Vox

G-Rated

I guess Mom can keep reading my posts:

Created by OnePlusYou

Not sure which pages contain cuss words since I try to edit those out...maybe one of Lori's comments ;-)

(saw it on 3Ts blog)

Twitchy

I'm not nearly as fast as Mike (only 99 in 30 seconds)...but I did accidentally scroll in the midst of the test....and clicked several other things on my desktop

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Online Dating

For Anonymous Mike

Please click here.

What Brung Ya'

Self-Knowledge Is Key

I made a comment on this BlogForArizona post - and the author told me that reading and commenting on his blog seems like a waste of time.

Not often those liberals are so self-aware.

Raptor

Not sure about the noise part, I much prefer calm & quiet.

(Via Macker and ExUrban Kevin)

Pop Goes The Bubble

Back in the day, I worked at a "dot com" - don't many sad stories start that way? I still have a couple of friends from there, one who jumped ship early, a couple who stuck around till the fatal round of pink slips with me.

One of those buddies just sent me this, as "the story of our life" - too true.

(Via Susan Mernitt)

Hannah Montana Wiggles

Montgomery swears that this post is not just an attempt to increase traffic from search engines.

I make no such claim. I'm not proud: Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus....

Stale Post

At the latest AZ blogger get together, we all mentioned the number of drafts we write, and save...and never publish. We also decided to each publish one of those "stale" posts for all the world to see. Here is mine, originally begun on 12/26/2005 and titled "Movies, Old & New".

Unfortunately, I can't finish my thoughts on SAJU's King Kong post, since it seems to be unavailable in the Zonitics archives - I don't remember what else I wanted to address (I covered a lot in my original review). I am also not sure what some of my points were in reaction to...and they don't hold up so well without the counterpoint.....

Since it has been almost two years, I don't recall what I wanted to say about the other movies, either. I do remember thinking that Fun With Dick & Jane included unnecessary swipes at the Bush administration (completely out of place in what was billed as a light, 'fun' comedy), and I don't think I found it overly entertaining. I will have to watch The Patriot & Rocky again before I can review them fairly.

So, here it is - what there is of it - in all it's stale glory.
**********************************************

Just a few bit to keep up, I wanted to answer Special Agent Johnny Utah in his King Kong complaints (mostly because I had more to say and he gave me a jumping off point), and then I saw three more movies I want to chat about, as well, the new: Fun With Dick & Jane, and the old: The Patriot and Rocky (I had never seen either of those, can you believe it?)

King Kong: I don't really know that the 'story' was worth telling, but it was certainly worth retelling. What made this movie possible, and desirable, is that it is a remake of a classic film that has been in our collective consciousness for 70 years. When it was originally made in 1933, it pushed the boundaries of the special effects genre (and decency) while making us care about a giant gorilla - no easy feat. I believe the only relationship you need to care about is between Ann & the ape, the rest is just filler for the most part (Well, Carl and his greed play a big part, too).

The comparison to Jerry Macguire is completely out there - I don't get the connection? I can't directly relate to the stories in The Patriot or Rocky, either, but I'm not going to dismiss them because of it. Different genres, different aims, different results.

I actually thought the dinosaurs here looked better than those in Jurassic Park, though I did have some issues with the effects. My complaint was with the backgrounds, specifically the mountain ledge that falls away during that chase. There were anatomical errors with these dinos, but that was intentional as an homage to the errors in the original.

I am willing to suspend my disbelief regarding Ann's potential injuries, and justify her resilience based on her profession. As a vaudeville performer who specializes in physical comedy, she has practiced falling, so flinging herself on the rocks would be no different than flinging herself on the stage. The rides in Kong's grasp and on his shoulder seem much more brutal, but not fatally so.

Silly Meme

One of those silly surveys, after the jump:

 
1. Name one person who made you laugh last night.
D - he cracks me up

2. What were you doing at 0800?

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Balancing receivables

4. What happened to you in 2006?
Ummm.....you think I remember that long ago

5. What was the last thing you said out loud?
"Have a good weekend" when our bookkeeper left.

6. How many beverages did you have today?
3 - protein shake, water, coke

7. What color is your hairbrush?
Brown - classic Mason-Pearson, of course.

8. What was the last thing you paid for?
Coke, this morning.

9. Where were you last night?
At D's, watching TV and eating the yummy steak dinner he made for us.

10. What color is your front door?
Red

11. Where do you keep your change?
In a heart shaped jar in my office

12. What's the weather like today?
Gorgeous, but a little cool for me. 89°

13. What's the best ice-cream flavor?
Vanilla, because it is the most versatile - add peanut butter, or chocolate syrup, or sprinkles. Make a root beer float....

14. What excites you?
Today, sunshine & music

15. Do you want to cut your hair?
Are you kidding? I spent most of my childhood dreaming of having hair that reached my shoulders, no way I am giving it up that easily.

16. Are you over the age of 25?
Ummm, yeah.

17. Do you talk a lot?
Depends on who you ask. Or who I am with. Or what mood I am in.

18. Do you watch the O.C.?
Not a chance. Puh-lease. See question #16.

19. Do you know anyone named Steven?
Yep.

20. Do you make up your own words?
It's been known to happen. On accident.

21. Are you a jealous person?
It's been known to happen.

22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter 'A'.
Athena, Amber, Alastair

23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter 'K'.
Karen, Karen, Katie, Kevin

24. Who's the first person on your received call list?
D. Duh.

25. What does the last text message you received say?
"Bubbles is weird, he's biting the green thing" Go ahead, try and translate that

26. Do you chew on your straw?
No.

27. Do you have curly hair?
I wish.

28. Where's the next place you're going to?
Post office.

29. Who's the rudest person in your life?
I am not rude enough to post that for all the world to see.

30. What was the last thing you ate?
Ziti and garlic toast that D made and packed up for my lunch. Yum!

31. Will you get married in the future?
Who knows? Doesn't seem likely at this point.

32. What's the best movie you've seen in the past 2 weeks?
Reign Over Me, I think. But I forget what we've watched. D?

33. Is there anyone you like right now?
Yeah - haven't you been paying attention.

34. When was the last time you did the dishes?
Well, I rinsed and loaded them into the dishwasher last night, does that count?

35. Are you currently depressed?
Nope.

36. Did you cry today?
No. I wonder how many people would answer yes?

37. Why did you answer and post this?
Why not?

38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey.
No - but feel free to play if you are so inclined.

Found it at Divine Angst

Some Clean Up

D set me up with a high speed connection at his house for my laptop.
The immediate benefit is being able to follow the gametrax on foxsports.com and cbssports.com while watching whatever game(s) is being televised. We get a little OCD about the stats and scores, so that hookup is..well, it's THE hookup.

The side benefit is being able to surf and blog from here. Last night, for instance, during college football, post season baseball, and our movies, I cleaned up my blogroll. Some were removed because they came right out and said they were done (downtownchickchat, Felicia Lee...), some because they haven't posted in ages or the domain is expired (Conservative Crust...). I added Exurban League, fellow music lovers and clear thinkers to boot.

Happy Happy

A big Happy Birthday to our own Downtown Chick, Lori!

Any fun plans?

First Reactions Quiz

You have to type the first thing that comes to mind whenever you hear these 35 things. You can't think and go back and change your answers. Copy and Paste, then delete answers to make them your own.

Here I go:

1. Beer: hops

2. McDonald's: ice cream

3. Relationships: messy

4. Favorite color: Blue...no purple...no blue...

5. Power Rangers: go-go

6. Weed: garden

7. Steroids: cheating

8. Cartoons: D'oh!

9. The President: 2008 election

10. Tupperware: burp

11. Florida: Cuban food - yummy

12. Santa Claus: Christmas music

13. Halloween: candy

14. Alice: Mel's Diner, just down the road

15. Grammar: pet peeve

16. Myspace: cesspool, where you can find some cool music

17. Worst fear: why would I tell?

18. Marriage: messy

19. Paris Hilton: annoying, useless

20. Pat: the bunny

21. Redheads: fiery

22. Blondes: fun

23. Pass the: bar

24. One night stands: why would you?

25. Donald Trump: annoying

26. Neverland: second star on the right, straight on to morning

27. Pixie Stix: Encanto pool snack bar

28. Vanilla ice cream: mmmmmm...root beer float

29. Hooters: wings

30. High school musical: hype

31. Pajamas: cozy

32. Woody: Herman

33. Wet Socks: yuck

34. Driving: yuck

35. Love: ...but beautiful

Embeddable Maps

Cool new feature from Google, embeddable maps.

In example, this is where we held the bloggerama.

View Larger Map

Very nice feature for business websites, event announcements....

Randomness

I was tagged a while back by Karen to post 8 random facts . . . it took me some time to come up with them.

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
   
2. Each participant posts eight random facts about themselves on their blog.
   
3. At the end of the post, eight more bloggers are tagged
   
4. Go to their blog, leave a comment telling them they’re tagged.

• 1. My CDs are arranged by: genre, then alphabetically, then chronologically. The discs have to be straight and even inside the case. I am working on re-ripping them all to the computer, so that won't matter so much anymore. I have made it through all the Jazz, Classical, Opera, Christmas, Big Band, and Blues. I am currently ripping David Wilcox, which means I am near the end of the Pop section. Still to go: Country, Celtic, Soundtrack, World, and Ballroom. (I cheated and Pop includes Pop, Folk, Rock - anything that has had popular release in my lifetime)

• 2. I have an an unhealthy obsession with light. I can't resist anything that glows-in-the-dark, is black-light reactive, splits the full-spectrum into pretty rainbows on my wall, or just lights up (or reflects light) in any interesting way. I have many lamps I will never use, black-light bulbs with no fixture or potential purpose, prisms in any window that gets sunlight (of which, I have too few), and not just one (very large) disco ball, but also a mid-size one that is motorized and several smaller, ornament-sized ones.

• 3. I have a bit of an accidental pig collection which began shortly after I left my ex-husband. I was in the habit, at the time, of saying "all men are pigs" (which oddly went over more like a mating call than a warning to men I was around) I even bought some little piggy boxer shorts that I wore to the dropzone and called my "tribute to men" shorts. A couple of skydivers bought me pig stuff to continue the joke, then other friends caught on. Eventually my family saw them accumulating in my house and jumped on the pig wagon. The inflow has trickled off in the past few years, but every now and then one pops up.

• 4. I am unable to resist Imitation of Life if I happen upon it while channel surfing. Despite the fact that I own it and can watch it at any time, regardless of the number (or recency) of previous viewings, I will stay up all night to see it again. Unfortunately for my mother, this means I will be waking her up when it is over, because I have to call her, bawling, to be sure she knows how much I love her. Every time.

  Trivia side note: The Oscar nominated actress, Susan Kohner, who moves me to tears is the mother of producers Paul & Chris Wietz (American Pie, In Good Company...)

• 5. My toenails are currently painted with Revlon's "Toast of New York"

• 6. My family is a bit like the Brady Bunch; my mother is a cute little blonde, my father was architect-ish (a civil engineer), there were three boys and three girls. Not step-siblings, though. I was Cindy :-) I used to dream that Robert Reed was my father, and I sobbed when he died.

• 7. I can touch my nose with my tongue. And curl it. And twist it into a clover leaf. And turn it completely around.

• 8. The house I grew up in had previously been owned by Barry Goldwater. I would say that my Conservative views were developed through osmosis, but not all of my siblings ended up at the same end of the political spectrum. I remember one of Goldwater's daughters coming to the house once to see it, nostalgic for her childhood there. I drive past every now and then myself, just to see what has become of the old stomping grounds. Such a gorgeous old mission style house, in a neighborhood of beautiful and unique homes.
  

I'm not going to actually tag anyone, but I would love to see your list. Leave a link in the comments if you decide to play.

He's Back

Anonymous Mike is posting up a storm.

Gone Missing

Where in the world is Anonymous Mike?

Can we get a special special post from "Edward Boyd" or Special Agent Johnny Utah to fill the void?

Fear & Loathing

One of my favorite blogs has been Kathy Sierra's Creating Passionate Users. Lots of good info for your business life.

Last week, I read this statement on the death threats that were causing her to retreat from the blogosphere - and I felt like I was missing something. [post has been moved here] It seemed like a reaction that was completely disproportionate to the actual situation.

I, of course, couldn't say that. After all, I have never found myself in that situation - and I wouldn't want to question the level of fear being suffered by another woman. I also didn't want to give the impression that I supported or approved of the things that were posted about her.

And yet, I did question her reaction. It seemed there were so many options to stop the threat that didn't involve giving the threateners exactly what they wanted; her site shuttered indefinitely, attention for themselves. Her follow up posts, and the subsequant publicity, have made me question the situation even more. It has made me wonder about her as a person, and her previous posts....perhaps an overreaction on my part.

Now I know that I am not the only one who wished for a slightly more measured response.

Have any of you been following this? What do you think?

Definition of an A$$

Eliot Stein - lowlife scum who claims that he just has "an incredible sense of humor"

As Cathy Seipp Lay Dying, Her Nemesis Took His Parting Shot on the Web

A sense of humor would imply doing something funny, not something cruel and twisted. I'd call him a pig, but that would be an insult to pigs everywhere.

Apparently, though, he has the mental & emotional development of a child. After working at a private LA school for only 4 months, he quit and:

On his last day, Stein came to school dressed in a tuxedo and, class by class, told all of his students that his leaving was the fault of one particular 10th-grade girl. By all accounts, Maia [Cathy Seipp's daughter]became an outcast at school.

Oh, and by the way, after unleashing his venom on Seipp as she lay dying, "Stein is absolutely unapologetic."

Bloggers Beware

LLRX.com has a thorough examination of the myths surrounding copyrights.

Just in case you wanted to know.

In Memory of Star C Foster

Blogger extraordinaire Star C Foster died young and unexpectedly this week. Here, in her honor, Daft Punk Is Playing At My House.

Muttering Death Threats

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Stolen Meme

from Shephard's Alley

Not sure what the theme is here, I just went with it.

1. The phone rings... who do you hope it is?
Him. Of course

2. How much cash do you have on you?
None right now, I'm in my jammies (isn't that the required blogging uniform?) I don't usually carry much cash, I am a card user.

3. Favorite planet?
Gotta go with Pluto here, I've always been a sucker for the underdog.

4. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
His. "I'm Spoiled" by Joss Stone

5. Do you label yourself?
Constantly. I'm a wimp. I'm a girlie-girl. I'm a nerd. I'm a ....

6. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
Makes a great mix tape ;-)

7. What does your watch look like?
A cell phone. I used to be such a watch person, I still have a ton of them. However, I am a pragmatist and the cell phone as time keeper is the way to go.

8. What were you doing at midnight last night?
I think I was asleep by then. Maybe?

9. What did your last text message say?
Outgoing: it was to Google looking for an Arby's location
Incoming: Google telling me where to find one (it wasn't close enough, we went to Taco Bell)

10. Where is your nearest 7-11?
I don't even know. There used to be one right on the corner, but it closed a couple of years ago.

11. What's a word that you say a lot?
"Baby" "Sexy" "Mmmmmm"

12. Who told you they loved you last?
My mother, this afternoon

13. Last furry thing you touched?
My sweet old fur-ball of a dog.

13. What are you looking forward to most?
??????

14. Favorite age you have been so far?
Gosh, there have been some great ones. I would definitely not pick one of the teen years but the others all have some pleasant memories.

15. Your worst enemy?
Myself I imagine

16. What is your current desktop picture?
The slot canyon up near Page, AZ.

17. What was the last thing you said to someone?
"I'll talk to you later tonight or tomorrow..."

18. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?
I imagine that if I could fly I could find a way to monetize that skill into at least a million.....

19. The last song you listened to?
All the way through - Must Be Doing Something Right on CMT this morning

20. What time of day were you born?
5:47 am - I think

21. Where did you live in 1987?
Phoenix for part of it, Northern California for the rest.

22. Are you jealous of anyone?
Probably, though I can't think of anything specific right now.
Envious, absolutely. That's what makes you work harder and try new things, right?

23. Is anyone jealous of you?
Doubt it. Though when he and I used to go out dancing, I was sure the other girls were wishing they were in my place.

24. Where were you when 9/11 happened?
At home, in bed.

25. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?
I gave up on vending machines a long time ago.

26. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
Had to? Hmmm. Probably on my ankle? Somewhere easy to cover up and not prone to the ravages of gravity.

27. What's your life motto?
???? How about "Do not fold, staple or mutilate"

28. What's your favorite town/city?
Tough.
Phoenix, AZ (the whole Valley)
Sonoma, CA
Sedona, AZ
New York, NY
San Francisco, CA

29. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
I don't remember for sure, unless you count a birthday card. Then it was about two weeks ago. As far as an actual letter, probably a complaint sent to some business or other.

30. Your first love:
Teddy Kirschner - I was 4 years old and I chased him all around the house trying to kiss him - lol

31. How far back do you know about your ancestry?
My grandmother did this one the one side. She takes us back pretty far, but I don't know all the details. As I understand it, though, we are related to the Kennedy's, Robert E Lee and Pocahontas. I think

32. When was the last time you dressed fancy?
Gosh, I don't remember that, either. Probably somebody's wedding. My nephew? D & S?

33. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
I'm really not good at either. Not great in social settings :-)

34. Do you take compliments well?
I try to. I hate it when I compliment someone and they dispute it, then I feel like I am on the defensive. It seems like they are calling me a liar or prodding me for more - either way it is ungracious. Knowing that, I try VERY hard to simply say thank you - no matter how much I disagree.

35. What was your favorite game as a kid?
The only one I really remember is a silly game my brother and his friend made up, "With that there?", a variation of tag designed to cause the most personal trauma to a little sister possible ;-)

36. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married would you?
That's an easy one. No one who is married and pursuing someone else is sexy, therefore, it couldn't happen. No, no, no.

37. Are you judgmental? Honestly?
Duh - see number 36 for proof.

38. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
Sure, I married someone with different religious beliefs than me.

39. Use three words to describe yourself:
We did that up at # 5.

40. If you had to choose, would you rather be deaf or blind?
Deaf. I understand the world visually, and I have learned sign language (and forgotten much of it). I can imagine the hardships of hearing loss, I can't even begin to fathom losing my sight.

41. Are you continuing your education?
Formally, no. Informally, of course. I am always trying to learn new things.

42. What is your favorite children's book?
That's a tough one, too. I adore well written children's literature, and stories with a sweet message.
The Phantom Tollbooth: Norton Juster
Bub: Or the Very Best Thing: Natalie Babbitt
Alice in Wonderland: Lewis Carroll
Pollyanna: Marion Dane Bauer

43. Where is your ideal house located?
Around my loved ones.

44. What are your keys on your key chain for?
My car.

45. Where was the furthest place you traveled today?
The office - 8 miles.

46. Where is your current pain at?
No pain.

47. What's the last letter of your middle name?
N

48. Who did you vote for on American Idol?
I think I tried to vote once but couldn't get through. Last season is the first season I actually even watched.

49. What do you buy at the movies?
Nothing. If I get a drink I just have to get up and pee. I don't want to miss any of the movie, so I do without.

50. What do you wear to sleep?
Depends on if I am alone or not, whether it is cold or not.....

51. Anything big ever happen in your hometown?
Several things. Don Boles was blown up, Bob Crane was tied up, 9/11 terrorists learned to pilot large aircraft....

52. Do you like funny or serious people better?
I really appreciate a person who can keep me smiling, a sense of humor is HUGE. That said, if I had to be around Robin Williams all the time I would probably end up sticking a fork in the back of his skull - it seems like he is unable to turn it off and he would make me nuts. There has to be some balance.

53. Ever been to Vegas?
Once, when I was very young (8 years old, I think). Someone, a great-aunt or something, was getting married. We stayed at Circus Circus, is that place still there?

54. What do you and your parents fight about the most?
How in the world could I fight with my mom? She's perfect.

55. Is anyone mad at or irritated with you right now?
Gotta assume yes with this one, but I couldn't narrow it down for you.

56. Are you easy to get along with?
I wish I was (see above). I try to be. I do have problems with it, though, and I know I can be difficult, mostly because I get so irritated with other people. Unless I am 'involved' - for some reason I could just hang with SG for weeks on end without a problem. Maybe it just depends on what I have invested? What my expectations are?

57. Who was your best girlfriend/boyfriend?
MB - hands down. The best illustration is from when my daughter died. Almost everyone in my life was hard to talk to; they would try to change the subject, they would tell me I could try again, they made me feel like I had to comfort them and tell them it was alright... MB just let me talk about it. She asked me questions, she told me she was there and that she loved me. She called me on Mother's Day to make sure I was OK. She has always been the truest. She still is.

58. Who do you hate?
Who has time for that?

59. Current mood?
Sleepy.

Life On The C-List

The King's Birthday

Sofa King is in celebratory mode today - Happy Birthday, Big Guy!

Insomnia Has Its Rewards

I was up late, cruising the usual reads, and I found another contest over at Cowboy Blob's place. All I had to do was name that tune from his heavy metal video.

Easy as pie, Blade Runner is one of my favorite movies and that soundtrack was a large part of my youth - so very sensual, the ebbs and flows, build up, crescendo..... (sorry, TMI)

However, for some unknown reason, I am unable to comment on blogger/blogspot sites. The visual verification doesn't show up for me and the "listen to the characters" button does nothing. Am I the only one or does someone else have this problem, too? So, I sent him an email and got a reply right away - guess I am not the only night owl. If you look on his sidebar now, you'll see my blog ad on his sidebar. (He must have some insight into what I look like at that time of night - lol)

Now the bad news, he won't be joining us for the Blogtober Fest.

Happy Day, Chicky

I didn't send you a card, Lori - hope you'll settle for some eye candy

Balder Dash

Saw this quiz over at Cowboy Blob's place, and thought it looked fun...wish you could choose a gender, though.

Snakes on the Wane

I just loved the title of Anonymous Mike's post, so I wanted it on my blog, too.

She's Back....

...let's hope she sticks around this time.

Keep on blogging, Sis!

Wanna Be Nerd

Found this at his place and I had to try it:

Your nerdiness is: Mid-Level Nerd.
Wow, it takes a lot of hard nerdy practice to reach this level

What? No Umbrella?

Tiptoe Through

You Are a Tulip

You have a wild, experimental side that craves change. You often switch jobs, always looking for something better. But deep down, you're also very well grounded and content. And you will come to know that the life you live is already ideal.

Via 3T

Mmm, Cookies

You Are a Fortune Cookie

You're a rather normal person, except that you have extraordinary luck in life. People want to be around you (even when they're a little sick of you), in hopes of being lucky too!

Via Chocolate Chip CalTechGirl

BTW: I collect the fortunes out of my fortune cookies - got a whole jar of them. I love to randomly pick one out on a tough day. Wanna send me yours to add to my jar? Same address as when you send me your postcards.

Now That's Service

Remember a couple of days ago when I was whining about Word Press not doing what I want?

Michael Deibler took up the challenge and, practically overnight, set up a Word Press plug-in to do just what I wanted my function to do! It works great and is quick and easy on my end. Thanks Michael, you rock!

Now I actually have to go review something so I can use it :-)

WordPress Question

I set up my Word of Mouth Blog using WordPress and I am having a couple of issues...

The main one right now involves the 'helpful' way WP adds the <P> tags around EVERY BLOCK OF TEXT I TYPE. Argghhhh, so annoying.

Anyway, the main thing it is screwing up is a PHP function I would like to include in each post - which doesn't work because of the darn <P> tags - and the fact that it changes my < & > signs into escaped characters.

Any ideas how to stop that feature?

Help Wanted

Just passing on the information, Barry "iPod" Johnson is looking for help in managing two of his blogs Blogs For Condi and Blogs For FOX.

Drop on by if you are interested.

Life Could Be A Song

While waiting for some stuff to process I thought I would follow Lori's lead with this music meme.

UPDATE: Guess I should have posted the rules -

"You put your media player on "shuffle" and let it answer the questions. No cheating. Sure, a lot of it won't make sense, but some of them are funny anyway."

How does the world see you?
A Broken Wing - Martina McBride
hmmm

Will I have a happy life?
This - k.d.lang

What do my friends really think of me?
Sentimental Journey - Doris Day
Gonna set my heart at ease...

Do people secretly lust after me?
Things Ain't What They Used To Be - Dee Daniels
ouch...can't find the lyrics for you, but they are less harsh than the title....really

How can I make myself happy?
Hillbilly Deluxe - Brooks & Dunn
Dwight Yoakum did a song by this title as well, but it was the B&D version that came up

What should I do with my life?
You Want More - Holly Cole
yeah I do

Will I ever have children?
Angel Eyes - Sting
ouch - much too close to home

What is some good advice for me?
Sweeney Pondered & Sweeney Planned - cast
hmmm - the Demon Barber of Fleet Street....

How will I be remembered?
While My Lady Sleeps - Chet Baker
Kind of sweet actually - no lyrics, but you can listen to a clip

What is my signature song?
Who I Used To Be - Clint Black
Not liking this theme...but the lyrics are more positive

What do I think my current theme song is?
Tea For Two - Doris Day
Well, that's sunny

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
Except For Monday - Lorrie Morgan
Well, I do hate Monday's....

What song will play at my funeral?
Loving You - Nancy Wilson
This song is from the Sondheim musical "Passion" and it's a bit dark

What type of men/women do I like?
Big Mistake - David Wilcox

Actually, this is a spiritual song dissing the idea that the universe and all life on earth are just happenstance.

What is my day going to be like?
A Great Day To Be Alive - Travis Tritt
That would be cool with me

A No Coffee Break

I met SAJU and one of his friends/readers/commenters, Michelle, at the local Starbucks today. So nice to take a break in the middle of the day a relax.

Thanks for the escape.

BTW: None of us had coffee.

Cutie Pie

Took the same quiz last year with almost identical results - though I seem to be a tad more cynical this year.

You Are A Romantic Realist

You are more romantic than 40% of the population. You tend to be grounded when it comes to romance. Sure, you can fall hard... but only for someone you've gotten to know. And once you're in love, you can be a total romantic goofball... But you'd never admit it to your friends!

While I was there, I thought I'd do this one too.

Your Mood Ring is Purple

Sensual Clear mind Purpose is known

Time To Get Serious

I am definitely doing too many fluff pieces. These are the search terms (in order of popularity) that brought people over to Vox in the last couple of weeks.

• men crying
  
• hot redheads
  
• goosebumps
  
• hot girls in shower
  
• ridem cowboy
  
• www.trashy.com
  
• vox sexy
  
• trojan horses put porn in my temporary files
  
• whos your daddy
  
• naked men archives
  
• why women fall in love with men
  
• bad girl
  
• vox delicious
  
• shes gotta have it
  
• trashy bikini
  
• hugh heffners halloween party 2005
  
• lift and separate
  
• quicky weddings
  
• define bootycall
  
• meaning of bootycall
  
• lets do it
  
• pictures of cowboys with shirts off

Maybe it's just Valentine's Day being right around the corner - has people in a randy mood.

Apologies

Sorry for the light blogging - MAJOR project with work. It's all going to be great, but it has been a real undertaking with a tight deadline.

Back soon, I promise.

In the mean time - Happy New Year!!

It's Like Coal In My Stocking

ARRRRGH!

What I want for Christmas is Snarky to stick around.

She's Back, Too

But she has been blogging right along on her sabbatical.

Oh yeah, her coming back gave me a day off. Yay!!!

Broken's Back

...and he's cranky? Crafty? Cynical-y?

Warning - colorful language

They Grow Up So Quickly

Congratulations - and here's looking forward to MANY more!

In my defense, I would have figured it out eventually when I got down my RSS Reader (it's alphabetical, after all) and saw this post. Don't have to hit me in the head with a 2X4...usually.

"Taking On Evil Meglomaniacs"

Found this in my old posts, saved in draft status. Not sure why I didn't post it at the time, but here it is now. BTW, I've never seen these movies so I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing that I scored so highly on the Lara Croft scale.

You scored as Lara Croft. A thrill-seeking, slightly unscrupulous, tough-as-nails archaeologist, Lara Croft travels the world in search of ancient relics perhaps better left hidden. She packs two Colt .45s and has no fear of jumping off buildings, exploring creepy tombs, or taking on evil meglomaniacs bent on world domination.
	Lara Croft 79% The Amazing Spider-Man 63% Maximus 63% James Bond, Agent 007 58% Batman, the Dark Knight 50% Captain Jack Sparrow 50% Neo, the "One" 50% The Terminator 46% El Zorro 46% Indiana Jones 46% William Wallace 42% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

House Keeping

Finally got around to adding a BUNCH of blogs to my sidebar - check it out over there

If I've missed any good ones, let me know. I put them in a database so it is really easy to update now

BTW: Dan, are you back to being an Arizona blogger for a while, or will you be leaving again soon?

Blogcess

I got tagged for a meme, and for once I actually got it in a reasonable amount of time.

1) Do you use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning?

Yes, though some days that works better than others. This morning, for instance, I was still so out of it from the NyQuil that it took me quite a while to figure out what that noise was and where it was coming from. (it isn't actually a clock, it is my cell phone - it plays Mozart)

2) What time do you set it for?

Depends. Usually 8:30, this morning 8:00.

3) Do you hit the snooze button? If so how many times?

I will hit the snooze button as many times as I can get away with - that is why I have my alarm set to only snooze once, that way I know I have to get up.

4) Have you ever abused an alarm clock?

Only if you count repeated pushing of the snooze button to be abusive.

5) It’s “time” to spread some “It’s Blogcess” linky love?

Lion and Lambs
Chasing the Wind
michael-deibler.com
ArtsyFarsty

80% Average

Found this at Not Exactly Rocket Science ~

American Snapshot
According to the book, a majority of Americans:

• Eats peanut butter at least once a week
• Prefers smooth peanut butter over chunky
• Can name all Three Stooges
• Lives within a 20-minute drive of a Wal-Mart (several, actually)
• Eats at McDonald's at least once a year
• Takes a shower for approximately 10.4 minutes a day - longer, definitely
• Never sings in the shower
• Lives in a house, not an apartment or condominium
• Has a home valued between $100,000 and $300,000
• Has fired a gun
• Is between 5 feet and 6 feet tall
• Weighs 135 to 205 pounds
• Is between the ages of 18 and 53
• Believes gambling is an acceptable entertainment option
• Grew up within 50 miles of current home

Brother Can You Spare A Dime?

Reilly did it - and she's rolling in the dough. I'm a pauper.....

my sister

Way Back Machine

Saw this at Snarky's place. Interestingly, she too was talking about children & movies in her 23rd post.

1. Go into your archives.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Post the fifth sentence (or closest to it).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five other people to do the same thing.

My 23rd post was titled "Creepy."

The fifth sentence was:
"That's the other creepy part."

I'm not gonna tag anybody, either - but feel free to play along.

I'm Purple

Your Blog Should Be Purple

You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything. You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey. You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say.

I like purple - I'm OK with that. Heck, my blog already has accents of purple. But don't be holding your breath for me to write a meme....

Monkey See

You Are A: Monkey!

Monkeys are intelligent and agile, well-adapted for jungle life as they swing happily from tree to tree. As a monkey, you are a social animal who prefers a warm climate, is quick to learn new things and loves to climb. A monkey's tiny primate features are irresistable, as is her gregarious personality!

You were almost a: Parakeet or a Kitten
You are least like a: Lamb or a PonyDiscover What Cute Animal You Are!

Hmmmm - wouldn't have guessed monkey, and it's not often I am described as gregarious.....

Speculation

El Gringo is still working to unmask our very own Special Agent Johnny Utah.

Today's clue: He went to Stanford. That could possibly be tell - seeing as how so few people attend that university each year, and none of them relocate the Phoenix.

Just ribbing you, Robert. Whoever he is, I am just glad he's posting. Or posting again?

You Say Tomato...

Found another Arizona blog worth reading, One In A Row.

I call our local paper the Arizona Repugnant, he calls it the Arizona Repulsive.

Tomay-to/tomah-to....he gives us one of the reasons the paper sucks and shares the wisdom of a child.

Fun Sites

Via the Shiny Shiny girls:

• Trashionista - "Trashionista gets to grips with the wonderful world of female fiction. We take an unbiased look at beach reads, bestsellers, new releases and old favourites - and we actually read the books before writing about them. The Trashionista doesn't believe that 'chick lit' is a dirty word - but if a book is trash, we'll let you know!" (this seems perfect for you and your book club, Lori) I think I might give this one a go
  
• PopJunkie - "Written by a team of snobbish music obsessives each day PopJunkie serves up a mini review of a great lost pop album. Some are the long lost work of major artists, such as Frank Sinatra’s odd concept album from 1969 Watertown or Cathy Dennis’ Brit Pop album Am I that kind of Girl?. Others are by completely obscure bands whose records were so out of time they now reside untouched in the bargain basement bins." (Remember these are Brits, so there are many mentions of acts we may have missed on this side of the pond) They have about the same opinion of Elvis that I do, though there is some disagreement in the comments.
  
• Shoewawa - The perfect site for Anne and Reilly - they are even embracing the purple boots.
  
• The Bag Lady - In case you are worried about your bag not matching your shoes...or you need some other funky accessory. They even keep you up to date with Ugly Accessory Day

Sports Blogging

Our local paper of record, The Arizona Repugnant, has taken to blogging. This would barely register a blip from me if not for the fact that one of their bloggers is an old buddy of mine - and a seasoned blogger.

For those of you interested in college football in general, and ASU in particular, check out The Rookie.

I'm sorry to see him covering a narrow field because he really has such a wide range of interests he could be writing about. I miss his old blog, but I'm happy to find him somewhere.

BTW: there is still time to take the survey - Sentencing Drunk Drivers

Awwww

Another Arizona blog I missed (and you guys really sucked at pointing any out for me ...... but I found them anyway) is Stumbling Through Life With Grace. Today she gives a bit of an insight into her relationship - and relationships in general.

Been there, that's for sure. In year 2 right now.....

Music Meme - late

Michael tagged me for this - eons ago - and I missed it. So I am doing it now - sorry Michael, I'll try to do better in the future.

Total volume of music files on my computer:

8273 files

The last CD I bought was:

I bought two -
Michael Buble: It's Time
&
25 Movie Favorites

Last acquired:

Celtic Woman - my mother gave it to me today...with tickets to their show next month.
Why? Because she is the best mother ever.

Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me:

uh......um.....

I almost always have the Nomad set to random - different genre depending on where I am.

Top five genres:
Chick Singers: Jazz
Vocal
Jazz
Country
Crooners

Five people to whom I’m passing the baton:

Since I missed this meme by SUCH a long shot, some of you may have already done it and I missed it on your blog, too.

Bitchalicious (who may be too busy for this, but is really a music chick)
Downtown Chick Chat
Lisa
Lion and Lambs
Michael - oh yeah, he's gone....
Reilly
Stacy (who may be too busy with the UberHusband)

Funny Stuff

Just came across Dooce via an old Most Bangable Babes list.

You must read her now - especially if you have children, or a husband, or in-laws and pets

Arizona Blogs I've Been Missing

• Espresso Pundit
• Macker's World - OK, I've been reading him but haven't yet linked him on the side bar.
• Madame Butterfly
• Rings of Benzene
• Infinite Monkeys
• Brainster
• The O'Hara Factor

• ArtsyFartsy - explaining the strange outcome of last weeks games
• Coyote Blog - on why the Cardinals still suck
• Kaibab Journal - on why J.R. Brown scares lefties
• The Computer Curmudgeon - who has memories of the old 2-freeway (basically) days here in Phoenix
• Arizona Watch - who discuss global warming