Worth 1000 Words

Yeah, not much to say. Enjoy.


Texas A&M - need I say more?


Speed Racer - he's going the distance!


There's so much to love about DEMS


Hey Ralph, are you hiding the treats, Ralph?


'Nuff said.


Wanna move to Europe?

Which Bug Would You Be?

I wasn't quite sure what to write about today, so I asked Bri to give me a topic and she said "what bug would you be, if you could and why." I thought this was a GREAT topic.

I would be the Trichogramma Wasp and this is why:

Trichogramma are among the smallest of insects, having a wingspread of about 1/50th of an inch. Despite its size, it is an efficient destroyer of eggs of many moth and butterflies which are the leaf-eaters in the larval stage. These parasitic insects disperse readily in their search for over 200 species of eggs to parasitize. The Trichogramma seeks out eggs, but does not feed on or harm vegetation. It is effective tool because it kills its host before the plant can be damaged.

They can be used in a variety of crops as well as in horticultural and ornamental plants. Trichogramma are used extensively in a variety of crops including cotton, corn, tomatoes, avocados, walnuts, pecans, apples, alfalfa, etc. The cost is so low that it is feasible to purchase them for massive releases.

Trichogramma are shipped on squares of black paper with about 5,000 plus eggs glued to one-1 inch square. The Trichogramma are developed inside these eggs and should emerge on or near the date marked on the package. It is best to release them as you see them emerging. Place them in the crotch of trees, or inside the leaves of the plant. Releases should begin early when moths are first present and on a weekly basis thereafter.

In an eggshell, HA HA HA, I slay me, I'd be small, but incredibly effective.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN Y'ALL!!!! or Youse Guys!

Up on the Roof

Is quite literally where I spent my weekend, well not my entire weekend, I mean I did come down to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I mean, how can you not? It's almost blasphemous.

I was up on the roof cleaning out the gutters and sweeping the leaves off the roof for my roommates, as they were having work done on the pipes outside. So, yes, there were large holes in the ground, but it wasn't as bad as we thought. And I would have used my leaf blower on the roof, but a transformer on our street decided to blow at that moment, eh, no big deal. Then I took care of the leaves, cut the grass and was done. Yes, I am for hire, for a fee, unless your name is Bri, then I'm FREE - well I'll accept banana pudding as payment. It's kinda cool, because we're like one big family and I'm ok with that, plus I got STEAK for dinner that night. Too bad the cook at the restaurant thinks Medium is dark red, but I was so hungry, I just grabbed the horns on that bad boy and chowed down. Of course the Pomegrante Margarita ROCKED and I highly recommend trying them.

Today couldn't be a better day, it's a little cool, but not bad and will be in the 70's today. I've mailed a surprise to someone, and yes, it's a Halloween surprise and No, it won't get there until November 1st, but hey, who doesn't like Halloween in November, think of it as an EXTENSION of the holiday. Yeah, ok, you're not convinced right? Speaking of Halloween, someone went as Marilyn Monroe, but I won't post photos unless she says it's "ok". Don't hold your breath people, lol. But I will take photos of my office and post them tomorrow.

I also read this article today Love Like That. And yeah, I wanna be loved like that on the ground, on the sea, or even, Up On A Roof.

One Blanket

Hey all, sorry it's been some time since my last post, but I've just really been struggling with how to put my thoughts on this matter into words. I didn't want to come off as being a hard-ass, and yet, I didn't want to look like a big pansy either.

Here's the issue - Homelessness - more specifically, the homeless shelter I drive by every morning on my way to work. I talked to "B" about this or rather purged my thoughts to her about it, so she probably thinks I'm a BIG OL' GIRL or something and I am old, I'll give her that. :) But what I saw at the beginning of the week outside that shelter was something that I couldn't seem to shake. Who am I kidding, I still can't seem to shake it from my thoughts, I mean I drive by there EVERYDAY and yes, there is an alternate route, but it's longer and with Atlanta traffic you take the shortest way possible, if you can.

On Wednesday, the 25th, it was very cold here, well cold by Atlanta standards, 38 degrees, wind blowing hard, just cold, even I was wearing a leather coat, driving gloves and a scarf and I'm a DAMN YANKEE!

Like every other day, I drive by the homeless shelter. Now, I don't know these people, they don't know me, but after awhile you learn the faces and recognize the new ones and wonder where the old ones went, you know who sits where, who sleeps where, who's first in line, every day, without fail, as if it's some sort of street hierarchy. You being to see people wrapped in dirty blankets, wearing hats, sometimes with gloves, sometimes not. Sometimes with shoes, sometimes just socks, sometimes nothing but bare feet.

But that day, that day I noticed something I'd never seen before and I'm pretty observant. A baby, in a stroller, old enough to sit up and hold onto the cross bar, maybe a little younger than my nephew, who just turned 1, but maybe older, I don't know for sure. But this baby seemed so small, even with a coat and hat on, even with a blanket wrapped around him/her. And this baby appeared to be with 3 adults, all women, one seemed to be the mother. Did I mention it was cold. I mean nose-running, eye watering cold. Too cold for a baby, regardless of how he/she was dressed. Too cold to be sitting outside the Soup Kitchen waiting for them to open. Too cold.

I keep a blanket in my car for my dog Max to sit on when we travel. It's just a cheap, 5.00 fleece, nothing extraordinary, but it's clean and I had just washed it. I drove by the baby, I drove to the gated, access card only, parking lot for the building I work in. I parked my car. I got out and started walking toward the office. Too cold. I started to cry, not a snot-nosed, bawling cry, but my eyes teared up and I thought, "who do you THINK you are, you with your clean Ralph Lauren shirt and slacks, RayBan sunglasses, LLBean bag, leather jacket, leather gloves, expensive shoes? I mean really JR, with a clean, warm extra blanket in your car, WHO.DO.YOU.THINK.YOU.ARE?" Too cold. And I realized, I'm no better than those homeless people, I'm just damn lucky and blessed.

I got back in my car, left the lot, drove back to the shelter, got out of the car, and yeah I was nervous, desperate times, call for desperate measures. I took the blanket out, walked over to that mother and said "this is for your baby, use it to keep her warm." I walked away, she said "hey lady, who are you?" I said, from behind charcoal/grey lenses, "I'm nobody special or important, keep your baby warm and have a good day." Before I closed the door, I heard her say "naw, lady, you gots to be my angel."

Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But if one blanket makes a difference....then so be it.

YAY, it's a Birthday - Now with Wild Turkeys

I spent this weekend in Tennessee for my nephews first birthday and I have to admit, we partied like ROCK STARS. Don't get all jealous now, we rock, we know this. I took some photos, so here they are:



Birthday boy with his very own cake. Yes there was another cake for the masses to eat from. And....here it is. One, one Elmo cake, HA HA HA - read this like Count Von Count for the full effect.



Here's the birthday boy with his mom, my sister. Yeah, she's a size 5 now. Yeah, I hate her, lol. No, no I don't at all, ever.



Rockin' the 4-Wheeler and clearly loving it. That meat hook belongs to my brother.



And of course, no party is complete without Wild Turkeys. Everyday, about 15-16 of these birds came right up to my parents back door.



So there you have it, Elmo, Turkeys and rockin' out on the 4 Wheeler in rural Tennessee.

Before I get all Serious UP IN HERE

Go. Watch This. And Laugh.

The B-Team

Stupid, but catchy, commercial jingles

So I was talking to "B" last night and she asked me if I like Corn Nuts. This was the resulting conversation:

PhreaqueOnALeash (9:28:11 PM): Bust a nut. Bust a nut. Grab a bag of corn nuts and bust a nut! They're lightly toasted and hard as hellllllll. Enjoy yourself, we won't tell!
Obear29 (10:28:19 PM): LMAO
Obear29 (10:28:22 PM): what the hell
Obear29 (10:28:29 PM): i'm totally gonna post that
PhreaqueOnALeash (9:28:31 PM): yeah, I knew that off the top of my head
Obear29 (10:28:37 PM): what is it?
PhreaqueOnALeash (9:28:44 PM): the theme song they used to have
Obear29 (10:28:49 PM): I've never heard that
PhreaqueOnALeash (9:28:51 PM): lmao
Obear29 (10:28:53 PM): in my LIFE
PhreaqueOnALeash (9:28:59 PM): it's awesome
PhreaqueOnALeash (9:29:02 PM): and totally dirty
Obear29 (10:29:04 PM): must be because Im a yankee
Obear29 (10:29:07 PM): uh yeah
Obear29 (10:29:16 PM): how about the Lance cracker commercial
Obear29 (10:29:22 PM): "I've got Lance in my pants"

So what commericals have you heard that are just wrong...

I AM

I use to use this type of poem with my high school kids, when I taught, as kind of an ice breaker, so I thought I'd try it again, myself.

I am kind and caring
I wonder if I'll reach the expectations I set for me
I hear the leaves as they fall from the trees
I want to be wildly successful
I am kind and caring

I pretend I am invincible
I feel the beat of a dragons wings
I touch the stars above
I worry my nephew will have it harder than I did
I cry because I don't always understand the world around me
I am kind and caring

I understand that I am worthy of a genuine love
I say live and let live
I dream that Alzheimers, AIDS and all cancers will be a thing of the past
I try to make fair and just decisions
I hope that everyone I know realizes a love that runs true and deep
I am kind and caring

Some GOOD News

This is pretty damn cool. I just found out that one of my co-workers, initials TB, was in the movie Return of the Swamp Thing. He played Clyde and got to chase Heather Locklear.

In the immortal words of Napolean Dynamite. LUCKY!

Faith In Humanity

The following is NOT for the ultra-sensitive, squeamish or those who are easily shocked. It is however, for those who can honestly see and are completely comfortable with the "eye for an eye" philosophy. Not always, but in this case.

My faith in humanity is that much closer to going totally down the toilet.

Feds Net 125 in Nationwide Child Porn Sweep

More About Me

I was over at DD's reading his blog on confessions and it reminded me to tell you a little more about me. Hope you don't mind DD, I mean imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. (SEE, how NICE I am, wow)

I like to think of it as confessions mixed in with everyday life, here goes:

- I didn't touch alcohol until I was 21 and in college and then oh shit...it got bad people, I partied hard, my weekend started on a Thursday (no class on Friday, wooot), and usually ended sometime early Sunday morning. But...I went to class EVERY DAY and worked full time too and DID WELL. When did I stop drinking like that? When I vomited blood in the parking lot of my dorm - now, I'm a social drinker and can go months at a time and never touch a drop.

- I think I'm really funny and have no problems laughing at myself.

- I use sarcasm as a coping mechanism - especially when someone is being mean to me.

- I was not popular in high school, at all.

- I can play some kick ass softball and felt a sense or pride and power when, in high school, I'd get up to bat and people would actually back up.

- I was obesely overweight after high school and before I moved to Georgia to attend UGA.

- I was never a small girl to begin with and my parents had me tested to see if my weight was a medical problem.

- When I was in college, my father (my parents had moved to Georgia too) asked me if I "lead a different lifestyle." I said "yes, Dad, I'm gay". He cried, I cried, I told him "I'm sorry I've disappointed you both again." He said "you've never disappointed us, ever." Later he told me he cried because he knows how hard it is for women to make it in the world and he feared for my safety. This was a big deal for my dad to admit.

- I come from a very blue collar family. My dad was an Ironworker - yeah, those tall buildings in major cities, my dad's the guy that helped build those. My mom is an RN, but was an LPN for a LONG time.

- I was the first one in my immediate family to go to college. I paid for ALL 4 years by myself via loans, work and scholarships.

- My father threw me out when I was 19 - years later admitted he made a mistake. Of course, I still love him.

- My MOM ROCKS THE HOUSE and takes no bullshit, even from my father - my parents have been married 35 years - I am 34 - you do the math - they are a rarity.

- My dog, Max saved my life, literally.

- I have found myself becoming very fond of a girl ("B") in TX (more on her later) - I am going to meet her soon - I'm scared as hell, because it's been a long time (3 years) since I've let my guard down like this - what if I go all South Park Stan in front of her and vomit on my shoes?

- I gots smarts real good AND I can lift heavy things.

That's all for now. Questions, comments, general buffoonery is always welcome.

AIDS Walk - Atlanta 2006 Continued

Apparently you're limited to the number of photos per post you can use here on blogger? Who knew. Anyway, on with the show.



Boys with Flags on the roof of Blake's. Blake's is a gay bar in the heart of midtown Atlanta and one of the first bars I ever went to. Very much a boy bar, very friendly. And every year these guys stand on top of the building and wave the flags proudly. No, AIDS doesn't just target the gay community, but we show our support whole heartedly with anything that can make a difference.



And finally the end. I have to admit, this photo doesn't flatter me and my fat face, UGH! My friends Rachel (in the white) and Delia (in the yellow) joined us that day too.

All in all it was a great day, a perfect weekend, the weather was AMAZING, not a cloud in the sky, not too hot, a perfect day.

A big thank you to everyone who donated to me to support AID Atlanta. Just so you know, they raised over 800,000 dollars (lest you think it was sheep or something), last year. This year, they expect it to be much more. 12 organizations receive this money to do further research, provide care both physically and spiritually and to educate people about HIV and AIDS.

Just so you know, here are some AIDS facts. I want you to FEEL GOOD people and know that you donated to a worthy cause. I can't thank you enough.

AIDS FACTS:
- Washington, DC has the highest AIDS case rate among women, twelve times the national average.

- By the end of 2005, 40.3 million people were living with HIV/AIDS, including 17.5 million women and 2.3 million children under the age of 15.


- 4.9 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2005, including 700,000 children. Of these, 3.2 million new infections occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa.


- In 2005 alone, a total of 3.1 million people died of HIV/AIDS-related causes.


- World-wide, only one in ten persons infected with HIV has been tested and knows his/her HIV status.

And those are just a few statistics. Yes there is hope, there's always hope. But it's being able to afford that hope, or have access to it that will get people with HIV/AIDS through another day.

I could go on and on as it's an issue that's close to my heart but I'll step off my soapbox now with this.

Educate - Ask - Protect Yourselves.

AIDS Walk - Atlanta 2006

As promised, here are some photos from the AIDS Walk, there aren't many and well, it's kinda hard to walk backwards and take photos at the same time. Seriously, I was doing just that and ended up walking over a cone that went right up my ass. Good times, people, GOOD TIMES. Besides, I'll take what I can get at this point.

Enjoy.



My friend Deb, getting all pretty-like for the walk. Don't ask me, she's the GIRLY GIRL, not me.



Some of the crowd. And believe me, this was just SOME of the people. I heard later that night, on the news that they think the crowd this year was record breaking. And the amount of young people (teens) walking was astounding.



Me and Deb pre-walk. Yes, I'm tall, well not that tall, but much taller than her. Oh and her shirt, it says "Girls Kick Butt" on the front and "Yes, I am a girl and Yes, I can kick your butt" on the back



Deb and Tony pre-walk.



Swiss Miss anyone? This guy was great. Out there walking, cheering people on, he was awesome.

Now THIS Warms My Heart Too

sydnmark: she thinks if I am a stay at home mom, I shouldn't take him to the babysitter's
obear29: why does it piss her off?
obear29: oh bullshit
sydnmark: and mostly, most days, I want to hit her in the face with a ball peen hammer
sydnmark: and she'll ask why I don't bring him in to see her
sydnmark: idiot.
obear29: that fact that you know what a ball peen hammer is, warms my heart

Probably the sweetest thing I've read all day

Here in Atlanta, we have a section in our newspaper, call "The Vent" where one can do just that, vent, about anything and it's ususally pretty funny.

But today, I saw this and it made me smile.

"Delta used to have a slogan, “Delta is ready when you are.” Twenty years ago today, I met my wife on a Delta flight. We were both ready when Delta was. Thanks, Delta!"

Happy Friday...the 13th

Happy Friday the 13th, Everyone.

It's Morning Already?

I am seriously falling asleep in my chair. Yes, I'm at work, yes I was here at 5:15 a.m., but I can leave at 2, WOOT! But damn, I ended up getting into bed after 10, being kept up by some funny and some serious conversation, but it's all good. When someone needs me, I'm there, 4:30 a.m. alarm be damned, nothing a good bottle of wine won't fix. I recommend Little Penguin Merlot, it's cheap, it's good, it WORKS and I learned wine doesn't have to be expensive to taste good.

Once I got into bed, my dog, Max, (damn I love that dog), jumps up on the bed, yes, he's allowed to sleep there when I'm home, no, I would not have it any other way. Well, Max is a big Westie, he's not a phatty, he's SOLID, like a Tonka truck and apparently thinks it's necessary to stretch out at night. So...I start out in the middle of the bed, Max on the right. I end up in the left hand side of the bed, Max in the middle, on his back, right up next to me, paws hanging in the air and although it woke me up, I thought, now that's love right there, unconditional love. Dogs won't sleep on their backs, fully exposed, unless they are super comfortable. I treat my Max well, people. Now, if I could just train him to open doors and take himself out...

I was WIDE awake at 4:00, a HALF HOUR before my alarm was set to go off. Maybe this happens to you, but when I know I have to be somewhere at a certain time and I know my alarm is set, I always, always wake up WAAAAY before the alarm goes off. No snooze button, either, once I'm up, I'm up.

I'll crash later....

It's going to be a long ass day.

You Know What ROCKS

Well, for right now, anyway.

Strawberry Frosted Mini-Wheats.

That is all.

Son-of-a-Bitch (AKA - sumbitch)

Okay, I've been called Mister 5 times today. Mister??? I'm a GIRL you twits. I don't think I sound like a Mister on the phone, but I sure as hell could kick your ass man-style, if you'd like.

My first name is a bastardized (Hi B, lol), version of Geraldine. That's the GIRL'S version of Gerald. It also means Ruler with a Spear - don't MAKE ME USE IT.

Bitches.

Randomly Overheard

Today in my office, I overheard the following snippets of conversation because we GOT SOME LOUD FOLKS UP IN HERE, damn! I'll just post the snippets, because I don't need any problems at work.

-"hey the BJ lady wants you" - (BJ the wholesale club - we're having a vendor fair today)
-"what you know bout birthin' babies"
-"I tried to do the BMI (body mass index) test, but there wasn't enough to pinch. Bite me, you skinny bitch.
-"you can borrow my fat"
-"he can go piss on a flat rock for all I care"
-"meet me in the bafroom" (bafroom = bathroom)
-"you sick?" - no ass munch, I ALWAYS sounds like I'm coughing up a small child
-"blow this for me" - boss hands me a balloon
-"if we bring a white person with us to the Chinese restaurant, we get served faster"
-my response "sorry guys, I can't be the filling in the Oreo today" - thank YA JEEBUS that my boss has a sense of humor.
-"do you think I'm fat" - said by the same girl who couldn't do the BMI - I'm thinking no but your MOUTH is enormous, you should be the BJ lady.

So yep, that's a peek into my work life. It's entertaining that's for sure and I'll leave it at that.

By the way, who comes to a vendor/health fair and brings FRIED foods?

Who in the hell....

Forgets to put deodorant on???? Me, that's who. Thankfully, I had some in my car. It's gonna be one of those days.

More later.

And, yes, I'm good, thanks to those who asked.

Because this is how I feel

i heard there was a secret chord
that david played and it pleased the lord
but you don't really care for music, do you
well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
the minor fall and the major lift
the baffled king composing hallelujah

hallelujah...

well your faith was strong but you needed proof
you saw her bathing on the roof
her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
she tied you to her kitchen chair
she broke your throne and she cut your hair
and from your lips she drew the hallelujah

hallelujah...

baby i've been here before
i've seen this room and i've walked this floor
i used to live alone before i knew you
i've seen your flag on the marble arch
but love is not a victory march
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

hallelujah...

well there was a time when you let me know
what's really going on below
but now you never show that to me do you
but remember when i moved in you
and the holy dove was moving too
and every breath we drew was hallelujah

well, maybe there's a god above
but all i've ever learned from love
was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
it's not a cry that you hear at night
it's not somebody who's seen the light
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

hallelujah...

Feel Good Mondays

Ok, I'm starting this tradition, called Feel Good Monday, because we all have to buck up Monday morning and go to work, this might help us through. It might be a saying, it might be a photo, who knows.

But the first feel good Monday

From a discussion with my friend Tim: (AKA - the TIMINATOR)

[16:15] Obear292: what is it in chicken soup that makes one feel better?
[16:15] Timinite: love

Ahhhh....drugs

The legal kind my peeps, the legal kind. But I am singing the praises of that which is Sudafed. It's almost as good as doing a body shot off a HAWT body, almost. I suppose it depends on whose body it is. Now, if it's that of a "cute as hell" woman, well, der, yeah.

Back to business. So this weekend saw me in the house with Sudafed, NyQuil, OJ (the drink, not the um...nevermind, copious amounts of water, Thera-Flu, Halls Cough Drops, Zinc drops, Emergen-C and....my roommate, who's Cuban made me some chicken soup. Oh my hell, when I tell you that soup ROCKED, I mean it rocked harder than BJC hair at a Guns and Roses concert. And sleep, man I was a sleeping fool this weekend. If there was a medal for sleeping, I'd be the sleeping CHAMP, woot!

I see my Alma Mater got their asses handed to them by Tennessee, but...MY BOYS WHOOPED ASS, GOOOOO PATS!

I've reached my AIDS Walk goal and I sent an email to all of you who contributed. But, in case you didn't get it, a HUGE THANK YOU, to all of you for your generosity.

Now, here's something I've been mulling over, the Amish. What an incredible amount of forgiveness these people have. I envy them, I really do. I mean clearly it's possible to achieve that much forgiveness, but HOW??? I don't think I could find it in my heart to forgive someone who took the life of my child, I really don't.

In other news, what's your take on a 12 year age difference between 2 people. Me being 34, her being the younger? Any thoughts? Concerns? Just let me know.

Okay, that's it for now, nothing more here to see. I'm rockin' out to Bronksi Beat at work and dreaming of new shoes.

I'm Sick

Seriously, ill with a kick-ass cold.

But.... this made the inner geek in me SOOOO HAPPY

The 80's Will RISE Up

More later, I just don't have the energy right now.

I wanna talk about ME (with new and improved photos)

Because I rarely talk about myself, besides, this will give you an opportunity to learn a little bit more about me.

I stumbled upon a comment the other day on this blog Andromeda made by Professional Sulker in reference to cowboy boots and owning "real" ones. I'll assume by real she means ones that you actually use for working and not simply for going out on the dance floor.

Hi, my name's Jer and I grew up here. Pretty country looking ain't it? Operative word being COUNTRY, Betty.



Then I left my small town and went here: GO DAWGS, SIC 'EM



Then my parents followed me from NY, then later moved to Tennessee. This is the view drving down the road to my parents old house. (I have no idea where the new house is and won't until later this month - maybe their trying to tell me something??)



I drive a:


And my favorite shoes right now are these: Boots. But I also own Cole Haan Slides (YUMMY), And Frye Clogs - okay, so I'm a GIRL.



Oh yeah, and I've ridden a bull, not the mechanical kind either.

For the Powers that Be

I have a few questions, because my heart hurts, my mind is racing with fact figuring, asking unanswered questions, my mind is reeling actually.

WHY???? Can you answer that for me, huh? WHY?

Georgia - Missing Children

Pennsylvania - Amish

Colorado - CNN

Wisconsin - Fox News

From September 28th to the 4th of October - one WEEK, one single week changed the lives of people across the nation.

What's happening here? I don't get it, it baffles me, and it can't be THAT BAD, can it?

You, yes you in the back...

What would you like to say? I would like to say that this woman is an IDIOT. Besides that, it's pretty bad when someone from your former church congregation calls a well-known radio station and says that this is not the first time you've stirred the pot. In fact, you were asked to LEAVE the congregation because of it. What type of person gets asked to leave a church?

All I know is this. With illiteracy rates skyrocketing, I want kids and people to read everything they can get their hands on, even if it's a frikken billboard.

Check it: Asshat Mom

Update

So I changed some things and I listed blogs on the right hand side. If I forgot anyone, let me know.

For all you Lexiphiles out there

Punctuation in the English language can completely change the meaning of a sentence.

For example, "What is this thing called, love?" and "What is this thing called love?"

The placement of the comma changes the entire meaning of a sentence.

This nerd message brought to you by the letter "C" - "this is an a and b conversation, so "C" your way out."

Ridiculous and Obscene

Referring back to a post on SS's site, about the head stomping antics of Albert Haynesworth, I read an article this morning that told us his punishment.

A 5 game suspension without pay, that's 190,000. Yeah more than what many people make in a YEAR. But that's not my point, check out some of the text from the article shown here - Haynesworth Suspension

Haynesworth "fell to the Titans in the middle of the first round of the 2002 draft because of maturity questions". - no shit, YA THINK??

"As a sophomore at Tennessee, he fought with a teammate and left practice, returning with a long pole looking for tackle Will Ofenheusle before coach Phillip Fulmer stopped him. He was suspended for a quarter of a game". - A long pole??? - yeah, no, no behavior problems there.

"During 2003 Titans training camp, Haynesworth kicked center Justin Hartwig, now with Carolina . Charges for a road rage incident earlier this year were dismissed". -He can't seem to keep his rage confined to the football field.


BUT...he was contrite after the game and Parcells was glad to hear that. WTF?? I'd be contrite too if I knew I was missing out on 190,000 for 5 games. He's not contrite, he's not sorry, HE'S A BULLY, a bully of the worst kind, because he gets PAID to be a BULLY.

I hope Andre Gurode does press charges against Haynesworth. In fact, I hope his family sues him and WINS.

In a sport that kids look up to, we have asshats like Haynesworth and T.O. (can you tell I LOATHE T.O.), and kids emulate that behavior.

Then we wonder WHY something is wrong with "the youth of today."

Abuse of Privilege

No, not the televison show, my office, the one I pretend to work at. Actually, I work pretty hard, but I digress. I've been up since 4:30 this morning to be to work by 6 so that I can leave at 2 for an appointment and still be able to get in a full work day. How's that for dedication?

I think most people would come in at the normal time and leave early, but we have a policy here that states that if you are out for the day and it's not pre-scheduled (ie vacation time, etc), then you get 1 point. So, if you call in sick, you get 1 point. If you arrive late or leave early, you get 1/2 a point. When these all add up to 6 points, you get reprimanded.

Close gaping mouths now. I know, I couldn't believe it either. I mean, I'm an adult, I get my work done, etc, etc. But...here's the thing, when one person abuses a privilege, the whole office (except upper management) suffers for it. Seems that this office use to have a pretty "adjustable" attendance policy in that, you show up, stay for 8 hours, get your work done, you're good. They didn't care what time you came in, as long as you came IN and STAYED for 8 HOURS. Well, clearly, some people aren't adults, thereby ruining it for others with the "point system."

They also let you work from home too, until they found that work wasn't being done and then they put a stop to it, I can't say that I blame them.

I'm just amazed that as children we want privileges, to be able to do things without asking, etc. Then as adults, when we (and I use we in the general terms), get these privileges, we take advantage, because we're entitled to it. Entitlement is a whole other post, believe me.

But as I sit here at 6:33 a.m., the office is quiet, I am able to relax, because I finished up my work last night, so no overflow today (this will change as the day goes on, trust me) and think about my appointment later today as I watch the sun come up over the city.

This Just In

Let's take a poll, shall we? At work they give us these calendars with magnets on the back that we can put up in the cubicle farm. I asked a friend of mine who's a Scientist if he could use the magnets for anything, because we just throw them away, he said, "sure". Soooooo...I put out an email and asked co-workers to donate the magnets on the backs of the calendars. NOT the calendars themselves. Now, said magnets are just glued on, so it's not an ordeal to remove them.

So, what do you think happened? That's right, I got calendars on my desk, and I had to remove the magnets. Now, I ask you, if someone asks you to donate the magnets from the back of your calendar,do you bring them the calendar or remove the magnets and bring just the magnets to that person?

Either I'm a complete idiot or....


Also, some woman from Yahoo personals emailed me and this is what she said, (keep in mind that in the photo, I'm holding my nephew and bottle feeding him), she's 46 and this ASSHAT said "what are you doing in that photo, looks like you're getting ready to take a hit off a bong." (all improper puncuation is hers), A BONG?? Since when does a BABY look like a fucking BONG??? Here's the rub, she's got kids of her own.

Now I know why some mothers EAT THEIR YOUNG.

Eyes Wide Open

My weekend went pretty well. Went to a party where there was no less than 100 people at any given time, food and drinks aplenty and I "heart" gay men. The crowd was fantastic, good mix of men, women, gay straight, you could in costume or without, the theme was "Isle of Whore". Fun, fun, fun.

I was going to write about what happened with a friend of mine this weekend, but then I got to work today and found an email in my inbox (as if you'd find them anywhere else) and it made my heart stop. It also made me say "holy shit", at least 3 times out loud.

A childhood friend of mine, who I found on myspace, after at least 15 years, and we've been emailing back and forth, hadn't heard from her in awhile. I'm rambling, sorry.

I get this email that says "sorry you've not heard from me, but the doctor's still don't know why I'm so tired and the cancer might be back." She's 31, with 4 children, a husband, a great job, etc, etc. My heart sunk. Her life was not easy, my mom and her mom were best friends, we lived right across the alleyway from each other, so we literally were in each other's backyards. Her mom died a month after her 31st birthday, my friend turns 31 soon, she hated her step-father and truth be told he was mean to her. I heard it, I saw it, so it's justifiable.

She moved out when she was 15, she made mistakes, she admits, but she also, as she says "came full circle and straighened her life out." And, she did, put herself through school, SMART girl, works for one of the largest banks in the nation as an accountant, married a great guy.

She forgave her step-father and they spent alot of time together before he died. She said the anger he had before was gone.

So, this, this is SO UNFAIR and what do you say? What do you say to someone who lost her mother at a very young age, she was 13 maybe a little younger, her only sister won't talk to her, her step-father who she made peace with is now dead too, she found her real father and realized he wasn't all that, and now...this.

My heart hurts for her, my whole body feels heavy. Because this, this is the type of person who deserves a BREAK, and I don't think people deserve anything, but this time, she deserves it.