For those of you who like to bake

Chicago Tribune had a holiday cookie contest. There are some good looking recipes.   http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/chi-holiday-cookies-3dec03,0,7691018.story   Of course, I think my almond buttersticks would have bitchslapped most of the contest entries around, but...I did not know about this.

Did I mention...

I dreamed about being on a sheep/goat/things you can make yarn out of farm last night? I'm getting rather fixated on yarn.

Zug

Holy crap I'm tired. I hate winter. I hate how it gets dark so freaking early. All I want to do is hibernate.   I came home last night, had some dinner, and then sat in bed to do a little knitting. (Trying to finish the left mitten.) I was intending to get up and do my yoga videa after digesting, but I could barely stay awake to knit. I was lying in bed, in my dark room, by 7:30.   Pathetic.

I Am....Mrs. Brian Roberts

You see, Mrs. Brian Roberts is my "take-no-prisoners" alter ego*.   Mrs. Brian Roberts gets a meeting invitation for FOUR PM. ON A FREAKING FRIDAY. Looks at it, and says who the fuck do you think you are? And then hits DECLINE.   Four pm. On a FRIDAY. During the HOLIDAY SEASON. You must be out of your goddamned fucking mind.   ERRRRP! Thanks for playing! Here's a year's supply of a dog food as a parting gift.   *For some stupid reason, when I punch in my telephone number to bring up my club card at Dominick's, it's under "Brian Roberts". WTF? So the cashiers look at the receipt and say "Thank you for shopping at Dominick's Mrs. Roberts." Okay, yeah, whatever. I hope Mr. Roberts is well-endowed and keeps Mrs. happy.

Blargh - A Complainy Post

I am so fucking bored today.   My shoulders are tense. I'm trying to make sure I don't hunch my shoulders up by my ears like I tend to do.   I dislike the dreary light outside right now. I hate that winter-snow light; it's flat, dull and so ungraceful and unflattering to everything.   Cyber-Monday? My email was stuffed with "SHOP TODAY! ZOMG SALE!!!!" emails. Zug. I just can't work up the desire to purchase much of anything right now. Not even that salt lamp. I'd probably get it and be like "meh" once it arrived. The one thing I *really* want (and need!) is a new Macbook. Except I do NOT have the $2200 for the one I want. I literally have no more hard drive space on my old Mac. There was one MLB game I tried to download from iTunes, but can't because I HAVE NO SPACE. I have to offload a bunch of shit and so some serious file cleanup.   I have to finish a few more gift purchases and I really have no desire to do that either. LOVELY xmas.   Ugh. So bored.

No Black Friday for me

I think I have convinced myself not to go shopping tomorrow. This is good.   I will probably be up ridiculously early anyway, because of the dog, but I don't want to drive to Woodfield. I've done shopping for most people already. If I went, I'd just be tempted to buy for myself.   I think the only thing I may do is buy some Illuminations Fresh Air candles for myself, but I can do that online. They have a nice flat shipping rate. Yay for avoiding shopping crowds!!   Yep. I do believe I will be good and get my ass to the gym tomorrow in the morning.

So. Damn. Tired.

I'm going to need a couple days off AFTER I finish this pet-sitting gig. *groans*   I have barely gotten any sleep. I can't sleep very well when the dog is in his bed near mine, grunting and whuffing and getting up to turn and what not EVERY FIVE FUCKING MINUTES. And then he wants to go outside at like FOUR AM.   So I get up, I let him out. And let him back in. And hobble back to bed.   Only to get back up around 5:30 because they're all - dog and cats - bitching to be fed.   I finally managed to catch some sleep between five thirty and nine. Weird dreams. I dreamt I was in Hawaii and there were massive tornadoes off in the water. Yes, I know water and tornadoes aren't typically it, but they were many and massive. And scary.   I woke myself up making terrified noises.

Blah

I feel so tired today. *yawn*   I am looking forward to having five days off in a row, that's for sure!   I plan to: veg, knit, do yoga, veg some more...maaaaybe do some shopping. I don't know. Tonight I go to the D's house to watch the pets/house until Sunday. They left this morning. I bought Forrest two chewy bones. That dog DESTROYS those bones in no time flat. It's pretty disturbing. I was over there last night to make sure I could access their wifi. Forrest was all "OMG! OMG! *pant pant pant* OMG! OMG!" Big lug.   This whole two-color tubular cast on I need to make for the Brioche Hat is pissing me right the hell off. It's fucking ridiculous and there are NO You Tubes of it that I can find. I really need to see it being done.   Nothing much going on at work right now, which is fine. I spent all day yesterday talking (three training sessions), and my throat is tired.

yayayayayayay

I think my S4 Doctor Who discs finally arrived!!   *keeps fingers crossed*   At least, that's what the USPS site says!

Time to go home, yet?

I did not want to get out of bed this morning.   I don't quite feel like I'm walking on this planet.   Work yesterday was busy. Still conducting trainings on the new (and infamously sputtering) program. My throat is tired and voice is raspy from talking so much. I left about 4pm and stopped off at the yarn shop in G-lake. I got the wrong kind of knitting needles for these mittens I want to make. That place is just evil. If I had any extra time, I would consider trying to get a part time job there, just so I could be surrounded by the yarn. THE YARN, THE YARN, THE GLORIOUS YARN!!!   Exchange done, I headed off to my massage appointment. First massage I've ever gotten, professionally speaking. It was nice. Very reasonably priced - I wasn't going to go somewhere and pay "Mario Tricoci" prices! She focused on my upper body, especially shoulders and neck since that is where I hold most of my tension. I was lying there on the table - with my face in that little oval resting spot so you can still breathe - and was trying to answer a question she had asked me. Really the only thing that wanted to come out of my mouth was "Uuuuhhhbbbbbllllllgggg..." I could barely talk. I think that massage is why I slept so hard and had trouble getting up this morning.   Went to Panera and grabbed a soup + 1/2 sandwich for dinner afterwards. Went to the mall for no good reason. NOTHING in the stores, which is probably a good thing. No one shopping either. It's going to be a miserable shopping season for the retailers. I did stop in to the new, revamped Godiva store. I think it looks way too cold and ugly now - all gray stone and cold glass. The old warm woods store was much more "chocolate friendly" if you ask me. I was just going to purchase a single dark chocolate caramel. The girl gave it to me free as a sample. How nice!   That mall has some idiot management though. They've crammed so many goddamn jewelers into that place it's ridiculous. You REALLY have that huge a market for jewelry where you can support about a dozen stores? REALLY? In this economy? I can totally see more of them moving out and that mall quite possibly tanking as a result. I would rather shop at Old Orchard or Woodfield, higher tax rate be damned. There's more selection of the things I actually need to buy - like clothes!   Went to Bally's after the mall and hit the elliptical for a while. Came home and crashed.   Tonight is yoga class.   Tomorrow evening I'm going to the D's after work to get the house key and 411 for when I pet & house/sit for them while they're away for Thanksgiving (five days). I hope to make about $250. I never really set a "fee" when I started doing this for them. I don't know what "the rate" is for this. I was just like "whatever is good" and they've been pretty good to me, so no complaints. $250 over 5 days is $50/day. I'm sure some babysitters get that much for a NIGHT's worth of work. Anyway, if I can get about that I think I will get myself the 32GB iPod touch. I got that spot award from work a couple weeks ago and purchased an Amazon gift certificate with it. That + the sitting money should put me nearly there. I would only have to pay $30-40 more (I'll also need a case for the thing).

Domestic Bliss

Dear god. Sitting next to someone going through a split with their spouse just makes me...never want to get involved and have kids.   Seriously, I can count the number of "good, making it work" couples I know on one hand. Yes, they're inspiring, but jesus christ, everyone else is fucking MISERABLE.   In other news: I found an online coupon code (SNOW5) for The Popcorn Factory. Nom nom nom. I just got one of my friends a little popcorn gift thing. There's another one down.

What a fucking JOKE

LIEberman KEEPS his Homeland Security chairmanship. This is utter BULLSHIT. Way to be pussies, Reid & Co.   When Lieberman backstabs you into oblivion again, don't come crying to me or the netroots. God am I pissed.   <a href=http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm>Fucking Harry Reid needs to be BOOTED as Majority Leader. Email him.</a>   This is what I sent:   <i>Congratulations on having NO spine, whatsoever. In an election where the American public OVERWHELMING voted for "change", you all decided to KEEP a known backstabber - Lieberman - in his cushy chairmanship. What were you thinking, or were you even thinking at all? It was never about "revenge", but there should be SOME accountability for Lieberman's gross disloyalty, attacking of Obama and kowtowing to the Bush regime. HE CAMPAIGNED FOR MCCAIN. What part of that don't you get?! The Homeland Security chair should be for a LOYAL Democrat. When he continues to backstab and scuttle Obama's plans, don't come crying to any of us in the netroots. I know I'm sure as heck going to be pushing for a new majority leader since you are clearly not pushing for the change WE THE VOTERS demanded!</i>

A small victory

I was in need of something minty. So I went to the vending machine and purchased some overpriced Breath Savers. Seventy-five cents for a little roll!! Shit, those used to be .35 .   ...   Then the machine kicked out two rolls instead of one.   SCORE.

Well, I think Cuban is out...

Adding to the Cubs' woes...Mark Cuban was just charged with insider trading by the SEC.   *rolls eyes*   So now the guy who probably would have been the biggest cheerleader for the team is probably NOT going to be a buyer anymore is my guess. (Add this to Selig's already being prejudiced against him...)

What a waste

...of a morning.   I got my ass up early and in to work to set up for another round of trainings I need to conduct for the new process we have. Supposed to have THREE today.   I'm cruising along...except the platform sort of isn't. Fucking servers are down. Can't even access the goddamn thing. Even better? Our completely inept IT people dedicated to us (yeah, some dedication) are off in freaking California at a convention.   HAD TO CANCEL ALL THE TRAININGS and will now have to reschedule.   This is ridiculous. Fucking IT is making me look bad.

Clapotis!

At long last! I have finished the <a href=http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/clapotis>Clapotis Scarf</a>!!!!   Woot!   It looks pretty good. All the ladder stitches wound up correct, which was a big relief. I started this back in May and was SO confused. I just left it on my needles for the longest time while I went on to do other projects. By the time I finally picked it back up in earnest late Oct/early Nov, it was suddenly "easy". I'd tackled other stitches and techniques that gave me a higher comfort level.   The "worst" part of it was the center part of the pattern - the length portion - because it went on FOREVER. Blah blah blah blah!   But now it is done, done, done. I think I will wear this at work tomorrow!

! Aggravation !

GAWD. I just wish this OVERBEARING BORE of a woman would get OFF MY FREAKING CASE at work.   She's riding me for something I feel she doesn't even need to concern herself with. She's a micromanaging, take-the-credit-for-everything-that-isn't-her-own, pit-people-against-each-other type.   *sneers*   I'm fucking ignoring her emails.

HOLY HELL

Score one more for the 1990s Clinton administration?   KO is covering this...apparently there may be a little known rule that Clinton enacted that would allow him to UNDO most of this last minute bullshit the Shrub is trying to slam through his lame duck session?

Dear God, KO and Lit

Keith just referred to Dick Cheney with a POE reference! Cask of Amontillado!

Score One More!

Begich overtakes CONVICTED FELON Stevens in the Alaska Senate race! Results are finally being tallied from the urban areas which were expected to go Begich's way.   OH PLEASE. PLEASE ELECT BEGICH. Because the last thing I want to see is: (1)Stevens - again CONVICTED FELON - get "re-elected", (2) be kicked out from the Senate for being a felon which results in (3) Palin nominating herself as the replacement Senator. Yes, she could do it. And has as much hinted she is interested in it during her recent interviews.   What a fucking attention whore.

Huh

Is it just me or is Rahm Emanuel kind of good looking in a weird sort of way?

Bi-partisan Cabinet

Ok, I know I am not the only dem-backer thinking the following when I hear all this talk about "centrism" and Obama going for a "bi-partisan cabinet": ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!   Rachel Maddow last night was spot on with her doubts of this (the cabinet bit at least) even being possible. O-man, it's great you want to set aside differences, but let's look at facts, here.   The GOP is a dishonorable, extremist party that is full of wingnuts.   They are still guided by the policies of Rove.   They are crediting their defeat to McCain not bringing up Ayers, Wright and other meaningless shit up early or frequently enough. In other words: they didn't smear you hard enough.   They refuse to take responsibility for any of their actions.   The GOP is the party that crowed about "having a mandate" and "political capital" with barely 51% of the vote in 2004. Now that we beat their asses into a pulp this election - 6% margin, popular vote, DOUBLE EV votes, gains in BOTH houses - they scream and flail that we DON'T have a "mandate". What the fuck ever.   Some GOP dude already said NO to a rumor that he would be pegged for your cabinet.   Does this sound like a group that wants to "work with you"?   Uh, no.   And this all goes double for the Secretary of Defense position. If that person is not a Democrat, I'm going to be furious. Granted, there may be one or two of them who can be worked with, but this is going to the exception and not the norm. The wingnut faction long ago ran out of most of the reasonable members of that party. Look at Chafee, for chrissake. He now runs Independent and thinks the GOP is fucking crazy.   The Republican Party of old - the one Abe Lincoln hailed from - is long dead.   P.S. OH MY GOD! I can actually watch television news again without wanting to kill people. This is great!

First kids

It seems that it's mostly been First Daughter(s) in the White House.   Bush has his (idiot) daughters. Clintons had Chelsea Bush the First had grown children, so they weren't IN the House. Same with Reagan Carter didn't have kids in the House did he?   Well, now we can add Malia and Sasha to the First Kids roster. At least they'll have each other. God knows it isn't going to be easy growing up in THAT limelight. I was reading some Newsweek article and I guess their Secret Service nicknames were (assuming it will change now) "Radiance" and "Rosebud". LOL   Spike O'Dell on WGN this morning was mentioning how they were both cute as bugs (don't get that analogy, I would think "cute as buttons", but oh well). They are. Dude, that Malia (that's the older one right?) is going to be a looker when she's older. (Sasha has the cutest little cherubic face.) Spike was saying Obama is going to have pressure soon: Malia isn't that far from dating age and he's going to go through what most fathers think "YOU ARE NOT DATING!"   It was a fun lighthearted moment on the radio.   And the kids now get a puppy! I guess the oldest wants a golden doodle. Of course PETA is up in arms about this. Myself, I would *prefer* a pound dog to be rescued but I hear there are some allergy issues and golden doodles are relatively easy on that end. I'll give it a pass because of the allergy issue. (A cat would *definitely* be out with dander.)

Still too much

I wish I had five brains and the accompanying sets of eyes to read everything that is coming across today both in news and on my flist. There is just TOO much to read about yesterday's reclaiming of what our nation actually stands for: HOPE. Sadly, narrow-minded people (locked in a cave, unable to see the light) like that ellie_kay will never see how beautiful it is that people of diverse backgrounds come together to create something better. I am happy. Not screamingly so, more in a hushed quiet way of contentment. I am happy that the rest of the world is genuinely happy with our decision. I cannot believe the images from around the world of people celebrating what just happened for us. Foreign nationals - CRYING in happiness for an official that is not even their own. Cautious for the future, but happy that we took such a great step. Look: that is the power America has. ONE nation, among so many, with the capability to either lift other countries/people up like we have in the past ("give us your huddled masses yearning to be free" and WWII as examples) or be an intolerant and domineering imperial power (basically, the entire Bush Presidency). As the Spidey comics say: with great power comes great responsibility. We do not live in a bubble. What this country does affects the world. To treat other nations disdainfully lessens us. We have damaged friendships around the globe. I hope, I hope that is repaired. We have a lot to make up for. I'm also really freaking exhausted. But what a great day. What a great start. Seriously. Except Obama was pictured this morning in a car wearing his White Sox hat. *sigh* Oh well. I suppose every one has to have a vice...!

Too Much to Process

I wasn't feeling overwhelmed or super-emotional yesterday, watching the returns. Maybe it's the lack of sleep, but today is the day I feel like crying.   I was listening to WGN 720 on the way in to work and Spike O'Dell was talking to some political correspondent in London (a US citizen). She was talking about the world's reaction to Obama being elected, obviously. She told about how random people were just coming up to her when they heard her American accent and congratulating her for Obama's win. She was saying THIS is what Europeans are saying America is really about [paraphrased]: democracy, merit, and equality. We elected a mixed-race man with big ears and a funny [Arab sounding!] name to the White House. Anything is possible.   That made me teary. I've been fortunate to do some foreign travel, and really, during my  last trips in 05/06, as an American, I just wanted to be as LOW key as possible. I was embarassed to be identified as an American because of how Bush and his minions had absolutely destroyed our standing and good will in the world. I felt like I had to be apologetic about my nationality and how our country was run by inbred redneck assholes who didn't even believe in our Constitution. Who pretty much shat on our individual rights and gave the rest of the world the middle finger. All I could offer to people I know overseas is: dude, I did NOT vote for this shit. There ARE sane people here, I swear, but we've been hi-jacked by the neocons.   There were cheers in Parliament for Obama.   Dude. America did take a huge step towards growing the hell up (some tv dude said this last night?).   Thank god the Democrats found their feet. Thank god the PEOPLE finally woke up and put off apathy and fucking BELIEVED that things CAN, SHOULD, and WILL be better. This country is not hopeless. I can be proud of my country and hold my head up.   Obama is just one man. He's got huge expectations. Realistically, he can't deliver on everything. All I know is he IS a thinking man. He is caring. He will LISTEN to people (big ears help?), even (and especially) when they disagree with him - UNLIKE THE REPUBLICANS who thought they were above listening to the people! He is going to be asked to lead our country in a time of huge crisis in almost every sector.   McCain's concession speech last night? I like the leet speak "tl;dr" for it. Blah blah blah. Get the hell off the stage. You know, if McCain had run a campaign as "gracious" as that speech was, he probably would have performed better. Instead, he caved to the Rove people running his campaign and fought a campaign of smears, lies and hatred. All of that appealed to the very worst in many of his supporters. Did you hear them booing and screaming at his pathetic little rally in AZ? I was just waiting to hear one of them yell out "Osama" or use the N-word. It's hard to convince your supporters to act like responsible adults, when you've spent a couple years whipping them up into a frenzy of bigoted and mislead hatred. (*snort* Couple years? Yeah, the GOP has spent since at least 1992 demonizing anyone who didn't agree with them.) In other words, McCain: TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE.   CNN coverage got fucking downright annoying after a while. Hello - they couldn't even get right the "last time one party controlled both the Congress and WH". They said Bill Clinton. MORONS - it was GEORGE DUMBYA BUSH AND HIS NEOCONS. *smacks forehead* Yeah, so much for our liberal fucking media bias!   All is not bright and shiny:   Some places went blue that hadn't been in years. Indiana is an example.   Kay Hagan beat the slime campaign of Liddy Dole in North Carolina. Gee, Liddy, I guess calling the Sunday School Teacher "godless" wasn't such a fucking smart idea after all?   Assaults against a woman's right to choose were defeated in North Dakota and another state.   Dan Seals lost to asshat Kirk. *groan* Kirk was all "we'll be there to look over [Obama's] his shoulder when he needs it". WTF?! NOW you're interested in performing your fucking job as a check and balance on the fucking executive branch? NOW? Coveniently after you've spent the last ten years voting party line and with Bush NINETY PER CENT OF THE TIME. FUCK YOU.   Darcy Burner may not have won.   Franken ran tight, but lost.   Tinklenberg did not beat that fucking crazed asshat Bachmann in the MN-06. In case you didn't know, Bachmann is the McCarthy era wannabe who thinks people should be investigated for un-American activities. Whore.   Alaska. From the state that shat out Sarah Palin. Seriously. You people need to get fucking UV lamps or something, because you are living in the dark in more ways than one. You fucking RE-ELECTED CONVICTED FELON Ted Stevens?! Are you out of your mind?! Less than four thousand votes difference. Give me a damn break. Members of his own party - shocking I know, that the Repubs would do this -  (in addition to Dems, obviously) have said they will KICK HIM OUT the Senate if he is re-elected. A CONVICTED FELON does not belong in the Senate!   And perhaps most grievously, discrimination is still alive and un-well in the U.S. Proposition-8 was passed in California. (Other discriminating laws were enacted in other states as well.) The GLBT community has been relegated to second-class status. As a straight person, how the HELL does it bother or affect MY life if two gay people wish to marry? Answer: IT DOESN'T. People need to mind their own fucking houses and their own fucking business. Gay people pay taxes and all that shit just like the rest of us. They own a share of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" just like the rest of us. All I can hope is that people continue to fight and file lawsuits all the way up to the Supreme Court on this.   We all saw how well the doctrine of "separate but equal" worked when it came to blacks and whites in this country. Pardon the pun, but clearly "gay" is the new "black" when it comes to discrimination in this country.   In short: we have things to be proud of with this election, but clearly, we still have MUCH to work on.

Amidst a lot of joy...

A lot of rampant homophobia. Discrimination against the GLBT community was given permission to continue in California and I believe three other states.   This is unacceptable.   What the fuck is WRONG with people?

Calendars

God, I am absolutely addicted to buying calendars around this time of year. Specifically: ones of the British Isles.   If I can't BE there, I can sure as hell look at pictures of them on my calendars.   There are some stunners.

Don't Blow It: VOTE!

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JCeHelY1KEI&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JCeHelY1KEI&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Senator Durbin

Senator Durbin's daughter died today "from complications due to a congenital heart disease". She was only 40.   http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/1/182459/586/657/649200

Truth in Advertising

TiA has really been tossed to the side these days, hasn't it?!

Work

Jesus Christ, my day has been fucking INSANE. I should go to yoga tonight, but right now all I want to do is sit back with a bottle of something strongly alcoholic.

Xmas Savings

OOoh. Money in my Xmas savings account gets distributed to my main account on Sat, Nov 1. Good to know. I should, I suppose, sit down and make my gift list out so I know what I'm buying for whom. (Not much, this year!)

DAMN IT

I just spilled milk all down my shirt and pants.   *throws hands up*   FUCK

Application!

DONE, dude. I think I'm gonna go trot off and deliver it this very afternoon!

Sweet!

I just called the temp agency today to see how many vacation days I'm eligible four. It's based on approved hours and I have no way of knowing exactly how many hours that is.   Woot! I have, to date, 1130.33 hours. I was expecting maybe three vacation days. Nope, I get FIVE. Which is still lousy compared to a real employee here, but it's better than what I was expecting! Plus, I do have holiday pay for Turkey Day and Xmas and NYD.   I'm looking at my calendar, and I think I will use my vacation days for the day before and day after Turkey Day (2), Xmas Eve (1), Boxing Day (that's Day After Xmas to us Yanks) (1) and NYE (1).   BTW: I will most likely be staying down in the city for a good chunk of time between 12/19 and 1/2 as I will be apartment sitting/pet-watching for my friend, Anne, while she is in Hawai'i (lucky bitch)! *looks at flist* JULIUS MEINL! LOVELY! YO! ICE SKATING!   P.S. Don't know why this popped into my head just now, but I think my next big picture undertaking should be documenting the first snowfall on the Seminary Premises if I can swing it. Yes, I really have no love for Catholocism, but the Seminary grounds are gorgeous, especially with a first snowfall. You feel like you're a million miles from nowhere, but you aren't.   Ok, back to filling out my job application for the community college.

Dead from the waist down

Good freaking god. I was cleaning up my bookshelf, and I came across a random notebook I'd only sporadically used as a journal. From 2005. It was full of bullshit about the last jerk I dated.   There's a reason I don't journal much about relationships during the odd times when I actually have one: because it's goddamn freaking embarassing when you find the stuff months/years later and realize the jerk wasn't worth any of the heartache.   Moan, moan, moan HE WASN'T WORTH IT. NONE OF IT. *snort* I'd forgotten the "casual" remark he made to me when he broke up with me OVER THE PHONE. That still pisses me off.   What a douchebag.   I ripped those pages out of the journal, tore them into bits and tossed them in the trash. Right where they belong. I couldn't light a fire in my room, or I'd have burned them. That's usually what I do.

Deluded (or Planning on Stealing)

McCain is still saying he's "going to win".   Excuse me, WTF? There is no way in HELL you are going to win. Even all your own wingnuts are saying you're an idiot, lately, and saying that you are bringing down your party with you (which is just fine with me).   And now, speculation that he is focusing so much on PA (even though he is DOWN, way down in the polls) as the place he is "going to win".   Yeah, right. Only if you steal it, you fucking thug.

Botanic_Garden 117

Botanic_Garden 117
Originally uploaded by feigenbaum_04

The rest of my Chicago Botanic Garden photos are uploaded.

Dude

Is it time to go yet? I'm so freaking exhausted. I slept like crap. Gotta stop at Walgreens on the way home and pick up my archival CD of Botanic photos.   Then I need to do some yoga. If I don't fall asleep.

Sarah Palin: NOT a voice for women

water lily

water lily
Originally uploaded by feigenbaum_04

From my trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden today.

Dear John: No one (Sane) loves you

Recent headline on Yahoo!:

McCain: Obama fundraising hurts public financing

Dear John:

You really are that stupid, aren't you? What a pathetic, LOSER thing to say. Gee, if this were YOU I highly doubt you'd complain. No, you're complaining because you're a LOSER AND LOSING.

This relationship is OVER.

XOXO

The American Public that Thinks (i.e., Liberals)

P.S. The whole "Obama's plans are Socialism" schtick. *snort* Judging from his insane poll numbers and the way people feel about his policies, I think that means if it is socialism, then people don't give a rat's ass. Call me weird, but I think the fucking tax dollars you bastards rip from my paycheck SHOULD GO TO ME AND/OR SOCIAL PROGRAMS TO HELP OUR OWN PEOPLE. NOT SOME FUCKING CORPORATIONS.

P.P.S. Yes, saw C.P. endorsed Obama. Feel a little torn over this. I mean...yay? But as someone pointed out in Daily Kos, "respected" or not, Powell knew all the lies - from the INSIDE - the Bush regime perpetrated to initiate the illegal war in Iraq. And what did he do? He went to the U.N. and repeated those lies. He is also responsible for this war. He can apologize for this all he likes, but that doesn't change what he did or what happened. He should turn witness on these assholes and help get them prosecuted for war crimes. For that matter, Pelosi should have gotten off her ass and impeached Bush when she first had the chance in 2006.

P.P.P.S. ANOTHER wingnut attacks an Obama supporter: this time in Caledonia, WI. Local newspaper article here. This brought to you by the hate rhetoric spouted by the EVIL McCain-Palin. Remember, McCain is proud of all his supporters. PROUD. I betcha Palin would say those were "real American", you betcha!

Reason eleventy million why wingnuts are assholes

So, there was a blurb on NBC for the news in the commercial break. Obama supporters in the Chicago suburbs are receiving death threats for their lawn signs. Villa Park is where it happened. Three death threats. It's on tv now. Oh, and they phrased it as a "VIOLATION NOTICE" from the village. Oh, and they also called the woman a "n----- lover". Classy. Real fucking classy, you fucking redneck ASSHOLE WHOEVER YOU ARE. These ignorant rightwinger freaks need to be tossed in jail. They deserve much, much worse. You're not even people. YOU LACK ANYTHING REMOTELY HUMANE IN YOUR NATURE. *seethes* I hope they hunt this fucker down. This is why I have NO RESPECT. NONE. NOT FOR MCCAIN OR PALIN FOR WHIPPING UP AND SUPPORTING THIS TYPE OF ASSHATTERY IN THEIR SUPPORTERS. I HAVE NO RESPECT FOR THEIR SUPPORTERS. LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING, YOU BACKWARDS-MINDED IDIOTS.

The Iceman Cometh

THIS reference? Is teh awesome.   http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/17/navarrette.debate/index.html   Make no mistake, Barack Obama is one cool customer. Now, after the last debate, it seems all but certain that the Iceman cometh to the White House.   Radio talk show hosts and rank-and-file Republicans spent the last few weeks pleading with John McCain to take the gloves off and take the fight to Obama. How's that working out, folks?   In this week's match-up, Obama snatched the gloves out of McCain's hands and slapped him silly with them. I suppose the hope was that Obama would get rattled and make a mistake. But Obama doesn't get rattled or make many mistakes.   Obviously, it takes a lot to get under Obama's skin. McCain sure tried. Maybe this is the guy we want negotiating with world leaders. Maybe after eight years of George W. Bush stubbornness, on the heels of eight years of Clinton emotiveness, we need to send out for ice.   Maybe? MAYBE? No, Obama IS the guy we want.

You betcha!

Europe mocks "half-baked Alaskan" Palin.

Dear Europe and rest of world:

REALLY, REALLY sorry our country has been run by absolute crooks and shithole liars. Sorry our country has been run by the fucked up idealogues who think Jeebus loves them guns! SORRY, SORRY, SORRY.

Hopefully we're on the way to making amends for that with President Obama.

God, my country is an absolute fucking EMBARASSMENT because of George Bush and these goddamn neocons. They should all be strung up from the nearest gibbet.

In other news: I did in fact cancel my Facebook account. I am trying to let go of the anger I feel towards that one individual, but it's a slow process. I still want to backhand the bitch across the room. What a cunt. Seriously. And I don't use that word a lot.

Yeah, I called Sarah Palin "evil". YES, SHE IS EVIL. If you believe in the whole Judeo-Christian concept of god and the devil and all that crap, then YES Sarah Palin and McCain and a whole lot of that infrastructure is EVIL. They do the devil's work. How can you NOT consider this woman evil when she whips "people" (using THAT term loosely) up into a frenzy of hatred and bigotry and where some start yelling to murder the opposing candidate?! Please, if it were one of us on the Democratic side doing it, you'd all be yelling bloody fucking murder. Just because that bitch squirted five kids (and what mental fuckups THEY probably are) out of her vagina does NOT make her a good person (as that idiot on my former Facebook seemed to imply). Any chick can spread her legs and have a baby. Her being a mother has NOTHING to do with anything. AND THEN, fucking McCain, instead of repudiating such actions, fucking comes on the debate last night and says he's "proud of all the people who attend his rallies". NO HONOR. You fucking wingnuts. Any one want to take a stab and the ways in which I am sure the wingnuts have broken every commandment, all while claiming to uphold truth, justice and the "American" way.

I take comfort in the fact McCain's karmic reward will come as he will probably die of melanoma within the next four years.

I look forward to an overwhelming victory, a filibuster-proof majority, and this country finally fucking having a smart, thinking person in charge and HOPEFULLY recovering a bit of the respect other nations used to have for us.

You know, SCREW YOU

I friended back someone on Facebook - she's the older sister of someone I barely keep in touch with anymore (not my fault).   She apparently took umbrage to a post of MINE in MY OWN profile wherein I called Palin evil for inspiring hate talk.   Yeah, go figure. Said woman is a military wife. I don't know why she would support a duo who wants to keep fighting unjust and unnecessary wars. Keep drinking the kool-aid, then.   You know what people? If you're a fucking McCain-Palin kool-aid drinker, FUCK OFF. You're not wanted.   I immediately de-friended her. Fuck it, I may just get rid of the whole Facebook thing anyway. I find it increasingly stupid. I keep in touch with the people that matter to me via other means. I don't need stupid ex-dance dates, or crazed sisters "friending" me when they don't know the first damn thing about me and/or are politically stupid.

pumpkiiiiiins!

pumpkiiiiiins!
Originally uploaded by feigenbaum_04

giganto

Calendar Time

It's Calendar Buying Time again.   Oh boy. There are some absolutely GORGEOUS calendars of London. *sigh*   I miss London.   Andy, I miss you too! I know we haven't talked in forever.   http://www.calendars.com/XQ/ASP/PID.1/MGID.12010/IID.45657/QX/product.htm   http://www.calendars.com/xq/asp/PID.1/MGID./IID.48768/qx/product.htm

Sunset on the Lake

Originally uploaded by feigenbaum_04

Countryside Lake at sunset

Exhausted

I am exhausted today. It's my own fault; I should have gone to bed earlier last night.   My eyes just want to slide shut.   My left leg is also killing me. I have got to stop wearing flip flops - no support! All the cleaning I did yesterday also = ow.   *yawn*   Oh, I wish I could have stayed in bed.

Fucking ridiculous

The DOW continues to freefall at terminal velocity. Now we're below 9,000. Yeah, so much for that ridiculous bailout package! What did it buy? NOTHING. Oh, wait, AIG fat execs got to go play at a posh spa resort. Those fuckers should be sued, or better yet, tarred and fucking feathered. Seriously.   Who's paying? NOT the government. NOT the companies. Those assholes still get their golden parachutes.   YOU AND ME.   YOU AND ME.   My mom thinks she's retiring this December. She's out of her mind. I haven't looked at my Scottrade account. I don't think I want to. I didn't invest all of my money directly into stocks that I'd rolled out of my company SRP once I went contractor, but the majority was invested. I'm sure I've lost at least 25%.   And yet McDeregulationCain said as little as two weeks ago that the "fundamentals" of our economy were strong. WHAT A FUCKING LIAR. He is part of the problem! He was there back in Reagan's day, when this whole deregulation shit first started that was the groundwork for this whole mess. Hello, Keating 5 scandal. Hello S&L scandal.   We're in a fucking recession. There is no "risk" of one anymore. Let's face the goddamn facts. We are IN a RECESSION.   I'm not looking forward to this, but after having just cut the cable service back a tier, I may just tell my mom we need to cancel it. Because I'm not paying for it. (And I know she won't want to. She's already said she'll just have to cut back on stuff when I asked her what she planned on doing WHEN - not IF - WHEN I move out.) I watch DVDs more anyway. I'll miss the Food Channel and Discovery and TLC, but three channels are not worth crying over. I'll still have PBS. I just printed out those coupons for the digital converter boxes.   I put my Netflix account on hold. Now I'll just cancel it.   About the only non-negotiable thing for me is internet service. I have been pressing to ditch the landline - I NEVER use it, why should I pay for it? She's got a cell phone, too. WHY pay for a landline that the only people call are telemarketers? I just need to call ATT and confirm I can just have internet service only. I know they'll jack up the price since I want to ditch the landline. Fuckers.   And while I would love to go see the inauguration for Obama, I'm really doubting I'll have the money to get out there.   If I'm *lucky* I will have money saved for a roadtrip next summer.   Christmas is gonna be fun - well it usually is *snark*. My mom has a habit of getting me stupid presents. I am one of those people who will TELL YOU what I want. Don't ask me what I want, have me tell you, and then go out and get me something stupid I will never use. Gifts from friends are one thing, but I know how hard up my mom can get for money. I try to keep her from spending too much on stupid shit. She can just forgo the Christmas crap. Maybe some yarn. Maybe a book. That's it. I'm telling you, if she gets me anything else, it's going back.   I'm lucky I have nearly $600 saved in my xmas account. That's probably far more than many people have in either their checking or savings. Shit.   I've got to stop eating out during the workweek, too. Weekends with friends is one thing. If I stop going to Panera all the damn time during the week then I can do the weekend crap. Adios, Starbucks.   Gotta go to the comic shop, too. Enough of the kid crap. I'm keeping Fables on my monthly pull. Everything else is stopping. If I want it, I'll get the trade.

My family, a bunch of stupid ass republicans

God, I really DESPISE and loathe my family some days. A LOOONG time ago I blocked the Faux News Channel from the cable. Well, apparently my mom caught on. That's all that gets watched at my brother's house of republican bullshit. And then my brother called a couple days ago about it and you can guess how that went. I hung up on him. I wasn't in the mood to talk anyway because of the Cubs losing. He was saying something about how he didn't think it was fair since the cable is in her name...which is when I hung up. I'm sure I pissed him off. He called me back and I didn't answer. Deleted his VM, too, unlistened to. FIRST OFF, DUMBASS, the cable may be "in her name", but who fucking pays it? Oh, that would be ME. All fucking $82/month of it. It's too bad when I downgraded our service a couple days ago that the Fux News wouldn't be on the tier anymore. I REALLY REALLY NEED TO GET MY ASS A TEACHING JOB SO I CAN FIND OUT WHERE I SHOULD MOVE TO AND THEN MOVE THE FUCK OUT. And of course, while I'm taking out the kitty litter, what do I see my mother watching? Fux News. Drink the purple kool aid, family of mine. Be good and stupid little catholic republicans. *glares* I know you're not supposed to loathe and despise your family, but when it comes to religion and politics, I could seriously just hit my relatives over the head with a baseball bat. WHY THE FUCK MY MOTHER AND BROTHER - MEXICANS - CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN THAT REPUBLICAN CRAP IS BEYOND ME. YOU FUCKERS ARE BROWN! GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS! THE RICH WHITE FOLKS DON'T WANT YOU UNLESS YOU'RE CLEANING THEIR BATHROOMS, MAKING THEIR FOOD, OR MOWING THEIR LAWNS!

Hand warmers

Still goddamn cold in here. I am borrowing a girl's handwarmers (fingerless gloves, basically). She is another knitter.   I look like a nauseated zebra. There's a black then a white band top and bottom. In the middle is bright neon green (like post it note color).   But my hands are warm.

Music

Bob Marley, my man, you somehow make me feel like pulling out of this funk.   Go to Pandora and stick in "Jack Johnson". I'm ending up with a nice bunch of mellow, sittin on the beach type of music. Jack, Bob, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, etc...

Oops

I was doing handstands in the last aisle of the fileroom to try and get the blood flowing.   Someone walked in.   HI.

Beef Bourguinon Day 2

STILL fucking tasty.   Hmm. Do I stay and watch the Sux game? Or do I go engage in some retail therapy to calm my playoff-expectin nerves?   SHOPPING

Desperate

I am so desperate for freaking baseball that I may voluntarily watch the Sux-Twinkies tonight.   Jesus. Wednesday can't get here fast enough.

THE HELL

Saturday's game is at fucking NINE PM.   FUCK CALIFORNIA!

Big Fucking Surprise

The Ruthugs just derailed their own "sent-from-heaven" bailout plan. *rolls eyes*   And this *was* surprising: Washington Mutual Inc has been seized by the Feds and sold off to JP Morgan. W.T.FFFFFFF? And their investors are SOL. I used to work for WaMu. Hated it, but I worked in one of the corporate offices for the DVP of HR.   http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/business/26wamu.html?_r=1&oref=slogin     Dear People Who Think Republicans are Great, Moral and Fiscally Responsible:   Please go shoot yourself. We are in the worst recession I have ever been alive for. And whose fault is that? YOURS. ALL YOURS. Because last time I fucking checked, Clinton left office with us all in the black. You fuckers SPENT AND/OR STOLE EVERYTHING YOU COULD AND PRAISED JEEBUS WHILE DOING IT.

Baseball

Welp, the Cubs won - with Bobby HOWRY no less - last night in 10. Glad SOMEBODY stepped up.   This means: the Phillies stay 1.5 games up on the Mets in the NL East, with a magic number of 3 (?). Mets have fallen into a TIE in the Wild Card with...the Brew Crew, who pitched CC Safathia on three days' rest (for the second time, and they'll probably do so AGAIN against us later this weekend).   The Dodgers have a magic number of 1 (ONE) against the Diamondbacks. Yee haw. I want those snakes ELIMINATED, bitches. This is not because I think the Dodgers would be an easier opponent - not at ALL, hello Manny! - but the thought of there being any possibility of us having to go to Chase Field sort of makes me want to HURL.   Playoff picture is still very cloudy with less than a week to go.   We get to play the team with the worst record. I'd like that to be the Mets, but meh. Right now the Mets are in a dogfight with the Brewers for the Wild Card. Fairly certain the other matchup will be Dodgers-Phillies though. That's fine with me. They can go beat up on each other.   Oh, and Minnesota pwned the Sux last night AGAIN. HA HA HA HA. God, I really hope we can get rid of all this ridiculous speculation about a "Red Line Series" (the Red Line, for you non-Chicago folks, is the eLevated train line that runs from Howard on the North side, hits Addison (i.e., across from Wrigley) and eventually goes to the 35th/Sox stop way down on the South Side before ending at the Dan Ryan). So I think the Twins are within a half game? Maybe? If they win tonight I do think they go up on the Sux. Red Line Series? Bad, Bad, BAAAAD idea. Chicago would be a war zone. Fucking Daley wants the bars in Wrigleyville to stop selling alcohol after the 7th inning stretch. What's he gonna do if the Sux make it? Have everyone check in their guns at the bar entrance? Eh?

Hopeless

This is hopeless. I did not get selected to get tickets.   BIG SURPRISE.   I checked stubhub to be outraged about prices - and was. Near THREE HUNDRED just for fucking STANDING ROOM.   Fuck everyone

Thoughts

Today's thought-provoking lyrics provided to you by The Root's "Sacrifice":   If you want to reach something in life You ain't gonna get it unless You give a little bit of sacrifice

Z

60890139
Originally uploaded by feigenbaum_04

THE NO HITTER!

GAAARRRGH!

Dear GAWD I am fucking AGGRAVATED. I am *NEVER* *EVER* going to the Walgreens at the corner of 176 and 43 for photo developing/ordering photo CDs.   THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THEY HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTE RUBBISH.   First time they gave me the WRONG order. Today? The machine busts down and the moron doesn't tell me that my order won't be ready until I fucking pester him.   I call back to check on the status, because it "won't be long" - machine STILL down.   You fuckers, I have pictures of Zambrano's no-hitter AND I WANT THEM. NOW.   I told the guy if he doesn't have them done in half an hour, he can ditch the order because I am going ELSEWHERE.

WTF?!

And now Palin is threatening RUSSIA with WAR?!   WHAT. THE. FUCK?   Someone, PLEASE toss this dozy bitch into the fucking Bearing Straight, PLEASE.

What day is it?

Well, unless you're a complete moron, you know what today is.   I'm not sad, I'm angry if anything.   Angry because seven years later ...   -- fear is still being used as a tactic to keep the Republicans in power. Lest anyone forget - it's while on THEIR watch this attack happened. They were warned about Al Q and Bin Laden well in advance of the attack. They chose to do nothing.   -- For all his bullshit posturing about "dead or alive" and "mission accomplished", Bush STILL HAS NOT caught Bin Laden or accomplished anything! Why? Because if you catch Bin Laden, you can't use the Boogeyman to scare sheep into submission. They might try to catch BL now to say "yay, we did it, now vote for us again"   -- How many thousands of US soldiers dead in an UNJUST war in Iraq. Hussein would never have had Al Q. Why? Because he was a totalitarian dictator! They would challenge his authority, and there's only room for one. Afghanistan was legitimate - that's where Bin Laden was. Iraq was a complete lie.   -- How many MILLIONS of Iraqi dead?   -- How much national wealth poured into Iraq while people here suffer, lose jobs, no health insurance, lose loved ones, national disasters (like Katrina) here...?   -- McCain uses a backdrop showing the attacks during his speeches. Yes. He actually did. USING THE ATTACKS FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL GAIN.   -- Blackwater and other contractors making large financial gains on the blood, sweat and tears of others   -- "Weapons of Mass Destruction" my ass.   -- Valerie Plame     -- LIES LIES LIES and MORE LIES and on and on and on   Fuck Bush. Fuck McCain.

Food

I could really kill for some serrano jam right about now.   Mmm. Salty goodness.   Must have been that damn Andrew Zimmerman show in Spain yesterday. Yes, I know he's a doof, BUT the Spanish food!!

Holy shit, did he really say that?

I saw this over on LOHO [ http://inaleagueofherown.com ]  I mean, yeah, we say it all the time (and oh was it fucked up on Saturday to see him hit a HOMERUN and CHEER FOR HIM), but BOB?!   Something We Heard: "I never thought we'd see the day when we's say we were glad to see Jason Marquis take the mound." --Bob Brenley

Thursday

I found the "missing" money I had lost a couple weeks ago in my trouser pockets this morning. Around $24 dollars.   I am so looking forward to yoga tonight. I need something to put me in a better frame of mind after all this sports and politics related asshattery. I'm bringing my yoga teacher an "I <3 The Riot" t-shirt. Too bad the Cubs aren't freaking winning. Poor Wendy. She's been on the cover of the Trib and/or the Sun-Times with her husband at Cubs games. (They've got season tickets.) I saw the one from the 2003 NLCS debacle and her face was buried in her husband's shoulder.   That's about how I feel.

HA!

Family Values Strikes Again!

 

Palin's 17 y.o. IS PREGGERS!!!

 

*laughs and laughs and laaaaaaaaughs*

NOOOOOO!

Weather tomorrow - when I have AWESOME TICKETS - chance for thunderstorms in the EVENING.

 

NOOOOOO! NOOOO! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT.

Knitting Antics

I am trying to find information on doing magic loop knitting for free online. (Helpful for knitting socks and mittens because damn if I want to sit and knit one, and then go back and have to do ANOTHER.) I came across this in Knitty and it is COMPLETELY screwing with my brain.

 

Damn.

 

That is hardcore knitting.

 

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/FEATextreme2in1.html

 

 

I love sports coverage after Cubs Wins

From "At 30 Over, Flaws are Few" [ http://www.suntimes.com/sports/telander/1124321,CST-SPT-rick25.article ]

 

The whole article is pretty much awesome (as is Rich Harden, Canadian's hottest export since...just about ever), but the kicker is the "memorial sticker".... BWHA HA HA HA HA!

 

Harden again shows why he figures to be a major postseason plus

 

...

 

October getting closer

 

So in the Cubs' locker room, Harden pondered this. ''Highway to Hell'' blared over the music speakers, Mark DeRosa tried to explain how he has hit home runs in four consecutive games (''It's definitely nice, but I don't know why''), Alfonso Soriano sang to himself in Spanish, Ryan Theriot sat beneath the sticker on his locker that says ''In Loving Memory of Dusty,'' and catcher Geovany Soto praised the slumping Kosuke Fukudome for his pinch-hit home run in the seventh.

Cubs Win

What a glorious game.

 

Aaaaah. Except goddamnit, with Harden going today this means for sure he won't go on Thursday. WAAAAAH!!!

 

Mark. FOURTH HOMER in as many games. INSANE. The man is out of his fucking mind.

 

Rich was just on the radio....*meep* I love him.

What is up with this?

I am just so EXHAUSTED. All the damn time.

 

I could barely keep my eyes open. I had to take a nap.

Telecommuting

So, I'm sitting here in the LF at a Starbucks telecommuting. Unfortunately, I also get to overhear these two paunchy middle-aged idiot gasbags go on about the state of the Bears, the NFL and how so many are getting overpaid.

 

Ok, Lovies-in-Training. *rolls eyes* Dude, you think backseat baseball managers are bad, you should hear these gasbags. Oy fucking vey. It's too bad Urlacher doesn't walk in and hear all this, since he lives in this overpriced town.

Idiots

I am sitting in Starbucks doing work. Unfortuantely, this really smart Asian dude is trying to teach/tutor this absolute IDIOT of a dumb blonde. It must be math or physics (a basic level). I heard him talking about equations for force or rotations earlier. I had to stick in my earphones. This woman just does NOT get even the most basic of concepts.

 

Literally.

 

Part of the earlier conversation was "if you have 4 rotations in 2 seconds, how many will you have in one second?" Dude, that isn't even algebra or physics. It's simple fucking division. She just sat there completely blank. DIVIDE IT IN FUCKING HALF MORON!

 

Plus, she sits there tapping her feet nervously non-stop.

 

Thank god it is practically a physical impossibility for me to bear blonde-haired children.

 

To add to the fun: there is this old far in a walker here. He's got a sign on his walker bashing the "do-nothing Democratic congress" and saying to start drilling for oil. FUCK YOU, GO OFF AN DIE YOU GIMPY WANKER. The congress may in fact be do-nothing, but your fucking generation has fucked up EVERYTHING in this country, electing war-mongering fuckup Republicans. OIL IS NOT THE ANSWER. FUCK OIL.

FUCK!

FUCKING ATLANTA! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! Double-header tomorrow - Harden is pitching the second one. This means the rotation is FUCKED! DAMN IT! My tix to the game on the 28th are probably NOT going to be Harden now!! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

FUCK YOU MCBUSH!

I am sick of these fucking McCain ads appearing throughout the Olympic coverage slamming "rockstar" Obama. Fuck you GERIATRIC FUCKUP LIAR!

Holy crap

Bernie Mac is dead, ya'll. He was only FIFTY.

Random

Dude, my boss is the freaking grand-niece of Papa Bear Hallas. This came out during lunch when we were poo-pooing the whole Brett Favre saga. She was like "I fucking hate the Packers" and shakes her head. "Oh really?" "Yes, really."

 

And then she mentions Hallas.

 

WOW. Except, she never got anything cool from it, so that was kind of bogus.

 

Also:

 

I spent over 30 minutes on the phone with this freaking CHATTERBOX in Montreal, trying to teach her how to submit an request in the database I support. I wanted to hit myself in the head with the fucking receiver about five minutes into the conversation. SACRE BLEU, ALONS Y!

SHUT UP, TALKY MEAT

Would everyone please STOP creaming their shorts over ZOMG! BRETT FAVRE?

 

Jesus fucking christ. Just GO AWAY.

Olympics

Normally, I would be ALL over the Olympics right about now. I love them.

 

This time?

 

BLEH. I think it's an absolute TRAVESTY that China was ever allowed to host them. Pollution...human rights abuses...hell, they are blocking/censoring websites and cracking down on international press.

 

Thanks for selling your souls, IOC.

 

**oh, I just caught a little teaser for the Cubs sports coverage on ABC7: "Everything is coming up...Roses" meaning DeRosa. AAAAH. He practically skipped down the steps after his curtain call!

31 & :(

Things I should no longer attempt to do:

 

Hop into one of those trampoline thingies people have in their backyards, and proceed to bounce and do russian jumps for 30 minutes straight.

 

Why?

 

Because while fun at the time, finding out your knees no longer want to function that night or the next morning is NOT fun. *whimpers*

 

This pet-sitting is kicking my ass. I can't sleep well. And for the THIRD time (it happened the first time I sat, too), these people's alarm clock goes off at just fuck-off random hours. Last night, like 3am, I wake up to it going off. I hobbled into their bedroom and slapped at the fucking clock until it shut up. Then I fell onto their bed, wrapped in my blanket, and passed out.

 

Dog woke me up just about 5:30 wanting to go out. Had to hobble downstairs and take care of that. I am so surprised I didn't fall down the stairs. I would shuffle a couple steps, close my eyes/sway, open my eyes/shuffle a couple more steps, repeat process. Let the dog out, let him back in, crashed on the couch for another hour.

 

I feel like death warmed over.

Sleep

I have slept like crap the past two nights. House/pet-sitting is good and all, but I am HORRIBLE at sleeping in a different place. Not to mention, I don't like the bed I'm sleeping in. Oy, my back.

Yay for you, but why bother?

3 women to be ordained Catholic priests http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/16920636/detail.html 

 

Ha ha - I bet the Pope is "not amused". Good for the women, except of course, that this means they will be *cue brimstone and fire* EXCOMMUNICATED. Oh noes!

 

Fuck the patriarchy. Seriously. It's so easy to not give a shit about the people you are supposed to be "serving" when you can say "don't like my rules? oops! you're damned!" and excommunicate people.

 

I'm all for equality. I think the idea that a woman isn't "good enough" to be a priest or deliver sacraments is laughable. Let's not forget it was a woman who squirted out your so-called son-of-yahweh, right? But, nope, let's just continue on your idiotic path wherein you continue to have (dwindling!) numbers of single males be the priests. Priests whom you have shuffled around when they got a little too close with the altar boys and girls.

 

I hate Catholicism for its heirarchy bullshit. The divine is not a concept that is owned or meted out by any one select group. The divine, if you even choose to believe in it in the first place, is something freely available to all people.

 

Just go out and try to do something NICE in the world, ok, people? Don't live for the "next" life. Live for now. Try to make this world a better place.

No stars

Uggla is a bitch.

 

This game is stupid. STUPID. "IT COUNTS" What the fuck ever.

Nitpicking, probably

Okay, so more on "feel-good story supreme" Josh Hamilton. Blah, blah, blah good for you. I hope you stay sober. I'm reading an article on his performance last night and the shit he's overcome.

 

I don't like how either the editorialist and/or Josh himself make his tattoos sound. They make it sound like tattoos are bad in and of themselves. That all tattoo parlours are Satan's gateways and filled with his drug-addled minions.

 

His parents followed him on the road early in his minor-league career until a car accident ended their journeys, which left Hamilton, injured himself, with down time and nothing to do. You know the rest: He hung out at a tattoo parlor, met the wrong folks, began drinking heavily, got hooked on dope.

 

Let's get something straight here:

 

I understand why Josh Hamilton is ashamed of the tattoos he has. He got them while he was high as a kite and they remind him of a very bad time in his life when he made some shit-poor decisions. He's tried to have them removed, but the process is too painful and/or apparently he has too many large tats.

 

Tattoos are not inherently bad things in and of themselves. Plenty of respectable people get tattoos these days. Tattoos are a way of expressing one's self and important things in your life. Historically speaking, tattoos were often done in religious or social ceremonies of many cultures.

 

I have a tattoo. Well, two, if you count the one I went over with the new one. I haven't done drugs a day in my life. The tattoo salon I went to was perfectly clean, sanitary and respectable. My tattoo isn't often visible unless I wear shorts. I'm a teacher and I really don't feel it needs to be on display all that often.

 

Hell - I was at a Catholic school and I KNOW of at least one male teacher who has several tats on his arms (a cross, admittedly, is one), which I saw when he was at the gym! And he's OLD.

 

Plenty of idiots will read what I read and think "1+1=THREE!!" Faulty logic.

 

Tattoos are NOT exclusive to druggies. A reputable salon will not even tattoo you if you appear to have impaired faculties for ANY reason.

 

If anything, Josh, use those tattoos and the shame you feel over them as a warning and reminder of what once happened to you and that you can not go back.

Dark Knight

That is one hot movie trailer. DAMN.

 

Plus, you know, it was filmed largely in Chicago.

 

"This must be Lower Wacker drive!"

non baseball thoughts

You know, I really don't give a crap about Angelina Jolie squirting out two more kids in some foreign locale. Please "entertainment media", just stop already.

 

Do we really need to pay attention to her weird-assedness and attempts to create her own circus family?

 

Eventually when she and Brad get tired of trying to Adam & Eve it, it's going to be a fucking mess with all those kids.

Pathetic

I feel like crap today. I'm still coughing. I woke up last night about 11 with a coughing jag. *groans* What is this shit? Last year I had two incidences where I caught some nasty cough where I would literally cough the second I tried to lay down. It was hell. I really don't need that again.

 

 

Yesterday's performance by the pitching staff was pathetic. Actually, is there a word MORE tragic than what I used?

 

It was horrible, awful, no-good, very-bad, tear-out-your-hair, stab-yourself-in-the-eyes BAD.

 

Lilly lost his shit, although admittedly that might have been as a result of knocking a foul ball into the crowd which beaned a kid. Oops. But he had a homer lofted off him before that incident.

 

Wuertz came in and did his usual - which means more lofted ones.

 

The new kid Guadin came in and had one lofted.

 

Cotts came in and had (the usual) one lofted.

Who else am I missing? There was another pitcher in there. OH yes, Lieber. Lieber also had one lofted.

 

Basically - FIVE PITCHERS. ALL GOT HIT FOR HOME RUNS.

 

Dear pitching staff from yesterday:

 

If you ever show up again, I will kill you. Fucking pathetic.

 

The craptastic dustrags, the Reds, fucking beat us yesterday after a solid Pwning the previous two days.

 

Did I just hear that Harden's start got moved up to today? If so, Marquis must be pissed.

 

Oh well.

Mmmm

I like Mary Janes. As in candy. The little yellow wrapper ones.

 

I am bored. I came back from lunch with the work gang. I have a disc of photos to upload. I have gameday to watch soon (if it doesn't rain).

 

Just call me "Vice President in Charge of Looking Out the Window".

 

I think I may also write inane (and bad!) haiku describing the hotness that is Mark DeRosa.

 

My thoughts are so scattered, I had something else to jot down, but now I can't remember. NOW I remember. I also bought a bag of the Dove Dark Chocolate squares. You know, the dumbass kind with the stupid messages in them?

 

Here's what was in the one I opened: when two hearts race, both win.

 

WHAT THE FUCK EVER. That is the most maudlin piece of shit I've ever read.

 

When two hearts race, both might be having a coronary event.

 

When two hearts race, it's probably because I'm running away from yet another fucktard.

 

When two hearts race, it could be from loathing and disgust.

Bored!

I tell you, the highlight of my workday is going to be the Cubs coming on at 1pm. I will have gameday on. Oh yes.

 

Need to call my dad today. It's his birthday.

Triskaidekaphobia?

triskaidekaphobia \tris-ky-dek-uh-FOH-bee-uh\, noun:
A morbid fear of the number 13 or the date Friday the 13th.

 

Something I just recently realized when I was looking at the Wrigley Field seating chart to purchase tickets for tomorrow's game: there's no VIP Club Box 13 nor is there a Field Box 13. Both missing sections would be on the home team side. There are, however, Bleacher 313, Terrace Level 213 and Upper Level 413 (again, no Upper Level 513).

 

Seriously? No 13 for the sections closest to the field? I find this...lame.

I weep for the murdering of the English language

THE AP6D DINING ROOM WILL BE CLOSED TODAY DEW TO THE GPRD MEETING, TAKE OUT SERVICE WILL BE AVAILABLE.

 

Why did I watch?

I watched some of the coverage of the police officer's funeral that's happening today in Chicago. First guy killed in line of duty since 2002 (?).

 

I knew as soon as I heard the bagpipes go off I'd get all teary.

Oops

I had a Dempster wardrobe malfunction for god only knows how long.

 

Thank god I haven't been up and about in front of people.

History in Literature

As some of you may know, one of the books I taught while subbing this spring was Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. EXCELLENT book, although it is slow to develop and definitely has some strange. (Think of Morrison as a black female version of Tennessee Williams and you might have it. Srsly - Williams' "A Rose for Emily" is just about as fucked up as you can get.) I started out kinda horrified and annoyed at the book, but by the end I really loved it.

 

Anyway, it's your classic coming-of-age/search for identity & family history story, with the troubles of being a black male growing up 1930s-1960s. Takes place largely in Michigan - it's modeled after Detroit, although not explicitly stated as such. One of the fictionalized places mentioned is "Honore" - a kind of well-to-do playground for black folks, who couldn't go many places - it being the Jim Crow era and all.

 

Look what I found today on the Trib [ http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-idlewildjul03,0,7855102.story?page=1 ]:  A Haven from Jim Crow: A Michigan resort town stirs anew with proud tales of its role since 1912 as a vacation spot for African-Americans.

 

"IDLEWILD, Mich — It's a 4 1/2 -hour drive to here from the South Side of Chicago—which, in the bad old days, could seem an eternity to families seeking a vacation from Jim Crow..."

 

"...It was founded in 1912 by four white couples who had a hunch there was a market for resort property among African-Americans, and bought 2,700 acres around the shores of Idlewild Lake, in north-central Michigan. Advertisements in the Chicago Defender newspaper offered lots for a dollar down and a dollar a month.

Among those who bought property was Daniel Hale Williams, a black physician in Chicago. He formed a partnership to build a lakeside hotel and restaurant in Idlewild. Anne Hawkins, a Chicagoan who summered in Idlewild for 82 years, recalls seeing Williams when he was old and she was young.

"When he was very ill, Dr. Williams would lie on the porch of his home here," Hawkins said. "To a child, he was just an old man, but my parents made sure I was aware of the contribution he had made." ***

 

I wonder if Morrison modeled Honore, and possibly a little of the character of Doctor Foster, after this place? Morrison knows her shit, historically speaking, so I wouldn't be surprised at all. I wish I had known about this earlier!

 

Hmm. Also, I wonder if Andre 3000's "Idlewild Blue" song has anything to do with this place? I LOVE REFERENCES!!!

 

 

Telemarketers Suck

This is why I never answer the home phone anymore (I wish I could convince my mother to get rid of it - we both have cell phones).

 

There was a message from someone wanting to contact me about an "injury [I'd] received at a ballgame recently".

 

An injury? WTF? I have NOT been injured. I must certainly would remember something like that. I would have probably had to fill out some kind of report, ya think?

 

I was positive it was some kind of scam. I called the number, fairly certain I would get a message as it's "after hours". This is the number: 800 309 6500. It was "Travel Division". Yep, a stupid timeshare. I also googled it and got this information.  [ http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-800-309-6500#pvP31OQ8-BQAkEgjKqteATg ]

 

What a bunch of fucking liars. They stoop to making up some cockeyed story about my being INJURED? WTF?! Look at the idiot "Jen" on that weblink, too, that works for them and tries to defend the company.

 

Here's a clue Jen: GET A REAL FUCKING JOB.

Bad

Woke up to the news radio blaring yet again about more violence and murder in the city.

 

Seriously. This is the worst I can think of it being. I'm not far wrong - murder is up 13% in just the first half of this year. Not good.

 

What the fuck is wrong with people?