hannah montana - i dont get it

I do not get it. what is all the rage with hannah montanna. I hear she has a tour out. And she is supposed to have some kind of tv movie out or something.

And what about the jonas brothers? is she dating one of them?

are you a fan of her? what first got you into her? help me understand! please!

How Much Nutella can one Au Pair Eat?

Are you interested in being an Au Pair or in getting an Au Pair to come to your home for your kids? Well if you are looking for info on Au Pair Live-in Childcare | AuPairCare then the place that you need to go to is Au Pair Care at www.aupaircare.com.

You will find that Au Pair Care is actually a national au pair agency for live-in childcare. Au Pair Care is actually the leading au pair agency that provides dependable, live-in au pair childcare here in the United States. They have been an Department of State Regulated au pair agency since 1989 and have placed over 30,000 au pairs since that time.

You can get surprisingly affordable live-in childcare through Au Pair Care. Costs are at about $300/week for 45hrs of live-in childcare, which I think is actually a pretty good price because it is less than you might first expect.

The au pairs that you can get from Au Pair Care come from about 40 different countries, which means that your child will get the amazing opportunity to be exposed to someone from another country. And when you are ready to look for an au pair you do so using their online matching system similar to match.com for viewing and searching au pair profiles.

Akon tosses fans

Have you seen the latest news on singer Akon? Apparently he is in trouble!

Akon is being charged in New York. Seems there was a concert there where he threw a fan off the stage. The fan was a 15 year old boy. Akon threw the boy into the audience and he hit a girl who suffered a concussion. That is why he is being charged. Amen to that!

Get your chef's apron on

You know what I love to do? I love to cook! But I am a bit of a klutz in the kitchen and always end up with food on my clothes. Of course, this would not happen if I would just wear one of those chef's aprons! But I suppose I will never learn :)

Did you know that you can order chef's aprons online at Cozy Homewares? They sell shower curtains there too. And did I mention the best part? They offer totally free shipping in the US.

Their chef's aprons come in a lot of different colors. They even have them for the kiddies. They also have light colored ones and white ones. Why would you want a white apron? Then everyone will see what you spill on yourself!

You know who could use one of those chef's aprons? Britney Spears. That way she would not get Cheetos stuff on her shirts.

Jennifer Love Hewiit engaged!

Have you heard the news? The Ghost Whisperer hottie is officially engaged. Yes, that is correct. I saw the news on CNN. The guy is an actor too.

She got engaged to Scottish actor Ross McCall. He has not really been in a lot of things. So you probably have not seen him in anything. Hooray for them!

Get your lap band on

Are you having problems losing weight? Have you been thinking about getting that lap band surgery done? If you have, you need to find your self a lap band surgeon with a good solid reputation. I know of a good place to start that search. Start at Journey Lite.

Journey Lite is a network of lap band surgical facilities and surgeons who specialize in the LAPBAND procedure for the surgical treatment of obesity. They cover the entire nation. You can find some of their facilities in Los Angeles LA, Houston, Texas and Tampa, Florida.

Is Britney pregnant? again?

Have you heard the rumors? It Brit with child? Or is it just a hoax? And more importantly, who is scrumping her? She is kind of a skank right now! The word on the street is that Brit is having J.R. Rotem's baby. I have no idea who he is!

Apparently Brit's friend says it is not true. Time will tell!

Save some money this Christmas when shopping

If you are still doing some of your Christmas shopping and are looking for ways to save some money then you need to visit CouponChief.com.

At Coupon Chief you can save money at all kinds of your favorite stores. They have Best Buy coupons for the electronics person you need to buy for. And Home Depot coupons for the Mr. Fix-It in your life, as well as many other coupons all at CouponChief.com.

Boy George chained a male escort to a wall

What is it with these gay male celebrities? They just can't seem to stay out of trouble! Usually it is poor George Michael though. But this time it is Boy George.

Apparently he had a male escort over. He then proceed to chain the escort to a wall. And now Boy George was charged in London with false imprisonment of an escort. Oy vey. When will these people learn?

Gustafson Orthopaedics

Need to get some hip replacement work done for yourself or for a relative/ If so, it sounds like you need to get familiar with Gustafson Orthopaedics sooner rather than later. At Gustafson Orthopaedics they can offer you relief related to your joint pain that you might be experiencing. So, get in contact with his staff to see what your options are for that joint pain!

Mmmm foood

I can't wait for lunch. I did not bring something tasty. I brought a PB & J. I still can't wait for lunch. I can't wait because I need a break from work. It so feels like a Monday to me. So, I really need the break. Plus, when i get back more than half the workday is over. yay for late lunches!

The Shewsbury Cartoon Festival

Have you heard of the International Shewsbury Cartoon Festival?
Intelligent Online Marketing supports Shewsbury Cartoon Festival this coming year. The Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival is going to be held this coming year in April of 2008. You can catch it your self from April 18th until April 20th, 2008 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire in the Midlands of the United Kingdom. The town of Shrewsbury has been holding The Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival in the town since 2003. At the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival you will be able to see about 40 or so full time and professional cartoonists and people that specialize in drawing caricatures. The artists that you will see at the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival are from the United Kingdom and all over the world.

This coming year there will be a new theme for the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival. The 2008 theme at the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival is “art.” Under this theme there will be a special exhibition of some new work by the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival cartoonists called “But is it Art.” This special exhibition will run from March 30th, 2008 to April 26, 2008. So, it is a limited time engagement if you are interested in going to see it. It will still be going on during the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival though.



For more info:

PRESS RELEASE 27/11/07

Intelligent Online Marketing announces that it intends to support the Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival that is to be held in April 2008.

"I had such a great time at a recent business solutions event when a cartoonist drew a such a great picture of me. I've decided that we should do the decent thing and support the next cartoon festival." said Graham Baylis, director of Intelligent Online Marketing ltd.

"From the quality of the work I saw at the show and the images on the official website, it looks like being a really fun time" Graham said. "What's more we'll do our best to promote the show on the web as another way of helping them, that's bound to increase the awareness of the whole thing and hopefully get more people into the fun".

The Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival is being held in Shrewsbury, Shropshire in the Midlands of the UK on April 18th - 20th 2008.

Brr cold weather

How is the weather where you are? I woke up to find it super cold in my place! And I hate the cold. Thankfully the snow has not yet started though. I am hoping to move out of the snowy area of the US before the snowing starts. But with the temp now the snow might beat me! I need to find a warm place to live! I am thinking about Cali by the beach! Oh yeah!

Need an innovative tutor?

Do you have kids at home that are in school? Are they between the ages of 4 and 14? If so, how are they doing in school? If they are having any problems or difficulties with their school work it might be time to look into getting an Innovative Tutor from Score Learning to help you child. At Score Learning, their tutors can help your child excel in areas where they were previously having difficulty. If you have a kid that is having problems in school do not wait to contact Score Learning.

--paid for by Score Learning

Singer found dead

Remember that band Quiet Riot from the 80s? Well, their lead singer was found dead today. His name was Kevin Dubrow. And they found him dead in Vegas. He was only 52 years old. How sad.

The Speakeasy New Years Eve in Columbus, Ohio

I saw a really cool ad for New Years Eve in Columbus. The ad was for a New Year's Eve party called The Speakeasy in Columbus, Ohio. It is a 1920's themed party. I'm talking flappers and gangsters here.

So, check out The Speakeasy New Years Eve for something cool to do this year.

Is the Bachelor gay?

I saw on Yahoo that The Bachelor Brad Womack turned down both girls. From looking at his picture it is not surprising. The boy is gay. Not Lance Bass gay, but definitely Neil Patrick Harris gay.

He supposedly declared that he he didn't really love either one of them. Wonder how much the studio paid him to do this show? And how come they didn't realize he is gay? I'm telling you - Brad Womack is totally gay. At least he looks totally gay in my opinion.

Need a reading tutor?

If you have a child that is having some problems with reading in school then you should look into reading tutors for your child. If you are unsure where to start looking then you need to head on over to Score Learning.

Score Learning boasts an innovative tutoring environment that will help your child achieve their very best in reading. At Score Learning they work with kids between the ages of 4 and 14. So, if you have a kid between those ages that needs some help with reading class, be sure to contact Score Learning to see how they can start to help your kid.

-Paid for by Score Learning.



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Would you have Britney Spear to your house from Thanksgiving?

I was listening to the radio on the way to work this morning. Apparently Miley Cyrus and her dad Billy Ray Cyrus have invited Britney Spears to their house for Thanksgiving. That is so odd.

What is even more odd is that she said yes! Do you think they really meant it when they asked her? And did they really think that she would say yes? Girl is crazy. I can't say that I would invite her. Wow.

check out The Garden Escape

Do you have a business or a home that has a need for garden buildings? If so, you should head on over and check out The Garden Escape. This United Kingdom based company specializes in very high quality garden buildings for uses like offices, gyms and so on.

Personally, I could totally use a garden room or a garden building. They seem so relaxing and stress free - and who in this day and age could not use something relaxing and stress free? Apparently they also lead to pretty high levels of productivity, which is not all that surprising considering the whole relaxing and stress free thing. Another one of the things that I like so much about the garden rooms and the garden buildings is the vibe that I get from them. There is this while Zen minimalist thing going on with them and I totally dig it.

You can get your Garden Escape in pretty much any size as they come in a whole host of different sizes to meet your individual needs. There are also some where you can tailor the size to specifically meet your unique needs.

You might be surprised to learn that the garden buildings are better insulated than most homes! And you can have plumbing installed in your garden building too! So, if you want to have, say a sauna in it then you can. Now that has to be super extra relaxing, eh?

If you are liking the sound of this you should check out the Garden Escape and order your garden room today.

Michael Vick going to jail

Did you see the news? I read it on the front page of Yahoo. Michael Vick has surrendered to authorities. He is doing it three weeks early though. And he is on his way to jail. Funny that Kobe Bryant raped someone and nothing happened and Michael Vick had some dog fights and is going to jail.

Do you see the plain and clear message here? Society puts more value on dogs than on women. What the hell society?

Affordable car insurance

Cost U Less is an affordable California car insurance company for drivers like you. They are an insurance company with friendly, reliable service. For info on insurance nbi through Cost U Less, be sure to check out their website.

They do specialize in affordable car insurance for drivers in the state of California. And you can get a quote online from their site in less than two minutes! Check it out if you need insurance.

Katherine McPhee is engaged! I was hoping that Katherine McPhee is a lesbian!

Katherine McPhee is a hottie. So, I had high hopes that I would one day get to see Katherine McPhee kissing a woman or two. And I wanted to read the headlines:

"Katherine McPhee is a lesbian"
"Katherine McPhee comes out"
"Katherine McPhee caught kissing a woman"

And so on.

Sadly, that is not what happened today. Instead the headline reads that Katherine McPhee is engaged to some actor by the name of Nick Cokas. Dammit man.

Will I get to see Katherine McPhee kissing girls or what?

Math is hard

You know, math class can be pretty hard for kids. Adults even have hard times with math every now and then too.

If your kid is having some problems in their math class you should look into Math Tutors at Score Learning and get your kid some help. At Score Learning, they have an innovative tutoring environment targeted at kids between the ages of 4 and 14. With their help, your kid will do more than just barely scrape by in math - your kid will actually learn math.

-Paid for by Score Learning.

Katie Couric mocks Dan Rather - world sees it

What an idiot Katie Couric is. She mocks Dan Rather and it gets recorded on tape. Then guess what happens next? It ends up on the internet for the world to see. Do you think she feels stupid now? She actually said "This tart is ready to go!"

I just don't know about her. She's kinda of weird looking too.

Lose weight with a lap band

If you are wanting to lose weight but have been having some difficulties then you need to look up lap band spring, TX. Getting a lap band to lose weight is a pretty easy process. In fact it is an outpatient procedure! If you are in Texas you will want to visit Dr. Richard E. Collier to get a lapband if you have decided that is a good weight loss option for you.

This is a sponsored post.

Fergie was a druggie!

Holy crap! Did you know that Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas fame used to be a drug addicted celebrity? That's right, this former Kids Incorporated celeb used to have a drug addiction.

What was she addicted to? Fergie was addicted to crystal meth. Apparently all of this was before joining the Black Eyed Peas.

A gothic dating site for you

Do you identify as gothic and are you having a little trouble when it comes to finding love? If so, it sounds like you need to give a Gothic dating site a try. By using Gothic dating site like Darkyria then you are sure to get someone that has similar interests as you as both of you will identify as Gothic. This means that you will not have to worry about having someone reject you just because you do not conform to societal norms and standards.

Darkyria is a really cool Gothic dating site. It is clear that they had someone totally Gothic design it as it looks really, really sweet. And there are a lot of really, really super hot people on the site! On the main page there is like a filmstrip that shows you some photos of some of the members that have profiles on the site with photos of themselves. We are talking about some seriously sexy people on this here Gothic dating site! And they have something really cool on the front page that I have not seen on any other dating sites. There is a list of members that are online. But that is not the cool part. The cool part is that you can sort it by country and age just super quick like. How convenient is that?


This post was sponsored by Darkyria.

pagerank woes

dear google - i have no pagerank. when will you give me one? i would really like to have one. then maybe i can make some extra cash like all these other people. so, you see, i am needy. consider me a charity case. please.

Do you know what day it is in Britney history?

Yes, that's right. Today is a very special day in Britney Spears history. It is the day that she sent Kevin Federline the text message. The text message that said she was divorcing him. Oh, the agony.

Stephen Colbert won't be president

Isn't it sad? Stephen Colbert has dropped his bid for the presidency. It's really kind of tragic. I would loved to have seen him on one of those debates. Man, that would have been classic.

I just don't understand

the appeal of perez hilton. the website, not the gay boy. i mean, is it supposed to be entertaining? it is really kind of retarded when you get right down to it. of course, he is sitting at home raking in google cash. and here i sit with a PR0.

Woe is me.

well, his name is Dog!

"Dog the Bounty Hunter" was suspended after its star, Duane "Dog" Chapman, made racist insults. Not terribly surprising, is it? No, he looks like a big redneck. And clearly he is a big ole redneck. Geesh.

And pretty. Did I mention pretty? He is so darn purty! as if

Kentucky church prays for Britney and sends her letters

Okay, this has to be the funniest story I have read all week.

Church Organizes Support for Britney Spears

say what? That is freaking hysterical. Some church is Kentucky is doing a letter writing campaign for her. Who knows if she can even read!

Sarkozy's wife left him

Wow, busy news day! Looks like Sarkozy and his wife have split up. I still hate that he won that election. He looks kind of slimy to me.

And they were broken up in 2005. What, did he pay her to come back so that he could win the election? Is her contract up now?

Transit strike in France too!

Wow, first a train strike in Germany. Now there is a one-day transit strike in France. Mmm Paris. If I lived in Paris I would not want a car either. But you wouldn't have to take transit there. You could either bike it or walk it. Unless you lived too far from work or something. I hope I never end up on a European vacation during a transit strike. That would suck.

Train strike in Germany

I love taking public transportation in Europe. I dunno why, I just do. If I lived there I would try not to have car. Of course, that would suck right now since there is a train strike in Germany. And apparently Germany has the highest rail usage by commuters in Europe! Wow.

more on the new Star Trek movie

Looks like they have found someone to play Captain Kirk in the Star Trek movie. The actor is Chris Pine. He looks vaguely familiar to me, but I do not think I have really seen him in anything. Hrm. Wonder why they didn't go with someone a bit more well known?

Simon Pegg in Star Trek movie?!

I loved Shaun of the Dead and I loved Hot Fuzz. So I guess you could say that I love Simon Pegg. He was just cast in the new Star Trek movie as 'Scotty.' I will not be seing Simon Pegg as Scotty because I do not like Star Trek.

I hope this doesn't mean that there will be a delay in another funny film like Hot Fuzz from him. Dude is funny!

Madonna fires her record label

Looks like Madonna got a sweet new offer and is leaving Warner Bros. She is going with Live Nation now, as in the concert promoter. They paid her some major cash and in return they get her for 10 yrs. She will release 3 studio albums with them.

Madonna may sign a 10-year agreement with Beverly Hills, California-based Live Nation worth about $120 million in cash and stock, the Wall Street Journal said yesterday on its Web site.

the 50 best breasts in movie history

Check it - a listing of the 50 best breasts in movie history. Not overall a great list. But it looks like this person is planning on giving it their own little update. Sweet.

a boy-boy kiss on daytime tv!

Wow, I can't believe a soap opera here in the US went for it. They had two men kiss! That's right, two men kissed on As The World Turns!

And it looked pretty hot too.

Awesomeness.

an open letter to Associated Content

Dear Associated Content,

I love that you pay for articles with a quickness.

That is all that I love about you.

You have no standards. You don't even have a spell checker or a fact checker on staff. You lowball the desperate writers that send you their articles. You should be ashamed of yourself.

You content reviewers are rude. They are also rather dumb. And probably overpaid considering how stupid they appear to be.

You are cheating writers everywhere. You are clogging up Google with articles that have inaccurate facts and loads of spelling problems.

Why don't you try to be a major player? Pay your writers more and be more selective in what you publish.

In closing, Associated Content sucks!

eating

sometimes eating seems like such a chore. seriously. it's like i could be doing something else with this time. sometimes i wish you could just take a pill and not need to eat.

not all the time though.

there are some foods that i really like to savor. but sometimes i would just rather be doing something else all together.

so. that is when i make a pb&j. quick and filling.

London police don't like spicy chili

If you want to make spicy chili in London, the police might knock down your door.

This is really funny:

London Fire Brigade's chemical response team was called after reports that a strong smell was wafting from the restaurant in the heart of London's Soho district Monday afternoon, a Metropolitan police spokesman said, speaking anonymously in line with force policy.

Authorities sealed off several premises and closed roads. The Times of London described shoppers coughing and spluttering as firefighters wearing special breathing masks sought the source of the smell.

Ah, you just can't make spicy chili in London any more.

Hillary Clinton is leading the pack!

Score one on the side of gay rights. Looks like Hillary Clinton is leading the pack of the presidential nominees. I would love to get a Clinton back in office. Then the economy would be better. And maybe we'd take some positive steps in the arena of gay rights. Go Hillary, go!

Wallace & Gromit back on tv!

According to BBC News Wallace & Gromit are coming back to TV. Unfortunately it is in the UK. And I am not in the UK. But I do loves me some Wallace & Gromit . Maybe it will show up on BBC America. Hooray! More Wallace & Gromit !

Britney gets new custody hearing

Well, I spoke too soon. Looks like Britney is getting a new custody hearing. But c'mon! She lost the kids cause of her hit and run. So, why would they give them back to her? Maybe they shouldn't! So much for her comeback.

Britney lost her kids

Well, it was bound to happen. K-Fed is looking like the sane one. Wonder if Brit will go to jail like Paris? Maybe they will give her the same cell that Paris had. Or the same one Nicole had. heh

Resident Evil 3 rocks!!!!!

Oh man, I went to see it. It was so sweet! And no way can this be that last movie of this series! nope. They totally set it up for another sequel. Man, I hope they do another one. These movies are just too good. They are the best action movies out there. Seriously. Go see it. Now.

resident evil 3

Check it out! I can't wait for this to be in the theaters! omg, it looks so sweet! watch for yourself!

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Ah, Santorini

I've been watching the sunset cam over Santorini online. It looks so nice there. I wish I could take a trip there. Like now. The flight is pretty expensive though. I need to start saving up so that I will be able to take me a fun little trip. Until then I will have to just watch it on the sunset cam. sigh.

school again

It's that time again kiddies. Time for school to start. Sometimes I think I would like to keep taking classes and learning stuff forever. Then reality sinks in. Reality in the form of homework. Then I do not want to take any classes. At all. I wish I could just read the stuff and not have to do the tests and the home works.

Happy birthday to my hottie

It's my hottie's b-day. So, happy b-day hottie. We will do something fun today for your b-day. Who knows, maybe we will even go to the arcade. Or just do something wild and crazy. Yup, it will be a surprise. I just decided it.

ick, summer

Sometimes I really hate summer. It's hot. Too hot. and icky and sticky out. And why are there so many more bugs in the summer? And sweating. I really hate sweating. It makes me feel so freaking gross. How about no more summer? Let's just extend spring and fall to fill in the gap?

I need to move again

I do not like my new apartment. I liked the old one better. But I signed a year lease. That means it will be like forever before I can move again. Bah, I hate apartment leases. I really wanna move. Like now yo.

Apparently there are no Indian lesbians, otherwise this would not be newsworthy, right?

Oh wait, they must not know about my friend Kamini, who is indeed both Indian and lesbian. Maybe I should alert the authorities.

Story at ShowbizData :

INDIAN ACTRESS PORTRAYS LESBIAN
Monday, March 19 2007
A top Bollywood actress has touched off controversy in
India following word that she will play a lesbian in her forthcoming movie, I
Can't Think Straight, which was recently filmed in England. Indian-Canadian Lisa
Ray, who starred in Deepa Mehta's Oscar-nominated Water, declined to discuss the
film when contacted by IANS, the Indian wire service. But Aseem Bajaj, director
of photography on the film, remarked that he does not see the subject matter as
controversial -- "not in this day and age." Ray herself is not unfamiliar with
controversy generated by her films. Water sparked violent protests by Hindu
fundamentalists when it began shooting in Varanasi in 2000, forcing the Uttar
Pradesh government to halt additional filming there.

Only 219 gay couples in NJ want "marriage" benefits?

It seems that it has been one month since civil unions have been legal in New Jersery, and a whopping 219 couples have had them. 219. wtf? I know there have to be more than 219 gay couples in New Jersey!

If no one cares enough to take advantage when a law like this goes into effect, the it will probably keep similar laws from going into effect elsewhere. So get off your asses people!

The US govt - always trying to kill someone

An article I found yesterday at The Independent online points to an FBI file that says that Marilyn Monroe was duped into killing herself. I'm not sure if this was reported in any of the US media or not, but geesh! And then the Kennedys are behind it!

let your child perfect their pole dancing technique

File this under wtf?

Apparently a toy store chain was selling an item for children called the Peekaboo pole. Wow. The advertisment read:

"Unleash the sex kitten inside...simply extend the Peekaboo pole inside the
tube, slip on the sexy tunes and away you go! Soon you'll be flaunting it
to the world and earning a fortune in Peekaboo Dance Dollars."

Wow.

Ah, dammit man

I've been watching what has been going on over in Italy with much interest as Prodi planned on trying to legalize same-sex unions. Thankfully, Berlusconi did not return to power as Prodi got the support needed to stay. I was all cartwheels until I read this...

A Cabinet plan to legalize unmarried couples, including same-sex ones, appears to have been sacrificed to safeguard government stability. The government-proposed legislation has irked the Vatican and angered Catholic politicians in the bloc.

Argh! Dammit man.

awesomeness

One of the cuties from RBD came out today after some pics surfaced of him marrying his boyfriend. Link here. Now, I wonder if any of the other RBD members will follow suit as he doesn't seem to be the only one... Anywho, hooray for Christian Chavez!

Celebaholics

I was reading how Britney checked out of rehab again, but this time it was only temporary as she was going to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Which had me thinking...it wasn't so anonymous for her, now was it? Maybe there should be special meetings for celebs, I mean, god knows there are enough of them for it to be a good sized group. Maybe Mel Gibson could be the leader?

I've been cursed since Dan Brown...

Knowing that the IQ of the general population is not too high, I usually try to steer clear of anything that's trendy. Why? Because chances are if the masses like it, it's probably pretty lame.

But I'm weak.

Sometimes, when something has staying power I break down and check it out. More times than not I realize I should have left well enough alone. (Blair Witch Project, I'm talking to you. And you too Dan Brown.) However, there have been times that I was like 'whoa, people actually have pretty decent taste for a change." For instance, I fought off Harry Potter until it was assigned to me in a college literature class. Glad that happened. I initially thought that the Dixie Chicks were talentless hacks and succumbed to temptation by the 3rd album. Not only are they uber talented but have proven to be so right on target politically.

Well, after repeatedly being told how David Sedaris is all the rage and how is writing is so wonderful I picked up one of his books off a sale table. "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" is what I ended up with. I've read about half of it so far and my only thought is - THIS is what people consider wonderful writing? Oy vey. Maybe, just maybe this is one of his lesser works. I hopped over to Amazon to see the reviews and find out...282 reviews and it 4/5 stars. Dammit, this is supposed to be a good one.

The new AT&T - still sucking

It seems you can't go anywhere without seeing/hearing an advertisement for "The new AT&T" since their recent take-over of Bellsouth and Cingular. Unfortunately for me, I am about to move and had to deal with the "new AT&T" to setup new phone service. On Jan 29th I filled out the online order form for new service, which was set to begin today. At 10am today I get an email telling me that they cannot complete my request and to call 1-800-244-4444 to resolve the problem. I promptly get on the phone...a phone call that results in me getting transferred 5 times for a total call lenght of just over an hour, with half the CSRs being able to see my account but having no clue why there is a problem and the other half telling me that the account does not exist. Ah, incompetence at it's finest. The call ended with the Midwest web order department telling me that there was no record of my account or order (even though previous people had been able to pull it up with my confirmation number), then the lovely (insert sarcasm here) lady told me that she could walk me through the web order form step-by-step. Apparently their incomptence was a direct result of me being internet illiterate...who knew?!? I asked her what good that would do if the order did not show up in their system the first time even though I was issued a confirmation number. Oy.

 

So, for anyone else having this problem with 'the new AT&T', here's some other phone numbers I have accumlated from my session today.

Midwest web order department 1-800-869-1598

Texas web order department 1-866-602-4412

Installation department 1-800-341-9311

Business office 1-800-288-2020

Order department 1-800-299-3810

 

Luckily I can get phone service through the cable provider or through a third-party like Vonage. Unfortunately, I have dealt with Vonage in the past and they are just as incompetent (if not more so). Damn the phone company monopolies.

 

Love has no leaders, and our leaders have no love.

The thought process of some people consistently perplexes and astounds me. Yesterday I read the following message in an online group that I subscribe to for foreign language exchange:

"To start with, I'm against homosexuality. You can guess then that I'm against homosexual marriages and -of course- I'm against any law that aproves children adoptions by these couples. Poor children... they would grow with a twisted idea of what a family should be."

The above message was in response to someone's suggestion that the group discuss off-topic items to make the group less boring. In response to the above message, s omeone mentioned that choice was up to the individual. As a result the same person as above replied:

"...I agree with you that everybody is free to decide what to do with their life. I respect people's choice, but that doesn't mean I aprove it. That's what I call tolerance. However, when it comes to adoption, a third person is involved: a child. This child cannot decide if he wants to be raised by an homosexual couple. He's not able to decide anything at all. So, the goverment must choose what it's best for him. I think homosexuality goes against nature... a child is bring to this world only through the union of an egg (women) and a sperm (men). Even in labs, they need these two components. What does this tell you? A family should be formed by a dad, a mum, and their kids. That's what God established."

Of course, what this person is ignorant of is parthenogenesis, which of course is the scientific terminology for the occurrence of two females producing offspring without the assistance of any males (and it should be noted that this DOES occur naturally in some species). A recent news article from December 2006 even points to a pair of female Komodo dragons that have produced offspring without sperm. Astonishingly, parthenogeneis is not a new thing. A July 2001 article shows that Australian scientists found a way to fertilize an egg without the need for sperm. However, due to women clearly lacking the genetic makeup of males, only girls can be born. And in a 2004 article, Japanese scientists were reported to have been successful at creating baby mice without any sperm. Granted, it took them over 400 times to get it right, but clearly it can be done.

All scientific facts aside, I have to wonder what people, such as the person whose comments I have posted above, have against love. The person stated that they were against children being adopted by homosexual couples because "they would grow with a twisted idea of what a family should be." To which my first thought is, 'yes, because possibly living to adulthood in an orphanage is much better than having two loving dads/moms.' People that bring God into the argument are always of the position that love/family and homosexual relationships are mutually exclusive. In reality they are no more mutually exclusive than heterosexual relationships. I often wonder with people of this thought persuasion what exactly their obsession is with homosexuality. These people expend so much energy spouting off about how <<insert choice inflammatory language here>> homosexuality is that I suspect they spend more time thinking on all things gay than gay people themselves do! Yet, because they think that love/family and homosexual relationships are mutually exclusive they would rather leave children with no family than have them in what they fail to see as a family in 2 men or 2 women. I challenge them to walk into any orphange and ask any child there if they would rather remain at the orphange (possibily through adulthood) or leave with a homosexual couple that wanted to adopt them. I suspect they would not like the answer they would receive.

I just don't understand women like this

Overheard from another cubicle at work:

Woman #1: I can't believe she's running for President.

Woman #2: I know, I don't get it.

Woman #1: Yeh, I mean, I like her, but...

Woman #2: We should talk to David, he'll understand.

Woman #1: I just don't want a woman for President.

Say what? How can a woman basically say that a woman is not worthy of being in power?

Finally...a trailer for the movie

She's in!

She's in!

She's in!

She's in!

real-life Tarzan

I happened upon the most interesting story in The Guardian here.

Apparently a 27 y.o. woman was found in the jungle and people think she is a girl that disappeared when she was 8 years old. Seems she was walking around like an ape and refuses to wear clothes now, craziness.

NYC - Bohemia no more

A few years ago I lived in a dumpy little studio on 27th & 6th in NYC for the low-low price of $1350 a month. Now the average rent in that area is well over $2000 and the corners are littered with luxury highrises. How un-New York! My corner used to be filled with trannies! Nothing is as depressing as strolling through Chelsea and seeing one highrise condo building after another. A parking lot that doubled as a junk fair location on weekends is now being primed for yet another beacon of the decline of New York.

I used to walk by Avalon each day on my way to work. According to an article in the Guardian, Avalon is set to be turned into a mini-mall. New York - is nothing sacred anymore? you're losing your charm, love.

Massachusetts to gay couples: "Just kidding"

Apparently some Massachusetts lawmakers have decided that it's okay to take back civil rights, specifically the right for gay couples to marry in Massachusetts. An appalling 62 state legislators voted to advance a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in Massachusetts. Where's the outrage? Where's the brave wannabe presidential candidate denouncing this atrocity? Anyone? Someone please, ferchrissakes. Where is Al Sharpton and his eager-to-march-for-justice legs? Where are the couples of the approximate 8,500 gay marriages that were performed in Massachusetts? That little certificate doesn't symbolize a thing if they're not willing to stand up for it!

Frankly, I don't understand this anti-gay obsession. And I'm surprised that the almighty dollar hasn't knocked these Republicans off of their moral high-horse. I don't know the cost of a marriage license, but for arguments sake let's put a price of $100 on it. That's $850,000 that Massachusetts made. This doesn't take into account the money made by florists, caterers, reception halls, etc. And of course the state and the government taxes all of these business on the money they made from gay marriages. That's not pocket change. And here I thought Republicans liked money more than Jesus.

So, what's next? Taking away the right of women to vote?

Toyota knows if you've been drinking

Toyota seems to think it's a good idea to make car that can detect a high blood alcohol level in the driver. According to the article, this is how it will work:

**if sweat sensors in the driving wheel detect high levels of alcohol in the driver's bloodstream, the car won't start

**if the sensors detect abnormal steering, the car is slowed to a halt

**if a special camera shows that the driver's pupils are not in focus, the car will come to a halt

This is a bit worrisome because the next thing you know, Toyota will send info to the police that you are driving drunk. I'm also concerned about the whole 'car slowed to a halt' thing. What if you're on a busy freeway? Do the hazard lights come on to alert other drivers? Or are you on your own and have to hope that no one crashes into your halted car? And what about the 'special camera' that studies the drivers pupils....when I go to the eye doctor they dilate my eyes, does that mean my car would slow to a halt because of this? And is the feed from this 'special camera' stored anywhere?

How to end poverty

The CEO of Goldman Sachs just got a $53.4 million bonus, on top of his $600,000 annual salary.
Was he having trouble living on the 600K?

That $53.4 million would have been better spent on fighting poverty and AIDS with the ONE campaign.

Or how about this...my father builds houses. He says he can build a 2-story, 3-4 bedroom home with a full-size basement for around $100,000. Think of how many families could be housed in the homes made possible by $53.4 million.

Big business - still doing whatever the hell they want and getting away with it

I came across this shocking tidbit of info on trademark infringement on Chilling Effects.

There is another type of infringement, too, called trademark dilution. Under this doctrine, the owner of a famous mark is entitled to stop you from commercial use of a mark or trade name, if that use begins after the famous mark has become famous and harms its distinctive quality. Walt Disney has used this concept to stop pornographers from using Snow White or Sleeping Beauty in their films. Fan fiction authors who distribute their work commercially may be accused of trademark dilution in addition to other intellectual property violations.

Uh, wait a minute. A large corporation can just up and trademark something in public domain under the guise that they are the one that made it famous? Riiiiight.

Product placement - at home? wtf?

Possibly the dumbest celebrity quote ever. I mean, is she on AMEX payroll or something?

"I don't leave home without him. Just like a new American Express card."
- Mariska Hargitay, on her son, August.

Bush not losing any sleep

People asked Bush if he takes sleep aids. He says no.

“I must tell you, I'm sleeping a lot better than people would assume,” he said.

Well, that's refreshing to know that he isn't losing any sleep over the state of the current US economy, the lives being lost in Iraq, etc.

He also thinks Mary Cheney will be a loving sould to her child. wtf?

Not to be outdone by her crackhead husband, Laura thinks single women can't have big fancy-pants jobs. Insanity!

more insanity here!

Schadenfreude

1. Judith Regan, who must have some sort of chemical imbalance for publishing that hideous OJ Simpson book, was just fired from her cushy job.
2. My department has over $800,000 to capitalize by March 31, 2007 and one of my co-workers quit today, Travis the Hobbit left earlier for a job interview (his 3rd in the past 2 weeks) and I plan on fleeing mid-January. muah haha
3. Nissan had a special employee car salon a couple of weeks ago and unveiled their newest model to some of us, the Nissan Rogue, which is a hideous looking beast of a vehicle. It's a cross between the Murano and the Versa - but all the ugly parts of those cars. The Nissan Rogue didn't just get hit by the ugly truck, it IS the ugly truck!

Jersey beat NYC in doing this? say it's not so!

Kudos to New Jersey governor John Corzine for his willingness to sign into law a civil unions bill passed last week by New Jersey's state legislature.

This makes New Jersey the third state, after Vermont and Connecticut, to offer civil unions, which extend to gay men and lesbians all the rights state law affords married people. Unfortunately, the bill does not recognize gay marriage.

Jersey - maybe it's not so bad after all!

Massachusetts gov. does not heart immigrants, well at least the illegal one

This is rich.

The skeevy prez-wannabe governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, signed an agreement (probably in blood) with the feds to allow state police to question and detain suspected illegal immigrants. I'll take racial profiling for $100.

Story here.

Essentially, it's nutritional pornography. It's so bad for you it's shocking

Americans are suckers for themes. From themeparks to different themed rooms in houses to themed restaurants.





This Heart Attack Grill in Arizona is actually kind of funny. I mean, look at the faces of these guys, they look like they're having a good time. Could be due to the 'naughty nurses' serving up their greasy burgers.

Christmas comes early!

December 17th as a matter of fact.

Rumsfeld's last day as Secretary of Defense. Hooray!

Is this a joke?

WASHINGTON - Faced with a decline in the number of overseas visitors and unpopular entry requirements, the U.S. government is turning to the Walt Disney Co. and other theme park operators to brighten the country’s battered image.

With security much tightened since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the visa and entry processes are so unpopular that the country was ranked as the world’s most unfriendly to visitors in a survey last month of travelers from 16 nations.

Rest of story here.

Say it's not so!

A crackdown on prostitution windows in Amsterdam!
story here

Democrat candidate #1

Tom Vilsack becomes the first Democrat to officially declare his presidential candidacy today.

Story here.

To this I say, Tom who?

File under: election 2008, Tom Vilsack

Jack Black & Adam Sandler - hotties?

I like Jack Black. He's a funny guy.

It's seems lately I haven't been able to escape advertisements for his new movie The Holiday, also starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law. Just when I had finally thought I'd escaped....I wind up watching a talkshow that Jude Law is on promoting the film. Argh.

Like I said, I like Jack Black. But when would a babe like Kate Winselt ever end up with a sloppy bastard like Jack Black? This is one of the things I hate most about big Hollywood movies. Again I ask when would someone like Jack Black get a Kate Winslet? Only in the same alternate universe where Adam Sandler gets Kate Beckinsale (as in Click).

File under: crappy Hollywood movies, Jack Black, Kate Winslet, The Holiday movie

Thank you Captain Obvious

News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch has pulled the plug on the upcoming Regan Books title from O.J. Simpson, If I Did It. A tell-all of a different variety, the book, which was to be Simpson's outline of how he might have committed the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, was scheduled for release on November 30 and was to be accompanied by a two-part TV interview to air on Fox on November 27 and 29.
After the book was condemned by booksellers (many of whom said they would donate proceeds to the victims' families), media critics and even pundits from Fox News, News Corp. announced in a terse statement that the book and TV special have been dropped. Murdoch said: “I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project. We are sorry for any pain this has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson.”

Wow. Did they really not know this was a bad idea to begin with? Rupert Murdoch hasn't made all that money by being an idiot.


File under: OJ Simpson

George Bush doesn't read the Guardian. Often. Probably never.

Can he even read at all?

Story here.



File under: George Bush-can he read?

America - land of the prudes, where flight attendants are scared of boobies

In the movie Eurotrip when one of the characters exclaims that America was founded by prudes, he wasn't just whistling dixie...a woman in Vermont was actually kicked off a plane for breast-feeding her baby. She was seated by the window in the second to last row and her husband was on the other side of her. Full story on MSN.

As I was reading the article I kept waiting to get to the part that explained to me why she was really kicked off the plane. I mean, surely she did something - went to the bathroom with a boob out for all to see, gave her husband a taste...something like that...but no. All she was doing was feeding the baby discreetly, but apparently that was enough to get the flight attendant all up in a tizzy. What's the big deal and why did a glimpse of a boobie bother the flight attendant so much?

File under: boobie fiasco

What happened to the progress? Gays & lesbians lose again.

I'm a bit more than disturbed to see that the UK is deporting a Ugandan woman, who faces persecution in her home country merely because of her sexual orientation. The UK was making strides in equality for gays and lesbians, yet now they are knowingly going to send this woman back to endure only god knows what because she is gay?!?

The article mentions that she will get sent back if the judge rules that it is safe for her to return to her country of origin. Surely they will not send her to a place where the country's President actually called for the arrest of all homosexuals and then modified it to wishing to go to a time when gays and lesbians were either"ignored or speared by their parents." SPEARED?!? This seems to me like the epitome of unsafe.

I cannot wait until the day I am afforded the same rights as my heterosexual counterparts.

File under: gay rights equality

President Obama? Will the U.S. elect a black man to the presidency?

It's impossible to deny the popularity of senator Barack Obama. He's been on a whirlwind book tour with his The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. A recent appearance at a book festival in Austin, Texas saw him selling a whopping 1,000 copies of said book, breaking a previous record set by President Bill Clinton. There has been a lot of talk about the possibility of Obama becoming a U.S. president, possibly the next president, with Obama himself saying he would consider a 2008 campaign.

In an article in the Washington Post, there is some speculation on whether or not he could make it in a presidential race. While I think the man should strike while he is clearly hot, I also do not think that this country would elect a black man to the presidency, and that is sad. Harold Ford Jr. couldn't even pull off a senate seat in the recent election in Tennessee, which would have made him the first black senator since the Reconstruction.

While I do not think Obama could successfully reclaim the presidency for the Democrats, I do think he would be the best candidate for vice president. I'd love to see a Clinton-Obama ticket on my ballot in 2008. And yes, I think the U.S. would elect a white woman president before a black man.

File under: Barack Obama election 2008 politics Hillary Clinton Tennessee sucks

Does the average TV viewing American get Ugly Betty?

One of my favorite new shows of the season is Ugly Betty, which of course usually means the seal of doom for a show. Last season my favorite new show was Out of Practice. Right when it started gaining word of mouth viewers and winning its timeslot, CBS pulled it for a try at that new Jenna Elfman show. It did poorly, so Out of Practice was back...until they put The New Adventures of Old Christine on. A glance at the CBS lineup will show which show survived. I still swear that people were tuning in for Out of Practice and that is how The New Adventures of Old Christine got better ratings. Notwithstanding the fact that Out of Practice was a far superior show. I think maybe the humor was a bit too intelligent for the average beer-chugging, Cheetos-munching, Nascar-lovin' American television viewer. Of course, CBS also stupidly put it on after Two & a Half Men - hello idiots at CBS, different target audiences!

Another of my favorite shows last season, Sons & Daughters, was promptly cancelled. Teachers - cancelled! And the most devastating cancellation of a show occurred prior to last season with Wonderfalls. Damn those wankers at FOX. (Thankfully it came out on DVD - but Sons & Daughters will not due to expensive music licensing issues.)

But, back to Ugly Betty. Having watched some telenovelas on Telemundo (hooray Gitanas!), I find Ugly Betty's attempts to mock telenovelas rather hysterical. It's comedy at its best. And I doubted the average American's ability to see the humor in this show. I love it + I don't think most Americans will get it = it's doomed.

Imagine my surprise to read this article crowning Ugly Betty homecoming queen. Apparently Ugly Betty is the most watched new series on U.S. television this season. I still have to wonder if most people actually get it...and is it a coincidence that this article came out after Salma Hayek and her ta-ta's made their shirtless appearance on the show?

File under: Ugly Betty tv shows

This is rich

My girlfriend works at a company that bills Medicare for nursing homes, I don't know how she has put up with this job for almost 2 years...she just sent me this nugget describing her morning....

I am oh so tired of these people, of this job, of people’s stupidity and their need to bully someone to feel better about their pathetic lives and small pebble brains. I am oh so tired of their stupid phone calls. Example: (and this is a real call that just happened. These are quotes. I’m not paraphrasing.)

I got your papers you faxed yesterday saying that you haven’t received these confirmations.
Mm hm.
Well I’ve got news for you. I faxed them back on the first.
Okay.
You didn’t get them?
No. (‘obviously’ is the parenthetical here)
Well, I’ve got the transmission result right here saying that it went through. Is your fax number 771-0062?
That’s one of them.
Well that’s what I faxed it to and it went through. It took 44 seconds to transmit.
Okay.
What’s going on over there?
I don’t know.
Someone’s buzzing me. Well, I’m going to fax them again, but it has to be on your end.
Okay.

Mexico - surging ahead of the U.S. in equality

I was not even aware that civil unions were up for discussion in Mexico, until I read this article stating how an overwhelming majority of lawmakers in Mexico City voted to legalize civil unions.

Mexico City's assembly on Thursday voted for the first time in the country's history to legally recognize gay civil unions, a measure that will provide same-sex couples with benefits similar to those of married couples. The mayor was expected to sign the measure into law. Mexico City is a federal district with its own legislature, and the law will apply only to residents of the capital, with a population of 8.7 million. This is the first time any state legislature has approved such a law anywhere in Mexico.

Mexico!?! Mexico is progressing at a faster rate than the U.S.!?! That is amazing - now when is the U.S. going to catch up with the rest of the world? If the huge Catholic population in Mexico can legalize civil unions, then surely the bible thumpers here can do the same.

File under: gay marriage Mexico

the hobbit is a republican

Travis the Hobbit asked me a "trivia" question of which Ronald Reagan was the answer. I replied, "That's unfortunate."

Travis the Hobbit says I am the only person he's ever met that did not like Reagan. I told him not to worry, for we are among him.

Travis the Hobbit is a genius. He noted that we probably did not vote the same yesterday.

File under: travis the hobbit

Tennessee - where homophobia is thriving

According to an article in the Nashville Tennessean, an Associated Press exit poll showed that the marriage amendment had the strongest support among married women with children, small-town residents, weekly churchgoers and conservatives.

I feel so sorry for those children of those 'married women with children' as statistically a crop of them are going to be gay.

The same article also quotes the following sage:
Paula Donald, 41, said she voted Tuesday because she is against same-sex relationships.
"A lot of people don't realize that's damnation to their soul," said Donald, who voted in Lebanon.

Let's just for argument's sake say that this sage is correct...why does she care about the damnation of other people's souls? If people stopped getting up in other people's business things would be a lot better all around.

Other states with voters suffering from the Gladys Kravits syndrome...Idaho, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin. Colorado, South Dakota and Arizona were too close to call.

and now...off to find my girlfriend and see what we can do about destroying the sanctity of marriage...

file under: gay marriage backwards thinking Tennessee

a mouthy hobbit sits beside me at work

I enjoy the slacker pasttime of getting paid to do nothing. What's even better is getting paid to play online or do my homework for my MBA classes.

Travis the Hobbit likes to interrupt me while I am trying to partake in these activities. He sits in the cubicle beside me. He likes to talk. A lot. About nothing. Even when no one is listening. He also likes to repeat the same stories every day.

Travis the Hobbit enjoys bacon from the cafeteria downstairs for breakfast. He likes to show up for work late and scour the office for free food.

Travis the Hobbit likes to sneak up behind me when I am deeply focused on a particularly enticing bit of g/g slash fan fiction. Travis the Hobbit moves with the stealth of a ninja at these moments.

Travis the Hobbit tells me daily about the 5 mile run he does with his 'group' (AA? Dungeons & Dragons? who knows?) every Saturday. Travis the Hobbit has a pot belly. He also tells me he has bad knees. And a step-dog.

Travis the Hobbit hates this job as much as I do. He tells me about it every day. Several times.

file under: office annoyances Travis the Hobbit

more on Faith Hill

"The idea that I would act disrespectful towards a fellow musician is unimaginable to me," Hill said in a statement. "For this to become a focus of attention given the talent gathered is utterly ridiculous. Carrie is a talented and deserving Female Vocalist of The Year."

So, let's be naïve for a moment and say Faith Hill was just joking around, as was mentioned in a previous statement by her peeps. The second statement released by her posse what an actual statement from her, as posted above, where she mentions that the focus should not be on her but on the talent, blah, blah.... Yet, by doing a goofy dance and joking upset tantrum, doesn't that put the focus on her and not on the talent? So, either way, she seems to get what she wants - focus on her. If she was joking - it puts the focus on her. If she was mad - the focus is on her. Can't she just say "I'm needy and need the focus to be on me" and let it be?

File under: Faith Hill

Faith Hill: spoiled & angry

Faith Hill, caught with the proverbial foot-in-mouth, stated that she was joking around and that she is not upset about Carrie Underwood's win at the CMA's. A choir of do-gooders (aka those with a financial stake in Faith's career) have testified to the character of Faith and how she would never be mean like that. Having met Faith Hill and attended industry functions honoring her and her career, I know she's too stupid to have realized the camera was on her when she threw her hissy fit.

People backstage at the CMA's seem to be echoing my thoughts. Word around Nashville is that nice, sweet lil' ole Faith was a bit, shall we say 'pissy ' about not getting a standing ovation when Martina McBride did. Yet, her spirit wasn't dampened due to the thoughts of taking home that trophy. So, when she didn't win, the pissy went mega-pissy. The end.

Local news in Nashville featured interviews with fans around town and their thoughts on Faith's playful upset/angry roar. One woman stated that she knew Faith wasn't being mean because she is "a real classy lady." Well, clearly this woman wasn't paying attention back when Faith first got with Tim McGraw...she was engaged at the time to her producer, Scott Hendricks. She cheated on him with Tim, and then promptly dumped him. If that's not class, then I don't know what is.

File under: Faith Hill