This is a new video created by the fabulously talented Andre Moore of Stykman Studios. If you like it (which you will), be sure to check out Andre's very own website at fastfunnies.com for lots of short video content, including movie reviews & clips from his standup. You'll be glad you did!
- Mood:
amused
Sorry, but I can't help it... I'm excited about my major award. Buckets of thanks to my good friend Linda at Saoirse Daily2 for nominating me - you're the best!
Just take a gander at this baby:
So, here are the rules:
*Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.
*Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
* Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.
* Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit This Post (same as above) and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!
*Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.
Alright, so here's the fun part... In no particular order, I hereby nominate:
- Gidge at Live from the Wang of America
- Angel at The Fibro Life
- Mr. Repressed at Repressed Memmeries
- Cindy at Mom, Mother, Wife, Daughter
- Effrenatus at Osteophyte
- Mood:
giggly
As I lounged on my sofa somewhere in suburban Indianapolis, leafing through a travel magazine, I suddenly felt the oddest chill... It started in my shoulders, then quite literally sent shivers down my spine. For some time after that, I felt tingly all over, yet strangely warm at the same time. It was an unprecedented feeling, which startled me enough that I actually took a moment to assess the situation and check the time - you know, in case it would be helpful later to the ER staff.
It was 2:07 am, Eastern time.
I suppose it's possible that my chills were due to the cool fall breeze blowing in through my open window. Or perhaps I was finally coming down with that nasty cold that everyone else around here has had recently. But I don't think so.
As it turns out, 2:07 was the exact moment that MSNBC announced that the projected winner of Indiana's electoral votes for the 2008 presidential election was... Barack Obama.
See - there are those chills again!
There are no words to adequately sum up how it feels to finally see my home state turn blue... I still get butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it. It's not something I ever thought I'd live to see - and it's more beautiful than I could have possibly imagined. If only that blueness had spilled over into the governor's race... But even Mitch "C. Montgomery Burns" Daniels can't spoil this momentous occasion for me.
And how about that speech, huh?
This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can.
Finally, after 44 years in the wilderness, we Hoosiers who long for peace and justice and equality and social responsibility have reason to also say: Yes We Can.
And now the chills are back.
- Mood:
hopeful
In the meantime, I just posted an update on my media blog about the Ben Folds concert we attended on Friday in Fort Wayne (you can read about how we landed the tickets here, if you missed it before).
Here's the short version: Ben Folds spat on me, and I liked it.
For more details on the show, check out the full report here.
I'll be back here soon with the scoop on our fun-filled long weekend on the road.
- Mood:
cheerful - Music:One Down - Ben Folds Live
As I mentioned yesterday, the extreme heat and lack of central air in our house have had a noticeable effect on the cats' behavior... I didn't think it possible that they could be even more lazy than they already were, but yet again I have been proven wrong.
Anyone wandering our halls today would have been witness to scenes of carnage such as these:
Apparently, the goal here is to remain as low as possible. It was downright dangerous to walk through the house today, riddled as it was with comatose felines. This is the most I could get Annie to lift her head for me:
And poor Blackie ran out of steam before she even made it to the food bowls, although I see it hasn't yet affected her healthy physique:
I did have a bit more luck getting Blackie to raise her head off the floor & look at me when I called her... although the results would indicate that I probably should have left well enough alone:
Aahhh! Get thee behind me, Satan!!
Luckily for all of us - and just in time, if that last photo was any indication - the talented & delightful Steve from AirTron hooked us up with some new A/C parts this afternoon, and consequently the climate in our lovely abode is becoming more hospitable by the moment.
If you need proof, here's Blackie about 5 minutes ago, back in one of her normal snuggly places - on the bed, nestled in her daddy's warm comforter:
Still lazy, to be sure, but oh-so-much more comfy!
- Music:Cracker - Low
- It is nearly impossible to find anyone to service a broken air conditioning unit on a major holiday weekend.
- It is HOT on Labor Day in Indiana.
- You know the documentary footage you see on Animal Planet showing lazy lions and tigers basking on cool rocks during the heat of the day? Well, once the thermostat rises past about 85 degrees in our house, the cats go into survival mode and mimic the behavior of their larger cousins. This would be cute, except that in this scenario, Mark & I are apparently the rocks. Nothing like wearing a 30 lb. fur coat - a coat that follows you from room to room, mind - during a heat wave. Delightful!
- Regardless of what the advertisements may claim, surgical stainless steel is NOT hypoallergenic. I guess I'll add it to the list of things that make me break out into a nasty, itchy rash: penicillin, cephalosporins, ibuprofen, nickel, silver (raw or sterling), 10k gold, elastic, rubber, latex, nylon, and apparently some plastics. Of course, those are just the inanimate allergens... Oy!
- If you want to make a nasty, itchy rash even more miserable, just add 90 degree temperatures and buckets of sweat. Then try to sleep - but only with a plastic mask strapped to your face, of course. Sleep apnea, you know. Luckily for me, the part of the mask that is actually in contact with my skin made of silicone, not plastic... Otherwise, I'm sure that nasty, itchy rash would be all around my nose, too.
- I don't care what the Surgeon General or Major League Baseball say: steroids are AWESOME! I'm undecided about human growth hormone - but if rubbing it on my neck would get rid of my aforementioned nasty, itchy rash, I'd be all for it.
- I've narrowed down my remaining options: a) special-order a medical ID bracelet or necklace made entirely from 14k gold or platinum (hoping, of course, that I don't break out from that, too), which will easily cost upwards of $250, or b) just get the word D-I-A-B-E-T-I-C tattooed on my forehead. For that second one to work, I'd have to find a larger body part on which to list all my allergies, but that shouldn't be a problem. I think one asscheek would do it, leaving plenty of room on the other one for all my meds. Of course, with my luck, I'd be allergic to the tattoo ink, too. *Sigh!*
I was going to say that tomorrow is another day - but a bit of research tells me that it will also be another 92 degree day, which is not much consolation. Oh, well - at least I don't have to go to work! ;>)
Hope you all had a great Labor Day!
----------------
Now playing: Ben Folds Five - Regrets (Album Version)
via FoxyTunes
- Mood:itchy
So, here's what happened: I went for my semi-annual checkup with my rheumatologist a few weeks ago, which always includes some basic blood work to check for possible side-effects from all my various meds & supplements. All went well, so I scheduled my next visit for 5 months from now & went on my merry way. A week later, Mark goes to our family physician for a routine check, just to get his prescriptions refilled for another year. He comes home that afternoon, looking a little frazzled. Concerned, I asked him how it went... Wrong move! Mark then proceeds to tell me that he is fine, but that our doctor told him that I had type 2 diabetes. Um, what?!
Okay, maybe not. But I am feeling very proud of myself at the moment. I should backtrack a bit:
Things have been a bit gloomy around the old homestead lately, due to some unwelcome health news. (I plan to post in more detail about this after tomorrow's doctor appointment, when we will hopefully have a bit more concrete information to share.) Nothing earth-shattering, mind you - although it will quite certainly be life-altering. But mostly, it's just a Bummer with a capital B (we hope).
Accordingly, the past 2 weeks have seemed to go by in slow-motion, forcing us to hover in a seemingly-endless holding pattern until we finally get some anwers and a sense of the new direction in which we will inevitably be heading. To paraphrase the philosopher Petty: the waiting is indeed the hardest part.
But this afternoon, fate brought along a little nugget of sunshine to drag me out of my thoroughly unfunky funk. As most of you know, the hubby & I went to see Ben Folds perform live at Purdue University last February. It was a predictably awesome show, and a swell time was had by all - although it took poor Mark a few weeks to recover from the pretzelling caused by the severe lack of leg space in our seats at Elliott Hall. So, when I first noticed that Mr. Folds would be returning to Indiana in October for another show, I dismissed the idea out of hand, reasoning that it would essentially be the same show we saw in February.
Here's my baby cousin's baby girl (Argh! Just typing that makes my brain hurt! I feel an urgent need to wear knee-hi stockings rolled down to my ankles & yell at the neighbor kids to get out of my yard). This was taken at the county fair, where she won a blue ribbon in the Baby Contest (Prettiest Girl 14-18 months). To which I say, was there ever a doubt?
Isn't she just too cute?!
Mingling amongst the crowd at the contest was this little peanut, only a few days old. And - as if I didn't already feel geriatric enough - this is where I'm obliged to point out that he is my cousin's baby's baby. (Slightly older cousin this time, but still...) :
Like I said - adorable.
It's a good thing these kids are so damn cute. Otherwise, I might have to resent them a little for emphasizing my decrepitude...
Nah. Can't do it. They've weakened my defenses with their cuteness. *sigh!* I guess I'll just have to be madly in love with them. :)
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effrenatus. Hope you have a great day! - Mood:
chipper
If you've dropped by this blog at any point over the past 3 or 4 months, you will probably have noticed the lack of posts and updates. I could give any number of excuses, not the least of which being my grandfather's grave illness (he passed away on April 17th) and all the family drama which ensued, but the heart of the matter is that I just wasn't feeling very bloggy. I'm sure the problem wasn't helped by my fibromyalgia, which is always exacerbated by any kind of stress - and the stress that a death in the family brings is an especially potent type indeed. But the truth is that I have felt relatively well for quite some time now... I just didn't have it in me until now to get back on the blogging horse, so to speak.
So, please accept my genuine apologies for my sudden and prolonged absence. I will endeavor over the next few days to catch you all up on what has been going on around here... I'm sure something has been happening, but for the moment I'm at a bit of a loss. Well, I guess there is one exception...
My trusty laptop Keith has been struggling for quite some time with the many burdens of living with me - such as my constant, unreasonable requests to run applications that required Windows XP even though he was very clear at the start of our relationship that he could only provide me with Windows 2000. Ultimately, we made a mutual decision to part ways, although we will always remain close. After much deliberation, he has been put out to pasture as a 24/7 conduit to my bulky external hard drive. It's a low-stress position, but still a vital role in my computing life. He seems to be fitting in well.
All this is to explain the presence of my fancy new laptop, which has been duly dubbed Keith 2.0 (I hope this doesn't lead to any resentment issues within the network...). As the title indicated, he is indeed better, faster and Keith-ier than my first love. On top of running Windows XP Pro, he also includes some fancier hardware, such as the built-in DVD-RW (yay!). We're still getting to know each other, of course, but I predict a long, beautiful partnership in our future. He has already helped me to tweak my blog layouts and to backup a lot of my data. And I'm sure that it is in no small part due to his inspiration that, at long last, I finally find myself feeling bloggy again.
- Mood: chipper
Bloggers all across the country will be posting articles or thoughts about one of our most fundamental freedoms: the separation of Church and State. While I have some rudimentary background in political science, I have no desire to hold forth on the fundamental Constitutional guarantees which are currently being compromised by the irrational, morally bankrupt religious extremist who claims to be our Commander-In-Chief...
Okay, maybe I do, but instead I wanted to address a particular issue which is directly relevant to my daily life: reproductive rights. And I'm not talking about abortion, although I could... No, no, I'm going to stay on point.
( Read more... )
- Mood:
distressed - Music:The Cranberries - Salvation
- George W. Bush, March 13, 2008
Moron.
- Mood:
sad - Music:The Weepies - The World Spins Madly On
As some of you may know, my congressional district here in Indy - the Fightin' 7th - is currently without representation in the House, due to the somewhat sudden (although hardly surprising) passing of longtime local politician Rep. Julia Carson in December.
Hoosiers will be hitting the polls this coming Tuesday for a special election to replace Carson for the remaining months of her term. As expected, the Democrats have thrown their support behind Julia's grandson, City-County Councilman Andre Carson.
And then there are the Republicans. Granted, winning this contest only guarantees a few months in the Congressional seat, since the regular elections are scheduled for this November. Still, a victory now would be a big publicity boost for any candidate, and would certainly give him or her a leg up on the competition this fall.
So it would seem that this might be a fortuitous opportunity for the Republicans to attempt to assume control of the 7th, which has been one of the few solidly Democratic districts in our exceptionally red state. Nonetheless, it doesn't seem like the GOP candidate, state representative Jon Elrod, is getting much support from the party.
Well, either that or Republicans are morally opposed to spell check. You know, maybe: "That Bill Gates shouldn't interfere with God's true plan for our spelling..."
(As an aside, I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that, while the nice people at Taking Down Words and Blue Indiana were kind enough to circle the misspelling of "commercial" in the above ad, the word "television" on the previous line is also misspelled. In for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose.)
And now for my favorite part of the story... the one and only Jon Elrod television commercial. While it is not normally my practice to post Republican campaign ads on my blog, I had to make an exception for this. Pay particular attention to the on-screen graphics at the beginning:
Wow! Now you know that's got to be one smooth campaign operation.
Stay classy, Indianapolis!
- Mood:
indescribable
When I dream about the moonlight on the Wabash
How I long for my Indiana home.
Somehow, I don't think John McCain shares my love of the Hoosier state... at least, not today.
Fellow Hoosier (and my new hero) Thomas Cook of Blue Indiana filed an official complaint with the Indiana Election Commission this afternoon, contesting the inclusion of John McCain on the ballot for our May 6th primary. Seems that Senator McCain's local campaign organizers (including our esteemed Governor and King of Creepy Comb-Overs, Mitch "Montgomery Burns" Daniels) failed to collect the required number of petition signatures in one congressional district to qualify for the ballot. Huh. (You can read all the details here.)
Predictably, the Republican Powers-That-Be have already approved McCain for the ballot despite this little technical snafu, and I'm sure that they will either ignore the complaint or finagle some way around it. This is what politicians do, after all.
Still, I never thought I'd live to see the day when a Republican candidate - ANY Republican candidate - would have trouble finding signatures for anything in Indiana. I bet could get 100 names in my own neighborhood tomorrow on a petition advocating drunk driving with orphaned cancer puppies if I said I was collecting them for the Republican party. How hard should it be to get 500 names in any district for the acknowledged national Republican front-runner in this overwhelmingly red state?
I kinda wondered why McCain was coming to Indianapolis this Friday... We don't usually get a lot of visits from national candidates. There's not really much reason for it - it's a waste of time for both Democrats and Republicans. For Democrats, there's not much return on the time invested during such a busy season; and for Republicans, our state is typically a slam-dunk with or without a local campaign stop. In light of this new information, though, the hastily-arranged visit is starting to make sense. If McCain's staff is at all competent, they have to be concerned about what appears to be waning support for their candidate in the heart of one of the reddest states in the country.
I think my favorite part of this story, though, is the DNC response:
Despite the fact that the McCain campaign clearly failed to qualify for the ballot, Republican Attorney General Steve Carter and Republican Secretary of State Todd Rokita (who recently endorsed McCain) rubberstamped it anyway, trying to sneak McCain onto the ballot. Clearly, the Republican Culture of Corruption is alive and well within the McCain campaign.Clearly, the Democratic National Committee spokesperson hasn't spent much time in Indiana. The "Republican Culture of Corruption" is just business as usual around here.
- Mood: amused
- Music:Ben Folds Five - She Don't Use Jelly (Lounge-A-Palooza)
...although she might be a bit disturbed that I matched Reagan at 50%. She'd be even more disturbed to see his name on a list of "great" American presidents.
Well, Reagan did spend half his life as a Democrat, so I'm just going to assume that I just matched that earlier half - you know, before he sold his soul.
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Which Great US President Are You Most Like? created with QuizFarm.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| You scored as John Kennedy 35th President, in office from 1961-1963
|
- Mood:
blah
- Do not eat or drink anything while watching. The probability of choking or snorting liquids through your nose is quite high.
- Make sure your bladder is as empty as possible prior to viewing. I missed this step myself, which resulted in lots of embarrassment and extra laundry duty.
- Don't view this clip in the company of anyone who enjoys Fox News. Your inevitable amusement just might push them over the edge.
- Mood: amused
Here are this week’s “Saturday Six” questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal…but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as “first to play,” you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!
1. You go to a restaurant and order alcohol: based on past experience, how likely are you to be carded? (Are you of legal drinking age?)
Not very likely. I do still get carded at the grocery occasionally, though. And yes, I am well above the legal drinking age.
2. You’re selecting a new physician and you learn that the doctor you are visiting is in his twenties: would you feel any less confident about his ability?
Not at all. In my experience, younger doctors are more likely to really listen to what patients have to say & go the extra mile to treat them. I might have to call him Doogie, though.
3. One must be 35 years old or older to run for president. Based on arguments about experience, should the age be increased to 45? Why or why not?
No... I've always felt that the random Constitutional age requirements were arbitrary and a bit silly. There should be a mandatory IQ test instead - like a Presidential SAT.
4. Take the quiz: What age do you act?
| You Act Like You Are 27 Years Old |
 You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel like an adult, and you're optimistic about life. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. You're still figuring out your place in the world and how you want your life to shape up. The world is full of possibilities, and you can't wait to explore many of them. |
5. When you were in high school, what age, in your opinion, qualified someone as being “old?”
Oh, probably retirement age, which at that point was around 55.
6. Do you find yourself better relating to people older than you or younger than you? (Sorry, your same age group isn’t an option in this one!)
It depends on the situation. Physically, I definitely identify with people older than I am, due to all my medical issues. Psychologically, I often identify with younger people, since I don't have any kids or a career.- Mood:
sleepy
So I take it as a sign from above that my good friend Saoirse Daily2 tagged me on her blog today. I think maybe it's just the nudge I needed to get my act together...
Hopefully it will also get my creative juices flowing again, if only to a slow trickle.
So here are my answers:
FOUR JOBS I HAVE HAD:
1. Customer Service Representative (head teller) at a bank
2. Medical Records chart prep for a neurology practice
3. Flavored popcorn vendor at a local mall
4. Market research for a local radio station
FOUR MOVIES WATCHED OVER AND OVER:
1. Garden State
2. The Godfather (mostly 1 and 2, but sometimes 3)
3. Shaun of the Dead
4. Just Friends
FOUR PLACES I HAVE LIVED:
1. Indianapolis, IN
2. Muncie, IN
3. Beech Grove, IN
4. Loehne, Germany (for, like, 3 weeks)
FOUR SHOWS I WATCH:
1. Scrubs
2. Flight of the Conchords
3. Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
4. The Colbert Report
FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN:
1. Gatlinburg, TN
2. Munich, Germany
3. San Antonio, TX
4. Cleveland, OH
FOUR PEOPLE WHO EMAIL ME:
1. Laura
2. Ali
3. Cindy
4. Patty
FOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO EAT:
1. Mu shu shrimp at Lotus Garden
2. Club sandwich
3. Fish & chips from Claddagh, with a Guinness
4. Sauerbraten with red cabbage
FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE:
1. Anywhere with a beach, good weather & not too many nasty bugs
2. Bavaria
3. Ireland
4. Disney World
FOUR THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS YEAR
1. Taking a real vacation with Mark
2. Electing a REAL president this November! (knock wood...)
3. The end of the writers strike
4. Good health & happiness for everyone I know
FOUR PEOPLE TO TAG:
1. Laura
2. John
3. Gidge
4. Effrenatus
- Mood: blah
I've been missing this stuff so much... *sniff* God bless you, Dr. Stephen T. Colbert!
If you haven't seen this episode yet, I urge you to check out the clips on Comedy Central's website. Only then can you truly appreciate the Colbert genius.
- Mood: amused
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