Not our Chicago cubbies, but our little Amur tiger cubs at the Brookfield Zoo:

Tiger cubs recovering after attack by parents Chicago Tribute 11:46 AM CDT, October 1, 2007

Two tiger cubs injured Sunday, apparently by their parents, are recuperating after surgery, Brookfield Zoo officials said this morning.

One cub had its right front leg amputated and its tail repaired during a two-hour surgery. The other was in surgery for an hour to repair its tail.

"Both cubs are alert, navigating well and displaying typical tiger behavior ... all good signs at this stage in their recovery," zoo officials said in a statement.

Full Article

Turns out, the cubs were in their enclosure with their mom, Tiara, who have been off-exhibit since their birth in May. Their enclosure is next to their father, Robecki. The male cub was sticking his paw through a small opening between the two pens and his father did some pretty bad damage to it. The damage to the cubs tails was the mother trying to pull the two cubs away from the opening to protect them.

Who would have thought that the cute tiger in the picture below could attack his own kin?

More news here.

Poor little cubbies.

Give me a break!

Oversalted burger leads to charges

UNION CITY, Ga. - A McDonald's employee spent a night in jail and is facing criminal charges because a police officer's burger was too salty, so salty that he says it made him sick.

Kendra Bull was arrested Friday, charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and freed on $1,000 bail.

Bull, 20, said she accidentally spilled salt on hamburger meat and told her supervisor and a co-worker, who "tried to thump the salt off."

Read the whole article

This isn't food poisoning, it's a crappy burger. Just ask for you money back, jerk!

Over the last month or so, I've gotten comments, emails, text messages and phone calls, all pretty much starting out the same way - "Hey, did you know that Apolo's going to be on Dancing With the Stars?"

This "Apolo" being Apolo Anton Ohno, who I've filed under "those years that short track was a hobby". You all may know that I was (and still am to a point) a huge fan of the sport, going to competitions when I could and making some amazing friends along the way. So in a way, I owe it all to that long-haired soul patched foxtrotter.

It makes me laugh that when friends and family see his name they think of me, even though that's been a part of my life that I really haven't had time for lately. My short track life is something that is a distant memory, replaced by dirty diapers, pureed banana on my floor and waking up to a giggling, smiling face (when he isn't falling off the bed, that is).

But yes, I'm aware that Apolo's going to be dancing in this season of DWTS, I've known for some time yet. I have mixed feelings about it. Part of me is interested to see how he does, to see if his moves on the ballroom floor are as good as his moves on the ice. Part of me is wary of this move - I've felt that DWTS is a place where publicity hungry people go to extend their 15 minutes of fame. Nonetheless, I'll be watching it (like I do every year - Mario was cheated, man!) and I'll be cheering for A-Lo.

Thanks to all of you who thought of me and let me know, just so I didn't miss it.

For those of you interested, here's a link to some video, courtesy of the OZ:

Click image to watch their interview:

If you're in New York City today and have got some time tonight, check out my best friend Jaygee's show! She's amazingly talented, and everything she touches turns to gold, so I'm sure that this show is going to be a blast.

Redpac requested a pimping by me:

3rd Annual Mardi Gras Contest That's right, I'm starting it a tad early...this benefits you consistant readers. You can win a swanky Mardi Gras prize pack, consisting mainly of stuff I catch at parades and other places in New Orleans along with various other goodies I have from the Tall Steve giveaway archives. Here's how it works:

There are 5 of us this year, and we all enjoy a cocktail or 4. We should arrive in the quarter around noon on Friday, Feb. 16th and leave at 3:00pm on Monday, the 19th. All you have to do is guess when the first drunken vomit will be. Date and time is needed. Closest guess that has not passed wins. (Ex. a guess at 7pm and a guess at 7:30pm. The vomit attempt happens at 7:05, the 7:30 guess wins.) If you think there will be none, you can say that too, however there will only be one "no puke" entry allowed, first come first served.
As a hint, 2 years ago it was 2:30 on Friday, last year it was 7:19 on Friday, so guess well.

Check out his site here.

Believe me, he always has awesome prize bags!

As I may have mentioned already, I'm a big fan of the show "Heroes". I'm also a huge fan of comic books. One aspect that I love about Heroes and comics is how these people use their powers to help people, that no matter how dire the situation is, there's someone to come in and save the day. These people often put themselves in danger to save lives.

It's very rare that you see that happen in real life, but it turns out that this week is the week of heroes:

Passerby catches falling child, say NY police

A three-year-old boy fell from the fourth-floor window of an apartment in New York City on Thursday, but was caught by a passerby, police said.

The boy was caught by a 39-year-old man passing under the window, police said in a brief statement. The boy was taken to hospital with just minor cuts and abrasions to his head and face. Police are still investigating and gave no more details.
Story is here

Crazy, isn't it? I mean, that kid must have been so heavy falling from the fourth floor.

Here's another one, same city, and it's pretty incredible...

Rescuer pins fallen teenager as subway passes over them Wesley Autrey faced a harrowing choice, as he tried to rescue a teenager who had fallen off a platform onto a subway track in front of an approaching train: Struggle to hoist him back up to the platform in time, or take a chance on finding safety under the train.

At first, he tried to pull the young man up, but he was afraid he wouldn't make it in time and they would both be killed.

"So I just chose to dive on top of him and pin him down," he said.

Autrey had been waiting for a train with his two young daughters. After the train stopped, he heard bystanders scream and yelled out: "We're OK down here but I've got two daughters up there. Let them know their father's OK," The New York Times reported.
Read story here

Can you believe that? It's like something out of a movie. He gets extra points for the pimp blue playboy hat!

With all that's going wrong in the world right now, it's good to know that there are still heroes there, to be there when we need them...

LOS ANGELES - Peter Boyle, the tall, prematurely bald actor who was the tap-dancing monster in "Young Frankenstein" and the curmudgeonly father in the long-running sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," has died. He was 71. Article: Actor Peter Boyle dead at 71

I'll miss Peter Boyle...he was one of the best actors of his generation. I also have a soft spot for him in my heart because he was the main character in one of my favorite X-Files episodes (I'm an X-Files freak, ya know) - "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", for which he won an Emmy. He played a man who could see how people would die, and did it so effortlessly - making such a sad, tragic character so charming and lovable. He uttered one of the best lines of the whole series - when Scully finally relented to his question, "Don't you want to know how you're going to die?" he tells her, "You don't."

Of course, most of you may know him from "Everybody Loves Raymond", where he played Ray's father in law. Or maybe "Young Frankenstein", where he danced.

So goodbye, Peter, you'll forever be Clyde to me...

Got this cool link via Redpac. You may know that New Orleans is a place close to his heart, and this is a great way to help them out AND get your loved ones some personalized Johnnie Walker labels!

Home For the Holidays Customized Johnnie Walker Labels

Best thing about it - it's free to you! All you have to do is customize your label on the site (after signing up and a little survey), and they will donate $5 to New Orleans Habitat for Humanity for up to $150,000.

Here's the one I made:

Sorry I've only been posting news and such - I've been busy with all this holiday crap. I've got a lot to do before I go out of town next week!

Anyway, as a kid, I always loved gazing at the stars, so I thought this would be something really cool to share with you all:

Stargazers will get a rare triple planetary treat this weekend with Jupiter, Mercury and Mars appearing to nestle together in the predawn skies. About 45 minutes before dawn on Sunday those three planets will be so close that the average person's thumb can obscure all three from view.

The way to find the planets, which will be low on the east-southeast horizon, is to hold your arm straight out, with your hand in a fist and the pinky at the bottom. Halfway up your fist is how high the planets will appear above the horizon, Nichols said.

Jupiter will be white, Mercury pinkish and Mars butterscotch-colored.

Ahh, Mars, the Butterscotch Planet!

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - With their number quickly dwindling, survivors of Pearl Harbor will gather Thursday one last time to honor those killed by the Japanese 65 years ago, and to mark a day that lives in infamy.

This will be their last visit to this watery grave to share stories, exchange smiles, find peace and salute their fallen friends. This, they say, will be their final farewell.

The survivors have met here every five years for four decades, but they're now in their 80s or 90s and are not counting on a 70th reunion. They have made every effort to report for one final roll call.

Memories of a shocking, two-hour aerial raid that destroyed or heavily damaged 21 ships and 320 aircraft, that killed 2,390 people and wounded 1,178 others, that plunged the United States into World War II and set in motion the events that led to atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

"I suspect not many people have thought about this, but we're witnessing history," said Daniel Martinez, chief historian at the USS Arizona Memorial. "We are seeing the passing of a generation."

Pearl Harbor Remembered

Saw this one on Fark:

Castro Valley hoops coach can't win
Angry parents get a panel to pick team, cry foul when daughters don't make cut

The results are in at Castro Valley High School. That's where a group of parents were in an uproar over girls varsity basketball coach Nancy Nibarger and demanded that her team be picked by a six-person panel. This week the team roster was posted.

None of the disgruntled parents' daughters made it.

If you think that's poetic justice and the end of things, you clearly haven't been following the situation. The parents are not going to let this go.

See the whole story HERE

Fine, I understand being bummed that your kid didn't make it on the basketball team. I mean, yeah, I'll be a bit bummed if Benjamin doesn't make the 2022 Olympics for the pentathalon. But I'm not going to cry and complain about it and say that rather having the coach pick the team, to have a panel of people choose the team instead. The coach SHOULD pick her own team - she's the one who knows their abilities the best, she's the one who has to work with them, she's the one who will be criticized if they don't win.

But what I find to be the funniest part of this is that the whiny parents' kids didn't even make the cut after the panel decided....and STILL the parents cry foul. Get over it! Your kid sucks!

If Benjamin doesn't make the track and field team, that's fine! We'll move on to curling for the Winter Olympics!

It's been brought to my attention that people have been playing multiple times in the trivia game, giving them better scores if questions are re-used. So I just wanted to post a couple rules and notes about the YWIM trivia game (which you can find HERE if you're interested in playing - it's fun!):

1) Only one login ID per person. Which means you can only play once per day. I have access to all the IP addresses of players so I know who's got more than one ID. I also know that there are some players that live in the same household, so if that is the case, please leave a comment below stating the ID's for your household. I have having to do this, but this is what happens when people take advantage of the loose rules I had before (which were no rules). If I see anything suspicious, I'll give a warning, and after the second offense I will ban the IP address from playing.

2) If you ever need to recreate your ID, let me know.

3) I try to change the topics as often as I can, but things happen and sometimes there will be a sucky topic two or three days in a row. Shit happens! Literally, that's all I do nowadays...clean up shit.

4) Weekends are the best time to play because I usually make it an easy, generic subject like "Easy Trivia" or "80's Trivia".

5) Feel free to trashtalk...just be nice! Everyone's been pretty good about it so far!

6) If two or more people play the trivia before I've had a chance to change the topic, chances are I won't change it for that day. Remember, the games reset at around 11pm CT. I usually change the topic between 10pm - 3am.

7) Feel free to suggest topics...most of the time I'd be happy to use them.

If there are any questions, suggestions, comments you'd like to make about trivia, please say them now! I'll be constantly monitoring this post and linking it in the trivia so feel free to comment here anytime!

Walter, my other "internet addiction" pimp (the main one being Mike), got me hooked on Yelp, an online review site. Yelp is a community that started out in San Francisco that reviews local businesses - restaurants, stores, nightlife, pretty much anything around the area. It currently has about 20 cities in its listing (mostly around California), and they are always adding more.

I love reading reviews. When I was buying stuff for Benjamin I spent hour poring over reviews on the Babies R Us site, trying to see what experiences people have had with whatever bathtub, crib or toy I was planning to buy. I always told myself that I would do reviews on things, too, since I rely so heavily on others. So that's what I'm doing with Yelp...However, I'm having a hard time reviewing because I really haven't encountered too many places that I'm disappointed in, so pretty much everything gets a high score from me.

So today my review for Cafe Iberico was chosen as the review of the day, so I thought I'd give them some linky lovin' back. You can see all my reviews here. So go ahead and check it out! Feel free to add me as a friend!

Because I'm the queen of useless but interesting information...here's a little thing I found while surfing the net. Ever wonder why the 24 second shot clock started in basketball? Or why it's 24 seconds. Probably not. But let me tell ya! Back in the day, all a team had to do was get a nice lead in the game, then just waste the rest of the game passing to each other and playing keep away from the other team until the game was over. This made some really low scoring games, and people weren't interested to come to watch because it was so boring! So they decided to create a time clock for possession. But why the 24 seconds? Here's why:

The question we want to consider here, though, is "Why 24 seconds?" Given our penchant for favoring round numbers, why didn't the NBA adopt a 30-second clock, or at least a 25-second clock? What's so special about the 24 seconds?

The answer is that Danny Biasone, the aforementioned owner who pushed for the adoption of the 24-second rule, based his proposal upon his observations, experience, and simple arithmetic. In Biasone's judgment, basketball was most exciting when it was neither a stalling contest nor a wild shootout, but a well-paced game in which team took 60 shots apiece. Since professional basketball games were 48 minutes long, Biasone divided 2880 (the number of seconds in 48 minutes) by 120 (the total number of shots taken per game when each team attempted 60 shots) and arrived at an optimal figure of one shot every 24 seconds. From such a simple formula came a change that completely reinvigorated professional basketball, a rule it is now hard to imagine the game ever did without.
From snopes.com

Now you know! You can spread this knowledge to your friends at critical times during basketball games so they can say "Shut up!" and kick you in the head.

Is anyone else having problems with the daily YWIM quiz? I got an email from a concerned player who said she couldn't access the page.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, feel free to play the daily Yanowhatimean? Trivia Game! That is, if you can access it. The game is hot and heavy with Noelle, Cav and Redpac currently fighting for the top spot. It's always a lot of fun, and trashtalking is welcome!

You know, I get a lot of emails that end up being scams. I usually check any emails I have against Snopes.com to check if it's legit or not. I got this one in the email today that turned out to be the real deal:

Here's a new twist scammers are using to commit identity theft: the jury duty scam. Here's how it works:

The scammer calls claiming to work for the local court and claims you've failed to report for jury duty. He tells you that a warrant has been issued for your arrest.

The victim will often rightly claim they never received the jury duty notification. The scammer then asks the victim for confidential information for "verification" purposes.

Specifically, the scammer asks for the victim's Social Security number, birth date, and sometimes even for credit card numbers and other private information — exactly what the scammer needs to commit identity theft.

So far, this jury duty scam has been reported in Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington state.

It's easy to see why this works. The victim is clearly caught off guard, and is understandably upset at the prospect of a warrant being issued for his or her arrest. So, the victim is much less likely to be vigilant about protecting their confidential information.

In reality, court workers will never call you to ask for social security numbers and other private information. In fact, most courts follow up via snail mail and rarely, if ever, call prospective jurors.

Action: Never give out your Social Security number, credit card numbers or other personal confidential information when you receive a telephone call.

This jury duty scam is the latest in a series of identity theft scams where scammers use the phone to try to get people to reveal their Social Security number, credit card numbers or other personal confidential information.

It doesn't matter *why* they are calling — all the reasons are just different variants of the same scam.

Protecting yourself is simple: Never give this info out when you receive a phone call.

This has been verified in this article by snopes and this article by the FBI.

So watch out...always be suspicious when someone is asking for your information over the phone or online!

Thanks to Megan for the heads up!

Over the last couple months I've had a new internet addiction - The Hollywood Stock Exchange. It's a free site where you get $2 million Hollywood Dollars and you can invest in different things, like movies, movie stars, etc. You can also try to predict how much a movie will make in its opening weekend - will it meet the industries estimates or fall short?

It's a lot of fun to do, though it can get pretty stressing. I got screwed over because "Superman" did so crappy. Sure, it made tons of money, but it really didn't do as well as suspected. Luckily, "Little Man" did surprisingly well, just like I knew it would. I was also able to cash in a little on the success of Pirates II.

For this weekend, I've got my fingers crossed that "The Descent" falls flat, that "The Barnyard" ends the losing streak of weak performing childrens' movies (Ant Bully and Monster House didn't do well) and that "The Night Listener" makes at LEAST $6 mil at the boxoffice.

Those of you who like Project Runway can have some fun with hsx also, since you can invest in the contestants to see where they will place. I've got stock in Uli Herzner and Robert Best. As long as they place in the top 5 I'll be making a nice profit.

So check out the site, see if you enjoy it as much as I do. It's a bit confusing at first but I'd be happy to give you some help, even though I'm still learning how to use it. I lost a million my first couple weeks because I didn't know how to play, but I made it back and then some.

If you want to see how other people are doing, you can also add friends to your "league". You can't see what stocks they have, but you can see how well they're doing. Post up your screen name if you want me to add you to mine...my sn is Kwannon if you want to add me.

Have fun!

So a couple weeks after Benjamin was born I had stated that I had thoughts of creating a blog for my little man, but then said I was crazy for thinking it because I didn't even have time to update my own.

Well, I am crazy because I've just created "The Ben Blog", a little journal for little Ben-pao to share his perspective on the world with all of you out there. To tell the truth, one of the reasons I haven't been updating lately is because not much has happened to me, or if something has happened, it would take too much time to write about it. But Ben, on the other hand, has tons of things happening in his life, and like his attention span, these events are nice and short, which would be easy to blog about.

So yeah, rather than making this into a mommy blog where I gush about every little thing that my little booger does, he can have his own blog where he can just tell you what's going on. Which leaves me to write about more important things on this blog, like how I'm addicted to the E! network. You know, important things.

So check out Ben's blog and say "hello":

The Ben Blog

Who am I kidding, this is still gonna be a mommy blog! I mean, how can I not gush over a cutie like this?

[reposted since the show airs tonight!]

This blog has been very woman-centric lately, and it's going to be like that for a while. But I know I've got some male readers out there so I want to make sure I take care of you guys, too.

So I just wanted you all to mark your calendars - Monday, June 5th - because that is the night the ALMA Awards will be televised. What are the ALMA awards?

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., announces the return of the NCLR ALMA Awards in a prime-time spot on ABC Monday, June 5 (9:30-11:00 p.m. EST)! The NCLR ALMA Awards honors outstanding Latino artistic achievement in television, film, and music and the enhancement of the Latino image in the entertainment industry.

"But I'm not Latino, Christine, why should I care?"

Well, my friends, you should care because Eva Longoria is hosting the show! Well, you should really care because it's important to celebrate the impact that Latinos have made in entertainment, but you should watch because Eva is the host - and she has several dress changes.

If Eva isn't enough to entice you, the opening act has Eva dancing in a almost-not-there dress with some of the hottest Latina women in entertainment - Carmen Electra, Rosalyn Sanchez (Rush Hour 2), Constance Marie (The George Lopez Show), and Paulina Rubio (singer). I saw clips of their dance on some of the entertainment shows and let me tell you, it was HOT!

Rosalyn, Carmen, Eva, Paulina, Constance

Legs! Legs! Legs! I'm going to start doing lunges while carrying Ben so I can get some hot legs like that.

So watch it. Support Latinos. And after you watch Eva & Co shake their booties and you think to yourself, "Damn, that was hot! I'm glad I caught that!", remember where you heard it first, and say to yourself, "Yano is so good to me. She rocks!"

I just had to post this video of Tom Cruise dancing at BET while doing publicity for Mission Impossible. It makes me laugh.

Here's another thing that I'd love if you all spread the word about - copy it in emails to friends, post it on your blogs, stick it on your office fridge. I checked it out (I'm always wary of email hoaxes so I check things out to make sure that they are legit. This one definitely is and once again, it's a great cause:

PLEASE PASS THIS ON to your friends and family. THANKS!

Mastectomy Hospital Bill in Congress

If you know anyone who has had a mastectomy, there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an outpatient procedure. Let's give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

It takes 2 seconds to do this and is very important...please take the time and do it really quick!

Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill - Important legislation for all women.

Please send this to everyone in your address book. If there was ever a time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those times. If you are receiving this it's because I think you will take the 30 seconds to go and vote on this issue and send it on to others you know who will do the same.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protec! tion Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the "drive-through mastectomy" where women are forced to go home hours after surgery against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House signed on.

Click here for the Lifetime site to sign the petition.

I remember when my mother got home from her operation. She was groggy, out of sorts, and needed a lot of cheering up. I don't remember how long she was at the hospital, but I remember that when she did come home she still needed a lot of TLC. Getting a mastectomy isn't something that should be an in and out procedure - not only is the recovery tough, but it's also mentally and emotionally very trying.

So I beg you to sign this petition, and hopefully this bill gets passed.

Olympian Anthony Lobello is going to be walking for charity in the Relay for Life, trying to raise $50,000 for the American Cancer Society on Friday. I really don't have any extra cash lying around right now - it's all going to diapers and doctor bills, but this is my way of contributing to the cause.

The 2006 Olympian is joining forces with the American Cancer Society to raise money for the Relay for Life Friday in his hometown of Tallahassee, Fla. Typically, participants form teams and take turns walking during the 18-hour event, but Lobello plans to walk the entire time himself. He’s looking forward to the challenge.

...He’s focused on raising $50,000 for Friday’s relay. Individuals or organizations interested in making a donation can call M’Lea Davis at 850-297-0588.

If you've got anything extra to give, please donate. It's a great cause and one that's close to my heart.

Also, I know a lot of you do fundraising out there and have sent me emails (I'm talking about YOU, Leen, the charity queen!). I give when I can, but what I'll also be doing from now on is posting them here so other people will get a chance to donate too!

Did anyone see Reggie Evans from the Denver Nuggets totally stick his hand up Clippers player Chris Kaman's ass the other day? I saw this on ESPN, which is funny because Dave didn't know about it when I told him.

Here's the AP take on it:

NEW YORK -- Denver forward Reggie Evans was fined $10,000 and assessed a flagrant foul penalty two by the NBA on Monday for his actions during the Nuggets' 100-86 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Evans was cited for "unnecessary and excessive contact" with Clippers center Chris Kaman and had his penalty upgraded from the technical foul that was originally called.

Kaman was assessed a flagrant foul penalty one for his actions after the second-quarter incident, but that was downgraded to a technical foul by the league.

What would provoke someone to stick their hand up some other guys butt? Sure, during a pickup game on a playground court, maybe, but not during a playoff game when it's televised and ESPN can replay it over and over again in slow motion, showing your hand totally get stuck up another guys butt.

Eew.

Fatima just informed me that there's going to be a remake of "The Omen", starring Liev Schrieber, Julia Stiles and Mia Farrow. The official website has a pretty interesting trailer. I'm always wary of remakes, they never seem to be as good as the original. The great thing about the original "Omen" was the feeling of impending doom that you felt throughout the movie. No special effects, no gratuitous blood and gore, all of it done with the simple art of directing. I doubt I'll watch this one in the theater, may not even see it on video, I'll probably wait til it's on cable.

You know what the spooky thing is though? The opening day is 06.06.06.

Ohhhhh.......creepy! I think I'll spend that day in church praying for our souls.

As some of you know, I love Conan O'Brien...turns out he's coming to Chicago in May! I don't know how busy I'm going to be with the baby, but I'm definitely going to try and get tickets...just in case!

Here's the 411 for you Chicago cats:

Location: The Chicago Theatre 175 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60601 Show Dates: Tuesday May 9, 2006 - Friday May 12, 2006 Show times: 4:30pm

To obtain tickets please email your Name, Address, Phone Number and Email Address to:
ConanInChicago@nbcuni.com

----------------------------------------------------------

Do not email questions, etc. An allotment of two tickets will be "reserved" per email chosen. Requests for more than 2 tickets WILL NOT BE HONORED. Ticket "reservations" are sent out in excess to seating capacity please be advised that no "reservation" guarantees admission.

Audience line up time: no later than 3:15 pm, day of show you are assigned. Please be advised that lines may form earlier. First come, first served.

Stand by tickets will be given out the day of each show at 12 noon. A line will be formed outside the theatre entrance along the building and one stand-by ticket will be given out per person. You will be asked to re -form a line in an alternate area later in the day in numeric order. No ticket guarantees admission.

Guests must comply with all security procedures. Those bringing excess baggage such as backpacks, shopping bags, and luggage will not be able to enter the theater. It is advised not to bring any unnecessary electronic devices.

Those of you who know me from my pre-pregnancy days and knew the party gal I was in college are aware of my affection for alcohol. Not alcoholic-affection, but an affection for a good night of drinking, dancing and just being plain silly.

With drinking comes the chance of being drunk. It's been rare in the last several years that I've been classified as drunk, but I have been on occasion...Sometimes I just forget to watch my consumption...and open bars make me really happy.

Anyway, looks like I'll be staying out of the state of Texas...seems like they're pretty strict out there:

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - Texas has begun sending undercover agents into bars to arrest drinkers for being drunk, a spokeswoman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT

The first sting operation was conducted recently in a Dallas suburb where agents infiltrated 36 bars and arrested 30 people for public intoxication, said the commission's Carolyn Beck.

Being in a bar does not exempt one from the state laws against public drunkenness, Beck said.

The goal, she said, was to detain drunks before they leave a bar and go do something dangerous like drive a car.

"We feel that the only way we're going to get at the drunk driving problem and the problem of people hurting each other while drunk is by crackdowns like this," she said.

"There are a lot of dangerous and stupid things people do when they're intoxicated, other than get behind the wheel of a car," Beck said. "People walk out into traffic and get run over, people jump off of balconies trying to reach a swimming pool and miss."

She said the sting operations would continue throughout the state.

Texas arresting people in bars for being drunk

Hmm, I can see raids in college towns to catch underage drinkers, but people getting arrested when they're IN A BAR? I dunno, I understand their reasons for it, but it seems a little too strict for me. Why not have your undercover agents follow people to their cars or set up surveillance in parking lots? Or wait til those drunk people get kicked out of the bar?

I mean, yeah, being drunk in a bar = public intoxication, but come on, isn't there another way? People won't want to go to bars anymore and will stick to house parties which a much more dangerous than being in bars (collapsing balconies, alcohol poisoning, etc)

Well, I guess I don't really have anything to worry about right now...since I can't drink any alcohol anyway and even if I did, my drunken partying days are over...that is, until my kid gets into college and I become that mom, the one who goes to the college bars and makes a complete drunken fool of herself as her son looks on and shakes his head. Oh yeah, I'm going to be SO awesome at that....

This one in from Rod...

Richard Simmons on "Who's Line Is It Anyway"

I'll never look at a jetski the same way again....Simmons is CRAZY!!!!

Since Rusty doesn't let me post links on his site, I'll post this here...

For all you Apolo Anton Ohno fans that haven't heard, his online store opened today!

Click on the link for some happy Apolo related shopping!

I think it's always worth a mention when a new species is discovered, so new that it gets its own family and genus name for it.

Introducing...the Kiwa hirsuta, what is also known as the furry blond lobster.

The animal is white and 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) long -- about the size of a salad plate.

In what Segonzac described as a "surprising characteristic," the animal's pincers are covered with sinuous, hair-like strands.

The researchers said that while legions of new ocean species are discovered each year, it is quite rare to find one that merits a new family.

Story: New animal resembles furry lobster

I'm half expecting this thing to jump up and start singing "Copa Cabana" or something like that.

Thanks to Wally for this vid...taken from last weekend's SNL. Even when Natalie Portman's a screaming, swearing banshee, she's still beautiful and classy!

....well, not THE pill, because I'm a little past that now...but THIS pill:

Work has been kicking my ass this week! I haven't had time to sit down and really just relax...

Thanks to Sue for the pick-me-up!

DHL (the delivery service) is holding a contest called the U.S. Olympic Spirit Awards, where people can vote on the US athletes they feel best show the Olympic spirit. You can vote for a team, a male athlete and a female athlete. Also, by registering to vote, you get a chance to be an Olympian for a day - that is, head out to the Colorado Springs Olympic Training center, where the short track team, volleyball team and other Olympic teams train.

This is a pretty cool contest, but unfortunately, much like Dancing with the Stars, it's a mere popularity contest...whoever is the most visible athletes are getting the most votes. Here are the standings so far...

Male U.S. Olympian
1. Shaun White, snowboard
2. Chad Hedrick, speedskating
3. Joey Cheek, speedskating
4. Apolo Anton Ohno, speedskating
5. Ted Ligety, alpine skiing
6. Evan Lysacek, figure skating
7. Bode Miller, alpine skiing
8. Johnny Weir, figure skating

Female U.S. Olympian 1. Lindsey Kildow, alpine skiing 2. Sasha Cohen, figure skating 3. Hannah Teter, snowboard 4. Emily Hughes, figure skating 5. Christine Witty, speedskating 6. Kelly Clark, snowboard 7. Gretchen Bleiler, snowboard 8. Rena Inoue, figure skating

U.S. Olympic Team
1. Snowboarding
2. Figure Skating
3. Speedskating
4. Ice Hockey - Female
5. Alpine Skiing
6. Curling
7. Ice Hockey - Male
8. Bobsled

As much as I love Shaun White, I don't feel he should be at the top of this list. I definitely don't think that Chad should be #2 - yes, he's won us some medals, but showing Olympic spirit? No, I wouldn't have voted him on my list. (FYI - I wouldn't have voted for Shani, either) As for the women, I'm glad to see Lindsey Kildow at the top of the list. Though I voted for Kelly Clark, since she went all out in her last run and really broke the barrier between women and men in terms of how awesome her run was, til the end. Snowboarding is a good choice for the top of the team list, having gotten the most medals, a great team of good sports (let's forget that Lindsey Jacobellis snafu).

But let me bend your ear for a bit, my friends, and let you know who I endorse...

There is one person throughout this whole Olympics who, to me, has exemplified what being an Olympian is - competing his hardest, being a good sport, being unselfish, and playing nice when a storm of controversy surrounded those around him...and that is Joey Cheek.

No one heard of Joey Cheek before these games. He didn't have a cool NBC add with flames and cool rock music. He was hardly talked about by any sportscasters and was off the radar of many people who were making race predictions.

Even now, after winning a gold and silver medal and donating all of his winnings ($40,000) to an organization that brings sports to children of underdeveloped countries, his light is still hidden under the Shani/Chad feud. But his contribution to Right to Play has caused other sponsors to match his donation, currently around $300,000 in matched donations.

During all of this, he stays humble"

He seems genuinely embarrassed by the attention his donation has attracted. "I always felt like if I did something big, I wanted to give something back," Cheek said. "The best way is by helping someone else. It is empowering to think of somebody other than yourself. I can take the time to gush about how wonderful I feel or I can use it for something productive. I skate around ice in tights. It's not that big a deal."

So here's the link to vote, you can vote for whoever you want to, you don't have to vote for Joey...but I ask you to really think about who you're voting for, who really has the Olympic spirit...

Vote for the US Olympic Spirit Award (you have to register to vote, but you can vote every day)

This message is brought to you by Aquaman Sam, who thought my Chicago readers may want to beware!

Illinois will begin using photo radar in freeway work zones in July. Second offense tickets are $1,000 with license suspension.

Beginning in July the State of Illinois will use speed cameras in areas designated as "Work Zones" on major freeways. Anyone caught by these devices will be mailed a $375.00 ticket for the FIRST offense, but he SECOND offense will cost $1000.00 and comes with a 90-Day suspension. Drivers will also receive demerit points against their license, which allows insurance companies to raise their rates.

This represents the harshest penalty structure yet for a city or state using PHOTO enforcements. The State will begin with TWO camera vans issuing tickets in work zones with speed limits lowered to 45 MPH. Photographs of both the Driver's face and License plate are taken.

As someone who doesn't really pay attention to workzones, this is something that I'll really be watching out for.

However, this will be much more effective to slowing people down than those signs that they used to have, written in kid scrawl that I had to actually READ as I was driving..."Please slow down, my daddy has died...etc" I'd think more people would get into accidents reading it!

Since Redpac's driving out to Indiana and buying a lotto ticket for me...

Only a couple more weeks to participate in Redpac's yearly "Guess the date and time the first Mardi Gras drunken vomit will happen" contest. Yes, he's still going to Mardi Gras. I'm sure he'll have many interesting photos and he's more than happy to support the economy of NOLA.

Check out Redpac's contest

If you all haven't heard already, late last week there was a whale in the Thames river in London. It seems that a Northern bottlenose whale got disoriented and swam up the river, passing by landmarks like Big Ben and Westminster Bridge and attracting thousands of onlookers. This is the first time since 1913 that a whale had been sighted in the Thames river, which at its depth of about 20-25 feet isn't deep enough for whales.

Rescue workers came immediately, trying to prevent the adolescent whale from beaching on the shallow banks of the river and trying to point her downstream, back to the ocean. No one knows how she got lost and came up the river, but various theories say predators, sonar from ships, illness or just got lost chasing a meal.

It was obvious to onlookers that the whale's health was deteriorating because of lack of food and the shallow waters. She was put upon a rescue barge so they could take her out to the deep see before her condition worsened. However, Saturday night 'Wally', as she was dubbed by the British press, suffered from convulsions and died.

So now comes the necropsy (which I guess is the same as an autopsy) to see what could have caused the whale to stray so far from deep water. After that is probably the blame game, since people need someone to blame for a tragedy like this. Number one on the list right now, the UK government, who people believe should have been monitoring the cetacean population around its waters in the first place. Wally's resting place will be the Natural History Museum, where her bones will be used for scientific research.

Rest in peace, Wally, and hopefully you found your way home to that big deep blue ocean in the sky...

A big congrats to Bears coach Lovie Smith, for winning the AP NFL Coach of the Year award! He has done a tremendous job this year, in the face of a lot of adversity. First, his main quarterback gets injured in the preseason, and he's forced to decide which of his remaining quarterbacks to start with, finally choosing rookie Kyle Orton. Then, his top draft pick Cedric Benson holds out for more money at the start of the season and misses most of training camp. After that, no one had high hopes for the Bears, it was as if their season ended before it even started.

But lo and behold, Orton did ok as a quarterback, staying uninjured and started 10 games, something almost unheard of in Chicago where we have been cursed with bad, easily broken quarterbacks for more than a decade. Thomas Jones came out from what would have been Cedric Benson's shadow and became one of the best running backs in the league, helped out by the gritting play of Adrian Peterson.

...and that defense! The best defense in the league, rarely allowing touchdowns for the opposing offense and having the best red zone coverage of any of the other teams, only allowing 202 points this year, 45 points lower than the nearest team. The defense that constantly won various 'Defensive Player of the Week' awards, Nathan Vasher getting a record 108 yard touchdown after a missed field goal, and not only did Brian Urlacher get the Defensive Player of the Year award, his teammates Lance Briggs, Nathan Vasher and Alex Brown also received votes.

All of this under Lovie's watchful, calm as a cucumber eye. That's the thing that I love the most about him - he always keeps his cool. Rarely yells at the players, rarely jumps up to celebrate. His demeanor is the same after a loss as it is after a win. When there was an issue with two team members fighting, he managed to keep the press from getting details and dealt with it himself, only making the team stronger afterwards.

That's the kind of coach that people want to win for. Not because they're scared of being punished or getting yelled at, they win because they want to make someone that that they respect proud of them. They're doing it for Lovie, because each one of those guys on that field know that he's the best coach in the league.

Luckily, the AP reports figure that out, too...

Sorry for the delay on the trivia standings, I know you've all been anticipating my post about them (DAN). Last month was a busy month for Trivia, with Redpac bringing in all his friends to play so he could increase the points that could be won on any given day (the more that play, the more points the winner gets). Short came in and was dominating for the first couple days, and then Zebedest looked lije the months winner, but Redpac came from behind with his superfast reading skills and won the month!

1. Redpac (471 points, 4 wins)
2. zebedest (436 points, 2 wins)
3. noelle (435 points, 4 wins)
4. Cav (433 points, 2 wins)
5. SusanG (371 points, 1 wins)
6. TallSteve (357 points, 0 wins)
7. Yano (356 points, 1 wins)
8. short (346 points, 2 wins)
9. notsosmart (340 points, 1 wins)
10. Trish (335 points, 2 wins)

It infuriates me that this is my own quiz and I'm not even in the top 5. *cries* Just kidding...Anyway, thanks for playing everyone! Spread the word and increase the available points! Remember, I'm always open to new trivia topics, also...

Last month also ended my football pool...where Redpac beat me by ONE POINT. Of course, if I didn't screw up my point spread early in the season my accidentally betting against the Bears (come on now, I NEVER bet against the Bears!) I would have beat him for sure.

However, the true champion of my 2005 pool goes to Jerry, who spanked everyone with his superior football picks!

1 Jerry 1566
2 Steve 1560
3 Dan 1495
4 Christine 1494
5 Jason 1472
6 Giannini 1467
7 Sam 1341
8 Arthur 1256
9 Craig 1223
10 Jose 1166

Thanks to all the guys that played, it was a lot of fun!

Here's a fun game to play - see how long you can last:

http://www.iol.ie/~dluby/escape.htm

OK, I'm lying. It isn't fun. It's addicting. Addicting until you realize that you're going to have a heart attack because your heartrate is going so fast because you're so nervous you're going to fail.

But that's kinda fun, isn't it?

http://www.iol.ie/~dluby/escape.htm

I got up to 21.51 seconds before I realized I was holding my breath the whole time and needed to take a break.

How long can you last?

It seems that a researcher in Washington has discovered that when your dog is panting after you've been playing for a while or when he's anticipating a walk outside is actually "dog laughter". He's happy, and that's his way of showing it.

This same researcher has been trying to find some way to ease the stress levels at dog shelters, where dogs are often barking and whining and the conditions aren't that great.

Patricia Simonet, development and program coordinator for Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service, also found that the sound of dog laughter comforts other dogs. When she played a recording of "play panting" through the speaker system at a shelter in Spokane Valley, all the barking dogs quieted within a minute.

"I wanted to see if I could reduce (the dogs') stress by playing the sound in the shelter," Simonet said. "I was surprised when they were calm and quiet."
Yahoo! News

I think that's really great, that they've found a way to help calm these other dogs.

But we don't really understand dog-speak yet. Sure, it may be dog laughter, but what if the dogs are really saying, "I'm so happy to be out here in the sunshine and playing with a family that loves me! Those poor fucks in shelters are so screwed! This is the life!"

...and then the researchers play the sounds over the loudspeakers, 'calming' the shelter dogs. But maybe it's not actually calming them, maybe they've given up on life, knowing that they may never get to feel the love of a family, that those sounds of laughter are so foreign to them that they've given up hope, that the sleeping room is just one bark away...

Then again, it might be good for the dogs, so they'll totally kiss up to the people who come by to adopt, just so they could have a chance to laugh again...

I don't know. It's late. I'm off to sleep!

Thought this was a cute story....I'd love to see if the little bugger stays green:

ALHAMBRA, Calif -- The littermates of a Northern California puppy may be green with envy.

That's because a golden retriever born last week is green. The little green fella is one of a litter of four. But his littermates are the usual blond color.

The owner, a dog breeder, says he's mystified about the green color.

Veterinarians said that it's possible for a newborn pup's fur to be green because the placenta, which is green, sometimes rubs off during birth. Whatever the cause, the little green guy now has name -- Wasabi. That's the spicy green mustard put on sushi.

His color definitely sets him apart.
The Denver Channel

I'm not going to be back in town until late tonight, but if any of you are interested in going to the Filipino Film Festival in Chicago, it should be a great treat! Here's some information:

THE CHICAGO FILIPINO AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2005 THE CHOPIN THEATRE 1543 W. DIVISION STREET CHICAGO, IL 60622 NOVEMBER 3-6, 2005

Check out the schedule at http://cfaff.org/.

Hey! Don't forget to click on the link on the left (or right, depending on which layour you're using) to help fund a free mammogram! Click once to go to the page, and click again on the main page of the site to make your click count.

This is pretty spooky...National Guard in a New Orleans school are starting to see ghosts.

Soldiers Spooked by New Orleans Spirits

Looks like Federated Department Stores, Inc. is planning on changing the name of the beloved Chicago department store Marshall Fields.....to MACY'S. Ugh.

"To better serve our customers in this highly competitive retailing environment, we must concentrate on our best national brands and reduce costs so we can deliver outstanding value to shoppers," said Terry J. Lundgren, Federated's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We believe that continuing to build Macy's and Bloomingdale's aggressively across America will accelerate our comp store sales performance and increase profitability, thereby driving shareholder value.

The place just won't be the same.

It's hard to comprehend how much this saddens me. I mean, it's going to sell the same things, look more or less the same, but there's so much to a name. Marshall Fields. The name conjures up so many memories - eating in the swanky Walnut Room and seeing Billy Corgan and Courtney Love, taking the train with my mom and dad as a kid to see the window decorations during Christmas, Frango mints, etc. Marshall Fields *IS* Chicago.

Marshall Fields during the holidays

"We have great respect for the legacy and traditions of Marshall Field's, and we carefully researched customer preferences and studied alternatives before making this decision to incorporate Marshall Field's into the nationwide Macy's brand," Lundgren said. "While the store's name will change, much of what customers love will stay the same, including Marshall Field's traditions and its outstanding record of community and charitable giving. As part of this name change process, we will do everything we can to honor the Marshall Field's heritage, particularly in its Chicago birthplace."

WHATEVER! LIARS!

There's a poll in the Chicago Tribune article (which is linked in the first paragraph of this post). Out of 3000 responses, 90.2% of those polled said that the name change will make a difference to them. 96.2% said that they will be less likely to shop there. Does that help the shareholder value? I don't think so.

Here's the comments of some readers:

- Why not change Wrigley Field to Tribune Park? People outside of Chicago just don't get it. Macy's will never be successful here. ( Submitted by: DK)

- This in an outrage. Changing the Marshall Field legacy to Macy's is like renaming McDonald's the Burger Barn. Field's is a class act and its long-standing tradition in Chicago means so much to so many. Why not just keep it the Marshall Field's Division like it was with May Co.? (Submitted by: Karen)

- I couldn't afford to shop Field's often, but I always appreciated the fact that they were there, and had the best service of any department store in town. As I have family on the East Coast, I've seen and shopped Macy's—and have consistently found them to be promotional to the point of schlockiness. (Submitted by: N. Charles Henss, Jr.)

- I'm not a native Chicagoan; I moved to the area recently but have family in Chicago. It was always a treat to visit Marshall Field's when I visited Chicago; like visiting a landmark. Sorry to lose a tradition. Macy's will not have the same appeal and most likely I will not go there any more. (Submitted by: Tony Carbajal)

- Every Christmas for the past 10 years my Mom and I have lunch at the Walnut Room under the tree. It's a special tradition for us that I planned on continuing with my children. Marshall Field's is not just a department store to me but a special place in Chicago. I will not shop at Macy's. (Submitted by: Karrie)

Sure, we're being big babies about it. But it's so hard to see a landmark that you've known all your life change names, because a corporation wants to make more money or wants to advertise. I still call it the Rosemont Horizon, even though it's officially "The Allstate Arena". Same thing with Comiskey Park/US Cellular Field, The Rosemont Convention Center/Donald A Stephens Convention Center, etc. The only one I call by its slave name is 'The United Center'. Because I really had no childhood memories of the Chicago Stadium, and it's not the same building anyway.

The name has a big tie to the people. I've traveled all over the US. I've shopped at Macy's, and no offense, Macy's is no Marshall Fields. Fields has a character that is all its own.

Hmph.

Will I shop there? I might, but not as much as I used to. And I won't be happy about it.

*pouts*

Ohh, I'm rubbing my hands with excitement! I can't wait until this movie comes out!

Latest Trailer for the Goblet of Fire

Thanks to the wonderful Mike for the link!

This was pretty funny....

Bush's Bathroom Break

Redpac has learned the fine art of nagging from his fiance. To stop what could be endless nagging, I'll make this post. (fine, he asked me twice, but I was grumpy so I called it nagging)

Hope on over to his site for two contests he's having for the next couple weeks. He always has fun prize packs that he sends out, and this one will be sure to have some Mardi Gras beads inside, too. Plus, if you're a reader of YWIM and you win, I'll throw in a little something myself!

So give it a try. I'm tired of that Noelle person winning all the contests around here. Give her some competition!

Well, I'm sure no one saw THIS coming!

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Brown, under fire over his qualifications and what critics call a bungled response to Hurricane Katrina, resigned Monday, senior administration sources told CNN.

Brown was recalled Friday to Washington and replaced as the point main for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff named Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad Allen to head Katrina relief efforts.

A senior administration official said Friday that President Bush approved Chertoff's decision.

Brown's reassignment came amid questions raised in Time magazine about whether his resume was padded to overstate his experience in emergency management. A FEMA official quoted in the report said Brown believes the article is inaccurate.

At least he's resigning, rather than getting fired from the job, like most people would have been asking for anyway. I think people on all sides could agree that if fingers were to be pointed, the fattest finger would be pointed to FEMA and how ill-prepared it was for this emergency, which is its job to be ready for.

Bye-bye Brownie!

I swear, this will be my last hurricane related post for a while....or at least til tomorrow. *wink*

I just checked out The Onion, and although it's not positive news, it's still funny in a sad, morbid kind of way...here's a couple of their headlines for this week:

God Outdoes Terrorists Yet Again

Katrina Officials Uncertain Whether To Save Or Shoot Victims

Nation's Politicians Applaud Great Job They're Doing

Government Relief Workers Mosey In To Help

Another Saints Season Ruined Before It Begins

--------------------------

I've never been to New Orleans, but I've always wanted to go. Not during Mardi Gras, but just to see the city, to feel the culture, to taste the food to experience the people. The city has so much character, so much history, so much mysticism...But I never had the chance to go.

Now I never will.

Not that they're not going to rebuild, because I believe they will. But I don't think it will be the same.

I'm a big fan of Anne Rice, I love her books about witches, vampires and other creatures of the night. Through Anne, I'd fallen in love with New Orleans, at least the New Orleans that she had portrayed in her books. I was so saddened to realize that the places she wrote about in her books, places that had become so beloved to me in my mind, like the Garden District, could be gone.

I wondered if she would say anything, of she would make some sort of statement. A couple days ago, she did, and I just wanted to share it with you - the point of view of one person from New Orleans who had shared her beloved city with so many...

September 4, 2005 Do You Know What It Means to Lose New Orleans? By ANNE RICE La Jolla, Calif.

WHAT do people really know about New Orleans?

Do they take away with them an awareness that it has always been not only a great white metropolis but also a great black city, a city where African-Americans have come together again and again to form the strongest African-American culture in the land?

The first literary magazine ever published in Louisiana was the work of black men, French-speaking poets and writers who brought together their work in three issues of a little book called L'Album Littéraire. That was in the 1840's, and by that time the city had a prosperous class of free black artisans, sculptors, businessmen, property owners, skilled laborers in all fields. Thousands of slaves lived on their own in the city, too, making a living at various jobs, and sending home a few dollars to their owners in the country at the end of the month.

This is not to diminish the horror of the slave market in the middle of the famous St. Louis Hotel, or the injustice of the slave labor on plantations from one end of the state to the other. It is merely to say that it was never all "have or have not" in this strange and beautiful city.

Later in the 19th century, as the Irish immigrants poured in by the thousands, filling the holds of ships that had emptied their cargoes of cotton in Liverpool, and as the German and Italian immigrants soon followed, a vital and complex culture emerged. Huge churches went up to serve the great faith of the city's European-born Catholics; convents and schools and orphanages were built for the newly arrived and the struggling; the city expanded in all directions with new neighborhoods of large, graceful houses, or areas of more humble cottages, even the smallest of which, with their floor-length shutters and deep-pitched roofs, possessed an undeniable Caribbean charm.

Through this all, black culture never declined in Louisiana. In fact, New Orleans became home to blacks in a way, perhaps, that few other American cities have ever been. Dillard University and Xavier University became two of the most outstanding black colleges in America; and once the battles of desegregation had been won, black New Orleanians entered all levels of life, building a visible middle class that is absent in far too many Western and Northern American cities to this day.

The influence of blacks on the music of the city and the nation is too immense and too well known to be described. It was black musicians coming down to New Orleans for work who nicknamed the city "the Big Easy" because it was a place where they could always find a job. But it's not fair to the nature of New Orleans to think of jazz and the blues as the poor man's music, or the music of the oppressed.

Something else was going on in New Orleans. The living was good there. The clock ticked more slowly; people laughed more easily; people kissed; people loved; there was joy.

Which is why so many New Orleanians, black and white, never went north. They didn't want to leave a place where they felt at home in neighborhoods that dated back centuries; they didn't want to leave families whose rounds of weddings, births and funerals had become the fabric of their lives. They didn't want to leave a city where tolerance had always been able to outweigh prejudice, where patience had always been able to outweigh rage. They didn't want to leave a place that was theirs.

And so New Orleans prospered, slowly, unevenly, but surely - home to Protestants and Catholics, including the Irish parading through the old neighborhood on St. Patrick's Day as they hand out cabbages and potatoes and onions to the eager crowds; including the Italians, with their lavish St. Joseph's altars spread out with cakes and cookies in homes and restaurants and churches every March; including the uptown traditionalists who seek to preserve the peace and beauty of the Garden District; including the Germans with their clubs and traditions; including the black population playing an ever increasing role in the city's civic affairs.

Now nature has done what the Civil War couldn't do. Nature has done what the labor riots of the 1920's couldn't do. Nature had done what "modern life" with its relentless pursuit of efficiency couldn't do. It has done what racism couldn't do, and what segregation couldn't do either. Nature has laid the city waste - with a scope that brings to mind the end of Pompeii.

....for more, click on the link - Anne talks about what has happened in the last several days...

I share this history for a reason - and to answer questions that have arisen these last few days. Almost as soon as the cameras began panning over the rooftops, and the helicopters began chopping free those trapped in their attics, a chorus of voices rose. "Why didn't they leave?" people asked both on and off camera. "Why did they stay there when they knew a storm was coming?" One reporter even asked me, "Why do people live in such a place?"

Then as conditions became unbearable, the looters took to the streets. Windows were smashed, jewelry snatched, stores broken open, water and food and televisions carried out by fierce and uninhibited crowds.

Now the voices grew even louder. How could these thieves loot and pillage in a time of such crisis? How could people shoot one another? Because the faces of those drowning and the faces of those looting were largely black faces, race came into the picture. What kind of people are these, the people of New Orleans, who stay in a city about to be flooded, and then turn on one another?

Well, here's an answer. Thousands didn't leave New Orleans because they couldn't leave. They didn't have the money. They didn't have the vehicles. They didn't have any place to go. They are the poor, black and white, who dwell in any city in great numbers; and they did what they felt they could do - they huddled together in the strongest houses they could find. There was no way to up and leave and check into the nearest Ramada Inn.

What's more, thousands more who could have left stayed behind to help others. They went out in the helicopters and pulled the survivors off rooftops; they went through the flooded streets in their boats trying to gather those they could find. Meanwhile, city officials tried desperately to alleviate the worsening conditions in the Superdome, while makeshift shelters and hotels and hospitals struggled.

And where was everyone else during all this? Oh, help is coming, New Orleans was told. We are a rich country. Congress is acting. Someone will come to stop the looting and care for the refugees.

And it's true: eventually, help did come. But how many times did Gov. Kathleen Blanco have to say that the situation was desperate? How many times did Mayor Ray Nagin have to call for aid? Why did America ask a city cherished by millions and excoriated by some, but ignored by no one, to fight for its own life for so long? That's my question.

I know that New Orleans will win its fight in the end. I was born in the city and lived there for many years. It shaped who and what I am. Never have I experienced a place where people knew more about love, about family, about loyalty and about getting along than the people of New Orleans. It is perhaps their very gentleness that gives them their endurance.

They will rebuild as they have after storms of the past; and they will stay in New Orleans because it is where they have always lived, where their mothers and their fathers lived, where their churches were built by their ancestors, where their family graves carry names that go back 200 years. They will stay in New Orleans where they can enjoy a sweetness of family life that other communities lost long ago.

But to my country I want to say this: During this crisis you failed us. You looked down on us; you dismissed our victims; you dismissed us. You want our Jazz Fest, you want our Mardi Gras, you want our cooking and our music. Then when you saw us in real trouble, when you saw a tiny minority preying on the weak among us, you called us "Sin City," and turned your backs.

Well, we are a lot more than all that. And though we may seem the most exotic, the most atmospheric and, at times, the most downtrodden part of this land, we are still part of it. We are Americans. We are you.

I think the emotions from the hurricane are finally dying down - people are finally realizing that there will be time for finger-pointing later, that there have been failures on all levels of government (city state and federal). Hopefully they all learn from it, and that people who did fail will be held accountable.

But what's good to know is that people are getting help. The convention center is empty now, and states are opening their doors to evacuees to help them get their lives back in order. Children who have been separated from their parents have been reunited. Progress is being made. There is still a LONG way to go, but we'll make it.

So I just wanted to share a couple stories that show that there are some positive things happening.

-------------------

So I'm at home today, watching Oprah, and they've got Julia Roberts, Matthew McCaunaughy, Chris Rock and other stars going to the affected areas and helping out and providing comfort. Yeah, some people will say it's a publicity stunt, but it's obvious that the people who are seeing them appreciate them coming out with supplies and hugs. I admit to crying when Chris Rock broke down crying thinking of his own daughter when he saw a little girl who was so happy and knew that nothing bad would happen as long as she was with her daddy. *wahhhh* I'm such a sap.

------------------

Kids are doing what they can to help the cause:

The Frueh family kids began selling lemonade at rush hour Friday and planned to close their lemonade stand Monday afternoon. But the response has been so overwhelming, they said they`ll continue selling during afterwork hours this week.

By Monday evening, the Frueh children had raised more than $1,600, the Cincinnati Enquirer said Tuesday. Police cars, bus drivers and joggers make unscheduled stops to donate, and often say 'no, thanks' to the lemonade before leaving, Laurie Frueh said.

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A six-year old hero brings his little herd of children to safety:

In the chaos that was Causeway Boulevard, this group of evacuees stood out: a 6-year-old boy walking down the road, holding a 5-month-old, surrounded by five toddlers who followed him around as if he were their leader.

They were holding hands. Three of the children were about 2 years old, and one was wearing only diapers. A 3-year-old girl had her 14-month-old brother in tow. The 6-year-old spoke for all of them, and he said his name was Deamonte Love.

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Oil exec charters a jet to bring evacuees to San Diego:

But he was clearly not content with merely contributing money.

"Everybody wants money," he said. "They don't want food or help," he said. "But I don't want to give money and have it sit there. I'm on the ground to get food to the people."

Perez, who upon landing in Baton Rouge talked his way onto a rescue helicopter that took him to New Orleans, later said he was working with the Louisiana Social Services Department to identify storm victims for the planned evacuation to San Diego.

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This blog has a whole bunch of stories, heart warming and heart breaking, of the people touched by Hurricane Katrina:

http://blogs.chron.com/katrinavoices/

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What has happened to the police force in New Orleans? They're hanging in there. Barely, but they are.

For more than a week, they have dealt with personal tragedies no different from anyone else's here — apartments that are underwater, parents who are missing, children who are being shuttled from one shelter to the next.

Two dozen of them found their way to the home of Lt. David M. Benelli, 55, commander of the city's sex crimes unit, and the woman he calls his child bride, Sgt. Becky Benelli, 42, assistant commander of the crime lab. The Benellis are cops to the core; they met at a traffic fatality and fell in love.

The officers at "Camp Benelli" in the Algiers area of New Orleans reflect the diversity of the department: 21 men and five women, black and white, 33-year veterans and patrol cops with six months under their belts. They have more than 300 years of combined service on the force.

And every morning, they find the strength to go to work.

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18 year-old hijacks a school bus, picks up people and brings them to safety:

The teen packed it full of complete strangers and drove to Houston. He beat thousands of evacuees slated to arrive there. Authorities eventually allowed the renegade passengers inside the dome. But the 18-year-old who ensured their safety could find himself in a world of trouble for stealing the school bus.

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Yesterday I got my copy of "LOST: Season I" in the mail. May not be good news to the people of the south, but hell, it's good news to me! Yay!!! LOST party at my house this weekend! Yay!!!

I never realized my Kanye thread would blow up as it did - thanks to everyone for participating in it (to the person who called me out to "just shut up and help", I've been trying, I've donated and I only wish I could do more). We all have our opinions as to who to blame, what could have been done, what's going wrong now, but I know that in the end, what we care about is what is going to happen to those people, and how we can help.

Here's a list of what ways you can help:

FEMA Approved Charities
• The American Red Cross

• America's Second Harvest, 800-344-8070

• Adventist Community Services, 800-381-7171

• Catholic Charities, 703-549-1390

• Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, 800-848-5818

• Church World Service, 800-297-1516

• Convoy of Hope, 417-823-8998

• Episcopal Relief & Development, 1-800-334-7626 or

• Lutheran Disaster Response, 800-638-3522

• Mennonite Disaster Service, 717-859-2210

• Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, 800-872-3283

• Salvation Army, 800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)

• Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief, 800-462-8657, ext. 6440

• United Methodist Committee on Relief

...more from FEMA

-------

• Amazon.com

• Best Buy - Donate at your local Blockbuster and they'll match it up to 1 million

• Bendis Board Charity Auction - Comic Fans get together to auction original art, toys, comics, etc for charity

• Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescue

• Habitat for Humanity

• Network for Good - several different charities you can choose from to donate to

• The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund - Papa Bush and Bill Clinton team up to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina

• Manilow Fund for Health and Hope - They'll triple your contribution up to $50,000.

• The Ellen Degeneres Show/Warner Bros - Trying to raise $1.5 million, and they will also match your contributions

• Kevin Smith at View Askew is giving away a barbecue at his house - so far it's $5000. There's a lot more here, too, like a walk on part in the "Clerks 2" movie.

Online Poker Charity Tournaments

Where: Full Tilt Poker
When: Sunday Sept. 4th at 9:15pm ET
How Much: $20 + $10
Note: Full Tilt will match your $10 entry fee and that will be donated to the Red Cross’ Hurricane Relief Fund.

Where: Party Poker
When: Wednesday Sept. 7th at 8:50pm ET
How much: $30
Note: Party Poker is donating 90% of the prize pool to charity.

Where: Poker Stars
When: Monday Sept. 12 at 9:30 ET
How Much: $5

Where: Poker Stars
When: Wednesday Sept. 14 at 9:30 ET
How Much: $20

Where: Poker Stars
When: Thursday Sept. 15 at 9:30 ET
How Much: $50

Where: Poker Stars
When: Friday Sept. 16 at 9:30 ET
How Much: $100

-------------

If you know of any more, post the link and I'll add it to the list...

Beware of fake Katrina charity sites out there - I've heard rumors that there are a lot of them out there. Bastards should be shot for using a tragedy like this to make some money.

I know I mentioned this a while ago, but who is interested in playing a football pool this season? It's nothing as time extensive as a fantasy football league - all you have to do in this pool is pick the winners for the games and choose your confidence in your choice.

Here's an example...lets say there's 5 games being played this week.

Red vs. Blue
Green vs. Orange
Black vs. White
Gray vs. Pink
Yellow vs. Purple

Within each game, choose who you think will win. Once you choose your winning teams, then rank them in order of 1-5 as to how confident you are that that team will win. Let's say this is how I think the games will go down:

Red will beat Blue - 4 confidence because red is a pretty strong team
Orange will beat Green - 1 confidence, because both teams are about even
Black will beat White - 2 because Black has been on a losing streak, but I think they'll win this one
Gray will beat Pink - 3
Purple will beat Yellow - 5 because Yellow sucks and Purple is the best team in the league

Depending on what happens with the game, the amount of correct guesses I have adds up the corresponding confidence points. Lets say all my picks were right except for the Black game, that means that my total points come out to 13.

It sounds confusing right now, but really, it's easy!

In a nutshell, you pick the winners each week, assign them a number - if your pick wins, you win that number.

At the end of the season, the overall winner (or top 3 depending on how many people play) will get a nifty prize.

So if you're interested in joining, sign up for an account here:

Office Pools
(when it asks you what tournament you want to join, type yanowhatimean?)

Comment here and leave your address (or if you don't want to comment, email me at kwannon-at-gmail.com) and I'll send you a tournament invite. It'll be a lot of fun!

More instructions coming soon - if you have questions, just comment below!

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For those of you that were winners for the NCAA tourney last March, I haven't forgotten you. Email me your mailing addresses and I'll hook you up with some sweet, useless crap.

Found out they just posted the trailer for "Rent", the movie based on the hit Broadway musical. I totally forgot that this movie was coming, I'm so excited! What's so awesome about the movie is that it's got most of the original cast members, including Jesse L. Martin (who you might remember from Law and Order), Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel (who's been popular lately for being the original Elphaba in Wicked). It will be really strange to see Rent on the big screen - there is so much imagination that is used when you see a musical on stage. Seeing it all laid out for you in film is a bug change.

Whoo hoo! Rent comes to theaters on November 23rd. Looks like this will be a busy holiday season for me in the movie theaters, with the next Harry Potter and the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe coming out this winter!

Ever since the bombings in London, I've heard about putting emergency contact information on your phone in case something happens to you and they need to call your next of kin. I've also seen the traffic messageboards on the highway talking about it, too.

A British paramedic came up with the idea of asking cell phone users to input an entry into their cellular phonebook called ICE for "in case of emergency." Accompanying that acronym would be the name and phone numbers of the person who should be called if something has happened to the owner of the phone.

I think this is a great idea. There's no harm in doing it - you're just adding one more name to your addressbook. But if something were to happen, then any emergency personnel who respond will immediately know who to call, and they'll be able to know if you have any allergies or something in your medical history.

So take a couple seconds and put that ICE contact information in your phone. I've put in my dad's home phone#. I was thinking of putting in Dave's info, but if we were in a car accident together, it wouldn't help if my ICE info was his cell phone number. I know it's a bit morbid, but its true.

This public service announcement was brought to you by yanowhatimean and the letter "I".

Found the latest trailer for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on this French site:

Click for trailer

It makes me rub my hands in glee and cry, "YES! YEEEEEESSSS!"

Walken for President

The Campaign starts now. This country needs more cowbell.

Today's Chicago Tribune gives me a reason to add to my Jessica Simpson annoyance:

Be like Simpson--only just a bit bigger

Skinny Jessica Simpson, who wears skimpy denim garments in "The Dukes of Hazzard," has rolled out a retail line of jeans for plus-size women.

The size 12-24 jeans are available at Avenue, USA Today says.

"We have people 300 lbs. or 90 lbs. come up to Jessica and say, `I'm just like you,'" said Simpson's father and manager, Joe Simpson. "It's what's inside."

And, as for those Daisy Dukes Simpson wears in the film, co-star Seann William Scott offered to help choose just the right pair.

"I'm like, `Ah, I think it'd be really beneficial for the film if I stayed behind just to make sure that they pick the right ones,"' he said, according to AP Radio.

That is just about the funniest thing ever. People come out to Jessica Simpson and say "I'm just like you?" Wow, didn't know that there were so many blond ditzes out there who realize that their popularity is waning so she goes against everything she stood for in the beginning of her career and uses sex to sell herself, not to mention killing a really great song by Nancy Sinatra just to sell her movie.

I laugh.

A new trivia contest starts this month! I'm glad people are having a good time, it's fun to see people talk smack on the site's tagboard.

Here's last month's winners:

1. Redpac (391 points, 6 wins)
2. notsosmart (376 points, 3 wins)
3. Yano (332 points, 2 wins)
4. zebedest (331 points, 1 wins)
5. Cav (314 points, 2 wins)
6. noelle (303 points, 2 wins)
7. denise (287 points, 3 wins)
8. Linda (284 points, 3 wins)
9. bruno (274 points, 0 wins)
10. TallSteve (266 points, 0 wins)

Redpac returns to the top this month, not for lack of everyone else trying to get him down! Remember, you don't have to play every day to get in the top ten (I had missed about 5 days this month, and I'm the one running the thing!)

Thanks for playing, everyone! Now go on and beat that bitch ass Redpac at trivia! (I say that with utmost affection, Redpac)

I was in the airplane coming home from Jackson, and I saw this article in American Way magazine. This is a fantastic article based on an interview with John Cusack, Chicago's favorite son. He talks about what he loves about Chicago, and it just makes my heart sing to hear him talk so fondly about my hometown.

----------------

Just a Guy on a Bike
by Mark Seal

John Cusack is a would-be boyfriend in multiplexes this month in Must Love Dogs. Anyone who wants to keep up with him as he guides a tour of Chicago must love riding a bike.

The guy on the bike is famous, but he's not right now. Zipping up and down the skyscraper streets, along the famous lakeshore, and through the heady arts, restaurant, and nightclub districts of Chicago, he's no longer best identified as John Cusack, one of the most venerable actors of his generation. Returning to the city where he grew up, Cusack reverts to the role he loves most. He becomes just another Chicagoan, another guy on a bike in awe of the city sprawling beneath his pumping feet.

'Chicago is the best-kept secret in America, in a weird way,' he says. 'It's an international city, and you have all the great 'architecture and all the stuff that any major international city would have. But it still has a great, down-home, down-to-earth, almost no-nonsense sensibility. They don't suffer fools well.'

Which is why Cusack's favorite way to see Chicago is not from some stupid sports car or silly limousine but from the seat of a bike. And even though America's third-largest city stretches across 229 square miles, Cusack insists that the heart of the city is easily navigated.

'It's a great city for biking around,' he says, rattling off streets, sites, secret places. 'I do it on a little half mountain, half electric bike called the Wavecrest.'

So, with the wind in his hair and his grip on the handlebars of his Tidalforce Spike bike from Wavecrest, Cusack takes us on a tour of his hometown, the City of Big Shoulders, the Windy City, Frank Sinatra's kind of town.

Cusack is calling from a hotel in Los Angeles in the middle of a daylong studio promotion for Must Love Dogs, the romantic comedy in which he stars this month with Diane Lane and Dermot Mulroney. He says he's had a very long day, filled with one interview after another, with photo sessions interspersed.

'So, we're going to talk about Chicago,' I say, and I can hear him brighten.

'Hit me,' says Cusack.

And he's off and riding. Cusack has a home in Los Angeles, but when you're from Chicago, you're a Chicagoan until the day you die. He has a place downtown, and on his first day or two back, he usually wants to see everything at once.

'I'll ride up and down the waterfront, go by Navy Pier, then all the way down the public park toward Montrose,' he says, ticking off a multiday biking itinerary. 'You can go all the way up and down Lake Shore Drive. There are parks all over there. Then you can go through the city and all of its different neighborhoods ' Wrigleyville and near Halsted, everywhere. You can go up toward the South Side, toward Millennium Park, to the Shedd Aquarium and Soldier Field, through Chinatown, and all the way back through the city to the Loop, and then through downtown.'

He could practically bike through Chicago' blindfolded. 'I know the city inside and out,' he says. 'I don't think there's an area I haven't been to.'

Then he begins directing me: 'There is a tour where you can go up and down the river and see the architecture there ' it's just out of control.'

He's talking about a boat tour called Chicago from the Lake, which hits the highlights of Chicago architecture. But Cusack prefers the bike to the boat. 'You go past the Wrigley Building,' he says of the circa-1921 terra-cotta-clad edifice that's known as the gateway to the Magnificent Mile, one of the greatest shopping streets on earth.

He'll bike by the city's landmarks, starting at the Marshall Field's building, where his parents used to take him to see the big tree at Christmas. Then there's the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center, where Cusack will jump off the bike and hop into an elevator, arriving at the top of the Hancock, where a diorama of the history of Chicago competes with the heavenly view. 'The John Hancock is great because you can see the whole city from all the way around,' he says.

Back on the street, he heads into Bucktown, once a scruffy quarter named for the immigrant families who kept goats in their yards and now Chicago's hottest neighborhood. Cusack fans would recognize it from his 2000 movie High Fidelity, in which John starred with his sister Joan as a Chicago record-store owner charting his top five romantic breakups.

'You can take your bike through Bucktown, which is terrific,' Cusack says. 'Just a cool area with lots of great coffee shops and clubs and restaurants. We shot all over there for High Fidelity. It's where Double Door [a live-music venue] is. There are great record stores in Bucktown. Tiny little record stores like the one in High Fidelity. They are all over. You can also find great funky art and stuff like that.'

When the lunch hour looms, Cusack bikes to Leo's. 'Leo's Lunchroom,' he says. 'That's a great little place for lunch, a tiny little diner, down on ' I can't remember where it is [in Bucktown]. I know how to get there on a bike.'

Afterward, he might spin by some of the museums. 'MCA is right downtown,' he says of the Museum of Contemporary Art, dedicated to the avant-garde. 'It's fantastic. And there's the Art Institute of Chicago ' unbelievable.'

But now, since it's July, the middle of baseball season, Cusack's bike will head, almost automatically, to Wrigley Field.

'I'll bike from my apartment, meet somebody for lunch,' he says. 'If the game is at 1:20 p.m., you can leave the restaurant at 1:05 and ride your bike right up to Wrigley Field, lock it outside in this bike rack they have out there, and walk in. Wrigley Field is amazing, right in the heart of the city.'

His restaurant choices are dependent on their proximity to the field.

'I could say, 'Hey, I'll meet you over at Smith & Wollensky,' and we would bike over there, have some food, and then make a mad dash to Wrigley Field.'

A lifelong ritual, returning to Wrigley Field represents much more than baseball to Cusack.

'It totally connects me to Chicago and my childhood,' he says. 'My father took me there. We would sit behind third base, not in the box seats, but the grandstand. Then, when I got old enough, I would take the El, the elevated train, from Evanston, change to the Purple Line, and then we would go to Wrigley Field. I remember just as we'd pull into the park, the whole train would be rocking with excitement. You could see the scoreboard, the flags waving, and I would usually have about three or four bucks. It would take 50 cents to get down there, then it was $1.50 to sit in the bleachers, so that would take about $2, which would give me about a buck and a half for food and a ride home. Usually, I would spend the whole thing and we would have to hop the train on the way back.'

Afterward, he suggests following the fans to Chicago's many loud, rabid sports bars ' although it's something Cusack doesn't get to do much anymore.

'Yeah, those are a little trickier to go into if you are famous,' he says. 'Famous and alcohol can be not so good, but I like to go into [the bars]. There are great ones all around Wrigley Field. You can go into any of those and have a great time.'

Nighttime in Chicago. Difficult decisions loom for a guy on a bike. Not because of limitations, but, perhaps, because of a lack of them.

'It's the kind of city where you don't have to make plans,' Cusack says. 'You can go out in Chicago and the day or the night happens to you. You run into people and they say, 'Let's go over here, and let's do this.'?'

A guy who's spent all day on a bike requires sustenance, and in Chicago that most likely means steak. Cusack mentions arguably the greatest Chicago steak house in a city full of great steak houses: Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse, which he calls 'the old standby.'

'It's hard to get a better steak than [Gibsons] in Chicago,' he says. 'It's like Old Faithful. It has a real Chicago feeling.'

But there's more to Chicago than just steak.

'There are great little Italian restaurants on Wells. Edwardo's is a great pizza place. They've got them all over. I get the stuffed spinach. Topo Gigio's Ristorante is a good Italian restaurant on Wells. Traditional. There are so many places ' '

If it's a special occasion, Cusack might bike over to the holy temple of new American cuisine, with its tasting menu of infinite dishes, impeccable quality, and extraordinary price: Charlie Trotter's.

'Charlie Trotter's is a terrific place,' he says. 'There is also Spiaggia [a two-level, upscale Northern Italian restaurant], in the One Magnificent Mile building. It's a fantastic restaurant overlooking the city, right across from the Drake [Hotel]. I've gone there quite a bit. It's really superior.'

Dinner done, it's time for drinks, music, nightlife ' and the guy on the bike knows exactly where to pedal.

'Stanley's is a terrific bar,' he says. 'Stanley's is like mayhem, basically. Donnie Kruse is one of the owners, and he's kind of the mayor of Chicago. A lot of ballplayers go over there. It's kind of like a sports bar and they have live-band karaoke on [Sunday nights]. It's a really loose, fun crowd. They have a little restaurant in back and serve great food.'

From there?

'You can go down toward Halsted and see all the blues clubs and jazz clubs. I like to go to the Green Mill. We shot that in High Fidelity. It's this great old jazz club. It's in a really old building that is just fantastic. They say Al Capone drank there. You feel like you can see how the whole place must have been bustling in the '20s or something. Then the neighborhood decayed, and now it is coming back up. It's been around for so long, you can sort of feel the history. The acoustics aren't great, but the room feels so great. It has a big, long, old bar, and it's a great place to hang out.'

As the night descends, the air fills with big bass and deep voices: Chicago blues. The clubs are lined up along Rush Street and beyond ' all within biking distance of one another, all great, says Cusack.

'Kingston Mines is a tiny little blues place, the best place to hear the blues,' he says. 'The Checkerboard Lounge on the deep South Side [now closed], that's pretty intense. You can hear the best blues in the world in these cramped little places. They have small, tiny little stages and the best blues players in the world.'

He is cycling back in time now, remembering the legends he's seen.

'We used to go hear Sugar Blue play all the time,' he says. 'We would go out to dinner, then go over to Checkerboard Lounge and hear Sugar Blue playing with his band from around 11 p.m. on. Then, after he's done playing, you go to the Green Mill. It's open until four. You can go barhopping all night.'

In the end, Cusack says Chicago is more than its beautiful skyline, its historic architecture, its hearty food, its gutsy blues. Chicago is its people, a brand of Midwesterner as tough and resilient as the seasons.

'They survive all those tough winters and then everybody sort of explodes and goes crazy when the spring and summer come because they are so happy about it,' he says. 'You have the dead of summer and the dead of winter. There is not a better place to be.'

He believes the best gauge of the people is their sports teams.

'I watched all six championships for the Bulls,' he says. 'You could always go to any bar on any given night in the winter and the whole city would stop for Michael Jordan. Everyone would hold their breath to see what he would do. The whole city went nuts for all six championships.

'I would also go to the old Soldier Field on Sundays and see the Bears. I was there for every playoff game when they went to the Super Bowl, when the Bears had that magical season in 1985. I was there for the last game, when they beat the Giants. The colder it got, the happier the fans got. Then, as soon as they knew they were going to the Super Bowl, it started to snow. The whole city was in this state of bliss. ' I was also there the year before when the Cubs were two innings away from going to the World Series. I've been to every playoff game the Cubs have played, too, which haven't been that many ' '

Cusack considers this about Chicago, his city of winning, losing, and waiting, always knowing that victory will eventually come.

'Hey, man, it's like enduring the winters,' he says. 'We will endure and persevere until the spring comes.'

Have you ever looked at a name on your AIM buddylist and wondered, "hmm, I wonder if I could beat that person in a no-holds-barred cage match involving pieces of glass and nails stuck to my fists with honey?" Of course, that would take a lot of setup, and maybe some training, and definitely a cage.

But AIM Fight is just as good!

OK. Not as good. Not even close. But hell, it's still interesting. Put your AIM screen name in and put in a friend's - or enemy's. Then see how you match up.

Fun? A little. Unless you're going up with a certain person I know who has like ten million gazillion people on her AIM list. Bitch.

Due to some sort of strange referrer spam script or something (I swear it wasn't me!), I am the #1 click on Dave K's site. Which means that I'm the #1 link that has been clicked on his site. I think.

I admit to clicking on my site link a couple times a month, though I usually barely reach the top 20, but this month I'm at the top, with 3569 hits coming from Dave's site. Which means that someone, or something, has come to this site from his site 3569 times this month. Which is about 3480 more than the next site. Of course, that number is really a lie, since my stats don't show anyone coming to my site 3000+ times from his site.

However, I will try and return the favor by directing all of you, my lovely readers, to go check out his site. Not that he needs any help since he just celebrated his one millionth hit mark today.

So check him out. He's got a lot of cool things to see there. There are also some awesome blogs on his sidebar that you can check out. Or, you can just click on my site on his sidebar and add to my monstrous numbers as I crush the competition like Godzilla over Tokyo.

Did anyone watch the All-Star Homerun Derby yesterday on ESPN? Bobby Abreu of the Philadelphia Phillies broke the all time record of homeruns in a single round, and ultimately broke the record of homeruns for the whole competition. Wait, broke isn't the word: SHATTERED. The old record for one round was 16, Abreu hit an amazing 24. This wasn't an wasy home run park like Wrigley, either, this was in Comerica Park in Detroit, where it's a bit harder to hit a homer.

It was amazing to watch him, hitting ball after ball into the stands, making it seem so easy. The closest anyone else came in the first round was 17 (which also broke the record) by David Ortiz. Abreu just dominated, though in the second round he was a bit shaky, only hitting 6 (which is still impressive).

...and wasn't Miguel Cabrera, from the Florida Marlins and a fellow Venezuelan so cute as he cheered along the sidelines and waved his flag around?

Hometown favorite Ivan Rodriguez, who I like to call 'No-Longer-Pudge' Rodriguez made it to the finals as well. I was amazed to see how much weight Pudge had lost - about 20-25 pounds, who know such an attractive man was under all the burly muscle. However, this only fuels the rumors that this sudden weight loss was because he stopped using steroids after Jose 'the tattle' Conseco outted him last year.

People wonder how good baseball will be now that all the players are cleaning themselves up - if there would still be strong players, if homeruns will still be hit out of the park. Yesterday proved that, yes, homeruns still exist, and you don't need steroids to do it.

Congratulations, Bobby Abreu! Congratulations Venezuela!

Sometimes at work, I need a little stress relief. Not saying that I *did* this at work or anything, but if I did surf the internet at work, I would have done this.

This is dedicated to those two crazy party animals, Aquaman and Redpac.

This made us laugh out loud.

Really hard.

The Super Secret Trailer for the Wedding Crashers

Here's a cool weblog survey that's being run by MIT.

The results are pretty interesting, though you can't see them til you take the survey.

As you all know, I'm obsessed with celebrity news, because my life is boring and I have nothing better to do than keep track of what's going on in their lives.

Kelly Clarkson Pregnant?

I swear I heard it on the radio this morning, but it was hard for me to find any information on it. Actually, I found none. Which leads me to believe that maybe it was just a cocaine induced dream. But hey, if you do find out later on that she's knocked up, you heard it here first!

Bennifer is Official!

Looks like Jennifer Garner is the woman who finally tamed Ben Affleck. Reports say that they got married last weekend in the Caribbean. If you haven't heard, she's a couple months pregnant, so this probably has something to do with the quick nuptials. Did I spell that right? All I know is that I spelled it wrong for my cousin's wedding program and, well, you know, it's kind of embarrassing.

Angelina Jolie Pregnant?

Seems like every woman on the earth is pregnant except for me. I need to catch up.

With that said, the New York Post gossip column says that Angelina Jolie is also pregnant. I don't know about that one, because she seems like she'd rather just adopt a dozen kids rather than stop her career to be pregnant for 9 months. Then again, she's dating Brad Pitt, so why not have his children and create a race of super hot, amazingly beautiful sexually ambiguous children? Something tells me that even being bloated at nine months with hobbit's feet Angie will still be incredibly stunning. Bitch.

Tom Cruise Must Be Stopped!

Seems like there's some sort of online petition to boycott 'War of the Worlds'. It's addressed to Steven Spielberg and has a listing of grievances against Cruise.

We, the undersigned, wish to inform you that we are compelled to boycott your movie “War of the Worlds”. Our decision is based solely on the abhorrent behavior of Mr. Tom Cruise. We will not be spending our good money to support the ridiculous and potentially dangerous antics of this raving narcissist. Mr. Cruise’s actions and comments have been offensive and insulting when not downright laughable.

Sure, I think that Tommy's fallen off the deep ends and may need a little time off, but that really won't stop me from seeing his movie. I still think he's a great actor and that Spielberg will still put out a quality movie. If you look at Tom's resume of movies, it would be hard to argue that he hasn't made good choices for movie roles.

Hmm...that's all I have for you right now! I'm sure more will pop up soon!

I was noticing my 'Vote for Derrek Lee' thread getting a lot of Lee hating and Pujols lovin' today, and I was wondering what was going on...so I checked my stats and I found this link:

St. Louis Today Forums

First of all, I'm not a guy! Second, I'm not delirious. I just love my team and I think that someone else deserves a chance to make it to the All-Star game.

Some people can be really jerky.

Because of this, I'll tell you all out there to vote for Derrek Lee in the All Star Game again.

In news that's not about the Michael Jackson trial and TomKat's engagement, Jennifer Aniston has admitted that Brad Pitt cheated on her.

Wow.

Big surprise.

Anyway, I LOVE thesuperficial.com's take on why it's OK to cheat with Angelina Jolie:

It shouldn’t even count as cheating if you do it with Angelina Jolie. She should be some kind of exception, cause really, what choice do you have. It should just be understood that if Angelina is around, any social or sexual norms go right out the window. So if you see a general assembly at the UN and all the ambassadors have their feet up on the table and are masturbating, at first you might think, “Well that’s weird,” but then the camera would pan over to Jolie on stage giving a speech about starving babies getting ripped apart by crocodiles and you’d think, “Oh ok, I get it now.” And then you would take off your pants.

Man, how I love that site!

[update] I'm a big fat liar. The story was a hoax. However, it doesn't make the Angelina Jolie comment any less funny!

I was surfing channels and passed by the UPN, which had Britney Spears and Kevin what-his-name's wedding on, and uh, left the TV on there. *hangs head in shame*. It's because the remote broke. OK, fine, there was nothing else to watch. FINE! FINE! I wanted to watch their wedding.

It sucked. But I was too lazy to change the channel.

Anyway, they had a commercial on for a new reality show coming up starring Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, the TC of the old RnB gal group 'TLC'. Turns out they'll be touring the country looking for a girl to tour with and round out their trio, which will be turned into a reality show called "R U the Girl" or "R U that Girl" or something like that. It's never said that they're looking for a replacement for Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, but that's kind of how it feels. Sorry, but without her, it'll never be TLC again. In a weird way, I almost feel betrayed that they're looking for someone else like this. Of course, they're just finding someone to sing with, I doubt anyone could ever take the place of Left Eye, but still, I don't think it's the best thing to do.

But will I watch it?

You betcha.

errr....probably not.

Got an email from major league basebally today, telling me that Derrek Lee is second in the All Star voting for first basemen. He's behind the St. Louis Cardinal's Albert Pujols in the ranks, by a couple hundred thousand. Why? I can't understand it. Lee is having the BEST year, leading the league in home runs, hitting average, and RBI's. Well, I can understand it a little. Pujols had a great year last year, and he plays on one of the best teams out there. Lee has just found his groove this year, he wasn't anything spectacular last year, supporting Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou last year.

But Derrek Lee deserves to win. Of course, I know that voting is a popularity contest, not the guy who has the best stats. Pujols is popular, he has the following, people remember his name. I just hope that the Cub fans out there remember to get their votes in and that maybe Derrek will get his chance to shine.

I've finally found a flaw in Derrek Lee: He stinks at self-promotion. He's much too modest, selfless, team-driven and all those other terrible quirks, one explanation why he has fewer than half the All-Star votes of Albert Pujols even though Lee leads the major leagues in batting average, home runs, RBI and my new geek-stat, MSAB.

That would be Must-See At-Bats, another way of saying we'll drop everything and stare in transfixed awe when Lee is stalking a pitcher, no matter if the Cubs are playing at night in California and keeping us from sleeping or engaging in other functions.

"Unassuming Lee deserves your votes"
Chicago Sun Times

So go out to the MLB site and vote for Derrek Lee. Get your friends to vote for Derrek. Get your mom to vote for him. Vote for him every day. Stuff those ballots, baby, I don't want St. Louis to monopolize the All-Star game because they have nothing else to do out there than vote for their team into the All-Stars.

Go here for the all star ballot!!!

Come on Cub fans!

Added 6/22/05

Hey St. Louis fans that are coming from the forums - I don't mean any disrespect to Pujols - I had stated that he's a great player. Is it so wrong to cheer on a guy from my home team? Don't take the low ground and call me delirious, or even worse, A GUY (hello, I'm not a guy) by ragging on someone else's opinion. Pujols is winning anyway, why are you all so hot and bothered? I know St. Louis fans hate us, though I can't figure out why, since we're not really a threat if you look at the rankings, so calm down people!

I haven't let Dave see this link yet, but here's one for all of my male readers out there who love Jessica Alba. Beware of the link, there's some not-so-safe for work pictures there.

Jessica Alba at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards

I gotta admit, she got away with being pretty risqué in a not so slutty way (think Rose McGowan's really flashy outfit several years ago). The dress is actually really pretty. I find this move pretty surprising, considering she wouldn't do a nude scene in Sin City (her character was topless in the book). Damn her and her perky boobs. I was hoping that the reason she wouldn't go topless was because she had pepperoni nipples, that her breasts where lopsided or her areolas were in the shape of Texas or something. No such luck. The gal is still perfect. Well, except for some of her movie choices.

So enjoy the pic, boys!!!

-------

For you gals out there, check out 'Strip Search' on VH1, where the cute and sexy Rachel Perry (who is #1 on my list of celebs that I want to be my best friend) goes across the country to find men to be in the male revue 'The Thunder Down Under'. It's pretty funny.

Like Boggle?

Need some stress relief?

Try out WEBoggle, Boggle on the internet. You play against other players, and there's a time limit. It's pretty fun and it takes your mind off of worries, something that I've really needed lately.

Play WEBoggle.

Beware - there's some REALLY smart players! (and i'm not one of them)

Just a quick reminder to you all...

My birthday is in a week.

Here's my Amazon Wishlist, if you need ideas of what to get me:

Yano's Amazon Wish List

I'm constantly wanting things, but when it actually comes down to making a list of the things I want, I can't think of a single thing. Well, ok, I can think of about 100 things, but still, I need to think a little more about what I really want.

For those of you who love your celebrity gossip as much as I do, there's a new site out there called 'The Superficial' that dishes out the latest in Hollywood gossip, complete with pictures. Because what fun would gossip be without pictures to make fun of? How else would I live vicariously through the lives of the stars?

On the Superficial's front page today are stories like Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey's breakup, Jet Li's latest movie, Paris Hilton's latest Burger King commercial, and a whole lot more. They also have pictures from the Star Wars premiere, to which Natalie Portman came out bald and beautiful. One of the best things about the Superficial isn't the pictures, it's the commentary:

Natalie Portman looked confusingly hot in that first picture with her new shaved head, but these pictures don’t really back that up. Now she looks like some kind of sexy killing machine from the future. Based on my extensive knowledge of sexy killing machine from the future movies, I’m forced to report that the real Natalie Portman has been dead for some time. Happily, that improves my chance of having sex with her. There are no pictures of her arriving at this event riding on the back of some mutated super-lizard and whipping it to make it heel, but I think it’s pretty obvious that she did.

This is what they had to say about the skinny pictures of Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie that I had posted yesterday:

(The Superficial puts its hands in its pockets, whistles and stares at the ceiling. But would this be a bad time to mention that delusions brought on by malnutrition and week long coke binges is no excuse for aqua-blue shoes with a bright red dress. Even the homeless guy down the street knows to just stick with earth tones if you don’t have any fashion sense, and he drinks his own urine.)

Hilarious! This will definitely become one of my daily reads.

If I don't forget that it exists, that is...

There seems to be a virus on AIM going around. Beware when someone sends you a link out of the blue, it could be a virus. The title of the link (that I've heard of, anyway) is "IS this you?" or something like that. Always make sure that someone is legitmately sending you a a link or something before you click on it. It may come from a friend, because once infected, it sends it to everyone on your buddy list.

This isn't a hoax, because I know several people who've had it happen to them already.

If you're infected, try the troubleshooting tips here:
http://www.aim.com/help_faq/security/trojan.adp

I frequent some messageboards here and there, mostly for stress relief and to pass the time when I'm traveling. On one of the comic book messageboards I check out, they were having a contest. The creators of the Image comic 'NYC Mech' were holding a contest for the best signature that pimped out their book. [A signature is a block of text or an image that follows every post you make.] I love to play with Photoshop, but I've never entered any contests (never finished that color contest from a while back - got too busy). I post a message that I might try it out. How could it hurt? If I lose, I lose. I wanted to wait it out to see the other submissions that were posted, and I got really nervous. These people were really good, really creative. I'm really competitive, but only when it's something I know I can excel in, when I know that the people I'm up against are my peers. In this case, I thought I was a little out of my league. It was nearing the due date, and I hadn't submitted anything.

Turns out I had some free time in an airport while my flight was delayed, so I whipped something together. I tried several things, but my vision of what I wanted just wasn't working out. Finally, I came up with something that I was pleased with, but not ecstatic about. I just wanted to enter something, anything, just to try.

So here's my entry:

...and guess what?

I won!

It's the first time I've won anything since 8th grade, when my art was posted at the Art Institute (it was a poem and drawing of Chicago).

So lucky me, I get to have my likeness made into a comic character in NYC Mech, and she is to be named (I think) Yano, because
Christine is pretty boring.

Once the issue comes out, I'll be sure to scan it and put it up here!

Breaking news from Redpac - this weekend is FREE FROSTY WEEKEND at Wendy's! (Friday through Sunday)

Free Frosty Weekend

Diet be damned, I'm gonna go and get me one!

Don't forget to say 'please'. No one wants a Spit Frosty now, do we?

...her hair, that is. Yep, the lovely Natalie Portman has shaved her head, and I think she looks pretty good. Yeah, of course she looks like she's channeling Sinead O'Connor, but I always thought Sinead was pretty, too!

Here's the text so you don't hurt your eyes trying to read the article:

Level-headed young NATALIE PORTMAN is anticipating a range of responses to her spare new hairdo. "Some people will think I'm a neo-Nazi," the Garden State star suspects, "or that I have cancer or I'm a lesbian." We would also like to warn her of a probable "Hey, Sinéad!" faction. You see, this isn't like Britney Spears going brunet. Portman, the exotically coiffed Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith, allowed her petite pate to be shaved on camera in Berlin last week, a process she describes as "really exciting." The 23-year-old's shoulder-length chestnut locks were sheared for a prison scene in this fall's futuristic drama V for Vendetta. In this next film from the makers of the Matrix trilogy, Portman plays a suspected terrorist in a totalitarian state. Days after the shoot, she says, "I can't stop rubbing my head. It's so soft, I might keep it for a while." Hmm, a hot new bald star with action-adventure experience? Somewhere Vin Diesel's agent is quietly freaking out.

I think she looks pretty good, don't you? She looks like she's ready to kick some ass here! Then again, I think Nat's a natural beauty, so having her head shaven wouldn't take anything away from it anyway. There are some actresses in Hollywood who would look horrific if you shaved their heads and took off all their makeup, but not Natalie! I wish I looked that good bald. Then again, I've never tried. *ponders*

[picture from natalieportman.com]

Thought this was pretty funny:

Chicken Ticketed for Crossing the Road

RIDGECREST, Calif. - Linc and Helena Moore may have finally learned the answer to that age-old question: Why did the chicken cross the road? Because the chicken doesn't know jaywalking is illegal.

Kern County Sheriff's Deputy J. Nicholson does know, however. The deputy issued a ticket on March 26 to one of the couple's chickens for impeding traffic on a road in Johannesburg, a rural mining community southeast of Ridgecrest.

The Moores arrived in Superior Court on Friday to plead not guilty to their chicken's alleged transgression. A trial was scheduled for May 16.

Nicholson has declined to discuss the matter, but sheriff's Sgt. Francis Moore said chickens on the roadway have been a problem in the community of 50 residents. Officials didn't believe it could be resolved by simply issuing the couple a warning.

"Sometimes you have to let people talk to the judge," Moore said.

The chicken's owners say they believe they were cited because they were among several people who complained that sheriff's deputies haven't done enough to control off-road vehicle riders who damage roads and create dust and noise in their neighborhood.

Sheriff's officials say that isn't so, adding they are doing what they can to keep off-roaders away from the area's homes.

"The chicken thing has nothing to do with the motorcycle thing," Moore said.

From Yahoo!

I'm always looking for cool illustration sites to drool over and inspire me, and I've found this awesome blog that gives links to a whole bunch of awesome artists.

Drawn!

There's some great stuff here, and it's updated often.

I have two friends doing the AIDS/Lifecycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and countless hours of training and conditioning to do this ride, and I admire Raven and Dave K for doing this. They have to raise a certain amount of money to do the ride, because if they don't, they can't be part of the race. It's not chump change they're aiming for, either, they've got high expectations, but I think that with enough support, they can meet their goals.

Click on these icons to sponsor them - they could really use the help, and it's all for a good cause!

Sponsor Dave!	Sponsor Raven!

This provides five minutes of entertainment, or if you're certain people who sit across from me at work, an hour.

The Mueller Invitational 2005

I had a tough time with some of the brackets, like with Eva Mendes, Natalie Portman, Angelina Jolie, Eva Longoria, etc. So many to choose from!

How are you choosing them? Based on your own criteria - there are no rules. So vote the winner based on who you think is the hottest, who annoys you the least, who is all around the best, who you think would win in a drunken catfight, in slow motion, in a shower...

I'll post up my final four and winners in the comments...I'd love to hear yours!

For any of you who have been curious about ABC's hit show 'Lost', but feel you can't catch up so late in the season, ABC will be having a special tonight going over the key points in the show. It's not the same as watching all the past episodes, but it should be a good start. This is my favorite show right now - it's smart, it's suspenseful, it's well written, the cast is very easy on the eyes, and it's filmed in Hawaii. It's addicting!

If you don't watch tonight's show, the DVD comes out in September, and you can be SURE that I'm going to be buying it and having a 'Lost' marathon at my place!

Found this link to this site, which is pretty cool. It's basically an art project, and people send in their secrets onto a postcard and this site posts them. Some are funny, some are sad, some are disturbing, but it's all pretty fascinating.

Post Secret

Looks like the Virgin Mary has made an appearance disguised as a waterstain underneath the Fullerton viaduct along the Kennedy Expressway (I-90) in Chicago. It has slowed down traffic, but IDOT (the Illinois Department of Transportation) is handling it. As far as I know, there are no plans to take it down or stop people from seeing it - I mean, who would hose down the Virgin Mary? Not me!

[edit]
They actually did a clip on the Today show about this. Hundreds of people are flocking to the Fullerton underpass. The Pilish community thinks it's a miracle after Pope John II's death, the Mexican community says that it looks just like Our Lady of Guadalupe. I think it looks like the latter.

I've seen the ads on VH1, so it got me curious:

one.org

What is it?

ONE is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans – ONE by ONE – to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. The ONE Campaign is engaging Americans through a diverse coalition of faith-based and anti-poverty organizers to show the steps people can take, ONE by ONE, to fight global AIDS and poverty.

It looks interesting, and one of the partners that is included in the blanket of organizations is Oxfam, which is who we did fundraisers for back in school. They've got a special place in my heart, after all those little house shaped collection boxes that we'd fill up during Lent.

What's the goal?

The ONE Campaign seeks to give Americans a voice, to ring church bells and cell phones, on campuses and in coffee shops, for an historic pact to fight the global AIDS emergency and end extreme poverty. We believe that allocating an additional ONE percent of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food, would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation of the poorest countries.

A pretty admirable goal. I think it could be hard to achieve, since there are so many other things fighting for budget space - education, funding for medical research, etc. But wouldn't it be great if we could allocate 1% to help out other countries? Money that would normally go to researching the best bio weapon or that's helping purchase a senator's summer home.

So check it out, see if you're interested in signing up.

Hey, Steve Buscemi supports it - that was enough for me!

Ever wondered about Area 51, and if it's real or not? Check out these links. They're pretty cool.

Oh, if only Mulder was still around!

Area 51 from the air

Groom Lake

Unfortunately, no shots of little green men. They must have special shields that hide them from satellite imaging.

Ivan Brandon posted this link up on the Image boards, though you guys would have fun with it.

Take the test ->How fast do you type?

My heart was beating so fast when I was taking the test. I hate being timed. I also cannot type without needing to look at the keyboard. My fingers know where everything is, but my mind needs the assurance.

Anyway, my speed is 71 WPM with 3 mistakes (adjusted speed 68 WPM).

What's yours?

Carey: 'Glitter' Was a Lighthearted Distraction From 9/11

Superstar Mariah Carey can see a positive side to the critical-mauling and poor sales of her Glitter film and soundtrack album - it cheered up Americans following the September 11th attacks. The semi-autobiographical film was released only a month after the singer's much-publicized breakdown and ten days after the terrorists attacks in New York and Washington DC. Carey tells the New York Post newspaper, "The problem was Glitter was about a diva moment. It was too close to my life. Another thing that people don't remember about Glitter is that it came out the week of 9/11. The movie became a pressure release for everyone dealing the intensity of the attacks. Glitter was the safe joke of the day."

Yeah, Mariah, you keep on telling yourself that.

We watched the Illini lose yesterday. We sat at Manny's, watching the team trail by 15 points, then suddenly come back late in the game and tie it at 70-70. Some teams may have given up. Not the Illini. Leading up to that tie, we were hooting, hollerin' cheering and yelling 'I-L-L! I-N-I!'

Then Luther Head made a bad pass. Some shots were missed. But not by North Carolina.

So the magic ending that we wanted didn't happen. There were no screams of amazement, no tears of happiness, no victory dances or rewinding the video tape to watch the amazing ending.

Just silence.

As much silence as a room full of people could make, which, surprisingly, is a lot.

The season is over. The dream is over.

But what a dream it was! What a fantastic ride that the Illini took us on. It brought all of us together, made us so proud of our school, our team, and brought back a million and one memories of college. This was a team that was good, a team that you couldn't help but love. A team that everyone doubted, but you knew they had it in them to make it all the way. They almost did. We were right there!

So I'm bummed today, there's something in the pit of my stomach that I can't get rid of. I really wanted them to win - for the team that they were, because they are great guys and Bruce Weber just deserves it. I wish I could go back in time and tell James Augustine to watch his hands, not to foul out. To tell Luther and Daron to watch those threes at the end, to tell Dee to drive in and draw those fouls. But that's not going to happen. All I can do is bask in the afterglow of a great season. A season that we shouldn't hang our head over.

This could be the start of a legacy - the start of something good.

---------------------

There was a rally for the Illini at Memorial Stadium today. We missed it because we have to work, and we didn't realize it was televised on TV (anyone have it on tape?) They estimated about 30,000 people at the stadium - there to cheer on the team that united them all, that made them proud to wear orange. (Rumor has it that North Carolina had 11,000 at their celebration) Everyone made speeches, topped off with Bruce Weber's touching speech.

If you've missed it, you can catch clips of the speeches on the CBS website by clicking here.

Yesterday when we got home, Dave said quietly as I turned on the TV, 'No sports. Not right now.' I just about fainted. Of course, that didn't last long. But he's worse off than me, really wanting that win.

I did read a couple articles, and one article I really liked:

Sports archivists tend to remember only the champs, not the runners-up. In this case, they'll remember the power moves of May, a future NBA All-Star among Illinois overachievers. And that will be so unfair, so wrong. Because if any second-place team deserves a place in lore, it's the Illini, who went down Fighting as the moniker demands and the character of these players and this coach would have it. Has any team of kids been more proud and valiant in defeat? As we saw in the Arizona rally for the ages, they didn't fade away when the more gifted team took its own 15-point lead. They kept running, shooting, battling, chipping the lead to two before falling behind by 10, only to repeat the process all over again. When Head hit a three to tie the game at 70-70 with 2:36 left, that tingly feeling returned from the evening at Allstate Arena.

But even in defeat, Weber's job in lifting the program from an Elite Eight level -- hello, Bill Self -- to the Upper Crust is not to be forgotten. Afterward, he walked into the locker room in tears.

"I just hugged all the seniors,'' he said. "Luther got us back in the game. I hugged him and cried. He cried. I mean, he's just come so far. I couldn't be more proud of a kid. All of the kids.

"I hope everyone appreciates the journey.''

We did. More than they'll ever know.
JAY MARIOTTI SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Read the article. It's a tear jerker.

---------------------

...and you gotta love this quote by coach Weber:

"There is a certain coach, and I think a lot of you know him, but he was recruiting a player from our state this year and he told the play that at Illinois they talk about Big Ten championships and at his school they talk about national championships. Well, last night we played and they didn't and we're talking about national championships."

Why yes we are.

--------------------------

So thanks Bruce. Thanks to you and Daron, Dee, James, Roger, Luther, Jack, Nick, and all the rest of the Illini. Thanks for an awesome ride, and for being a class act, every step of the way. Thanks for showing us what a team really is, what it's like to be unselfish when you play basketball. You guys are the best!

It's the little things that bring joy to my life.

What, you ask?

G-Mail now has text formatting for emails.

Beware of the purple and blue bold highlighted emails from me!

Yay!

As some of you know, sports are a big deal in my house. So just for fun, I thought we could all put in our picks for the winners of the NCAA tournament. I've set up a group in ESPN that you all can join. It's fun, free and easy to use. So if even if you don't know much about college basketball, give it a try, you may just win! The top 3 at the end of the month will get the first ever yanowhatimean prize packs. Redpac has even volunteered to throw in some good stuff, too.

Deadline to join is Thursday morning - after that, the games begin!

Directions:

1.Go to http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage.

2. If you know your member name and password from past entries, sign in at the top of this page. If not click on Register for a free account and follow the directions to sign up. Then come back and login.

3. Once you are logged in, click on Create an Entry. If you don’t want lots of advertising emails, make sure you uncheck the boxes about promotional emails etc.

4. You can edit the default settings on the next page if you want to.

5. Then save your entry.

6. Now click on create or join a group.

7. Next to Access click on Private, then in the Search box type Yanowhatimean and click Search by Name.

8. Under Group Name click on Yanowhatimean. Then click Join this Group.

9. Type YWIM in the password box and click Join this Group.

10. You are now part of the group. Every time you login at the front page the group name will appear and you can click on it to go directly to the group page.

I think that's it. Let me know if you have any questions.

Some of you may know my fixation with the sport of short track...well, there's a new site out that ROCKS! It's called American Short Track and it's centered around the US Elite skaters. Check it out. The design is simple and easy to navigate through, and the photography is AMAZING. Some of you may recognize Pablo Galvez' incredible photography, and the mastermind behind it all is Denise D'Aguanno, a loyal YWIM reader.

If you're a fan, it'll make you love the sport more. If you're not, you just might find yourself liking it.

...and I'm not pimping it because I've helped out with the site.

OK. I am.

Since Sam complained about Jean Claude's dancing, I'll provide my male readers some eye candy, courtesy of Dan

So I bring to you....

Bouncing Beyonce!

Bouncylicious!!!

I apologize to you dial-up people, but I just had to post this on the site today. I'll take it down in a couple hours to save some bandwidth, but I wanted to share it with you here for right now.

I present to you, Jean Claude van Damme's sexy dance moves:
Watch Van Damme's Sexy Dance (I've made it a link to save me some bandwidth)

I was entranced for hours.

OK, a minute, but it felt like hours.

How did I ever find this guy sexy?

USA Today ran a pretty cool article on DC Comics and comic book movies. Its great that there have been so many lately ('Constantine' is actually based on a comic book called 'Hellblazer'). I only hope that it turns into profits for the comic book industry - we need more readers!

Anyway, they have a little poll here about what character needs to get their own movie, and in the list is a great, but underappreciated book by David Mack called 'Kabuki'. It's only got 1% of the votes right now and I've love to see it move up a bit.

Kabuki is a pretty complex book, and any description I give it won't give it justice, so I'll steal it off http://davidmackguide.com

While working as an operative for the Noh, an organization that polices the interwined realms of business, organized crime and politics in Japan, Kabuki becomes deeply affected by the death of her mother and can only relate to the world through the security of a mask.

She embarks on a quest to come to terms with her family, history, culture and identity - even if her personal crusade brings her in direct conflict with the powers she serves.

from davidmackguide.com

Doesn't it sound like it would be a kick ass movie? I'm also trying to get myself cast as an extra if the movie is ever made. I make a REALLY great tree - really believable.

So go on and vote for Kabuki. I know 'Aquaman' is there, but he's an underwater wuss, only good for beating me at pool, talking on the phone with his girlfriend at work and plugging in my laptop when I'm too lazy to do it on my own. He's not ready for the big screen yet.

DC Comics blazing a superhero trail back to big screen <-Vote for Kabuki in the poll!

So Republican Alan Keyes' daughter, Maya Marcel-Keyes, has come out as a liberal queer. This is a pretty big thing for a young 19 year old woman to do, especially considering her father's stance on homosexuality. It wasn't long ago that he called the daught of fellow Republican Dick Cheney a 'sinner' and homosexuality as "selfish hedonism".

What does Keyes have to say about this? "My daughter is an adult, and she is responsible for her own actions. What she chooses to do has nothing to do with my work or political activities." Hmm, I think it kinda does, don't you think?

What does the man who preached 'family values' do in this situation? Seek counseling? Accept it and keep on loving his daughter? Try to convert her? Nope. He kicks her out of the house and stops paying her tuition.

Don't you love parents?

I applaud Maya for her strength, for coming out when she knew she would lose so much. It would be interesting to hear the people who argue that people who are gay learn to be gay - considering that Maya (and I'm sure Mary Cheney) grew up in such conservative households. Or that people choose to be gay - why make a choice like that when you know you'd go through so much pain?

However, I'm starting to rethink my position after reading this list:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Why homosexual marriage should be banned:

1. Homosexuality is not natural, much like eyeglasses, polyester, and birth control.

2. Heterosexual marriages are valid because they produce children. Infertile couples and old people can't legally get married because the world needs more children.

3. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

4. Straight marriage will be less meaningful, since Britney Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage was meaningful.

5. Heterosexual marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are property, blacks can't marry whites, and divorce is illegal.

6. Gay marriage should be decided by people not the courts, because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of the minorities.

7. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

8. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

9. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

10. Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why single parents are forbidden to raise children.

11. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and we could never adapt to new social norms because we haven't adapted to cars or longer life spans.

12. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because a "separate but equal" institution is always constitutional. Separate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as separate marriages for gays and lesbians will.

A cool picture I got from Brad P.:

Sunset from Space

It's pretty awesome, check it out.

This story just makes me want to scream:

Two Durango teens thought they'd surprise neighbors with nighttime deliveries of home-baked treats. But one woman was so terrified, she sued and has won.

It seems that two teenage girls, Taylor Ostergaard and Lindsey Jo Zellitti, decided to bake some cookies for their neighbors as a surprise. They left packages of cookies on their neighbors doorsteps, knocked on the doors, and walked away. Inside one of the homes, however, Wanita Renea Young got scared by the knocking and called the police. When they came, they saw no wrongdoing. She was upset to find the cookies on the porch. So upset that the next day she went to the ER due to an anxiety attack.

Normal people would laugh, and maybe, just MAYBE be touched that these girls did such a sweet thing.

But not Wanita.

She sued the girls for her medical bills - $900. Even though the girls sent a letter of apology, she won't forgive them.

The families had offered to pay Young's medical bills if she would agree to indemnify the families against future claims.

Young wouldn't sign the agreement. She said the families' apologies rang false and weren't delivered in person. The matter went to court.

Young said she believes that the girls should not have been running from door to door late at night.

"Something bad could have happened to them," she said.

Is it just me, or does this just not seem right?

If someone was knocking on my door at night with cookies, nothing's gonna stop me from opening it and stealing ALL their cookies.

Gil was showing us this site yesterday. It's uncanny how it works. At first I was skeptical, but I can't figure out how this thing works!!! If any of you figure it out, let me know, because it's bugging me!

Flash Mind Reader"

All you have to do is choose a two digit number, do some math, match up your answer with a symbol, and click on a button. The Crystal ball then tells you what your symbol is. It gets me every time!!! Why?!?! Why?!?!?!

This was sent to me by several wonderful women. Thank you for notifying me about this:

Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill - Important legislation for all women.

Please send this to everyone in your address book. If there was ever a time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those times. If you are receiving this it's because I think you will take the 30 seconds to go and vote on this issue...and send it on to others you know who will do the same.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy.

It's about eliminating the "drive-through mastectomy" where women are forced to go home hours after surgery against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House signed on.

PLEASE!!!! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number.

Sign the pledge here

This takes about 2 seconds. PLEASE PASS THIS ON to your friends and family.
THANKS

There is a nice article that you can read about this bill in the link provided.

Most of you know that my mother had breast cancer. I only remember bits and pieces of the day she came back from the hospital, but I know that it's a very disorienting, depressing, confusing time. I don't know how long she was at the hospital but I don't think it was 48 hours. I think having that time to recover from the anesthesia, as well as to come to grips with the reality of the situation would be beneficial to women. Anything to make the process easier. Going into the hospital and being sent back home right after surgery because insurance won't pay the bill isn't right.

So when you get a chance, click on the link and make your voice heard.

Redpac wanted me to pimp out his January/February contests on his site. All you gotta do is either caption the photo he has there, or guess the closest date and time of the first time one of his companions pukes when they go to Mardi Gras. Easy, right? He always has ultra cool prize packs to give away, so there's no harm in trying!

--------------

As for the trivia game, there's a new topic up today (Easy General Trivia) and several people have already scored perfect tens. Sam didn't let Noelle's spanking of him yesterday bring him down and came back today with a perfect score of 10 in 59 seconds (yes, time DOES count!) Believe me, he doesn't take losing very well! So if you want to play along, just click on the link on the right navigation bar. Thanks to all who played yesterday, we've got a pretty competitive bunch of people here!

I got this idea from the Bendis Boards.

Does anyone like trivia here? I've started up a trivia game page, where every day the questions change, and you can compare your score against other people (including me). I don't make up the questions, so I get to play, too *wink*. Every month, the top 5 players for my trivia game get written to a Hall of Fame. It's a lot of fun, and you can join at any time, and play on any day you want. Take note, however, that you are being timed for the trivia, so no fair going out to the internet to hunt for answers - we'll know!

So if you've got a minute or two to spare today (there's only 10 questions each day) here's the link:

The Yanowhatimean Trivia Game!

Sorry, but you've got to register to play! Go ahead and invite whoever you want, the more the merrier!

Good luck everyone!

[edit] 21 people have played so far, and the competition is getting intense! Thanks to everyone who has played! Play it again tomorrow!

One of the best fundraising ideas EVER.

A whole bunch of restaurants in Illinois have come together and decided to donate the profits from their desserts for one week to disaster relief for the tsunami victimes.

In response to the recent tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia, the Illinois Restaurant Association has organized "Desserts for Disaster" Week, to take place from January 24 - 29, 2005. Participating restaurants will contribute the weekly profits from their dessert sales to the American Red Cross.

Here's a couple of the participating places:
- Harry Caray's Restaurant
- Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
- Mike Ditka's Restaurant
- White Castle
- The Signature Room at the 95th
- Alexander's Steakhouse

Click here for a full list of restaurants. Some restaurants have different level of contribution, so check the site for the details.

For those of you who've started a blog, but need a way to promote it, here's another site, much like BlogExplosion.

BlogClicker the same premise - you surf blogs and in return, you get points which will cause other people to surf your site in return.

A word of warning - just because you go on these sites and surf your heart away, making your own stats go up, don't have your heart set on getting comments from people. Sure, people will be going on your site, but on BE you only have to wait 30 seconds before moving on to another site. Sometimes people are just waiting for that time to be over to move on. Sometimes that sucks, but there's always that one or two people who see what you have on your site and actually care enough to leave a comment. And you never know - you may find a regular reader or two in the hundreds that pass by your site.

It's a chance you take.

On the other side, there are a lot of boring blogs out there. (If you dare say this one, you're gonna get one in the eye, buddy!) But in surfing these sites, I've found a lot of great sites. I might even start a 'Blog of the Week' or something like that, though knowing me, it'll end up being a 'blog of the month' because I'll be too lazy to do it every week.

So go ahead and check out blog clicker. As what usually happens when I pimp out places like this, make sure that you use the link on my site so I can be your pimp and get points for telling you to join. *wink*

I mentioned several weeks ago that I'm using Firefox as my browser now. One of the hangups was that it takes its time loading images and things, but thanks to Redpac I found a workaround that makes it fly!

Speed up Firefox

Enjoy!

I know I was critical before about the response of our government to the devastating tsunami destruction in Asia, but the news today gave a light of hope - not only for the US response to the tragedy, but something that could bridge the gap between the Red vs. Blue that our country has turned into after the election.

Bush, Clinton to Lead Tsunami Fund Raising

Even before the White House campaign, private donations had been running at virtually unprecedented levels since immediately after the earthquake that led to the tsunami.

Under the new fund-raising drive, to be coordinated by the White House's USA Freedom Corps, an office that encourages volunteering, Clinton and the first President Bush will solicit donations by doing media interviews and traveling the country. They also will tap into their own networks of contacts to try to pry donations from corporations, foundations and the wealthy, said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

For you comic book readers out there (all 3 of you), one of the message boards I go to has gotten together to auction off art for charity. Go on and click the link below:

I've offered up one of my Michael Turner sketches, and although it's hard to part with it, I know it's going to a good cause. So head on over to that site and see what goods people have to offer - all the proceeds go to tsunami relief.

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In other news, Barack Obama gets sworn in tomorrow. He's got a lot of expectation weighing down on him, but he seems to be well grounded and has a good perspective on things:

In the capital, Democrats view the freshman legislator's star power as a sort of counterweight to the Republican victories in November.

Obama rejects the notion that he could single-handedly resurrect his party.

"I don't think that we need a Messiah," he said Monday when asked who could return Democrats to power. "We just need people to gather together and create a framework by which it can be done."

So I've downloaded Firefox to use on my laptop. It's got popup blocker, has the ability to have tabs for all the different sites I'm browsing, spyware prevention, easy search tools, customizable tool bar and maintains icons for sites (like this one). I can surf 10 sites at once and go back an forth between them. I think I'm in love!

So if you're in the mood to try out a new browser, check out Mozilla Firefox. It's pretty cool. Beware - there are a good amount of sites out there that don't work or look a little bit quirky. Like this one - the pop up picture windows are really loco - it's all skewed. A challenge to take care of next year.

I revel in my geekiness.

Dan is having a contest over at his photo site. All you have to do is guess what's going on in the pictures, and you'll get a really really cool prize. If the winner is someone I know or who posts on this blog, I'll throw in some extra goodies. Short track fans, you're already one step ahead of the game...

Check out Dan's contest!

Check out the main photo site if you want to see a nice blackmail photo he has of a certain site webmaster who shall remain nameless. Poor webmasters, they get all the shitty jobs to do.

Awesome article -

Woman warrior found in Iranian tomb

These days, Iranian women are not even allowed to watch men compete on the soccer field, but 2,000 years ago they could have been carving the boys to pieces on the battlefield.

OK, here's my answers to your questions. I've tried to be as honest as possible. Thanks for playing everyone. We just may do something like this again.

Nav:
1. What do you think of Pres. Bush? I didn't vote for him, but he's the president we've got. I don't trust him, and I'm interested to see how he does in the next four years - he's made a lot of promises, and if things go down, he has no one to blame but himself.
2. Have you ever tried weed? Nope. Been in the room when other people have smoked it, but never actually tried it. I've got a natural high.
3. What's your worst memory? Being in the room as my mother passed away and listening to the wailing of my relatives.

Joy
1) What kind of favors did you have at your wedding reception? My mother in law got these seashell boxes made. The outside kind of looked mother-of-pearl-ish and the top has some decorations in shells. Inside were mints.
2) What kind of gifts did you give your groomsmen? We gave our whole wedding party a gift certificate for a 30 minute massage at a nice spa in Chicago.
3) What is your favorite memory from your wedding day? Taking pictures at Wrigley Field. We had so much fun we didn't want to go back. We were married and we were surrounded by our family and our best friends.

Linda
1. If you could live in any country (but the U.S.), which would it be? Italy. It looks like such a beautiful country!
2. What one food can you not live without? Rice. Grew up on it. Can't imagine life without it!
3. If you could live in the shoes of any celebrity, who would it be? That's a tough one. Maybe Natalie Portman. She's sophisticated, beautiful, but not too full of herself. She seems to lead a very charmed life.

Bumblebootie
1. Do you prefer living in Chicago or LA? Chicago. That's where my heart is.
2. What was your favorite high school memory? Going to Disneyworld with the band. Tons of fun!
3. What do you want for christmas? I dunno. It's so hard to decide! I think a food processor of sorts - something that minces so I don't have to chop as much!

DeAnn
1. Your favorite band/musical artist? Right now, Alicia Keys.
2. Your favorite book or author? Anne McCaffery
3. Your favorite movie? The Princess Bride

chris
1. You take such good pictures... What kind of camera are you using? I use an Olympus Camedia C-750. It's got a 10x zoom which is about 3 times stronger than most other cams out there.
2. 2 part... Do you use an html editor to make your pictures pop up from the thumbnails, resize the window, and move to the front... or do you write the code yourself? If you use an editor... which one? I use javascript to make the pictures pop up. I wrote a tutorial that went over something similar. However, instead of coding it from scratch each time, I have an excel spreadsheet that has all the necessary coding and I just have to input the picture file name, and then copy and paste the code into my posts. When writing posts or anything like that, I just use notepad. When I'm trying to visually place layouts, I use MS Frontpage.
3. From fish owner to fish owner... Do you think fish drink water? Hmm. My gut says no. Water goes through them, but they don't drink it. Drink it as we humans drink it, that is. Does that make sense?

mipmup
1. where did you find the clip art for this site design? Its the cover of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Linda Karl. You can find it here at Barnes & Noble.
2. does dan think he is truly superman? Sometimes, yes. The rest of the time he thinks he's God. In both cases, dead wrong.
3. what is the temperature outside today? Mid thirties. About average for this time of the year.

carla
1. How is fatima (and yourself) doing? We're doing ok. Fatima's just chillin' at home since the downsizing. I'm getting my house prepared for Christmas.
2. Are you and fatima coming here anytime soon? If so, when? (sorry, i know that's 2 questions). I don't know the next time Fatima can come out, but Dave and I will be heading out there in early January to drive up to Mammoth for some snowboarding. Wanna come? The more the merrier, and the cheaper the place is we rented.
3. What drink would you recommend at cha for tea? I'd always been fond of the Iced Coffee with pearls, but the Thai Iced Tea is good, too. I don't think I've ever had anything there that's bad. The green concoction looks tasty - 'Golden Dream' or something fancy like that. I think I may have a card somewhere that's one point away from a free one. Want it? It does me no good here!

Marky Mark
1. Who cleans the bathroom the most, you or Dave? It's actually both of us. Dave does daily maintenance by vacuuming the floor and such. I do the shower and whoever cleans the toilet first is the winner.
2. Does Dave still get haircuts from Gil? Not in a while. Dental school has been keeping him busy. Dave's found another barber who he is content with, but his hair just hasn't been the same without Gil's special touch. However, I've notified Gil to shave Dave's head next time he asks him for a cute - just to give him a different look.
3. Can you tell Dave that Art Ledda says hi? Art thinks that he is a really good guy!! (in a non-gay sort of way) Done! Dave says, "Tell Mark and Art that I said hello and happy holidays. And that I think that they're good guys, but in a manly way."

Shannon
1. What's your happiest memory? My wedding day. It couldn't have been more perfect - I was surrounded by friends and family and I was having the time of my life.
2. If you could change one thing about yourself what would that one thing be? That's a tough one. I think it would be my memory. I want a better one. I'm constantly forgetting things and it causes me a lot of stress. Life would be a lot easier if I had a better memory.
3. If I could grant you one wish what would you wish for? Pay off my mortgage so I could use the money to buy lots of geeky things like comics and a new desktop.
and as a bonus... When's the real housewarming parrrttaaayyyy??? Christmas is a family housewarming. Not sure when the 'drunk til you drop' keg tapping housewarming is.

Wally
1) does Dave enjoy anal probes? (ala Cartman) Only from aliens. He doesn't enjoy carrots like some people we know.
2) Rank em (who's hot): Oz, Angel, Spike, Xandar Pre-Angel sitcom Angel, then spike, then Xander, then Oz. I'm not into Werewolves.
3) How does it feel that you're going to be 30 soon and that you have yet to bear any children? Rub it in, why don't ya? My clock is ticking. Since Dave wants 1000 children, I guess we should start soon. Hopefully the rest of my friends will get knocked up around the time I do so my offspring will have friends to share the embarrassment of Uncle Brian's crazy antics.

Sam
1) What's it like being an internet icon? It's pretty easy, actually. I actually had no idea I was. Thank you. Would you like some hot peppermint hot cocoa? Truthfully, I know a lot of people read my blog, more than the people that post. I find it a little weird that people could be so interested in my quirky life and the dorky things I choose to post each day. But I also think it's really cool that they care enough to come back.
2) Can you teach me how to make my own cool blog? Buy me food, make me hot cocoa the right way and shovel my snow and we could strike a deal.
3) When's the next company outing? You have just volunteered yourself to be the organizer! So I ask you, my friend, when's the next company outing?

Just in time for the holiday season, check here to discover your:

Secret Christmas Name

Mine is Cutie Chocolate.

Yum!

After a night out with the gang, we were listening to The Score (of course - Dave was driving) because Dave wants the Illini score from the night's game. Then we heard about the fight against the Pistons and the Pacers in Detroit. They said it was a pretty ugly fight, but we had no idea how bad it was until we got home and saw the replay.

It all started when Detroit's Ben Wallace went in for a layup and was fouled hard by Artest from behind, and escalated when Artest stormed into the stands after being hit by a full cup.

After being fouled, Wallace wheeled around and pushed Artest in the face. The benches emptied and punches were thrown.

As the players continued shoving each other near center court and coaches tried to restore order, Artest sprawled out on his back on the scorer's table, looking relaxed.

Just when it appeared tempers had died down, Artest was struck by a cup and beverage thrown from the stands. He jumped up, and charged into the stands, throwing punches as he climbed over seats.

Fans were punching back, and Jackson and another teammate joined Artest in the melee.

Actually, the fight between Artest and Wallace was over, with Artest laying down on the scoring table. Ironically, after the goul it was Wallace that was going after Artest and Artest was just walking way, eventually getting pushed down on the table and resting. Nothing more would have happened. But then someone threw a drink on Artest's face, and he just lost it, running up and climbing over the stands and starting to hit the wrong guy, with the dude who threw the cup trying to restrain him and then later throwing some cheap punches in.

Then the whole thing blew up.

It was fucking crazy, and pretty upsetting.

Ron Artest was at fault for losing his temper like that and crossing that invisible barrier. But a lot of the blame goes to the fans that take it too far by assaulting Artest, and the other ones who made the cheap shots on the players when they weren't looking during the melee. I don't care if these guys are making millions - when you're provoked, you're provoked. When people are throwing things in your face, when they're throwing cheap punches at you, you're going to fight back.

But those idiot Detroit fans made fools of themselves. I'm not talking about all of them. But those guys who were in the the fight, who threw the punches, the people who were throwing things on the team and the coaches as they were leaving the court. Something said on ESPN was "Fans believe that when they pay to go to these games, they are not only watching the games, they're a PART of these games." Which isn't the case. We go to these events to support the athletes. To watch them and enjoy the games. Not to be in their faces. Not to harrass them.

Where was security? Security should have been in there like THAT. Quicker than lightning. Surrounding the players right after the original scuffle started. But I didn't really see anyone. I saw a broadcaster coming out and try to control people, but I hardly saw any security in there.

Thanks to this, the fans and the reaction of the players, the game won't be the same. There'll be barricades separating the court and the seats. Courtside seats? Gone. Forget it. Beer in the second half? No way. Anal probes before you go into the stadium? You betcha.

Sadly, the line between what fans can do and what fans cannot do is getting blurred. Athletes not only have to worry about getting injured on the court, but now they can worry about getting injured by a fan.

I'm not excusing Artest's actions. He lost his temper. He should get suspended. But it could have all have been prevented if some asshole in the stands didn't try to be cool and throw his drink on the opposing team.

Lamar Odom of the Lakers saw it for the first time as he was being interviewed.

``Whoooo. When you see things like that, just think about what it takes for NBA players to go into a crowd,'' Odom said. ``Sometimes fans get kind of out of hand, but it must have taken a lot for NBA players to go into a crowd and start a fight.''

Poor Jim Gray, the reporter for ESPN who was at the game. Just watching him talk about his experience is saddening. You can tell that he's affected by it, as he speaks his voice is shaking as he says he's never seen anything like this.

Neither have I.

And I pity the people who were at the game to enjoy it. They've been showing a shot of one of the player's kids, who's hugging his older brother, crying because you could tell he was scared for the safety of his dad.

What's happening to our society?

Is this the NBA or the Vibe awards? It's getting really hard to tell the two apart.

Introducing, the Hardee's Monster Burger. Spitting in the face of the carbless, superhealthy society that we live in today. When the rest of the country is out having carb free wraps and salads with fat free dressing, Hardee's understands that there are some of us who are trying to find the fastest way to clog our arteries while maximizing taste bud happiness.

Boasting two 1/3 pound slabs of Angus beef, three slices of cheese, four strips of bacon, special sauce and a buttered bun, this jewel has a whopping 107 grams of fat and rejoices in the 1460 calories that it puts into your body. I'd like to call it "Instant Heart Attack - But At Least You're Smiling When it Happens". And the best thing about it - it's only about $5. $7 if you want to throw in fries and make it a combo meal, which you KNOW what to do. Oh, and be sure to make that a DIET Coke.

Look at it. You know you want it.

God bless you, Hardees.

Take THAT, Jarod!

While surfing through blogs on this site I found these two blogs which really touched me.

It's almost been a year since my mother passed away, and even now I'm still dealing with the conflicting feelings - anger, sadness, despair, longing. Feelings that I thought would eventually go away are still lingering, possibly forever. One of the things that I've been thinking about is how my mother felt, what she went through knowing that the end was near, that she was going to leave the people that she loved. During the last days she couldn't talk much, must of what she said was in a concentrated whisper, in the end we just had to figure out what her mouth was annunciating since there was no longer any sound.

I found the blog of a woman who was about the same age of my mom, who also had cancer and who knew that it was her last days. Treatment had stopped and she was on her way to a hospice. Her last post consisted of her goodbyes to her family - her husband, children and grandchildren. It hit me so hard because in a way, I could hear my mom talking through her words, I could imagine her saying the same things. What she wrote was beautiful, but it also brought back so many sad memories for me, and I was brought to tears just reading it.

Her daughter also has a blog, which I saw first (a link led me to her mother's site). Reading her words reporting her mother's death reminded me so much of what I went through when my mother died, how I debated on writing a post about it or to just write something simple. Her mother's last days were eerily close to what we went through - from the labored breathing to the problems with her mother's arm. It was a little comforting to read her post, but heartbeaking at the same time, knowing that other people go through the same thing that I did. But I wanted so much to tell her that it's going to be ok - it won't be great and life won't be the same, but life does move on.

So if you're up for depressing, but beautifully written sites, go ahead and check out these sites:

A Mother's Life in Disappearing Autumn (the mother)
Punkin Toes (the daughter)

This is a beautiful quote that was on the site:

". . . we paused and looked about us, and, slowly, as the sun made its way, we saw something, something that was all around and above us. We did not see the trees, we saw the gold, the same gold that some people spend their whole lives looking for. And, just as quickly as it came, the sun went down behind the mountain, and our gold disappeared. . ."

*sniff*

Here is a poem that Britney Spears posted on her website about her honeymoon:

Some crafty lyrical styin's she's got! Watch out, Dr. Dre, she could be your next protege!

I've seen this link around the 'net. The Brita filter isn't just for water!

Practical Applications of the Philosopher’s stone. For drunks.

Damn, I really could have used this in college!

I think there are three reasons bloggers stop blogging - the first is that there is no time to write. The second, that they really feel they have nothing to write about. The third is that no one is reading - there's no traffic going to their site.

Well, thanks to Tara I found an interesting place that not only brings traffic to your site, but where I've found so many interesting blogs to read. Though truthfully, there are a lot of boring blogs out there, but what blogexplosion does is at least I give the blog a chance. But there are so many interesting blogs out there, some of which I'll be highlighting in the future. The site is still pretty new, so I'm sure it'll get more popular as time goes on.

So check it out:

I swear, this is my last post for today. It's just been a pretty busy day!

Just wanted to share a contest with you on Redpac's photoblog:

I'll be in Arlington, VA all next week for work and I doubt I'll have a non-work internet connection. Pics to return next Saturday.

Anyone want to take a guess at how many emails I will have when I get back on Friday night? Closest one gets a Redpac Prize Pack which I will mail out to you (if I can't give it to you in person.) Leave a comment with your guess. Deadline for entry is Friday Nov. 12 at 10pm Central Time.

Here's a hint to base your guess on. From Friday afternoon till 7 pm Sunday I got 383 emails. Guess Away!

He's pretty desperate for guesses and asked me to pimp him out on my blog.

so far it looks like I have about 6 entries in the guess the email count contest...but I want more! Pimp the contest on your site. If the winning guess comes from a referal from your site you will also win a prize.

Can you sense the need in him? Poor thing. So head out over there, enjoy his pictures which Richard Roeper from the Chicago Sun-Times called "a ton of funny, irreverent stuff", and take a guess in his contest.

I can always go to Margaret Cho's blog and find something that can make me laugh or think. She doesn't pull any punches. Here's her post election thoughts that I wanted to share with you...click on the link above for her whole site:

I know that we would like to question the whole of democracy. I can't believe Bush won either, but there isn't time to despair. What is needed now is action, not hopelessness. What is important is that there has been tremendous progress in mobilizing people to create change. Remember, more voters turned out this year than in the last three decades. Although it might be said that we can't expect change overnight, there really was a very rapid shift in the way we view politics. We have become unafraid of voicing our opinions, using our power, pooling our resources, and allowing our differences to aid us instead of keeping us apart.

And I love this little bit (I was unaware of Britney's political affiliation until now):

My friend years ago had this joke, where he was talking about how he'd tell his girlfriend that he thought she was being a bitch, to which she'd reply - "Oh you'll KNOW when I'm being a bitch." Republicans don't even know how nasty we can be. You think people are pissed off today, just wait until the inauguration. Can you imagine all the boos and jeers during Brooks & Dunn's set? Just the radical uncoolness of their musicians compared to Democratic rock stars is fairly awesome to consider. Brooks & Dunn vs. Pearl Jam. Charlie Daniels going toe to toe with Bruce Springsteen. Leann Womack against Moby. Britney Spears facing off the entire Hip Hop Summit. If it wasn't so ridiculously sad, it would be funny. If 'these colors' don't run now, they will soon.

And from the hero of internet geeks everywhere, Wil Wheaton, who's view is a lot more extreme than mine, but I do have to agree with the first part...

Apparently, my country holds a fundamentally different set of values than I thought we did, and that scares the shit out of me. I still believe that Bush is bad for America, and though I'm virtually certain that the next four years will be an absolute disaster. Not just because we have gotten four more years of the Bush agenda, but because this election has been an enthusiastic endorsement of that agenda.

And from AndrewSullivan.com, who Walter described to me as a non-partisan homosexual blogger...

I've been trying to think of what to say about what appears to be the enormous success the Republicans had in using gay couples' rights to gain critical votes in key states. In eight more states now, gay couples have no relationship rights at all. Their legal ability to visit a spouse in hospital, to pass on property, to have legal protections for their children has been gutted. If you are a gay couple living in Alabama, you know one thing: your family has no standing under the law; and it can and will be violated by strangers. I'm not surprised by this. When you put a tiny and despised minority up for a popular vote, the minority usually loses. But it is deeply, deeply dispiriting nonetheless. A lot of gay people are devastated this morning, and terrified. We have seen, and not for the first time, how using fear of a minority can be so effective a tool in building a political movement. The single most important issue for Republican voters, according to exit polls, was not the war on terror or Iraq or the economy. It was "moral values." Karl Rove understood the American psyche better than I did. By demonizing gay couples, the Republicans were able to bring in whole swathes of new anti-gay believers into their party. With new senators Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn, two of the most anti-gay politicians in America, we can only brace ourselves for what is now coming.

Oh, and if you missed that DeMint fiasco, here's a ditty about it, from gay.com:

On the Oct. 17 show, Russert turned his sights on South Carolina senatorial candidate Jim DeMint. Russert played a debate video clip in which DeMint declared, "If a person is a practicing homosexual, they should not be teaching in our schools." DeMint later added that "a single woman who is pregnant and living with her boyfriend" should also be banned from classrooms.

Too many journalists back away from raising serious questions about bigotry for fear of appearing partisan. Russert understands that while today it is the GOP that traffics in prejudice, the next time around it could just as well be the Democrats or the Greens. Anyone who advocates discrimination should face strict scrutiny, no matter the ideological justification.

Bravo to Tim Russert. I'm sure John Stewart has a picture of you hanging on a wall somewhere. Anyway, if you want to read the whole exchange between Russert and DeMint, which is actually quite hilarious because DeMint just won't admit his feelings about the situation, you can check out the transcript at Only Connect.

Well, at least we got Barack Obama in the senate - by a whopping 70% of the vote - the biggest margin of victory in Illinois history!

"We have to remind ourselves that this is really the end of the beginning. This is not the end itself," Obama said in his victory speech Tuesday night. He won by 45 percentage points, collecting more votes than any Illinois politician in history

"In the ultimate equation we will not be measured by the margin of our victory, but we will be measured by whether we are able to deliver concrete improvements to the lives of so many people all across the state who are struggling," Obama said.

And to lighten things up a bit up in here, here's a little something about Nader, courtesy of The Onion:

Nader Supporters Blame Electoral Defeat On Bush, Kerry WASHINGTON, DC—Supporters of presidential candidate Ralph Nader blamed his defeat Tuesday on George W. Bush and John Kerry, claiming that the two candidates "ate up" his share of the electoral votes. "This election was stolen out from under Mr. Nader by Bush and Kerry, who diverted his votes to the right and the left," Nader campaign manager Theresa Amato said. "It's an outrage. If Nader were the only candidate, he would be president right now." In his concession speech, Nader characterized Bush and Kerry as spoilers.

Ok all, I'm getting off my soapbox. That's my last political post for a while. I hate getting involved with politics, but I just had to vent for a bit to get this all off my chest.

This post is made in memory of Aaron, who would have posted like crazy during this election and would have had a thousand articles referenced. I know he's up there, somewhere, saying, 'You guys are SCREWED!'

Just going through my referral logs and I found this:

Asian dating -- Over 2000 Filipinas, Over 1000 Chinese -- and More

Do a search for 'Yano'.

Eew. How did I get on this thing? Anyway, I'm taken, and I'm not available for mail order. Being sent out in a small box would make me horribly claustrophobic.

For you Angel/Buffy fans, they're going to be coming out with a Angel Puppet that was in the 'Smile Time' episode!

“SMILE TIME” ANGEL PUPPET HALF-SCALE REPLICA

A Diamond Select Release! From the imagination of series creator Joss Whedon came one of the funniest episodes in Buffy or Angel’s history, “Smile Time,” in which the brooding and ever-serious vampire with a soul was transformed into a puppet! This plush replica measures just over 21” high and is an exact ½-scale version of the prop puppet used in the episode. Featuring a faux leather coat, boots and a mouth that opens and closes (for that full puppet brooding effect!), “Smile Time” Angel is ready to come home with you and protect your teddy bears from the creatures that go bump in the night! “Smile Time” Angel comes packaged in deluxe window box packaging and will only be available in specialty market outlets.

In stores March 2005.

Ohh, he matches my layout so nicely!

Guess what cute little guy with a removable nose and expressive eyebrows is on my 2005 Christmas list?

""Medic! You're going to make it Angel, just don't stop fighting. Doctor! Is there a Gepetto in the house?"

Man, I miss that show!

Sadly, Rodney Dangerfield has passed away at the age of 82.

Dangerfield, who fell into a coma after undergoing heart surgery, died at 1:20 p.m., said publicist Kevin Sasaki. Dangerfield had a heart valve replaced Aug. 25 at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center.

Sasaki said in a statement that Dangerfield suffered a small stroke after the operation and developed infectious and abdominal complications. But in the past week he had emerged from the coma, the publicist said.

"When Rodney emerged, he kissed me, squeezed my hand and smiled for his doctors," Dangerfield's wife, Joan, said in the statement. The comic is also survived by two children from a previous marriage.

This is so sad. Along with Bob Hope, Rodney Dangerfield was one of the first comedians I remember growing up, with his trademark, "I don't get no respect!" line. I saw him in movies ('Caddyshack' rocked) and various television shows. He always made me laugh, and there has always been a feeling of comfort when I saw him. He's like the silly uncle you see at family parties.

So to Rodney, you'll be missed.

Much respect to ya.

Pay no attention to this post, but if you feel the need, visit these wonderful people!

This is probably one of the best websites ever, just for helping decrease my folding time by half!

I'm a folding monster now!

How to Fold a Shirt

As you know, fellow Chicago blogger and incredible soul Aaron passed away a couple weeks ago. There's been such an amazing outpouring on the net for him and his family, that it's even featured in the Sun Times, which ironically is the competition for the Tribune, which had featured The Uppity Negro as a top blog several years ago.

It's amazing and heartwarming the impact he has made on so many lives...

Fans flood Internet with grief at blogger's death - by Lucio Guerrero

"Uppity-negro.com was one of the first blogs I ever read, and probably the very first 'Black blog' I discovered, back when I was still wondering if there were any," wrote John Randolph on his blog, hiphopmusic.com. "Aaron was a pioneer in this corner of blogville that we inhabit, arguably paved the way for this site."

"He represented his views and principles with a passion and a wry humor that we could all strive to emulate. . . . I hope he knew how respected and valued he was by this community that he helped to build, and how many lives he touched with his words."

His voice paved the way for a lot of people to talk about issues, debate about things going on the in the world, and for people not to be afraid to voice their opinions.

Uppity-negro was a place where minority bloggers could turn for support, knowing that Hawkins would link their pages to his to assure more readers, giving everyone someone to read them.

Yeah, I was proud that I was blessed enough to be linked to Aaron's site. because that is the mark that I'm a cool blogger!

As soon as word hit the Net, memorials sprang up. Within days there were dozens of memorials dedicated to Hawkins.

"Aaron was Chicago to me," wrote Carol Logie. "We left for the Twin Cities in '99, and I was so terribly homesick. Then I heard Aaron's voice on an NPR commentary, and it made me so happy to have that quintessential bit of Chicago in my ears. That unmistakable voice, now stilled. I can't believe it. I am profoundly sad at the news of his passing."

Rest in peace, Aaron. Know that you are remembered, and missed.

Crispyfive posted the link to the Mia, so check it out if you haven't seen it. Crispyfive RULES!

http://miahamm.org/ThankYouMia.rm

The radio stations here have been speculating as to what Oprah's big secret is for today's show - from having a superstar guest speaker, to announcing her retirement, to announcing that she was running for political office. Today, it was revealed what that big secret is, and as always, she's surprised us and her in-studio audience.

Oprah Winfrey Gives Cars to Audience

CHICAGO (AP) -- Talk show host Oprah Winfrey celebrated the premiere of her 19th season Monday by surprising each of her 276 audience members with a new car.

"We're calling this our wildest dream season, because this year on the Oprah show, no dream is too wild, no surprise too impossible to pull off," Winfrey said.

Making sure the audience was kept in suspense, Winfrey opened the show by calling 11 audience members onto the stage. She gave each of them a car - a Pontiac G6.

She then had gift boxes distributed to the rest of the audience and said one of the boxes contained keys to a twelfth car. But when the audience members opened the boxes, each had a set of keys.

"Everybody gets a car! Everybody gets a car! Everybody gets a car!" Winfrey yelled as she jumped up and down on the stage.

The audience members screamed, cried and hugged each other - then followed Winfrey out to the parking lot of her Harpo Studios to see their Pontiacs, all decorated with giant red bows.

One woman stepped up onto the frame of a driver's side door, put her head on the roof and hugged the vehicle.

Winfrey said the audience members were chosen because their friends or family had written to the show about their need for a new car. One woman's young son said she drove a car that "looks like she got into a gunfight"; another couple had almost 400,000 miles on their two vehicles.

In other segments on the show, Winfrey surprised a 20-year-old girl who had spent years in foster care and homeless shelters with a four-year college scholarship, a makeover and $10,000 in clothes. And a family with eight foster children who were going to be kicked out of the house they were renting were given $130,000 to buy and repair the home.

"The Oprah Winfrey Show," which debuted in 1986, is syndicated to 212 domestic markets and 109 countries.

Say what you will, but you know if she ever runs for president, she's got it in the palm of her hand.

Just in case you ever wondered where you would fit into the Smurf world....

Here's the Smurf Name Generator

Mine is Odoriferous Smurf. Bastard name generators!

Dan has a pic of my eye at it's lumpiest on his photoblog. So if you were ever curious...go ahead and check it out!

You all may know my weakness for those little doughy sweet circles of heaven called Krispy Kremes. Ohh...I'm salivating just typing the word. Where was I?

Oh. Krispy Kremes.

Anyway, you can sign up to be a 'friend' of Krispy Kreme, and get a free small frozen blend. And the Krispy Kreme newsletter, too.

Sign up here!

Get outta that carb craze, and come back to Krispy Kremes!

This is one of those things that I always think about posting, but always forget. But thanks to Lupe, I remembered today, since she sent out an email to spread the word about this very important issue.

As most of you may know already, my mother, who had been fighting breast cancer for a long time, passed away last year. The things that she went through I wouldn't wish on my greatest enemy, and there's no worse feeling in life than knowing that someone you love is dying and there's no cure for them, nothing you can do about it.

But there are things you can do to help other people, to give them some hope that someday, there might be a cure, there might be something that we find that can lesson someone else's pain. It may not seem like much, but like they always say, every little bit counts.

As you may be aware, the US Postal Service recently released its new "Fund the Cure" stamp to help fund breast cancer research. The stamp was designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland. It is important that we take a stand against this disease that affects so many of our mothers, sisters and friends.

Instead of the routine 37 cents for a stamp, this one costs 40 cents. The additional 3 cents will go to breast cancer research. A "normal" book costs $7.40. This one is only $8.00. It takes a few minutes in line at the Post Office and means so much. If all stamps are sold, it will raise an additional
$35,000,000 for this vital research.

Just as important as the money is our support. What a statement it would make if the stamp outsold the lottery this week. What a statement it would
make that we care. I would urge you to do two things TODAY:

1. Go out and purchase some of these stamps.
2. E-mail your friends to do the same. We all know women and their families
whose lives are turned upside-down by breast cancer. It takes so little to do so much in this drive. I think we can all afford the additional 60 cents the new book costs.

Actually, this stamp has been around for more than 6 years, first being launched in 1998 and it was actually the first stamp created for fundraising reasons. You don't have to wait in line at the post office to get it, most stamp machines also carry the stamp, as well as a a receipt (because it's tax deductable). I've been getting this stamp for a while now, and that small amount of extra money that you pay goes a long way. And everyone needs stamps anyway, right? It's not like you have to go out of your way to donate, you just have to pay a little more.

I'm sure that you know someone out there who has or has had cancer, or someone that has passed away from it. You know how it affects the lives of those who have it, the lives of their loved ones. One thing that crosses my mind every now and then is that someday, I might have it - since my mother had it, the chances of me having it are higher. Or a relative might have it, or a friend. So this isn't just for the people who have breast cancer now, but those who will have it, as well.

So please, think about this the next time you're at the post office.

Feel free to copy this out and send it to your friends and family, the more people that know, the closer we get to a cure.

For more information, please check out www.curebreastcancer.org.

Thanks to Lara for her concern. Fortunately, my CRV is a 2000 model. Though I admit that I myself had on occasion felt like bursting into flames as my unprotected flesh touched my superheated charcoal leather seats on a sunny day.

First 2 people to post here get a GMail invite from yours truly.

What's GMail? Google's email service that gives you 1GB of storage space (1,000MB) and some cool features. It's still in beta so there are some things that it's still missing, but it's still pretty cool.

Do you have GMail and don't know what to do with your invites? Donate one to the troops! (I've donated one already) Check out this site where you can give a gmail invite to one of our servicemen...GMail4Troops.com. Wil Wheaton is involved, so it can't be a scam. (Because Wil is always right)

Wally had given this to me a while ago...

Touchgraph GoogleBrowser

Basically, it tells you what sites are related to the site that you enter. It uses a google search to make the relation. Then it shows you what sites are related to the sites that are related to your site. I think. OK, I have no idea. I don't have the patience to read the instructions.

But it looks cool!

Got a link to the Day Before Tomorrow parody from Joanna, and discovered the rest of the hilarious Movies in 15 Minutes that Cleo has made.

A couple of my favorites are Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and the Troy parodies:

Hey, Mom! Odysseus wants me to go out and fight, can I can I can I? - Troy
OUTTA MY WAY, PLEBE, IT’S MY TURN ON THE HORSYBIRD! - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Trust me. They're funny!

I had so much more to say today, but I forgot. I'm just so tired today. Not getting much sleep, because the time difference is still screwing with my head. I'm feeling really restless for some reason, and a little bit off. For some reason, a little bit melancholy and homesick, too. And tired....so tired.

Anyway, I updated my Amazon Wishlist....um, just in case anyone wants to buy me anything special. *wink* Oh hey, what a coinky dink, isn't my birthday coming up soon? *evil grin*

[updated 9:17pm EST]

OK, I think I know what part of it is. I'm so burned out with work. As wonderful as my present clients are, I'm just so tired of working, so tired of multitasking. And it's lonely in Pittsburgh. Without a car, Pittsburgh can't be part of my 'Yano Goes to the Mall: The American Tour'. I had also found out that one of my favorite clients had to stop our project prematurely due to internal issues. :( But of course, some people think it's MY fault. Fortunately I save all my emails so I was able to prove that it isn't my fault. I also had to fill out a ton of paperwork for a drug test and a background check, fax it (after having to find a printer to print it out) to a client that I have an upcoming gig with, only to discover that they don't need me to come out there anymore. Hmph! And I rescheduled Fatima and Melanie's visit for these people!!! Grrr!

:(

Interesting links found on the 'net...

Men Without Tights

In honor of Troy coming out today, here's an interesting article about the top ten men in movies who have shown us their legs. Members of the list? Patrick Swayze, Russel Crow, Chow Yun Fat...etc. Sorry gals, no pictures there...
Top Ten Man-Legs in the Movies

10 Years of Wonderbra

The Wonderbra turns 10, and The Sun gives it's homage to the wonders of female cleavage.
Valleys of the Dolls

Pick up the Poopie or Rover Dies!

So this sniper at this apartment complex posts flyers around saying that dogs will be shot if their owners don't clean up after them...and lo and behold, a dog was shot. What is this guys problem? Doesn't anyone just talk anymore? Reminds me of that guy who was putting poison in dog treats and leaving them on the ground, because he didn't like dogs running around without a leash.
Dog shot at condo complex after 'threat' by sniper

Lost and Found at the Pool

It's interesting what people forget to bring home with them. I mean, as you're getting back to your car, realizing how tired your leg is, wouldn't you REALIZE that you left your prosthetic leg at the check in?
British Pool Managers Find False Limbs

This sheep is a whole lotta sheep...No need to wonder what a sheep looks like if it hasn't had it's hair cut in 6 years. Makes one curious as to what sheep did before humans started cutting their hair...did they just walk around with little sheep dreadlocks?

Looks like Shrek the Sheep has been avoiding shearers for some time now and has accumlated quite a heavy coat of wool. He looks like a walking carpet! He's become something of a local celebrity and hides out in the mountains, his heavy coat the perfect camouflage to evade people.

Shrek the sheep faces his shearers

Pulling the wool over his eyes

Owner fears for safety of world-famous wether

UPDATE - Because I know that not knowing was keeping you up at night...

NZ's famous sheep gets TV haircut

This is almost as good as when Bartie the Baseball got blown up on TV.

Just wanted to give you the before/after pics...

Before

After

Dave always has the good links!

Here's the Exorcist, re-enacted in thirty seconds, done by bunnies.

This is one of the most interesting links I've been sent in a while....A great plug for Burger King! Thanks to my man Jerry for this one! (And Chariya sent it, too!)

Your Personal Chicken Slave.

Things to try:
Fly
Do a cartwheel
Show me the money
Sit
Lift your leg
Pray

He doesn't do everything, but the amount of stuff he does is kinda creepy!

Added 7pm Here's a link of things to have him do! Thanks to ClientX for sending it to me instead of working on his problem.

Why am I posting so much today? Because today, in the Yano-Estacio household, it's "Cleaning Day". Which means I clean a little, surf a little, Dave catches me, and I clean a little more, then when he's not looking, surf a little. *evil grin*

Anyway, the thing that I have been waiting almost 20 years is here. Jem is out on DVD! Yes, pinch yourself, girls, this isn't a dream! Wheeeee!!! Rhino has put out seasons one and two out on DVD, and hopefully seasons three and four are soon to follow. I'm beside myself right now! Yay! Yay! Yay!

This totally brings back memories of sitting in front of the TV, waiting for Jem to come on, with my VCR ready and a tape recorder in hand. Yes, not only did I tape a bunch of the episodes, I had all the songs taped, too! Unfortunately, the tape was destroyed in some weird college incident, probably having to do with alcohol and big shoes.

Anyway, now I have to save up the cash to buy it!

Found this in Yahoo! News:

Poll Finds Improved U.S. Race Relations

I find it a little sad that no one bothered to poll Asian Americans. We should have a voice, too! We're discriminated against, we have mixed marraiges, and we are also affected by affirmative action. I'd just like to see how my fellow yellow-brown people feel about these issues. Hmph. Thanks alot, Gallup.

But the results are quite interesting, some made me chuckle.

"In the poll of adults 18 and older, nearly 90 percent of whites, 73 percent of blacks and 78 percent of Hispanics said civil rights for blacks had somewhat or greatly improved."

"78 percent of blacks, 61 percent of Hispanics and 57 percent of whites said they prefer to live in a mixed neighborhood"

"73 percent of Americans approve of interracial marriage. In a 1958 Gallup poll, when the question was posed only to whites, just 4 percent supported mixed marriages"

I'm glad things have changed since 1958!

It's good to know that race relations are getting better, but we as a country, still have a long way to go!

Dan sent over this link. Me and Dave had tons of fun yesterday making her say a plethora of phrases, in different languages.

Text To Speech Translator

OT - Gas in California is now $2.43 for regular gas. It takes me a little less then half a tank to drive to Thousand Oaks. Argh.

For those of you who attended our Spam-a-palooza at Elm St. girls during my U of I days, here's something for you, stolen from Luna...

Spamjam A Huge Success In Manila

Yes. I love Spam. (and catfish, too, Janet!)

Congrats to my favorite lactose intolerant Buffy loving political blogging freak, Aaron, for getting mentioned as one of Chicago's Best Blogs by the Chicago Tribune.

That's some pretty scary shit.

I was doing some surfing around and found that one of the webrings I'm a part of spotlighted my site. How cool! So check out f.i.l.i.p.i.n.a.: a webring to see my little quote that they put in there...

Me! Me! Me! It's all about me!

Only Cubs fans can think up of something like this:

'Cursed' Foul Ball to Be Blown Up on TV

""That ball's gotta go," said DePorter, managing partner of the restaurant group, which organized the event as part of its annual tribute to Caray, the beloved Cubs broadcaster who died six years ago Thursday. "It's like the ring from 'The Lord of the Rings' and we're kind of like Frodo, trying to get it over with.""

I would watch if I could. Can someone tape it for me?

As it blows up, I shall make the sign of the cross, turn around 3 times and spit on the ground, just for good measure.

You know, you'd think someone who coached for Northwestern would have more brains than to say such a stupid comment as this, after Katie Hnida, the first woman to play for the University of Colorado's football team came forward to say that she was raped by a fellow team member:

You know, I really liked him when he coached Northwestern. Now, eh, well, JERK. Sure, maybe that's what he's thinking, but think before you make a statement like that to the press. What, since she wasn't respected she was raped?

First Kobe now this...Is there someone out there in the Colorado water?

First the Fat Boys break up, now this!

After 43 years of blissful dating/marrying, Barbie and Ken finally break up.

"After 43 years as one of the world's prettiest pairs, the perfect plastic couple is breaking up. The couple's "business manager," Russell Arons, vice president of marketing at Mattel, said that Barbie and Ken "feel it's time to spend some quality time -- apart." "

I never thought they were going to do it, I thought their love was forever, but I guess not. At least all those times I found my Ken doll naked with G.I. Joe in the closet mean something now. Good for Barbie. She can do better - I'm sure Ken wasn't satisfying her. I mean, have you SEEN him naked?

So now I wonder who the rebound boyfriend will be.

Google has finally made the Filipino version...

Google: Philippines

However, they spelled Philippines wrong in the English translation. Hmph! Who's paying these people!?!?!?

Check out this link:
Papal blessing for break-dancers

"Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it," John Paul said.

I was just watching the clips of this on VH-1, and it was hilarious. Members from a group that helps marginalized Polish youths came to the Vatican for a performance. Who would have thought that there would be breakdancers at the Vatican, much less dancing for a papal blessing from the Pope? He really seemed to be enjoying it, too. Pope John Paul II was gettin' DOWN, yo! It was the most life I've seen from him in a while. ;)

For those of you who love taking pictures and posting them on the web, here's a listing of photo meme projects to check out:

PhotoMemes.org

And for those of you who don't know what a 'meme' is (which I didn't know), here's the definition, courtesy of Noelle:

Now you know.

When I was a little kid, there were many things I wanted that I never got - cabbage patch kids, the Barbie house, an Easy Bake Oven, hungry hungry hippos...but the one thing that I wanted SO much that I never got was a Lite Brite. I wanted so badly to create works of art on that black background with those colored pegs. But it never happened.

Until today.

Thanks to Joanna for this link!

Online Lite Brite

And you can see my creation:

Guess Who This Is!

Yet another link submitted by Dave, sent by cousin Cathy. Soon he'll be asking to start his own blog!

This is sure to bring a smile to anyone's face. Make sure you've got your sound on! (Don't worry, I'm not tricking you here)

Hippo Dance

You know how much I love hippos!

At work, got a lot of work to do...but as soon as I get it done, I'm just going to sit here and surf away!

Here's a little something to spread some Christmas Cheer to you...

If you don't come here before Christmas, happy holidays to you!

Carol of the Burgers
It's so wrong it's right!

Thanks to the lovely Lea for sending this one over...

In the words of Mother Theresa, whose actions I had always admired and tried to emulate, but without much success. But she was old. I'm young. I still have time to get to that level. I'm trying, I really am. Kinda. Anyway, it's about priorities, which I always have a problem figuring out...

This was written by Mother Theresa and is engraved on the wall of her
home for children in Calcutta.

I just love this lil guy...

I was at a client site a couple weeks ago, and she had these really cute stickers on her cube of this cute little bunny.

Kinda like saying 'I Hate You' with a smile.

www.jimbenton.com makes these happy bunny postcards, stickers and t-shirts.

On a side note, I'm checking out my site on my desktop, and these are NOT the colors I thought they would be! That's the last time I pick out web colors on my crappy laptop. Tomorrow, I'm making changes in the colors!

So I've come across Margaret Cho's blog on the 'net, and it's hilarious. It's amazing that she's able to write this much each day. Here's a little sample of it:

"When I was twenty, I was engaged to a young television writer, who now is a big gangsta at Saturday Night Live. My midnight foot scratching would wake him up. The scraping of nails to dry, flaky, baklava skin caused a sound that would haunt him for long after we parted. He loved me so, and he'd said those nights, he would watch me sleep, and the scratch became a love song spontaneously occurring in nature, like summer crickets and the sweet slippery near silence of long kisses, a rhapsody of fungal and lover's bliss. But I was bad. There was no skin between each toe, creating a corned beef affect, like I was smuggling the meat in them to snack on later. On each toe, the tearaway skin would hang loose and white near the nail, saturated in sweat and in turn brittle and resilient. My heels were like two hard biscuits, badly in need of gravy, powdery and baked. Then of course the wart, for which I procured a corn slicer from Germany. This device, much like a cheese grater, would scrape across the errant sole, and shave off a neat layer of skin, which would be shiny underneath. I would cut down until I had reached a point where a tiny drop of blood could be seen just under the surface, dead center like a nucleus, and it was painful, but satisfying. Of course I went too far here and there, and the blood would spurt out of my foot with a pulsing heat, and no amount of gauze or cotton wads would soak up the carnage. "

I love her.

Make sure to read her post on Roy Horn, of Siegfried and Roy....it's a hoot.

Happy Birthday to the guy who beats the elderly, Pledge Jones. May your day be filled with big asses, rainbows, KY jelly and rabbits making sweet monkey love to stuffed animals.

Now stop bugging me!

Someone asked me the other day why I didn't have an Amazon wishlist. I didn't know that there was such thing. Also, if I had one, would anyone buy me something from it anyway? Then I thought to myself, what the hell, make one, and if someone gets something for me, well, bless their hearts.

So here's my wishlist.

I know, I know...I have weird tastes.

Melanie has some pics up from my bridal shower, so go check 'em out! Fortunately, she doesn't have the pics from later on that night. *snicker*

I've gotten a lot of hits for people looking for the wedding gown that Reese Witherspoon wears in Legally Blonde 2. Here's a link for it.

Legally Blonde Reem Acra Bridal Gown

Ask, and you shall receive!

You know you've done it - put your name in a search engine to see what it comes up with. It's part curiousity, part ego, part being freaked out what kind of internet trails the FBI can use against you. Here's the top 10 Christine Feliciano's on the web. Some are me, some aren't.

1. Fabio Carta - Grazie!
Fabio Carta, an Italian speedskater. I helped out the webmistress by giving her a couple of my pics from the Worlds in Milwaukee. I have NO idea why this page comes up first!

2. LiveWire 1.0 Page 3
A Christine Feliciano that isn't me, actually, I think her name is Christina Feliciano. This page has a nice little poem about two leaves dying or something like that.

3. Rustysmith.com: February 2003 Archives
I help out with this site. On this page, I give out my hotel room number for any would be stalkers to come out and find me. Note to would-be-stalkers - I am no longer at that hotel

4. The Inner Psyche
Ahh, sweet memories of my Geocities Psylocke page! This was my second website that I built, and this link goes to the 'LoCal' version, since the original was pretty graphic intensive. Haven't updated it since 1999. Poor page...I haven't been able to look at it since those bastards at Marvel killed her off - twice!

5. Yano What I Mean?
FINALLY, in 5th place, is my actual website. Geez.

6. bjflores.com :: linx
BJ's site, if you wanna see some great design, check it out. He's got a flair for it.

7. What to do? What to do? Midwest
Back in my acting days, one of my performances was actually mentioned in a magazine. Whoo hoo!

8. downloads
Back in the heyday of comic book fanpages, my Psylocke page was the shit. All kindsa people linked to it. *sigh* No time anymore!

9. Newszap! Delaware Obituaries
Note: I have never lived in Delaware.
Note2: I am not dead.

10. LEAGUE 2A BOYS LEAGUE 2A GIRLS
Results for a track meet. This is not me. As you might know, the only time I run is when I hear there are Krispy Kremes in the break room.

No Cork in Sosa's 76 Bats Tested by MLB

Who, that makes me breathe a little sigh of relief. I was so distraught yesterday when I heard that they found cork in a bat that Sammy used against the Devil Rays yesterday. He made a base hit, broke his bat, and the umpire saw cork in the middle of that bat. Sammy explained that he used it for batting practice, to make homers for the fans. He grabbed it by mistake.

I was worried. I don't know if you guys know how much of a hero Sammy is here. How the bleachers at Wrigley go crazy when he runs to the outfield, patting his heart and kissing his forefingers and pointing to the crowd. What a great sport he was during the homerun race with McGwire. He even had a cartoon shown last year, going over his life. I cried. Ok, I teared up. I really admired him.

Then this happened, and no matter how it turns out, there will now be that little bit of doubt. I'm happy that it truely looks like it was just a mistake, which Sammy admitted to, but man, this sucks! I really don't think he's guilty, but personally I think it could ruin any chance he has of breaking the record again and having people think he did it legitimately. Hopefully he doesn't get suspended. Even though he's been sucking since he came back from his toe injury, I'd love to see him keep on playing. Who knew a toe was so important to making home runs? Samson had his hair. Sammy has his toe.

Please don't suspend Sammy.

Get well, Sammy's toe!

Got this link from Kelly. Translate a page to porn-ish. Go to Pornolize!

For a good laugh, see what this site would look like! Finally, a language that Dan (and his life partner John, the hairy Italian ass) can understand.

Haven't posted a test in here in a long time. I got this one from Linda's blog. She's only at the fourth level of hell. I'm at the 8th level. Of 9 levels. Is it just me, or is that a BAD thing? Well, here's how I measure up...

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Eigth Level of Hell - the Malebolge!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Very High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Moderate
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)	High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Extreme
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante's Divine Comedy Inferno Test

No surprise that I scored so highly on Level 3 - Gluttony.
And for those of you who don't know what a panderer is..."One who caters to or exploits the lower tastes and desires of others". Yup...that's me!

A couple days ago, a young girl sang the National Anthem for Portland's Game 3. Near the end of the song, she forgot the words, and stood there alone, close to tears. Maurice Cheeks, the coach for the Trailblazers, walked up to her and helped her finish the song. He then persuaded the rest of the stadium to sing along. He wasn't the best singer, that was obvious, but it took some quick thinking, and a really big heart to go out there and help her out. Things like that just kinda make you're heart smile a little more.

Lazy surfin' on a Saturday morning. Y'all know I'm a sucker for a good cause.

Keep your M&M Wrappers to support the Special Olympics

For every wrapper sent in, M&Ms donates 50 cents to the Special Olympics, up to $750,000. Hoard 'em up and send in a bunch!

Speaking of Eminem (like that segue?), this is one of the funniest comments I've read in Entertainment Weekly in a while:

"We pause here to remind you that Eminem now has more Oscars than Martin Scorsese. That is all."

Ouch!

Got this from Eileen's Blog. It's pretty nice, and it actually makes a couple good points!

Sometimes we just need to remember what the 13 Rules of Life really are:

1. Never give yourself a haircut after three margaritas.

2. You need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape.
If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40.
If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.

3. The five most essential words for a healthy, vital relationship are, "I apologize" and "you are right."

4. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

5. Never pass up an opportunity to pee.

6. If he/she says that you are too good for him/her - believe them.

7. Learn to pick your battles; Ask yourself, "Will this matter one year from now? How about one month? One week? One day?"

8. When you make a mistake, make amends immediately. It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm.

9. If you woke up breathing, congratulations!
You have another chance!

10. Living well really is the best revenge. Being miserable because of a bad or former relationship just might mean that the other person was right about you.

11. Work is good, but it's not that important. Money is nice, but you can't take it, or anything else, with you. Statistics show most people don't live to spend all they saved; Some die even before they retire.
Anything we have isn't really ours; we just borrow it while we're here... even our kids.

12. Be really good to your family and/or friends. You never know when you are going to need them to empty your bedpan.

13. If you are going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you may as well laugh about it now.

Enjoy life!

It's too short not to indulge in what life has to offer

Tragedy strikes with the Space Shuttle Columbia. It seems like the space shuttle disintegrated over Texas right before it was scheduled to land in Florida. 6 Americans and Israel's first astronaut were on board.

Please keep the the astronauts and their families in your prayers.

Things like this really put all of my own stresses and personal dramas into perspective. There's a much bigger world out there.

Looks like Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue may have some competition!

National Geographic's Swimsuit Issue

NG isn't for gaping at naked tribeswomen anymore!

FYI for those of you that don't know...my last name isn't Yano. My name is Christine Feliciano. (I just threw that in there because this site doesn't come up when you search on my name) Yano is just an abbreviated form of the last 2 syllables of my name. HOWEVER....it has come to my attention that there IS a Christine Yano out there....and it looks like she's a pretty smart cookie. AND she lives in Hawaii. *sigh*

Christine Yano

Looks like a New York Judge has deemed that the X-Men aren't human. Well, I think they are officially now 'non-human creatures'. The funny thing is, Marvel actually WANTED them to be ruled as non-human so they can pay lower the duty rate when importing internationally. I guess human figures are called 'dolls' and have a higher duty rate than the non-human 'toy'. It's an interesting article. Check it out!

Fans Howl in Protest as Judge Decides X-Men Aren't Human

Thanks to Wally for the link.

"I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and lustice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!""

Well, I've finally got it, thanks to a kind soul that sent me a couple email links. Here's the ESPN.com article for the Michael Jordan Gatorade commercial with the Wizards MJ vs. the Bulls MJ. (we all know that #23 is the best ever). There's a link to the commercial on the right hand side. Hopefully they don't take the link down, it's on the right hand menu. As I said before, this commercial kicks ass. I love it!

Rod, go ahead and use this if you want your hits to go up!

Click on the pic for the link!

Noelle, Internet Icon extraordinaire and all round cool chick, finally has joined us in the blogging world. When ya get a chance, welcome her. One step closer to internet nirvana, she is!

http://blogatelle.blogspot.com/

Well, on my old blog I had this little ditty on there...

'On other sporting fronts, watch out for the latest Michael Jordan Gatorade commercial. Can't find a link to it, but let me tell ya, it's pretty badass! Michael Jordan of the present faces off against young Michael of the Bulls (complete with hair!). I love the trash talking in the spot. And the end gives me a little giggle, too.'

It seems that I've been getting TONS of traffic for people searching on 'michael jordan gatorade commercial'. Sorry, you won't find it here! But if you do find it, email me a link!!! I'm looking for it!

If you're looking for any other Jordan commercials, you can find a bunch here:
Michael Jordan Commercials

UPDATE - 7/21/06 - If you have any questions about Michael Jordan commercials, please email JayMJ23-at--yahoo-dot-com. I have to turn off comments for this file because there has been too much spam coming in!