card is dead! Cries... One more thing to spend too much money on! Lordie! Who is going to install it? Another project for Raymond? Tries not to think about it. Eeeeek! Make this silence go away!
OK! Are you all hungry for more?? Here we go!
This weeks hump will be a dozen of " I say ____, you think ____"....
1. bust - Bust a gut 2. cream - Whipped cream 3. kisses - Hershey's Kisses 4. elbow -Elbow room 5. shopping - Shopping cart 6. snap - Snap, crackle, pop! 7. brush - A brush with death 8. serve - Are You Being Served? 9. under - Underwear 10. bubble - Bubblegum 11. race - The Great Race 12. banana - Banana split
For extra fun, hump away with this: The Guess-A-Hump!!
...but this week let's give it a new twist!
Think of an item ... But this week let's not make it just any item, but an item you can find in your kitchen!
Tee Hee! I have some mighty unusual items in my kitchen!
...don't tell us what the item is. Now, describe that item in a brief paragraph (the size, the color, etc) but don't give it away. Okay, now you're ready to hump it up! Replace the name of the item with the word "hump". Other players will come to your blog and try to guess what your hump is. Tomorrow morning, add the answer to your hump and for big fun add a picture.
My hump is mostly black in color. I spend a lot of time with my hump. My hump can be very helpful and entertaining, but it also often makes me very angry. Most of the time, my hump sits on my kitchen table, but I can take it with me anywhere that I go!
Answer: ???
As always, leave your guesses in my comments. The answer will be posted sometime tomorrow afternoon.
1. Looking back on the past week, what was your favorite moment? That's an easy one! It would have to be having the opportunity to meet Frank Kopcyk and Malcolm Gets after Friday's performance of 1776! These two men are not only very talented, they are also both very nice fellows. You can scroll down to see my pictures with them in Saturday's post.
2. Tell us about funny moment that had you and others laughing 'til it hurt. This one didn't seem all too funny when it happened, but we are still laughing about it in our office to this day...
I was out delivering my route as I would on any other day. What I didn't know was that one of my customers was having some mental/emotional difficlties due to his wife's death and a recent break-in at his home (two totally unrelated incidents). I soon learned of the effect that these difficulties were having on hin in a very unusual way. I was across the road, delivering his neighbors' mail when I noticed him standing in his yard. He was holding a long, dark object in one hand and waving the other franticly. I thought that perhaps he was trying to flag me down because he had forgotten to leave some important letter in his mailbox for me to pick up, so I started to drive towards his home. When I got near enough to see him clearly, my face turned white as a sheet. The long dark object in his hand was some sort of gun, and although he was wearing a black sweatshirt, he was completely naked from the waist down! Needless to say, I got the hell out of there fast! I delivered the rest of the route in a state of semi-shock. Several customers saw me and asked what had happened. I must have told someone what had happened, since the police were called and the man was taken to get help, but I don't honestly remember much about anything until I returned to the office. The other employees took one look at my face and knew that something had happened. When asked, all I could say was, "He... wasn't... wearing... any... pants!" It took them several minutes to get the whole story from me. When I finished they were all laughing like crazy! By then it seemed pretty damned funny to me as well. And you thought that delivering mail wasn't an interesting job!
*note* The man in question was treated and eventually recovered from his problems. He was a nice old gentleman and often came out to talk to me. Oh, but it was difficult to face him after that incident, but I don't believe that he remembered any of it.
3. What is one of your favorite childhood memories? I suppose that I shall never forget the times when my Uncle Ray would come home from the service and stay with us. That man used to tease the heck out of me! He was just a really big kid himself at heart. I'd often run and hide to avoid the teasing, but he always managed to find me. As I got older, I began to realize that the teasing was just his unique way of saying "I love you."
He passed away about twenty years ago as the result of a cancerous brainn tumor.(You can't tell me that Vietnam had nothing to do with that) I only wish that I could see him just one more time to tell him how much I loved him and miss him...
4. Tell us about a time when you were traveling when things just didn't work out as planned. Never get directions from Yahoo! You will get lost, as became evident on our recent Atlantic City trip. You see, these people fail to tell you important things, such as where you must exit a given road. They state things like, go 246 miles on I 76, but what they don't tell you is that for the first 100 or so miles, I 76 is the PA Turnpike, but for the last 46 miles you must exit the turnpike in order to remain on I 76! Need I say that this lack of information caused us to take a very roundabout way of getting to our destination, delaying our arrival by about an hour.
5. Have you ever been in the middle major storm (blizzard/tornado/hurricane/earthquake)? If yes, tell us about it. Severe winter storms (blizzards, ice storms) are quite common in my part of the country. Being a mail carrier, I have lots of experience in being stuck quite literally in them. I shudder just thinking about it! I hope you understand that I prefer not to talk about it!
1. Website? I hate to admit it, but I am hopelessly addicted to playing NeoPets. I started playing about three years ago, and haven't stopped since.
2. Person in the world? Answering this question could definitely cause some problems. I think that I shall invoke my rights under the fifth amendment here!
Now if you want to know who my favorite person in the world to look at is, I can answer honestly...
Matthias Jabs! Yummy!
3. Magazine? I wish that I had more time to read. I currently subscribe to Entertainment Weekly , but I don't get a chance to read it as much as I'd like.
4. Song/Lyric? This song describes my feelings to a tee. Of course, it's by The Scorpions...
Deep And Dark Matthias Jabs/Klaus Meine
Down, I am down On the ground, sad and tired I'm down, It's over now Yes I'm down, should I like it
It's deep and dark Deep down in my heart It's deep and dark Since we've been apart
Is this love that comes around That takes me up light years higher 'cause I wanna feel love once again
It's deep and dark Deep down in my heart It's deep and dark Since we've been apart
It's deep and dark Deep down in my heart It's deep and dark Without someone to love.
5. Outfit? Any pair of comfy jeans with a T-shirt, and a baseball cap perched upon my head. Dressing up is fun on occasion, but I prefer comfort.
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Monday, July 05, 2004
'Tis Monday once again! This week we're going to try some more 'fill-in-the-blanks' questions.....
1. I usually clean my house on the twelfth of never, or about every ??? days. I let Michael do most of the cleaning. He actually likes doing it!
2. My favorite Sunday night program to watch on television is some old rerun on TV Land. I don't watch much TV.
3. Monday morning I usually waking up thinking, "I don't wanna go to work."
4. To wind down at the end of a busy day, I like to pop a Scorpions CD in the stereo.
5. I try not to call anyone on the phone until after 10 a.m.
6. And I NEVER call anyone after midnight. Unless there is an emergency.
7. When I don't have to get up to go to work or school, I sleep in until noon.
8. I have two telephones in my house. Four, if you count the cell phones.
9. I usually answer the phone on the third ring. Unless it is my cell phone, deeply buried within my purse. Then I will hopefully answer before my voice mail picks it up!
10. When I know I should be sleeping, but am having a hard time falling asleep, I usually watch TV.
It's time to put on your mamboing shoes again. I'm going to do a few different things this week. So if you're ready, let's get warmed up with a little bit of "musical" I say you think...
tune: You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tune A Fish - REO Speedwagon album flute: Ray Thomas of The Moody Blues note: gibson: Explorer. I want one!!! baby: Baby What A Big Surprise - Chicago keyboard: Piano top: The top of the Billboard chart soul: Mr Soul - Neil Young center: Centerfold - J Giles Band backup: Bimboes! Did you ever notice that most backup singers look like bimboes?
Ok, now that we've warmed up, are you ready to Mambo? Just copy and paste the questions to your blog and get to Mamboing! What are you waiting for?
1. If you could have a career in the music industry, what would it be? I want to be a vocalist/rhythm guitarist in my very own band! If that is not possible, I'd consider a stint as one of those backup bimboes, preferably for The Scorpions. I've always wanted to do a duet with Klaus.
2. Do you know how to play an instrument? If not, what instrument do you wish you could play? I don't have that collection of guitars for nothing, you know! I can play them.
3. What is your favorite way to enjoy music? ie..concert, tv, mp3 player etc... Nothing beats a live performance, if you're at a venue where security isn't a cross between the Gestapo and the KGB, and you're not sitting near the biggest drunken fool in the world. Unfortunately, those conditions are very difficult to meet, so I usually just pop a CD in the stereo...
4. What is your favorite genre of music...or era of music or both? I enjoy music from many different genres, but rock is probably my favorite. The classic songs of the 1960's are so much fun and the metal bands of the 80's were the best ever. *sniff* Many of the metal bands of the 80's are still producing some fantastic material, if only the radio stations and video channels would give them the airplay that they deserve...
Now lastly, here's something fun and different...or maybe not so different.
Describe your favorite band/artist to us in a paragraph and tell us why you like him. If you have a picture to share...show it to us. Tell us as much or as little as you like...just have fun!
Anyone want to venture a guess as to whom I am going to describe here?
The Scorpions! Current band line up:
Klaus Meine - Vocals Matthias Jabs - Lead/Rhthm Guitar Rudolf Schenker - Lead/Rhythm Guitar Pawel Maciwoda - Bass James Kottak - Drums
The band first formed in the early 70's, but didn't have any big hits in the US until the 80's when they released such hits as No One Like You, Rock You Like A Hurricane, Rhythm Of Love, and Wind Of Change. The core band members (Klaus, Rudolf, and Matthias) have been together since 1980. Prior to Matthias joining the band in 1980, the position of lead guitarist had been filled by both Michael Schenker (Rudolf's younger brother) and Uli Jon Roth. There have been other personel changes in the band as well. Former bass players include Francis Buchholz and Ralph Rieckermann, and the position of drummer was filled for a long time by Herman Rarebell. No matter what the personel changes, the music has always remained consistently good... I give you a photo of the core band members from last year's trip to Russia.
Don't those Russian dudes look like cardboard cutouts?
1. What's your comfort food? Chocolate can cure anything that ails me!
2. What is the best thing to eat while watching a movie? It just wouldn't be a movie without popcorn!
3. How do you like your rice? (or do you like/eat rice at all?) Mmmmm... Rice! I don't think that I've ever eaten a rice dish that I didn't like! Fried rice, salsa rice, rice pilaf, a side of plain steamed rice, it's all so good.
4. What's your favorite restaurant? That would depend upon what type of food I am craving. Italian and Asian cuisine are my favorites. For Italian food, you can't beat Pasta Too! If it is Asian that I crave, The Little Bamboo serves excellent Chinese and Japanese cuisine. If I'm feeling like a little piggy, I go to the China Wok Buffet. Mmmmm... All-you-can-eat Chinese!
5. What are the best foods to bring to a picnic? No picnic is complete without potato salad! Also necessary are chips and pasta salad. If I'm grilling, burgers are a must! If grilling is not possible, fried chicken is the best choice.
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Saturday, July 03, 2004
The Essence Of Squee!
Now, I know that you are thinking that the Moody Blues show has been over for two weeks and there are still no U.S. tour dates scheduled for the Scorpions, what could Lady Starlight possibly be squeeing about? In answer to that I must tell you that all really attractive men make me go, "Squee!" Famous men make me go "Squee!" And if said men are attractive and famous the "Squee!" can be heard for miles... Something happened yesterday that really brought out the "Squee!" in me.
Yesterday was the birthday of one, and only one of the terrible bra tossing twins. No, it was not my birthday, so that leaves my sister. In oreder to celebrate, we decided to venture into the city of Pittsburgh to take in a performance of 1776. We are seen below in all of our finery before leaving to see the show.
C'mon people, do we really look like twins?
We knew very little about the musical that we were going to see, but it did not matter. The reason for this was that cast in the starring role of the show was Malcolm Gets. You may remember him as Richard from the sitcom Caroline In The City. Hmmmm... Lady Starlight has mentioned an attractive man, can you see where this is going?
The show was absolutely delightful. Who would ever have thought that such an amusing show could be made about the signing of the Declaration of Independence! It was humorous, the music was great, and the writers seemed to follow historical facts rather well, although some dramatic license was taken.
After the show, the Terror Twins did what we do best! We waited by the stage door to see who we could meet. Our first victim was Frank Kopcyk. Mr. Kopcyk may not be a looker, but he was fantastic in his role as Ben Franklin. This was cause for me to want a photograph with him.
Mr. Kopcyk's hugs rival those of John Lodge!
As you can see, he seemed to enjoy being accosted by a couple of younger women for photographs.
A bit later, Malcolm Gets emerged from the stage door. Although he had a few friends there, Mr Gets was kind enough to take the time to pose for a couple of photographs with us.
Doesn't the look on my face scream "Squee!"?
If you'd like to see the pictures of the other terror twin, you may do so by visiting her weblog.
TGIFF!! It's Friday once again! Are we ready for Furry Friday?!
1. The age old question: Cats or Dogs? Both! I love cats and dogs. Each species has its own special qualities to love. I could never choose between them!
2. Pet food question: Straight pet food diet or table scrap begger? Mostly pet food, but occasionally a table scrap or two. Tee Hee! If my cats want what you're eating, they'll take it right out of your mouth!
3. Where is your pets favorite place to sleep? On me. Ouch!
Today's Dirt gives me a chance to display my truly cynical nature, because it is all about
Romance
1.Which is better to receive: flowers or candy? As the song says... "I want candy!" Preferably a big box of Godiva chocolates...
2. What's your favorite flower? Definitely roses, especially the blood red or snow white ones. I would prefer to see them growing in a garden rather than cut and thrown in a vase to die.
3. When did you last receive flowers from someone? I was given some marigolds to plant in my garden about three weeks ago. Does that count? If not, I was a given a potted flower at our church's graduation brunch on the last Sunday of May. All of the parents of graduates got them.
4. Who sent them? No one sends me flowers. The marigolds were given to me by Joe, one of my postal customers. The potted flower, a petunia, was given to me by my oldest son, Raymond. It had been purchased by the church, though.
5. What's your opinion on romantic holidays... Valentines Day, Sweetest's Day, etc? These holidays are nothing but a commercial gimmick, thought up by greeting card companies, restaurant owners, and florists as a way for them to make more money! Valentine's Day, Bah, Humbug!
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I Do Strange Things When I'm Bored...
I do strange things when I'm not bored, too, but that's an entirely different post! You may have noticed that I enjoy taking those silly personality quizzes that people make up. I also enjoy those name generator things. I was feeling rather bored tonight, so I did a bit of both.
First I took a quiz to discover who I had been in a past life...
Lady Starlight was an Important Burlesque Dancer in a past life.
Ok, this is the week a lot of you have been waiting on. Spiderman 2 opens, and the web-slinger (who in reality would have no shot at Kirsten Dunst) swings back into action against the evil Doc Ock. This week, our questions are about those quintessentially misunderstood, ill-treated, feared and respected champions of truth, justice and the Spandex Way: the Superheroes.
1. All right, have it out. What is the all-time greatest superhero movie? OK, it may not be the all-time greatest superhero movie, but I loved it. I am talking about Batman Returns. My reason for liking this particular movie so much is quite simple. Christopher Walken was cast as the villain! Oh, but he does that evil thing so well!
The only thing that I would like to change about that movie is the way that Catwoman killed him. She fried him with a tazer. I would have prefered something that left me with a pretty corpse instead of a pile of ashes, piercing his heart with her claws would have been good...
2. What superhero movie has not been made that you'd like to see? Which existing one would you have redone from scratch? When I was a kid, I used to watch this cheesey Japanese superhero show called Ultraman. I remember very little about it, except that the terrible dubbing of the English voices was hilarious. I would love it if someone would find one of the old scripts and make a movie from it using English speaking actors. As for the matter of redoing a superhro movie from scratch, there are not any that I would care to do. I would like to do a bit of recasting on the Spiderman movies, though. I would prefer a slightly older, better looking Peter Parker.
3. What qualities would be necessary to elevate a superhero movie from a simple action film to a memorable motion picture? Is it possible? Of course it is possible! You need only have a talented cast and a good script, the same as would be needed for any other type of movie to fulfill those expectations.
BONUS~ Most superhero movies take place in a more-or-less realistic modern world. If a superhero actually appeared in your city today and started fighting crime, what would be the actual public reaction? You're kidding, right? I can just imagine what would happen if some guy or gal appeared to fight crime in Pittsburgh wearing tights! Somebody call the guys in the little white coats! They're coming to take you away, Ha! Ha! Ho! Ho! Hee! Hee!
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Guess-A-Hump Answer From the BDI Wednesday Mind Hump
Well, it seems that my hump was a bit more difficult this week, leaving all but my sister and one good friend, Firaas, baffled. I knew that part about the arachnid would throw you guys off track. You see, Scorpions are also members of the arachnid family! I betcha it's easy for you to guess my hump now that you know that...
My hump is... * drum roll *
My limited edition copy of the European release of The Scorpions Unbreakable CD!
It's Time For
