They followed through...

Haloscan took away the free candy. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to get blogger comments back and haloscan turned off earlier today. So. No comments on this blog. I guess this is 9 toes on the grave and one on a bananapeel for flightless hag!

In the mean time, I have recently seen a few feminist posts - well, not really feminist, but you'll understand if you take the time to read them. I hope that all 3 of you do...

First, a look at women's rights in the lands of Islam. It's a bit sad to me... and then, a look at how women's rights have fared here in the land of the free. I especially hope you follow Ms. Althouse's second link. It's yet another reason I HATE that movie...

Later, gators...

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Motivational Posters

OK, so we're all familiar with the stupid posters that HR wants us to have in our cubes. And with Dr. E. L. Kersten's efforts to rectify those posters.

Every once in a while, you'll get an email full of ones like the latter. Here are two of my favorites from the latest bunch, sent by the Dirt Bird (click on pics to read captions):

Because it appeals to me, personally...






dedicated to Crusader Rabbit, based on a recent diatribe he posted...



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No Left Turns

Sorry for the continued light posting. What can I say? Not much to say! However, someone sent me this lovely piece of journalism today, and I thought I'd share. Consider it my "must read of the day":

My father never drove a car...


Now, as far as lovely advice goes, my husband sent me this. I have one comment: this advice-seeker has never noticed why the plain-Janes get what she wants. Perhaps, just perhaps, they bring more than beauty to the mix? Ah, well, whoever gets her probably deserves her.

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Views From My World - Part Whatever

Spaceley’s is trudging along as it has for the last two years. I continue to have nightmares about the place, especially now that we have a new cowboy on staff that counters every decision I make. I’m beginning to feel like the guy in office space that has 8 different bosses. But time is running down now, and I’ll have all new frustrations soon. Yipee!

One of the guys that used to work for me often comes to me for advice. Today, he brought over an email he had received. It seems he is one of 2500 random winners of an International Lottery – prize of 1000000 pounds. He had to have his financial advisor in London contact the lottery people – overseas phone numbers provided – in order to begin his claim.

He asked me if it was real. I guess there really is one born every minute.

~~~~~

Sunday, at my husband’s suggestion, the family flocked to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. If you’ve never been – it’s a big area (a few fields of a farm) that has been laid out like a renaissance market. Well, not really, but that’s the idea. This one has about a dozen different stages where there are acrobats, magicians, musicians, bards, fighters, sword-swallowers, trained animals, and loads of other exhibitions. Between stages, there are lots of vendors – food and wares – and some more permanent things like games, rides (not electrical), a big jousting field, and other spectacles (like a fully equipped and documented dungeon and a castle). Meanwhile, there are all sorts of folks ambling about – some work for the faire, some have paid admission just like you – who are dressed in full costume and greet others with “God save thee…” etc

My husband, being a fan of both Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Garden State, has quite a cynical outlook on people in costume. He just could not turn it off. He rolled his eyes as I cheered on our jouster (who went by the appropriate nickname: Bull!). He refused to get excited when we saw the Queen (just a glimpse, actually). He barely tolerated the really funny magician. He totally blew my experience.

What’s worse is that my impressionable boys look to him for how to act. So when Sean started to get into the joust, when he saw Daddy roll his eyes and ask if we could leave, he decided to act the same. We didn’t even stay for the main event:

It was totally unfaire.

~~~~~

Finally, two pieces of info for some of my fellow bloggers.

Cube had posted something about sending stuff to Mars, and I asked if Mars Attacks! was sent. I commented that Slim Whitman saves the world in Mars Attacks! She was not impressed.

Well, Cube, when I was a kid, there was this telemercial for Slim Whitman’s Greatest Hits. My brother Ron was in college at the time (I’m too young to really remember). Apparently, my father and other brother (John) went out to pick up elder son from uni, and they were chatting on the way back. Ron asked if John and Dad had seen the really annoying infomercial on telly – this awful man who yodeled. Who on earth, he concluded, would spend hard-earned cash on such crap?

My father, of course, had purchased the album, and it was one of his favorites. (and, apparently, he was not alone. Wikipedia has “All My Best” as the best selling TV-marketed record in music history. Take that, Christy Lane!*)






For Minka, someone sent me this trivia tic-tac-toe that reminds me of your Thursday special. It’s quite addictive!


(*Just for you, Mary. Your very own blast-from-the-past earworm.)


Cheers!
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A Two-fer

Months of barely posting, and here I am, 2 in one day! Well, this is a meme, so it mightn't count.

My aussie friend Craig over at Outside The Breadbox has tagged me for a meme. Damn his eyes!
The gist is this: I’m supposed to list 8 things about myself that other people wouldn’t know. Then I’m supposed to share the fun with eight others.

The problem is, I’m a person without secrets. In fact, when I went to the bank the other day, these two guys were sitting there, and one asked me for a secret. I frowned, and stated that I had none. I’m so BORING!

So, I’ve been thinking about this since then, and since I saw Craig tagged me last week. I’ll try.

1. I have an extra fold in my first finger. No, it’s true! It’s like I have another joint, but I don’t.
2. I still talk to myself, and thank god for the invention of hands free devices for cell phones, because now people aren’t as likely to think I’m crazy. (They’d be wrong, of course.)


3. I write fanfic. Lots of it. Have for years – since seventh grade, in fact. Back then, it was Scarecrow and Mrs. King. Most recently, I’ve been writing/reading Jane Austen fanfic. I’ve even written some short, original fiction. It has led to me understanding just how hard it is to write at all, let alone well, and has given me WAY more respect for published writers.


4. I’m the youngest of eight children. My mom was the youngest of eight children. Though I’m only in my thirties, my uncle fought in WWI. My sibs and I (and all of our spouses) all get along – I can’t remember a feud among us even though we are ALL very different. I think about my family a lot, to this day quoting MASH or Bugs Bunny or something like that and thinking that John or Ron would understand when everyone else just looks at me like I’m nuts.


5. I am a jack of many trades and a master of none. I can play guitar… a little. Piano… even less. I can sing, but who can’t? I can program, but I’m not great at it. I can knit, cross stitch, cook, and all sorts of other things to a mediocre level. I have passion for nothing. Sometimes it makes me feel half dead inside.


6. I love pens. I keep a box of all different color pens. I don’t use them, I just have them.


7. I like people on an individual level, but abhor crowds. If I have to be in crowds, I want to be alone (i.e. shopping) – I have no fear of getting lost, but I do have a fear of separation, probably left from when I was a child and my older sister purposefully left me behind in stores. Hey, gotta blame someone for my neuroses.


8. There used to be a really big, ugly mole on my chin. The first thing I did when we had some money was get that stupid thing removed. I have a scar now, and find it infinitely preferable.


9. Chain letters are evil, and so are memes. I don’t forward or tag. It’s against my religion. Along with fornication.
   

That’s it. See? Boring as a blade of grass in Toledo, Ohio.

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Funniest Commenters Ever

OK, I've read Tim Blair on and off for years now, simply because his off-handed irony makes me laugh. And because his commenters are funny as hell.

However, this post and ensuing comments had me crying. (warning, not for the left at heart!)

I think I must own Underwear of Ambiguity.

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Hacked Correction!!

John's password wasn't taken... his entire userid was changed. I.E. John's page wasn't hacked, blogger was.

Makes me glad this isn't important, in the scheme of things!

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Hacked!

John’s blog has been hacked. He’s now advertising some dating service. And the bastiges changed his blogger password. So if you go there for updates, you’ll get some doozies.

On a side note, we’re off on vacation this week (Seattle, here I come!!). Not like you expect regular updates anymore, but there will be none. So there.

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Hilarity Ensues

If you haven’t, you should go read Tim Blair. He is the funniest damn blogger out there, I swear.

Some of the latest hilarity? We’ve got concern for polar bears.

You should really go visit. Your funny bone will thank you.

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