You know what they say about fools:
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. -- 1 Cor 1:27
However big the fool, there is always a bigger fool to admire him. -- Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux
[Politicians] never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge. -- Thomas Reed
He who lives without folly isn't so wise as he thinks. -- François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer
Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom. -- Elizabeth Gaskell
Looking foolish does the spirit good. -- John Updike
Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed. -- Mark Twain
A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees. -- William Blake
A fool must now and then be right by chance. -- Cowper
It is better to be a fool than to be dead. -- Stevenson
The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year. -- Mark TwainVarious ramblings....random thoughts..
Like a maze where all the walls continually change..
You never know where you'll end up.
I'm so well behaved, I'm the "textbook" definition of good. So, look around and enjoy your visit.
I might surprise you now and again and be the "textbook" defintion of bad...
The George W. Bush "Magic War Ball"
Should the United States attack Iraq? North Korea? Canada? For decades, we've believed that these decisions are made at the highest levels of government. Recently, however, we have learned that the decision to go to war is made by a magic oracle: The George W. Bush Magic War Ball. Click here to give it a try.Storm Front
We were out last night and snapped this photo on the cell phone. We had some great lightning shows too. Well, great if you aren't afraid of that kind of thing. I'm not, but B is. I wish I could have been out there with my "real" camera. It's hard to go from 8 mega pixels to whatever the cell phone has...Saturday Six
1. Assuming you have a DVD player and a show you used to enjoy becomes available on DVD...What is the deciding factor on whether or not you'll actually buy it?
Usually it is a movie that I've already watched at the theater, or at the very least, wanted to see, heard it was great, and just didn't get around to going to the theater.
2. What do you find generally more offensive: the average prime time television show or the people who want their own personal standards of decency to be the guidelines the networks must follow?
I don't think people should impose their own standards on others. It is my choice what I watch (not much) and certainly what my son watches. He's grown up not watching much TV. As adults, we have the ultimate say on what our children watch and it is up to us to decide what is appropriate.
3. If you were in charge of the FCC, which of the following would be your priority when it comes to decency on the airwaves: cutting down on violence, sex or profanity?
Violence. I feel that is the most destructive of the 3, and it is a horrible mistake to have children become acclimated to violence.
4. Take this quiz (if you haven't already!): What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?
What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?
You will perish of fits. Repeat this to yourself: "Things can work out even if I don't get my way. Things can work out even...."
Take this quiz!
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5. One of those crazy remodeling shows appears at your door one day and offers to redo any room of your house or apartment for free, but that it can only be one single room that gets a makeover. Would you let them in, and if so, which room would you choose and why? I'd let them re-do the finished half of my basement. I've turned it over to my son and it is currently scary down there!
6. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #86 from cdmmw2: Do you recall your first kiss? Did you think that kissing was worth all the hype??
I do recall my first kiss. It was from my 3rd grade boyfriend. At that point, no, I didn't think it was worth the hype. I've long since changed my mind!
Friday, March 31, 2006
TOP TEN Things
Top Ten Things Overheard During George W. Bush's Trip To Cancun
10. "Feels great to get away after three straight weeks of work"
9. "As president of the United States, I pledge to do whatever's necessary to help the Cancunians!"
8. "Couldn't we have stayed home and gone to Chi-Chi's?"
7. "Cozumel? Isn't that the chick I made Secretary of State?"
6. "When do I get to meet Zorro?"
5. "Holy crap, how'd they move these pyramids from Egypt?"
4. "I'll have a non-alcoholic pina colada...just kidding, juice me up, Pepe!"
3. "NAFTA? Don't they make auto parts?"
2. "Secret service! He's choking on a nacho"
1. "Once you get a little buzz going, my poll numbers don't look so bad"
Answering questions in Washington at a forum before he left, he joked, "No Speedo here." And while the audience giggled at the image of a commander-in-chief in a tight swimsuit, he added, "Thankfully."FOUR FOR FRIDAY
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1 - Underdogs: One of the teams playing in this weekend's NCAA Men's Division I College Basketball Tournament “Final Four” here in Indianapolis is Virginia's very own George Mason University. Generally speaking, are you the type of person who likes to root for the underdog?
Sure, if it doesn’t involve basketball! I think this country, and especially this state, is way too focused on sports. We make the big players our heroes and pay them millions of dollars a year. I just don’t get it.
Q2 - Immigrants: Do you think employers should face criminal charges for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants? Yes, I believe it is the employer’s responsibility to verify the legality of their intended employee.
Q3 - Wages: As of today, the federal minimum wage here in the U.S. stands at $5.15 per hour. In your opinion, should the minimum wage be raised, and if so, to how much; and if not, why not? Raising the minimum wage has an effect on so many other aspects of our economy. It has been studied time and time again and comes to the same conclusion: raising the minimum wage hurts the poor and encourages high-school students to drop out. Raising the minimum wage causes some individuals to enter the labor market who would not otherwise do so. With a larger pool to choose from, employers naturally choose the higher-skilled applicant. Therefore, raising the minimum wage hurts the low-skilled individual in two ways: by having fewer jobs available to them and by raising the pool of applicants for a given job and thereby making the competition stiffer. Finally, raising the minimum wage has very little positive impact on the lives of the poor. Rather, it is a political ploy that plays to the misunderstanding of the impact of raising it. America needs to have a better understanding of the true causes of poverty. We need a system that focuses more on raising the education levels of our people.
Q4 - Shopping: I'm headed to the grocery store. Is there anything I can get for you? No thanks, I’m good. I am a grocery shopping freak! I grew up in a household that shopped for food each day. It’s funny how European’s are shocked to see our huge refrigerators we have here in the U.S. We just love big everything here in this country, big cars, big houses and big debt. Conspicuous consumption is the name of the game!
Friday's Feast
Feast Eighty-Seven
Appetizer
Name 3 things that you think are strange.
1. According to my son, I am...
2. Our obsession with televised team sports.
3. Belly button piercing
Soup
What was the last ceremony you attended?
A wedding about 6 years ago. I hate weddings and avoid them like the plague.
Salad
What is one lesson you have learned in the past year?
There are some very dangerous people out there...
Main Course
Tell us about one of your childhood memories.
The day I got my first "big girl" bicycle- It had a white banana seat.
Dessert
If you could extend any of the four seasons to be twice as long as normal, which season would you want to lengthen?
Summer, of course!
Friday Fiver
1. Name one of your flaws:
My obsessive/compulsive-ness
2. Have you ever won first place?
More than once.
3. Who is the last person to make you smile?
My son...He was doing his imitation of PWT (poor white trash)- he has such a way with words!
4. Describe a time when you should have tried harder:
Nothing I want to write about in here!
5. What are you good at?
I'm good at conversation and making people feel comfortable. I'm a good cook and I take fairly decent photographs.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
SPF
If you want to know why I have these photos up, you can go see Kristine at Random and Odd here...
1. Your Washer and Dryer.
They aren't the super-duper front loaders I was dreaming of, but they are new and in my laundry room with a window. (I'm a sick individual and I love washing things.)
The bonus is, the laundry room is upstairs along with all of the bedrooms and bathrooms. No climbing stairs with laundry baskets in hand. It is the best thing ever! As you can tell, I have my "found change" jar on top of the dryer. I figure any money I find while going through the pockets is all mine- like a tip for washing the clothes.
2. Your Robe (if you don’t have one of these…wait, how can you live without a robe? NO ONE should ever have to live life without a robe! GO BUY ONE!)
I love this robe! It is my warm weather robe. I have some equally wonderful matching PJ pants. In the winter I have one of those thick white Frette spa robes- just like you get on a cruise ship or luxury hotel. It weighs about 10 pounds. And no, I did not steal it on my last vacation!
3. A flower (it’s sposta be spring remember?)
Okay, it is too early in the season for this to be blooming...I took it last year- but it is gorgeous and I wanted to share.
flowers everywhere...
Eclipse
I think this photo of the eclipse yesterday is fascinating. It makes me wonder what kind of camera, lens and filter was used. 
Booking Through Thursday
Pick one of your favorite authors. - Augusten Burroughs
- What are some of your favorite books by this author? Running With Scissors
- Why do you like this author? He's intelligent, witty, honest and humorous. He writes it like it is.
- Have you read everything by this author? Why or why not? Everything that is currently published. He has an upcoming book I'm looking forward to.
3x Thursday
1. What do you do when you have a worldly (politics, war, etc) problem and you can't solve it or do anything about it? How do you react? What do you do?
It's frustrating to me sometimes. There are more problems in the world than we can begin to solve or see solved in this lifetime. It can be very sad sometimes...
2. What happens when you have a problem in your personal life that you can't solve? Or you can, but the outcome sucks. What do you do? How do you go about resolving issues like this?
Things in life suck sometimes...That is life. It isn't some perfect scripted thing like you see in a movie. Sometimes there is no answer and sometimes I don't like the only answer there is. C'est la vie... The issues get resolved...Eventually. Things happen in their own time, not ours.
3. How do you handle sticky situations? Do you have a method? If so, what is it?
My method is to stay cool and calm. (Unless it involves the ex, obviously!) Some of the time it helps if I turn on the charm. It certainly can't hurt! It works with most people.Thursday Challenge
Thursday Challenge
CURRENT Theme is "TOOLS"
My tools of the trade...Everyone's personal favorite- Open wide now!
Trampoline Time!
Yes, that is me, being an idiot, as I am every year come Spring, and demonstrating my attempt at a front flip. Impressive, isn't it? If I look at the larger picture, I can tell I cheated and didn't straighten all the layers of my hair today, just the top few. It can be a bitch having this much hair, but I know I shouldn't complain. Speaking of hair, the kiddo is getting his cut off tomorrow. It is way too wild for my taste. I think he looks like a street urchin when it gets like that, but I think he likes it. I could take it being long if only he kept it neat. I'm trying to be a "cool" and fun mom, within reason. I was "too good" as a kid- and look at me now! I'm making up for lost time.
The boy and the puppy enticed me into doing it. Or, was it the other way around? Either way...
Ian is showning off his 560 move and the resulting injury to his arm. Yeah, I don't see it either...The dog usually jumps on with us and tries to eat our socks, for some reason.
::External Hard Drive::
Onesome: External-- What sorts of gadgets do having hanging off your computer? We'll spot you that printer, but how about other goodies like scanners, card readers, cameras, MP3 players and such?
We have 2 laptops and a desktop in our house. So, there are 2 cameras, 3 IPods, 2 printer/scanners, a printer fax machine, A Lego video camera and a Lego Robotics infra-red controller. Think that's enough?
Twosome: Hard-- What part of working with computers is hard for you? ...working with one particular piece of software? Getting that camera to connect? ...or dealing with the family members who don't understand what the deal is Sketching A Self-Portrait
I'm entertaining myself working with my graphire sketch tablet for my computer
This could almost double for my HTN. Basic Instinct 2
The movie Basic Instinct 2 Comes out tomorrow. I don't know how well written the plot is, but I'll ignore that fact and go see it, if for nothing else, Sharon Stone.
The trailer-
If you go to the offical site here, there is an interesting word association game.
What words would you associate with this? I'm truly afraid! Is this for real, or is it Photoshopped?
"...AND THEN I SHALL BE CROWNED QUEEN OF THE DAMNED!"
"...AND THEN I SHALL BE CROWNED QUEEN OF THE DAMNED!"I came across this at the site Go Fug Yourself. It has some truly fugly photos on there!
Half Nekkid Thursday
HNT: The Bubble Bath Version
You can click on the photo to see it a bit larger. I added a filter in Photoshop and ended up making me look slightly evil through the eyes, but I kept it because, sometimes, evil can be a good thing!
This is the best bathtub in the world. It is huge and makes an astronomical amount of bubbles. I happened to crop out the wine glass sitting on the side of the tub, but trust me, it is there!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
On The Other Hand
My son is a sweet darling angel. He may be ornery and full of energy and opinons. But he's still an angel. He put all of his clothes away int the laundry basket, let the dog out one final time and gave me a big cuddle at bed time. He's 13, but to me, he's still sweet. Just sweet with a mustache sprouting in. Heaven help me. I can't stand facial hair. I'm going to have to get him a top of the line razor and have my dad or brother teach him how to use it. At least THEY are positive role modes in his family.
He also saw a picture of Sharon Stone from the upcoming movie "Fatal Attraction 2" and thought it was me. He asked why was I smoking. God love him! Either he's trying to be sweet or he needs new glasses yet again. Either way, the good thoughts were there. He's great, even when he's being difficult. He is my "reason to be"- if you have kids you understand that. If you don't, well, you don't know what you are missing out on. It's the greatest gift God, the Universe could ever bestow upon us. He makes my heart smile, even on a bad day, even on a day that I'm upset with him even! It's pure goodness...it can't be found anywhere else.
Way Back Wednesday
Way Back Wednesday: I'm hot, sticky sweet, from my head to my feet...
Alright, this week's theme brings us back to the 1980s. Is there no song that SCREAMS 1980s more than Jefferson Airplane's "We Built this City"?
Prom 1987..Could someone tell me what I was thinking when I picked out that dress? And what about the GBH (great big hair)???
That's my future ex-husband there with me...I should have had the limo run him down in the parking lot, based on his behavior last night, and for most of the last...oh, say...18 years!
One of my senior pictures...I tried to pick the one that illustrates the 80's the best. Love the feathering look of my hair. Must have taken loads of hairspray to get that look...
WARNING: Foul language
My asshole of an ex-husband has ruined my evening. It wasn't enough for him to ruin my life...now this. Did I mention that I hate his f***ing guts? No? Well, I do. And his little dog too...aka his new wife. I saw the evil side of her for the first time tonight, which is pretty good seeing as they've been married 2 years now. He and I have been divorced for 8 or 9 years. I forget, as thinking about him isn't something I like to spend my time on. But having him tell me what I am going to do, standing there on my front porch was just not working for me. So the "evil" Lisa came out. My head spun around a few times. He had to call his wife out of their car for reinforcement. F**ker.
Oh-My-God...I hate being this angry.
I was literally shaking with anger when I got done talking to him. He's still laboring under the misconception that he dictates schedules and such to me. Bite my left tit, you asshole. I am not going to listen to you, I stopped being married to you (thank God) a long time ago. Of course, I didn't say any of these swear words out loud. I kept my composure. Well, sort of. I didn't yell (I rarely do) and I didn't swear (I do often, but not around people I'm not close to!) I usually swear great streams of streams of curses when I'm alone in my car. It's good for me, or that is what I tell myself. I don't swear in front of my son.
The problem is, my son hates him too. It isn't because of things I've said about his father. I would never do that. I say nice things and watch my tongue bleed as I do so. The bloody bastard's done enough on his own to ruin his relationship with his son.
I am supposed to go on a trip for a few days the week after next. Now...I don't know. The ex was potentially going to take him. Yeah, right! He's never, ever taken care of him. I don't trust the idiot anyhow. I know better.
I have to stop thinking about this now. I need to be able to sleep. I've been staying up too late and getting up too early.
I've had a bad day all around. A bad week actually. Bad, bad, big trouble (not for me personally) stuff at work. Like the doctor's license expired and she didn't renew it. Not a good thing. Then, my homeowners insurance saying my mortgage company states I don't have an escrow account. Excuse me??? I want that money back that you get each month then. Just tedious bullshit like that...all week. I'm so looking forward to my doctor's appointment tomorrow. Maybe she can tell me I have some horrible disease to top this stinking week off.
God, I am bitter and bitchy tonight. Not my usual self at all! It's from all that interaction with the ex. How did I make it 9 years being married to him? I have no idea. Honestly.
The good thing is, my B is coming in to town tomorrow night. Just my luck, some basketball watching rat-bastard will bump her off her flight or something. I may have to kill someone if that happens.
That Red Bull and Ketel One Vodka is sounding better to me all of the time.Red Bull and Vodka
Personally, I've never tried it. I think you should use a premium vodka like Grey Goose, Vox, Ciroc or Ketel one if you are going to be pouring Red Bull into the glass along with it.
There's also been a study done that shows that mixing energy drinks (like Red Bull) with alcohol makes the drinker think they are more sober than they truly are. You can read an article about that here. Interesting....If I'm crocked, I want to know it.Random Bits- With A Theme Of Sorts...
Just about every woman I know hates going to the OB/GYN. It’s just an all-around unpleasant experience. An experience that I get to experience soon…as in tomorrow. Not the way I had envisioned spending my day off. Yes, I know it won’t take the entire day. It will just ruin the entire day! Ugh! I’ve been putting it off…for years now….about 5 years. I’ve run out of excuses.
I just figure that if someone is going to get that personal with me, I should at least be bought a drink (or two, or five) first!
That makes me think of a funny clip I saw the other day. I’m old enough to remember the original Hollywood Squares show with Peter Marshall. Well, Peter was asking Paul Lynde (I loved him as a kid- should have been a sign to my mother!) a question… It was something about a doctor had a patient and she wouldn’t allow him to touch her, what did he invent? Paul replied, in his oh-so-gay way “The martini!”
A friend of mine calls her annual exam “the grand opening”- for the life of me, I can’t remember the exact story behind that, but you’ll get the drift if you try hard enough. So that’s become our colloquial term around here. As I’ve mentioned before, I know many people who speak English as a second language. They tend to get things a bit mixed up at times, with humorous results. One such woman said she couldn’t come to lunch with a group of friends one day as she had her “open house.” We couldn’t figure out what she meant. Finally, it came to light that she meant her “grand opening”- i.e. annual pap, etc. I laughed so damn hard! Open house just sounds like a “drop on by any time!” for the hoo-ha! It makes me think of a quote from the Golden Girls show (yes, I watch it!)
Blanche: I treat my body like a temple.
Sophia: Yeah, open to everyone, day or night!
That makes me think of a funny clip I saw the other day. I’m old enough to remember the original Hollywood Squares show with Peter Marshall. Well, Peter was asking Paul Lynde (I loved him as a kid- should have been a sign to my mother!) a question… It was something about a doctor had a patient and she wouldn’t allow him to touch her, what did he invent? Paul replied, in his oh-so-gay way “The martini!”
A friend of mine calls her annual exam “the grand opening”- for the life of me, I can’t remember the exact story behind that, but you’ll get the drift if you try hard enough. So that’s become our colloquial term around here. As I’ve mentioned before, I know many people who speak English as a second language. They tend to get things a bit mixed up at times, with humorous results. One such woman said she couldn’t come to lunch with a group of friends one day as she had her “open house.” We couldn’t figure out what she meant. Finally, it came to light that she meant her “grand opening”- i.e. annual pap, etc. I laughed so damn hard! Open house just sounds like a “drop on by any time!” for the hoo-ha! It makes me think of a quote from the Golden Girls show (yes, I watch it!)
Blanche: I treat my body like a temple.
Sophia: Yeah, open to everyone, day or night!None for me, thanks
I’ll admit it- I’m tired of hearing about basketball. I suppose that doesn’t make me a good Hoosier. For those of you that don’t know what that means, a Hoosier is what people from Indiana call themselves. But in my opinion, I’m not really a Hoosier. I was born here, and I live here now (unfortunately) but I lived in other places for quite a while… So what does that make me? A partial Hoosier? Is that a Hoo or a Ho? Hmmm…I don’t think I like either one of those choices.
Anyhow, back to basketball. This state is obsessed with it. We are hosting the Final Four. I only know this as it is plastered all over the media here in town. I can’t turn on the news or read a paper without hearing about it. And, frankly, I don’t give a damn. Not only did I have to hear about the Final Four this morning, but now the hubbub about the new basketball coach for Indiana University. Once again, I don’t care. Can we not find something more intelligent to talk about, to put on the news and in our newspapers? I guess not. That’s why I get most of my news from CNN and NPR, among other media outlets.
My son went on a field trip to the NCAA Hall of Fame here in town. He was disappointed because he thought they were going to a museum! He said he didn’t learn a thing. I told him that he was lucky that they didn’t drag him to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway too!
Actually, he’s been there several times, but in the cushy suite that his fathers’ company has. He didn’t mind that so much…he even got to meet a few of the drivers. I suppose in this instance, it pays to have connections!
I think I’m done venting now….
Anyhow, back to basketball. This state is obsessed with it. We are hosting the Final Four. I only know this as it is plastered all over the media here in town. I can’t turn on the news or read a paper without hearing about it. And, frankly, I don’t give a damn. Not only did I have to hear about the Final Four this morning, but now the hubbub about the new basketball coach for Indiana University. Once again, I don’t care. Can we not find something more intelligent to talk about, to put on the news and in our newspapers? I guess not. That’s why I get most of my news from CNN and NPR, among other media outlets.
My son went on a field trip to the NCAA Hall of Fame here in town. He was disappointed because he thought they were going to a museum! He said he didn’t learn a thing. I told him that he was lucky that they didn’t drag him to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway too!
Actually, he’s been there several times, but in the cushy suite that his fathers’ company has. He didn’t mind that so much…he even got to meet a few of the drivers. I suppose in this instance, it pays to have connections!
I think I’m done venting now….
Wednesday Mind Hump
Today, you see, is Finish Your Veggies day. So take that look off your face and answer the following, or no dessert!
1. What is your favorite veggie?
I love a lot of them, but probably fresh asparagus.
2. Are there any veggies you don't eat?
Beets and pickles.
3. Which veggie do you think has the funniest name?
Brussel Sprouts!
4. If you're a vegetarian, why are you and do you like it? If you're not a vegetarian, would you ever want to become one?
I've been a vegetarian in the past. For a while I ate everything, but now I only eat fish and chicken.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Take Me Back Tuesday
Name your three favourite artists from the 1970's.
James Taylor
ABBA
Simon and Garfunkle
Name your three favourite albums released in the 1970's.
Grease OST
Let It Be- The Beatles
Saturday Night Fever OST
Name your three favourite songs from the 1970's.
Margaritaville- Jimmy Buffett
The Long And Winding Road- The Beatles
Imagine- John Lennon
Tuesday Is Chooseday
either leave your answers or a link to your webpage with your responses.
Would you rather:
1.talk like foghorn leghorn (from looney tunes) OR snoop dogg?
I say, I say, Foghorn Leghorn...
2.orgasm everytime you hear a siren OR fart when the phone rings?
I work near a fire departmant- so I'll choose the big "O"- thanks! I may never get any work done again.
3. french kiss a llama OR have a dog lick your bare anus?
Ewww...none of the above...
4.be able to elongate your fingers to ten times their normal size OR grow up to two times your normal size?
Fingers, definitely...
TMI Tuesday
1)Have you ever been to an AA meeting or similar support group meeting? No, I have not. Lucky for me, I’m not addicted to anything.
2) Have you ever used ice for sexual purposes? Yes I have. You need to be careful though- don’t want to get frostbite!
3) If given the chance to live as the opposite sex for the day, would you? Only if I was completely certain it would only be for one day- I don’t think I could stand it longer than that. I’d love to know how men get their deodorant into their armpit and past all that nasty hair. That would satisfy a curiosity of mine. Honestly, I don’t think most men do a good enough job of applying their deodorant and that is why, to me, they don’t smell very good. I’m very smell-sensitive…
4) On a scale of 1-10, how well do you receive constructive criticism? If it is truly constructive, intelligent and fact-based, I’d say an 8.
5) Have you ever been INSIDE a store that sold adult themed toys and videos? Sure, it was funny! I kept cracking up the entire time I was there.
Bonus (as in "optional"): Have you ever been propositioned for group sex? I have to admit that yes, I have…
Tuesday Twosome
1. Do you suffer from allergies? If so, name it/them:
A few Spring allergies, like pollen...but mainly drug allergies- codeine and vicodin are the two big ones, I also have a pretty serious latex allergy. That makes things interesting...
2. What two things does spring signify?
My flowers blooming and my family's annual Easter brunch.
3. Do you look forward to Spring? Why or why not?
I love Spring! It means the days are getting longer and warmer. I love the energy of this time of year and the feeling of re-birth.
4. What are two negatives about spring?
Allergies and....hmmmm...
5. Are you enjoying your current weather conditions? Why or why not?
No, not really- it is still not warm and/or sunny here.