Barefoot* Principessa

Hello, friends (and new visitors)!

2005-03-28T14:26:00.000-06:00

Spring's finally sprung and it's almost time for WalkAmerica 2005!

When you take your first steps in the annual fundraiser, know that you've joined more than 500,000 walkers who are committed to fighting prematurity, the leading cause of newborn death. Did you know that more than 470,998 babies have been born prematurely since April 2004?

For those of you who helped raise the $1,002 through our raffle, you're helping just as much, too. (If you'd like to make a new donation, you're fabulous! Click here - donating is easy!)

If you've happened on this site through WalkAmerica or just somewhere in la la land, consider taking those steps to help. Log onto WalkAmerica.org and find out where a walk is occuring in your area!

As for fundraising, I have another excellent idea to pass on: there are ice cream companies out there who make it easy (and yummy) for you to raise money for charity.

For instance, Bruster's has a program where you buy coupon books from them for $5 and sell them for $10 ($20 value).

Other companies have programs where you designate a certain evening "FUNDRAISING TIME" and you get a portion of the sales from every customer that comes in during that time. That event can be most successful if you have a group involved in WalkAmerica.

GOOD LUCK!

On another note, an update about my mega-walking Uncle Rich:
It is Day 20 of his walk. He has journeyed 174.6 miles. He has 1998.5 miles to go. Six people have already dropped out.

Thank you for all of your wonderful well-wishes to him. His wife, another one of my aunts, and a friend of theirs are all going to meet him in Asheville, NC this weekend and they have printed off copies of your comments to take and share with him!

Let's give the man a hand!

2005-03-07T19:51:00.000-06:00

Okay, how crazy is this?

Sometimes I'm so lazy that I park outside in the cold cold outdoors parking lot just so I don't have to walk two more minutes from the nice inside garage...

...as I'm doing that, my Uncle Rich is walking the Appalachian Trail. The whole thing.

He started today and plans on going until ... September? However long it takes to get to the end.

WOO HOO for that! What an incredible accomplishment to even ATTEMPT!

The Art of Letting People "In" - Part I

2005-02-24T11:36:00.000-06:00

Post from Sneakered Prince:

What do I mean by "letting people in"? Well there are a few completely different scenarios, both of which are surprisingly similar. The first was realized while driving in rush hour the other day. Now Madison's rush hour isn't as bad as most cities, ok it's easy, but it is still equally as annoying. Why is it an art? Because there are certain rules to "letting people in" as I'll get into in more detail. The second way is letting people into your "circle, or "click" as some people call it. Since this post is long enough as is, I will be doing a follow-up post on this second part later on, depending on the success of this one.

Now, pretend you are driving down a road (wouldn't call it driving) and it's jam packed with cars, you are moving about 2 cars every minute, the stop light is lasting oh about 5 seconds letting about 3 cars through. All of a sudden a car zooms up and you say to yourself, "oh how cute, a mom and her kids just came from chuck-e-cheese," and you wave them by because that's what you do.

No matter how long you've been waiting, the people (that haven't waited at all) get to get in line for the stop light ahead of you because of some "code of the road" that is never discussed, until now. Why is this? More importantly, why do you ALWAYS feel like a jerk for not letting people in when it should be "their turn". Shouldn't they feel bad for making you wait every time you let them in? Sure they wave their hand in the air like that's going to make it all better, and of course you wave back. Why? Because if you do you feel better, like you are doing some kind of community service.

(I'm sure you are all familiar with the alternating process of letting someone in then you go, and then repeating this process until there is not one else coming out of the parking lot. I'll refer to this as "they-go, you-go.")

You move a little further and out of a jiffy lube comes a car followed by a huge truck (think Ford 350) with some semi-bald plaid-wearing person. Following the "they-go, you-go" mentality, you let the car out and let another car make that left turn when all of a sudden because of the delay of that left turning car, the truck pulls through as well. Was that an invitation buddy? What makes you think you can push through like that after I've been waiting? But of course, he waves still and you wave back. Why? Because that's what you do.

Lets try an experiment, and you can do this to the jerkiest of extremes but it is not a requirement. I want each of you NOT to follow the rules and don't let someone in when it should be "their turn." Instead, don't allow any cars in. Notice the feeling of being a jerk and most likely the look on the parking lot driver's face. If you want you can throw in a wave as if you had let them in, but I wouldn't recommend it. Secondly, try this: Allow two cars in and wave at them. Notice the amount of satisfaction you get from being nice, but notice the added frustration when they make the light and you don't, leaving you to think "Why did I let them in?" Also while you are letting them in, notice the car behind you's expression when you don't follow the rules.

Sorry for the length of this post but there is definitely a fragile art to letting people in, that if you don't follow it, could ruin your day and the days of others, but why?

Another friend of mine: The Little Prince

2005-02-23T20:57:00.000-06:00

Of all the little boys in children's books, the Little Prince is the greatest heartbreaker, but his tale leaves you happy-sad. Patiently, he travels from planet to planet learning grown-up ways, and just as patiently, he turns them on their head.

The characters he meets in outer space are the shards of human weakness that make up our delusions -- the conceited man who wants to be admired, the tippler who drinks to forget that he drinks, the businessman who thinks he owns the stars, the lamplighter who must light and extinguish his lamp every minute because his planet revolves so quickly.

Unfazed by extreme personalities, the Little Prince soldiers on until he reaches the earth. Here he befriends a fox and a man he finds lost in the desert. In typical Little Prince logic, the gifts they give each other cannot be seen or touched -- only felt. The Prince teaches the man to trust, leading him to a well in the heart of the Sahara. The fox teaches the Prince about attachment, begging the little boy to tame him.

No sooner do we get to know the Prince (and like anyone worthwhile, he's hard to get to know) than he has to leave. Before splitting the scene, the Prince asks us to believe that he is not dead but merely traveling back through space.

The joy of this book lies in the fact that it covers heavy ground (love, death, yearning) without being earnest or maudlin. Loike a good friend, it makes you an accomplice in a secret language and forces you to be understanding toward peculiar ways. After The Little Prince, you'll want to draw everything (no matter how clumsily) and question everything.

And you'll never see the stars the same way again.

A book for precocious grownups

2005-02-22T21:33:00.000-06:00

Happiness is more than the absence of pain; it is a radical shift from one state into another; it is a radical shift from one state into another. It is a subtle transference of energy from darkness into light. It's a smell like jasmine or burnt sugar on the crust of a pie. It's the sound of a zipper on a new dress or the wet tongue of Rileydog... anything that jolts introspection and forces you up and out.

When I want to feel happy I try to change my context -- move into a beam of sunlight, thrust through the air on a swing until my toes reach clouds, read a book in a bubble bath, saucily swing dance with Sneakered Prince, or draw a picture of a place I'd rather be.

If all else fails, I reach for a stack of children's books and let them take me to that realm of lighter spirits. A good picture book makes you laugh and think and smile. They give you good impulses: to chase invisible dragons, laugh at your own bad jokes, paint autumn leaves pretty pink, wear cowboy boots and tangerine lipstick to the supermarket, or treat a pebble beach like a jewelry store and select faux diamonds and pearls for your moonstone tiara.

Sometimes being true to yourself means looking a little eccentric to the outside world. To do this you need a very supportive crcle of imaginary friends. Eloise is one of mine.

Everyone talks about finding your inner child, but what a dribbly insipid image that summons up. Better to excavate the naughtier incarnation of the inner brat. Eloise is the best brat of all because she has tangled hair, a potbelly, and a bad-girl attitude that makes a mockery of adult ways and leads us back to the sandbox where snobby airs are shed and the most important of all Very Important People is a pet turtle.

Eloise is dead sophisticated. She raises pigeons in the bathroom in the bathroom of her suite at the Plaza Hotel, wears a necklae made of champagne corks, orders one raisin and seven spoons from room service, gets her sneakers cleaned and pressed, and reads the Herald Tribune.

Despite the fact that Eloise dines at Maxim's and has had a dress designed for her by Christian Dior (sans tassels), she's no snob. She knows how to make a pair of skis out of two loaves of French bread and order up a whiskey for her nanny. The be3st thing about Eloise is that she is an uptown girl with bad hair. Her witticims sum up a life of casual swagger and a flagrant disregard for the ordinary:

ELOISEISMS
"You have to eat oatmeal or you'll dry up. Anybody knows that."
"Getting bored is not allowed."
"Paper cups are very good for talking to Mars."
"I always travel incognito."

Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you about another friend of mine, The Little Prince.

Find Your People

2005-02-17T00:56:00.000-06:00

There are the people you are born with and there are the people you find. They are equally important in your life.

I am very lucky that the people I was issued at birth are good people -- my parents, my brother, and my extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and family friends. This circle extends from my "Brudah" (his preferred nomenclature) to Cathy James, my Aunt Lucy's best friend who always celebrated Easter with us. These were my original people and it was a great start on the road to finding people of my own.

Being an adult has taught me that, as important as it is to maintain relationships with your original people, it is also key to find your own. Remember the Satellite Sisters I told you about? These are them. These are the people (male & female!) you identify first week of freshman year or last call at the neighborhood bar. I have found My People in the cubicle next to me, on the playground, and in the chapter room of my Alpha Omicron Pi. One evening, one friend brought another friend running and it sticks forever. Other times the funny stranger across the table at a vendor lunch is just who you need in life.

Don't get me wrong. There aren't tons of Your People out there. That's why it's important to be on the lookout. Your People are hard to find.

Except, I've got a secret to share. Blogging makes it easier. Yes, My People I met through blogging are different kinds of Your People. I will never meet these people. I will probably never even talk on the phone to these people. But, never the less, some of them have truly become My People.

I feel as though there should be an induction of sorts -- a grown-up flying-up ceremony, like moving from Brownies to Girl Scouts -- when someone becomes one of Your People. But it's kind of nice to just let it creep up on you, too -- to notice one day that when Caller ID indicates that one of these people call, that you always pick up... or that each post you leave you look forward to the comments these people leave.

Unfortunately, I can't take you all on a run with me in the hopes of introducing you to some of My People, but I can direct you to my blogroll -- go visit these people; they are truly special.

Leave a comment about some of Your People -- as later visitors come, please check some of these people out -- you never know what new connections might be created.

Express Love. Give Hope.

2005-02-14T07:20:00.000-06:00

Roses are red
Violets are blue
These prizes are gems
and You are, too!

Thank you all so much for helping the March of Dimes last week. Whether it was through your time, a donation of a prize, the promotion of the raffle, or a monetary donation, you helped make a difference. In total, we raised (drumroll please....) $1047!!!!!!!! INCREDIBLE!

Congratulations to all the winners:
Sephora gift certificate: SuzyQ
Green Grass Grace: Jenni
ARC Book: Groovebunny
Amazon.com: Jay
Powells: Bookwoman
Best Buy: Cathy
BlueFly.com: Sara
Zappos.com: Panthergirl
iTunes: Anita
Gap: MJ
Blog Goddess: Last Girl on Earth
Creative Designz: John (Muzikdude)
Cherry: Lonna
Haemi: Christine
Shara: Helga
Blog Explosion Credits: Brandon
GrooveBunny painting: FateWineRoses
BrownGlasses prints: Christine
Flirt in a Skirt package: Dana
Cav's banner: Lizzie
Pauly D guestpost: Groovebunny
Mommy Matters guestpost: Chana
PrimaDana guestpost: Bookwoman
MJ guestpost: Bookwoman
Last Girl on Earth's cd: Kimberly
Sara's picture frames: Tara
Claire's template: Sara
Punk/Ska cd: Chana
Mamacita's stockings: Margie
BlogClicker credits: Bookwoman
Monday Showcase/Mommy Porn: Chana
My Life with Garlic: Groovebunny
Blog Clicker upgrade: Lizzie
E Webscapes banners: Tara
Principessa beauty box: Kylene
The Sense Prelude: FateWineRoses

I wish you ALL could have won!! For those who did, I'll be sending emails in the next day or two with more information. Congratulations!

T MINUS SEVEN HOURS!

2005-02-13T17:30:00.000-06:00

The raffle is on its last day! Be sure to a)DONATE! and b)enter your raffle credits!!

Due to Sara's generosity...

2005-02-12T17:30:00.000-06:00

Thank you to everyone who commented over at Chaos Personified yesterday! I am again touched by Sara's generosity. First, she ended up donating $2 per comment -- after 26 comments, that means $52 more dollars for WalkAmerica!

Next, she also asked that each person who commented receives the raffle credits she earned! Go over and give a great big "THANK YOU! You're WONDERFUL!" to Sara today.

The following people have two more credits:
MJ, Flirt, Denise, Christine, Brandon, Haemi, Kathie, Wetsel, Cav, Last Girl on Earth, Tara, Chana, Thumper, FateWineRoses, Miss Issues, MongaKim, MoonCake, Colleen M, Tom R, AudreySue, Daria, Zoots Mom, & Carieta.

Sara even included SP & I in the list! I am grateful; however, we would rather pass those credits on to YOU! Next person to donate $5 (or more!) gets a bonus 4 credits! Leave me a comment here if you're doing it! Just go to the WalkAmerica website... NOW! ((wink))

This Just In!

2005-02-11T12:30:00.000-06:00

We have a wonderful, fabulous person who wants to KEEP ON GIVING! She's already donated a prize... she's already plugged the raffle... and she's already donated $35. But to wonderful Sara, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH!

Please visit Sara over at Chaos Personified between 4pm EST and 8pm EST and leave a comment. For every comment up to 100 she receives, Sara will donate one more dollar to March of Dimes! That means if 100 of you take the minute to go over there, we could get $100 more dollars! Woo hoo!!

**To donate directly (and earn raffle credits) to March of Dimes: WalkAmerica yourself, click here**
(always) For the kids!

UPDATE: Please comment on SARA'S site to reach the 100 - not here! And you need to do it etween 4pm - 8pm EST (3pm - 7pm CST).

Ready, Set, RAFFLE!

2005-02-10T01:12:00.000-06:00

See that cute little boy in the striped hat to your left? CLICK ON HIM! Go donate to the March of Dimes: Walk America & earn credits to spend in the raffle!

Once you've donated...

1. Look to the left to find your name & number of credits. Please email me if you feel there is a discrepancy. Remember, if you email me proof that you are prominently linking to this raffle from your blog, I will give you one bonus entry.

2. Look below to learn more about the FANTASTIC prizes so many wonderful people have donated! Please read all the way to the bottom (you'll note the large "STOP" graphic) -- you don't want to miss ANYTHING that's up for grabs!

3. If you'd like to enter the drawing for a prize, leave a comment with the number of entries you're putting down. For instance, if you donated $10, you could:
a)Enter ten times to win one prize
b)Enter one time for ten different prizes
c)Enter any number of times between those.. adding up to ten. Email me with questions.

4. Winners will be drawn & announced on Valentine's Day -- after all, the theme of this raffle IS "Express Love. Give Hope." Remember -- this is a wonderful opportunity to win prizes, but it's really about the kids. Please take some time to visit WalkAmerica and read the stories of people who have benefited from the work of the March of Dimes.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T23:43:00.000-06:00

Were you rooting for Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail? Or, have you already bookmarked B(u)y The Book? This prize is for you.

The witty and touching Brandon of One Child Left Behind has donated a $25 gift certificate to Powell's City of Books -- the legendary independent bookstore. No "Big & Nasty" for us -- or YOU, the future lucky winner!

PRIZE

2005-02-09T23:39:00.000-06:00

Win a $25 BestBuy.com gift certificate from the funny Monga Kim (of the Blog I Wasn't Always Like This).

Visit Kim -- I love her family stories and there's a beautiful picture posted today of her & her oldest daughter.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T23:26:00.000-06:00

Shoe Love is True Love! Miss Doxie (fellow shoe lover) is offering you a $25 gift certificate to Zappos.com.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T23:22:00.000-06:00

Greg, at California Hammonds, is offering this lucky winner a $20 iTunes gift certificate.

Greg is a kind man with a sad, but inspiring and touching story. After you put your entry into this drawing, be sure to go visit him & say hello.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T23:20:00.000-06:00

Look your best in clothes from the Gap! Kathie, from Angelleyez, is going to help outfit you -- this lucky winner will receive a $25 Gap gift card!

PRIZE

2005-02-09T23:17:00.000-06:00

Are you tired of those boring standard blog designs? Are you looking for that special zing for your site? Why settle for the same basic look when you can have a design personalized just for you?

Get more than design at Blog Goddess Designs! Whether you want to add a little spice to your site or a lot, you deserve a site that reflects your personal style! Enter this drawing to win a free blog design from this design goddess.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T23:12:00.000-06:00

Got a boring blog? Here's a prize for you. One custon blog design, four add-ons/plug-ins, and one 88x31 banner. ($119 value!)

Nikola, at Creative Designz, is innovative, expressive, colorful, creative and just plain fun! Your blog design will both represent you as a person and serve your web needs.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T23:08:00.000-06:00

Need some special designing? Your choice -- either a basic blog design OR four Blog Explosion banners.

Here's the best part -- your designer is Cherry from the illustrious Web Divas! I get many compliments each week on my new blog design. If you're one of those admirers, enter now -- Cherry was my designer!

PRIZE

2005-02-09T23:07:00.000-06:00

Roll out that designer's red carpet for Haemi, of Web Divas fame. Haemi will be offering this special winner a free basic blog design!

Check out her portfolio at Web-Divas.com.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T23:02:00.000-06:00

Yes, thank your lucky stars... here's ANOTHER Diva! Please welcome Shara. Shara will be offering this lucky winner a basic blog design and matching Blog Explosion banner!

Check out her portfolio at Web-Divas.com.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T22:54:00.000-06:00

5000 (yes you read that right) Blog Explosion credits from the snarky Rachel over at Bitchalicious!

Woo hoo -- you know you want to be like Cao's Blog & have every other banner be yours. Enter now to have a chance at claiming this prize!

PRIZE

2005-02-09T22:43:00.000-06:00

Rachel James, of Brown Glasses, is an American living in the Netherlands. She is a new media designer and photographer.

As camera junkie, Rachel never leaves home without one. She is captivated by the urban landscapes and scenes that make up every day Dutch life. She believes in photography without attitude and shoots 95% analogue.

Rachel currently lives in the historical center of the picturesque North Brabant city of Ravenstein with her husband, Marcel and their chocolate Labrador, Tag.

Enter this drawing to win three 5X5 Polariod reprints from the very talented Rachel.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T22:38:00.000-06:00

The talented resident Flirt is offering her valuable graphic skills. The lucky winner of this prize receives:
3 x different custom-designed link buttons for your blog (so you can change up from time to time)
2 x different custom made blog explosion banners to help promote your blog
1 x new header for your blog, along with up to 5 x side headers -- she designs and you install
1 x post on her blog dedicated just to the winner and their blog.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T22:36:00.000-06:00

Never Fear - Genuine is Here!!

An appropriate prize from a fabulous man. Genuine is offering two prizes: an infant creeper and a baby bib, both from his Genuine Store. In a raffle that's done entirely for the kids, what better prize could one offer??

PRIZE

2005-02-09T22:27:00.000-06:00

Need more traffic to your site & you're graphically-impaired? Win a wonderful banner from Cav at Club Cav.

Cav is a beautiful young woman who is fighting and living with cancer right now. She is unbelievably brave -- while she is struggling with so much, her love and laughter never stop shining. Can you imagine yourself in this position... staying positive... and even offering to help others at the same time?? This will be a very special prize, indeed.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T22:19:00.000-06:00

Here's your chance to have a published author write on YOUR blog! Pauly D is a screenwriter who sent off humble but humorous questions to Fortune 500 companies to find answers to such hot-button questions like why Minute Maid hasn't sold an all-pulp/no-juice product yet or whether it's safe to microwave a bowl of Marshmellow Fluff on high for ten minutes. The result was Consumer Joe: Harrassing Corporate America One Letter at a Time.

At Words for My Enjoyment, Pauly D has brought his humor to the world of blogs. Enter here to let him bring his humor to your site, too.

PRIZE

2005-02-09T22:13:00.000-06:00

Christine, from Mommy Matters, is the mother of two. (They drive her crazy/she loves them dearly.) She wants one more. She is not insane - yet. Husband's psych analysis: Christine is a snob with an inferiority complex.

There is more to Christine than being a mother - she just can't remember any of it right now!

Christine is offering her services as a GUEST BLOGGER on your site and/or a prominent call-out of your site on HER blog. This mommy is one hot ticket -- enter now!

PRIZE

2005-02-09T17:21:00.000-06:00

Pamper the skin you're in! Chris, from Riding with the Window Down, is offering this lucky winner 5-day beauty/skincare sample pack called The Sense Prelude.

In fact, Chris is offering TWO of these prizes! So your chances here are increased. Good luck!

That's it, folks!

2005-02-09T17:20:00.000-06:00

Nine more hours...

2005-02-09T15:02:00.000-06:00

And then it's official: the raffle begins!

I've got a lot of work left to do tonight -- I need to write a small entry for each of the prizes and create the sidebar code listing each person with their earned credits.

If you'd like to help me out (and do, I'm sure, a better job than I can on selling your prize's greatness), email me what you'd like said about your donation.

THANKS!!
For the kids...

p.s. Any last-minute takers on the iPod offer??

Let's do a trade

2005-02-08T21:47:00.000-06:00

Sneakered Prince & I are getting a little jealous that WE'RE not going to be eligible for any of these fabulous prizes! WOW!

So instead, we're going to ask (and barter!) for someone's help. We're ONE person away from getting a free iPod Shuffle! (Actually, we had all of the three required, but they wouldn't approve one. Bummer!)

Anyways, here's the deal: sign up & I'll donate $10 in your name to WalkAmerica for you to use in the raffle.

If you sign up for the "Great Fun" offer (it's near the bottom -- says you're signing up for WalkieTalkies, but you're really not), it only costs $1 (seriously, just a buck) and then you can cancel after 7 days.

Email me if you do it. Thank you thank you thank you!!

p.s. Happy Chinese New Year to my future Father-in-Law & his family!

Update: Any last minute raffle prize donations? Let me know before Wednesday evening!

I'm so excited... and I just can't hide it!

2005-02-08T06:45:00.000-06:00

Only two more days!

This has already exceeded my expectations -- and the actual raffle hasn't even begun yet! THANK YOU!

Exciting fact: I received a lovely email from a wonderful author, Shawn Mcbride. Some of you may recognize the name -- during past "Meme's" I have recommended his book to you -- Green Grass Grace. Mr. Mcbride will be one of our generous donators -- he has offered to send a signed copy of the book to one of you! I'm very envious, I must admit. ((wink)) Happy reading, you lucky person!

Another fun book prize ~ my aunt, Book Woman over @ B(u)y The Book, still has some of the perks of owning your own small bookstore -- advanced readers copies of books! Get a special copy like this of a great book called The Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King.

I have a couple more incoming prizes I still need to post on the side -- do me a favor & check back by tomorrow morning. If you contacted me but don't see your prize up there, email me & let me know. I admit, one of my "opportunities" is to become a little more organized in life!

A little housekeeping ~ this referral javascript seems a little wacky, so yesterday's idea is out. How about this. ****Everyone who prominently posts a link sending people the raffle's way gets one bonus entry into the drawings.***** Email me with this link (the subjects I put in them help me stay organized) either a link to your site so I can go visit & verify or a screenshot of the link.

THANKS...
For the kids!!!

p.s. One last thought... through this last week I have been so touched by your generosity, creativity, and thoughtfulness. As you surf onto this site & look through the prizes, please surf on over to each of the donator's blogs & say hello to them! You'll probably find yourself making several worthwhile additions to your blogroll.

A treat for you: Today's Dog Eat Doug comic is hilarious!

Express love... Give hope!

2005-02-04T20:38:00.000-06:00

So many of you wonderful people have ALREADY made your way over to donate @ March of Dimes: Walk America!

Thank you, merci, danke schoen, grazi, gracias, muito obrigato!

Because of this outpouring of LOVE from you all, I decided to post the raffle rules now:

1)If you have a prize to donate before Wednesday, February 9th, please email me. It's not much, but each person who donates a prize also gets one entry into a drawing.

2)Go donate! For each dollar you donate, you get an entry into the drawing for a prize of your choice. Yes, you can split it up. ie, If you donate $5, you could enter once for five different prizes. IMPORTANT: Once you've donated, shoot me an email with your blog name/id -- I get emails from Walk America with your REAL names & email addresses, but I'm not familiar with all of them.

3)Starting next Thursday (or Wednesday at midnight knowing my impatient self!), there will be a post with each prize listed. Leave a comment with the number of entries you want to put in for it. (I'll also have a list posted with how many entries each person has.)

4)Drop me a line, too, if you're willing to promote the raffle next week & send traffic it's way. I'll email you the code for several buttons/banners I have available.

Thank you, merci, danke schoen, grazi, gracias, muito obrigato!

UPDATE: I've added a feature that tracks referring webpages so I'm adding a "prize" -- top 2 blog referrers get a bonus 5 entries! Email me if you still need the button codes to post on your site.

Calling all talented bloggers!!

2005-02-02T19:28:00.000-06:00

Have you noticed the adorable little boy to your left? In the colorful hat? Yes, you have? Wonderful. It's time to help him. Who? YOU!

Very soon, I will be hosting a very fun raffle. To enter, simply click on the adorable little boy & you will be taken to a donation page for March of Dimes: Walk America. For each dollar you donate, you will be given an entry ticket into the raffle of your choice. (You're still hurting from Christmas shopping?? You're so generous! You gave to tsunami relief? So many in the world thank you. But if you skip tomorrow's Starbucks, I bet you could still donate $1 to this very worthy cause.)

I have some prizes already -- I will be putting a $25 Amazon.com certificate up for grabs along with a package of five of my eclectically-designed BE banners, Sneakered Prince will do a custom Flash movie of your special pictures set to your favorite song, and Miss Kylene will send you a beautiful framed photograph (sans SP & I this time - see below).

But we're not the only people with talents out here. C'mon!! What can YOU offer?? Banner or blog design? A fantastic guest post? A call-out on your fabulously popular blog? A copy of your favorite book? A cd of the most wonderful songs? You are wonderful & beautiful & talented and I am sure there is something you would like to share with people. Please let me know what that might be!!

On a final note, I will also be contributing $1 for every person who donates -- both via $$ & raffle prizes. Let's help SAVE THOSE BEAUTIFUL BABIES!!

p.s. Feel free to go donate now, but if not, keep checking back -- the raffle will begin on February 10th with the winners announced on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14th). Express LOVE, give hope.

UPDATE: I am simply overwhelmed by your generosity. THANK YOU! Thank you to everyone who is contributing a prize (there are some great ones!) and thank you to everyone who has wished me well & said they will call-out the raffle next week. You all are wonderful!

a love myth exploded

2005-01-31T23:26:00.000-06:00

"Your wedding day will be the happiest day of your life."

I've heard this often from well-wishers this past year. And perhaps they're right, but what about marriage itself? Beyond the dress, the cake, and the flowers, there's the reality of serving eighty years to life with one partner. Glamour & romance are probably the least-enduring aspects of a long haul spent with one person.

Instead it's more like packing the dishwasher, conflict, understanding, repetition, desire, patience, aversion, compromise, temptation, routine, tenderness, kids, miracles, frustration, unpacking the dishwasher.

Because love is sold as a cruise in a pink Cadillac when it's actually a long commute (with singalongs), there is a high incidence of trade-ins. So, my Sneakered Prince: let's never stand idle, but instead, keep that engine turning over. Honor & celebrate over time instead of hanging it all on that one shebang.

love you...

Words to Live By

2005-01-31T01:48:00.000-06:00

"If you give up fine wine, coffee, chocolate, and sex, you don't actually live longer, it just seems longer."
-Anonymous

and remember... today's the day! Go over & flirt with our resident Flirt in a Skirt!

For every comment you leave, Catherine will be donating $1 to a charity that we bloggers choose.

What are you still doing here?? Go visit her!

p.s. If you don't already have a favorite charity to suggest to Flirt, consider championing mine -- March of Dimes: WalkAmerica.

Did you know that today in the U.S., 1 in every 8 babies will be born prematurely? Some of them won't survive, and others will have health problems that could last a lifetime. The funds we raise in WalkAmerica support research that saves babies' lives.

The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. So express love. Give hope.

Rileydog wants to share the love!

2005-01-29T18:26:00.000-06:00

He drools. He smells. And you're forever picking up after him.

No, not your significant other. (Well, hopefully not, anyway.) Your dog, of course.

But despite his shortcomings, he only has to look at you with those pleading eyes and all is forgiven.

Must be because he's just so full of love. You can now share your playful pup with people who could use some extra cuteness and warmth in their lives. The Delta Society's Pet Partners Program trains volunteers and their pets to participate in animal therapy and animal-assisted activities. After passing an evaluation, bring your baby to hospitals, schools, and nursing homes, where you can provide a wealth of benefits to those in need of mental stimulation, nurturing, affection, or entertainment.

Don't have a dog? You can volunteer the services of your rabbit, cat, bird, or chicken. (Do not -- I repeat -- do not bring your ant farm. Generous souls who own anything from a goldfish down on the evolutionary chain should consider a donation.)

Go on. Get your little buddy involved. He may not be perfect, but he's always up for a little affection.

Much like your significant other.

DeltaSociety organizes this across the country -- go visit!

A Perfect World

2005-01-28T07:29:00.000-06:00

Why does the life you imagine in your head always seem so perfect? It's a universe filled with good hair days, clean undies, and plenty of lucky heads-up pennies found on the street.

I have a feeling that world is going to stay put in my head today.

Public Restrooms

2005-01-25T23:30:00.000-06:00

My mother was a fanatic about public toilets. As a little girl, she'd bring me in the stall, teach me to wad up toilet paper and wipe the seat. Then, she'd carefully lay strips of toilet paper to cover the seat. Finally, she'd instruct, "Never, never sit on a public toilet seat." And she'd demonstrate"The Stance," which consisted of balancing over the toilet in a sitting position without actually letting any of your flesh make contact with the toilet seat. But by this time, I'd have peed down my leg. And we'd go home.

(continued in the comments because I don't have that cool "cover up the rest of the entry" function that GrooveBunny & Michele do...)

Lessons from Mars & Venus

2005-01-25T06:37:00.000-06:00

Last week's post sparked a discussion with SP about the actual things we can learn from each other about shopping...

What guys know & gals should...
Don't buy the first thing you see. Research your purchases and shop around for the best value.

There is more to life than new clothes, and it's okay to wear old things that have been hanging in your closet for years.

Sometimes the best way to shop is quickly; Go in, buy what you need, and get out.

When in the dressing room, never ask, "Does this look good on me?" unless you're willing to hear "No."

It's good to spend time apart, so when you shop sometimes go do your own thing.

What gals know & guys should...
Spur of the moment purchases are fun, and sometimes you have to act quickly because you never know if what you want will be gone tomorrow.

Adding one item to your wardrobe can make all your clothes look updated.

Dressing well and decorating the house is not just about appearance; it helps you feel good, too.

Your clothes will look nicer for longer if you keep them clean and hung up or folded neatly.

A shopping trip isn't just good for buying things; it's good for socializing and feeling like part of a community.

Gab & Go Welcome!

2005-01-23T21:54:00.000-06:00

Good evening, good morning, & good afternoon, friends! I am very excited about this post -- I've been waiting for about a month or more to write it.

I would like to introduce you to one of my aunts: BookWoman! BookWoman is a great lover of books, fine wines, & fabulous food. She is also very internet-savvy & excited about entering the blogging world.

Have I ever shared with you all my first job? I was seven or eight years old and it was dusting shelves at The Book Bag, Book Woman's bookstore. (I got paid in my favorite currency -- books!)

One day some sixteen years later, B&N (or Big & Nasty) opened in our small town and The Book Bag is now no more. (Did I hear a big, sad sigh? Yes, I agree.) Now BookWoman keeps her hand in the book business by running a special order business from her home.

Please go visit BookWoman @ ByTheBook and tell her that her niece sent you over to say "Welcome!"

But first! I never stopped loving books -- and I love nothing more than to add books to my "To be Read" list. Please leave a comment sharing a book you've read that you think I (or someone out there!) might enjoy...

Happy Reading!

Vivas Las Vegas

2005-01-21T19:57:00.000-06:00

Fast Facts about the Marriage Capital of the World! (No, Sneakered Prince & I are not eloping. This was just too funny to keep to myself!)

Number of weddings in 2001: 121,547

Average number of weddings per day: 450

Number of wedding chapels: 80

Most popular wedding day: February 14

Second most pupular wedding day: January 1

Source: Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority

Anyone have any crazy Vegas stories to share?
*MWAH!* Have a great weekend...

A letter to Rileydog

2005-01-20T23:10:00.000-06:00

Dear Dogs:

When I say to move, it means to go someplace else, not to switch positions so you are still in the way.

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food.

Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack.

Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs actually curl up in a ball when they sleep.
It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to the bed stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is
nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, bark, and try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years--canine attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

They live here. You don't.
If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
I like my pets a lot better than most people.
To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly. Dogs and cats are better than kids ...they eat less, don't ask for money all the time, are easier to train, usually come when called, never drive your car, don't hang out with drug-using friends, don't smoke or drink, don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions, don't wear your clothes, and don't need a gazillion dollars for college - and if they get pregnant, you can sell the children.

love, Owner

Can't Live with Him, Can't Live without Him (or, my Jerry Maguire manifesto)

2005-01-19T18:06:00.000-06:00

"When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping. Men invade another country. It's a whole different way of thinking."
-Elayne Boolser

Men are different; they are so, so different. Any woman who has ever shopped with a man knows that guys have a unique logic and see the world in ways that are often difficult, and sometimes impossible, for us ladies to understand. My friend A has always found men to be confusing, but just how foreign they are did not become clear until she married one. After the wedding, A's husband got a new job, and together they moved from the midwest to southern California. During the first few months, A was out of work and depended totally on her husband's income for financial support. The first time she asked her husband for a little extra money, he scowled. When she told him she needed some nail polish remover, he gave her a response that only a man could: "You don't need nail polish remover. Just stop painting your nails and you won't have any more polish to remove." A was astonished and thought she had married the most unreasonable man alive.

Of course, to men, women can be confusing, too. SP & I are trying to save money so we agreed that we need to cut back on our spending. For SP, cutting back means buying only essentials. It means making do with what he already has and not buying anything new until he can really afford it. I, however, have a different view. I see that the way to help our financial situation is not to stop shopping altogether but rather to stop shopping for things at full price! As SP says it, "Kate thinks that cutting back means buying things on sale!"

It is often said that women love to shop and men hate to shop, but this is not true. It's not that men hate to shop, it's that men hate the way women shop. They like to shop for the items they find desirable, like big screen tv's, video games, hockey equipment, cd's, or electric drills. Men want to be entertained, and for most of them, spending hours in the women's clothing section looking for a dress in the perfect shade of cherry red is not a good time. On the other hand, spending hours searching for the perfect ice skates & hockey stick in a sporting goods store or for the perfect new video game is captivating. Men just have different ideas than women of what's interesting, what's important, and what's worth spending time focusing on.

I have learned this from the many shopping trips I have taken with SP. SP cannot tell the different between a Kate Spade, a Louis Vuitton, and a Coach handbag like I can, and I cannot tell the different between the graphics of a football game being played on a Nintendo 64 and an XBOX like he can. And whenever we enter a bookstore, SP looks at books on humor, music, and personal finance, whereas I like new fiction, cookbooks, and bridal magazines.

Because SP & I aren't always interested in the same things, I've got a plan that helps make shopping trips together more enjoyable. Instead of dragging him into clothing store after clothing store and making him wait while I search through the racks and try on armloads of clothes, I encourage him to go into the stores he likes. This works fabulously because I am free to try on as many pairs of shoes as I want without him nagging me to hurry up, and he is able to admire the fanciest grills without me telling him we don't need such an expensive barbecue. We try to devote a little bit of time to each of our needs on every shopping trip we take.

It's funny the lessons you learn from shopping. I see that this is a tactic we could use in the other areas of our life -- and both end up more content. I should encourage SP to have guys-only nights out playing pool or cards with his friends, to go to as many baseball games as he can, and to pursue his dream of travelling the world. Although these are not things that always interest me, I want to make sure SP does them because I know they are important to him. Not only would my attitude help him, but it would help me, too. When I encourage SP, he encourages me. Maybe he would back me in taking weekly yoga classes with a friend, in travelling across the country to visit my satellite sisters, and in pursuing my dream of owning my own bridal salon.

A sure-fire way, I believe, to create happiness with your man (or woman), whether out shopping or at home, is to remember that we're different -- and that's okay. Instead of trying to force them to have the same interests as you, encourage them to do the things they love.

Go visit!

2005-01-16T19:23:00.000-06:00

I've got to tell you guys -- I've got nothing.

I'm out of words lately. Not just here -- but on your sites, too. Believe me -- I've been visiting... but I've been a lurker all weekend.

So instead of racking my brain for something that, undoubtedly, would be quite uninspired, I thought I'd highlight a couple blogs I thougt you might like -- feel free to say hello to them... or just lurk. A little lurking every now & then doesn't hurt anyone.

Sound of Muzik - Share your thoughts on Karaoke with John
Flirt in a Skirt - Become a "flirt in a skirt" yourself -- and find out how to be a queen for the day
The Particular Ordinary - Click your heels three times... because you know there's no place like home
PrimaDana - One of my favorite designs... plus a blogger with my same taste in movies & tv!
Weaving a Magical Web - a relatively new blogger (and sister of PrimaDana) -- check out her Costa Rica pictures

Guys vs. Dolls

2005-01-14T21:59:00.000-06:00

Bored at desk. No urge to work. Twiddling thumbs. Watching clock. Cleaning keyboard with Q-tip.

Friend sends link to Gender Genie, a nifty little site on a BoB-nominated blog that purports to guess a writer's gender based on a passage he or she writes. Ever curious -- and in anticipation of hours of online amusement -- I tested it out.

Example 1: Lengthy and enthusiastic email from boy, M, to girlfriend, K
Words: 433
Female score: 889
Male score: 387
Gender Genie thinks the author is: female!

Well, he is the sensitive one in the relationship.

Example 2: Bush's last State of the Union Address
Words: 4695
Female score: 4,157
Male score: 5,579
Gender Genie thinks the author is: male!

You know what they say about cowboys.

Example 3: First several paragraphs of Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park"
Words: 519
Female score: 859
Male score: 671
Gender Genie thinks the author is: female!

I should certainly hope so.

Example 4: Guns 'N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" lyrics
Words: 276
Female score: 366
Male score: 347
Gender Genie thinks the author is: female!

That plastic surgery crisis is worse than I thought.

Unfortunately, Genger Genie had no comment on whether or not Axl throws like a girl.

Try it out @ bookblog.net.

Things to do before you die

2005-01-12T20:03:00.000-06:00

As I was browsing books during lunch today, I saw something that gave me pause. It was the book to the left: 101 Things to Do Before You Die.

My dear friends, are we really such lemmings that we need someone else to tell us which dreams to fulfill, which adventures to live out, or -- even -- which gastronomnic pleasures in which to indulge?

No, I am certain we all have more creativity & individuality than that.

So I challenge you all -- let us make our OWN list of 101 Things. Please tell me, what are your dreams... your adventures... your gastronomic delights?

I will start with one of my favorite dreams: to spend a month travelling Italy... indulging in the most wonderful wines each step of the journey...

Now 100 more to go. Who's next?

Play along -- reach out!

2005-01-09T01:11:00.000-06:00

"Everybody needs a satellite sister, the person you turn to when the best thing in your life happens or the worst. Your satellite sister supports, accepts, sometimes busts, and always encourages you.

She's the one who can get you through a bad haircut or a bad marriage. She's there to buck you up, bust you down, be your better half.

And, because nothing beats old-fashioned hilarity, your satellite sister makes you laugh so hard that Diet Coke comes out of your nose."
-The Dolan Sisters

I am lucky enough to find myself with four of these lovely people. Lately, I almost feel like this is growing -- my satellite sisters (and brothers!) are becoming some of YOU, too! Isn't it funny how much of a support system this blog world becomes for us?

And come on. You know your blog friends make you laugh...Diet Coke out your nose laugh even.

So here's the "Gab & Go" game today: Say hi to me (and I'll come say hi to you) -- and then go say hi to one of YOUR favorite bloggers. Thank them for being your satellite buddy!

Thinking back...

2005-01-08T22:18:00.000-06:00

...Puberty is a little like Chinese Water Torture. One day, a hair grows, and you have to call an Emergency Session in the bathroom with your best friend. After you'v been assured you're normal, nothing happens for a while.

But then another hair grows. Then you get a pimple. Then another. Then you look in the mirror, and you notice the contours of your body are changing subtly, like a shoreline.

Eventually, you're liking boys and hating your parents and writing things in your diary like, "Marissa and I are sooooooooo mad at each other. I'm soooooooooo depressed.", and measuring your sex life in terms of bases. But by this time, at least, you've mastered the fine art of shaving your armpits.

Not my most graceful life period; I am grateful today to be 24 and loving it!

Disaster Relief

2005-01-07T21:32:00.000-06:00

So we sit safely on the other side of the world. Watching images of devastation on TV. Reading tales of survival. Mostly (and pretty much unsuccessfully) trying to comprehend the vastness of so many deaths.

And the initial destruction was only the beginning. The death toll from Asia's massive tsunami will continue to mount: Lack of clean water and health care, as well as homelessness and poor sanitation, will put countless more at risk of cholera, malaria, and other diseases.

You want to help? (Of course you do.) One of my favorite blogers, GrooveBunny, is making it easy & rewarding for you. This awesomely talented woman is painting her heart out & will ship her works of amazing art to you for free if you donate $100 to a tsunami-relief charity.

The best thing you can do is make a donation to humanitarian organizations that already have relief programs in Southeast Asia. Here are a few:

Oxfam America is sending food, water, hygiene kits, and plastic sheeting for temporary housing to Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Operation USA, an L.A.-based disaster-relief organization, will be airlifting medical, nutritional, and shelter supplies into Sri Lanka and India.

Doctors Without Borders and International Medical Corps are sending medical and health-care relief to the entire region.

NetAid, a nonprofit that empowers the poor through educational initiatives, will use donations for emergency services and counseling and for rebuilding schoolhouses in Southern India.
Save the Children is mobilizing resources for families of survivors.

The American Red Cross is gathering support for its International Response Fund.

Lanka Academic Network, a Sri Lankan nonprofit, is dispatching a team of local university volunteers to aid the reconstruction. Additionally, it has set up a website where people can post information about missing loved ones.

USAID can direct donations of bulk commodities or volunteers with special disaster relief skills.

The SEA-EAT bloggers are compiling exhaustive information (helplines, charities, photos, statistics).

It may feel like only a small dose of hope. But every bit counts.
(information on organizations from DailyCandy)

From the desk of Sister Mary Merlot...

2005-01-06T22:18:00.000-06:00

....except this isn't a Merlot, it's a Chianti.

And it's the best wine I've had in a long time so I just have to share:
San Quirico Chianti Colli Senesi

"Grown in the estate vineyards just outside of the hilltp town of San Gimignao. The grapes were harvested in September/October, vinified in stainless steel tanks and aged in oak barrels for six months. The wine has a bright, vivaious color and exudes fresh cherry fruit and violets on the nose. It is full and round on the palate with balanced acidity, moderate structure, and excellent drink ability."

Translation: A red wine that's super smooth and great tasting... Four stars!

My friends ~ what wine are you enjoying these days? (If you're not a wine-o, what do you drink?)

Great White Out 2005

2005-01-06T07:58:00.000-06:00

1. Why do news stations come up with these silly names for winter storms? Hmm.

2. I got stuck in a snowdrift this morning. In front of a busstop of high school students.

You know what happened next.

There was laughing... and pointing... and more laughing. I started to give them the EVIL EYE, but then stopped and laughed myself. It really was pretty funny, you know.

And I'm fine, thanks.

Do you have a snow story??

Stop & Play! Would you rather...

2005-01-04T22:29:00.000-06:00

It's time for another fun "gab & go" game!

First person answer my question about what you would rather (do/be/eat/etc) and then ask a question of your own.

Next person answer the question above you, then ask one of your own, and then go say "Happy Tuesday/Wednesday" to the person above you!

And so on...

Each of you finish your gabbing with a visit to Anamalous Noodge...
who commanded me to start a comment game!
Leave her a note thanking her for the fun (and for the extra visitors)!

Now. I'm dying to know:
Would you rather be able to stop time while you sleep or never have to do laundry?

p.s. come back anytime! I love frequent friends ;-)

New Year's Eve

2005-01-03T18:57:00.000-06:00

~Click on each picture to follow our fun!~

It's that time of year...

2004-12-27T23:08:00.000-06:00

The season of making lists (and checking them twice) isn't over yet. Time for resolutions.

1. Stop fighting with younger brother. (As if.)
2. Dust weekly. (Snicker.)
3. Smile more. (In this weather? Fat chance.)
4. Get in shape. (Fatter chance.)

I'll give them all a valiant try.

What's one of your resolutions?

Halo, can I have another?

2004-12-23T19:25:00.000-06:00

Post from SP:
Forget Tetris, Old School Nintendo, crazy plumbers with racoon tails instead of a real butt, join me in welcoming my dear friend Halo. Halo, I think I love you.

We met one summer day about 3 years ago but it was just a quick nod to each other recognizing that we saw one another, but that's all it was. Then I was invited over to a friends place to meet Halo. I never believed in love at first site until that moment. Two xtra large pizzas and a 24 pack of beer later, I'd realized I had found my one true passion: shooting other people with glowing plasma guns and sticking them with glowing balls of destructions.

Well, time had passed until just recently when Halo's evil twin came out...and came out he did. I find my only refuge from a hard days work is either BP or Halo. So now I play whenever I get the chance (which isn't very often)...

Believe it or not, I don't own the game, I don't even own an XBOX. Thanks to Americano and Melanta for their kind can-i-play-with-you services. I think the most recent system that still works is my Sega Master System, or that old game on my PC with the frog crossing the road. Why? If I did own any sort of magical-give-you-warm-fuzzies-inside master gaming system supreme, the following would not have happened:
* Graduated
* Met BP
* Got engaged to BP
* Have friends
* Not be fat
* Have a nice job
* Have a family that thinks I spend my time doing other things...etc.

Even though certain things bring you harmless pleasure and are a good waste of time, there are so many things out there that are more important and in the end if you did them, you'll look back and know you lived your life to the fullness.(Thanks for the inspiration BP!) So find whatever those things are, do them first but leave time for yourself! Games up! Back to Halo...

Per Alaska Fish and Game Department:

2004-12-21T21:44:00.000-06:00

Male reindeer drop their antlers late November at the start of winter. Females not until after they give birth in spring.

Thus, according to all historical renditions of Santa's sleigh, every single one of those beauties — from Rudolph to Donner to Blitzen — had to be a girl.

Figures. Only a woman could drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not ask for directions.

Look at you, SmartyPants!

2004-12-20T23:19:00.000-06:00

The 10 Most Well-Educated U.S. Areas

Boulder-Longmont, Colo. (31.32 % of population w/bachelor's degrees)
Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. (27.62%)
San Francisco (27.24%)
Corvalis, Ore. (26.2%)
Iowa City, Iowa (26.16%)
Bloomington, Minn (25.39%)
Fort Collins-Leveland, Colo. (25.29%)
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C. (24.89%)
Madison, Wis. (24.86%)
Austin-San Marcos, Texas (24.49%)

Do we have any residents (past or present) of these illustrious areas?

(Waving goodbye -- and hello, again!!)

2004-12-19T21:39:00.000-06:00

Thank you all for visiting me this weekend (and thank you to Michele for sending these wonderful bloggers over).

I feel remiss in not updating more often this weekend since I knew I had this guaranteed audience... a hostess must always put her best foot forward, you know. Luckily, Sneakered Prince wrote that witty post about cute RileyDog -- and our experience of literally scaring the crap out of her -- oops!

I do have an excuse. I was busy putting my best hostess foot forward in the real world. Hurrah to the holiday party circuit! Oh, what a night. A good time was had by all... and a reallly good time, I believe, had by some. Hmmm.

Please return any time, friends of Michele! I certainly enjoyed our time together. Oh! And for those of you who said that Michele might have sent you this time but that you regularly visit o other days... many welcomings! I do love visitors.

Have a great night!

Vacuum...meet Dog, Dog...meet Vacuum

2004-12-16T22:31:00.001-06:00

What happens when you mix a dog with a vacuum? Any ideas? The answer is poop.

Ever hear the phrase "You scared the shit out of me" -- even though the shit is in fact safely inside? Well if dogs could talk this would be their story...

Reenactment:
Vacuum: buzzzzzzzz
Dog: woof woof
Vacuum: buzzzzzzzz (getting closer)
Dog: Awooooooooo (cowering in fear)

So while BP is vacuuming the floor, Rileydog was determined to be near the parents that she loves and trusts. Riley is running around with her tail between her legs, so SP (that's me) picks her up and tries to comfort her; what does he get in return? Poop. Yes its true, we truly scared the shit out of her.

Using these hard facts and my dog's help, let's redo the reenactment in what the dog really experienced.

Reenactment take two:
Vacuum: buzzzzzzzz = Hey little puppy, come over here, I got some candy for you.
Dog: woof woof = WTF?!?!
Vacuum: buzzzzzzzz (getting closer) = MWAHAHAHA I am going to get you and take all your treats away!
Dog: Yipe yipe (cowering in fear) = Holy @#&* (poop flies out - and I mean shoots out!)

Moral: Is it really necessary to vacuum with the dog present?

Hump Day HoHoHo's

2004-12-15T21:00:00.000-06:00

~Click and See~

The best way to spread holiday cheer is to sing loudly for all to hear! Watch Santa & his reindeer do a little song & dance here.

What a day...

2004-12-13T22:12:00.000-06:00

"Pay me a compliment, Melvin. I need one, quick... and MEAN IT!"

Did you know that if you go to Amazon.com and type in "Insults," 218 results will be returned -- including "The Giant Book of Insults", "The Little Book of Venom", Shakespeare's Insults", Garfield's Insults", even "The Kids' Book of Insults."

Type "Compliments?" 42 -- most either out of print or having nothing to do with praise. (For instance, there's a novel called "Cyanide With Compliments.")

Call me crazy, but I'm feeling the need to spread some positive words! To borrow a technique from the lovely Michele, let us play a game:
First person leave me a compliment in the comments section... next person to comment, visit the person above you and leave them a compliment -- tell them I sent you!

The word "but" in the context of an argument

2004-12-12T13:23:00.000-06:00

I love words. And I am very particular about their meanings, their spellings, and the punctuation surrounding them. Yes, I was one of those nerds who thought Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation was an awesome book.

I'd like to discuss one word in particular today: but.

When in an argument, you cannot apologize without sincerity in your voice and have the other person accept it. You also cannot apologize and follow it immediately with a "but." But cancels the first part of the sentence out... or it says the first part doesn't have relevance... or in the case of an argument, it could say "I'm saying this because I know I have to but I don't really believe it and here's what I really think."

Might I suggest alternatives?

And is my favorite word. And conveys the message that both statements are true & relevant. It's just that is another that works -- and this one is even a little sneaky! Think about it -- it's just that often ends up being a lot like but -- but if you say it in the right tone, it works.

Examples:

I love you, but you're a bitch.
This (and you could put in any complaint or put-down in place of you're a bitch) is a line someone might use to end a relationship. They want to love you, but the fact that you're a bitch just is too much to overcome./

I love you... it's just that you're a bitch.
This is less harsh. It's saying you're having trouble with this, but you still want to be in the relationship.

I love you AND you're a bitch.
Be sure to say this with a long pause before the and. Very similar to it's just that you're a bitch. Again, addressing an issue without the negative feeling a but conveys.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not saying never use the word but. (see above -- I used it when first discussing it's just that.) In the right place, but's sense of negating the first is a good thing! Just be sure to think about what you're saying next time. Sometimes the tiniest words are the most important!

And I'm out...

Wise Men?

2004-12-11T19:43:00.000-06:00

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London has created their own celebrity nativity scene. In it, Tony Blair, George Bush and the Duke of Edinburgh make up the three wise men.

They were voted into the roles by 300 people who visited the attraction in October. It’s quite obvious that those people had very good senses of humor. Anybody who would cast George W. Bush as a wise man would have to.

In Defense of my Addiction

2004-12-09T20:11:00.000-06:00

I quite literally wake up with a Diet Coke, drowning my first one of the day while still in the shower. Its coolness contrasted with the steam of the shower makes for an invigorating wake up that I'd recommend to the groggiest of non-morning people. I have had to cut back my consumption somewhat, for fear of having my teeth rot and my sleep interrupted, but if I could, I would drink six to 10 cans daily.

I prefer it ice-cold -- on the verge of freezing -- and I use each can to space out the events of my day... the way smokers use cigarette breaks. Are you nodding your head? You understand? Our kind is strong in numbers and devotion! And we're not alone...

The Beach Boys demand Diet Coke. So do divas Mariah Carey, Elton John, and Cher. Shania Twain & LeAnn Rimes can't get enough. Frank Sinatra always had a six pack or two in his dressing room. Donald Trump wouldn't be caught dead with a Trump Ice bottled water... he prefers nothing over Diet Coke. Harvey Weinstein (head honcho of the Miramax empire) rides in a limo stocked with it. And John Edwards (*sigh*) has been known to drink as many as 10 Diet Cokes while campaigning -- a habit both of the Clintons wholeheartedly endorsed.

For naysayers who tell me I'm killing myself slowly, read this: The fine folks at the University of Minnesota studied the effects of long-term, hard-core aspartame use in 108 volunteers. In the study, every day for 24 weeks, half were given a placebo and the other half were given the same amount of aspartame found in 10 liters of Diet Coke. The Minnesotan researchers discovered no differences between the two groups. Take that!

Okay, I'll also admit that a story from Oxygen magazine on the dangers of aspartame poisoning says that 90% of the independent studies do conclude it's dangerous.

All this begs the question, "Is it safe to be addicted to Diet Coke?" I don't know. I don't care. I've been told "if you knew what was in them, you would never have another one," but I just don't care. I don't smoke, don't drink coffee, don't eat junk food (well, okay, I sometimes eat junk food). My Diet Coke addiction is my only vice. When I ask for a Diet Coke in a restaurant and they say, "Is Diet Pepsi okay?" I say, "No. Just make it water then." And then I make a note not to go there again.

Dec. 8th is "Take it in the ear day"

2004-12-08T17:57:00.000-06:00

Since I have no idea what that means, I'm switching it to "Make Someone Laugh Day." And did you know? The best way to spread laughing cheer is to tell a joke loud(ly) for all to hear!

With that, I open my blog. Tell a joke & spread the laughing love!

p.s. In case you're interested, tomorrow is "National Pastry Day" so you've got an excuse to cheat on your diets!

Time for YOU to play along!

2004-12-07T22:05:00.000-06:00

Passed on through Groovebunny (a very cool chickie)...

I want EVERYONE to do this... everyone... even if you don't have a blog, you can do A&B:

(A) First, recommend to me:
1. a movie:
2. a book:
3. a musical artist, song, or album:

(B) I want everyone who reads this to ask me three questions, no more, no less. Ask me anything you want.

(C) Then I want you to go to your journal, copy and paste this allowing your friends to ask you anything.

(evil chuckle)

2004-12-07T08:53:00.000-06:00

I stole all the tootsie rolls from the candy bowl at the office of Maple Grove yesterday. Charge me $745/mo for rent? Ha. Take that.

Try the NotSalmon, dammit!

2004-12-06T23:09:00.000-06:00

www.notsalmon.com is the website of Karen Salmansohn, a bestselling author and motivational coach.

Karen's approach to self-help is very different from the fluffy-discover-your-inner-child mess that's out there. She's smart and sassy and damn funny and very intelligent and tells it like it is.

And Ms. Salmansohn isn't just limited to the subject of self-help and growth; she also writes adult and children's fiction, too.

And now she's got a blog, too. And starting January 3, she's gonna be doing something really interesting. In her own words:

In the last few years I find I get asked for career and life advice more and more...and so I decided to get organized about helping people and offer a specific time in which I will coach folks for free, 5 days a week, M thru F starting at 8:30 am going to 9:30.

And so... this January I will be hosting a morning life-booster blog here at www.notsalmon.com to motivate people I know (and those I dont even know) to accomplish EVERY GOAL IN 2005, DAMMIT, using the techniques from my newest book ENOUGH, DAMMIT.

So check it out in the new year! But in the mean time, check out her site and take a gander at all the fabulous books she has written, dammit!

(via BookLust)

12 Truths

2004-12-05T20:00:00.000-06:00

Life is sexually transmitted.
Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich!
Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won’t bother you for weeks.
Some people are like Slinkies…not really good for anything, but you still can’t help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.
Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?
In the 60’s, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.

AND THE # 1 THOUGHT FOR 2004: Many terrorists come to America legally and hang around on expired visas (some for as long as 10-15 years). At Blockbuster you’re two days late with a video rental and those people are all over you. I think we should put Blockbuster in charge of US immigration

...Stolen from Just a Girl

Something special for your Christmas cards...

2004-12-03T22:02:00.000-06:00

In Mom's eyes, you're as big a celebrity as JFK, George Washington, or Elvis.

Strangely enough, the U.S. Postal Service doesn't share this view.

So it's probably best not to wait for your mug to appear on a stamp. Do it yourself instead with PhotoStamps, a Web site dedicated to celebrating your glory (all 37 cents' worth) on personalized stamps.

The process is simple: Upload a pic, doctor it with design tools, place your order, and voila!

Friends, family, and the credit-card company can all experience your delightful visage on this year's holiday greetings.

Or any other image, for that matter -- dog, cat, loved one, Frosty the Snowman from the front yard. Just no profanity, please. That's way too Paris Hilton for you, anyway.

Available online at photo.stamps.com.
(via DailyCandy)

Anti-porno iPod feature?

2004-12-03T01:01:00.000-06:00

BoingBoing reader Brandon says,

There is a "bug" in the iPod Photo that randomly flashes photos from other albums into slideshows. [on Leander Kahney's Wired blog, "Cult of Mac,"] Keith Finch has suggested this might not be a bug, but rather an intentional measure to dissuade users from keeping "double secret 'Hot Butts'" albums on their iPods. The hypothetical situation he presents to support his case is good for a chuckle or two.

Link to article

I'm not very good at this secret thing

2004-12-01T21:47:00.000-06:00

When someone gives me a surprise & I truly didn't know it was coming, I love it! That's wonderful! But if I have an inkling, wanting -- no, needing -- to know drives me (and them) crazy!

Not only do I want to know my surprises (yes, I always tried to find Christmas gifts before the big day when I was a kid) but I also have a hard time KEEPING my surprises a secret! Sometimes it's just not thinking. ie, yesterday I brought home a gift for SP and left it in a bag that also had something he had asked me to pick up for him. Needless to say, he spotted it. Today I handed him a receipt that had another gift on it. Oy vey.

And it's not just forgetfulness like that... take my wedding dress. I'm DETERMINED for SP not to have any idea what it looks like until the big day... yet there's part of me that REALLY wants to tell him... I've even made him play the "guessing game" where we take a wedding magazine that the dress is in & he has to see if he can pick it out.

I'm so bad... Sorry, SP! I'll try to do better and keep my secrets so you can have the pleasure of a nice surprise :) love you!

A new gadget

2004-12-01T21:13:00.000-06:00

Like I said earlier, I love gadgets. Now, thanks to Yoni Cohen's site, College Basketball, I have a new one. Look to your left. Don't see it? Down a little.

I have my very own basketball scoreboard!!

Next time your local tv station doesn't carry the game you want to see, come visit ME to keep updated on the score! (Like right now I'm staying on top of IU/UNC -- go Hoosiers!!)

66..67..68..80

2004-11-30T22:20:00.000-06:00

Well, Jonathan is still a punk, Bolo and Lori are still loud, and Kris and Jon are still happy all the time. And now we all know that counting (yes, simple counting) is not always that simple.

Unfortunately, IKEA (one of the most FUN places in the whole world) was not all that fun for some of the Amazing Race teams tonight. Still, they all made at past and many of them were not hurt because of their counting delay. It was the next task that was to be the end of (unfortunately SP & my team) Lena & Kristy.

I'll admit, we're a little confused -- does ANYONE understand what happened in there?? Lena spent NINE HOURS (yes, NINE HOURS) looking for a clue. I just don't understand.

Now here's the big question -- who's still watching? (that's not hypothetical. really, are you still watching? leave a comment... kylene!) Because the way SP & I see it: the grandparents are pretty fun, but they'll probably be gone soon... Gus & Hera are a nice break from the screaming, but they're a little dull... and the rest of the teams are either boring or annoyingly mean/loud/dumb.

It's still my favorite show, but I'm a little ... not into this season. Someone do something to save TAR!!!! Soon!!!

They're conniving and crazy

2004-11-30T22:03:00.001-06:00

A season's worth of reality-show bile and derision can be summed up in a single name: Omarosa.

Bad Girls of Reality TV: E True Hollywood Story will reveal how Omarosa and other reality tv divas used sex & power to get what they want -- WITH mixed results. They may be rolling in post-reality dough now, but what price did their public images and reputations pay?

(gasp) I actually don't have cable, but I'll try to track down a transcript or what not because, I don't know about you, but I'm dying to know what Donald really thinks of Omarosa and how much sex the cast of The Real World really has. ;-)

Before you tune in next Sunday, take E's online quiz -- how big of a junky are YOU?

Principessa's Christmas List

2004-11-30T20:42:00.000-06:00

Santa,
I've been a very very good girl this year & I have several important gift ideas to share with you! I promise I'll leave some cookies & milk out on Christmas Eve -- can't wait to see you this year! ;-)

1. Skinny thighs
2. Lifetime supply of JuJuBee's & *Hairbo gummy bears
3. Daily maid service
4. A new president (just kidding -- I'm over it, really...)
5. 40GB iPod with face covers -- every girl's ultimate accessory!
6. Perfect wedding invitations
7. World Peace

See? Only seven items this year! Piece of cake!
Thanks, Santa!!

*The kind in the bag (found at WalMart) -- not the kind in the box (found at Target)! Muchas gracias :)

Adding a treadmill to my "Dear Santa" list...

2004-11-29T22:42:00.000-06:00

The average American consumes over 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving and gains five to ten pounds between turkey day and New Year's.
Sound familiar? Thought so.

More from Santa...

2004-11-27T10:53:00.000-06:00

Frosty came by with a six-pack of cold ones. "Ice to see you, Claus," he said, for perhaps the 10,000th time. That's what you get hanging out with a guy whose head is made of fresh powder. But still, he's the only person around here not on the payroll, so he's the closest thing I have to a friend.

Anyway, he wanted to talk about (what else?) some snow angel he'd tried to pick up. "Massive snow globes," he said, holding his branches out appraisingly. If he weren't made of frozen water--which is why we have to hang out in the meat locker in the basement--I'd tell him that snow angels aren't real.

But hell, who am I to say who is real and who isn't.
Posted by Santa (via Santa's Yule Blog)

An excerpt from Santa's Yule Blog

2004-11-24T21:22:00.000-06:00

Hollywood called. Again. They want to send up another actor schmuck to "watch my process." What a load. Every year it gets worse. Remember the guy who played me in Miracle on 34th Street? A total drunk, and I think he stole a pair of my boxer shorts. And I have fond memories of that guy. The rest have been worse. Tim Allen? Puh-leeze, totally miscast. And that Ed Asner who played me in Elf--I've seen better performances from guys ringing a bell in front of the supermarket. Ass-ner hung around here for a week and was all, " 'Oh, you're so great, Santa,' this and 'How will I ever play such an icon, Santa?' that." Then he portrays me like I'm some kind of jerk. That's what I get for trusting actors, I guess.

Sigh. Okay, I have to say that the 15 minutes or so Tom Hanks spent talking to me were nice, although I could have killed Mrs. Claus when she said, "You're making a film about my Santa? Then you should call it Bi-Polar Express." I'm sure Hanks was just being polite by laughing. She always has to ruin things for me.
Posted by Santa

Read more of Santa's musings here...

Forgive my corniness!

2004-11-23T20:21:00.000-06:00

Just the other day, a young man named Sneakers received a parrot as a gift.

The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary.

Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity.

Sneakers tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, Sneakers was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. Sneakers shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder.

Sneakers, in desperations, threw up his hands, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed.

Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, Sneakers quickly opened the door to the freezer.

The parrot calmly stepped out onto Sneakers's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

Sneakers was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued...

"May I ask what the turkey did?"

Who gives?

2004-11-22T23:08:00.000-06:00

Another holiday season and only one more bath-gel set to go before you can finally live your dream of opening a bath-and-body shop.

Save your friends from that same fate. Do you have someone "so hard to shop for" or who "already has everything?" Stop the madness and spend money on something useful for a change. The online non-profit Whatgoesaround.org makes it incredibly easy to help thousands of worthy charities. Work it two ways: Either make a straightforward "give" or a "givelist" of preferred charities, which friends and relatives can then donate to through the Website. Clever, right? They also do givelist registries for weddings and memorials. A simple feel-good, do-good gift.

That doesn't smell like rancid talcum powder.

Available online at whatgoesaround.org.
(via DailyCandy)

Oh, my. How embarrassing.

2004-11-22T20:18:00.000-06:00

Purdue destroys Hoosiers 63-24 in Old Oaken Bucket game

WEST LAFAYETTE -- The Hoosier football team suffered a spanking in the Old Oaken Bucket game Saturday as IU gave up 763 yards of total offense in a 63-24 thrashing at the hands of arch-rival Purdue. With the loss, the Hoosiers end a disappointing 2004 campaign at 3-8 and 1-7 in the Big Ten. (via IDS News)

TAR: Episode 1

2004-11-16T23:56:00.000-06:00

The world's greatest reality show (shut up, we have the Emmys to prove it) swings back to life with a high-energy, nicely auspicious opening tear across an entirely new location -- Iceland.

While on the one hand, they have cast Wil 2: Electric Tool-a-loo in the form of Jonathan the married "entrepreneur," they have otherwise done a nice job of populating the cast with people who, while they might be a little too pretty, do appear to be at least enjoying the experience and, in many cases, enjoying hanging out together.

Sure, you've got your early flight schedule issues (complete with a mondo geographical shout-out in the form of connections through Minneapolis, wooooo!), you've got your weather-related delays, and you've got your road navigating. But there's also ice climbing, wrestling, arguing, frolicking, and a couple of bickering actors who almost seem to be playing themselves in some kind of wacky Hollywood satire. Oh, and did I mention the lapsed Mormon? I know it sounds kind of flashy and un-Race-like, but despite an overload of models (which is definitely present), it's really a good, witty, exciting episode that makes the most of its two-hour time slot.

Read the rest of the recap here: Television W/O Pity

It's not just a wonderful world... it's amazing!

2004-11-16T06:06:00.000-06:00

At (short) last, The Amazing Race 6 debuts Tuesday night at 8p central time. Beyond being the best reality competition on tv, it is perhaps the best drama and best comedy as well.

Meet the teams. Predict a winner. And come back after the show to talk.

Most Lovable & Hateable Programs

2004-11-15T00:41:00.000-06:00

From Sports Illustrated On Campus - the easiest college programs to root for and the easist college programs to root against. Good stuff...

10 Most Rootable Teams
10 Least Rootable Teams

p.s. They forgot one on the most rootable -- get ready to make some noise for the INDIANA HOOSIERS! Their first game this weekend might have been against a division II school, but a win's a win. Good job, guys!

Color Coordination

2004-11-12T23:09:00.000-06:00

My junior year of college I developed an obsession with DVDs... I wanted to own them and I wanted them organized. How did I accomplish that? Color coding.

All my movies were grouped so that, while squinting, the shelves formed a rainbow. It was beautiful! It caused a little extra work because borrowers never seemed to get the system and unfailingly interrupted the rainbow's seamless color stream with discordant pairs. (People! Orange does NOT go between blue & purple!!)

Much to my chagrin, SP prefers a more traditional way of organization. We alphabetize. That's okay; it's quick, it's easy. But I'll always remember my movie rainbow fondly.

And, NOW, I know I'm not alone in my creative genius ;-)

For one amazing week in November, Adobe Bookshop in San Francisco has agreed to allow its estimated 20,000 books to be reclassified by color. Shifting from red to orange to yellow to green, the books will follow the spectrum continuously, changing Adobe from a neighborhood bookshop into a magical library—but only for one week.

Adobe Bookshop in San Francisco's Mission District, and all of its contents, will be transformed. It will take a crew of 20 people pulling an all-nighter fueled by caffeine and pizza and following a master organizational plan—but come Saturday morning it will be like a place that would only exist in a dream.

This temporary public installation will be assembled by the San Francisco artist Chris Cobb and a staff of volunteers, who will reorder all the books in one night and, when the week is over, return them to their original locations.
link (via McSweeney's)

Pee Wee has two more movies coming

2004-11-12T21:12:00.000-06:00

"Pee Wee Herman -- whose brilliant and seminal kids' TV show, Pee Wee's Playhouse, is out on DVD -- has announced that he's working on two more Pee Wee movies, one a sequel to Big Top Pee Wee, and the other a feature-length version of Pee Wee's Playhouse. As they say on the Intarwebs, "w00t!" Link (via BoingBoing)"

Hmm. Okay, I'll admit -- I was enchanted with magical genie Jambi (a disembodied head in a box who granted Pee Wee's wishes), laughed at Captain Carl (lusty seaman Phil Hartman -- pre-SNL days), and had fun with all the rest -- Reba the mail lady, the pretty girl-next-door Miss Yvonne, the King of Cartoons, Cowboy Curtis, Tito the lifeguard, Ricardo the soccer player, and the obese Mrs. Steve. And didn't we all learn OPPOSITE DAY from Pee Wee??

That being said, I'm not sure Pee Wee can ever overcome that stigma of perversion he earned many many years back... What do you remember more -- the fun playmates at the Playhouse or the embarrassing arrest at the adult theater?? These days, I have an easier time understanding Paul Reubens (Pee Wee) as the nasty vampire in Buffy than as a kid's entertainer.

2004-11-09T22:09:00.000-06:00

One last walk into the sunset before he left me for ... the game :-P

At least I have some pictures to remember him by...

2004-11-09T22:01:00.000-06:00

At least I have something to look at while Sneakers is stepping out on me... that darn HALO! ;-)

The end of Sneakered Prince & me...

2004-11-09T18:17:00.000-06:00

...well at least for the next month.

See, tonight I learned something really important. Did you know that HALO2 & I are interchangeable as suitable life partners? Yes, sir, it's true.

JK. But really -- I'm placing money that I won't be seeing SP as much for a while!

We will fight for the cream & crimson, for the glory of old IU!

2004-11-08T22:43:00.000-06:00

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It was stark and obvious and a clear sign of things to come. Walking into a preseason Indiana practice on last year's Road to College Hoops was seeing an Indiana team that didn't look like an Indiana team.

Talent? Not enough. Depth? Not enough. Experience? Not enough.

In the end that means not enough wins. IU went 14-15 to post its first losing season since 1970, two years before Bob Knight arrived to make the Hoosiers perhaps the nation's premier program. It lost seven games at home. There was discontent in the locker room.

It was bad.

A year later, in this case a sunny Southern Indiana Saturday, and everything is different.

Read the rest of this article by Dan Wetzel here. (It's a good one! :D)

Grease is the word

2004-11-08T12:07:00.000-06:00

Sandra Dee & Danny are old favorites -- it's time for a new pair!

Check this hilarious video clip out. Be sure to include the sound.

You're the one that I want, woo ooo ooo!

Political Ramblings... one last time

2004-11-04T22:55:00.000-06:00

Warning: This post will be long. I don't think many people read this anyways, so I'm going to go ahead and use it to vent one last time. (I promise... ONE last time.)

This is the first election I've been a part of where I have felt emotional over the results. I found myself tearing up during John Kerry's concession speech yesterday; I find myself tensing as I talk about where the country will head over the next four years. This is the first time that I see how much the presidency can (and this case, WILL) affect MY daily life. And yours.

My Aunt Lucy forwarded me an editorial from the New York Times -- I will include it below my ramblings. The one thing I hope my republican and/or Bush-supporting friends do understand is that I am a deeply faithful and religious person. SP was a Kerry supporter and is also. My parents & several of my aunts and uncles supported Kerry. Faithful and religious? You bet. VERY much so -- strong Catholics. Did you know that the Catholic church was against Kerry? Does that mean we're not good Catholics for supporting him? Does it mean that we CAN'T be faithful people if we want a president who won't interfere with a couple's right to marriage? (In fact, do you think that if we do not support a ban on gay marriages that it means we approve of gay marriages? Because the way I see it, it doesn't matter if I think it's right or wrong -- it's about freedom -- meaning it's about what America is supposed to be.) Does it mean we must be atheists or at least agnostic if we understand the necessity of separation of church and state -- one of our country's very foundations? Absolutely not.

I deeply want a moral leader at our country's helm. I'd love if that person WAS religious. But I feel that what is NECESSARY for our president to be focusing on is education, jobs, health care, social security, and so on. Please take the time to read this editorial.

I respect everyone's right to their own opinion. I'm using this blog as a source to vent my feelings -- I will not press them onto my friends and family who disagree with me. Here, if you're one of those people -- all I ask is that you have an open mind too.

ONE last thing before the editorial: Gay marriages. For anyone that voted for the ban out there (and there are tons of people because ALL ELEVEN STATES THAT HAD THIS MOTION PASSED IT.) Did you know that you weren't just voting to stop the marriages? The motion included other civil rights -- for instance, hospital visits. Passing this ban takes away the right of a gay person to visit his/her partner in the hospital when only immediate family is allowed. Again, I WILL NOT GET INTO the rightness/wrongness of homosexuality. But think about your fellow man -- do you want to deny him/her that freedom? Is that showing God's love? (I'm not suggesting you consciously wanted to take away those other rights. I'm really asking if you knew that. I guess it was NOT advertised as part of the bill. Funny, huh?)

I lied. Now the last thing: a disclaimer. If I have offended you, please separate my views from how you feel about me as a person. Know that if I'm offending you, I probably also very much disagree with your point of view -- but I will NEVER let that affect how I feel about you as a person. I said several of my family members & friends voted for Kerry -- several of them also voted for Bush. I love them the same. And as I said before, I will NOT ever bring any of this up with them. Politics & money are two things I don't think ever should come between loved ones.

Two Nations Under God
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: November 4, 2004

Well, as Grandma used to say, at least I still have my health. ...

I often begin writing columns by interviewing myself. I did that yesterday, asking myself this: Why didn't I feel totally depressed after George H. W. Bush defeated Michael Dukakis, or even when George W. Bush defeated Al Gore? Why did I wake up feeling deeply troubled yesterday?

Answer: whatever differences I felt with the elder Bush were over what was the right policy. There was much he ultimately did that I ended up admiring. And when George W. Bush was elected four years ago on a platform of compassionate conservatism, after running from the middle, I assumed the same would be true with him. (Wrong.) But what troubled me yesterday was my feeling that this election was tipped because of an outpouring of support for George Bush by people who don't just favor different policies than I do - they favor a whole different kind of America. We don't just disagree on what America should be doing; we disagree on what America is.

Is it a country that does not intrude into people's sexual preferences and the marriage unions they want to make? Is it a country that allows a woman to have control over her body? Is it a country where the line between church and state bequeathed to us by our Founding Fathers should be inviolate? Is it a country where religion doesn't trump science? And, most important, is it a country whose president mobilizes its deep moral energies to unite us - instead of dividing us from one another and from the world?

At one level this election was about nothing. None of the real problems facing the nation were really discussed. But at another level, without warning, it actually became about everything. Partly that happened because so many Supreme Court seats are at stake, and partly because Mr. Bush's base is pushing so hard to legislate social issues and extend the boundaries of religion that it felt as if we were rewriting the Constitution, not electing a president. I felt as if I registered to vote, but when I showed up the Constitutional Convention broke out.

The election results reaffirmed that. Despite an utterly incompetent war performance in Iraq and a stagnant economy, Mr. Bush held onto the same basic core of states that he won four years ago - as if nothing had happened. It seemed as if people were not voting on his performance. It seemed as if they were voting for what team they were on.

This was not an election. This was station identification. I'd bet anything that if the election ballots hadn't had the names Bush and Kerry on them but simply asked instead, "Do you watch Fox TV or read The New York Times?" the Electoral College would have broken the exact same way.

My problem with the Christian fundamentalists supporting Mr. Bush is not their spiritual energy or the fact that I am of a different faith. It is the way in which he and they have used that religious energy to promote divisions and intolerance at home and abroad. I respect that moral energy, but wish that Democrats could find a way to tap it for different ends.

"The Democrats have ceded to Republicans a monopoly on the moral and spiritual sources of American politics," noted the Harvard University political theorist Michael J. Sandel. "They will not recover as a party until they again have candidates who can speak to those moral and spiritual yearnings - but turn them to progressive purposes in domestic policy and foreign affairs."

I've always had a simple motto when it comes to politics: Never put yourself in a position where your party wins only if your country fails. This column will absolutely not be rooting for George Bush to fail so Democrats can make a comeback. If the Democrats make a comeback, it must not be by default, because the country has lapsed into a total mess, but because they have nominated a candidate who can win with a positive message that connects with America's heartland.

Meanwhile, there is a lot of talk that Mr. Bush has a mandate for his far right policies. Yes, he does have a mandate, but he also has a date - a date with history. If Mr. Bush can salvage the war in Iraq, forge a solution for dealing with our entitlements crisis - which can be done only with a bipartisan approach and a more sane fiscal policy - upgrade America's competitiveness, prevent Iran from going nuclear and produce a solution for our energy crunch, history will say that he used his mandate to lead to great effect. If he pushes for still more tax cuts and fails to solve our real problems, his date with history will be a very unpleasant one - no matter what mandate he has.

One more day to election time!

2004-11-01T08:23:00.000-06:00

Who's excited? I'm excited! I signed up at Cnn.com to follow certain races (I do live in a "battle ground state," you know.)

GO VOTE! I'd like to tell you go vote Kerry, but I won't. I'll just say GO VOTE! :)

And click this link for a funny video about Florida voting machines.

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2004-10-15T18:56:00.000-05:00

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2004-10-14T23:12:00.000-05:00

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Barefoot* Principessa

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The Art of Letting People "In" - Part I

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From the desk of Sister Mary Merlot...

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Halo, can I have another?

Per Alaska Fish and Game Department:

Look at you, SmartyPants!

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Time for YOU to play along!

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Try the NotSalmon, dammit!

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