Ghosts of Halloweens Past

As I sit waiting for the trick-or-treaters to come, I can't help but think back on the glory days of the Old Shelf, and the fun of the Shelf Halloween party.  I would actually make a point of coming home early on that day so I could be there in time for the East coast Shelfers to arrive in costume.

I remember that one year I was NastyPcofWork, or something along that lines (in honor of Readfisher) and another I was DarkIncontinent (which I found ridiculously funny, even though no one else did.)  My best one was JuneCleavage.  I remember there were many delightful personae, although I can't remember any of them now.

So I lift my Michelob Ultra in a toast to the silliness and wittiness of Halloweens of yore on the Shelf!  It was a glorious time!

Studs Terkel Died

I've read his "Working"

have any of you read his stuff?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27478335/

the home stretch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMu4XlkKFsg

Wanna Feel Good About Being an American?

Watch this!

you can vote however you like

foul play cnn

CNN decided not to run obamas 30 minute infomercial tonight. they said they didn't want to cut into the news of the campaign. yet they interviewed old man mccain who cried foul about obama spending more money on the campaign. i guess mccain didn't mind the free air time with Larry King allowing him to speak basically unchallanged. i snorted when mccain called joe biden, joe the biden. he has said, joe the plumber, so many damn times he can't help himself. i want to barf.

SparkPeople

Did any of you ever join SparkPeople? If so, how is it working for you? I joined a while ago but kind of forgot about it. Also, I signed up as just "trying to be healthy" and not as a weight loss thing, but I'm thinking it would be better the other way around. Just looking for advice. Might as well do something productive.

Every Online Class I take

Every time I take a class online I convince myself that it will be better than the last time and I think I've finally learned my lesson that it doesn't get any better. In grad school, there was the sexist man who couldn't spell for shit and was always calling women "Baby." He was in almost every class I took and we got into a mighty row. Last time I took a class online at the community college, where I'm almost done my certification (thank god), there was this nutjob who taught it. He had a nervious breakdown half through the class and someone else had to stand in. I did a bunch of projects, but I don't think I learned anything about educational assessment.

This time I'm taking women's history and it's as bad as it sounds. I was going to drop it because I've been having a lot of health problems mixed with family health problems, but the prof told me that I can't drop it because I have the highest grade in the class and she NEEDS me to stay in. So, last week we covered Russia and pretty much it's efforts towards women's equality since 1875 until post ww2ish. We had to find a modern news article about women in Russia and talk about how it related to the past. I found a great article about spousal abuse from BBC. Many other women in the class were having rpoblems, so I told them all to look at BBC, as American news is crap internationally.

So, one woman posted about Russian women and abortions. I don't really care what other people think about abortion, as long as I don't have to a) hear about it or b) live up to their standards. My uterus is mine and mine alone. If you want a say in it, I'll write out a lease agreement and you can pay $1200 a month rent. Anyway, she was going on and on about abortions and then she said "Maybe one day Russians will get some family values." Yes, the crazy bitch went there. I took a deep breath and hit "respond." Now, I'm petty and I'm impulsive. My guy is constantly telling me not to pick fights with people over stuff like this, but I just can't help it. So I responded telling her that EVERY culture has family values and that having values different from hers does not make Russians a) valueless or b) bad.

Outstanding video for people who may be undecided

Send this one to your friends and family:

People in the Middle

Signs of the times

I saw my first Christmas decorations today at a house just up the road from us.

My question is...isn't it a tad to early to put out all that crap?  We barely get our tree up before Christmas Eve and there's no way I'm looking at it from now 'til Christmas.

When do y'all put up the decorations and how quick after Christmas Day do you take them down?

oh sarah sarah sarah

After reports of Ms. Palins wardrobe, she wore her "favorite" outfit from the consignment shop in her home town, along with her $35 wedding band, while campaigning yesterday.

allrighty then.


there have been complaints from her party line of her "diva" behavior. she is considered a liability. she spends time giving autographs and acts like a celebrity.
what were you thinking john mccain????

i wonder

what we shall talk about after the election? my guess it will be a bunch of bitching about who won and how they do things, that's been the MO for the past 12 years or so.

in other news hormones really suck

reason 1
i've been on a dark chocolate jag for a few weeks now. my guy went into the cold rain to the corner store for something and said he'd bring me some chocolate. i waited and waited for that chocolate, i just knew that chocolate would make everything better. my ovaries were screaming for some chocolate. damn if he didn't bring me espresso dark chocolate. now, we've known each other for about 11 years now and NEVER have i liked coffee anything. when i questioned his choice, his response was "we'll, i like it, so i'll eat it if you don't." i don't know what happened, but the chocolate ended up in the trash, it was like my body acted for me.

reason 2
last night we went to see miracle at st. anna. it was good, but too graphic. we had to go to an artsy AFI theatre near DC (they sold wine, so i had some). when we got out and went to the car, some asshat had parallel parked too close to us and we thought we were stuck. we were over an hour from our house in baltimore, so leaving the car wasn't a favorite option. i calmly got out and decided we could get out if we wiggled the car a lot, but i wasn't calm, something snapped in me right then. i grew up in a town where paallel parking was the only way, so i'm an expert in the field. my guy drove and i motioned him to back up or stop. using my multi-taking abilities, i wrote a nasty note. half an hour later, when the car was free, i placed said nasty note on the offending car. my need to keep post-its everywhere paid off. when my guy found out what'd i'd done, he lectured me all the way to get the baby and home about giving into my urges to do petty things. sometimes, i just can't be the bigger person and i have to be petty.

what if biden said what he was thinking

VP Debate - What if Joe Biden could have said what he was thinking? from HubVids

i cant stop

McCain's Brain #1: The Truth Behind Sarah Palin from SecretSauce.TV

opie for obama

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cc65ed650d

a small ray of sunshine

in the midst of all the turmoil with the economy and the election, i must say, The Office, brought some happiness into my life. once again the episode last night was hilarious. I am glad Michael has finally found what appears to be his soul mate. did you watch?

"Black Hitler"

http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/1239195,barack-obama-adolf-hitler102308.article

Another example of Republican stupidity

For Spidey

Sarah Palin Porn

exclusive interview with mccain and palin

watching mccain and palin stroking each other about made me want to HURL!!!!

the full interview will be on tonight

i don't think i have the stomach for it.

Spidey, I have found the perfect website for you!

Enjoy!

Breast Cancer Funding

Heaven forbid that people care about curing breast cancer and that breast cancer and pink-rbbon-wearing women are spending more and more money trying to fight a disease that affects and kills women.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27283197/


Were people that outraged when drug companies spent millions finding a cure to old limp penises and therefore making Viagra a hot commodity?

sarah palins wardrobe

Sarah Palin’s $150,000 Wardrobe Oliver Willis


it just keeps getting better and better.

she also doesn't know what the hell a vice presidents role actually is. shouldn't she know that?

and cindy mccain. you look like an idiot with all your head shaking and agreeing up on the stage there with john.

W

Yesterday, I met Condorblue at the theater and we saw W.  It was not quite what either of us expected.  It was a bit surreal, broadly comic, almost slapstick, in spots, but almost sad in others. W is depicted as grossly envious of his father's favorite son, Jeb, and filled with anger at and competition with his famous father.  They poke some big fun at his hideously mangled English, making sure to include a number of his most famous screw-ups ("Is our children learning?")

The actress who plays Condoleeza is basically a celebrity impersonator, grimacing painfully every time she's on camera, and the guy who plays Colin Powell appears to have his cheeks stuffed with cotton balls (but Powell comes off as a thoughtful and admirable character, which I think has been verified by his recent remarks.)  The music was all over the place, sometimes comical (imagine "Robin Hood" blasting in the background as W in boots and jeans lopes through a pasture in Crawford, followed by an army of toadies in thousand dollar suits, slapping at mosquitoes and tripping over cowpies as they struggle to follow him) and sometimes heartrending (as the Shrub's agonized parents watch helplessly on TV as he digs himself ever deeper into the war that they know will be the undoing of him.)

It was an oddly fascinating piece of filmmaking.  Check it out.

More dirt on Sarah Palin

Palin's dirty travel secrets, per CNN.

eat a cookie

today at work we had a cookie poll. a cookie with john mccain on it, a cookie with obama on it. the question was posted.... which cookie do you like? everyone signed up for obama cookie. half way through the day, someone ate the mccain cookie. obama was the winner and I got to eat the obama cookie. quite delish!

athiests fight back

I quite like this

I wish...

..this election was over. I've already voted.

..that I could have one or two days to read without someone (Dennis) interrupting me every five minutes 

..that it could be 82 degrees every day

...my husband's  best friend wouldn't come down to see us, AGAIN, on Wednesday.  He was just here on Saturday and I almost went to sleep.  Plus, the best friend is a jackass.

...I had a maid to clean the house.

What's your wish?

Polls

http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/
I found this site on the presidential polls.
You can check all sorts of polls on this site

palin on snl

i don't think she was funny at all. they had everyone else doing most of the talking. they were probably afraid she would screw up. did you watch? here is the link. Saturday Night Live - Update: Palin Rap - Video - NBC.com however, her jamming behind the desk was mildly amusing. everyone else was hilarious.

How I'm feeling right now

Pete says it best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENXhShuof1I&feature=related

way to go colin

Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama

evidence

that there is at least one ethical Republican:

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 18) - Two senators in opposing political parties asked Republican presidential candidate John McCain to stop the automated phone calls that link Democratic candidate Barack Obama to a 1960s radical.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, and Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, made separate appeals to McCain on Friday. Collins faces a tough race for re-election and serves as a co-chairwoman of his Maine campaign.
"These kind of tactics have no place in Maine politics," Collins spokesman Kevin Kelley said. "Sen. Collins urges the McCain campaign to stop these calls immediately."

"How can she be a racist!!??"

Amazingly the daughter of the woman who emailed this to her Republican group defended the cartoon and her mother.

woman: How is this racist?!

reporter: fried chicken? watermelon? ribs? Those are all African American stereotypes.

woman: I like fried chicken! I like watermelon! Plus my mother is married to a man who is Mexican--how can she be a racist??

the office

The Office was hilarious on thursday. i finally watched it last night.
did you watch?

Why are the lunatic fringe of the Republican party saying that only Republicans are "pro-America"? Apparently Democratics are anti-American.
These people must be really scared

The Greatest Generation

The Mushroom Pickers

This is a lovely little film made by the Minnesota Historical Society. My Aunt sent it to me because her husband (my father's baby brother) is feature in it speaking about the loss of their brother Robert E. Lee in WWII. There is a picture of Bob, the beautiful, handsome young man, I believe only 20 that year he was killed at the Battle of the Bulge. I have been reading his letters sent home that a cousin assembled. It is a touching film.

what exactly

is john mccain talking about and is it only me, or does he seem to talk in circles? his snide comments completely turn me off to anything important he may say.

Palin

You have to check out this website: http://palinaspresident.com/. It's too funny :)

connect the dots

Yesterday, I spent all afternoon with the dr to find out about my hnd gimpy (i apparently injured my spine and it messes with the nerve in my finger, so the pain moves all the way down. I start physical therapy next week and in is words "if that doesn't work, we can just fix it up" which I almost snorted at). When I got home, my friend who is staying with me until my guy gets back from his trip, informed me that the baby has red spots all over her body. I was a little worried as she had had a fever the day beore. I called "ask a nurse" at bluecross and she said it was no big deal, probably a reaction to the MMR shot she has 2 weeks ago and to just make sure her temp didn't go over 100.5. I called my mom and my mom said it sounded like chicken pox. I ignored everyone until the baby's temp hit 100.5 and then we went to the ER to spend several fun packed hours sitting in the middle of diseased people. The Dr at the ER informed me that she's having an allergic reaction to an antibiotic and to make sure that she never takes anything related to the medication ever again. So Mandolin is currently hopped out on benadryl and i'm looking like a zombie. She can't go to the daycare with spots, so I called off work. I'm a little alarmed because if I did what the "ask a nurse" said, i'd have given her the antibiotic and made her worse.

Fires in CA

In case anyone has been wondering, the Lakeview Terrace fire is about 5 miles from me. Luckily it seems to be moving in the opposite direction and the wind is blowing away from me. I shouldn't have to evacuate, but if y'all can think good thoughts I'd appreciate it.

A lovely Ballad

Hey Sarah Palin

the next debate

mccain has just stated that he will whip obamas back side in the next debate.
what is wrong with that maverick?

i think he is in for a big surprise.

Home

Husband got home last night from 10 days in Guatemala on a medical mission in a little Mayan town of about 450 people. Hopefully he didn't bring any little friends along with him, but if he did, I shall likely be getting your advice on how to get rid of them.

In other news, the National Pig and Rabbit extravaganza is coming up in two weeks in L'ville. I am bathing pigs today to see who makes the final cut. I have already made my entry, but am allowed to make a few substitutions by Wednesday. So I am trying to see who will do me proud. I have some nice pigs, they can all be beat, but I am not ashamed of them. Don't expect to win the big awards, but do expect to have great fun!

Happenings

So my ex-MIL is in town visiting and we are having the bestest time together. We've talked up a storm, gone cool places to eat, shopped and today I got a new tat! It's my fourth one, and it's on my left shoulder blade. Heidi took pics of me getting it and of it all completed, I'll post some on my blog later. The new tat is of a bow with an arrow in it and then within the space of the bow there are two chinese characters, one for health and one for happiness. I really like it, and it was really painful :)
So, who can guess what the bow and arrow stand for? If you guess correctly I may send you some pumpkin bread for the holidays :)

My project

I have to do a project for my European women's class. I've built my loom and picked my materials already. I've asked to do it on the chapter of the welfare state and women. I've decided to use Alice Walker's poem "Women" from her 1973 book Revolutionary Petunias & Other Poems. If you don't know the poem, here it is:

They were women then
My momma’s generation
Husky of voice—stout of
Step
With fists as well as
Hands
How they battered down
Doors…
How they led
Armies
Headragged Generals
Across mined
Fields
Booby-trapped
Ditches
To discover books
Desks
A place for us
How they knew what we
Must know
Without knowing a page
Of it
Themselves

Holly breaks up with Hefner

"It's probably a pretty safe bet to say that Hugh Hefner is the only 82-year-old guy who can break up with a 28-year-old model-actress and already have a handful of replacements ready to beat down his door. But, such is the life of the Playboy king, and he's opening up about his recent split from 'Girls Next Door' starlet Holly Madison."
---
oh Lawsy, what is we gonna do!!

my favorite halloween thing

Pumpkin Simulator

hey sarah palin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIc8jdra0o

I voted

..early today.  There was quite a crowd on Monday to vote so we went early today and didn't have to wait on a voting machine.  As we left, there was a large group of people waiting to vote.  I'm wondering, if the news stories are right about the large early voting turnout, who'll show up on election day?

BTW-SNL has a weekday update tonight.  What are the odds that Tina Fey will show up as Palin again?

looking for a new author

Try this site find me an authour

mccain and palin are in wisconsin

I won't be going anywhere near waukesha today. the mavericks have ridden into town.

those two are making me ill. apparently i was not the only one who found mccain direspectful
during the debate, as i am hearing that all over the the news and from people i know who watched the debate also. condescending and rude.

Something Weird

When I look at the blogroll to the right of this page, I see some things I can't seem to get to.  It says that Emma's blog has a post called "For Spidey," but when I click the link, it says I'm trying to go to a post that doesn't exist.  The most recent one I can see is the "raining" one.

The same thing happens with Tree's blog--I can't get to the "split personality" one--I get an error message when I click that.  I can only read the Religulous one.  Anyone else having a problem?

the debate

so what did you think? did you watch?

my opinion... john mccain is very disrespectful to obama. he called him "this one" and made smirking laughing faces when obama was taking his turn to speak. at one point, while obama was speaking it looked like mccain was strolling around the floor, campaigning.
mccain keeps speaking about obama being inexperienced and unqualified. yet he chooses a moron as his running mate who hasn't a clue and has no experience other than being governor and she probable isn't qualified for that.

The Real Sarah Palin

tonights debate

what will tonights debate bring us? i hope someone told mccain to make eye contact with his opponent.

Heels go on, Gloves come off?

WTF?
sarah palin, do you have a clue?

Palin's posing is a disservice to women's rights

One Woman's Opinion

what's cooking today????

we are having a big pot of chili with onion and grated cheese topping. it is beginning to get a bit nippy here in wisconsin. i had to turn the heat on. :(

SNL

did you see this? hilarious

OJ's found guilty on kidnapping and burglary.
Perhaps he'll find Nicole's murderer in prison!

style vs. substance

SP didn't impress me. first off, don't wink at me. stop using the word, darn it. you sound like a moron. i must admit you did a great job memorizing your speech, but most of the time you didn't answer THE question being asked.

and stop hauling that baby around. he looked like a limp doll up on that stage.

Do you all have your popcorn ready for the Debate tonight?

It starts at 9pm and preemps The Office, but I don't mind (much)

Rosh Hashana

A friend sent me this fascinating Rosh Hashana "card."  It takes a few  minutes to watch, but it's very cool.

Linky.

What's cookin' tonight?

My family is all on the road again, so I had a (huge) baked potato and a glass of merlot.  What did you have?

Dear Old Broards,

I feel like I'm barely treading water these days. I jut want to quit my classes and my job and crawl into bed and come out again in the Spring. If only life were that simple. I think I may quit the women's history class. Those people are really out-of-their minds with all the crap they want us to do. I haven't taken a look at birthday pictures yet and my blog isn't letting me login in anyway, so i thought i'd post a picture of mandolin here with the blanket i made her (yes, that's a hood) playing drum on the dog's dish. yesterday the doctor told me (after spending 2 hours with us) that she thinks Mandolin needs to be re-tested and that the problems are more widespread than was first thought and I'm going to have to take my dog to be put to sleep soon. I hope someone is having a good month, because I'm sure not.

signed,

Jilly the not so old broard