I'm Off...

I didn't want to make my last blog before the holidays a negative one, so here goes something a little different...

I'm heading off to Maine and Vermont for about 10 days. I have called Delta about 4 times now to confirm that I won't get goosed like Air France did me, and it's looking good thus far.

Anyway, I cannot remember my password to Bloggerville so unless I am writing from this PC, I won't be able to access my addiction. Therefore, I will say it here and now...

I wish everyone a peaceful, content - if not happy - Christmas. I also wish everyone -and I mean everyone - have a peaceful year in 2005.

Air France

So, taking a cue from my pal at IbeJO, I'm going to test drive my very own blog-trap.

Since I have not heard back from Air France about the bait and switch deal Air France did last week, I thought I'd write and let you and Air France know, again what Air France did to mum and me. Did I mention this was Air France, not Delta, not USAir, not Northwest. It was Air France which you can find at AirFrance.com or you can type Air France in Google, or AirFrance in Netscape, or AirFrance in any search engine.

See, Air France had a special to France for two people. Since Air France lied and said I could change my companion and then Air France told me I could not change my companion, Air France would not let me fly Air France to France. The Air France folks at Dulles were ugly, rude, and not very hospitable to say the least considering the Air France folks were in my country and not France and considering I paid Air France almost $600 and Air France stole my money.

Air France has not written me back nor has Air France sent me an Air France check for the money that Air France stole from me. As far as I am concerned, Air France is a thief. No reflection on the people of France or the country itself, but Air France - corporate Air France really needs to learn a little something about customer service.

Coincidentally, I have to go to the airport this afternoon for my flight to Maine. Coincidentally, the Air France counter is next to the Delta counter. I see - I see - yes, that's right - I see the most opportune time to pass out my little flyers to all those unwitting peons standing in line at the Air France counter. Nothing slanderous, I assure, just the truth about the little theives called Air France.

Don't forget to go to http://www.airfrance.com/

A True Scrooge Moment

So, Roomie and I go shopping on Saturday. Across from the place where we were shopping is a huge parking lot that is used by the Kroger and the illustrious Ford Factory lofts (this was an old warehouse converted to loft apartments a few years ago.) Anyway, behind the Ford lofts is City Hall East. City Hall East only has a pay parking deck to service those employees.

Every year about this time, the folks from the Empty Stocking Fund set up shop between the lofts and City Hall. There is a MARTA station across the street, but other than that City Hall is on a very busy street with no parking. All that being said, guess what the good, kindhearted, Santa-like folks at Kroger and Ford Lofts were doing? They had CONVOYS of tow trucks coming and going all day, towing away the people who were there for the Empty Stocking Fund. Yup, I sat there and watched and in the course of 10 minutes, I saw four tow trucks carry away these total pieces of shit cars - after all, it's not like if you're getting handouts from the Empty Stocking Fund, you're going around in a goddamn Hummmer.

So, these people - who are so poor that they cannot afford Christmas gifts for their kids, now have to figure out a way to get to the tow yard with their kids and either pay for their vehicle or leave it there and figure out a way to get home - carrying the gifts they got from the Fund.

Now, really!! These folks are only there about 10 or 15 minutes, it's in the middle of the day, and the parking lot is huge, with plenty of open spaces. What the hell? It must be owned by Air France.

Ah, the Salad Days

As a young lass growing up in the Mega-metro culture of Augusta, Georgia, I had to find humour and nostalgia in the article by my bud, Cliff Bostock of the Loaf...

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/headcase.html

This really was a touching story considering I never could stomach going to JBs house at Christmas. The only true annual tradition we had was rolling his house and his shed (up right there in the FRONT yard) each Halloween. For you younger crowd, "rolling" is to take toilet paper and throw it into the trees - yeah, not the most mature thing to do, but at 16, it's better than having unprotected sex, right??

Of course, we had an advantage as my friend J.A. lived next door. At the time, his daddy was a state senator that still relished in the days of the KKK and the like so to him we were doing the South a favour by bastardizing the Godfather of Soul with Charmin hanging in the vegetation.

I actually experienced minor pangs of guilt as I got older, but then JB got popped for beating up his wife. I now think I should have dosed the TP with lighter fluid before I tossed it into the trees.

Good story anyway so check it out.

Bait and Switch - French Style

I truly can't remember ever being this totally pissed off. I mean, talk about not even getting a kiss.

Here's the email I've been sending to anyone and everyone regarding what should have been a beautiful trip to France and Italy... buyer beware

"In May, I bought myself and a companion a ticket to Paris with Air France. I was told that I would be able to change the name on my companion ticket. Air France sent me an itinerary and the terms and conditions of the promotion. Neither mentioned "non-transferrable" or "non-refundable". It did NOT state that I could not change the name of the companion, only that I must travel "with a companion". In June, I found out my friend could not go with me so I asked my mother to go. When we got to Dulles airport, I was told that I could not change the name of my companion and since I was not going to travel with the original person, I could not go to Paris either. I was also told that Air France would not refund any of my money.

After arguing with the Air France people, I finally gave up, but asked to have their names so I could reference them in my letter to Air France. Can you believe, nobody would give me their name? They all ran like sheep from a wolf. Obviously, I'm not the first moron to get ripped off like this.

I'm so mad, I could spit nails. I not only lost the $600 for the tickets, but I bought a ticket to DC (and had to change the return at an additional $100), I had two hotel room reservations, two train tickets, and two airport shuttle tickets - all total about $1,500!! My travel agent told me that there were 24 available seats on the plane and she could not figure out why they were being so belligerent.

I am a very experienced traveler and never would have thought that I could get screwed like this. Let your listeners know that this could happen to them, too."

That's all for now as I am getting sick just thinking about it.

The Cheesiest

Warburtons, a British "Cheeto" maker, recently polled a bunch of Brits to find out what the cheesiest line in movies was. Here are the results:

1. "Titanic": Leonardo DiCaprio's "I'm the king of the world!"

2. "Dirty Dancing": Patrick Swayze's "Nobody puts Baby in the corner."

3. "Four Weddings And A Funeral": Andie McDowell's "Is it still raining? I hadn't noticed."

3. "Ghost": Patrick Swayze's "Ditto," to Demi Moore's "I love you."

5. "Top Gun": Val Kilmer to Tom Cruise: "You can be my wingman anytime"

6. "Notting Hill": Julia Roberts' "I'm just a girl ... standing in front of a boy ... asking him to love her."

7. "Independence Day": Bill Pullman's "Today we celebrate our Independence Day!"

8. "Braveheart": Mel Gibson's "They may take our lives, but they will not take our freedom!"

9. "Jerry Maguire": Renee Zellweger to Tom Cruise: "You had me at hello."

10. "The Postman": A blind woman says to Kevin Costner: "You're a godsend, a savior." He replies: "No, I'm a postman."

Now, I really must protest the ranking here, although #1 should be number one. However, #10 really should be closer to the top spot. I didn't even see the movie - thank God, but please - "No, I'm a postman"?

As for cheesy TV, I've got my new guilty pleasure. It's called "Love is in the Heir" and it is hilarious. A real Iranian princess who lives in L.A. has to find true love (preferably with a prince or equally as wealthy) and earn a worthy living. The catch is 1)She's in L.A. where there aren't a whole bunch of royalty and 2)she thinks she can earn a living as a country singer. This really is a shame considering she's my age, but her parents are mega-wealthy and still support her (and her personal assistant) 100%.

Getting back to cheesy flicks, I got to do some movie-watching over the Turkey holiday. Best flicks (keep in mind, I'm behind the times with movies):

1) "Love Actually" - The has-been rock singer and Hugh Grant's Prime Minister are classic. One of the best lines in the movie is when the rock singer says, "Kids, listen to this word of advice from your Uncle Bill: Don't buy drugs... Become a pop star and they give them to you for free."

2) "Something's Gotta Give" - Diane Keaton is great and - nothing needs to be said about the classically, eternal Herr Nicholson. Best scene in the movie:

Erica: "What do you do, Harry."
Harry: "I own a hip hop label."
Erica: "Hip hop? Oh, you mean rap music."
Harry: "I know what you're going to say."
Erica: "Well, I just don't care for rap. It's crude, violent, and slightly misogynistic."
Harry: "You know, some people consider rap poetry."
Erica: "Yeah, but how many words can you rhyme with 'bitch'."

And just in time for the holiday season, "The Year Without a Santa Clause", starring this unsavory mutt:



Singing the best Christmas song of all time (a close second being the Grinch song): Sing along boys and girls:

http://www.northpolesantaclaus.com/video/heatmisersong.wav

Our New Baby

Baby Bro will soon be an only child (as mum is going to shoot me), but here she is...



Her name is Anna and she's our newest baby. You can tell by the fact that she's sitting in front of the range that she isn't really very big (she's just now about 3 lbs). During October, I had to house sit for SJ and she got sick so I brought her to our house so I could keep an eye on her. Over the course of about 5-6 days, I didn't think she was going to make it, but with a little help from Dr. George and the Powers that Be, she's now become the newest terrorist in the house.

Oddly, she's befriended Emmett the most. He weighs in about 16 pounds right now so it's pretty funny to watch her run up behind him and goose him right in the ass! Of course, he could take her out with one swipe of his six pound club for a paw, but he's actually quite gentlemanly.

Alas, Anna makes five, but she will be the last one for a very, very long time. I know mum will have a problem with it, but really - how the hell do you turn down a puff ball like this?

Flip a Coin

Apparently, Presindent Elect of Ukraine, Yanukovych, has "won" by three percentage points. Bush says that means there aren't enough votes to declare him the winner and they need new elections to give his (and Putin's) puppet another chance. However, last time I checked, Bush won by three percentage points (or less as some polls would suggest) and he called it an outright victory. Come on Georgie, even you can flip a coin.

First thing this morning, I log onto CNN and there's Georgie with Condi boarding a plane to Canada. Remember the "White on Rice" blog a few weeks ago? I ask you, if I'm not on the mark, why the hell is the National Security Advisor going to fucking Cannuck-land with Georgie? Are our northern neigbours now part of the Asses-of-Evil? Yup. OK Georgie, who's it gonna be - Laura-the-Librarian or Bust-your-balls-Condi? Heehehe. I have visions of Dominatrix/CatWoman and a black leather whip, slashing away at a whinning Monkey-man, demanding him to shout, "Who's your mamma?" Should I start packing for Cuba, now?

Here we go again with the Right-to-Lifers. You know, those MEN who think they have a right to tell a woman whether or not she can safely have an abortion. Aren't these the same people who believe in assault rifle bans, capital punishment, a ban on stem cell research? Which one is it, fellas? As George Carlin would say, "I guess you call yourselves "Right to Lifers" as long as you get to chose the life??"

And lastly, Goodbye "Red-Alert-Ridge". Hopefully, his replacement won't continue to sit there and say how much safer this country is since Bush attacked Iraq. No coin needed here, folks. The writing is clear.

Bill Cosby Ain't Bein' Funny Now

Bill Cosby is in town tonight. You know, the hilarious comedian who did his entire stand-up routine without one dirty word? Apparently, DOCTOR Cosby - that's right - he has a doctorate in Education - will be at Douglass High School tonight sending out a loud (not so funny message). According to Cosby and the AJC, That message is: "Too many young black men and women have devalued life, judgment and morals in favor of a life filled with low expectations, few options and irresponsibility."

See http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/atlanta/1104/18cosby.html

Now, my normally pip-squeek-quiet Roomie had this to say when I sent him the article of Dr. Cosby's address:

"I applaud Bill Cosby's crusade and wish I could do something to help. He hits the nail on the head, where, if a Caucasian said it, they would be labeled racist. Any African-American that criticizes his truth, are indeed showing their true colors (pun intended). Would it be out of line to show up at Douglass High School as a Caucasian supporter of Bill Cosby's message?

I'd vote for Bill Cosby as the first African-American President in a heartbeat."

Now, this coming from a true Southern, Atlanta born and raised, self-proclaimed Redneck is actually quite eloquent and thought provoking. However, we both live in a neighbourhood that is riddled with people who think they deserve to be treated in a special way simply because of their skin colour.

One of the best quotes Cosby gives in the article is this:

"People who are worried about what white people hear Bill Cosby saying have their heads in the sand," he said. "Do you really think that white people — while riding on the bus, listening to our people get out of school, hearing them use profanity, watching how they address each other with 'nigger' — don't know? You think that these white people don't go back and tell their friends about the horrors of having to ride the bus?"

Come to our neigbourhood and see and hear exactly what he's talking about. It makes my stomach turn - and it's all a matter of lack of respect for oneself and one's community.

Here's a good example:



This is what my trashy neigbours leave in front of their house each week. These are African-Americans, renting a house, they're young (mid-20's) with several kids that only know words that you see on occasion at IbeJO (no offense JO, but you get my drift). Most of the time during the school day, these kids hang out in the driveway, smoking weed and listening to the MOST offense music at the MOST intolerable decibels.

I'm almost tempted to go see Dr. Cosby tonight. I agree with him 1,000 times, but I can say that because - I can't believe I'm going to quote Roomie here, I would be "labeled a racist."

American Coastopia

Thanks to mum for sending this. I do feel a little better even though I'm still smartin' over the phenomenal blunder of November 2nd.

An Alternative to moving to Canada....
American Coastopia!


Ladies and gentlemen, you needn't fret anymore. We have decided that we can't live in the United States anymore, because so many of you in the "heartland" are so full of shit. We were all going to move to various other countries, but then we thought - why should WE move?

We are tired of rednecks in Oklahoma picking the leader who will determine if it is safe for us to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. We are sick of homophobic knuckle-draggers in Wyoming contributing to the national debate on our gay marriages. So we have done the only thing we could.

We seceded.

May I present to you: AMERICAN COASTOPIA.

That's right, American Coastopia. The states of Washington, Oregon and California are joining us on one coast, and we will provide all of New England. In the middle of the country, we have taken Iowa and Illinois, mostly because we need the fine produce of Iowa's soil, and the museums in Chicago are fabulous.

The other dot is New Orleans, which you don't deserve. American Coastopia needs a place to gamble, and the locals want nothing to do with you.

Sure, you can visit, but it isn't part of your country anymore.

I can sense your worry. Who will get all the banks? You can fucking have most of them, because we're taking downtown and midtown Manhattan back, turning the whole thing into a giant artist colony replete with movie studios and progressive think tanks. Wall Street and other financial institutions will be relocated to Charlotte, which we believe will suit your needs better. Frankly, the good folks in Manhattan are sick of being a terrorist target for your benefit.

A word about our politics. Abortions will be safe and legal in American Coastopia, and homosexual men and women will be free to marry at their discretion. We will have our own currency, and trade with any countries we want. Everyone will have health care. Everyone will have an identity card. Homelessness and unemployment will be virtually unknown. We believe in a meritocracy and a huge chasm between church and state. 100% of our cars will be hybrid by 2006.

Yes, we're taking all the people that ever created everything beautiful. Yes, we're taking all the funny people too. All the sculptors, architects, surgeons, philosophers, violinists and fishermen. You should have treated them better when you had them. We have no pledge of allegiance, but I can say this: I am no longer from your United States of America. I belong to American Coastopia, the United States of My Friends, the Nation of Two: my wife and myself.

We hold our noses as we fly over you. We are sickened by the way you treat people that are different from you. The rest of the world despises America, and we don't want to be lumped in with you anymore.

Please, all of you who went to bed last night sick with worry, come to us. In American Coastopia, the light is always on, the hazelnut lattes are always hot, and we have a trundle bed for each and every one of you.

Like White on Rice

So, Georgie has decided to nominate Condolezza Rice as Secretary of State. This, if you didn't know, requires a person with unquestionable diplomatic skills. The last time I checked, Condie was the war monger positioned behind Donny and Dick, pushing the Prez to attack Iraq. Even the honourable Colin Powell admitted that he regretted some of the things he said to the UN Security Council about the WMD that Saddam never had.

So, after watching Fahrenheit 9-11 with my extremely politically savvy cousin, I asked her, why would a woman as smart as Rice work for such a fucking MOE-Ron as Bush? The answer, oh so obvious today...

Georgie's been giving Condi the Big Bone (or in his case, a bone nonetheless).

For those of you who aren't as educated in the vulgar vernacular - he's sleeping with her. I mean, for Christ's sakes, NBC News just said that she goes on all holidays with Bush and we all know that he has been on holiday more than on the job since 2000.

So, thanks to Roomie for the Southern expression... "Like white on Rice" and thanks to Cuz for the "Moment of Enlightenment". Too funny, but equally, too sad. Glad to know that George has nominated a war monger for Secretary of State. Goodbye, Kind Powell (and goodbye international relations). We will truly miss your diplomacy and generosity. At least I don't have to question - any longer - why you work for Bush. And now, I'm sure as to why I don't have to question why Condi works for Bush.

PS. Most likely this is the most inflammatory thing I have blogged so if you don't see me write in a few days, naturally assume BIG BROTHER has paid me a visit and I'm shackin' up at Git Moe.

Yet Another Sad Day

So what has this world come to when terrorists kill a woman like Margaret Hassan? I mean, she did nothing whatsoever except love a country and its people. By blowing off her head, I would have to say that truly punctuates the situation in Iraq. Insurgents will do anything to protect their country and their way of life, even to the point of killing an innocent woman.

Now, at the same time, a video has also been produced showing an American Marine blowing the head off an unarmed Iraqi. The radio show I listen to on my way to work critisized the media because they were showing the video and "people were going to take it out of context." Let's see, we have 1) A US Marine 2) The Marine is holding a rifle 3) The Marine is screaming nasties and going ballistic 4) The Iraqi with no gun 5) The Iraqi's noodle all over the floor. No grey area there, folks. Pretty straight forward if you ask me. I mean, what conclusions should I draw?

I just have to ask: Who's the fucking terrorist?

What Happened to Menopause?

Alrighty here, what the hell is going on? First, there was a 56-year old woman in New York that had a baby on Tuesday, now the AJC reports there is a 59-year old great-grandmother in Sylvester (that would be poe-dunk South Georgia) who is going to have twins.

"For this mother of five, grandmother of 14 and great-grandmother of six, the news of her pregnancy was even more shocking considering she had her tubes tied after the birth of her last child — 33 years ago. 'They came untied,' she said."

That just isn't right. I mean it's bad enough that these kids have to grow up in Sylvester, Georgia, but now they're going to be younger than their great nieces and nephews? How twisted are these kids going to be? Besides that, they'll be lucky if their parents live long enough to see them graduate high school - oh yeah, I forgot we were talking about Sylvester, GA. What high school?

Come on peeps - if you can keep your pecker in your pants when you're sixty years old - good for you! But wear a goddamn helmet when you go into battle.

Place Your Bets, Place Your Bets

OK - Now that Buttmunch Bush has been re-elected, which one will it be first: 1) the abolition of the separation of church and state OR 2) the reversal of Roe vs. Wade?

Granted, both are coming to the new Jesusland soon, but which one will be first? Me thinks... drum roll, please... the abolition of church and state. Why? Check out this little ditty in today's AJC

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/cobb/1004/07evolution.html

See, Cobb County is one of Atlanta's metro counties that is about as backward as they come. Most folks that live in Cobb have new money, are Conservative Southern Baptists, and many even live in trailer homes smaller than the four-wheel pickup trucks they drive. The folks in Cobb have been trying desperately to eliminate the teaching of good ol' Darwin in the school system for years, and thanks to the appointment of Kathy Cox - School Superintendent, they're getting a little closer each day. Right now, those trailer trashers are scheming to put this:



in all biology books.

Yeah, it's soft and it is seemingly innoculous, but Kathy Cox started out as a kindergarten teacher, too.

The thing that worries me the most is that George is going to most likely elect - and Congres will approve - four Bible-thumpin' buddies as Supreme Court Justices during his next term. That should make life much easier for those who think Darwin was a crack addict.

The Brits Are Brilliant

Check out the cover of the Daily Mirror the day after the US election. This and the articles since then give me hope that the rest of the world might not blame all of us for what happened on Tuesday.

Forgive Us Father, for Half of Us Have Truly Sinned

This morning, around 7AM, this asshole in my office came in screaming about how much of an idiot Kerry was for trying to contest the election. I quietly reminded him that politics and religion were inappropriate issues in the work place and he verbally attacked me, threatened me, then told me, "I should be proud to be an American". I told him that I was actually ashamed to be an American, especially since he represented the same type of barbaric, neoconservative, ultra-rightwinged, Christian, bible-thumping, backward-assed morons that voted for Bush. I haven't been this angry in a long time; however, I'm not going to debate with the brainless.

This is my mourning blog. Nothing more tonight as I am too livid, sad, surprised, angry, ashamed, and downright sickened to express myself in a mature manner. Rest assured, more is to come. Like Jon Stewart said, "The only good thing about Bush getting re-elected is that I am guaranteed another four years as 'Daily Show' anchorman." I would think that Bill Maher and Chris Matthews fall within the same job security platform.

Here, here.

I might even make a movie since I can't watch another four years of that fucking monkey pretend to be the leader of the free world and Michael Moore take all the credit.

And Let the Games Begin

So today is the day when millions of people will go out and decide the fate of this country for the next four years and perhaps the next four decades. Normally, I do not consider myself an optimist, but I have hope today that Kerry will defeat Bush - fair and square, with a definative majority of votes. Why? I saw last night that the US has registered over 15 million new voters and 58% of those new voters said they would vote for Kerry.

Now, I don't put a lot of faith in pollsters even though my college statistics prof proved that polls are worthy, but I have a rational idea that those new voters are scared shitless about the future of our country and our place in this world. And, considering they didn't vote in 2000, they're feeling like MO-Rons because it is common knowledge - at least to those of us who have a brain - that Bush "won" in 2000 by only a handful of votes.

What really blows my mind is that in the 2000 election, over 20 million women chose not to vote. Granted, some of these women are probably too stupid to realize they have that right in this country or some of those women probably believe they will get bashed over the head by their Neanderthal husband if they voice an opinion and exercised their right to vote, but COME ON! 20 MILLION??? This really bugs me because these are WOMEN! You didn't even have the right to vote until 1920 so how can you be apathetic when it comes to voting for the one person who can change the rules that dictate your life (think I'm joking? Look at how many Supreme Court Justices will retire during the next presidential term.)

It really jerks my chain that a woman has not been president - yet. Our sex is more intellegent, more compassionate, and much more rational that our male counterparts (sorry if I offend some of you, but the facts are facts - live with it or prove my point.) We would naturally make for a better president. But until that day comes, we will continue to have to live by the rules set by the men. That being said, why would any woman not want to chose who those men should be?

Mahatma Ghandi once said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Go out and vote. If 120 million people go to the polls today, the overwhelming perception is that Kerry will become our 44th President of the United States and we will experience the most positive, optimistic change this country has ever seen in it's relatively short history.

Want, Want, Want

So, I want world peace, self-cleaning cat boxes and, when I die and go to hell, a big glass of daily ice water. Bush wants, is going to ask for, and will probably get another 75 billion (that's billion with a "B") dollars for the war in Iraq and Afganistan.

Last time I checked, Bush said we had a "mission accomplished" for Iraq and Afganistan was no more than a stain on the sheets. Why the hell would he need another 75 billion (that's billion with a "B") for a war that we "won" almost a year ago? Maybe Georgie ain't so stupid after all. Maybe he does realize that the Iraq situation - that he gladly created - is going to hell in a picnic basket. But, he must also realize that if he goes to Congress and requests another 75 billion (that's billion with... you know) that he would sound off bells and whistles to us enlightened folks that HELLO - this war is bullshit and he's been lying to this country for at least a year, if not almost four.

Also, the last time I checked, the economy in this country wasn't so great. Let's ponder what 75 Billion could buy:

1) Schools

2) Civil Infrastructure

3) Environmental protection

4) House and feed those who have all lost their jobs in the past 4 years

5) Most of the buildings at Georgia Tech, which, thanks to my mum's suggestion, I would name after my cats... hehehehe - think about it:

Freshman #1: "Where do you live?"
Freshman #2: "In 'Stinky Bear Dorm', but my classes are in 'Skinny Minny Kitty Hall'".
Love it.

6) Cuba (I had to throw that in because you know Castro would sell his island in the sea for less than $75B and we could stockpile Iraqi detainees until Donny Rumsfeld kicked the bucket or publicly pissed his pants).

And I could go on and on and on...

What dollar figure did Georgie give us when the war first started? Man, that was so many lies ago I just can't remember.

Gay Marriage

OK, so the Georgia Supreme Court is going to allow a vote on the ballot to amend the State Constitution to ban same sex marriage. Maybe that was my turnip truck that just pulled out, but why the hell is this an issue for the state? What real privileges do married people have that single folks don't. I mean, you can use the thing about getting more taxes back, but isn't it your money anyway? Last time I checked, the divorce rate in this country was a screamin' 50 percent. Sounds to me like marriage ain't all that - and if that's the case, why wouldn't the backward ass, country morons want to allow gay folks the opportunity to be as miserable as the married ones?

Besides, in this state and in very few (special) others, we have something called, "Common Law" marriage. That means that if you've been with someone for a certain period of time and you consider yourself faithful to each other, you can call yourself married and you automatically have all the rights of the married (in the sense of the law) as those who walk down to the County courthouse. Granted, this is a law that was enacted 200 years ago when all those right-winged Christian fundamentalists were trying to figure out an excuse to screw each other without a wedding band, but the law is still in effect. Why the hell couldn't a gay couple use this same law for their own benefit?

Roomie and I have fallen under the common law marriage title. We get to enjoy the "privilege" of filing as a married couple, we get the "privilege" of creating a pain for our employer, and best of all, we get the "privilege" of giving some schmuck lawyer 100 bucks in the event that we want to get "divorced" - yup, that's right, we have whatcha call a common law deeee-vors here, too). The only reason we don't go down to the courthouse to get married is because that too costs money. And, of course, me being Catholic and roomie being a heathen, the Church wouldn't recognize the marriage anyway.

And speaking of the Almighty Church, marriage was never intended to be controlled by government anyway. That's why we call it a holy sacrament. It is an issue that belongs in the Church and the Church only. However, not even everyone in the most strict Catholic upbringing can agree on whether or not to allow same sex marriage. For example, if you have a brain and a conscience, you would agree that as long as two people truly love each other, who gives a rat's ass if they are same sex or not? I love the people out there who like to twist around passages of the Bible and try to convince the brain-dead that GOD said homosexuality was a sin. Let me tell you, if you're talking to God, you're a schizophrenic and you need help and besides, there were lots of folks wandering the Holy Land looking for love in all the wrong pastures for God to worry about human homosexuality.

I say, live and let live. Basic, simple, but in reality, leaves nothing to be desired. If everyone were so worried about their own lives as they are about others, we wouldn't have disease, poverty, crime, and all the other cherries that life throws our way.

President's Test

I thought this rather clever, but a couple of years ago I bought a book called, "George W. Bush, My First Presidentiary" and it is a classic to this day.

The Undecided

OK, it's time to face reality. If you consider yourself "undecided" in the pick for the President of the US, you're an idiot. Actually, that's insulting idiots. Let's just say you probably have trouble breathing 'cause you're too stupid to inhale.

Look at some of the facts:

1) The war in Iraq: How can anyone NOT have an opinion about that? Sunday's AJC has an article that says 47% of Bush supports still believe Iraq had WMDs. And, "three of four Bush backers believe Saddam Hussein provided substantial support to al-Qaida or was involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and 56 percent said the Sept. 11 commission found such ties." So if you're one of these people, you obviously cannot read, nor do you have any desire to read (the 9/11 Commission has published their report which you can buy anywhere.) Regardless of how insane this is - and oh, how insane it is - at least these morons have an opinion about the US in Iraq.

2) Health care: If you don't have an opinion about the state of health care- or lack thereof - in this country, you probably haven't been to a doctor in the past four years. Also, all of your family members are probably enjoying the eternal dirt nap. I had a interesting conversation this weekend with my French little brother and he had a great point: The Republican party is so damn eager to save the lives of an unborn child that it wants to ban all stem cell research. However, once a woman has that baby, the kid is on it's own in terms of the support of the government. How can you not have an opinion about the health care situation?

3) The economy: When Clinton left office four years ago, this country was enjoying a ??? billion dollar surplus. Three years later, we are choking down a rising bile of 480 billion deficit. I can remember when gasoline rose above the $1.00 mark - and that wasn't that long ago. We were all wondering how we would survive. I can also remember when I lived in Germany and thought that to pay the equivalent to $2.00 for a loaf of bread was insane. If you haven't noticed a change in the economy in the past four years, get your head out of the sand.

4) The international reputation of the United States. A friend of mine in Alabama puts it gently, "Lower than frog shit in the bottom of a Mississippi mud pond". That's preeeeetttttty low.

What's the common denominator, you ask? Hmmmmmm, that's a tough one. Let me see... I just dunno. I just can't decide.

King of the World!

He may not look like something you'd take home to mama, but Johnny Damon certainly was Boston's daddy last night. Six out of eight RBIs, to include a grand slam and a two-run homer. It don't get much better than that.

Hopefully, the Sox will get a chance to get some zzzzzz's before Saturday's first WS game. At least whoever wins tonight will have one day's less rest. How awesome would it be for the Sox to win the WS in Fenway?

Another Reason the Sox Should Win

When you have to bring out the riot police for a fucking baseball game, your fans either suck themselves off or they're terrorists. I say the former.

I guess this is payback for all the brillant moves made by Bobble-head Jeter the night before. I cannot imagine what will happen tonight if the Sox take the Yanks IN New York. And for the Yank fans to believe that A-Rod blew their opportunity just shows they haven't a clue.

I think it's time for the Yanks to shut UP. They are the whinniest, weaseliest, wussies on the planet and I'm tired of them thinking they deserve everything - all the time.

You Have to Wonder...

... what this little fella is thinking





I don't think it's, "Do I look fat in purple velour?"


It's probably more on the lines of, "If you don't take this fucking thing off me, I'll bite you a second asshole and post pictures of that on ajc.com".


What is it about Halloween that makes stupid people want to dress up their pets to look like blitthering idiots?

Gotta Find Another Way Home

So this twin engine crashed this morning on the road I take to and from work. We were just here yesterday as a matter of fact. I probably would still be under intense animal tranquilizers if this plane hit around 4:30 instead of 9:30.



Sadly both the pilot and the passenger died.


Also having a truly SHEEEET-EE day...

"Authorities were searching Monday for family members of two pedestrians struck and killed in separate crashes on Gwinnett County roads Sunday night.

They also were looking for a hit-and-run driver believed responsible for one of the deaths. The first fatality occurred about 8 p.m. on Ga. 316 in front of the Gwinnett County jail.

The female victim, whose name was not released because relatives had not been contacted, had apparently been released from the jail just before the accident, said Lawrenceville police Lt. Jeff Smith."

Just think - You're riding high, just outta jail, wondering where you're gonna get your first cocktail and WHAM! - Road Pizza.

According to Bill Maher

Last night on a re-run of Real Time with Bill Maher, he said this, "" ...I agree with that very much - but on a practical level, what I'm saying here is that the lesson of Vietnam, to me, was that once it went bad, it's not going to get better - like a relationship."

Although he finished the statement as a joke, he had what I thought was a very powerful concept of how we should end the US occupation of Iraq. He said that like a school project, if you are given three weeks to do a project, you'll take three weeks. If you are given one year to do something, you will take one year. The people we are fighting - Iraqi citizens - in Iraq aren't there just to fight us. They are there to protect their rights and what they view as their society. If it takes 100 years to get rid of the US's ideology for freedom, they will stay the course.

His opinion, which I have to agree with, is that we have been in Iraq for 1-1/2 years. Let's tell the Iraqis we will be there one more year. If by then, they haven't embraced "our" democracy, they never will.

Now, for Bill's funniest "New Rule" of the night:

New Rule: No puppet fucking. The "South Park" guys have a new movie called "Team America," which features graphic sex scenes between marionettes. Hey, you know what? If I had any interest in wooden sex with strings attached, I'd get married.

I laughed so hard, I barely made it to the potty. Maybe I should consider Granny-diapers when his show is on.

Up 'Till 11:00 Again

But that's OK 'cause the Sox pulled it off again last night even though that Bobble-head Jeter got away with murder three times. I guess with all the money Steinbrenner pays him, he can throw some cash in the 2nd base umps pocket when he needs a little help.

Some stats about the game:

1) Last night's game went 5 hrs and 43 minutes. Longest game in post-season play.
2) Second longest game per innings (longest inning game was '86 NY vs Houston at 16 innings).
3) Sox and Yanks played 26 consecutive inning the past two games.
4) Wakefield has a magic knuckleball.
5) Rain is predicted tonight in NY. I'm betting both teams have pulled their cash and hired a pro rain dancer so they can get some shut-eye.

Great game! Go Sox!! Now if they can just hold on two games in the Big Apple.

BTW - Check out Ron Corddry on the Daily Show (episode from 19 Oct). He did a great story on the "Curse of the Babino". According to some die-hard Sox fans, ever since the Sox traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees in the early 1900's, they have never won another World Series. Leave it to Corddry to spin it into something hilarious.

'Cause My Momma Told Me...

...that there are two types of people in the world:

The first type thinks they get paid to put up with shit.

The second type thinks they get paid to do their job.

I am the Queen of the SECOND type.

I want/need/should get paid to do what I DO. That is... I'm a construction superintendent (ironically, there are lots of folks out there that wouldn't admit to that fact, but I am happy and proud that I am a woman in this field.) I am also proud to say that, unlike so many other people, I don't get paid to sit on my ass and play Solitare or PacMan.

Tomorrow, I must face up to the fact that things are going to change DRAMATICALLY for me. I will be told that my supervisor and my job responsibilities will change and I will have to begin legal proceedings because of it. Of course, this is all because I found the balls to bitch about my piss poor merit increase. For over four years, I have dealt with stupidity, misogyny, racism, sexism, - fuck -------- NAME IT. Tomorrow will be the catalyst to change all of that. I have to remind myself that I am in the second category of people... I earn my living by what I do, what I have earned the right to do, and the fucking fact that I do it EXTREMELY well. I did not get to where I am because I simply take unsolicited bullshit.

Maybe it's all the yoga. I did a handstand today and held it for a lonngggg time. Considering I haven't been able to do that in 18 years, I just hope my tolerance muscles are as strong as my physical muscles.

More later.

If You Can't Take the Answer....

don't ask the question.

I loved it when, during the last debate, they asked Kerry if he thought homosexuality was a choice. Kerry mentions Cheney's openly gay daughter and says, "She is who she is" (great answer, by the way) and Cheney gets pissed?

What the hell is he pissed about? I think he's pissed that his daughter is gay, not the fact that Kerry used her as an example. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall the day she came home to daddy and announced she was a lesbian. Now, if someone could just prove that homosexuality was hereditary.

I'm Baaaacccckkkkk!

WOW! I've been a real slacker of late and haven't been blogging like a good girl should. I had some real shocking news at the work front lately and it's really has put me in a really pissy mood which I haven't wanted to share. However, I recently took a few days off and went to Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont and saw the most beautiful foilage. The locals call all the tourists "Leaf Peepers" which I find hilarious. Anyway, it was very relaxing and Mum and me had good laughs.

One quick story, though before I head home for the day. Yesterday, my cousin's wife, TW, and I went to the airport together (each of us flying home - she to DC, me to Hotlanta). I cruised through airport security, but TW got felt up by every TSA employee in the airport. Apparently, because hers was a one way ticket, she got flagged. Of course, she really looks like a terrorist - NOT.

So, they take TW off to the side and a female TSA worker goes to town frisking her up and down. I mean, the TSA worker actually feels up my cousin right there in the airport with God and everyone looking on. I probably shouldn't have done it, but I hollered over the counter, "Hey, don't you wish your gynecologist was that thorough?"

I thought the TSA worker was going to start crying. She said, "I'm so sorry, I'm just doing my job. Please don't get upset with me."

What a puss. I mean, they could have had me arrested for mouthing off like that, but this little cheek-a cowed down like a puff muffin.

Ah well, it was good for a laugh.

Time to head home. I have plenty more bloggin' to do though since I had such a wonderful trip to Kerry-country. It was so nice to finally have intellegent conversation with Kerry supporters. Only 18 more days before we have a new President and our country can start the healing process.

Finally, Some Justice!!

"Food Containing Hemp Remains Legal"

Tuesday, September 28, 2004 Posted: 12:24 PM EDT (1624 GMT)

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Food products made with hemp will remain legal after the Justice Department declined to challenge a ruling that overturned a Bush administration ban, lawyers for the hemp industry said.

Monday night was the deadline for the government to challenge a federal appeals court's February decision that the United States cannot ban the domestic sale of hemp foods.

The appeals court decision was a victory for more than 200 companies that make products including energy bars, waffles, milk-free cheese and veggie burgers with the plant that contains only trace amounts of THC, the key ingredient in marijuana.

***My secret fetish for veggie burgers has been exposed***


Patrick Goggin, a San Francisco lawyer representing the Hemp Industries Association, said the government had informed the group's legal team that it would let Monday's deadline expire.

"They don't see this as a battle they can win," Goggin said.

Justice Department spokesman Charles Miller declined comment.

The San Francisco-based appeals court said that although the Drug Enforcement Administration has regulatory authority over marijuana, the agency did not have the authority to ban foods derived from hemp. The court said it was not possible to get high from products with only trace amounts of the mind-altering chemical.

Hemp is an industrial plant related to marijuana. Fiber from the plant long has been used to make paper, clothing, rope and other products. Its oil is found in body-care products such as lotion, soap and cosmetics.

***That's right, whoever's out there smokin' their body lotion needs to be locked up.***

Just Dandy

Like we need even more folks with nukes and a pissy, paranoid attitude toward the US:


Minister: N. Korea Has Nuclear Deterrent

By EDITH M. LEDERER
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - North Korea says it has turned the plutonium from 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods into nuclear weapons to serve as a deterrent against increasing U.S. nuclear threats and to prevent a nuclear war in northeast Asia.

Warning that the danger of war on the Korean peninsula ``is snowballing,'' Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su Hon provided details Monday of the nuclear deterrent that he said North Korea has developed for self-defense.

He told the U.N. General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting that Pyongyang had ``no other option but to possess a nuclear deterrent'' because of U.S. policies that he claimed were designed to ``eliminate'' North Korea and make it ``a target of preemptive nuclear strikes.''

``Our deterrent is, in all its intents and purposes, the self-defensive means to cope with the ever increasing U.S. nuclear threats and further, prevent a nuclear war in northeast Asia,'' he told a news conference after his speech.

In Washington, a State Department official noted that Secretary of State Colin Powell has said repeatedly that the United States has no plans to attack the communist country.

But in his General Assembly speech and at the press conference with a small group of reporters, Choe blamed the United States for intensifying threats to attack the communist nation and destroying the basis for negotiations to resolve the dispute over Pyongyang's nuclear program.

Nonetheless, he said, North Korea is still ready to dismantle its nuclear program if Washington abandons its ``hostile policy'' and is prepared to coexist peacefully.

At the moment, however, he said ``the ever intensifying U.S. hostile policy and the clandestine nuclear-related experiments recently revealed in South Korea are constituting big stumbling blocks'' and make it impossible for North Korea to participate in the continuation of six-nation talks on its nuclear program.

North Korea said earlier this year that it had reprocessed the 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods and was increasing its ``nuclear deterrent'' but did not provide any details.

Choe was asked at the news conference what was included in the nuclear deterrent.

``We have already made clear that we have already reprocessed 8,000 wasted fuel rods and transformed them into arms,'' he said, without elaborating on the kinds or numbers.

Bring on the Booties

A big FAT Félicitations goes to my great friends across the pond. Ludo and Anne are having their first little one sometime in March. I hope the bébé is a little girl so I can have the opportunity to teach her how to be a real pain in the ass. Ludo only deserves the full "Parent" treatment.

Seriously, though, these two will be the best parents and I wish them the best.

This Time They Were Wrong

So weather people said yesterday and this morning that Jeanne would move to our east and we would only get about 1/2" of rain with some wind. W-R-O-N-G.

It has been downpouring since noon. This storm was supposed to take a NNE "jog" this morning and miss us. Now it is right over us and just starting it's "jog". I would think this will make for a nasty ride home, which I am about to try before the other 4 million people get on the road.

Since I listened to weather man this morning and didn't think Jeanne would be a problem, I left the windows at the house wide open.

I may need a mop tonight.

Is the Denial Period Over?

OK, so Colin Powell, who I've long considered the most sane and intellegent member of the current administration - yeah, yeah, that's not saying much - has "come out" on Fox News. Sec. of State Powell said yesterday that, "... the insurgency is only becoming more violent as planned January elections near." and on ABC's This Week, "It's getting worse," he said. "They are determined to disrupt the election. They do not want the Iraqi people to vote for their own leaders in a free, democratic election."

This on top of the fact that Georgie W. is defending his showboat bullshit last year where he gave the "Mission Accomplished" speech and told folks yesterday that he'd do it again. I bet there are about 900+ soldiers and even more family of soldiers that wished he didn't do "it" in the first place.

I cannot believe the vaccuum brain Republicans who still insist that the violence in Iraq is all because of irresponsible media hounds. One person even said to me today, "Well, 1,000 people a day die in car crashes and the media doesn't mention that". When I told him to check the violence/death/assault/rape stories in the AJC for today alone, his answer was, "Well, that's just print media and nobody reads print media". I then had to turn his attention to the morning news where today alone: "Ex-Bishop Indicted of Child Rape" and "Dog Owner Shot by Neigbour" and "Kidnapped Baby Returned" and "Retired APD cop Recovering from Gunshot after Car Theft"... This from a city that has almost as many people as the entire country of Iraq.

Please, give me a fuckin' break here. The media will always cover BAD NEWS, regardless of where the bad news is happening. Today, overwhelmingly, the really bad news is in IRAQ, Stupid.

I'm so tired of the Bush team and ignorant followers of the Bush team who want to shed the Divine Light on all that is ugly, inhumane, and wholly sadistic. What those barbarians did to Jack Hensley (Atlanta man who was recently beheaded) and others is pure evil - only propogated by another evil - the Bush Administration.

I just want to puke when I hear ignorant, backward thinking people say shit like, "Well, if Kerry were in office, Saddamm would still be in office". How the hell can anyone make such a half-ass, no-brain statement like that? Who the hell knows where this country would be if Kerry were in office instead of Bush? I know we wouldn't be the laughing stock of the entire civilized world. But if they insist on such illogic, I've got another one: If Kerry were in office: Daniel Pearl, Nick Berg, Eugene Armstrong, Jack Hensley* and about 1,000+ other people would be home with their families instead of six feet underground.

Do not hand me a load of horseshit and tell me that the War in Iraq was - IS - worth it. Worth what, exactly? Where is the United States today? We are the armpit of a miserably failed foreign policy, we are the shamed amongst the arrogant, ignorant and wholly greedy, and we are the disgrace that is personified by people who have no sense of honour, trust, nor humanity. So proud to be an American? Hack me up another furrball, Garfield.

I really wish someone besides Powell could finally stand up and say, "Iraq was a mistake. We blindly and illegally invaded another country and we have absolutely no idea how to get out of it especially considering we've managed to piss off the rest of the world. And, oh yeah, because we are so thinly stretched we can't go to other countries (The Sudan, for example) and help them. Of course, they have no oil so why would the US bother?

* On a worthy note: Thank you, Marietta for your vigil to the late Jack Hensley. If you haven't heard, the leader of the local mosque called the head of the Baptist Church and asked if they could have a joint vigil in the Square. Some hundreds of people showed (including about 1/2 Muslims) to show their support for the family and their disdain for the type of Islam the monsters in Iraq are demonstrating. I think it took a lot of courage in the land of the KKK to join together to do something like this. Screw all you ball-less rednecks who said it was "too risky". It's just a shame that an Atlanta man had to go to Iraq to earn a living for his family. What does that say about the condition of this country?

Some Folks Appreciate FEMA More Than Others

"They're doing a good job," one former FEMA executive says of the Bush administration. "And the reason why they're doing that job is because it's so close to the election, and they can't fuck it up. Otherwise they lose Florida -- and if they lose Florida, they might lose the election."

A quote from this week's Loaf. Interesting article, especially in light of all the trouble some places have had recently with hurricanes. I had no idea the Bush Administration changed so many fundamental policies at FEMA. I guess if Crawford, Texas or Washington DC were still realing over the triple hurricane whammy, things might be different.

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/cover.html

Eating Etiquette --- Or Not and an Obit

So, Roomie and I head out for a quick bite at my former stomping hole of VA-HI (a.k.a. Virginia Highlands) or, more specifically, Neigbours. Beautiful day, sittin' on the porch, in comes a party of 16-18 folks. I'm facing them wearing my nuclear Ray-Bans (even SuperMan can't see through these things). Anyway, I had the unique priviledge of watching 16 men and 2 women eat and I must say, it was nonetheless interesting, if not unappetizing.

SO, just because I care how you look to others in public, I am offering up these little tidbits of advice when it comes to sitting at the table and consuming food. Of course, if you have no problem being confused with the latest Zoo primate at the dinner table, continue your barbaric, primordal habits - but don't blame me if you never get laid again.

1) I truly KNOW what food looks like after a whizz around the Cuisinart. Combined with personal saliva is an extra treat so... that's right Bubba, eat with you fucking mouth shut. Yeah, kinda seems difficult if you think about it so let me clarify - eat with your fucking lips shut and you can still chew/swallow.

2) Speaking of chewing - try putting into your mouth only that which you can chew with your lips shut. By this, I mean, don't stuff HALF the loaded burger into your puss just so I can see what you can swallow. I loved it when "Ape #1 stuffed half the sandwich into his mouth, only to open it two chews later to get a big swallow full of tea. I can't see how swallowing food whole is good for anyone unless you're a goddamn Great White.

3) Speaking of smaller bites and chewing with your lips shut - slow-the-fuck-down-when you eat!!! Nobody is in a contest. Case in point: I had a salad (medum sized) and Ape #2 had a pizza. Guess who finished their eats first? A general rule for eating and it was intended for people's health, not so much for etiquette (see if you can handle this one): Try putting your fork down between every bite. It really isn't easy if you're the typical Buffoon, but try it anyway. Also, try to eat what's in your mouth and swallow it, before endulging in that next morsel.

4) Napkins are on the table for a reason, Butthead. Please do NOT wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, then swipe it down the Duckheads. Oh my, I couldn't believe Ape #3 pulled this one, but if I only had a camera.

5) This point is a stickler with me and can be ignored if you know the company you keep and they don't mind... But, if your food comes first, try to wait until everyone else has been served before you attempt to stick the plate down your face. Really, people with a modicum of class don't want to be eating alone while you sit at the end of the table burping up leftovers and ordering dessert.

6) Please don't eat with your elbows on the table, much less upper arms, elbows, wrists, hands on the table. I mean, when you hover over your plate with your entire upper body, I get the impression you're a rabid dawg, lookin' to protect his meal from scavenger vultures. Emmett-The-Vaccuum-Brain eats like this. I assure you, it ain't pretty.


OK, enough rant... time for the obit portion of this message,

I had to say, "goodbye" to my favourite pair of RayBans today. Roomie gave them to me as a 18th birthday gift three years ago and I've worshipped these glasses since that day. Today, as I was going potty at Neighbours, I bent over to flush and the RayBans dropped into the "Great Swirl" before I had a chance to rescue them.




BAAHHHHHHH!! Like when Charlie Brown lost Snoopy on the "Great River Raft Race". Snoopy, come home - even after your trip through Atlanta city sewer system.

Alas, tomorrow I must succumb to another pair. Go figure - the first time the sun has been out for more than three days in a row... but hey, such is life.

Autumn Equinox

Yessireee, in a mere 1 hour and 34 minutes, Autumn will officially be here. What does that mean for us in the Deep South?

1) No more 90+ degree days with 100% humidity!!!! Also, SMOG alert days are over until May.

2) Auburn Tiger FOOTBALL - We kicked the crap out of LSU on Saturday and that's just the beginning. Mark my words, we're going allllll the way to Sugar Land this year!

3) New Orleans Saints Football - OK, I've been a devoted fan of the 'anits for 20 years and I have yet to see them get past the playoffs, but hey, I can be an optimist!

4) North Georgia Mountains - I know, it doesn't even begin to compare to say the White or Green Mountains in New England, but it's all I got down here.

5) No more grass cutting (of course, the grass is dead from the summer heat).

6) The countdown to my trip to France is on FULL swing.

7) Great movies are coming - considering the Summer Movie fare left a lot to be desired.

More to come. It is absolutely beautiful here today and all week. My prayers go out to all those continually battling hurricanes and storms. Hang in there.

My Picks from the 2004 Emmys...

Coolest Guy His Age...






Most Obvious Surgical Recipient (take your pick, but I'm thinking the one on the left)...







The Award for: And You Did WHAT to Get Here??



These are the two 'Survivor' geeks.





My Comedic Hero






My Screenplay Hero

This is the award winning, Tony Kushner, who wrote the brilliant, "Angels in America".



What I Would Wear if I Were 20 Again (and I don't mean the flophead to her left)






Voted Most in Need of a Sandwich





Who I Want to Be When I Grow Up


Elaine Stritch

Which One Are You?

When you go to the doctor and have to have blood drawn, which type of person are you? Do you have to look away when the needle goes into your arm or do you have to watch it go in?

I am definately a watcher. Roomie is definately NOT a watcher.

Yesterday afternoon, Tropical Storm Ivan came through downtown Atlanta with an attitude and an agenda. Winds were blowing around 40 MPH with gusts over 55 MPH. Not fun when you live in a little wooden house that sits under trees that are easily 150 feet tall. I, being the "watcher" type, sat glued in front of the southwest facing windows as the bands came through (Roomie sat in the back room with the blinds closed). It truly is awesome to see how flexible these trees are. The wind was blowing the tops of these trees -almost- horizontally for most of the day and the rain came down in buckets. Hartsfield airport recorded 5", but they usually get the least amount of rain compared to the burbs. The rain was also scary since Frances really eroded a lot of soil around the trees and they were getting uprooted all over the city.

Roomie, being a non-watcher, said he didn't want to know when the tree fell through the house. I'm the type that wants to know exactly where, when, and how the tree falls through the house. That way, I can appropriately gauge my panic mode.

We also managed to be probably the only neigbourhood in the city that didn't lose power (at least not for long periods of time). This meant we could watch the weather radar (thanks to WSBTV for awesome radar) and we could tell when another band would come in or where the tornados were. Apparently, there were a bunch of twisters all around the Metro area which is the really scary thing.

And the Dumbass Award this morning goes to: All those fucking morons who decided to go home from work just as Ivan was really showing his teeth. Not only was the weather horrible, but the flooding started around 2PM. Two million people driving on the road in that kind of weather made a fucking mess of the city and really put a strain on the fire/police folks. I mean, it's not like the weather folks didn't fucking tell us that the storm would be here by noon. Check out this moe-ron who though he could drive through this puddle on Scott Blvd.




It was too dark this morning to do any real yard survey. I'm anxious to see how much damage we sustained. I guess I'm thankful we don't live near the famous Peachtree Creek which rose to record levels this morning, flooding out a whole bunch of really, filthy rich pricks. Now, the filthy rich pricks want the Corps of Engineers to re-route the creek. I say, move the filthy rich pricks, keep the creek. It has been there a lot longer.

Should continue to lightly rain today, but tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to be beautiful. Not sure if we'll do a yard clean or wait to see what Jeanne will do. Oh yeah, and Karl is swirling off the African coast, too.

Here Comes Ivan

Granted, we won't get nearly as bad as Florida and Alabama, but Ivan is knocking. It's now 11:11 in the morning and we are in our last "lull". Going home in 20 minutes. Pray for Spanky. God, how I hate tornados.

I Didn't Even Get Kissed

This absolutely must be the week for me to get screwed. First, I find out that the $1,000 duckies I spent fixing my piece of shit auto should have only cost me about half that. Never use D&H Automotive, they will rip you off.

Second, my local phone company has had me cut off from the outside world for one solid week as they continue to tell me:

1) There is no problem with your phone line
2) the problem with your phone is from Frances and
3) the problem with your phone is in your house (even though we haven't actually been in your house to prove that).

Now, to get my phone repaired, I have to be home at noon - get this - every, fucking day at 12:00 until MONDAY to wait for the repairman. They said this morning -after a week of me calling them - that is the best they could do because they didn't know what was going to happen with Ivan. I had to explain that

1) my phone worked just fine for several days after Frances and
2) if they had come out a fucking week ago when I first called, Ivan wouldn't be an issue today. I mean, is it my fucking fault that a hurricane hit the goddamn coast?

Would you like to know the real kicker to this one?? When I was finishing the call with them this morning, the customer no-service lady said, "You know, when this gets repaired, you really should call back and ask for a credit adjustment to your account. You shouldn't have to pay for a service you aren't getting." Oh shit! I never thought to do that. Stupid ass has no idea who she was talking to this morning.

Oh yeah, I'll be calling.

Then, once I get the credit, I'm going straight back to Ma Bell. Never use AT&T for local service. I had Bell South for 10 years and never had a problem, but stupid me switched to get SkyMiles (for an airline that will probably file Chapter 11 soon). I guess that's what you get when you try to fix something that ain't broke.

Speaking of Ivan, folks here say it will be worse than Frances in terms of the wind and rain. We're actually supposed to have a tropical storm. I've been in a tropical storm in St. Thomas, but those houses are designed to withstand winds over 50 MPH. Old Southern homes are not. Besides, Frances probably knocked loose some branches that haven't fallen yet so a nice gust of about 50 MPH should bring them down. The rain is a problem also. I heard a statistic once that Atlanta has the second worst sewer system in the world (after Mexico City - and that's only because Mexico City was hit by a huge earthquake a few years ago). Needless to say, if we get 5-10" of rain like some folks are predicting, getting to and from the house will be tricky. Roomie and I plotted different ways to get home if the streets start flooding like they did during Frances. As I said, it will be tricky.

Well, it's time for a cup of coffee (just starting to drink coffee again after giving up the stoggies) and a read of the papers. Then head home to wait for the phone guy. I have to train my brain not to sit here and devise ways to abuse him when he finally gets to the house.

Hope everyone in LA is OK (in the South, LA stands for Lower Alabama).

This Just Sucks...

ARRRRGGGGG! This one hits home. Hopefully, Uncle J and his Misses are doing OK since they are probably getting pounded with this one.

Why Vote for Bush?

Courtesy "The Daily Show"

Check out "George W. Bush: Words Speak Louder than Actions". (Click on the picture of our Grand Leader in the middle of the screen.)

http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/thedailyshowwithjonstewart/

Hopefully, Kerry's Coup de Grâce

Just lovely. Last night at midnight, the assult weapons ban expired. For most of you that might not mean much, but as I said in earlier posts, I live in the 'hood. As a matter of fact, I had to call 911 last night around 1 AM because some dipshit, fucking moron decided to fire off a few rounds down the street. I guess I should be grateful that it wasn't an AK-47, but since the ban expired at midnight, he probably didn't have a chance to go to his gun store that early.

In the three + years of living in the 'hood, it hasn't been 100% wonderful. Now, any dipshit without a known record can go into a gun store or a gun show and buy one of these guns? How the fuck do you think that make us - and the POLICE who bust their ass to protect us, feel?? FUCK all you whiny asses who claim you have 2nd amendment rights. When the founding fathers talked about your right to bear arms, they had no idea 21st century "arms" would include automatic weapons.

Why does anyone need an assault rifle?

So they can ASSAULT people, THAT'S WHY!!

For Christ's sake, this country really has gone to shit if people believe they have a right to own anything they want to. And, any fucking moron that believes they are entitled to assault weapons, needs to spend a couple of nights in my neighbourhood glaring through the crosshairs of an RPG being held by a pissed off crack dealer.

The only advantage to this is that it will hopefully wake up some of those idiot stupid Democrats that didn't fight to renew the law. Kerry had a good point: in a time of "War of Terrorism", we just lifted the ban for assault weapons. It will be just like Russia or even Iraq, where you can trade a fucking goat in for an RPG! Great timing there, Georgie. You blatently stupid, fucking, pinhead, PUTZ. Hopefully, your days are numbered and the first thing Kerry will do is re-inact the law.

Comestibili Part 2

So, we go to the Farmer's Market last week and buy all these incredible foodstuffs for next to nothing, but I notice they're starting to go stinky in the fridge, 'cause I haven't been cooking. Needless to say, I did some power cooking this weekend. For starters, check out the ABSOLUTE BEST SALMON CAKES:

INGREDIENTS
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3/4 cup crumbled Ritz crackers
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 large egg
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges for garnish

Note: I guess you can use canned salmon, but the Ghetto-Kroger has fresh salmon on sale sometimes and if you cook it that evening, it's better than the canned stuff. Roomie likes to grilled the salmon for a few minutes before putting it in the cakes because the thought of raw fish makes him puke. I like the charcoal taste it gives the cakes. Don't skip the "fry" section unless you have to. The "frying" gives it a real crisp crust. YUMMMY and so easy.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine the salmon, cracker crumbs, cream, onion, dill, mustard, egg, garlic, Tabasco sauce and salt in a medium bowl. Gently form into 4 patties, using 1/2 cup of the salmon mixture for each. Spread the flour on a plate and lightly coat each patty, shaking off excess.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, until hot but not smoking. Add the salmon patties and cook, turning once, 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Transfer the patties to a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serve on a bun with lettuce or tomato slices, if desired.


We also made "Leek and Potato au Gratin", "Sweetcorn and Feta Cheese Pastries", and a "Chocolate Cheesecake with Pecan Crust". No, we didn't eat it all at once, but the au Gratin dish went fast and I had to bring the cheesecake into work or else pass out from dessert overload. Those recipes are at Spanky, but until they come out to fix the phone, we don't have Internet. I'll post these during the next session of Comestibili.

Bon Appetit

You are Forgiven, My Son

So yesterday, we head out to the Braves/Expos game at the Ted.

Note: The Bravos are doing pretty well this year - as usual - but most likely won't get past the playoffs - as usual. My money is on the fact that if the Bravos make it to the Big Seven, Bobby Cox will finally retire. Speaking of Bobby Cox, I heard him on a radio interview last week and he sounded like the sweetest old man in the world. For those who don't know the real Bobby, he has a potty-mouth worse than IbeJO and the MLB loves to fine him for some of his more colourful, choice phrases.

Anyway, as we were walking in, I asked Roomie if Rafael Furcal would be playing. If you didn't know, Raffie got his second DUI last week (with only a couple of weeks left from his first probation, too - OUCH!) I guess I just assumed he'd still be in the pokie on game day, but I forgot that he works for the Ted. So as Raffie goes up to bat, the crowd gives a light-hearted applause and I figure, hmmmmm, Atlanta is still pissed about him screwing around with another DUI, but then he hits the ball flat out of the park and the crowd goes wild. We forgive ya, Raffie.

But we do have very short memories in Atlanta, especially for our Bravos. A couple of years ago, Chipper Jones got busted when the media found out their darling, married, Bible-thumpin' Baby-Chipper was poking a Hooter's chick and had an illegitimate kid with her. Granted, Chipper took it in the shorts when his wife sued for divorce and I'm sure the Bravos fined the shit out of him, but ask anyone now how they feel about Chipper, and they'll say, "What Hooter's chick".

Regardless, it was a beautiful day and a great game. We (and a bunch of others) left in the bottom of the 7th thinking that the Bravos had the game in hand. By the time we got home (and we live 5 minutes from the Ted), Montreal jumped up and bit us in the butt. Bravos finally pulled it out in the 12th inning.

La Casa Nueva

Today's Good Luck Charm goes to Baby Bro and his soon-to-be-misses. They will attempt to close on their first house together. Since Baby Bro and I bought our house in Atlanta together, he's an old hat at closing, but good luck anyway!!!!

Take a Look at Ivan the Terrible

To All You Vick Fans...

I had to listen to this debate all morning on local radio. How stupid can you be, though? I mean, if the boy ain't playin' good, don't play him. Mora is a greedy, little man. Vick doesn't even sound like he's ready to play.


AJC:
Flowery Branch -- Michael Vick didn't look much like himself in the Falcons' preseason, but even if he's sub-par when Atlanta opens the regular season Sunday at San Francisco, he's not going anywhere other than back on the field.

Coach Jim Mora said No. 7 will not get the hook. The coach, in fact, seemed surprised by the question.

"Absolutely, there is zero percent chance of that happening. Zero," Mora said, chuckling while forming a "0" with his thumb and forefinger. "Let me ask you this, would you pull Michael Jordan? Well, I won't pull Mike Vick. I absolutely will not pull Mike Vick. He could be 0-for-100, and he's going to throw pass number 101."

In 29 snaps, Vick rarely appeared comfortable in a new offensive system, completing five of 12 passes for 35 yards and an interception, also losing a fumble.

In a league where two-time MVP Kurt Warner can lose his job to former Falcons practice squad quarterback Marc Bulger, how crazy can this question be after Vick mustered a preseason passer rating of 14.6 to backup Matt Schaub's 99.7?

His shortage of playing time and lack of effectiveness have created a buzz, and a national football reporter said on the radio Tuesday that Vick would be the NFL's least-prepared starting quarterback this week.

He and his best friend, injured safety Keion Carpenter, chatted about this.

"We just laugh at that, use it as motivation," Vick said. "It fuels my fire, and I like to show and prove. I know what I can do. Why shouldn't people be confident? Last year, I did everything I could to come back [from a broken right fibula] . . . and I come out this year and don't play [much] in the preseason, and people start dogging me."

A few things have driven the chatter, including the feeling that Vick and his coaches have been pre-occupied, even obsessed, by the prospect of re-injury.

"I thought about avoiding injury [in the preseason]," Vick said. "I had a bad experience last year, and I was just trying to protect myself. I guess I just got my mind set [that] preseason games don't count. It's hard for me to get up for a preseason game."

Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp said, "Our first priority [this summer] was making sure Mike stayed healthy."

Mora's apparently tired of being asked if Vick fits in a West Coast offensive scheme. Wednesday, he tried to put some distance between that question, or even change it.

"We don't run the West Coast offense," Mora said. "We're going to put an end to that right now. It's not the West Coast offense because we're not in the West, and it's a completely different scheme than what you would think of a West Coast scheme. Now, maybe the verbiage is the same, but . . . the running game is completely different.

"The play-action pass game is completely different. The movement game [where Vick throws on the run] is completely different. There are some elements of the dropback game that are the same, but other than that, it's not the West Coast offense."

Stupid Mutt Missed...

should have popped the asshole between the eyes:


From CNN:
Pup shoots man, saves litter mates

Thursday, September 9, 2004 Posted: 7:03 AM EDT (1103 GMT)

PENSACOLA, Florida (AP) -- Nice shootin', Rex!

A man who tried to shoot seven puppies was shot himself when one of the dogs put its paw on the revolver's trigger.

Jerry Allen Bradford, 37, was charged with felony animal cruelty, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. He was being treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound to his wrist.

Bradford said he decided to shoot the 3-month-old shepherd-mix dogs in the head because he couldn't find them a home, according to the sheriff's office.

On Monday, Bradford was holding two puppies -- one in his arms and another in his left hand -- when the dog in his hand wiggled and put its paw on the trigger of the .38-caliber revolver. The gun then discharged, the sheriff's report said.

Deputies found three of the puppies in a shallow grave outside Bradford's home, said sheriff's Sgt. Ted Roy.

The other four appeared to be in good health and were taken by Escambia County Animal Control, which planned to make them available for adoption.

"Zell's Final Zag"

Fresh off the presses: From this week's "Loaf":

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/news_feature.html


Hmmm, I intentionally didn't watch Zell's speech at the GOP convention and now I'm doubly glad. Apparently, Zell got a bit overZELLous in his speech (I just had to do that) and he actually managed to scare the Republicans. I love the bit about how he and his wife were moved from their seating next to Bush to somewhere in a vast audience. Why not put a bag over his head before you send him out? I also like the liberal use of the word, "bonkers".

Awesome Photos of Frances

Check this awesome shot...



Go to www.weather.com and click on the link of "slideshow of Frances". There are about 30 or so incredible pictures on this link. After looking at these, you have to wonder how more people didn't die.

Commestibili...

means "foodstuffs" in Italian. As some of you know, I love to cook. Even more, I LOVE to eat. I mean, I didn't get this fat by accident. In any event, I figured I'd begin a post of some of the best recipes I have found in case anyone wanted to cook something that was 1) vegetarian 2) easy to make even if it looks difficult and 3) tastes great. I made this first number for our camping trip because it travels well and tastes better after it has been sitting, chilled, for a long while:

Note: I've been a vegetarian for almost 15 years. When I chose to become vegetarian, I took the Church's idea of "no meat" during Lent. This means we can only eat fish that swim. Yeah, I've heard the joke about calamari and lobster since they don't swim, but they are still considered no-no. Obviously, we don't eat red meat, chicken, pork or shellfish, but you'll see salmon, halibut, and my all-time favourite - tuna. Below is the best tuna sandwich (and vinegarette) on the planet...

Pan Bagnato

In Italy, this sandwich is called pan bagnato, in Provence pan bagna. Either way, it means "soaked bread" and that's the secret: to let the flavours soak into the bread. Wrap in parchment paper to carry; the unfolded paper makes a portable placemat.

1 baguette
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup good olive oil
Pepper
2 (6-ounce) cans good-quality tuna in water, drained
3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
Minced red onion, to taste
1/4 cup chopped, pitted meaty black olives, such as Kalamata
4 thin slices tomato, halved to create half moons
Several large basil leaves

Slice baguette in half crosswise, then slice each half lengthwise in two, making bottom halves larger. Pull out and discard the insides so you have hollow bread shells. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard. Whisk in olive oil until emulsified, then season with pepper. Brush some of the vinaigrette over the insides of the bread shells.

In a bowl, stir together the tuna, capers, onion, and olives; stir in the remaining vinaigrette until well combined. Mound tuna evenly in the bread shell bottoms. Arrange tomatoes and basil leaves over tuna, then put tops of bread on. Squish down to compress ingredients: you want the bread to get soaked with the flavours. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and parchment to transport. If made ahead, refrigerate up to 4 hours, wrapped.

Stay Out of It

Atlanta City Council will vote tonight on whether or not to inact a smoking ban in the City. I can honestly say that I don't think it should be decided by government on whether or not people can smoke a cigarrette in a resturant. When I did smoke, I would always check the places we were going to make sure they allowed smoking. If they didn't, either we went somewhere else or we had a very short meal. Now, when we go out, it doesn't matter, because I can sit in the 'no smoking' section. But to tell a place they don't have a choice - and to tell certain people they don't have a choice - is bullshit.

Leave it up to the resturant to decide.

Another Rub on Zell

From "The Loaf" this week...

A few interesting issues that the Great Zig-Zag-Zell has brought to light:

On the lottery ...

ZIG: Miller may best be remembered locally as the governor who created the Georgia Lottery, which was the centerpiece of his 1990 gubernatorial campaign and his proudest legacy. In a 1989 stump speech, he said, "The lottery is something whose time has come."

ZAG: But believe it or not, Miller once opposed the lottery. A few weeks before adopting it (which he did because political consultant James Carville said it would get him elected), Miller told church-goers he opposed a lottery on the grounds it would open the door to gambling and organized crime. And before that, Miller served two years on the board of the Council on Civic and Moral Concerns, the state's leading anti-lottery group.

On civil rights ...

ZIG: In his January 1993 State of the State address, then-Gov. Miller took a courageous stand against bigotry, asking legislators to change the state flag: "It is clear the flag was changed in 1956 to identify Georgia with the dark side of the Confederacy -- that desire to deprive some Americans of the equal rights that are the birthright of all Americans."

ZAG: In the 1960s, however, Miller ran for Congress as an opponent of civil rights for blacks, infamously calling Lyndon Johnson "a Southerner who sold his birthright for a mess of dark pottage."

On abortion ...

ZIG: Zell now claims to be ardently pro-life, as he revealed in his recent book, A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat. "I know it is wrong to take these lives," Miller writes. "I hope someday Roe v. Wade will be reversed." He even likens a woman's right to choose to a plantation owner's right to own slaves: "The elite, arrogant plantation owner believed his own self-interest to be more important than the slaves' self-interest. A woman who favors abortion believes her self-interest comes before the unborn's self-interest."

ZAG: But that's a serious 180 from his stance on abortion during most of his political career. "When you get down to the ultimate decision of whether or not to have an abortion, the decision ought to be in the hands of a woman, her pastor, her doctor and her family -- and not in the hands of the state," Miller said during his 1989 gubernatorial race. Months later, he added, "I am completely committed to a woman's right to choose."

On John Kerry ...

ZIG: Miller earned the enmity of the Democratic Party when he began trashing its slate of presidential candidates in a November 2003 Wall Street Journal editorial. "[T]he Democratic candidates who want to be president in the worst way are running for office in the worst way," Miller is quoted as saying. "They don't want us to stay the course in this fight between tyranny and freedom. This is our best chance to change the course of history in the Middle East. So I cannot vote for a candidate who wants us to cut and run with our shirttails at half-mast."

ZAG: And yet Miller had nothing but praise for a certain fellow senator he introduced at the 2001 Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Atlanta: "My job tonight is an easy one: to present to you one of this nation's authentic heroes, one of this party's best-known and greatest leaders -- and a good friend. ... In his 16 years in the Senate, John Kerry ... has worked to strengthen our military, reform public education, boost the economy and protect the environment."

On the Bush family ...

ZIG: Obviously, Zell's biggest zigzag has been his unofficial party switch and his endorsement of the current president. We're guessing that he'll use the occasion of his keynote address at the Republican Convention to repeat this notorious quotation from last year: "I have come to believe that George Bush is the right man in the right place at the right time."

ZAG: But Miller wasn't always so solicitous toward the GOP, as evidenced by his remarks from a previous speaking engagement at New York City's Madison Square Garden -- during the 1992 Democratic National Convention, where he also delivered the keynote address and introduced then-nominee Bill Clinton. We'll give Zell the last word:

"We can't all be born rich and handsome and lucky. That's why we have a Democratic Party. ... I am a Democrat because we are the party of hope. For 12 dark years, the Republicans have dealt in cynicism and skepticism. They've mastered the art of division and diversion, and they have robbed us of our hope. ... Let's face facts: George Bush just doesn't get it. He doesn't see it; he doesn't feel it, and he's done nothing about it. That's why we cannot afford four more years."

The Boss Must Really Hate You When...

you work for the Weather Channel and they send you out to cover a hurricane. Sunday, they sent this chick (who might weigh 105 pounds, soaking wet) Stephanie Abrams, to New Smyrna Beach. Check out how badly Frances kicks Stephie's ass.

http://www.weather.com/activities/verticalvideo/newscentervideo.html?clip=1030

I tell you what, if my boss did this shit to me, he'd be paying BIG bucks.

Pecan Trees

As I sit here and watch it P-O-U-R down rain, I thought to educate everyone on a couple of interesting facts about pecan trees. Since we have 4 very large, 100 year old trees in our yard, I figured the impending wind storm would warrant this little learning session.

First, you can only harvest pecans every other year. Lsst year, we had an awesome harvest, but all we get this year are green, fetal nuts that even the squirrels won't eat. These babynuts come off the tree gradually through the autumn and winter, UNLESS, you get winds of around 40 mph. When the wind "helps" these little nuts off the tree, they come flying like a round from a 12-gauge, especially when they hit the copper roof on the garage.

Second, pecan trees are what some folks call "self-pruners". That means that they grow tall and lanky and when the wind blows, the weaker limbs snap and fall on their own. Again, this is a gradual process unless they get help from Mamma Nature. Most of last night was spent staring up a the ceiling wondering if and where one of these wooden spears would pierce the roof. Paranoid, you say? Not when it's happened before. We haven't had the ceiling fixed for more than a year so it's about time for another branch to come through.

Actually, I shouldn't joke considering the hell that Floridians went through on Saturday. My best to everyone.

As for any good news from the 4 inches of rain we got, it looks like we might have won the War of Water at the house. The basement was dry for the first time ever!! YIPPIE!

Another Retraction

The last retraction of one of my bloggers was about the dipshit and the banyon tree.

This one is about Little Bro and me being the only single people on the planet.

I want to retract that.

It should now read, "I'm the only fucking loser single person on the planet". (Maybe I shouldn't use the term "loser", but the "single" part sure is on the money).

That's right, MY BABY BRO IS GETTIN' HITCHED! Besides the party I'm going to throw for him, that's really cool that he has settled with someone so awesome. Little J. is beautiful, brillant and has such a kind heart... wait a minute, does he deserve her? Kidding.

Congratulations to Baby Bro. Guess he ain't a baby no mo'.
mi amore

The Owl and the Pussycat

Most folks probably won't get the reference, but I remember that the Owl and the Pussycat sang to each other in the story. That being said, I can't remember a better show than the one last night. If anybody gets the chance to see Annie Lenox and Sting on the "Sacred Heart" tour, don't miss it. Annie Lenox must be about 50, but she looks like she might be 35 and - sit down, Christina - Annie can still belt them out like no other. As for Sting, he's simply a magician with his music.

Day-day and I were wondering who was opening for whom. The tickets seem to show Annie was opening for Sting, but apparently, both of them were "promoting" a new album out by Sting's guitarist (of 15 years), Dominic Miller. He was the opening act and if you're into acoustic guitar, get the album, "Shape". It really is amazing to hear such beautiful music and he is a phenom player in my book.

Something personally odd: After Dominic opened, there was an intermission and we took the opportunity to go to the bathroom and get beer. When we got out the door to the concourse, I noticed all these people headed outside the arena. It took a minute to realize they were filing out to smoke cigarrettes. This, being just shy of my seven months tobacco free, was somewhat enlightening. I like to keep a working mental list of the good vs. bad when it comes to starting smoking and this certainly went on the "good" list.

Anyway, back to the show - Annie came out and did a set of all her stuff, even Eurythmics stuff which was cool as hell (makes me wonder if she has to pay Dave Stewart royalties when she plays it). Then Sting played a long, awesome set of all of his stuff, of course including "Police" stuff. Annie Lenox popped out and did two songs with Sting. "We'll be Together Tonight" was an incredible collaboration between the two. Like I said, Annie Lenox can B-E-L-T out the tunes.

Another personal note: The arena was packed and, when Day-day and I got a chance to look around, we noticed we were in the majority in terms of our age group. I mean, I'm 35 and he's 41. I guess the term for us would be "seasoning". We're seasoning, not getting old. It's comforting to know that you aren't that 18-year-old, stumbling-down-drunk who hasn't got a clue that Annie and Sting were around before they had MTV. It's also one-up for me because I know all the lyrics and can sing my heart out at these shows. When Usher comes to the arena next month (not that I would consider going), I wouldn't have a clue what would come out of his mouth.

As I said, get Dominic Miller's album "Shape" if you like acoustic guitar (some of it is classical, some of the songs are Sting's ballads, some are new) and go see the show if you can.

As for the morning after, it looks like Frances has slowed down so it might buy me some time on the waterproofing of the house. I hate procrastinating in the summer. I mean, it's 71 degrees right now. If I got my fat ass out there and started digging, you'd think it would be easier than at 12 o'clock when it's closer to 90.

Oh yeah, one more note about the show: Phillips Arena (the venue for the show) is a very cool venue. The "Ted" has done an awesome job with it. It connects the Omni Hotel, CNN Center and Phillips together. Lots of food options besides what's in the arena. The arena itself is cool, but neither of us like the stairs. Like most arenas the stairs are very steep and at the arena they are particularly narrow. You slip on these puppies and a tumblin' you will go. Still, it's one of the best indoor venues in the city. Coolest outdoor venue - in my opinion is Lakewood 'cause you can plant your ass in the grass on a hill and see the show. Some folks say, "Chastain", but unless you got the duckies for a table seat, you gotta sit on rock. Just a quick note in case anyone comes to town to see a show.

Signing off - Must begin the Big Dig.