Key West Bound

I'm heading down to Key West tomorrow morning, for my brother Tommy's wedding. I've never been there and I'm really looking forward to it. We'll be there for a week, along with many of our family, including aunts and uncles. Should be a really good time. I've got a list of the usual touristy things to do while there (Hemingway's house, the southernmost point thingy), but there is one thing I wasn't expecting to have to look out for: the chickenz.

We have to leave for the airport by no later than 3:00 AM, so I need to get my hiney in gear, shave these legs and finish packing so I can get to bed soon. Where I will most likely lie wide awake until 1:00 AM. Have a good week, everyone - see you when I get back on the 6th!

Note to self...if ever in Australia, don't try to put that fire out myself - call the fire department instead.

"The star of the show, of course, is the cold-loving ice worm."

He may not be who he is.

(this one's for all you X-Files fans out there - you know who you are)

Virus Warning

Outlook Express and Microsoft Address Book users, watch out - there's another worm making the rounds. According to the Wired article:

"The virus arrives as an e-mail with the subject line "new photos from my party!" It contains an innocuous looking file attachment called www.myparty.yahoo.com.

A message in the body of the e-mail reads: "Hello! My party... It was absolutely amazing! I have attached my Web page with new photos! If you can please make color prints of my photos. Thanks!"

Attorney General John Ashcroft extolling the virtues of the Spirit of Justice.

People are so weird.

Booby Trap.

"According to investigators, Greene was enjoying a lap dance when disaster struck: One of the strippers, Kandy Kane, got too into her performance and suffocated the man between her 72-DD breasts."

[link courtesy davezilla]

"The phenomenally disgusting lifestyle of those who work at home."

You mean I've actually been working all this time?? Who do I see about a raise?!

TIME.com has an article on Andrea Yates, her relationship with her husband and her history of mental illness. It's a riveting read, and I'm not sure where I stand on the issue of her responsibility. I do think the husband should share in the blame; maybe that's why he has stood by her so steadfastly - that somewhere in his subconscious he knows that, in some ways, he helped her to kill those kids.

Spyware and Audiogalaxy. If you use Audiogalaxy you should read this article. I'm an Audiogalaxy user, but I installed the software on 11/27, after they had removed the spyware, called VX2. The article contains link to sites that offer analysis of spyware and ways to remove it.

Something to keep in mind when getting dressed in the morning.

"He threw down his racket and dashed over to where the bird lay, hoping for a miracle, but he was too late, so he fell to his knees, crossed himself and delivered the last rites."

"The former vice chairman of Enron Corp. was found dead Friday, the victim of an apparent suicide, police in Sugarland, Texas, said." One of the few at Enron with a conscience, it seems.

Blah, Blah, Blah

I added some background color to portions of the site in order to anchor them and get rid of that floating feeling. I think I like it.

I'm sitting around this morning, twiddling my thumbs. I have a million things to do before we go away and before my mother leaves for Mary's tomorrow, but they all hinge upon receipt of some cold, hard cash, money that we have been expecting to arrive since yesterday. So, I sit here, calling my bank periodically to see if the money has been deposited. Please please please please come today.

I completed the job I had contracted with my former employer. I put in my final 8 hours yesterday. They still need a lot of help, but I am winging it to sunny Florida soon and they will have to wait until I get back. If this job interview goes well on Monday, though, I may have a new job when I get back. I'm a bit nervous about the interview - I haven't been on one since I graduated from college, 15 years ago. I'm a shitty liar and I have a tough time marketing myself, so I'll just smile, be myself and they can take me or leave me. The position is an Automated Support Specialist for the US District Court in New Haven. I'm not familiar with all of their apps (Lotus Notes, Crystal Reports), but the job is fundamentally the same as my former one, so I'm hopeful.

Invisibles!

Time for Invisibles #59 - 6 outta 8. Answers to last week's quiz are here.

I was watching I Love Lucy tonight, and I just have to say, I wish I was as fat as they all thought poor Ethel was.

I'm drowning in real life right now. As soon as I can surface for air I will get back to blogging, I promise!

"Enron's human toll."

LOLOL, that poor, stupid woman.

"Tyson charged the WBC and IBF heavyweight champion right after the start of a conference called to announce their April 6 bout, and a brawl broke out on stage at the Hudson Theater."

The Neanderthal of Boxing strikes again. After the brawl, Tyson put on quite a display and spewed a stream of obscenities at someone in the audience. You can view a clip of his horrendous behavior via a link in the article.

In Honor of the Reverend Marting Luther King, Jr.

An excerpt from a letter Mr. King wrote from a Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963:

"We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we stiff creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you [are] forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness" then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience. "

Please visit TIME's tribute page to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Okay, why am I asking you to take a look at this picture of Hugh Hefner? Because it makes this picture even funnier.

Bummer, man.

"Besides mints and deodorant, they'll get a Blackberry two-way pager, DKNY jeans, a two-night stay at any Ian Schrager hotel, a 13-inch Philips television, Lalique rings and Casio digital camera watches. The package will be worth $15,000 to $20,000."

That's just not right.

[link via tvbarn]

It's snowing again. I wish I had a digital camera so I could show you how pretty it looks.

Oh, where have the last few days gone? I feel like I was busy, yet I can't point to a single thing I accomplished. Sort of like The Lost Weekend, but without the booze. Well, a little bit of booze, maybe, on Friday night. Well, maybe more than a little. For which I paid dearly on Saturday.

Went to see Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring yesterday after finally finishing the Fellowship portion of the book. It lived up to all of its praise, in my opinion, disappointing only in what was omitted. But that's what DVDs are for, am I right? I could go on and on about the movie, but I think I will spare you and let you read this instead.

"Viewed today, "Roots" remains a great drama with nothing Disneyfied or softened about it." The Hallmark Channel begins airing "Roots" on Sunday night at 9:00 (and all day Saturday, Jan. 26, starting at Noon. I will have to try to watch at least some of it. We were glued to the set when it aired the first time, in 1977. No one had seen anything like it. I'm glad to hear that it hasn't lost its power and relevance.

What type of Flirt are you? I was taken by surprise by my result, although not by the last line:

"Were you just winking at us? We couldn't quite tell... In fact, we think it's pretty safe to say that you're a Subtle Flirt — you're a master of the flirting game. You know how to attract attention from anyone, any time. A quick come-hither smile, a little game of look-away-and-look-back-again — before long you have the object of your affection wrapped around your little finger. One of the best things about your approach is that it's discreet. You can always act innocent and coy if something gets taken out of context or misunderstood. Just make sure you're not too subtle, or you may end up playing the game all by yourself."

The X-Files will end this season. I'm feeling bittersweet.

Oh, ick, ick, ick, ICK! And now they have a taste for it.

Invisibles #58, folks. Total and complete brain freeze - 3 out of 8. Also, answers to last week's quiz, which I apparently missed.

"All I could hear was the saw and all I could do was scream," she said, adding the real pain started when the mould was ripped off, taking her body hair with it."

Looking to pick up one of the most venerable movie studios for a bargain price? Here's your chance.

What a first-rate cock-up. The whole mess stinks to high heaven.

The Official Computer Scene Sex Chart. The most remarkable thing about this to me is the fact that someone has taken the time to keep track of such a thing. And it is yet more proof that I ain't gettin' any. (famous names are in caps)

[link via Wired article]

"Dot-name -- a new Internet domain devoted to people's names -- got off to a slow but relatively untroubled start Tuesday as it released it first batch of domains live on the Internet. "

Seems sort of clumsy and awkward to me: firstname.lastname.name. What about the poor soul who has particularly long name? One of my professors in college had an 11-letter first name and a 12-letter last name. Talk about the URL from Hell.

I wonder if this guy's head bobs around like one of those little chihuahua things.

"A new aviation security measure kicks in Friday requiring the screening of all checked bags."

With my flight to Key West departing at 6 AM, I will have to be at the airport by 4 AM. I hope this new regulation doesn't mean I will have to get there any sooner. When all is said and done, though, I'm willing to get there earlier (or leave late) if it means better security.

Design Issues

I'm in the process of re-working the site design. I've had to put up a temporary layout for now. The change is due to similarities between this site and the lovely mybluehouse.com. I've expressed my apologies to the owner of mybluehouse.com and she was very gracious about it.

Things are a bit plain right now, but I hope to finesse it a bit, as soon as time permits.

"Bush's Choking Episode Shows Chewing Is Important."

W. is a president with a legacy, after all.

Georgie-Peorgie Puddin' Pie

Sheila and I went to see Ocean's 11 yesterday. Another thumbs up from me. The movie reeks of cool, has a great cast (Elliot Gould is a riot) and a slightly intricate but relatively easily followed heist story. There is little to no violence, sex or bad language and the soundtrack rocks. And George Clooney has no right to be walking around looking like that. It oughta be illegal.

Okay, another silly "If you were a __________, which one would you be"-type quiz: What internal organ are you? God help me, I'm a liver.




Which Internal Organ are you?

[link courtesy opinebovine]

Director Ted Demme, nephew of Jonathan Demme, passed away today. (I'm pretty sure it was today). He was only 38.

Comments are back!

Outlook users, keep your eyes peeled for the Gigger worm.

Obligatory Survivor Post

I don't watch the show, but unless you live in a cave in Afghanistan (one that doesn't get cable, of course), you know that Ethan is the winner of Survivor 3. From what I've read, most people seem happy with the result. Cool.

For all of you Survivor fans, here is Letterman's Top 10 from Thursday's show (Amen on #7!):


The Top Ten Complaints of "Survivor 3" Castaways:

10. The $1 million is being paid in Argentinean pesos. (Frank)

9. When people get confused and think you're one of those 'Big Brother' losers. (Teresa)

8. The United States Air Force mistook us for an Al-Qaeda training camp. (Kim P.)

7. Okay, this isn't a Survivor thing, but those chicks on 'The View' never shut up. (Brandon)

6. Everyone except me was incredibly whiny and annoying. (Diane, Jessie, Carl, Linda, Silas, Lindsey and Clarence)

5. I knew I'd end up being humiliated when ' Survivor' ended, but I never dreamed I'd be reduced to going on 'Letterman.' (Kelly)

4. You know how 1-800-MATTRESS says they'll deliver anywhere? Not true. (Lex)

3. You get off the plane after not showing for 39 days and everyone thinks you're the American Taliban dude. (Ethan)

2. Jeff Probst is all hands. (Kim J.)

1. Jeff Probst is all hands. (Tom)

[from Zap2it]

Are you an 80s freak? Do you even remember the 80s or is it a decade you would rather forget? Personally, it was a great time for me, encompassing my high school graduation, college and early 20s. TVGuide online is having an 80s Flashback Weekend, chock full of trivia quizzes, 80s nostalgia links and 80s TV and movie web pages. I took the 80s Sitcom Trivia quiz and scored a 7 out of 10. I was a bit too old for Growing Pains, Full House and Webster, so I think I did pretty good.

Comments

The comments feature is currently unavailable, which I'm sure you've noticed. The author is working on a new SQL version and it should be back up and running in a day or so. If you come across some bugs when it's back, let me know.

Ramblings

It's the weekend, folks! I'm hoping we go out tonight - I'm feeling the need to tie one on. We were a couple of sad old ladies and stayed in last night and watched the Al Pacino Biography on A&E. (that's not why we stayed in, though, really) Did you know that Al Pacino was offered the role of Han Solo in Star Wars?? Good God! See now, if I had gone out last night, I would have missed a good laugh.

I went back to work yesterday, but only on a part-time basis for my former employer. I've contracted to work for them for a couple of weeks, a few hours a day. The extra cash, though it's not all that much, will certainly help pay some bills around here. I ended up being there for 7 freakin' hours, with no lunch! I'm not used to that - I was exhausted last night.

Another reason that I'm happy to have the extra income right now is I'm in desperate need of cash for my trip down to Key West at the end of the month. My brother Tommy (who, I'm ashamed to say, I don't have a picture of for you) is getting married to his longtime girlfriend Stacey in Key West on Feb 2. Sheila and I are flying down on Wed, Jan. 30, and staying for a week. This is where we're staying and this is where Tommy's wedding will be held (the ceremony will take place on the gazebo at the end of the pier in the photo at the site). I'm really starting to get excited about this now. There's been so much stress and strife around here lately that I haven't been able to work up much excitement about anything; it seems I may be coming out of that fog, or at least beginning to be able to make out some vague shapes through the mist ;). The only thing I'm bummed about is the fact that I have no money to spend before I go. I would love to pick up some decent beachy clothes and maybe do something with this hair, but I will have to suck it up and realize that those things don't really matter. What really matters is the 10 pounds I need to lose before I go anywhere near a bathing suit!

I don't know if I mentioned this before - I'm applying to the state's accelerated teacher certification program. I've got all of my application materials together finally, so I'll be completing the form this weekend and getting it in the mail sometime on Monday or Tuesday (needs to be postmarked by 1/18 - last minute? who, me?). As part of the application process, I need to take the PPST exam (Pre-Professional Skillls Test, I believe) - a 6 hour exam in reading, writing and math (2 hours each). You can take each exam on a seperate day if you like, but I've opted to take all 3 on one day - this Friday, Jan 18. If I'm accepted into the program, I will begin the 8 week course in June and hopefully be placed in a teaching position in the fall. There's also a second exam, the biggie, in your desired area of teaching, that has to be passed before you complete the course. Sort of scary, but exciting as well.

"Man accidentally shoots himself in 'showdown' with a snowman."

I have nothing more to say. I'm laughing too hard.

[link courtesy fark.com]

Ta Da!

Facelift just about complete. I need to play with it a little to get things to line up better along the right side of this column, but that will have to wait for another day.

How does it look to you guys? A complete disaster? lol

Site Stuff

Blogger's been experiencing some heavy traffic lately, so publishing has been spotty. You may have noticed items appearing on the site a bit later than the published time stamp. That's why.

Also, get ready for another design change. I'm not really all that happy with this one, and I need something to do while I look for work. I swear though, I really like the new layout, so it should be around for a while. It should be up within a day, maybe sooner if Blogger cooperates. Thanks for being my guinea pigs!

"CNN made a terrible gaffe over the weekend and told a terrific truth."

Did anyone see the "...oh yeah, and she's sexy" ad on CNN for their new anchor, Paula Zahn? I didn't, and I'm glad.

"Controlled Entropy Ventures blended a cocktail bar with consumer-controlled consoles aimed at breaking down personal barriers with what the company calls "Telepresence.""

I wouldn't like the idea of some yahoo sitting at a console with a nearby and plentiful supply of alcohol, watching me without my knowledge and for who knows how long. At least in a regular bar I can keep the creeps in check.

Say hello to the very first Flash virus. You can be infected by the virus if you download and open a Macromedia Flash file on your PC. Viewing a website with flash or a flash movie online will not infect your computer. Its payload is not particularly harmful to the average user - if you manually download and play a flash file, it will infect other flash files in the same directory - but I thought I'd give a heads-up anyway.

What's wrong with this picture and this picture?

I was going to say that I bet these dudes got the shit kicked out of them in high school, but I would venture to guess that it's an ongoing thing.

The Billy Doll. Santa Billy! Is that a yule log in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?! Actually, Billy wouldn't be all that happy to see me, now would he? I'd kill to get one of those Country Billys, though.

[link courtesy opinebovine.com]

"With the nation's unemployment rate surging to 5.8 percent, a six-year high, the market is booming for out-of-work people telling their stories to the media."

Get my agent on the phone!

"Tyne's attorney, Stephen Calvacca, says her strategy is based on a simple principle "that ought to apply equally to Hollywood or your 10-year-old kid: If you say something is true, then don't make it up." A dicey subject. I agree that Hollywood often crosses the line when depicting supposedly true stories, but should individuals and/or related parties have complete control over how their story is told?

Those mad scientists are at it again: Japanese scientists have succeeded in growing artificial eyeballs for the first time in the world, Kyodo news agency said on Saturday.

LOL! This could be enough to turn me into a Mac user ;).

A SnowSpaceMan!

Raisins aigres, anyone?

[French courtesy of Systran]

"When Michael Moore's publisher insisted he rewrite his new book to be less critical of President Bush, it took an outraged librarian to get it back in the stores."

A free society at work.

Wendy's founder Dave Thomas has died. I feel like I lost a favorite uncle or something.

Year-End Google Zeitgeist. Most searched male name in 2001? Nostradamus. What was the top declining enquiry? Pokemon. Google charts and graphs its most common search terms for 2001. The timeline is worth a look.

"Tensions have escalated as journalists have departed, in disgust or for other assignments, shrinking the supply of fresh dollars and making each Westerner an even richer target for shakedowns and threats. The scene today as a CNN team left for Pakistan was particularly menacing."

This NYTimes article is a must-read. Jesus, what a complete mess.

Remember Lucky Vanous, the Diet Coke guy? His talent may reside mostly in his pecs, but he certainly is not in short supply of opinions.

"The koala's favorite food is eucalyptus, but the tree's high oil content makes the eucalyptus vulnerable to fire -- leaving the slow-moving animals with little time to escape."

Oh, what a horrible story.

Separated at birth?




Child Catchers, indeed. Oh, I'm creeping myself out.

Robbers thwarted with sauerkraut. I knew there was a reason for keeping those 3 cans of kraut in my cupboard.

Gish Disappointed Over 'X-Files' Ratings. It's got to be a tough postion to be in, but I don't think it's come as a surprise to anyone connected with the show or to anyone who watches it. Scully may still be there, but Mulder and Scully aren't, and they were the heart of the show. I still enjoy watching, but I just don't care as much as I used to. Well, let me correct that - I do still care enough to hope that the powers that be will allow the show to end after this season and let the franchise live on in movies.

TVGuide asks how well do you know Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? I got 8 out of 10. With the number of times I've watched this with Hannah in the last year, I should have got them all right.

Sicko.

Apologies for deserting you all these past couple of days, but I've been wallowing in sickly misery, happy to have my mother here to treat me like the baby I am when sick. I watched a couple of movies while lying around the house, one of which surprised me in how much I liked it - Moulin Rouge. I had heard it was a love-it-or-hate-it sort of movie, and from all appearances I thought I would hate it. The chaotic musical number that introduces the nightclub that was the Moulin Rouge seemed to have confirmed my suspicions, but things soon settled down and I was completely pulled into the love story. I am not a fan of opera, but the word that comes to mind when trying to describe the way emotions were depicted is operatic. Grand and operatic. So much so that despite knowing from the very beginning how the film ends, I was still affected by the outcome. Thumbs up.

A team of Minnesota scientists claims to have developed a method for increasing airport security: a heat-sensitive camera that spots deceit by looking for telltale increases in temperature around the eyes.

All together now..."You can't hiiiiiiiiide yer lyin' eyes...."

Lord, my kingdom for a scanner! Have you seen the cover of this month's GQ?

Invisibles

Invisibles #56 and answers to last week's quiz. I'm feeling sort of oogy right now, so I'll have to go back and play when I can concentrate a bit better.

"What Passes for Advice on Top Women Web Sites." Shamefuly, really, don't you think? And what the hell is a bobeche?

I modified the format of the page slightly, since some of you said that it didn't fit on your screen. How does it look now?

What should my New Year's Resolution be? According to this quiz:

Damn.

[link courtesy snarkcake]

Wash it away. Elise reflects on the year past and the one to come.

Happy New Year! Hehe.

Yet Another Makeover.

Content is the same, just a new look for the new year. You like? Let me know if you encounter any linkage trouble or other problems.