It suddenly dawned upon me while I was on my way home from work, tomorrow is December first! It hit me like a ton of bricks. Calendars to make, gifts to buy, long hours to work, I may never get to Curves! ARGH! Someone please make December go away (but not The Moody Blues album of the same name. I like that.)!
My heart is filled with terror at the thought of the Christmas season. How am I going to get the lights put up on my house. That has always been "the estranged one's" job, but this year he cannot do it, climbing ladders is on his list of no-no's for medical reasons. Still, I suppose that I was going to have to learn hoe to do it myself eventually. There's no time like the present, I suppose.
My mind drifts to thoughts of Christmas Day. What will that man do to screw it up? He sure as heck put the screws to Thanksgiving by deciding that he didn't need to see his kids on the holiday for the first time ever. Oh, how I wish I could end this marriage now, but to do so would be financial suicide.
If I make it through this month with my sanity intact, I'll consider myself lucky.
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Monday, November 29, 2004
How Not To Fix A Blown Head Gasket
Last Monday my postal vehicle broke down. It was overheating quite rapidly, all of the engine coolant was disappearing, gurgling noises could be heardcoming from under the hood, clouds of steam followed me wherever I went. Pair these symptoms with the fact that the vehicle has travelled over 110,000 miles and it becomes obvious that the head gasket is blown. The local mechanic who does minor work on these vehicles took a look under the hood and concurred. So, last Tuesday my vehicle was sent off to the Vehicle Maintainence Facility (VMF) in Washington, PA to be fixed. It was returned to me on Friday afternoon.
When I spoke to the guy from the VMF, I knew that I was in trouble. They had fixed the transmission, he told me. The transmission had neen giving me some minor problems when shifting into reverse, so this pleased me. "What about the engine?" I asked him.
"Yeah," he told me, "there was no coolant in your vehicle." When he said this, warning lights began to go off in my mind. I just knew that they hadn't fixed the vehicle's real problem.
I watched all of the guages very carefully as I delivered my route on Saturday. All appeared to be functioning properly. I was pleased. Perhaps they had fixed that blown head gasket, even though that seemed highly unlikely consiering how quickly the work had been done. Maybe that mechanic and I had been wrong... Alas, this was not the case.
About twenty minutes into my route today, the steam clouds, overheating, and all of the other problems returned. My first instincts had been correct.
AS I sat waiting in the cold for my boss to procure another vehicle for me, it became obvious to me how those guys at the VMF had "fixed" my vehicle. They had dumped a gallon or so of antifreeze and a can of stop leak into the radiator. That's a nice temporary fix to get you through the day, but that's no way to fix a blown head gasket! What the hell is wrong with these guys?!
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1. How did you choose a name for your blog? The name of my blog is derived from The Scorpions' song, Send Me An Angel.
2. How many times have you changed the name of your blog? Never! And I never will, either...
3. How many blogs to you update regularly? I update this blog and my photo blog on a daily basis. I am also one of The Certifiable Wenches and blog there about once weekly. My other blogs are updated very infrequently. I really need to post more on my Scorp-Fic blog!
4. How many times have you moved in your life? I moved once as a child when my parents bought their house, and four times as an adult, to Charleston WV with an ex bofriend and back home when his job didn't pan out, to a rented house when I got married and to the house where I currently live when "the estranged one" and I bought it thirteen years ago.
5. On a scale of 1-10, how stressful is moving (in your opinion)? When it involves the purchase of a house or telling your parents that you're moving in with your boyfriend, definitely a 10. In all other instances about a 7 or 8.
6. When moving, do you/would you rent a moving van/truck? When moving into my current home we borrowed a truck from Snyder of Berlin, where "the estranged one" was employed at the time. It made things much easier.
7. Do you wear glasses? If so, how old were you when you needed them? I'm supposed to wear them when I'm reading, but I seldom do until the eyestrain gives me a terrible headache. I've been farsighted for a long time. I got my first pair of perscription reading glasses when I was in my early twenties!
8. What one question would you hope someone running a meme would ask? Answering silly or rhetorical questions is so much fun! I'd love it if someone asked, "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"
It's officially the holiday season. Time to shop and be shopped for. So in the spirit of the busiest time of the year, the mambo will be about musical gifts.
1. What album do you want the most for the holiday? Topping my list of most wanted albums this Christmas is The Scorpions Crazy World, since I just managed to obtain a copy of Pure Instinct. I'd really like to complete my collection, so Live Bites and Best Of Rockers And Ballads are also on my most wanted list.
2. Are you buying any of your friends or family music for Christmas? What are you buying for them? Ray usually asks for at least one CD for Christmas every year. I don't imagine that this year will be an exception. The same is true for Mike. They haven't told me which ones they want yet, but I'm certain that they will.
3. What was the best musical gift you ever received? (Doesn't have to be for the holiday season) I got my very first guitar as a gift one year for Christmas. That was oh so many years ago that I can't remember exactly when it was. I think that I was in Junior High. It doesn't really matter when I got it though, it was the best musical Christmas gift ever!
4. Are there any holiday concerts you want to attend? No, but there is one that I definitely don't want to attend, my son Mike's holiday chorus concert. Between the freaky parental units of the other chorus members and the imbicilic chorus teacher, I cannot decide which makes me more annoyed.
5. Other than CDs what music or music related gifts are on your wishlist? I'd love it if someone could get me that white Gibson 76 Explorer that I dream about. The price is down to a mere $999 at Musician's Friend.
Or, if you really love me, you could get me this...
Look! He even comes equipped with one of those white Explorers!
6. Do you keep a wishlist at Amazon or any other site for your musical wants? Unless you count the wish lists that I keep here, no.
From all of us musical mamboers here at BDI have a wonderful week! And shop til you drop!
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Sunday, November 28, 2004
A Trip To The Mall
Following today's mall themed meme, I got an irresistable urge to go to the mall. Since The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (which my kids just had to see) was playing at Southland 9, the mall had to be Century III, not one of my favorites. Still, it was quite a profitable trip.
I had no intention of doing any Christmas shopping and I did not buy anything for anyone other than little ol' me! I am still doing the dance of joy because I finally found a copy of The Scorpions Pure Instinct. Couple that with the pretty sweaters that I found on sale at J. C. Penney and you have one very happy camper. It takes so little to make me happy...
Oh, The Spongebob Movie was a hoot. It's a full hour and a half of the same stupid silliness seen in the television episodes. You gotta love it!
"George Washington had a vision for this country. Was it three days of uninterrupted shopping?" ~ Jeff Melvoin, Northern Exposure ~
1. Do you enjoy shopping at the mall? Normally I enjoy a nice shopping trip to the mall, but at Christmastime, it's a nightmare!
2. What is your favorite mall food? The food court is one of my favorite places in the mall. It is always so hard to decide. Panda Express, The Potato Shack and Taco Tina's are among my favorites.
3. What are your three favorite “mall” stores? My favorite clothing store is Dots, my favorite department store is Kaufmann's, and Sun Coast is great for buying DVDs and other TV and movie trinkets.
4. What is your favorite mall? Washington Crown Center is a nice mall, small and not too crowded, but Monroeville Mall has a Guitar Center...
5. Do you have one special person that you enjoy going to the mall with the most? Usually I go to the mall with my sister. When I take my sons along, they spend entirely too much of my money!
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Saturday, November 27, 2004
Sign Of The Times
The greater Pittsburgh area is famous for its constant state of road construction, just ask any of us who live in the area. Commuters are told so often to use their favorite alternate routes that we joke that the city's motto should be:
You can't get there from here!
With this in mind, I was quite surprised that the following news story had not happened in Pittsburgh...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A hacker put an obscene message, possibly for the city's mayor, on an electronic traffic message board, shocking morning commuters.
Mayor Lois Frankel recently had put up large electronic signs that flash humorous messages meant to make light of ongoing construction delays, such as "I Am Mad Too! - Lois."
A hacker typed in the three-word message that Frankel thinks was aimed at her for Tuesday morning commuters to see.
The story didn't contain a photo of the sign, lest more sensitive readers would take offense, so we are left wondering what exactly it said.
Hmmmm... a three word message... Perhaps the hacker was responding to the mayor's earlier message. If that is the case, I imagine that the sign was flasing "Fuck you, bitch!"
Tee hee! I wish I could have seen it, but I suppose it is only a matter of time before someone tries something similar in this area.
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Friday, November 26, 2004
First Flurries
We got a little extra this Thanksgiving Day! The first snow flurries of this winter season fell. Here you see them as they looked upon my "creepy little car" as it sat outside my mom's house.
Winter has arrived. Argh!!
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Thursday, November 25, 2004
My Fair Market Value
According to a quiz on this site, I am worth $1,990,200.62! Not too shabby, eh? I wonder who it is who would be willing to pay that much for me, because I've got some oceanfront property in Switzerland that I'd really like to unload!
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Obligatory Post Of Thankfulness
It's Thanksgiving Day here in the U. S., a time for us to give thanks for all of the good things that we have. So, what is Lady Starlight thankful for this year...
Besides the usual sappy stuff such as good friends, continued employment, good health and a loving family, even if it is a bit disfunctional, I am thankful for the following things:
Having the opportunity to see these guys in concert twice this past summer.
Having one son who knows how to fix computer problems...
And another one who actually enjoys cleaning house (even if I don't have a good picture of him to show you)!
But mostly, I am thankful for beautiful things like this...
and this...
And even this!
I am also thankful that I have a friend who made these screen caps for me, since I never got around to doing it myself.
Yes, yes - we know, the hump is late today. But you know it's never too late to hump. Today is National Espresso Day but since many of us drink espresso on a regular basis thanks to Starbucks let's celebrate something else. *flips through calendar of events* Ah HA! Here's a good one. November 26th is Good Grief Day celebrating the birth of legendary creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip, Charles M. Shultz, in 1922. We here at BDI adore "Peanuts" characters but we're partial to Woodstock -- so much so we joined the Woodstock Fanlisting.
Okay, let's warm up. If you were a character in the "Peanuts" comic strip, which character would you be and why? Not familiar with "Peanuts"? Then tell us what makes you slap yourself in the head and say, "GOOD GRIEF!"
I've always associated with Charlie Brown, I've got the same kind of dumb luck that he has. Yep, that's me, Charlotte Brown!
Shall we hump?
This week, some humping' good fun with free association or "I say ___, you think ___". The rules are easy as pie. Just copy and paste the questions below into your blog and add your responses. (Respond with the first word, words, phrase that pops into your head. Or babble insanely - it's all good.) You need not be a member to play - so let us not delay .... let's hump like crazy.
1. Foreign: Foreign exchange student
2. Deluxe: Bigger and better
3. Warning: It seems there's one on everything these days!
4. Class: A touch of class
5. Easy: Easy as pie
6. Incoherent: Confusing
7. Scarlet:The Scarlet Letter
8. Goodie: Goodie two shoes
9. Jumping: Jumping for joy
10. Mob:The Godfather
11. Bang, bang: It's lyric time!
Bang! Say da, da, da! Tell me yes, and let's feed the fire. Bang! Bang! Say da, da, da! Nothing less I want to hear a yes!
Does anyone else Remember the Russian band, Gorky Park?
12. psychic: Clairvoyant
This hump has been brought to you by those loons at BDI who put lipstick on our heads just to make-up our minds. Wheee!
By now everyone has heard of those strange Thanksiving dinner flavored sodas made by the Jones Soda Company, so it was just a matter of time before the people at Blogthings made a quiz about it. So, here it is, in all of it's glory.
I'm quite curious as to how they calculated these results. What exactly is it about me that makes me a green bean casserole? Was it the fact that I would name my pet turkey Elvis, not dinner? I am not a vegetarian, but I sure as hell would never eat my pet, even if it was a turkey! Eating a pet is just disgusting.
I know, that sounds like I should be a vegetarian, and perhaps I should be, but dammit, I like meat.
1. If you could thank one artist/band for their contribution to your life, who would it be and why?
Is it any wonder that Lady Starlight would be thanking The Scorpions? Their music somehow touches my soul in a way that no one else's can. It brings to mind old dreams which I thought had died. It is a terrible thing for a dream to die. Although they may never be fulfilled, I have these guys to thank for bringing mine back to life.
Matthias, Klaus, Rudolf, Pawel, and James (also Francis, Herman and Ralph), I love you. Thanks for the music and for being a part of my life.
2. What albums are you thankful that you purchased or heard this year? I am most definitely thankful that I was able to purchase replacement copies of Deadly Sting and Worldwide Live after the dreadful doggie incident. I am also thankful for my multiple copies of Unbreakable, which proves that The Scorpions can still rock with the best of 'em!
3. If you wanted to tell someone thanks in song, what song would it be? I don't think that I could use a song written by someone else to express my thanks. I would have to write the song myself. As for what that song would be, I do not know. I haven't written it yet. Hmmm... Inspiration!
4. What musical things are you thankful for? Besides The Scorpions and my vast collection of their music...
Why, my guitars, of course!
Meet Blackie!
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1. What is your favorite sport? Football, American style!
Go, Steelers!
2. Do you watch sports on television? I try to avoid it. I tend to put some kind of curse on the Steelers when I watch them play! Sometimes, I just can't help myself, though. I actually enjoy a game more when I don't care which of the teams wins or loses.
3. In high school, did you (or do you) play any sports? Good heavens, no! I am a klutz. No one would want me on her team.
4. Any favorite teams? Go, black and gold... Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins, all of the requisite Pittsburgh teams.
5. If applicable, did you (or do you) attend your child's games? My sons inherited the klutz gene from their mother. They do not play sports.
6. Do you think professional athletes make too much money? Some do, but not all. When you consider the short length of their careers, the expenses involved in their work, and the punishment taken by their bodies, their high salaries suddenly become much more reasonable. Really, how many people complain that actors make too much money? Why should our standards for professional atheletes be any different? I say that if someone is willing to pay you oodles of dough, go for it!
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Sunday, November 21, 2004
How Dumb Is Lady Starlight?
The world may never know, but if what happened today is any indication, she's pretty damned dumb. Hey, I'm not above letting you guys have a good laugh at my expense. Here's what happened...
Several months ago, my laptop computer suddenly and inexplicably lost all sound. It became so silent that I could not even hear the modem as it dialed. This left me baffled. One of the first things that I did was to click on the little speaker icon to see if the volume had been muted. It appeared that this was not the case. I downloaded new drivers for my sound card. Still, I was met by silence. Perhaps some program was sucking memory away from the sound card, I thought, so I stopped all but the most essential programs from loading on start-up. The great silence continued. A virus or spyware program being at fault was another option that I considered. I scanned for and removed both to no avail. I was at my wits end. My beloved laptop sat idle until another option was brought to my attention, a faulty modem could draw memory away from the sound card, causing me to lose my sound. In a last ditch effort to get my machine to function properly, I asked my son, Ray, to disable the modem for me. When this produced no results, he decided to do a few system diagnostics of his own. This is what he eventually discovered...
Although the speaker volume on my machine was turned all the way up, the system volume was turned completely off! It seems that the demon machine has two sets of volume controls, and I remained blissfully unaware of one of them! He turned the system volume back on, and suddenly sound was returned to my world! Then he showed me how to access the system volume. When he did this, I realised how I had managed to lose my sound. While typing in a darkened room, I had accidentally pressed the keys which turned the system volume off!
The moral to the story is...
Never let the world's worst typist operate a keyboard in the dark!
In my defense, I must say that Ray had checked the machine once before and not found the elusive second volume control. It's not like the machine came with an owner's manual, either. I bought it used, from a computer show. They didn't even reformat the hard drive before selling it, they just deleted most of the original owner's files!
"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~
1. How do you cook your turkey? (Stuffing, spices, cooking bag, etcetera) I don't! Cooking turkeys is my mother's department. The day that mom can no longer do it will be the day that I have Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant. Lady Starlight does not cook!
2. What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert? Mmmmmm... Pumpkin pie!
3. What are you doing this year for Thanksgiving? The same old same old. I'm going to my mom's for an early dinner. Afterwards, I'm taking the boys to their other grandma's home for yet another dinner. I'm not staying there. Argh! Insanity! I wonder if there are any good movies opening on Thanksgiving Day...
4. Do you have any family traditions at Thanksgiving? My brother almost always comes home for Thanksgiving. He watches the traditional Detroit game on TV and we eat dinner during halftime. At some point in the day a heated argument usually breaks out. It just wouldn't be right if it didn't. Another disfunctional family holiday...
5. What one dish does it just not feel like Thanksgiving without besides turkey? If you're having turkey, you MUST have cranberry sauce!
And now for a brunch with international appeal...
Air Travel
"Flying may not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price." ~ Amelia Earhart ~
1. Do you enjoy travelling by air? It beats the hell out of a long road trip if you can afford it and have the patience to tolerate the ridiculous post-9/11 security. I have neither, so it has been quite a while since my last flight.
2. Do you typically check a bag when you fly or carry on? When I took flights in the past, I checked my large suitcase and carried on a smaller bag containing a few essentials.
3. Has an airline ever lost your bag? Describe what happened and if you were compensated by the airline. Thank the dear lord, this has never happened to me!
4. Do you eat the airline food? On a seven and a half hor transatlantic flight... What do you think? Of course I ate it. I've had worse, hospital food, for example.
5. What do you do to pass the time when you fly? Watch the movie, listen to music, nap, and converse with my travelling companion. If I were to take a flight now, I might play around on my laptop computer which would definitely be in my carry-on bag.
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Saturday, November 20, 2004
I'm So Confused...
This is the gift that was bought for me by "the estranged one." It is so adorable. I love it, but it leaves me feeling confused. He left it at my mom's house to be given to me today. He was not there to present it to me, nor has he called to wish me a happy *cough* birthday. Why does he insist upon playing with my emotions so?! It would have been so much easier for me if he said that he bought it for one of the boys to give to me, but he did not. So, I ask myself, "What is the significance of this lovely gift? How did he come to choose something that I would like so much? He never seemed to possess this ability in the past."
Is it merely given out of obligation? I don't think so. I expected nothing from him. Is it his way of saying thank-you for covering all of those nasty medical bills for me? Hardly likely, as I am obligated by law to do so since we are still married. Could it be his plea to me to bring his kids to him on Thanksgiving Day? Perhaps, but it is highly unlikely that I would be cruel enough to keep them from him on the holiday. This leaves me thinking that he wants something from me, but what is it? I do not know, but it is certain that I shall find out eventually. Until then, it remains a cherished gift, a reminder of happier times long past. I should thank him for it, but I'm not certain that I know how...
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Friday, November 19, 2004
I'm Depressed
I suppose that it is because tomorrow is "Buy Me A Present Day." As much as I like to deny it, I know that tomorrow there will be yet another year tacked onto my age. I look into the mirror and a middle aged woman looks back at me. I do not recognise her. Surely she could not be ME! The whole aging thing scares the hell out of me. I don't want to do it. Just let me be twenty-nine for one more year...
Maybe the present thing will make me feel better. Presents are good. Maybe someone will get me something like this...
Or this...
I seriously doubt it though. They are playing in Vegas tomorrow, and I can't be there. WAAAAAAAAH!
I really need to quit feeling sorry for myself...
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This Is My Number...
Because I just had to have the latest Blog Thing!
You Are the Individualist
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You are sensitive and intuitive, with others and yourself.
You are creative and dreamy... plus dramatic and unpredictable.
You're emotionally honest, real, and easily hurt.
Totally expressive, others always know exactly how you feel.
"If you are a dreamer, come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, a prayer, a magic-bean-buyer. If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!" ~ Shel Silverstein ~
1. What were some of your favorite books as a child (pre-kindergarten)? Did you prefer picture books, or books that you could read? What were your favorites in elementary school? I never liked books with just pictures very much. I learned to read before I entered kindergarten, quite unusual at that time (the late 1960's). Some of my favorite books as a preschooler were Green Eggs And Ham, Are You My Mother, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and a book from the easy reader series called Ann Likes Red. As I got older my favorites included The Mouse And The Motorcycle and just about any biography of Helen Keller that I could get my hands on. All of the books mentioned were read multiple times.
2. Were there any books that you just did not like? Why? There are two children's classics which I have never liked, Alice In Wonderland and The Wizard Of Oz. I can't really say why I didn't like them (and don't until this day). I just didn't. I never liked their movie versions either!
3. Who was/were your favorite children's author(s)? Who were your least favorites? I have always loved Dr. Seuss. It is my humble opinion that he is the greatest children's author of all time. Many may try to immitate his lyrical rhymes, but none can compare! As for my least favorites, it has been a long time since I was a child, their names are long gone from my memory.
4. Did you read any of the "popular" series, like Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Sweet Valley, Babysitters' Club, etc.? Which ones? Why did you like or dislike them? Nancy Drew and The hardy Boys were the only series around when I was a young 'un! I read books from both series, much to the dismay of the school librarian, who felt that The Hardy Boys was "boys only" material. Those were still very sexist times. I enjoyed the books from both series, 'tis where I learned to love a good mystery.
5. Do you feel that any of the books you read as a child have influenced who you have become as an adult? Which ones, and why? Certainly Green Eggs And Ham taught me not to judge new things before I try them, and all of those Helen Keller biographies taught me that even the most difficult of obstacles can be overcome.
Bonus: If you have children now, do you read to them? What do you read? And if you don't have children, what would you recommend that all parents should read to their children? At eighteen and twelve, it is hardly necessary that I read to my sons any more. When they were young, I read them all of my chilhood favorites, plus a few new gems that I discovered in the library. Angus And The Cat and Once Upon A Potty are but two. The latter was a great help during the potty training phase in the lives of two stubborn little boys. I would recommend it to any parent who is having difficulty in that area.
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Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Good-bye Blog Explosin I can't say I'll miss you...
After a brief relationship with the folks at Blog Explosion, I have decided to call it quits. It just wasn't good for me. You may ask why I feel this way. There are multiple reasons.
I was promised lots of new traffic by this site. I received next to none. It seems that multitudes of people there block pages with embedded sound files. Yes, I have one. I make no apologies for it. I like it. It makes a statement about me and this blog. The title of this blog is The Angel Waiting To Be Sent, the sound file is a midi of Send Me An Angel. See the relationship there? If you don't like it, you are quite capable of muting the volume on your computer. Hell, if you use a Netscape or Firefox browser, you'll never even hear it. The code that I use is readable only by IE based browsers.
I am sick of self censorship as well. It seems that the Blog Explosion people have a profanity police force patrolling member blogs. Well, fuck that! I'll use whatever words that I see fit! I like profanity, I like it a lot! Nothing expresses anger and frustration like a few well placed explitives! I desire to use them freely. Not that it matters much, no one was coming here anyway, since my sound file is so damned offensive.
Finally, there is the blog rating feature. It seems that the radical right-wing Republicans have flocked to Blog Explosion. Needless to say, my blog rating was low, just slightly above a four on a ten point scale, and falling rapidly with each post that expressed my liberal viewpoints. Really, I thought that the people using this site were adults, not a bunch of elementary schoolers bent on playing popularity games and blacklisting anyone not sharing their high and mighty opinions. Obviously I was mistaken.
Since the people there seem to hate a liberal, sound file loving person such as myself, I have decided that it is for the best that we cut all ties. I wouldn't want to offend you any more by my presence. We are all better off this way.
Once again, I say, "Good-bye, Blog Explosion. It hasn't been good..."
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Tuesday, November 16, 2004
I'm Feeling A Bit Silly!
I have been overcome by the urge to take pictures of food! This is what the bottle of Mexican pineapple soda that I am drinking looked like before I opened it. Mmmm... tasty!
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Intolerance Is Not a 'Value'
Following is an exerpt from an article by Timothy M. Gay published in The Washington Post.
Here's what Republicans of conscience have to understand about the machinations of Karl Rove and company. Fear isn't some emotion that can be easily bottled back up after it's been -- viciously -- unleashed. It isn't a once-every-four-years vehicle that can be wheeled out for a few months, then stowed back in the garage to be retooled for the next election cycle. Encouraging fundamentalist preachers to pound their pulpits and inveigh against gay people has consequences. It puts men and women in communities across this country at personal and professional risk. There's nothing more despicable than creating a phony political issue (just how many gay couples are clamoring for marriage certificates in the state of Ohio, anyhow?) and preying on people's prejudices.
So now it's up to discerning Republicans to wrestle with this quandary: You won all right, but at what cost? What happened to the party that once shared Abraham Lincoln's faith in the "better angels of our nature"? A fifth-grade teacher taught me to appreciate how -- through Lincoln's resolve -- our nation overcame a cataclysm of hate to stop the Union from dissolving. Back then, certain avatars of ignorance were called Know-Nothings, which, come to think of it, is an apt description of more than a few right-wingers today.
"Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid," Lincoln wrote in the years leading up to the Civil War. "As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' We now practically read it 'all men are created equal, except Negroes.' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except Negroes and foreigners and Catholics.' When it comes to this, I shall prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty -- to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure and without the base alloy of hypocrisy."
There are a lot of Republicans troubled by their party's exploitation of contemporary know-nothingism. You know who you are. And before your party's degeneracy is complete, you ought to do something about it. Because camouflaging the fear and loathing of gay people as "moral values" isn't the base alloy of hypocrisy. It's hypocrisy itself.
Well put, Mr. Gay. I couldn't have said it any better myself. George W. Bush and his pseudo-Christian cronies have managed to make a mockery of a political party which was founded to promote the equality of all humankind. Mr. Lincoln is surely rolling over in his grave!
1. The Scorpions - Unbreakable. Well, duh! You knew I was ging to say that, didn't you? 2. Def Leppard - Hysteria. A must have for any fan of classic metal. 3. The Moody Blues - December. One of the very few Christmas albums I can tolerate! 4. Nickelback - Silver Side Up. Proof that there are still some new bands that make good music. 5. Neil Young - Decade. All of Neil's best early works in one neat package.
Four songs that show how you feel right now A K A - My bundle of mixed emotions, as expressed in songs by The Scorpions.
On the sorry state of my love life.. 1. Deep And Dark 2. Lonely Nights
On the sad state of affairs in my nation... 3. Crossfire
On my desire to make an escape to the Tropicana in Atlantic City... 4. Passion Rules The Game
Three artists/bands you'd like to see in concert
1. The Scorpions, of course! 2. Elvis Costello. I've heard that he's quite fan-friendly. 3. Cheap Trick, but NOT as the opening act for Aerosmith!
Two videos that you love
1. The Scorpions - No One Like You. Klaus in cute little gray Speedos! 2. Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Don't Come Around Here No More. I love the creepy Alice In Wonderland theme!
One song that you just can't get out of your head
Checking current mental loop... Du Bist So Schmutzig, It's so much fun to have a song stuck in your head when you don't understand half of the lyrics!
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This week we'll choose one or the other of the following....
1. Bar soap or shower gel? Shower gel gives you so many more options. So many scents, so little time!
2. CDs or cassettes? So far, my car stereo has never eaten a CD.
3. Television movies or documentaries? Documentaries tend to bore me.
4. Wall calendar or desk calendar? My desk is too cluttered to hold a calendar!
5. DSL, cable, or dial-up? I'm too cheap to pay the price of the other options. Besides, with dial-up you don't have to deal with those pesky telephone salespeople!
6. Summer or winter? I hate being cold!
7. City or country? There's not enough excitement in the country.
8. Camping or staying in a hotel? Camping, Ewwwwww!
9. Gold or silver? The "Color Me Beautiful" people told me that I am a "winter", and therefore I must always wear silver.
10. Fiction or non-fiction books? Preferably science fiction novels.
11. Mashed potatoes or baked potatoes? Got mashed potatoes, ain't got no T bone... I'm having a Neil Young moment!
12. Ranch, Italian, or Catalina dressing? A difficult decision, Italian is a very close second. I don't like Catalina at all, though.
13. Solid or spray deodorant? Actually, I prefer roll-on!
"A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men." ~ Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ~
1. What is your favorite flavor of M&Ms? I am a purist. I like the plain ones.
The green ones are the best!
2. Is there a special edition of candy that you wish they would make a permanent item on the shelves? Hershey did inside out versions of some of their most popular candy bars, on a limited time only basis. The inside out Kit Kat was delicious, chocolate wafers and cream covered in white chocolate. Mmmmm...
3. What is your favorite flavor of Hershey’s Kisses? Once again, my purist tendencies become evident. I like the plain ones!
4. What is your favorite candy bar? Besides those three dollar Godiva Raspberry chocolate bars which I like to call chocolate orgasms?! Kit Kat bars are a favorite of mine when there is not quite so much money burning a hole in my pocket, and Dove bars, and Nestle's Crunch, and... Oh, Hell! I never met a chocolate bar that I didn't like!
5. Do you prefer milk chocolate, dark chocolate or white chocolate? I like milk and dark chocolate equally, but only like white chocolate in certain instances. It's not really chocolate, you know. It contains no cocoa.
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Saturday, November 13, 2004
An Apology Is In Order
I found this on Brandie's Blog, and I knew that I positively had to do it!
I am so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Cow! Damn you for tasting so good. I wish that I had the will power to become a vegetarian, but I don't. Please, forgive me!
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Santa Claus Is Coming...
I spotted this on my route yesterday. Argh! It is only November 13, and already people are decorating for Christmas. For crying out loud, people, it isn't even Thanksgiving yet! Can't you wait just a few more weeks to start displaying your Christmas finery? Has Thanksgiving now become lost in the shuffle to win the "My House Has The Best Christmas Display" contest?
* This concludes the Grinch's rant for the day. *
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Friday, November 12, 2004
My Political Persuasion
After a very long day at work, I don't feel much like blogging. I'm so tired. Zzzzzz.... So, instead of a normal post, I am bringing you the results of a quiz that I took the other day. I don't know how accurate it is, considering the fact that I am neither young nor affluent. I like the picture of Clinton with the sax, though, so here it is...
You Are a New School Democrat
You like partying and politics - and are likely to be young and affluent.
You're less religious, traditional, and uptight than most Democrats.
Smoking pot, homosexuality, and gambling are all okay in your book.
You prefer that the government help people take care of themselves.
"In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." ~ Mortimer Adler ~
This week, some general questions about why we choose the books that we read (or why they choose us).
1. Have you ever read a book that has changed your life in some way? Has it altered your outlook, or made you think about something you never considered before? I've read quite a few books by the former Episcopal bishop John Shelby Spong. His books on Christianity are great. His approach to interpetating the Bible takes into consideration many things besides the literally written word, such as the common styles of writing and religious traditions at the time the individual books of the Bible were written. By looking at the Bilble in this manner, our faith can be allowed to grow and change as our knowledge of humanity and the world around us changes. His works were real eye openers for me. I think that they are a must read for any Christian who is having doubts about her faith in the light of modern knowledge.
2. Along the same lines, do you seek out books that make you think, or do you mainly read for entertainment? I'd have to say that I do a bit of both. I read to be entertained, but I also want the books that I read to make me think. This is why I am so fond of science fiction. On the other hand, romantic fluff bores me. I seldom ever read it.
3. Do you let a critical review influence your own opinion of a book? Do you ever choose books based solely on a review or a critique that you've read? Since critics and I seldom agree on what is good and what is not, I don't pay much attention to their opinions. If a book looks like it might be interesting to me, I read it regardless of critical opinions.
4. Are you influenced by bestseller lists? Do you generally read the "buzzed-about" books that everyone's talking about? I read based upon my own likes and dislikes. Best seller lists seldom influence my reading. However, if everyone truly is talking about a certain book, I may read it just out of curiosity. Such was the case with The Satanic Verses back in the day when its autor received death threats from the Islamic community.
5. When you go to your favorite bookstore, are you going to look at one specific section or to find one specific book, or do you browse through the entire store? Do you ever find a book simply by browsing the shelves? Do you ever pick up a staff-recommended book? I usually head straight for the science fiction section to look for new books by my favorite authors. Sometimes a book of a different type will catch my eye along the way, and I will decide to purchase it. I have never asked a staff person in a book store for a recomendation, so I guess that I've never read a staff recommended book. There's a first time for everything, though...
Bonus: What is your favorite bookstore, and why? I suppose that Walden Books is my favorite book store, merely out of convenience. There is one in just about every mall.
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It's Veteran's Day
This national holiday is celebrated each year in the U. S. on November the eleventh, the anniversary of the end of World War I at 11:00 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). First celebrated in 1926, the holiday was originally known as Armistice Day. The name was changed to Veteran's Day on June 1, 1954 to extend honor to all veterans.
So, have you hugged a veteran today?
If you haven't, please do so now, whether or not you live in The United States. All veterans deserve our love, wherever they may be. These men and women are true patriots and stood for their countries, right or wrong, win or lose. They all deserve a bit of love.
Wednesdays -- always a good day to celebrate. Let's see what's on the celebration calendar for this Hump Day. Ut oh. Today is Headache Day - a day celebrated during the feast of the patron saint of headache sufferers. Hmmm - that's a good cause but let's do something totally wild and wacky. Let's celebrate a day we missed - a very important day - a day to celebrate the garment that men and women alike can't wait to take off ... November 2nd was BRA DAY! With Halloween being celebrated just couple of days before we totally missed Bra Day.
According to an inventive history of the undergarment that is now widely believed, Titzling came to invent the item while living in a New York boardinghouse in 1912. One of his neighbors was a buxom opera singer named Swanhilda Olafson, and the structural engineering problems she presented inspired Titzling to create a contraption to uphold this lady's ample bosom. In the early 1930s, a French fellow named Phillip de Brassiere began producing a similar undergarment. Titzling sued, but Brassiere won in court, and that is why today we call a lady's frontal uplifter a brassiere instead of a titzling. There is absolutely no evidence to support this urban myth. *titter* (all puns intended - lol)
Let's have some fun -- let's warm up by fabricating our own factoids about the bra. First, tell us some of the crazy things you've heard a bra called such as a double slingshot. Second, tell us what other things a bra might be useful for. Example: a double winter cap for couple. Or the wire in the underwire bra can be used to pick a lock. Get the idea?
I have heard bras called many different things. Double barrelled slingshots, over the shoulder boulder holders, booby traps, and tit slings, to name a few. I prefer to call them medieval torture devices, because that is what I believe that they really are!
Bras are very useful things to toss at The Moody Blues. Go ahead and try it. The Music Whore and I have!
It's great fun. John really enjoys it!
Some day Lady Starlight hopes to be able to toss her bra at Matthias Jabs in the hope that his face will look something like this!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls of the Hump Nation -- let's get ready to Hummmmmmmmp!
This week, some humpin' good fun with free association or "I say ___, you think ___". The rules are easy as pie. Just copy and paste the questions below into your blog and add your responses. (Respond with the first word, words, phrase that pops into your head. Or babble insanely - it's all good.) You need not be a member to play - so let us not delay .... let's hump like crazy, shall we?
1. reality: Reality shows. Yuck! 2. lather: Shaving cream 3. tramp: Darla 4. alligator: Izod. No, wait... That's a crocodile on those shirts! 5. crackle: Rice Crispies. Snap! Crackle! Pop! 6. exposure: Northern Exposure. I don't know why I said this. I hardly ever watched that show. 7. imaginary: Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends. Lady Starlight digs cartoons. 8. lick: What most dogs like to do to me! 9. cabbage: Corned beef and cabbage 10. howl: Aw Ooooooooo....! 11. fracture: Long wait in the emergency room 12. sprinkle: If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please, be neat and wipe the seat! 13. junkyard dog: "Bad, bad, Leroy Brown, the baddest man in the whole damned town! Badder than old King Kong. Meaner than a junkyard dog."
This hump has been brought to you by those dingy dames at BDI -- who are all diagonally parked in a parallel universe. Wheeeee!
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Tuesday, November 09, 2004
How F**king American Am I?
Let's see...
*sniff* I'm not wanted here... I wonder if they'll take me in Germany...
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Let's Talk...
No, Lady Starlight has not taken up doing bad impressions of Joan Rivers. We really need to talk, especially if you arrived here via Blog Explosion!
Don't get me wrong, this is a great way to get more traffic to your blog, but unfortunately, you have no control over the type of people who visit your blog. You also have no control over the ones to which you are sent. Fair enough. There are all kinds of people in the world. Eventually you are bound to come across something that you enjoy. This is not the issue. The issue is a certain little feature that allows you to Rate This Blog. Using this feature, surfers are able to rate your blog on a scale of one to ten, with ten being fantastic and one being horrific. So, what is the problem with this? Allow me to explain:
You are busy surfing the blogs of your fellow Blog Explosion members when you happen across a blog which expresses opinions diametrically opposed to your own, for me this means narrow minded fundamentalist Christians and Republicans, pretty much the same thing. Steam begins to emerge from your ears. Your eyes begin to glow red. Your mouse finger starts to itch. You click on the link that says "Rate This Blog." Click! You give that crazy S. O. B. a one. Am I not correct?!
At some point in time, if you are a fairly intelligent person, reason will return. You will regret giving that poor schmuck a one. It is just his opinion, after all. He is entitled to it as much as you are to yours. You realise that you have just done a very immature and hurtful thing. In short, you feel like crap! How do I know this? I'll leave that for you to guess.
What I would like to ask of the folks at Blog Explosion is that they give us the ability to block people from rating our blogs. I rant, I rave, I expess my opinions, I attempt to amuse. You either like me or you don't. That's your business. If I really disgust you with my opinions, then by all means add me to your do not view list. I do not wish to be rated by you. In turn I will not rate you.
Enough said. I apologize to anyone who received a one from me. It was a nasty and childish thing for me to do. You have a right to your opinion as much as I have one to mine. I am sorry. I will rectify this situation when the opportunity presents itself. Please forgive me.
The challenge this week if you choose to accept it is this:
There will be parts of several sentences posted below and you finish them off however you see fit, or fill in the blanks, or maybe even both!
Music made me the person I am today because... Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a musician. I learned to play guitar, sang in choirs and choruses, performed in musicals. As time passed, circumstances caused my dreams of being a musician to fade away, leaving me quite miserable, yet not knowing quite why. Recently, the spark of this dream has been rekindled. I long once again to sing and play. Is there any place in this world for a middle aged rock star wannabe?
The first time I heardMatthias Jabs' guitar, I knew that I wasin love.
Boybands make me want topuke. I'm sorry, but they do!
80's musicmakes me want to get up and dance. Oh, how I miss Metropol...
The Scorpions are my favorite, because.... Klaus Meine has a voice like sex on a stick! Matthias Jabs is the ultimate guitar god, in more ways than one! Rudolf Schenker is... well... Rudolf Schenker! You gotta love him! Pawel Maciwoda likes aliens and Johnny Depp. That makes him OK by me. James Kottak may be a bleached blonde freak, but he's one hell of a drummer!
If I want to relax, I listen toKlaus Meine singing sappy ballads.
If it weren't forAndrea, I never would have listened toElvis Costello.
Music is the language thattranscends all boundaries.
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Name 3 (or more, or less!) things...
1. ...you cannot live without. In pictures...
1.
2.
3.
2. ...you CAN live without, but cannot seem to part with. 1. My NeoPets 2. The estranged one 3. Those ?? extra pounds that I have on my body
3. ...you wish to accomplish this COMING week. 1. Get the $#@% car inspected 2. Enjoy my day off work on Thursday. Veteran's Day, Yippee! 3. Tell the estranged one about the unpleasant letter he got in the mail the other day.
4. ...you have accomplished this PAST week. 1. Voted on Tuesday 2. Got the electric bill paid 3.Got my fat butt to Curves a couple of times
5. ...on your holiday (or non-holiday) 'wish list.' 1. A white Gibson 76 Explorer 2. An all expenses paid trip to see The Scorpions in concert (preferably in Germany), complete with backstage passes 3. Matthias Jabs in my bed!
6. ...you would like to change about yourself. 1. My weight 2. My marital status 3. My job
7. ...you like about yourself. 1. My uncanny ability to remain calm in emergencies. I don't fall apart until afterwards. 2. My snarkiness. I enjoy being snarky. I'm not changing for anybody! 3. My love for animals. They're so much better than people...
8. ...you should be doing right now instead of what you ARE doing. One thing... Sleeping! It's 1:15 A. M.
9. ...in your life that could use a little more organization. 1. My time. I never seem to have enough of it! 2. My house. It looks like a pig sty! 3. My purse. There's way too much junk in there!
"The finest qualities of our nature, like the bloom on fruits, can be preserved only by the most delicate handling. Yet we do not treat ourselves nor one another thus tenderly." ~ Henry David Thoreau ~
1. What is your favorite vegetable and your favorite fruit? Popeye would be so proud of me. I love spinach! As for fruits, it is difficult to decide. I don't think that I can. Citrus, peaches, berries, cherries... Nope, I love them all!
2. How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat a day? You mistake me for someone who counts these things. I don't. No meal would be complete without at least one fruit and vegetable though.
3. Did your parents force you to eat vegetables when you were younger? I was never forced by my parents to eat anything that I didn't like. My mom only insisted that I try a bite of a new thing before deciding that I didn't like it. I was often pleasantly surprised to discover that things I thought would be horrible were quite good. Thanks, Mom!
4. What vegetable can you absolutely just not get down, no matter what you are bribed with? Raw tomatoes, yuck! Once they are cooked, they're great, but raw ones make me gag. And, yes, tomatoes are a vegetable. Anything that comes from a plant is a vegetable. They are also a fruit, because all fruits are vegetables, but not all vegetables are fruits! So there!
5. What is your favorite way to eat fruit? In the immortal words of Weird Al Yankovic... "Eat it! Just eat it!"
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Quote Of The Day
News that Dolly Parton is having breast reduction surgery is leading some to believe that she could be starting a major trend. But experts say President Bush's re-election victory proves big boobs will always be popular in this country. ~ Jake Novak ~
God bless America! We really love those boobs in our country... Unfortunately, I'm not talking about Marilyn's.
She is positive proof that I am certifiably insane! I fell in love with the large pink spotted dog plushes that began adorning the displays in Victoria's Secret stores a few months back. Imagine my delight when upon visiting the mall today I discovered that a small version of these precious pups had been made and it was free with any pink purchase! I now own scads of overpriced pink panties, just so that I could get my free Woof! When I got home, I discovered a price tag on my Woof! I could have purchased my Woof! alone for a mere ten bucks and forgone the pink panties. Oh, well, I needed some new panties anyway.
Congratulations to the people who devised this promotion. It worked. You hooked yourselves a sucker, me!
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Friday, November 05, 2004
Things That Annoy Me Part IV
I bet you thought I forgot about this, didn't you? How could I? Those annoying things are out there every day doing what they do best, annoying the shit out of me!
Let's see. What number was I on? Oh, yes...
Annoying thing #14: Republicans! 'Nuff said. After all, I did vow that yesterday's political rant would be my last for this year.
Annoying thing #15: Mail order shoppers! I'm talking about people who seem to have forgotten the fact that there are malls out there, and Wal Marts, and even grocery stores! I don't think that they ever leave their houses. They just sit there all day either in front of their computers or with their huge stashes of catalogs ordering everyting from exercise machines to gourmet foods to power tools, and I get to carry it all to their doors. Lucky me!
Annoying thing #16: People who read this blog on a regular basis, but never bother to offer a comment or tag. Grrrr! You know who you are...
Annoying thing #17: People who bought their driver's lisences from gumball machines. At least that is how I think that they got them. I would really like to know what you were thinking when you tried to pass me on the left when I was signaling a left turn.
Annoying thing #18: Little tramps named Darla. Are you really stupid enough to believe that I wouldn't give my husband a divorce? You can have him, you white trash slut!
Annoying thing #19: Slow moving trains, LONG slow moving trains! Trains which move so slowly that my dog could pull them faster than their engines do! How do the engineers of these trains know when I am running late? It seems that this is the only time they cross my path. Gah! Another fifteen minutes wasted, another fifteen minutes late!
"All books are either dreams or swords,
You can cut, or you can drug, with words." ~ Amy Lowell ~
This week, the Worm is discussing those that wield the "dreams" and "swords" we read... the authors.
1. Do you have a favorite author? Who is it, and which of their works do you recommend that we read? (If you have more than one, feel free to list them!) Most of my favorite novels are either science fiction or tales of vampires. There are so many good authors out there that it would be impossible to choose just one. Among my favorite authors are, Anne Rice, P. N. Elrod, Terry Pratchet, Anne McCaffery, and C. J. Cherryh. The work which I would most reccommend is Cherryh's Foreigner trilogy. I picked up a copy of the first novel in the series at a flea market for fifty cents. It was the best half dollar that I ever spent on a book. The novel held me spellbound! The next two books in the series were of equal quality.
2. Who would you consider your least-favorite author? How many books have you read by this person, and why do you dislike her? (Again, if there is more than one, list away!) I am ashamed to admit that I have read at least six books which were written by V. C. Andrews. I have no clue as to why I chose to read so many of this woman's incest laden tales which totally lack any reference point in time. Perhaps I thought that one of them might be better than the last. Unfortunately, this was not true. They got worse. What is really scary is that this woman continues to write novels from beyond the grave!
3. Do you ever purchase a book solely based on the author's name, without even knowing what the book is about? Have you ever been disappointed by something he or she wrote? Hasn't everyone? Usually I am not disappointed, but it has happened on occasion, such as with Anne Rice's Tale Of The Body Thief.
4. Have you ever met one of your favorite authors, such as at a book signing or a reading? Did he act as you had expected, or was he completely different from the way you had pictured him? Unfortunately, I have never had the opportunity to do this.
5. Do you check out your favorite author's website or blog on a regular basis? Not really, but I do stop by The Science Fiction Book Club on occasion to see what is available.
Now, let's head off to the movies with this week's Theater Thursday!
The Classics.
Everyone has her own idea of what a classic movie is. Most would put films such as The Wizard Of Oz, Casablanca, and The Godfather on the classics list. We want to know what you think. So this week, there is just one question. What is classic to you?
Give us your list of YOUR top 10 "classic" films.
1. Gone With The Wind 2. It's A Wonderful Life 3. Bringing Up Baby 4. The Sound Of Music 5. Jet Pilot (The only John Wayne film I ever liked.) 6. Tootsie 7. 101 Dalmatians (Original animated version) 8. Help! 9. The Singing Nun 10. Hello Dolly
Although these movies vary greatly in style and content, I could watch any one of them over and over, and over...
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Four Moron Years!
I am so depressed. I can still hardly believe that the American people chose to re-elect the lying sack of doggie-doo to office for another four years. Someone please wake me from this nightmare!
I think that the cover of this British magazine says it best...
Even in defeat, John Kerry has proven to me that he is still by far the better man for the job. He accepted defeat with dignity and grace, something that I wish that Dubya had been able to do four years ago.
Following you will find a copy of the email that Kerry sent to his supporters after he conceded defeat. I read it with tears in my eyes.
Dear Supporter,
Earlier today I spoke to President Bush, and offered him and Laura our congratulations on their victory. We had a good conversation, and we talked about the danger of division in our country and the need, the desperate need, for unity for finding the common ground, coming together. Today, I hope that we can begin the healing.
In America, it is vital that every vote counts, and that every vote be counted. But the outcome should be decided by voters, not a protracted legal process. I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail. But it is now clear that even when all the provisional ballots are counted, which they will be, there won't be enough outstanding votes for our campaign to be able to win Ohio. And therefore, we cannot win this election.
It was a privilege and a gift to spend two years traveling this country, coming to know so many of you. I wish I could just wrap you in my arms and embrace each and every one of you individually all across this nation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.
To all of you, my volunteers and online supporters, all across this country who gave so much of themselves, thank you. Thanks to William Field, a six-year-old who collected $680, a quarter and a dollar at a time selling bracelets during the summer to help change America. Thanks to Michael Benson from Florida who I spied in a rope line holding a container of money. It turned out he raided his piggy bank and wanted to contribute. And thanks to Alana Wexler, who at 11 years old and started Kids for Kerry.
I thank all of you, who took time to travel, time off from work, and their own vacation time to work in states far and wide. You braved the hot days of summer and the cold days of the fall and the winter to knock on doors because you were determined to open the doors of opportunity to all Americans. You worked your hearts out, and I say, don't lose faith. What you did made a difference, and building on itself, we will go on to make a difference another day. I promise you, that time will come -- the election will come when your work and your ballots will change the world, and it's worth fighting for.
I'm proud of what we stood for in this campaign, and of what we accomplished. When we began, no one thought it was possible to even make this a close race, but we stood for real change, change that would make a real difference in the life of our nation, the lives of our families, and we defined that choice to America. I'll never forget the wonderful people who came to our rallies, who stood in our rope lines, who put their hopes in our hands, who invested in each and every one of us. I saw in them the truth that America is not only great, but it is good.
So here -- with a grateful heart, I leave this campaign with a prayer that has even greater meaning to me now that I've come to know our vast country so much better and that prayer is very simple: God bless America.
Thank you,
John Kerry
I wonder, would Dubya have managed to muster up such dignity had he been the one conceding defeat? I doubt it.
In closing, I would like to offer the following message to John Kerry:
I am quite proud to have been among your supporters. I shall continue to believe in you and the priciples for which you stood. I shall always believe that you were the better man for the job, but the American voters have spoken, and alas, they do not agree. Life will go on. Hopefully the issues which were brought to light in this campaign will help to change, at least in some small way, the decisions which our re-elected president chooses to make.
Should you choose to run for the presidency again in 2008, I will be one of the first in line to support you.
Thank you for putting up a good fight.
God bless America, and God bless you!
This concludes Lady Starlight's political rantings for this election year...
Don't you just love Wednesdays? Sandwiched between Tuesday and Thursday, Wednesday's are just delicious aren't they? How appropriate that today we celebrate Sandwich Day which commemorates the creation of the sandwich by the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montague, in 1762. What a concept!
Let's get creative ourselves and warm up for the today's Mind Hump. Make a "you" sandwich. What or whom would you like to be sandwiched between. Example: I'd like to be sandwiched between William H. Gates III and Warren E. Buffett on the Forbes Richest People list. Or ... whipped cream and strawberries. You get the idea. Remember, we have youngsters in our ranks so let's not be too graphic. *wink*
I want to be sandwiched between Matthias Jabs and Klaus Meine on the cover of the next Scorpions' album or just about anywhere, really!
On with the HUMP!
1. You have a magic faucet in your home that dispenses whatever you want in unlimited quantities -- it will never run dry. What is it that flows from your faucet? Why, money, of course!
2. On your way to work/school you see a billboard with you on it which advertises your best character or physical attribute. What sort of picture would be on the billboard and what would the one-line advertisement say? I'll leave you to guess which of my physical attributes will be displayed on the sign, but the ad will read, "It's the real thing!"
3. Using the letters of the title of your blog or your internet nick, create a list of things for which you are thankful. I'll go with my internet nickname, since my blog title is so long...
Loving family Asian food. Yum! Dogs who love me unconditionally Yearly mail counts. Perhaps the next one will get me Saturdays off!
Scorpions guitarist, Matthias Jabs Twelve string guitars made by Fender All of my friends, near and far Robes of fuzzy fleece on cold winter nights Little children who make me smile Idle time to rest my weary mind and body Good jokes to make me laugh Helpful son, Michael, who actually enjoys housecleaning Tears to help me wash away my sorrows.
4. You've heard the terms King of Pop and Drama Queen. Thinking along the same lines, what would you be king or queen of? We joke about this at work. I am Her Majesty the Queen of The Post Office!
5. You are a social police officer and have the authority to approach people and ticket them for their offenses -- like The Fashion Police or the Manners Police. What police force would you be on and what sort of tickets would you issue? Beware, for I am a high ranking officer in The Grammar Gestapo! Punishment for abusing and misusing the English language will be severe!
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Tuesday, November 02, 2004
The Day Is Here
It's election day, 2004 here in the U. S. I hope that all of my American friends who are of voting age went out and made their choices today. I know that I did, for if you do not make your opinions known today, you have no right to complain for the next four years. If there is any doubt in anyone's mind as to the candidate who received my vote, I offer the following little ditty which I sang on the way to the polling place today. It is sung to the tune of We Love You Birdie.
We love John Kerry Oh yes we do We hope he wins today Or we'll be blue Let's tell George W. You're through! John Kerry we love you!
I fear the results of today's election. The whole campaign this year felt like a civil war to me. I know that a lot of my fellow bloggers support George W. Bush. I offer you the following food for thought on why I chose to support John Kerry...
Our nation was led into an unjust war by the current leadership. Saddam Hussein had no ties to Al Quaeda and no weapons of mass destruction. American soldiers and innocent Iraqi citizens died, for what?
Did you know that President Bush received a report in August of 2001 which stated that Osama Bin Laden was determined to attack on American soil, most likely using hijacked planes. Why did he choose to ignore this? Could it be because of his and his family's business dealings with the Bin Laden family?
Approximately 60% of American soldiers support the re-election of their current commander in chief. Those sound like pretty impressive numbers, unless one truly understands the military mindset. These people are ones who are willing to blindly follow the orders of their commander in chief. (This one of the reasons why Lady Starlight never joined the military, in spite of the fact that she has great respect for all who have served in the military of this nation. Following orders is not one of my greatest abilities. I would have been court martialed!) I have to wonder why the number of Bush supporters among military voters is not higher, perhaps 75, 80, or even 90%. Why do approximately 40% of our soldiers not want to re-elect their current commander in chief?
George W. Bush chaims to be Pro Life. He is NOT! He supports the death penalty. He sent American troops into an unjust war. To be truly pro life, one must respect the right to life of all people, the innocent, the not so innocent, and even the guilty!
On national security, let us examine the word "terrorism." The root word is terror i. e. fear. Terrorism is not about the initial atrocities committed by the perpetrators, but rather about the fear that ensues. Our president has done an excellent job of playing right into the terrorist's hands, hasn't he? Osama Bin Laden, our nation's real enemy, remains at large. Why? Because the only national security that our president cares about is that of his own pocketbook!
With this in mind, I hope all of you Bush supporters get a good night's rest tonight. I know that I will, because I voted for John Kerry!
That's the theme of this week's music mambo. All the questions are about the music you love and have to have with you all the time.
1. Desert Island Discs, the age old question, what 5 albums from your collection would you want with you on a desert island? (Assuming that you had limitless batteries and a discman) What? Only five! I'll die after only a few days on that island if I can't have my entire Scorpions collection with me. Please, I beg of you let me take my entire CD wallet with me! It contains a copy of every Scorpions CD that I own.
2. After getting in your car, you realize you've forgotten your favorite disc in "the crib". You turn off the engine to go back inside to fetch it. You're late for work because it takes you 20 minutes to find it. What cd was worth the trouble? Would you believe that I've actually done this?! The CD, Savage Amusement, The Scorpions' CD with the most songs crrently playing in my mental loop.
3. What is on your most wanted list for music right now? There are still a few CDs missing from my Scorpions collection, Live Bites, Best Of Rockers And Ballads, and Pure Instinct. I would also like to get my hands on a copy of the latest CD by a band called Wild Horses, of which Scorpions' drummer, James Kottak, is a member.
4. You're given a gift card for $100.00 at your favorite music store, what do you buy with it? Since none of my favorite CD shopping places seem to have the CDs mentioned in the previous question, I'm hoping that gift card is for The Guitar Center. With it I would buy some treats for my precious babies such as shiny new strings, a couple of dozen picks ('Cos the big green pick eating monster keeps munching on mine), a pretty strap or two, and some sheet music.
5. Recommend me...
a) a song:Walking On The Edge From The Scorpions' Savage Amusement. The song is a combination ballad and metal rocker with some of the best guitar work I've ever heard.
b) an album:Unbreakable, The Scorpions' latest album is also one of their best! c) a band: The Scorpions. Well, duh! You really didn't expect any other answer from me, did you? d) a video: The Scorpions No One Like You, because Klaus looks really cute in those little gray Speedos at the end of the video!
There you have it, music lovers. This week's mambo. So get out there and spread your love of music with all the bloggers of the world.
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Do you.....
1. Code your own website or use a template? As the old saying goes, six of one, half a dozen of the other. When I do use a template I usually edit the crap out of it, so I guess that I might do a bit more coding than it may seem.
2. Use a digital camera or a film camera? If digital, do you print your own pictures, order them online, or send them out? I my digital camera! No more film to be developed. No more scanning photographs! I seldom ever make physical prints of my photos, since I can do most of my sharing online. If I do need to have one, I usually print it myself.
3. Make your own cards or buy them at a card shop? It's so much more fun to create your own cards, don't you think?!
4. Draw your own graphics or get them from the internet? I seldom ever actually draw my own graphics, but I do create most of them myself using clip art, my own photos and/or pictures that I find on the internet and from other sources.
5. Take showers or baths? I have no choice. There are no showers in my house.
6. Make your own candles or buy them? And are they soy or paraffin? I am not one of those arts and crafty people. I buy my candles. I buy lots of them! As for their composition, I haven't a clue...
7. Celebrate Halloween or not? Free candy?! Hell, yeah, I celebrate Halloween!
8. Sleep in on weekends or get up early even if you don't have to go to work? Weekend? What's a weekend? I work six days a week! I do like to sleep in on the days when I am off, but it seldom happens.
9. Correct other people's grammar, or just let it go? There is a reason that people call me a "Grammar Nazi." I know that it is rude to correct other's grammar, but I just can't keep myself from doing it!
It's Time For
