Sweet Memes

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1. The Misanthtropic: Name something (about humanity) you absolutely hate.

I'm listening to Jasper Fforde's Something Rotten right now (on CD) and revisiting the Neanderthal Nation right now. One of the things that struck home today in the description of the difference between Neanderthals and humans (in the story) is that humans are always about hurrying and getting things done. This is one of my failings, I know. We shouldn't worry so much about what gets done, and more about how it's done.

2. The Meretricious: Expose something or someone that’s phony, fraudulent or bogus.

All of us. Every single one of us. At times. Something to keep in mind when we get all uppity about other people's failings.

3. The Malcontent: Name something you’re unhappy with.

I'm rather annoyed that I haven't heard any cicadas yet. We're in the 17th year, so we should be getting serenaded.
On the other hand, today was the first day of Frog Season in the pond across the street. Man, those dudes can SING when they want a girlfriend!

4. The Meritorious: Give someone credit for something and name it if you can.

The local Sheriff's Department, or at least the one criminalist who took time at the end of his day at 6 p.m. to talk to my twerpy son for said boy's Ginormous Project. He didn't have to do it, but he was a very good sport about it.

5. The Mirror: See something good about yourself and name it

I'm not always cranky...though you wouldn't necessarily agree with that if you only knew me from my blogs. Sometimes I'm a big gooey dork. :-)

6. The Make-Believe: Name something you wish for.

I wish I could feel as relaxed and contented as I do tonight more often.

Labels: Miscellany, Monday memes

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Which one entertainer would you like to have attend your funeral?

It would be very cool to have Billy Joel sing at my funeral. Not sure how that would work with my requested bagpipes, but that's not my problem to solve, is it? :-)

Think back to your childhood. What was something you were looking forward to doing/being as an adult? Have you done/been it?

I wanted to be confident and fearless, being chronically shy and scared as a kid. I think I've done ok in getting there...sometimes.

What team would you like to have season tickets for? Where would you want to sit?

The Packers would be fun, but only if I could have a skybox; watching football at -5 degrees sucks. Second choice would be the Broncos, same deal. If there were a closer AAA baseball team, or if I had fewer commitments, I wouldn't mind season tickets for something like that. Then again, it wouldn't be awful to work those games as a concessionaire, either.

Labels: Childhood, Death, Fear, Monday memes, Sports

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What new course would you like to see added to the nation's school curriculum?

"Peace, Love, and Understanding" [oh, that Elvis Costello could teach it, too!]

Where is your favorite place to sit when at home?

On the right end of the sofa.

Do you buy anything in bulk? If so, what?

We do shop at Sam's Club, so a lot of what we buy is in bulk. What I insist on buying in bulk is paper products, and cleaning supplies. SO much cheaper that way! We also regularly stock up on bagels, bread, cheese, and pop there.

Labels: Education, Home, Monday memes, Shopping

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Game On

1. What's your favourite system to play video games on?

I'm too old-school for the new game controllers, can't quite master the two-handed, 5 buttons maneuvering. I'll stick with Pac-Man and anything on the PC.

2. Have you tried a Nintendo Wii yet? What did you think?

Uh, no. Not likely to happen anytime soon. I haven't even tried an XBox!

3. If you were to star in your own video game, what would your quest be?

The way my life has been lately, it would be a quest for a comfy bed and a full night's sleep!

4. Would you rather date Mario or Luigi? Lara Croft or Princess Toadstool?

Truthfully, if the sound could be turned off, I'd rather be Luigi and/or Princess Toadstool. Silly games, but I loathe the 'soundtrack.'

5. What's your favourite movie based on a video game?

I can't think of any movies I've seen based on games, except Clue. Which wasn't a video game.

Labels: Games, Monday memes

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So, what are your Top 5 Tips? Have cooking tips? Gardening? Software Development? Write 5 tips that you think would be useful to at least one other blogger in the blogsphere. Surely there’s someone out there who needs this help.

5 Ways to Survive a Relentlessly Busy Day

1. Make a list of what MUST get done. Keep it short. Eliminate stuff that can wait. And then do those must-do things as fast as you can so they aren't hanging over your head.
2. Stop for a full minute (or longer) outside. Find something in nature to examine closely: look at the sky, listen to a bird singing....
3. Think about how much worse it would be to be bored: imagine standing in line at the grocery store for 20 minutes, or sitting in an airport for 24 hours. Delight in the excitement of your life.
4. If you have the opportunity to be near a small child or baby, focus on trying to make her (or him) laugh, or at least smile. Lose yourself in the sound of a giggle.
5. Try the same thing as #4 on an adult. If it really is a horrendous day, you're allowed to pick an 'easy' person, someone you know laughs and smiles with little prodding.

Labels: Life, Monday memes

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~Today~

By the way...
What's the weather like today?

Be-yoo-tiful! Absolutely gorgeous! It's clouding up a little now, but the majority of the day was lovely.

Are there any special meal plans for today?

Nope. We scrounged for lunch and ate at Applebee's tonight.

What one thing do you hope to accomplish today?

At this point, the only thing that's left is to convince Beast to ORDER THE F#%^ing CAMERA ALREADY, G-DDAMMIT!!

What are you thankful for today?

Good weather, Youth Sunday going well, and my boys.

Labels: Life, Sunday memes

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Sunday Seven

Name seven photo topics you would suggest for future editions of the Round Robin (or any other) photo challenge! (It doesn’t matter if it’s a topic that has been used before: just pick seven you’d like to see.)

1. Book (well, it has to be in here somewhere!)
2. Flight
3. Gone
4. Glass
5. Winning
6. Balanced
7. Lend

Labels: Sunday memes, Words

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1. Affair :: ...of the Heart
2. Mortician :: Smarmy
3. Determine :: Choose
4. Ignore :: "I'm not list-ning!"
5. Guy :: Gal
6. Crush :: Orange... [NOT the drink!]
7. Garlic :: Werewolves. Or is that vampires?
8. Wacky :: ...doodle
9. Parent :: Me!
10. Burning :: ...Man

Labels: Sunday memes, Words

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Saturday 6

1. What’s your favorite kind of bread?

I like almost any bread from whole-grain to Wonder bread, except rye.

2. As a kid, did you eat more warm sandwiches or cold ones?

Cold ones, by far. Not even much of a competition.

3. Which of the following side items do you most prefer with a sandwich: french fries, potato chips, or cole slaw?

None of the above. Although, if I have white bread and American cheese, I will occasionally put potato chips in the sandwich for a little extra crunchiness.

4. Take the quiz: What kind of sandwich are you?

I did earlier tonight, and turned out to be a ham sandwich. Whatever.

5. If you could only use one of the following condiments, are you more likely to use mayonnaise, ketchup or mustard on a sandwich?

It sort of depends on the sandwich, but of those three probably mayo, but I like good mustard too.

6. A question of deli etiquette: do you eat the dill pickle spear before, with or after your sandwich?

Uhm, generally at the end, I guess. Sometimes at the beginning. Never in the middle.

Labels: Food, Saturday Memes

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Think Fast Survey: answer with the first thing that pops into your head
DON'T CHEAT!!!

1. My ex is still... my ex. I'm not even sure to whom this would refer at this point!

2. I am listening to... Sparky play The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess. Also watching him.

3. Maybe I should... go to bed early tonight. Or make dinner now.

4. I love... rock 'n roll!

5. My best friends... don't live very nearby.

6. I don't understand... a lot of things. Lots and lots and lots.

7. I lost my respect for... Condi Rice.

9. The meaning of my screen name is... what screen name? My name here is based on my job. My gmail address is based on a section of the Bible I like. Another email address I use is Beast's and my initials + last name. My Yahoo! is similar to my reading blog. Work email was assigned and is my first name and last initial. I have a lot of aliases.

10. Love is... a many-splendored thing.

11. Somewhere, someone is... crying. Somewhere, someone else is laughing.

12. I will always... be Sparky's mom.

13. Forever seems like... an overused concept.

14. I never ever want to lose... my sense of wonder at nature.

15. My mobile phone is... charging.

16. When I wake up in the morning... I always have a list in my head.

17. I get annoyed when... people don't tell me about changes that affect me.

18. Parties are... not really my style.

19. My pet... is a stupid thing to call someone you love.

20. Kisses are... yummy.

21. Today I... didn't get much done at work. But I got more done than expected when I realized that I was going to be working more public desk hours than anticipated.

22. I really want... to have better control of my eating habits.

Labels: Miscellany, Survey Place

You Are a Ham Sandwich

You are quiet, understated, and a great comfort to all of your friends. Over time, you have proven yourself as loyal and steadfast. And you are by no means boring. You do well in any situation - from fancy to laid back. Your best friend: The Turkey Sandwich Your mortal enemy: The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Rats: I wanted to be PBJ. And I love grilled cheese. Strikeout!

Labels: Blogthings, Food

You Inner Gender is Female

You're sensitive, caring, and willing to connect with anyone who's open to you. You make friends easily, and you enjoy all sorts of conversations. You understand most people you meet - better than they understand themselves. You're totally a woman... or at the very least, your soul is female.

Happy to hear that my inside and outside match. Very timely in light of my reading right now. I'm totally NOT identifying if any of this is accurate, though. :-)

Labels: Blogthings, Personality

None of these really looks like my hair, soooo....

What Guys Think of Your Pigtails or Braids...

Trendy, wild, and unconventional. You're a handful and it's hard to predict your behavior. But he loves that!

Hmmm, my hair is in a messy braid, but I don't think that means I'm wild or unconventional. Lazy, yes!

Beast has pled the Fifth on this. He says, "I don't know what to say...that won't get me into trouble."

Labels: Blogthings, Hair

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~Time Tells All (Fill In The Blanks)~

1. It's 9:00 AM Sunday & I'm usually getting ready for church or driving Sparky to his confirmation mentoring at this time.

2. It's Noon On Monday & I'm usually running errands, catching up on my life, or napping at this time.

3. It's 8:00 PM Wednesday & I'm usually at Bible Study, or more commonly of late, winding down at home at this time.

4. It's 5:30 PM Friday & I'm usually either on my way home from work, or planning/making dinner at this time.

Labels: Saturday Memes, Time

...is the Lyra series by Philip Pullman. I'm so excited: I now have a daemon.



And you can vote on whether it's the right one. So...VOTE! :-)

(I'm going to keep this at the top for awhile....)
OK, back to it's spot in the list: 5/5/07

Labels: Animals, Books, Personality

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Occasions

1. How many weddings have you been to in your life?

I can think of at least 10 off the top of my head.

2. How many funerals have you been to in your life?

Probably at least 10 of those too.

3. Have you ever had a huge birthday party? When was it?

Nope. Don't like "huge" parties.

4. What was the biggest bash you've ever attended?

See #3. I can't think of anything that was huge. I just don't do it. Really.

5. If money were no object, who would you throw a grand celebration for? Why?

Well, it would be nice to have a complete family reunion sometime with cousins, aunts and uncles (of mine) included. Logistically, I'm not sure that's workable due to family dynamics.

Labels: Friday memes, Miscellany, Parties

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Get up, stand up!

1. Turn your head to the right -- what do you see?

Immediately to my right is the end table with my breakfast plate, a glass of Sierra Mist on a green-checked cloth coaster, an empty glass from last night, a new box of Puffs, Mom's poetry book, nail clippers, a pad of Post-Its and a piece of paper with phone messages on it.

2. Stand-up -- do you like how tall you are?

I'm nearly 5'8" and shrinking. Yes, I like my height.

3. Do you believe in heaven or hell?

I believe in both, but not necessarily in the traditional sense. To a certain extent, I think we create/live our heaven and hell here.

4. What is your favorite piece of jewelry?

My wedding ring.

5. What is the last thing you took from someone else?

Beast handed me the paper on the porch a few minutes ago as he left for the day.

Labels: Friday memes, Miscellany

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That's Entertainment!

1. What is your all time favorite book? The Long Winter, by LIW.
2. What is your all time favorite movie? "Heathers"
3. What are you reading right now? Midnight Cactus, by Bella Pollen
4. What is your favorite show on tv? CSI
5. What is the last movie you saw in the theater? "Monster House"

Labels: Favorites, Friday memes

You Are Destined to Struggle With Your Weight

Like most people, you find it a little difficult to stay at at weight you're comfortable with. If you change a few habits and make food less important, you may find the struggle hardly exists anymore.

Part of my issue is that food really isn't important enough.

Labels: Blogthings, Body

You Are 38% Jealous

You're occasionally jealous, but you wouldn't be human if you weren't You keep your jealousy under control. You accept it, deal with it, and move on. In fact, most people would be surprised to know that there's a jealous bone in your body. So congratulate yourself for keeping your emotional impulses under control!

Well, I agree with this, even if it is rather self-congratulatory.

Labels: Blogthings, Emotions

Your Inner Color is Blue

Your Personality: Your natural warmth and intuition nurtures those around you. You are accepting and always follow your heart. You in Love: Relationships are your top priority, and this includes love. You are most happy when you are serious with someone. Your Career: You need to help others in your job to feel satistifed. You would be a great nurse, psychologist, or counselor.

Feh.

Just...yeah, feh. There are some parts I agree with, obviously, but also some stuff I think is dead wrong.

Labels: Blogthings, Personality

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...for real this time...

Q1 - Life: Earlier this week, European astronomers announced that they had discovered the first potentially habitable Earth-like planet outside of our solar system, where they say conditions are so ideal that oceans, and thus life, may be possible. Do you believe intelligent life currently exists on other planets?

Sure. Why not?

Q2 - Clothes: A co-worker came to work today sporting a new short-sleeved shirt from The North Face. This got me thinking... did he plan to wear that shirt today or was it a choice he made just this morning. Hmmm. Do you know before you go to sleep what you'll be wearing to work the next day, or do you choose your wears on-the-fly the morning of?

Usually, the morning of, which explains why sometimes there is a lot of angst in my morning.

Q3 - Music: Do you listen to music at work, and if so, do you use an iPod (or similar device), play them through your office computer, or do you just listen to them via a separate radio you keep nearby?

Yes, I listen to Launchcast through my computer in my headphones at work.

Q4 - Wall Street: The Dow Jones industrial average rose on Thursday as a fresh wave of better-than-expected profits from publicly-held companies propelled the index to its second straight close above 13,000 points (a new record for the blue-chip indicator). Two questions here: 1. Do you even know what that means (that the index hit 13,000 points), and 2. Do you care?

No, and no.

Labels: Friday memes, Miscellany

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What I am...

1. Wearing

My "library" long-sleeved T shirt, Old Navy jeans, bumblebee sox.

2. Pondering

When dinner will be defrosted. We may not be eating till about 10 tonight....

3. Reading

Diana's paper.

4. Dreaming

Uh...no dreams. Too tired to dream.

5. Eating

Nothing. What a shock! I do have a can of DP next to me though...

Labels: Friday memes, Miscellany

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1. OMG I just saw a gorgeous, really amazingly beautifully HOT guy on Oprah! Must now stalk him online for awhile....

2. And I went to sleep ... the end.

3. When I want sugar to eat I generally get very cranky if I can't find any.

4. If I can mail myself to you, can you live my weekend for me?

5. What a woman sees a woman owns. Oh, that it were true!

6. It's been months since you called.

7. This weekend, I'm most looking forward to getting our camera ordered, and being done with (some of) the stress.

Labels: FitB, Friday memes, Miscellany

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Appetizer
How fast can you type?

Probably 80-90 wpm. If we're going for accuracy, though, it comes down really fast...to 40 some days!

Soup
What is your favorite online game?

Yahoo! Grafitti.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest), how intelligent do you think you are?

Oy. OK, honestly, probably a 9.

Main Course
Name three of your best teachers from your school years.

Dr. G, Ms. Philippe, and Becky Sherrick.

Dessert
What are your plans for this upcoming weekend?

I work tomorrow all day. Sunday morning is youth-led worship. Then relax, but we ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO plan for our trip to July's wedding, figure out the camera thing, and...uh, there was something else. I'll figure it out eventually.

Labels: Friday memes, Miscellany

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Focus

1. With 4 kids and an always changing life, I find myself sometimes unable to focus! Do you have that problem, too?

Uh, yeah. Only one kid. But distracted, yes. ALWAYS!

2. What do you do to help yourself keep it together?

Lists. I live by the list. If I write it, it will become true. In theory.

3. What is your favorite organizing tool? A PDA? A calendar?

I need paper and a pencil. PDAs don't work for me. There's something about muscle memory that makes it necessary for me to literally write stuff down so I can see it. All the time. I can't use a small calendar either, because I hate when they get overstuffed (as they are wont); it makes me feel even more anxious about getting things done. I have a good one this year with planning on each weekly double-page spread and lots of space to write meetings and notes in.

4. On a scale of 1-10, how organized are you?

From the outside, I probably look like an 8. I feel like a 4 most days though: just loosely wired together and hoping for no wind to blow me apart!

Labels: Friday memes, Life, Organization

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Fifteen People I Haven't Seen for At Least Five Years (and would like to)

1. Linda M. where I used to work
2. & 3. T. & K. Andersen, former neighbors
4. & 5. Sherri H. and Michelle B., former college roomies
6. Dave V., from church
7. & 8. Jim & Sally S., former pastor and his wife
9. Steve P., former pastor
10. Michael P., son of #9
11. Kirstie B., friend from grade school
12. & 13. Mike F. and Terry Z., Beast's groomsmen
14. Dr. G., my high school band director (whom I could see this summer if my niece weren't getting married on the reunion weekend
15. Ron R., who was gorgeous in high school (and nice, and fun) and I've heard he's only gotten gorgeous-er

Labels: Friday memes, People

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Outsiders

1. What is your favorite outdoor activity?

Walking or hiking.

2. Are you outdoors not often enough, too often, or just often enough?

Not nearly often enough.

3. When was the last time you slept in a tent?

Technically, our sleeping quarters last summer in D'Iberville were tents, but they were giant army tents. Before that, it has been a couple of years. Before THAT, about two decades.

4. Where is your favorite beach?

Puerto Vallarta. But I haven't been there for 25 years.

5. In what social, academic, or professional group are you on the outer fringes of? In what social, academic, or professional group are you right in the middle of?

I'm completely on the fringes of school-related stuff (e.g., PTO), which is why this whole 8th-Grade Dance thing is so WRONG for me! I'm right in the middle of the whole cataloging/switching over databases thing...because I pretty much have to step up. And of course, I'm in the middle of a lot of churchy stuff....

Labels: Friday memes, Miscellany, Nature, Travel

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Getting to Know Your Friends
[seems to be a little longer than four questions this week!]

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:40 a.m.
2. How do you like your steak? Medium
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Monster House. Last summer. Pathetic much?
4. What is your favorite TV show? CSI
5. What did you have for breakfast? Cold pizza. I think it's from Wednesday night. We've had pizza three times this week... I'm getting just a leeeetle tired of pizza!
6. What is your middle name? Starts with 'R' and is a book of the Bible.
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Italian. Real Italian, in spite of the pizza.
8. What foods do you dislike? Sour foods: sauerkraut, sweet-and-sour anything...stuff with vinegar just doesn't really work for me.
9. What are your favorite chips? Salt and BLACK PEPPER!
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Launchcast. I haven't listened to a music CD in eons. I've got a Jasper Fforde book on the CD player in the truck.
11. What kind of car do you drive? Ford Ranger small pickup.
12. What is your favorite sandwich? Grilled cheese.
13. What characteristics do you despise? Know-it-all-ness, intentional stupidity, cruelty manipulativeness.
14. What are your favorite clothes? Jeans and T-shirts.
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be? Ydra, Greece; Moosehead Lake, Maine; Ouray, Colorado.
16. Favorite brand of clothing? I don't really kill myself to work the brands, but I like Old Navy.
17. Where would you want to retire? Someplace near-ish family and also near all different ages. I have no interest in living in a Old Person Ghetto.
18. Favorite time of day? Early morning, before others are awake.
19. Where were you born? Denver, CO.
20. What is your favorite sport to watch? Football, preferably pro...I don't know enough of the college rules, and I have some ethical issues over college sports.
21. Pepsi or coke? Dr. Pepper.
22. Ducks or beavers? Huh?? Ducks are boring. Beavers are cool. But...just...huh?
23. Are you a morning person or a night owl? I prefer mornings, but I'm getting better at staying up till all hours if necessary.
24. Pedicure or manicure? I do my own, and right now I literally have NO fingernails, so I'll go with pedicure.
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? No. Same-ol'-same-ol'.
26. What did you want to be when you were little? Grown-up and checking groceries. I've clearly outdone my dreams.
27. What is your best childhood memory? Wandering around the mountains alone with my dog.
28. Piercing? Both earlobes, once only.
29. Ever been to Africa? Not yet.
30. Ever been toilet papering? Actually...no.
31. Been in a car accident? Yes.
32. Favorite day of the week? Mondays.
33. Favorite restaurant? Chain: Olive Garden; Independent: The Mill, or Six Balls
34. Favorite flower? Garden heirloom roses.
35. Favorite ice cream? Peppermint.
36. Favorite fast food? Culver's.
37. How many times did your fail your driver's test? Fail? Never. My sister flunked about 5 times overall (includes American and British tests).
38. From whom did you get your last e-mail? Er, no idea. Somebody last night at work...maybe Diana?
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Best Buy or Circuit City. Wouldn't take long, either.
40. Bedtime? Anytime between 8 and midnight, averaging around 10.
41. Last person you went out to dinner with? I'm assuming this is dinner at a restaurant? That would be my boys on Monday night at Six Balls before the Surprise Concert.
42. What are you listening to right now? Corinne Bailey Rae on GMA.
43. What is your favorite color? Blue.
44. How many tattoos do you have? No tattoos, just scars.
45. Favorite magazine? Entertainment Weekly.

Labels: Friday memes, Miscellany

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Potty Mouth

1. Do you curse/swear or otherwise use curse/swear words?

Fuck, yeah! OK, in real life...yes, I do, but not egregiously.

2. Do you substitute faux curse words, like shoot or crap, for the real thing?

Oh, crap, you caught me out... Of course I do. There's a time and a place for everything. I try not to use the Big Bad Words at church, for instance. :-)

3. Which curse words and phrases do you abuse most often?

Somehow, lately, I've started saying "Rats" a lot (hi, Aims!). "Crap" is a big one. And yes, I really do use "fuck" far too often.

4. Are you annoyed or pleased when you hear movies, songs, or shows that have been edited to cover or replace inappropriate language?

I laugh. A lot. Especially if I've seen the original film/heard the original song. Here's an example: It's just wrong for the tagline in Risky Business to be "Every now and then say, 'What the heck!' 'What the heck' gives you freedom." Yeah. Or, well, NO!

5. What are your thoughts on the use of curses and swear words in modern society? Is it more or less prevalent than in previous generations? Is it fine or causing irreprable harm to our culture? Do you think we should create (or in some cases keep) laws forbidding cursing?

I think words are just words: it's the meaning we allow them to have, and the power we give them that causes problems. Having said that, I hate weasel words, words that don't say what you mean and that are used to hide reality. Say what you mean! I hate hearing adults using swear words in EVERY sentence. That's just not even creative; it's lazy talk, indicative of lazy thought.

On the other hand....can we try to tone it down around the little kids? There's nothing worse than sitting in front of someone at a ball game with your 5-year-old and hearing "fuck" and "shit" and worse erupting from their lips. Jeez. Show some respect. We were at the zoo last year and kept passing a family with a sweet little preschool girl whose father kept using those two Big Guns along with some really choice descriptive words for women that I won't post here (hello, Don Imus!). Dude, what the hell are you teaching your daughter?! Even worse was her mom...using the same words. sigh.....

Labels: Friday memes, Words

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Writing Prompts

1. If you could have any magical power for only one hour, what would it be and why?

Just an hour? How about the ability to stop time? :-)

2. You've won a pair of round-trip airline tickets to anywhere in the world. Where would you go, with whom, and why?

Australia. Definitely the most expensive-to-get-to place I want to visit.

3. You are stranded in a library or bookstore for 24 hours. In what section do you spend the most time? Why?

....uh....I work in a library...this is really not that big a deal for me. I'd probably hang out with the magazines.

4. If you were to be on a reality TV show, which one would it be? Why would you be a good fit for that particular show?

TAR. I love to travel, and I love Phil. I'd definitely need to find someone calm to go with me, however.

5. What did you most recently dream or daydream about?

I have no idea what I dreamed about last night: I was way exhausted. Same for the rest of this week. Can't remember the last time I daydreamed.

Labels: Writing

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The Anti-Turn-The-Other-Cheek Cheddar

1. What tv host would you most like to smack right upside the head?

Take your pick: anyone on FOX News.

2. What sports personality would you most like to smack right upside the the head?

Randy Moss.

3. What media personality would you most like to smack upside the head?

Rush Limbaugh

4. What political figure would you most like to smack upside the head?

Oh, so many from which to choose...how about Karl Rove?

5. What musical figure would you most like to smack upside the head?

Britney. There is no other competition.

6. Which two politicos would you most like to see in a cage match to the death? (i.e. win/win since one ain't coming out)

Bush and Cheney. They need to eat each other and leave the rest of us alone.

7. Which two public figures would you most like to see in a cage match to the death?

This one's a threeway (Beast insists): Joe Thiesman and Marv Alpert and Bobby Knight.

8. Who on planet Earth should be put in a rocket and shot into the sun?

All the people all over the world who use children to fight their stupid "grownup" wars.

Labels: Cranky, Death

Your Cell Phone Etiquette is 20% Bad, 80% Good

You are practically a cell phone saint. You never annoy the people around you. Everyone should have phone manners as good as yours. And you sure wish they did!

My phone is almost never on anything but vibrate. The total usage--and I've had this phone for around two years--is around 50 hours.

Labels: Blogthings, Popular Culture

There's a 16% Chance You've Been Abducted By Aliens

There's virtually no chance you've been abducted by aliens. But there's always hope for the future!

Yep. I'd say that's just about exactly right, especially since I think aliens have better things to deal with than this.

Labels: Blogthings, Funny, Strange

Your Waist to Hip Ratio is 0.9

You are quite curvy. Most clothes look great on you.

ROFL! It's taken me nearly 45 years to be called curvy! Woohoo. In high school, I'd've given anything to have approached bendy much less curvy!

Labels: Blogthings, Body

You Are In a Good Mood

Today, you're feeling pretty together and happy. While not everything is going you're way, you're keeping things in perspective. And it seems like things are looking up for you!

Well, I've only been awake for a little while. I'd bet on a different result if I took this in about 8 hours!

Labels: Blogthings, Emotions

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::The Cola Wars?::
Onesome: The-- marketing of goods and services. ...and the things they do to try to get us to buy their products! Are there any advertisments or commercials that really stand out to you right now?

Nope. On TV they are muted almost as soon as they start or we switch channels, and I don't even notice them in magazines. Don't listen to the radio enough to make much of an issue of it.

Twosome: Cola-- cola, cola: which cola do you drink? ...or do you? ...or the UnCola? (Do you remember that ad campaign?)

I'm emotionally partial to Pepsi, but I mostly drink Dr. Pepper. (Yes, I remember the UnCola campaign--and I have the glassware to go with it!)

Threesome: Wars?-- Are there any good advertising wars going on in your area? Burgers, newspapers, ISPs?

See my answer to the first question. There seems to be an ongoing War of the Phone Providers (wired, not cellular), but it's mostly based on mailings and phone calls.

Labels: Popular Culture, Thursday memes

You Can Make 55% of Your Crushes Fall in Love With You

You certainly have this dating thing down - and you know how to charm most people. And when your charm seems broken, just think back to what has worked in the past. You have the tools to make almost anyone fall in love with you - you just have to put them into action.

hah
Or not.

Labels: Blogthings, Love

You Are a Banana Split

Fruity, flavorful, and diverse. Who can beat a true superstar?

Yee-uck. Pass. Not even.

Labels: Blogthings, Food

You Probably Look Your Age (At Least!)

You don't really respect your body, and that may catch up with you over time. Relax a little and try to take care of yourself. If not, you'll have a lot of botox in your future.

Nope, no botox. I grew up squinting in the sun, and anticipate mega-wrinkles at some point. Oh, well. Not a big priority issue for me.

Labels: Age, Blogthings

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Top 10 Things You Like to Do Alone

1. Read
2. Do Sudokus
3. Do crosswords
4. Watch serious movies
5. Bathe
6. Drive
7. Sing, or listen to music
8. Work
9. Be at home
10. Sleep (but not enough to kick the Beast outta bed)

Labels: Miscellany, Tuesday memes

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Linky Love 4 Bloggers

I self-limited to the blogs where I actually visit, not just read in the aggregator.

*note* -- please make sure to link to every url mentioned in any of the questions

1. Name one blog you visit everyday? Why?

Lisa. She posts pictures that don't come through Bloglines feeds right, so I 'have' to. I also frequently have something to say, so I have to go comment.

2. What blog has inspired you to be a better blogger? Why?

Amy. She thinks before she writes. I tend to do just the opposite.

3. What 3 blogs do you want to share linky love with? (please list them)

1. I love Cheesehead for her honesty and humor, and sense of reality in the church.

2. Jenica makes me laugh, cry, and realize that there are some damn fine librarians out there who do more than think about LLSAPs and SOPACs and metadata.

3. I look forward to reading "Reynolds" because my brother was an EMT/Paramedic for several years, and he tells similar stories to the ones I heard during that period.

And there are lots more.

Labels: Blogging, Tuesday memes

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1. What one piece of sage relationship advice would you give your child (or niece/nephew or friend).

"You aren't going to win every fight. Just fight fair."

2. When was the last time you left a passion mark Or had one left on you? (A passion mark is an unintentional physical manifestation of an act of passion: a hickey left in the heat of the moment; fingernail or teeth marks that last for more than an hour, a bump on your head from slamming into the headboard could even count).

I'm not sure if I'm the "leaver" or the "leavee" here, but I do know that I wacked my head on the headboard within recent memory.

3. When was the last time you had sex in a car?

Uhm, how about never? When we were dating, Beast had a Pinto. And since then it's just never seemed very...uh...romantic.

4. Have you ever had an orgasm in a public conveyance?

Pleading the Fifth.

5. Have you ever had an orgasm with someone other than your partner (or partners) present?

How "present" is present?! Pleading the Fifth.

Bonus (as in optional): You are strolling along in the mall with your S.O. (hypothetical if necessary) A young same sex as your S.O. is approaching from the opposite direction and will pass within feet of you. (S)he is attractive and has magnificent body. Describe your reaction.

Well, if I noticed "attractive and has a magnificent body" I've already spent more time looking at him than I have at anyone else in the building, so I should stop. No sense in pissing off Beast. :-)

Labels: Sex, Tuesday memes

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Buying…

1. Mail-in rebates: A pain to deal with or worth the wait to get money back?

I never do these. I think I've dealt with may two in my life. For what I get back, I don't feel they are worth it. Beast does them occasionally.

2. Warranties: Take a chance without them or a must have when buying high-priced items?

Depends on whether I've had trouble with that sort of item in the past, and on whether I feel like I can fix whatever could go wrong with it.

3. Product knowledge: Research before you buy or rely on salesperson?

Research the expensive stuff. Hello--I am a librarian after all!

4. Word of mouth: Base purchases on what your friends say or disregard because you know what you are doing?

Depends on whether I do know what I'm doing! I'll listen to friends, as long as it's the friends' stories not FOAF stuff.

5. New Versions: Must buy the latest version right away or wait for a while?

Wait for awhile, for the bugs to be worked out.

Labels: Shopping, Tuesday memes

What Punctuation Mark Are You?
Question Mark You love learning, asking questions and discovering new things. Once you get your teeth into something, you won't let go until you're satisfied. Good for you!
Take The Quiz Now!	Quizzes by myYearbook.com

Labels: Quizzes, Writing

(Link at left)

For someone that you love deeply would you be willing to move to a foreign country knowing that there would be little chance of seeing your friends and family again?

PERMANENTLY move? My sister did this 30 years ago when she got married. I would not. I might have done when I first got married, but I couldn't do it now. Too many responsibilities here. Maybe in a few years when Sparky is grown.

But why could I never see friends/family again? Could people visit back and forth? I guess it would depend on the country....

If you could spend a year in perfect happiness but afterward remember nothing of the experience, would you do it?

No. I need my memories intact. That is one of my great fears: losing my memories.

Labels: Memory, Monday memes, Travel

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Monday Madness

1. Name a song you know most (or all) of the words to.

I can do the whole cast recordings for The Sound of Music (stage, not movie), Fiddler on the Roof, and My Fair Lady. And most of the soundtrack for several others: Barnum, West Side Story, Evita, South Pacific, Jesus Christ Superstar.... And I know a lot of other songs too. A LOT of them. From "Amazing Grace" to "Green Grow the Rushes" to "B-I-N-G-O" to "Mr. Roboto" (God help me) to "I Will Survive" to "Georgy Girl."

2. Name a movie that you have watched more than once and would watch again.

RHPS.
And the movies listed above.

3. Have you ever read a book more than once? Please share.

All the Laura books. Alice in Wonderland. Jane Eyre. Heidi (as a child, haven't reread it for years), Swiss Family Robinson. Several mysteries because I'm getting old and can't remember how they end. Tom Sawyer. Huck Finn.

4. Share an inspirational quote with us.

"I see fireworks. I see passion and pomp and parades. I hear the bells ringing out. I see Americans--all Americans--free forevermore!" (John Adams)

5. What day of the week does (or did) your birthday fall on this year?

It will be a Monday. Joy. At least I don't have to work! :-)

6. Have you ever bought a book or cd or movie more than once because you forgot you bought it already?

Not exactly. I have bought some CDs twice because we couldn't find the first copy....

Labels: Birthday, Books, Memory, Monday memes, Movies, Music, Quotes

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Monday Melee

1. The Misanthtropic: Name something (about humanity) you absolutely hate.

What a week to try to narrow this down to one thing! I'll have to keep it strictly personal and say people who talk during school concerts.

2. The Meretricious: Expose something or someone that’s phony, fraudulent or bogus.

Just one person? I can't think of any one person, so I'll say young teenagers, as a group.

3. The Malcontent: Name something you’re unhappy with.

Roger May. He's a giant pile of steaming elephant poo. [Go ahead, Google him, but it won't tell you.]

4. The Meritorious: Give someone credit for something and name it if you can.

Our building committee at church, who have really knocked themselves out getting this building finished. Also all the people who went before them: the group that bought the land, the groups that prayed faithfully...all of 'em.

5. The Mirror: See something good about yourself and name it

I try to find something good in nearly every situation and person.

6. The Make-Believe: Name something you wish for.

Better leadership for our country.

Labels: Miscellany, Monday memes

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How would you go about purifying your own soul?

Wow ... uh ... it would involve enforced quiet (both quiet soundwise, and quiet busy-wise). And reading. And going for walks outside. And it would involve giving up a lot of luxuries and conveniences, I think, too.

If you were in a "Noah" situation, which animals would you take with you? Which would you leave behind?

I'd have to take 'em all. Wouldn't want to deal with being the cause of ecological disaster, after all! I'd like to leave the skeeters and other biting critters behind...scorpions, anyone?...but I suppose they're good for something....

Where would you go if you wanted to spend a week alone without contact with civilization?

Depends on your definition of civilization: I wouldn't go anywhere that didn't have access to food and indoor plumbing! If I wanted to be all alone, but relatively comfortable, find a house in the mountains that was far away from anyone.

Labels: Animals, Miscellany, Monday memes, Religion

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Earth Day

1. Do you make an effort to be environmentally friendly?

I have done this for so long that I no longer notice what I do. I always could do better. My dream? A composting bin. OK, so sue me, I'm weird. In reality, I'm not as careful about recycling as I used to be.

2. Did you see "An Inconvenient Truth"? Did you find it effective?

Haven't seen it. Eventually I probably will. Preacing to the choir doesn't interest me.

3. Would you drive a Smart Car?

I'd drive it, yeah. Would I buy one? Doubtful: too small, scarily small. I think that might be a sign of middle age, noticing size relative to other vehicles?

4. How many continents have you been on?

Three.

5. Did you ever watch "Captain Planet"?

Nope. No clue. Looks like I'm too old.

Labels: Ecology, Monday memes, Names, Transportation, Travel, TV

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Ten Interesting Things About Me

1. I can make a mean paper airplane.
2. I know how to do a puppet show.
3. Walking in the grass makes my feet itch, especially early in the year.
4. I used to make up quadratic equations on the bulletin during church.
5. I still have Christmas presents (from 2006) that I haven't given to their recipients.
6. My right knee makes a very loud crackling sound every time I walk up steps, but it doesn't hurt.
7. I taught Beast how to drive a manual transmission, when we were in college.
8. I loved "Petticoat Junction" more than "Green Acres." I still dream about the hotel lobby sometimes.
9. I have four cousins I haven't seen for over 30 years. I think I've only seen all of them an average of 10 times each in my life (and that's being generous).
10. I have all my junior high, high school, and college yearbooks, and my childhood diaries, and I can remember all the names of my grade school teachers (and almost all those I had later on, too). But I can't remember to buy the main reason I walk into the grocery store without a list.

Labels: Childhood, Family, Memory, Miscellany, Monday memes

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name 3 of each....

1. favorite tv programs

CSI, The Amazing Race, Survivor

2. favorite foods

sugar cookies, mac'n'cheese, bread

3. favorite books

Alice in Wonderland, The Long Winter, The Book of Ruth

4. favorite people

Beast, Amy, Jenny

5. favorite movies

Matrix, RHPS, Heathers

6. favorite vacation spotsOuray, Greenville, Ydra

Labels: Favorites, Sunday memes

Your Star Wars Name And Title

Your Star Wars Name: Catlo Den Your Star Wars Title: Reglil of Tsaeb

...er, yeah...

Labels: Blogthings, Movies

(Link at left)

1. Found :: Lost and...
2. Male :: Female
3. Spoken :: Written
4. Life :: Death
5. Tonight :: ...'s the Night
6. Fingernail :: Chalkboard
7. True :: False
8. Give up :: Surrender
9. Shining :: Jack Nicholson
10. Everywhere :: Nowhere

Labels: Sunday memes, Words

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Saturday Six

1. What's your favorite cold beverage and when did you last have it?

I'm drinking a (decaf) diet DP right now.

2. What's your favorite hot beverage and when did you last have it?

Tea, which I haven't had for several months. I don't usually take time for it.

3. How addicted to caffeine do you consider yourself to be?

100%. I actually get killer headaches if I don't get enough of it.

4. Take the quiz: What is your coffee personality?

[I plugged in DP instead of coffee or I'd've had to junk the quiz.]

What's Your Coffee Personality?
Cappuccino You're cappuccino! Easy-going and calm, you know how to have fun, but you also know how to buckle down and work. So go you! Your life is pretty well balanced, and so is your coffee habit, too. No worries about caffeine addiction here.
Take The Quiz Now!	Quizzes by myYearbook.com

OK, so ... yuk! And the description isn't exactly right either. Close, but oh, yeah, I'm a caff-junkie for sure!

5. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION #96 from De: How do you feel about the candidates who have declared themselves so far for the 2008 election?

What candidates? Are they actually already gearing up for an election that is 18 months in the future? Gaack. This is why I stopped paying attention to the news. Give.
Me.
A.
Break.
(Thank God, Thompson shot his toes off, though. He's a moron. I would know; I lived in Wisconsin while he was governor. Jerk.)

6. If you could sit down for a cup of coffee with any single candidate for president, ask any questions you wanted, and really get a clear picture of what that candidate supports, doesn't support, and is most likely to push for, who would you choose and why?

See response above. I have no interest in talking to any of these people especially at this point in the 'race.' I really have no interest in talking to any of them, ever. Including Hillary. Now, Chelsea? Yeah, I'd have time for her.

Labels: Caffeine, Popular Culture, Saturday Memes

Your Life is 32% Off Track

In general, your life is going very well. You're quite happy with where you are and what you're doing. And even if you get a bit off course, you're usually able to get back on track easily.

Truthfully, I'm too busy to notice if I'm off-track.

Labels: Blogthings, Life

Your Life is 48% Green

You're life is pretty green - and you know a lot about how to live an eco friendly life. So congratulate yourself for being good to the earth. And maybe think about implementing some of the ideas from this quiz!

I used to be better; I've gotten really lazy.

Labels: Blogthings, Ecology, Nature

You are a Brainy Girl!

Whether you're an official student or a casual learner, you enjoy hitting the books. You know a little bit about everything, and you're always dying to know more. For a guy to win your heart, he's got to share some of your intellectual interests. A awesome book collection of his own doesn't hurt either!

Well, duh!
Hee.

Labels: Blogthings, Books, Education