As mentioned yesterday, my friend PPC did the Chicago Tri on Sunday. And, like any true competitor, she wasn't satisfied with her time. She wants a better time. Luckily for her, she's doing another Tri near the end of September so she can work on that time. Me? I'd be glad I finished the damn thing in ANY time. But, unlike most other competitors, PPC let something distract her from getting a better time. She stopped to help a woman with asthma. The woman wasn't having an asthma attack or anything, but she was obviously struggling. If you know PPC its nothing more than you'd expect from her. Even when she's racing the clock she still finds the time to care about someone she doesn't even know. Amazing.

I'd still be doing that damn Tri if it was me. Probably still swimming, which I think is the first event....

Categorically Buzzed

On caffeine, that is. I was completely exhausted this morning even though I went to bed very early last night. (Very early in my world is 10:30 so its not like it was REALLY early.) Anyway, after having a very weird dream about my friend, her husband, her dogs (that died recently) a Picasso and Sam's club, I woke up pretty tired. I come to work, I get a Coke and now I'm bouncing off the walls! God Bless Caffeine.


Anyway, checking over the news this morning....

In the category of "I could have written that headline" we have: 'Michael Moore Draws Boos at Convention.' You don't say....

In the category of "Have YOU registered with Selective Service?" we have: 'Republicans say US ready to take on China, North Korea'

In the category of "Too much too little too late" we have: 'In Shocker, St. Pete Times' Pulls Candidate Endorsement'

In the category of "Don't piss off Madonna" we have 'Who put the Mad in Madonna?'

And, in the Sleasy Sun Story of the day, part two of the Simon vs. Sharon wars. So, I'm guessing they really don't like each other? Or is it all just publicity for their show?

Old Men

are the only men who asking me out on dates these days. OLD men. Old enough to be my father old. Its sad, really. The guy today has 11 daughters. 11! And what does he say to me?

"If I was younger, I'd be chasing you all over this library."

ICK!!!! Go. Go now.

You know, it seems like the weekend goes by too fast! Its already Monday again. Over this gone by too fast weekend, I watched movies, I read torts, I read civil procedure, I read a romance book.....well, I read half a romance book. I watched soccer, I watched football (college and pre-season nfl) and, for good measure, I saw some baseball as well. Oh yeah, I went shopping too. But, I did skip out on the soiree we had for our new library director. I just couldn't drag myself downtown on a Sunday. It really isn't that I live that far away. But, I'm down there five, sometimes six, days a week. I just couldn't face going down there on a beautifully fall-esque Sunday evening. I'm sure it was a lovely party.


The Sun has made this a great Monday morning, however. There are a half dozen interesting things in there today! For instance, last night as I was watching The Lost Boys, I wondered: What the hell ever happened to Corey Haim? And, this morning, the Sun answers my question. I don't know if its quite the question on everyone's lips, though....

And, of course, they're all a buzz with baby news.

Simon Cowell and Sharon Osborne don't get on. I wonder if I'm more surprised that they don't get on, or more sad that I read the article in the first place.

Still, no sleazy story for the day....

In other news, a good friend of mine just ran her first triathlon yesterday! Yay PPC!! She ran the Chicago Triathlon and I'm sure she did an amazing job. And, the torture was so great, she's doing another one in a few weeks. I can't wait to hear all about it!

Fall Fashion

The latest shoes for fall. Cute, definitely, but I don't think so. I can see myself falling headfirst down the stairs both at work and at school. Damn, they're cute though!

Not much has changed

Another Saturday morning/afternoon. I guess it is afternoon now. I've spent the last few hours watching some Premiership soccer. Arsenal is playing now. Arsenal is winning now. The early game, Blackburn v. Man U, was highly entertaning. It looked for a minute (for a lot of minutes actually) that Blackburn were going to come away with a win. It was heartbreaking to see Alan Smith hit a shot in the 90th minute to tie up the game. Damn Man U.

And, Americans in the Premiership are few and far between, but Brad Friedel had a hell of a game today for Blackburn. He was amazing. And he's, what, one of 3 in the Premiership? I'm sure someone smarter than me will correct my count. I can only think of 3 right off hand. There, I'll qualify that.

Arsenal is still winning....


Great fun at the Mentor/Mentee cookout even though my mentor was invisble. I'm sure she was busy. It was Friday night, after all. It was nice seeing some of the day students that I know, and comparing notes on the scary first half week.

Okay, that's enough for now. Its Saturday. I'd like to keep my computer off for the rest of the day.

Doesn't seem like Friday

It just doesn't. Even though I took 2 hours of vacation time and went to circle center at 10 this morning. I highly recommend that during the work day. It wasn't enough to make this day seem any less....I don't know....lame. Ah, but there are no lame days, only lame people, right? Oh, I know you were all thinking it!

The library, outside of that class we just had in here, is pretty quiet today. Lots of people are off because they work tomorrow. Some people are on vacation. Some people are sick. Whatever the reason, there is a definite lull in the place today. So, that gives me plenty of time to ponder what in the HELL I'm going to buy my sister for her birthday. Somehow, I don't think a hearty handshake is gonna be enough. Oh well. I have a few days yet.

Yesterday's class was Civil Procedure with Prof. Cooper. It was just the first class so I say this with reservation.....but it was great! He's energetic, he's interesting, he made the class interesting, and that is always a good thing. Maybe he just made a really good first impression, but I'm actually looking forward to Tuesday and Thursday nights. I reserve the right to change my opinion....

Today's Sleazy Sun Story isn't sleazy. Again. Its more weird, actually. Your obligatory quote:

"I still attract women," he says. "They say I've got a nice bum."

Now, ordinarily, that wouldn't be such a funny comment. But, in the context of the story, its hilarious.

Not that I'm addicted to porn....

Ha! Made you look.

Anyway, I made the mistake of checking my bulk mail folder. Lots of messages with the parental advisory: Sexually Explicit. Of course I had to look. And, they were right. But then, as I was going down the list, I saw lots of things that were also sexually explicit, but without the warning. The best part was how they misspelled certain words to, I guess, get them through the censors? I don't know how this works. If they have certain words in the message spot then they have to carry the sexually explicit tag? I have no idea. Anyway, I'm going to mention a few of my favorites so cover the kiddies' eyes! (my sexually explicit warning)

This black girl gives great milkshakes (cokk sucking)
We like fukking horny teens!
Wives commiting adultry (i think this one might just be stupidity)
Hot black chix fuking!

Hey, I don't make this stuff up. Sadly, I had to empty my bulk mail folder. But, seeing as how there were nearly 350 messages in there, I'm sure I'll get more tomorrow. Maybe, though, I'll misspell everything for the rest of the day in their honor.

Oh Yeah

And Congratulations to Arsenal for breaking the league unbeaten record whch had previously stood for 26 years. To me, they're bordering on being part of the British Axis of evil (Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal) but I'll give credit where credit is due. I just really don't like it when teams win ALL THE TIME. Unless, of course, it happens to be MY favorite team. At any rate, they are very good and its always entertaining to watch them win, I mean play. It would be more entertaining if they'd lose every once in awhile.....

FYI, the American sports axis of evil would the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers.

When is 25 minutes like 80 minutes?

When you're trying to get to work and there is an accident on the Interstate. It took me over an hour to get to work this morning! That isn't a good way to start the day! So, this morning's post is going to be grouchy. Just warning you now.... Maybe I'll make a list. Today seems like its a list day.

1. Is there such a thing as an out of class gunner? You know, one who knows everything about everything about law and legal study, but only outside of class. In class, they don't even raise their hand.
2. In America, and other English speaking countries, it is generally considered polite to ask your "friend" how her first day of law school was. I shouldn't be surprised anymore, anyway, but I still am. You could have asked.
3. Indy law peeps, I have my first question!!! Does the coffee machine ever work? I've seen two people now put money in it only to be frustrated and coffee-less. A third person told me that she has often tried to get coffee from that machine and also finds it frustrating. Yet, it doesn't have an "Out of Order" sign on it. Is it just a case of Buyer Beware?
4. Another Indy Law question: Is it always cold in the building or is it just me?
5. Everyone was complaining about parking last night but I had no problem finding a spot. None. Zero. Zilch. Someone who got there five minutes after I did was just bitching about the parking, and there were TONS of spots open! Closer to 5:30, maybe parking is a problem. We were both there by 4:30 and there were plenty of spots. Maybe he just wanted a closer spot. Who knows. (I told you it was gonna be a grouchy post.)

In today's Sleazy Sun Story, we get government workers and pornography. Yay! They are back to sleazy. I was starting to get worried!

That's it for now. I gotta go RSVP to something....a picnic, I think. Day is looking brighter already.

Day is Done, Gone the Sun....

What song is that from? I'm too lazy to look it up.

Anyway, the first day is over. What did I think? Loved it. The first class was Torts, and I think I understood what was going on. Well, as much as anyone else in my class. So, I'll consider that a win. We got a break in the middle of our two hour class, which I used to pop more pills. Really, what the %#$@ was I thinking to get a tooth pulled on the first day of class? Not one of my brighter moments. At any rate, I picked a good seat. I have good people sitting around me. No one seemed to stand out as overly obnoxious. It was a good experience, even given my unfortunate, gaping hole in the back of my mouth, circumstances. Gaping hole is probably an exaggeration.....

Maybe I should fill that Vicodin prescription and sell them for book money..... Oh wait. That's illegal. Speaking of illegal, I was supposed to wait until tomorrow to eat real food. I cheated. I stopped at Steak and Shake. I couldn't help it! I was starving. I chewed on the right side!

As far as first days go, this one was A-Ok.

Book Blurb of the day

"A really evil guy gets anything with everything, including murder, until the Universe has its way with him."

The Charm from Delhi by Jack Eadon.

Maybe I need to have read a few of Mr. Eadon's books, but this blurb tells me nearly nothing about this book. It does make for an interesting catalog blurb, though, and I am ordering it. I guess that was the intended purpose.

Things not to do on the 1st day of School

Have a tooth pulled. I was at the oral surgeon bright and early (well, nine) this morning to have this done. It hurts. He was very good, and has been practicing as long as I've been alive. The experience of having it done was better than I had anticipated and, the funny thing is, he said I probably had to be the happiest, most smiley patient he's had in awhile. I hear that smile thing all the time so this is no surprise. Life is too short not to smile a lot. ANYWAY, it still hurts. He prescribed the Brett Favre cocktail (Vicodin) but I don't believe I'm going to be filling that prescription. I need all of my faculties to get to work and to school and home again. Today, we're going with extra strength Excedrin. If that doesn't work....well, then I may reconsider the evil V pills. Now I just need to go find some mashed potatoes and Ritters' Custard....

Hot-Saucing?

I have to admit, I've never heard of this. But, if Blair from Facts of Life thinks its okay.....

Seriously though, I don't see the problem. I know a lot of people are against this sort of thing, and that's well and good. I think a lot more people could have benefited from a little hot sauce action as children. Just my opinion...


In other news, today's sleazy Sun story is about....Britney Spears! It isn't really sleazy though, more funny. The picture is the best, but this quote from the story is good too:

"The singer headed out with fiancé KEVIN FEDERLINE in a horrible loose red skirt which may once have been a curtain. She must think she’s turned into some kind of hippy earth mother after looking after Kevin’s daughter Kori for the weekend."

Sometimes, it is just....too....easy.

One of my favorite "bad" movie/musicals sums it up best.

Spending my vacation in the summer sun,
Gettin' lots of action and a lots of fun.
Scorin' like a bandit 'til the bubble burst -
Suddenly it got to be September First.

Woe is me,
all summer long I was happy and free.
Save my soul,
the board of education took away my parole.

I gotta go back, back, back to school again.
You won't find me 'til the clock strikes three;
I'm gonna be there 'til then...
I gotta go back, back, back to school again.
Whoa, whoa, I gotta go... back to school again!

Geometry and history is just a pain,
Biology and chemistry destroys my brain.
Well don't they know that I deserve a better fate?
I'm really much too young to matriculate.

Well mama please, your child's come down with a fatal disease.
Mama said, "Come on you lazy bum now get your butt out of bed!"

"You gotta go back, back, back to school again!"
It's bye-bye fun, get your homework done,
You better be in by ten,
I gotta go back, back, back to school again.
Whoa, whoa, I gotta go... back to school again!

I got my books together and I dragged my feet,
Then I saw this angel boppin' down the street.
I said, "Hey, pretty baby, howsabout a date?"
She said, "I'm going to school, and I can't be late."

Well, I can see,
that look in her eyes was sayin' "Follow me,"
And I was caught -
I thought of playing hooky, but on second thought,

I gotta go back, back, back to school again.
You won't find me 'til the clock strikes three;
I'm gonna be there 'til then...
I gotta go back, back, back to school again.
Whoa, whoa, I gotta go... back to school ... again!!!

***Geek Alert***

I went to Amazon to check the price of the Star Wars boxed set coming out in just under a month. They had a preview of the boxed set that gave me goose bumps! I can't wait. Hey, don't laugh. I warned you it was a geek alert at the top! Anyway, for any of you who are also geeks, the preview link is just under the picture. Its great fun. I'm thinking....party....surround sound....hmmmm. Sounds like a study break to me!

Of course, I then had to pop on over to Deep Discount DVD to order. I've had better luck with them than with Amazon, and they never charge for regular shipping. Ever. And, most times when I order something pre-pub, I get it before its released. Gotta love that too.

So much to do....

And I'm sitting down. That isn't a very good sign. I took the day off today so I can get some of this crap done, and its nearly 9....I haven't even gotten started. Well, and that's not exactly true. I just got off my treadmill. That counts as getting started, right?

While I was on the treadmill, I was listening to Genius Loves Company, the last studio album Ray Charles did. I tell ya, I'm really starting to love Windows Media Player. (Microsoft is taking over my body!) I open it up, and they have albums I can listen to before they go on sale. They have BBC radio....they have great things. So, it was me and Ray on the treadmill (and Ray's company.) Honestly, I didn't love the CD. Is that blasphemous? I believe it might be. Some of those songs are just bad. "Sorry seems to be hardest word,"for instance. His duet with Elton John was not good. There were also some gems on the CD. So, what can you do. Would I buy it? No. Did I enjoy listening to it? Sure. I guess life is like that sometimes.

And today's Sun sleazy story....isn't. Sleazy, that is. Its about Kylie Minogue and her switch from pop music to jazz. Kylie is apparently a huge star everyone else on the planet besides the U.S.

Orientation Day 1

Well, its over. Orientation was okay. I mean, I don't know what I was expecting, but it seemed a lot like admitted students day. I mean, it was A LOT like admitted students day. I didn't zone out....completely. Tomorrow will be the "getting to know you" crap that shy, introverted people like me just hate. :o) (I hear you all laughing!)

There are some people in this school who are wound too tight. I suppose that's true at any school, right? Some of them were on the program tonight....some of them were sitting behind me.

One thing I have noticed though, is while some of my classmates ( in the broadest sense as they are day students) have exhibited a decidedly snobby attitude, all of the 2&3Ls that I have met have been exceptionally friendly and helpful.

Procession for a Hero

I've used that word twice today. I think it might be justified both times. I was one of a thousand people (or more) who stood on Alabama street and watched the funeral procession for Timothy Laird. Besides the annoyance I felt at the people who either A. sat down while the hearse was passing or B. couldn't be bothered to take off their baseball caps, I thought it was amazing. I couldn't believe, first of all, how long it was. It was literally more than an hour. There were cars from Cincinnati, Cars from Michigan, Cars from all over the state. University Police cars...everyone was there. Amazing. It was definitely something to see. I'm sure there were people cursing their luck at getting caught in the area at the wrong time. Literally, if you were on the wrong side of Fate today, you just missed the cutoff. I was on my way to the bank, crossing the street, and the police cars were out blocking traffic. The light changed, a group of cars got through, and then the barriers went up. If you weren't one of the ones that got through, shut off the engine because you were sitting there for an hour. And, while they were cursing their luck, I hope they weren't cursing the reason for their delay.

Monday's Outlook

I don't actually believe in the horoscopes, but I do read them. Today's is a very interesting one for the beginning of orientation.....


Your future is arriving now and there's little you can do to avoid it. But with Mercury retrograde, you are still not ready to give up what you thought was your destiny. You need to run it through your logic tubes one more time -- and once you do, you'll be able to get on with determining a new direction. This doesn't need to be a major shift but it will probably involve your relationship with friends, your attachment to your own beliefs and how you talk about your long-term goals.

Hmmmmm

The Brushback

This is a great sports satire site that I had lost touch with until today. Its like the Onion....but, you know, for sports. The headlines are better than the actual stories. Be sure and check out the archives. A few of my favorites:

"Communist Football Player Holds Out for Less Money"

"Make a Wish Foundation Asked to Punch Barry Bonds in the Nuts"

"NASCAR Appoints Magic Johnson Token Black Guy" (which picks up on a post Lawren had earlier this summer.)

Some are just tasteless, just as a general warning. Overall, though, pretty funny stuff.

Monday Morning Madness

I can already tell I'm going to have a caffeine high today. My hands are shaking. Not good. Mix regular and decaf. I need to learn to do that.

I come into work today, about to head into the bathroom, and I hear that we had a little "problem" on Friday after I left. I problem that involves roaches on walls, on floors, in the bathroom. Like, all over, is what I hear. As I'm gagging and putting everything I own up on higher ground, they tell me they "think they have it fixed." Still, can I say say ick?! I am SOOOO glad that I wasn't here for this incident? I can only imagine how I would have screamed. I just don't do creepy crawly very well. Strangely enough, I'm okay with spiders, though. My sister is terrified of spiders. Go figure.

Anyway, here is your daily trash talk from the Sun. I swear, they never disappoint when I'm looking for a trashy story to grace my blog! That's the kind of thing a girl wants to depend on. And your line of the day from this story?

NYT has a sex toy machine by the loos, so we each bought a pocket rocket vibrator for £6. We took them into the loos in our bags and Helen accidentally pulled hers out instead of her lipstick, which gave us and the other girls in there a good giggle.

I suspect people in London are having more fun than I am......all we have in our "loo" are....well, cockroaches.

On that note....

Who knows how long he'll be able to continue posting, so check out this blog from a soldier in Iraq. Not only is he a genuine American hero (one of many) but he's also a great writer (one of a few.)

Oh yeah

What's up with our men's bb team? I mean, at least its a little more interesting now, but its embarrassing! Maybe the REAL dream teamers need to come out of retirement....,

Sexy Saturday

I haven't posted anyone since Damian Lewis. I don't have a sponsor for my blog, so every once in awhile these hot men may just pop in for a visit. A great smile, and even better arms. (Arms are VERY important!)


This hand is very distracting....

Busy Saturdays

I did a few things today, and I didn't do the one thing I said I wanted to do today. I was supposed to go look for a new couch today. Nope. Didn't do it. Maybe tomorrow. Then again, maybe not.

I woke up early and caught most of the Southampton-Blackburn game. Controversial. I don't know enough about the game to know if the penalty was warranted or not. All I can say is that it made for an exciting match.

After that, I watched the Liverpool-Man City game. I had a lot more invested in that game, and it was equally controversial. Dunne's sending off was, I thought, a little harsh. But, it was his second offense and that's how it goes. He and Baros seemed to be going at it all day. Liverpool made a lot of chances for themselves and if they had cashed in on those opportunities, the score would have been more than 2-1. Harry Kewell makes me nervous. His play is erratic and it was more on the down side of erratic today. I've seen him be brilliant, so I know he has it in him. It just isn't consistent. Steven Gerrard, on the other hand, has really taken over this team. Or, maybe now that Michael Owen is gone, he's getting a little more recognition. Its not "Owen's team" anymore. Whatever the reason may be, Gerrard was in control of that team on the field today. His leadership was tangible, and I think that was one of the reasons why they came out on top today.
On the other side, Shaun Wright-Phillips, coming off his goal scoring turn earlier in the week with the national team, looking great. He has the most amazing footwork that I've seen. And Nicolas Anelka gave me FITS today. Everytime he had possession, I worried. He is a fantastic player, and I'm sure he was turning up a notch or two against his old club. The commentators made a lot of mention about Dudek's awful goalkeeping when Anelka scored, but I think that discounts Anelka's talent. All in all, it was well worth the $20.

Whew! After the game, I went shopping. Nope, not for couches.

After shopping, I came home happy and got ready for the Alumni Association's Welcome to Law School party. More schmoozing, and it was a good time. A little more fancy than last Thursday's soiree, but the same old characters were there. I met a few new people, and, really, everyone was mostly friendly. There were some people there that I expected to be friendly and they weren't. But, for the most part, I think I've made some good friends. I'm excited for orientation on Monday. We have a good group. But, I had to opt out of the after party for this evening. My day started much too early.

I listened to some Colts on the way home. Watching some diving now. Its been a good day.

Question of the Day

Am I going to pay the 20 bucks on ppv to see the Liverpool v. Manchester City match tomorrow morning?

Hint: The answer is probably yes.

Brrrrrr

Its a little bit chilly in the biblioteca today. Its summer, I should be able to wear a short sleeved shirt to work, right? Oh well. I guess I need to go shopping for more clothes.....

Speaking of clothes, there were a wide array at the IBA 1L fiesta last evening. There were also a wide array of people too. I saw some familiar faces from Legal Process, and some familiar faces from admitted students day. I met some new people, and I saw some people I probably will NEVER see again because they're all blasted day students! I had a really good time, even though there were some definite "characters" in that atrium last night.

One thing made me sad, though. When I was picking up my nametag, I noticed one for Josh Claybourn. I don't know Josh personally, I'm just one of his many blog readers. My thoughts and condolences go out to him and his family.

Around my blogverse today:

Lawren has this post about Britney Spears which I found hilarious. Honestly, this is the first thing that has come out of her mouth that I've found interesting since "Slave 4 U" Ask a stupid question, get an honest answer, right? Way to go, Britney. But why was it in her mouth? Practicing her technique?

The Sports Law Blog had this post which raised an interesting question about the Puerto Rican basketball team (specifically) and Puerto Rican national teams in general. I think this is something I tried to post yesterday but Blogger ate it.

Brian promised us giddy, but we got thoughtful and introspective instead. I think there was a little giddiness in there too, though. I have to say, my experience with Metallica is radio experience, but I've mostly liked what I've heard. Maybe I'll have to raid the library collection and see what the fuss is all about! Here is another review of the concert. (But you all know I hate reviews, right?)

Evan, God love him, got me laughing way too early this morning with this post. Better than caffeine.

And be sure and cruise on by Visible Hand's domain and read all about his European Vacation. Stick around for the excellent commentary. One of my favorite blogs.

And, as always, your daily trash talk from the Britain's Daily Sun. This woman was truly an idiot. I mean, "It's every girls' dream in America to appear in Playboy, it's a huge honour. But I didn't realise just what 'impressing' Hugh entailed." Sometimes, I just have to shake my head. Sadly.

Review This!

I may be the only librarian in the world who has never read a Stephen King novel. Hell, I may be the only person in the world who has never read a Stephen King novel. But, I do read his column when it appears in Entertainment Weekly. In the fall movie preview issue (august 20/27, 2004) he seemed to be speaking my language. I don't always agree with his comments, but I completely agreed with him this week. This topic: people who bad-mouth regular ole films.

There seems to be a trend (I've noticed) where a movie has to be "good" for it to be worth watching. Not entertaining. Not amusing. It has to be good. How would you know it was "good" without having seen it? Well, a reviewer would tell you if its good or not. What makes it good? It has a "message." It says something "important and enlightening." It has Oscar winning actors in it? Whatever. I understand that you might want some assurances when you have to shell out 8 bucks for a show, but I don't think that is the real issue. It just seems to me that a lot of people I know are movie snobs. They will only see a certain kind of movie. Blockbuster movies, or "summer flicks" are beneath them. And, like Stephen King, I feel sorry for these people. Life is too short to be snobby about a damn movie.

And, to quote the ever quotable Buffy Summers, "Thus endeth the lesson."

Bad Blogger---NO Biscuit

Blogger ate another one of posts. This one was actually interesting too, I promise! Oh well. If it shows up, great. If not, here is a small recap:

Love this show.

Loved this book.

Sun tabloid story of the day.

Here is something about the Olympics (in general) and the men's basketball embarrassing loss (specifically) that I hadn't thought about.

Good vs. Gross

Good: Choc. Chip Cookie Dough

Good: Choc. Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Gross: Choc. Chip Cookie Dough Pop Tarts.

What was I thinking?!

A Change is Gonna Come

So this was my horoscope for the day.

With so many planets currently in your 11th House of Friends, it would appear that there is an emphasis on various types of interactions with friends, associates and groups of people. But there are also surprises that can come from this area of your life, too. Perhaps you meet someone quite different from those people you are normally attracted. If this happens, realize that the message is about how much you can learn from people outside your normal social sphere.

That means all you people who visit the blog and don't comment....ya'll need to start commenting so I can have interactions with you! And someone to whom I'm attracted.....hurry up and get here, will ya?!

who's looking out for you

Is Bill O'Reilly going to sue me for using that title?

This is for all the political junkies out there:

Two cool websites for tracking who is getting the money and who they're getting it from.

Follow the Money is one we use in the library all the time. Nearly daily now that the election is coming 'round. This deals strictly with state politics, so plug in a state and away you go. Or, you can browse by ballot initiatives, which can also be fun. Just who game the most to that California recall campaign? Or gave in opposition to it?

The companion piece to FTM is, of course, Open Secrets. Open secrets is for federal elections. For example, using my pet R candidate, James Hart of Tennessee, I can lead you to this page, showing that he has some work to do in the fundraising department.

Or, a little closer to home, I can type in my zip code and see who is getting money from my neck of the woods. Damn, I am in enemy territory!

Have fun!

Love those Brit Tabloids

I admit it. I'm addicted to Britain's The Sun 'newspaper.' I'm not quite sure if its the equivalent to our National Enquirer, there don't seem to be a lot of articles about alien babies and the like. There seems to be quite a bit of real news, but I've heard it referred to as a tabloid. Maybe that's one of the words that loses something in the translation across the Atlanic. Anyway, they always have hilarious stories or hilarious takes on American stories.

For instance, how about this heart wrenching story about strippers, lap dancers and pole dancers possibly being banned from performing in limos. I'm sorry, but if lap dancers can't perform in limos, what is the point?!

That one didn't tug at your heart strings? How about this story of a rave at one of the Queen's places. She's a wild woman.

And for my male readers (of which there are a few) The Sun has a little something they like to call "Cleavage Week." That is definitely tabloid worthy.

The Olympics Rock. But you all knew that already, right? This morning, before work, I watched rowing. Rowing! And you know what? I was completely entranced. I was entranced by men's rowing, of course, because I love a man with great arms. But, even the women's rowing was exciting. Last night, I watched Judo. Judo! Its great fun and I'll be sad when we're back to boring, predictable tv.

Speaking of things I won't be doing once school starts.....

This is my last Tuesday night. This means its going to drag on forever and a day, but I don't even care. When its over, its over. I won't ever have to suffer in this place til 9 again. I had the Thursday night shift in our old building and it was a good time. This is not a good time. But, its my LAST time. Of course, there are some very sweet people who come in and I do enjoy talking to them. They'd just better start coming in before the sun goes down!

Geeky Book News

I'd like to interrupt the usual sports blather with this news: The PW fall announcements are out! Everyone who isn't a complete book geek (which is probably most of you) can just skip right over this section. Here are some of my favorite titles:

Pig Boy's Wicked Bird: A Memoir by Doug Crandell
Vanilla Pop: Sweet Sounds from Frankie Avalon to ABBA by Joseph Lanza
Women's Wicked Wisdom by Michelle Lovric
Once Bitten: An Unofficial Guide to the World of Angel by Nikki Stafford
The War on Civil Liberties: How Bush and Ashcroft have dismantled the Bill of Rights by Elaine Cassel
What would Sipowicz Do?: Race, Rights and Redemption in NYPD Blue ed. by Glenn Yeffeth
Contrabando: The Life and Times of a Drug Smuggling Texas Cowboy by Don Henry Ford Jr.

In the cool titles but not helping me category:
How to Get Laid: The Gay Man's Essential Guide to Hot Sex by Parker Ray
Cooking to Hook up: The Bachelor's Date Night Cookbook by Ann Marie Michaels and Drew Campbell
Lust Unearthed: Vintage Gay Graphics from the DuBek Collection by Thomas Waugh.

I take that back. That last one might help me after all.....

Other interesting titles:

Mark Twain's Helpful Hints for Good Living: A Handbook for the Damned Human Race
The Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures: 1001 Things you hate to Love
The Baby Owner's Maintenance Log: A record of your model's first year
The Rebel Housewife Rules by Sherri Caldwell and Vicki Todd.
Heat: An amateur cook in a professional kitchen by Bill Buford
Another Bullshit Night in Suck City: A Memoir by Nick Flynn
The Natashas: Inside the New Global Sex Trade by Victor Malarek


Books I'll probably read (eventually)

Double Homicide by Faye and Jonathan Kellerman
Northern Lights by Nora Roberts
Suspicion of Rage by Barbara Parker (finally! And so new its not even in Amazon yet!)
The Ruins of the Earth by Stephen R. Donaldson (another one not in Amazon yet.)
Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich (although, I have a feeling this might suck...)
Hope and Honor by Sidney Shachnow
Voices from the Front: Letters Home from the Soldiers of Gulf War II by Frank Schaffer
Incubus Dreams by Laurell K. Hamilton
The Virgin's Lover by Philipa Gregory
Banewreaker by Jacqueline Carey
Yeah, I said it by Wanda Sykes

And all of that is only from about the first 75 pages or so! Its going to take me forever to get through this magazine and get stuff ordered. (not that I'm complaining a bit!)

Prodigal Posts

I typed a post on Saturday morning, tried to upload it, and got kicked out of blogger. I hadn't saved it so I figured it was just gone. This morning, it showed up. Weird.

Today's 'way too early morning post' is being brought to you by Conception: An Interpretation of Stevie Wonder's Songs. I'm iffy about this cd so far. I'm almost through it, and there are some very good conceptions and some very mediocre conceptions. Its not something that is doing much to get me excited about the day, however. This is the good think about checking out CDs from the library. If they're not great, you just take them back and you're not out any money. This one is not great, but there are a few gems.... Dave Hollister, Eric Clapton, Marc Anthony....

I'm betting Niklas Holm was not counting on this when he made the Olympic sailing team. I hadn't heard anything about that in Olympic coverage. I did watch the men's and women's eights qualifying, though, and both American teams looked fantastic.

And this is the kind of thing that me not want to ever have sons....


I watched a little Olympic soccer yesterday. I have to say, I felt bad for Costa Rica. I don't know if it is sympathy for the Iraqi team or what, but it seemed like a little favoritism in that game yesterday. It was either that or bad officiating.

More morning stuff

I think I would like to supplement my library salary by being a headline writer for online news. I could write things like this:

Cooking diva Julia Child loved red meat, gin (um, good for her?)

Giants' Shockey feel soreness in workout (um, duh?)

Italy, U.S. at odds over De Niro gangster image

I don't think this last one is really fair. Bobby D has done a lot of work, only a portion of it being "gangster" roles. But, I'm not Italian, so what do I know?

My favorite is #2.

And they're off!

The Premiership 2004-2005 season has started, and Liverpool played an exciting game.....to a draw. Sigh. Well, its better than a loss, and they did look fairly good. I thought they played a much more active style of game. More attacking. Less sitting back and waiting for scoring opportunities to come to them. I wouldn't say that Tottenham's goal was a fluke, it seemed like Liverpool let up on their defense just a little bit in the second half, letting Defoe get in for a score. Still, I didn't leave the game thinking they were lucky to get away with a draw. I left the game thinking more of those shots on goal should have gone in, and that is a big improvement.

Denial no more: Well, Michael Owen has decided to try his luck in Spain. Bad for us? You bet it is. But, that's life, right? I wish him well with his new club, and I hope he fares better with them than Beckham has so far. It does kind of make things easier for both Baros and Cisse, however, with Owen gone. We'll see what happens. I think a lot of players who have sat back and let Owen be the club are going to have to step forward now and take up their share of the responsibility. Again, we'll see what happens. Still, heartbreaking....

And, Gerard Houillier was in the broadcaster's box for the French media. Its too bad I don't speak French. I would have loved to hear his comments on the new look Reds.

Why am I not surprised?

From the Washington Post. I believe a free subscription is required. My favorite quote is from the end of the story.

Rooney disputed that there is a financial motivation behind his support for the People of Color United radio ads.
"I have a long history of involvement with and support of the black community," Rooney said. "For 21 years I have gone to an all-black church. They finally elected me over other black people to their church board. I'm one of them. I don't know what it has to do with health savings accounts."

Thursday Morning Ramblings

So, if Oncourse is correct about who is teaching the evening section of LARC, I think I just won the lottery. Especially since she should be a happy newlywed....

Listening to Marc Anthony's Desde Un Principio is one of the better ways to kill an hour or so. Especially at 7 am.

The library is going to a madhouse today. We're the last on the block to go to a sort of log in system for computer usage. I plan to hide in the basement after my assigned desk hours. Unfortunately, I'm on the desk first. Full on onslaught of computer users. I hope this thing works! I think I need more Marc Anthony....

Lady Macbeth

There was a funny line in Collateral where Tom called Jamie Foxx 'Lady Macbeth.' I was the only one who laughed. So, what is just not that funny or did nobody else get it?

Gross!

This reminded me of the 1st season episode (Bachelor Party) of Angel.

Hot Stuff, Baby

Heart of Fire


What is Your Heart REALLY Made of?
brought to you by Quizilla

Almost Done

This is my second to last Tuesday night. I can't say that I'll be sorry to see them go. I certainly love not coming in until 1, but the nights have been extremely slow this summer. Nothing makes time go by slower than not talking to anyone. Of course, I have plenty of work to keep me warm....

Yesterday was the beginning of the NFL (pre) season with the Hall of Fame game on ABC. I watched the first half. I made the mistake of switching over to the Cleveland/White Sox game during half time and it hooked me until the end. It was 8-0 when I turned it over. Heartbreaking. In that inning, however, the Sox scored 7 runs. 7! It was great! They ended up losing, though, 13-11. It was still a great game.

Liverpool scored 2 in their Champions League qualifier to beat Austrian side Grazer AK 2-0. This game was played, in Austria, at none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium. The return game is on August 24th at Anfield, where Liverpool should lock things up.

Speaking of locking things up, the Patrick Viera-Real Madrid is "reported" to be signed, sealed and delivered by the end of this week. I can't even address the reports of Michael Owen leaving Liverpool and following in his footsteps. I am being willfully ignorant and I'll thank you all to let me continue to be so for as long as possible. I'd much rather be excited that the Liverpool-Tottenham match will be LIVE Saturday morning (at 6:30!) on Fox Sports World. Since I have to work on Saturday, I'll be up that early anyway. Yay me. (Like I wouldn't have gotten up anyway....)

Booknotes, the C-Span show about books hosted by Brian Lamb, is coming to an end. I caught the show sometimes, but seeing as how they had a policy against doing fiction, I didn't watch very much of it. Still, its almost like the end of an era. BL wants to do more things, and that is understandable. I will have to check it out on Sunday, though, when Denny Hastert talks about his book. I think that's my duty as an Illinoisian.

Am I still an Illinoisian if I live in Indiana? I'm not a Hoosier, that's for sure. I'm a woman without a state!

On that depressing note...

Class of 2004

Bob Brown


Barry Sanders


Carl Eller


John Elway

This was the first year I've actually watched the induction from start to finish (such as it is with commercials and commentators.) It was fantastic. The speeches were great. They were heart felt and they not only spoke about football, but let show a little something about a player's life away from the game. Now I REALLY can't wait for the season to start. Congrats to all four of these great players. (Even that %$@##$ runt Elway who beat up on my Raiders too many times to count!)

How old do you need to be

To write a biography? Maybe I'm just being stupid, but is 25 too young to be telling your life story? Michael Owen, great England and Liverpool striker, has a biography coming out next week. He won't be 25 until December. I'm sure he's got tales to tell about his career both for Liverpool and playing for England. But, its still a little disturbing to me that he's writing a bio at such a young age! Am I gonna read? Of course. Maybe its just because I hadn't done a damn thing interesting by that age....I don't know. Just seems a little bit odd to me. Of course, David Beckham isn't much older and he's already written two....

Great Looking, Great Actor

Damian Lewis. First encountered in The Forsyte Saga, obsession grew (mine for him) in Band of Brothers.

You know law school will be hard when....

you can't even read a tv schedule correctly! I woke up early this morning, anxious to see soccer, and nothing was on. Well, that's not true. There were some lovely infomericals on. At first, I thought I had the time wrong. I looked it up online, and saw that I did have the time wrong. I also had the day wrong. Tomorrow. 8:30 am. Sheesh.

I saw Collateral today. I thought it was great. There were a few places where I thought it dragged a bit, but that's really just nitpicking. TC is at his best when he's bad, in my opinion. I thought Jada Pinkett Smith could have had more to do. I liked her character....what I saw of it. And I kept looking at Peter Berg and wondering who the heck he was. I HATE that. I knew his face, but just couldn't remember his name. And then, when I saw the credits, I had that 'of course' moment.

I also checked out the U of I football schedule. Wow. They have got some great home games this season. Purdue, Michigan, Iowa and Indiana all at home. I hope they have a better season than last year. Last year was painful. Truly.

Gavin DeGraw

I've been a fan of this guy for almost a year. I don't know what it is about his voice, but I borrowed his cd from the library and they had to pry it from my hands when it was due. I finally just ordered it, and found out that it now comes packaged with an acoustic cd. Not really my type of music at all. And its not like he's hot.....in my opinion, he's a little goofy looking. (I mean that in a nice way! Oh, forget it.) Anyway, love the cd. I'm not sure I like the acoustic version of Chariot as much as the original, but it will probably grow on me.

In other exciting news, football season (both the American and the World version) is right around the corner. There is just something absolutely fabulous about college football on a Autumn Saturday. Better yet is listening to it on the radio. I can't wait for the season to start!

I wonder

if this candidate has been asked to speak at the convention at the end of the month.

LIne of the Day

I finished a great book yesterday. Among many great lines, this one stood out the most:

In the sociopath's moral compass, true north is always in his mirror. I don't know what it is about that line that stuck out so much, but I love it. And, you know, its true.

If you're not familiar with Andrew Vachss, you're missing a great series.

This is your life: Sylvester Stallone

I went on over to the Internet Movie Database to answer the nagging question: How many times has Sylvester Stallone been married? Curiosity, as they say, killed the cat. I ended up with information about the "Italian Stallion" that I never needed, or wanted, to know. So, I'll share it with all of you.

1. Stallone has 5 kids. 2 with first wife, Sasha Czack and 3 with present wife, Jennifer Flavin
2. All 5 of those kids have names that start with S. Sage, Seargeoh, Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet
3. Shares a birthday with former footballer (and actor) Fred Dryer and also with George W. Bush
4. Was originally supposed to play the Eddie Murphy role of Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop!
5. Got his first starring role at the tender age of 24. In porn.* (I don't make this stuff up, folks.)
6. Is a Miami Hurricane (maybe I shouldn't have used this one so close to #5)
7. Birth complications, caused by forceps, resulted in paralysis of the lower left side of his face, manifested by a perennial snarl and slurred speech.

So that's it. More than you ever wanted to know about Sylvester Stallone.

*Was 24-years-old when he got his first starring role in the porno "The Party at Kitty and Stud's" (which was re-released and re-named "The Italian Stallion" after Stallone's "Rocky" success), in which he played the role of "Stud". He was paid $200 to play the sex-craved gigolo and appeared in almost every scene nude.

Toupee?

The Donald swears it isn't. The Press (and nearly all of America) swears it must be. What do you think?

Oh yes....

He who must not be named is pretty hot.

An 80s relic back together again?

My Goals for the Week

I have a few, very simple things that I would like to accomplish this week.

1. Not cry when I read things like this from Raiders training camp.
2. Remember to wake up early enough (6:30 am) on Saturday to watch Arsenal vs. Manchester United for the Community Shield.
3. Remember to watch Stargate and Stargate: Atlantis on Friday night.

Three simple things. The first one may be the hardest to accomplish.....

Something Old, Something New (to me)

While searching for info on Sen. Bob Kerrey, I came across the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774-Present. I had no idea that this existed and its pretty cool. I especially like how I can search for all the members of Congress who were members of the "Greenbacker" party. I hadn't even heard of the Greenbacker party! So, anyway, if you're bored take it for a spin.

In the "life isn't fair" category: I'm working tonight, which also happens to be the last game of Liverpool's American Tour. And, to add insult to injury, its live on FoxSports World. I'll get home in time to see the last half hour, and of course I taped it. But its not the same as getting to see it live.

In the "life IS fair" category: Rumor has it that Patrick Viera has come to a "verbal agreement" with Real Madrid. I have no idea if this is true or not. Rumors have been swirling around for months about this trade. But, if it is true....its an early, pre-season gift for the rest of the Premiership.

Get your Convention Gear Now!

A friend of mine was doing an election display for the library, and ran across this website. I don't think she used it in the display.

Right Wing Stuff

Editorial Comments

SO, I'm walking from the library to the bank this morning and I come across a little newspaper box that holds the Star and the Indianapolis Business Journal and some other free newspapers. Across the window that holds the Star and the IBJ, someone painted the word 'LIES'. It wasn't there over the weekend, and I wonder how long before someone comes along and cleans it up.

Good Surprises

A new security firm took over library security today. Nearly everyone who worked for the old security firm got the ax, but one of my very favorite people was waiting at the door this morning. I'm so glad she got to keep her job! Although, we probably won't be able to chat nearly as much now that she has a new boss.

Yesterday's soiree was lovely. I always consider it a compliment when someone says "I haven't laughed this much in a long time." Unless, of course, they're laughing at me..... That didn't happen in this case. And the E & BBS house is beautiful. They claim that it was the previous occupants who did all the work on restoring the house, but they still furnished all those rooms! And that bathroom?! Yep, I'm ready to move in. I'd be much closer to work, too. They wouldn't even know I was there!

I'm behind in my movie watching now. I had been doing so good this summer! Now, I need to see I, Robot, The Manchurian Candidate and Spiderman 2. Maybe sometime this week. Collateral starts on Friday and I definitely don't want to be 4 films behind! Summer is running out.

And I'm not really a fan of reality shows....(doesn't everyone say that now?) but I do plan to watch Growing up Gotti on A&E tonight. Victoria and sons were on Good Morning, America a few days ago and it looked interesting. But, I really don't like reality shows.....well, except for American Idol.....and....

Excuse me?

So, I was supposed to make a cake yesterday. I went to sleep instead, so I had to get up and make it this morning. Well, naturally, I had to go to the store first. So, I'm in the cheese aisle (far away from cake making supplies....) and I see this woman looking at all the different cheeses. She's obviously considering them all very carefully so I mosey on over to do the same. Then, a third woman, comes up, moves the first lady's cart, and reaches in to get some things. Here was the exchange:

FL: Excuse me.
TL: I need to get in here
FL: All you had to say was excuse me and I would have moved.
TL: I've been standing here for five minutes waiting for you to move.
FL: All you had to say was excuse me and I would have moved.

TL moved away, grumbling, with a her children right behind her. I just shook my head. TL hadn't been there for five minutes, and it was a little bit rude to just move FL's cart, without so much as an 'excuse me.' On the way home, I was thinking about it. I probably err on the side of being overly polite (until you piss me off.) and that's just how I was taught. Is there some sort of shopping etiquette or should FL not have expected an excuse me at all. I think its a good thing that TL walked away before things got any worse, but its a shame she didn't show her children a better example of politeness. Its never wrong to be polite. Of course, I ended up buying three different cheeses.....

Getting back to my cake, I came back and started mixing. Eggs? Check. Sugar? Check. Flour? Check. 7-up? Um......Damn. Its a 7-up cake, and I didn't have any 7-up! So, after running to the gas station for a 7-up, the cake is now in the oven. I hope it turns out ok. If not, I have cheese as my backup! Still, I'm sure it'll be a good time. It seems like, more Sundays than not this summer, have been spent eating and hanging out with friends. And eating. I'll miss it once school starts.